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Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #3 – Sage Canaday

OMG I am finally back for the 3rd Shoeless Joe Interview! To appease my growing number of fans (We need to think of a name for you guys! “Vibram-holics”? “The Never Shoe’ds”?), let me satisfy you by presenting my new interview with one of the hot, young, and new talents in the world of trail running, Sage Canaday!

Sage has built an impressive resumé of racing and non-racing accomplishments. He was the only collegiate runner to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2008. He’s since run a 2:16 marathon, a 1:04 half, written a book (“Running For The Hansons“), and won the competitive (and straight uphill) Mt. Washington Road Race. But he really caught my attention since deciding to take on the trails and those epic miles found beyond 26.2. Sage has only run three ultramarathons. A 50k in March (Chuckanut), White River in July, and the UROC 100k in September. But heading into the NorthFace 50 Mile in a couple weeks, Sage’s name will be among those listed as pre-race favorites.

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Shoeless Joe: Welcome one and all to another edition of the Shoeless Joe Interview! Today we’re rolling deep with a young man named Sage (looks at card) Can…a-day…? Sage ran track and cross country for Grinnell University and he’s also twice run the marathon Olympic Team Trials!

Sage Canaday: Wait, wait, I’m going to have to stop you right there. I went to Cornell…not Grinnell *College.* Big difference. And I’m not talking about Cornell College in Iowa or wherever that is…I’m taking about Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where we bleed Big Red and walk up 15% grade slopes in 10 feet of snow both ways to class. Ever heard of it?!

SJ: Ohhh! Yeah, my friends Clint and Sarah Wattenberg went there, I think. I should have known that! Only 26 years old Sage, you’ve since become an immediate presence in the trail ultrarunning circuit. In your first-ever ultramarathon, a nasty fall and an extra 1-2k kept you from winning the competitive Chuckanut 50k in course record time. I was there! About an hour behind you.

SC: Actually let’s not speculate too much there. A certain other former-Cornell runner named Max King also got lost and if that didn’t happen, there was a good chance he would’ve taken it to me in the last flat (and slightly downhill) 10k. But we were on pace to better Geoff Roes’ course record before getting lost…even in the snowy, slippery conditions.

SJ: Right. And in his first-ever 50 mile, Sage stayed on course and did not fall and easily beat Anton Krupicka’s (pronounced not even close to correct) White River course record. What’s the future have in store for Sage? More ultras? FKTs? Beer miles? Let’s find out!
First off I should note that in a departure from previous interviews, this one will be conducted over the phone, since Win Van Pelt refused to foot the bill for a flight out to Boulder, Colorado, where Sage is currently residing. Hopefully you won’t even notice!
So yeah…Sage, let’s get started. How are you, it’s great to finally speak with you!

SC: I’m pretty tired and cranky because I haven’t had enough coffee and beer today…yet. Anyway, thanks for your call, I’m always up for interviews and putting everything out there on the table, so this is good. How have you been doing?

SJ: Wow, thanks for asking! I’m doing ok!
Now, you’ve burst onto the scene and I’ve seen a few interviews here and there. Most of them discuss your college background, running with Hansons, marathon success, transitioning to ultra-marathons, et cetera. But no one really seems to touch on your high school career. What was that like? Did you run in high school? Or play football or some other sport?

SC: I actually started running pretty seriously in middle school and continued every year since then. I quit soccer in 7th grade because my coach told me I was better off running up and down the field as a decoy without the ball at my feet. From then on I pretty much devoted myself to year-round training for track and cross country.
In high school I had some decent success, running about 4:30 in the mile, but I never qualified for the Oregon state championships in track. In cross country I was a lot more competitive, although a certain someone named Galen Rupp was a good 50 seconds ahead of me for 5k at states.

SJ: Galen? That’s a funny name!

SC: The only other sport I seriously considered going pro in during high school was disc golf. I played in some monthly tournaments here and there across the northwest and got 6th place at State in the PDGA “throw-run-catch” event, clocking over 100 feet. Of course back then I wasn’t old enough to get a beer company sponsor so I gave up on the dream and just ran more instead.

SJ: Was your high school cross country team a meat market like mine? Guys and gals hooking up left and right? By which I mean holding hands shyly and doing homework together? And is the disc golf circuit similar in that regard?

SC: (Audible laughter!) I’d say it was more like a vegetable market, unfortunately. My college team was more down the lines a meat market though–

SJ: At Grinnell?

SC: No, Cornell. University. In the past I’ve only dated runner girls on the team and there is no way to get around the drama associated with that. In fact, one of my main motivations for starting running was to pick up a girlfriend. It’s worked out well at times and it’s worked out quite poorly at times. I can’t say the disc golf scene had very many young women to hold hands and play catch with…plus I have “speed goggles” for runner girls only! Also, just to throw this out there for the ladies: I’m currently single.

SJ: I too only started running to date a girl! Hopefully SRC can hook you up with a potential wife. How would you compare/contrast high school female runners, collegiate female runners, female marathoners, and your new experience with female ultrarunners? Are there any ultrarunners in Colorado?

SC: Now I don’t want to get in trouble here, so I’ll just say that all runners in general are crazy. Absolutely insane! And college runners probably are the most high-strung. Anyway, since crazy attracts crazy, I’m still holding out on the hope of finding that cute and fast runner-girl that will put up with my shenanigans and meager race winnings. From what I’ve seen there are hardly any ultrarunners in Colorado. I’ve seen a ton of disc golf players and roller skaters and BMX bikers though. Can’t say any of the female disc golf players have caught my eye…yet.

SJ: (laughing) I like your confidence! I’ll keep on the look out for hot women disc golfers around Seattle and report back if I find any. It’s too bad about the lack of ultrarunners in Colorado though; you’d think the state would be full of them. Can you describe your living situation there? A lot of roommates, or are you living alone? Do they have grocery stores in Boulder, or is it just one big farmer’s market on Sundays?

SC: I live off of the land…and with coffee from Starbucks. There are a lot of co-ops and communes with vegetable gardens and solar-powered clay huts. However, I try to simplify my life beyond that, with a meager existence in a 2-bed, 2-bath apartment next to the University of Colorado cross country course. I have one apartment-mate who used to cut the 10k in 31 minutes. He still jogs a bit with me. I don’t know about any farmer’s markets around Boulder, but if there were some they’d probably only sell fried rattlesnakes which I’m not interested in, being vegetarian.

SJ: Are there any training styles, theories or equipment that you simply cannot do with or without? For example, I know I will CrossFit for the rest of my life, and I will always wear Vibrams even if it means I’m always injured. I also started shaving my legs but wow that takes a lot of time so I’m not committing to it for life. Plus I bled a lot and almost fainted.

SC: First of all you need to get laser hair removal for your legs if you’re a guy. It’s just not worth the risk using a Gillette Mach 5 razor around the knees, getting a cut and losing some precious blood. I thought the Vibrams were too cushioned so I cut the heels off of them so I could have a *true* zero-drop for natural running. For my aerobic capacity I swear by the Powerlung since I have asthma and can’t breathe. Oh yeah, I also do 16 minute abs while holding a 10 lb weight across my chest. With weights, it’s not just about curls for the girls you know!

SJ: Good tips on leg hair removal! I’ll look into that. You don’t really see advice like that for guys on other running websites very often.
If you’re ready I think it’s time for the world famous Fleet Feet Fast Acting Lightning Round! Sponsored as always by Fleet Feet Seattle! We keep it short and sweet, and work as fast as we can. Ready?

SC: Let’s do it.

SJ: Ok. What are you wearing right now?

SC: Just my my whole birthday suit and a pair of shoes.

SJ: Really? Wow! What kind of shoes?

SC: The SCOTT Sports Race Rockers. They weigh next to nothing and they really rock! I feel naked when I have them on because they are so minimal. It’s good though. I like the whole idea of natural running.

SJ: If you have not yet raced in them I would highly recommend the Vibram SeeYa!

SC: …

SJ: Hello?

SC: Yeah I’m here.

SJ: Ok. How many Facebook fans do you have, and does that number satisfy you?

SC: At least a couple. I am never satisfied!

SJ: Rate these activities in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest: Setting a 9-minute course record at the White River 50 mile, writing a book, qualifying for the US Olympic Trials in the Marathon, reading posts on a typical letsrun.com message board thread.

SC: Reading LetsRun.com posts is by far the hardest. It is such a chore because you can’t tell if people are trolling or are actually being totally serious. After that: writing a book (too many words and not enough numbers), the Olympic Trials Marathon and then the White River course record.

SJ: I recently dropped my phone in a public toilet and had to use a pay phone. When did you last use a pay phone?

SC: Hmm. What is this “pay phone” device you speak of?

SJ: I demand you choose one bride for the rest of your life: Kelly, Lisa, or Jessie or Zack’s mom?

SC: I have no idea who or what these people are. I’ll just go with Lisa because she sounds kinda hot.

SJ: Saved By the Bell man! You’re not *that* young are you? (singing) “When I wake up late for class, the teacher’s gonna be mad, nuhhh nuhhh NUH…cause I’m Saved By The Bell!”

SC: Oh really?! Well, I guess you must be really old then! I’ve heard the title but can’t say I’ve ever seen that show. I grew up in the backwoods of Oregon and our TV only had 3 channels so I didn’t really even bother watching it as a kid.

SJ: Wow. Ok. Well, so you know, you picked the rich spoiled one so good luck at your next few races! Umm. Where was I…oh. Usain Bolt: Inspiring or annoying?

SC: Annoying! He may be the fastest man in the world at sprinting, but he could probably win by a larger margin and set better records if he didn’t celebrate so much.

SJ: You wanna go halves on a pie? I only have enough cash for two toppings, what you got?

SC: At first I thought you meant a dessert pie, so in that case whipped cream and chocolate chips. But now I think you actually mean a pizza pie, so I’d go with extra cheese and extra cheese (they used to call me “Plain Cheese Canaday” at Hanson’s).

SJ: That’s crazy, a friend of a friend of my brother only liked sausage on his pizza. So I hear they called him “Sausage Party Paul”.

SC: Well, I think that’s kinda gross because I’m a vegetarian.

SJ: Oh I know. Totally gross! Back to you though, has Sage Canaday ever been to Canada, eh? lol get it?

SC: Not all all. I think you are making fun of my accent and that is not very funny to me!

SJ: (pause) Who, aside from Dean Karnazes I assume, inspires you as a runner more than anyone else?

SC: The Penguin.

SJ: What course record (any distance, any terrain), aside from Dean Karno’s South Pole Marathon course record I assume, is the most impressive to you?

SC: I’m not even sure what the time was officially, but I’d have to go with that sort of recent video of someone setting a world record in the beer mile. That is one tough event that requires a really special talent!

SJ: That was Nicky Simmons Symmonds and it was just a Oregon state U.S. record. But still, 6:31 5:19 was his time! If you have his home address phone number, I’d love to have it, or his social security number.

SC: I don’t have his digits, but maybe you could ask Paris Hilton for them?

SJ: Finish this sentence: If I wasn’t a runner, I’d be ___?

SC: A fighter pilot, duh.

SJ: Cool! Finally, we have to ask…Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing? And explain.

SC: I don’t remember seeing Dirty Dancing all the way through, so I’d have to go with Pretty Woman. They say that money can’t buy you love, but this movie seems to be hard evidence that money actually does talk, and it wins the heart of Julia Roberts.

SJ: Mark a yes vote for Pretty Woman, its first one so far! That does it for the Fleet Feet Fast Acting Lightning Round…nice work, Sage, and over the phone too! Enhanced degree of difficulty! Did you have fun?

SC: Thank you! And, it was ok.

SJ: I’m probably going to be fired from my non-paid position if I don’t ask you about White River, seeing as how it’s an SRC-related race and one of our most exciting times of the year. But you absolutely destroyed that course in your first 50 mile attempt and I was wondering if any aspects or parts of the course and race stood out as particularly enjoyable….maybe beside crossing the finish line of course! Or any parts of the course particularly unenjoyable?

SC: First of all, I’ll say that I’m really glad that I chose White River as my 50 mile debut. My Pacific Northwest roots really enjoyed the wooded trails and views of Mt. Rainier. It was a great crowd to run with as well as the race director put on an awesome event! I’d have to say my low-point in the race was in the middle of the big climb around mile 32. I had to make a pit stop in the bushes and before that I had started walking because my legs felt numb. It seemed like I had forever to go still and I was sure that I would be hitting some sort of wall. Then, the next aid station near the top of the climb, I felt great again because I got some Coke in me and the friendly aid-station volunteers snapped a picture with me; that was a high point. After that I was able to rally and I felt more confident as the downhill miles clicked off and I stayed under course record pace.

SJ: And recently you got 2nd at UROC (the Ultra Race of Champions), finishing about 15 minutes behind Max King. This was your 100k debut, yes? Was it hard to have such a disappointing race following your Chuckanut and White River 50k/50 mile ultra debuts? You seemed to handle Max easily at Chuckanut. Was it just an off day for you?

SC: Yeah, it was my first 100k. Max ran really strong and I was with him until about 35 miles when I felt the sudden calls of nature. That cost me a good 60 seconds or so. After that it really just turned into a matter of survival and I turned my focus from trying to win to just trying to make it to the finish line without walking. The parasites I had in my gut from Europe had curtailed my training and strength for ultras. I averaged only 60 miles a week for the previous 6 weeks. All I could do was muster up a weak jog for the last 20 miles. Max pulled away quite convincingly at a high rate of speed.

SJ: Aww man, that’s a shame. I had to pee during a 10k once and it definitely affected my race. So I can sympathize.

SC: Oh if it’s pee, I just let it flow. No use in losing 20 seconds when you can just wet yourself, get more chafeage, and test the fluid drainage in your shoes. This was a number 2 pit stop, which, in my book, does require an actual break from running. As a matter of fact right now I feel something brewing in my intestines so I’m going to have to hang up on you soon!

SJ: Ok, no problem! One last question then! In ten years…you’ll be 34 or 38 or…wait, how old are you?

SC: If years were miles in a marathon…that’s my current age, although I turn 27 in a few days.

SJ: Ok, so you’ll be 35. Wait, how many miles in a mara–36! Sorry! Lol. Anyway, what kind of accomplishments would you like to have achieved in this sport? Like, if we’re reading a biography about you in 2022? What is your “accomplishment bucket list,” I guess is what I’m asking.

SC: That’s easy! Of course, first I’d just like to still be alive in 2022 as that sounds like the very distant future. Athletic goals are easy to come up with though: Obviously a sub-6:00 in the beer mile and a sub-27:30 in the Kripsy Kreme 8k Challenge. It’s going to take a lot of dedicated training and a little bit of luck, but those are the two big ones I have in mind for the rest of my career.

SJ: Well I may as well throw in a plug for a race that sounds like it’d be right up your alley Sage, the 2013 SRC Fat Glass 50k! Six 5.2 mile trail loops, chug a beer before each loop! The Balanced Athlete’s Eric Sach is the defending 2-time champ. You keep improving as quickly as you are and I bet you could take him! There’s no prize money but there’s a potluck afterwards. You can stay at my house and I’ll give you a ride to the race! Are you allergic to cats? I have seven.

SC: Sounds like a good time as long as the beer is nice and hoppy! I’m all up for provided food and lodging at a race too. Not sure about staying at your place though; I’m kind of more of a dog person so I think I’ll pass. Anyway, I really gotta go! Last time I took my cell phone into the bathroom with me it drowned in the toilet!

SJ: Been there, done that Sage! Before you go…any questions you’d like to ask me?

SC: Yeah, I guess I just have just one question, and I’m only asking you this because it’s really important. When are you going to get that laser hair removal for your legs that I recommended earlier? You can tweet your answer to me @SageCanaday if you need more time to think about it! That’s all, I’m hanging up right now!

SJ: Ok Sage, thanks, just one more–

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Many many thanks to Sage for letting me call him on his friend’s phone! Sage will be winding up his 2012 season at the uber-competitive NorthFace 50 Mile in San Francisco, a little over two weeks from now, and as one of the contenders he will most likely be interviewed by irunfar.com. You can also enjoy his blog at sagecanaday.com and his running-related media ventures at vo2maxproductions. And like many people his age, he twitters and facebooks in lieu of watching Saved By The Bell!

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • Which SBTB character have you fantasized about going steady with?
  • Isn’t Dean Karnazes great?
  • Are you a single female who would like to date or marry Sage?

Call for Comments (from Sage)

  • Do you like beer?
  • A lot?
  • What is your favorite type of beer?
  • What is your favorite brewery?
  • Any single ladies?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • If you thought this was at least “ok,” please consider either becoming a member of Seattle Running Club or renewing your membership. Sage said if he lived here he’d totally do so himself. Fast slow and everyone in between, please join our community of running nerds!
  • Did this offend you? 🙁

Prior Episodes

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Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #2 – Greg Crowther

It’s finally time for the 2nd Shoeless Joe Interview! I apologize for the delay, and appreciate all the warm words of encouragement from people who enjoyed my first one, with Uli Steidl!

Greg Crowther is a well-known Seattle-based runner with an incredible amount of accolades on both the roads and the trails, on both short and long distances. He can win 5Ks and he can win 100 milers. He’s represented the United States numerous times at the 100k World Championships. And to top it off, he served as the Seattle Running Club president back in 2011. More of Greg (and less of Joe) can be found at GregCrowther.com, his twitter profile, and SingAboutScience.org.

Unfortunately Greg has long been sidelined with an Achilles injury. He was out of commission for nearly two years, but is now getting back into the running saddle. And after a number of months spent tracking him down, he finally agreed to stop running for a few minutes and sit down with me. Enjoy!

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Shoeless Joe: Welcome to a new edition of the Shoeless Joe interview! Today I’m blessed to get to speak to the head honcho himself, Greg Crowther! (mispronounced as “kroh-ther”). I spoke to Greg one time after a Cougar Mountain race, but this time we’re going to get real! Greg, how are you doing?

Greg Crowther: I’m fine, thanks. How are you?

SJ: I’m great! I had a small cyst near my butt that I got removed recently, but otherwise I’m fantastic. It’s an honor to be speaking with the Seattle Running Club President!

GC: Well, former president. Win Van Pelt succeeded me in November.

SJ: Oh cool! Win Van Pelt…that’s an interesting name. No offense but he does sound a bit more presidential than “Greg Crowther.” (mispronounces name again) I’m sure you were great though! Speaking of great, I hear you’ve had a great injury that has kept you from running for many weeks. What has that been like?

GC: The injury to my left Achilles tendon has been great in that it has been an important influence in my life, for better or worse — great in the sense of the Great War or Great Flood. I haven’t trained seriously or raced since August of 2010. I was pretty bitter and upset about this for many months; then my marriage ended, which really put running in the proper perspective. I dream of getting fit again, which might happen in a year or in a few years or never. For now I am mostly a “social runner.”

SJ: Oh, my source did not mention anything about any marriage ending. I’m afraid I don’t have any follow ups on that topic.
You say you might be fit in a year, a few years, or never. Can you narrow that down? Will you be racing the White River 50 mile this coming weekend? I’ve raced that one a few times; I think you would enjoy it!

GC: (Sigh) No, I’m afraid that I cannot “narrow that down.” To any hypothetical Greg Crowther fans out there who are breathlessly awaiting an announcement on my return to competition, I’d say, “Thanks for your interest, but please find something more worthy of your attention.”
Regarding White River, I’ve been smitten ever since 2002, when I crewed for defending champion William Emerson. Watching that race had a huge influence on me. Up to that point I had thought that ultramarathons were really long, dull episodes of power-walking over ridiculously hard, poorly-marked courses. White River showed me that an ultra could be a well-organized, runnable race contested by athletes who are fast as well as tough. The 2002 race was an epic battle between Emerson, Scott Jurek, Karl Meltzer, Hal Koerner, and Nate McDowell. Nate is probably the least well-known of those guys, but at that time he was as good as any of them, and when he came whipping down the Sun Top road, 43 miles into the race, at sub-6:00 pace, leaving Jurek and the others in the dust, I was super-impressed.
Since then I’ve been back to White River almost every year to race or volunteer.

SJ: That’s awful kind of you! Do you think you have a good shot at winning White River this year?

GC: (Sigh) My chance of winning is 0 because my chance of racing is 0, as I tried to convey earlier.
Are we working through a bunch of questions that you prepared before the interview? You should feel free to modify the questions as we go so that, in the context of my answers, they actually make sense. Otherwise people might conclude that you aren’t very smart or aren’t listening to me, or both.

SJ: Huh? Oh yeah, I agree! I remember my first White River, in 2009. I said “Hi” to Scott Jurek but I don’t think he heard me. Did you know he’s vegan?! I saw that online. It’s crazy that he’s able to run all those 50Ks and 50 milers without any protein. Do you have any dietary…umm…tendencies? Are you vegan…or paleo or something?

GC: I abide by a strict meat-based diet. Perhaps that’s why I’m 6-0 lifetime against Jurek.

SJ: (Laughter) Greg Crowther (mispronounced) getting feisty! I love it! Alright let’s keep the feistiness going with the Fleet Feet Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round, sponsored by our good friends at Fleet Feet Seattle! Greg, I’ve brought this mask. If you dare put this over your eyes, you’re telling me you’re ready to throw down!

GC: Um, can’t I just say, “I am, in fact, ready to throw down”?

SJ: You may say you’re ready but that face says otherwise! Put the mask on! If you want to show as well as Uli did, you’ll need to block out all distractions!

GC: Hold on. What IS the “speed round,” anyway? Do I have to answer quickly? Or are all the questions about fast people?

SJ: Oh I’m sorry, did you not check out my interview with Uli? Yes, the game is I ask you a question fastly, and you answer fastly. Lightning fast! See, because running is about being fast. (trailing off) Well, for some people…

GC: Well, trying to keep up with Uli is generally a bad idea. I’m going to give you back your mask so that nothing catastrophic happens to it.

SJ: Sorry Greg, I will have to insist!

GC: No, I’m serious.

SJ: Well alright, maybe next time! Ok, here we go! What is your favorite brand of hot dogs?

GC: Do Schultzy’s sausages count?

SJ: I…suppose, yes! I’ll allow it!
You and I are heading to a karaoke bar tonight…what song are you planning on rocking?

GC: “Hold On.” In the style of Wilson Phillips, of course. My backup choice would be “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads. “This is not my beautiful house!” and all that. Sorry, am I being too long-winded for the Fleet Feet Lightning Blah Blah Blah Speed Round?

SJ: Not at all! Would you mind singing a few bars of “Hold On?” Just to prove you’re not one of those poser Wilson Phillips fans?

GC: Sure! In fact, I have my own backing track right here with me. (Actually does pull out phone and plays a karaoke version of “Hold On.” Greg and Joe sing together for a verse and a half.)

SJ: Awesome song, reminds me of VH1! Moving along, I see you brought a bike helmet with you. Do you play any bike polo?

GC: Uh, no. For me, biking isn’t really a sport, it’s just a way to get around.

SJ: You have been convicted of murdering Fleet Feet’s Brian Morrison. You’re on death row and nobody likes you because everyone loved Brian. What is your last meal?

GC: Fried chicken. I wouldn’t enjoy it, though, because I’d be upset about Brian’s death — I was framed, obviously — not to mention my own impending demise.
As an aside, you’re doing a marvelous job of working Fleet Feet into every other sentence. Didn’t they once give you a free pair of socks?

SJ: Yes!

GC: I think you’ve paid your debt to them at this point. We should also be sure to mention the Seattle Running Club’s OTHER distinguished partner store, The Balanced Athlete. Whose owner, Eric Sach, was cleared of all wrongdoing in the Morrison case, by the way.

SJ: Yes, I agree. Everyone, go to The Balanced Athlete…tell them Shoeless Joe sent you; they’ll hook you up!
Keeping with the food theme, favorite type of M&Ms: Regular, Peanut, Almond, Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Coconut, Mint, Grape, or Pretzel?

GC: The green ones. Those are home runs, right?

SJ: ? How many tattoos do you have?

GC: None.

SJ: If forced at gunpoint to get one, what would you get?

GC: Whatever the gunman wanted me to get, I suppose. How many do you have?

SJ: None, too scared! But if Vibram Five Fingers hooked me up, I might be willing to get their shoe tattooed on my leg or chest or something.

GC: I agree; if you have to get a tattoo, you might as well get some free product out of the deal.

SJ: Totally! You’re doing great Greg, stretch run coming up. Who is your favorite character on The Cosby Show?

GC: I identified with Sondra because she was the most academically inclined of the Huxtable children. So her, I guess.

SJ: I liked Denise’s Army husband.
If you could run only one more race–any distance, any place, your fitness level at a place with which you’re happy–which one would it be?

GC: Hmm…good question.

SJ: Thanks!

GC: Assuming that I was able to train properly, I’d probably do another flat 100-miler, like Rocky Raccoon. Since I’ve only started two 100’s and only finished one, that’s a distance where I could still PR. (Pause) Plus, if you only get one more race, why not make it last as long as possible?

SJ: Good point, I agree! The following question was submitted by an SRC club member and fan, and it seems appropriate given your presidential status in the club. Boxers or briefs?

GC: If you must know: briefs.

SJ: Briefs, me too! Thanks to Patrick N. for that question!
Final question: Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman? And show your work!

GC: Dirty Dancing. Patrick Swayze trumps Richard Gere for athleticism and non-sliminess, plus any soundtrack with “Hungry Eyes” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” is a winner in my book.

SJ: I agree! Plus Swayze looks like he’d easily best Gere in an ultra.
Nice work Greg, if you had worn it I would say you can take the mask off! It wasn’t a World Championship 100k, but I bet completing the Fleet Feet Fast Acting Speed Round was just as satisfying.
Getting back to the serious stuff, I’m fascinated by your time spent as president of the Seattle Running Club. Do you have any stories from that all-powerful position? Backroom deals with Brooks? Shady compromises with Nuun?

GC: Yeah, it’s a shame I can’t tell you about our super-secret contract work for the Department of Defense. Let’s just say that the future of the U.S. border patrol involves fewer guns and more runs.
I wasn’t entirely comfortable in my role as president, but I did have a few “It’s good to be king” moments. One was when I got an email from a guy working on ads for an upcoming exhibit on horror films at Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum. He needed to get some pictures of runners being attacked by a zombie and wanted to use SRC members as the runners. Vice President Van Pelt wasn’t so keen on the idea, but I thought, shoot, what’s the fun of being president if you can’t feed some of your constituents to zombies once in a while? So I encouraged club members to sign up.
A somewhat more serious example was the Fat Glass 50K last August. The idea grew out of a board meeting discussion about Beer Miles — those track races where people drink a beer every lap. We thought, well, *any* running group can hold a Beer Mile, but it would take a special bunch of loonies to put on a Beer Ultra. And, with the SRC kind of representing the lunatic fringe of the Seattle running scene, we figured that it was up to us to create such an event. And things blossomed from there, thanks mostly to the incredible generosity of SRC member Peter Kline, who hosted the race at his house.

SJ: Yes. I think the Fat Glass 50k may prove to be your shining legacy, I hope SRC can bring it back for a second round! If I may be so bold, could the Fat Glass 50k be the race Greg Crowther (mispronounced) returns to racing, if only for a day?! Could you handle six pints of craft beer in 4+ hours?

GC: At this point, I have neither the legs nor the liver to handle the Fat Glass 50K.

SJ: Yeah, maybe I won’t do it either. I see on your facebook profile picture, you look like you’re wearing some kind of lab coat. Are you a doctor?

GC: No, I’m a research scientist.

SJ: Ohh, a scientist! Cool! Can you answer this then? How did you get into being what you are now? I mean, I’m guessing if I asked 8 year-old Greg Crowther (mispronounced) what he wanted to be when he became adult Greg Crowther (mispronounced), the answer wouldn’t be “research scientist.” When I was 8 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. When I was 18 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. When I was 28 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. A few months ago I gave up on that dream and have since settled. But I don’t get the feeling any scientists have “settled” into their profession, despite the fact that their field of work is really hard and confusing and boring and hard and you gotta go to college and stuff.

GC: When I was 8 I wanted to be a pro baseball player too. The idea of becoming a scientist didn’t really take hold until college, when I realized that different academic disciplines have fundamentally different ways of exploring the world and figuring things out, and that the approach taken by the natural sciences–the scientific method–was especially compelling to me. In history, for example, there is no shortage of fascinating questions, like “What caused World War II?” But trying to answer that question in a rigorous, conclusive manner is really hard, because you can’t go back and re-create the world as it was before the war and experiment on it. I don’t recommend that, anyway. But science has this elegant cycle of devising a hypothesis, performing empirical tests of the hypothesis, refining the hypothesis, doing additional tests, etc. It’s a rigorous and powerful way of discovering things, but it’s also simple in a way. Even if you aren’t a genius, and can’t answer any of the big questions that everyone cares about, you can work on smaller questions that relate to the bigger ones, and make progress in that way. A distance runner’s “one step at a time” mindset is definitely helpful in science.

SJ: Interesting. Though didn’t we conclusively prove that the New Deal caused World War II? And I think the scientific method can definitely be abused by scientists with agendas, but I don’t want to get into that right now even though I’m sure you agree with me 100%. Moving on, what position did you want to play?! I wanted to be a first baseman who hit lots of homeruns at Candlestick Park.

GC: My childhood idol was Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox, and he played first base in his later years, so I liked that position as well. And I liked pitching too. I was told that, as a lefty, I had a “natural curve ball,” though I don’t think it was unhittable or anything like that.

SJ: Yastrzemski? First off, how old are you?! And how could you be a Red Sox fan living in Seattle as a child as I presume you did?

GC: (Sigh) You presume incorrectly, as usual. I grew up in Vermont. I’m 39. Yaz retired in 1983, when I was 10.

SJ: Ohhh, ok! Vermont is pretty far away; did you move out here because you really love running in a 54-degree drizzle 11 months out of the year?

GC: I much prefer that to running in 5-degree snow and ice, but my main reason for moving here was to go to grad school in physiology at the University of Washington.

SJ: I agree! I think we’re about done here Greg, but I wanted to talk about one more thing. (Reads from card) Have you ever considered minimal running? Learning to run free with Vibrams? Thanks to the generous folks at Vibram Five Fingers, I can get you a pair of Vibrams to try–free!–for a whole week. I’m confident you will notice the difference, and join the revolution. Are you interested in taking your running to the next level?

GC: No, I’d prefer to stagnate at the current level. Thanks, though!

SJ: Ok, fair enough. I also have a couple 10% off coupons for an upcoming Tough Mudder. Would you be interested in being on my team?

GC: I’m afraid not.

SJ: Hmm. Ok. I’m sure I can find someone. Are there any questions you wanted to ask me?

GC: Not especially.

********

It was awesome of Greg to hang out with me at his work and let me interview him. Thanks Greg! If any of you want to hang out with Greg in the immediate future, I have learned he will be at Crystal Mountain this coming weekend volunteering at the White River 50 mile (not racing, apparently). Tell him hello and maybe he’ll sing a couple bars of Wilson Phillips with you! You can also enjoy his blog at GregCrowther.com. He also twitters!

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • What’s YOUR go-to karaoke jam?
  • Do YOU have a favorite Huxtable?
  • Does anyone want to be on my Tough Mudder team?

Call for Comments (from Greg)

  • Who, if anybody, should Shoeless Joe interview next?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • If you thought this was not-at-all offensive, please consider either becoming a member of Seattle Running Club or renewing your membership. The club is much more than some self-unaware schmuck interviewing his local running heroes. Join a community of like-minded running enthusiasts!
  • Did this offend you? 🙁
Greg Crowther (right) & Shoeless JoeGreg Crowther (left) & Shoeless JoeGreg Crowther (left) & Shoeless Joe

All photos of Greg & Joe: Terry Creighton

Categories
Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #1 – Uli Steidl

Welcome to the first installment of the Shoeless Joe Interview! I say “installment” assuming this will a) not be discovered and deleted by higher-ranking board members and b) I’m allowed to make this a recurring feature here.

For my first interview I wanted to go big, and when it comes to Seattle running, you can’t go much bigger than Uli Steidl! He and his wife Trisha Steidl form a sort of royal union in the local running scene, with countless wins and accomplishments between them at a wide variety of distances. Both also extend their expertise to coaching collegiate running talent at Seattle University, where Trisha is the head coach and Uli is an assistant coach.

After his great performance at the 2012 Boston Marathon (1st Masters, 5th American, 15th overall), and his excellent first pitch at a recent Mariners game, I had to sit down and get to know more about the man(ly) Seattle legend. With an awesome view of Lake Washington in front of us, we had a great time. Enjoy!

********

Shoeless Joe: First off Uli, thanks for taking the time to speak with me! I don’t know if you know me, but my name is Joe Creighton and I’m on the Seattle Running Club board. So you could say we’re like teammates.

Uli Steidl: Joe, of course I know you. I’ve been to several board meetings. And you text with my wife Trisha all the time, and meet her for track workouts every Thursday afternoon. At least that’s what she says.

SJ: Oh cool! I didn’t know Trisha was your wife. That actually clears up some confusion I had. And explains why you live in her house.
Before we get too deep into this interview, let me say congratulations! It’s not every day someone gets invited to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game. Was that one of the biggest thrills of your life?

US: Oh, definitely! Growing up in Germany, almost every boy dreams to someday play in the Major League. Baseball is our national sport, almost a religion.
Speaking of thrills, the biggest thrill in my athletic career was running in the 2007 IAAF Marathon World Championships in Osaka, Japan. And more recently the 112th Boston Marathon, where I finished 15th overall, 5th American and 1st masters.

SJ: Wow! That was actually my next question, if Boston was your first marathon. But it sounds like you’ve run two total. Any racing plans for the rest of 2012? Perhaps a third marathon? Ever thought about trying out one of those “ultra” marathons?

US: Joe, you have to qualify for Boston, so it can’t be your first one. You call yourself a runner and you don’t know this? I’m not sure how many marathons I’ve run. Thirty five to forty. Fifteen of them under 2:20. I am planning on running another marathon this year. Twin Cities, in the fall.
And yes, I have done a few ultras.

SJ: Wow, thirty five to forty…I was a little off! LOL! If we can move back to your beginnings in Germany, what initially got you interested in running? For me it was a woman. Was it a woman for you? If your wife will get mad at you, just make something up.

US: My initial interest in running was there because there was a race that started half a mile from my home. I was 17 at the time, did a lot of biking–about 20 miles a day–but NO running. Entered the race and won.
No, women (or a woman) had nothing to do with me deciding to start running. But running has since strongly influenced my interest in women. I have never dated–or even kissed–a woman who wasn’t a runner. It would be hard for me to imagine being with someone who doesn’t share this part of my life.

SJ: I think I know what you mean. Women can make good things even better…like how Facebook does with life. Speaking of, I saw on Facebook that you went to college in Portland. What was the transition to living in the states like, compared to life in Germany? Food, music, bros, etc?

US: I’m not so sure I would put “women” and “Facebook” in the same category. You can’t hug or kiss Facebook. On the other hand, you can ignore Facebook for a month without serious consequences.

SJ: ?

US: Moving to the US was not that dramatic of a change. Lots of changes that American freshmen also experience, like moving out of your parents’ home and living with a roommate in the dorms; cafeteria food, new coach, new routines. I spoke English fairly well before I got here; good enough to get a 4.0 my first semester at University of Portland. But then again, I took familiar subjects such as chemistry, physics and calculus. I did, however, have to learn some fine nuances of the English language, such as “Uli, you don’t HAVE a shit. You TAKE a shit!”

SJ: LMAO! Can we say “shit”? Oh well. And that’s true about Facebook, but you can “like” Facebook on Facebook’s Facebook profile. Just like a woman!
Speaking of, on Facebook, as well as Myspace and Friendster and LinkedIn and this pro-wrestling message board I post at, I asked people to suggest any questions they think I should ask. Are you ready for the Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round, which I should mention is sponsored by our fast friends at Fleet Feet Seattle? I will ask a question fastly, and you reply fastly. Like, lightning fast. Oh, also…you wear this eye mask to make sure you’re focused. Ready?

US: Sure. Shoot.

SJ: …can you put the eye mask on, please?
US: [puts the mask on]

SJ: OK, buckle your seatbelt, here we go! And remember, if you think any of these questions are dumb, it’s because it probably came from one of my MySpace friends.

US: Just start, please.

SJ: Ok. How much ya bench?
US: I did 115 once in college. Pounds, not kilograms. Bench press max is irrelevant for distance running.

SJ: What’s something any American tourist should eat at least once while in Germany? And please don’t say Head Cheese.
US: Schweinshaxen und Sauerkraut.

SJ: Favorite flavor of Vitamin Water?
US: I don’t drink Vitamin Water. I try to avoid bottled water in general. Tap water costs 2 cents per liter in Seattle. Fruit juice, milk, chocolate milk, water, tea. And once in a while a beer.

SJ: I know he’s not German, but close enough — best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie: “Kindergarten Cop”, “Pumping Iron”, “No Really, That Guy Was the Governor of California?!”, or “Twins”?
US: Arnold is Austrian. Not German. Not even close! What’s next, you call a Canadian “almost American”?

SJ: (laughing) Touché! I was curious, what newspapers and magazines do you regularly read — to stay informed and to understand the world?
US: Seattle Times. I used to read the PI, but they went out of print. As far as magazines, Northwest Runner, Running Times, Ultrarunning. Oh yes and Fox News.

SJ: Is the Boston Marathon like the Olympics for marathoners?
US: (sigh) Not exactly. It’s the oldest continuously run marathon in the world. And the fact that you have to qualify for it makes it intriguing for many people. You actually have to be a decent runner to qualify. But the Olympics is a whole different level. You have to be world-class to make it to the Olympic marathon, and even that is not enough in many cases as only three athletes per country can run in the Olympics.

SJ: Oh, whoops. I suppose then that the Olympics are the Olympics for marathoners. What pair of shoes did you wear for the Boston Marathon?
US: A new racing flat from New Balance. It’s not available in stores until June 1st, and I only got my hands, or feet, on a size 10.5 when I really need a 10 or even 9.5. But it felt better on my feet than anything else I tried out. I did most of my training for Boston in the Scott eRide Trainer, though.

SJ: Do you think you could beat Ichiro in a marathon?
US: Yes.

SJ: What if it was just a half-marathon?
US: I think I can take him.

SJ: C’mon…a 5K?
US: Yep. I’d bet some money on me. Now, in the 400m, it might be a close race.

SJ: What’s your favorite spot to run in the general area, not including Cal Anderson Park, of course?
US: General area?! I like running along Lake Washington Boulevard to Seward Park. But really it’s not so much the place you run at, it’s the company you run with.

SJ: What would you do with all your free time if your legs fell off tomorrow and you could never run again?
US: What free time? I’d have to get a real job.

SJ: Is it true that Dirty Dancing is your favorite movie of all time?
US: Who told you that?! It doesn’t even come close to Pretty Woman! But I thought this was an interview for a running website, not ET.

SJ: Wow, great job Uli with the first-ever Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round! Especially as our guinea pig. And yes I too am furious with my friends’ non-running questions. Although I already have a myriad of Pretty Woman questions I now want to ask…but I’ll wait for a 2nd interview.
Moving on, I wanted to expand a bit on something. You mentioned the New Balance and Scott shoes you wore leading up to and during that marathon in Boston. As you can see I’m wearing Vibrams. The cool white ones. Bikila. How long do you think it’ll be before the top marathoners such as yourself are racing in Vibrams and/or have you already raced in Vibrams? And before you answer, yes Vibrams paid me to ask this question.

US: I hope they paid you a lot of money! It tells you something when African runners who often grow up running barefoot all run in regular running shoes and racing flats. Personally, I will run in Vibrams when Christmas falls on the 4th of July.

SJ: (nervous laughter) Hmm. Well. This is awkward. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I think these have helped make me a much better runner. Maybe not faster. Maybe not less injury-prone. But better.

US: If not faster and not less injury prone, in what way are you a better runner now?

SJ: Umm. Let’s switch gears, huh? The five-part Cougar Mountain Series trail races are starting up soon, in just a couple weeks. I remember one of my first-ever trail races, a number of years back, was the Cougar 10 miler…you won and I came in 2nd. It was real close; you out-kicked me. I don’t know where you went, but you weren’t at the awards ceremony afterward, so the 1st place prize of free shoes fell into my lap. And to this day that’s the best prize I’ve ever gotten.

US: You’re welcome. But what is your question?

SJ: Umm. I guess I didn’t have one. Heh. Hmm.
[rifles through papers]
Have you ever done any other Cougar races besides that one 10 miler?

US: Yes, I have done quite a few of them. In the first 2 years there was a guy who was opposed to those races and he would come out and change the course markings, directing runners onto the wrong trail. So sometimes I would run the course ahead of the runners, starting 10 minutes early and running with a can of spray paint and a roll of tape. But I also did a few of them officially, starting with everyone else.

SJ: If I see that guy at the 5 miler, I will give him a piece of my mind. I find the 13 miler to be the hardest, but the 5 miler to be the most frightening. Any thoughts on the progression of races? Do you have any advice for anyone who’s signing up for this year’s races?

US: Why is the 5 miler the most frightening? Do you have a lot of endurance but a lack of speed?

SJ: More or less.

US: The progression in distance of those races is ideal for beginning trail runners. Jumping from a road half marathon to a trail half marathon can be quite a surprise in terms of difficulty and the time it takes to complete the course. Starting with a 5 miler and working your way up gives you a good idea of what to expect. None of the Cougar Mountain trails are very technical by trail-running standards, but they are also not simple gravel paths either, so they are ideal for beginning trail runners.

SJ: That’s great advice, I agree! Maybe we’ll see you out there this year…and I can avenge my loss to you from that 10 miler!

US: I will for sure miss the 5 miler as I will be in Houston with the SU track team. So it’s your lucky day, as nothing stands in your way to win. Don’t know yet if or how the other races will fit into my racing schedule, but I will likely be at a few of them.

SJ: Awesome! I agree you will be out there!

US: …

SJ: Well, my girlfriend is going to kill me if I’m not home soon, so I think we should wrap this up…did you have any questions you wanted to ask me?

US: Sounds like your girlfriend is wearing the pants in your relationship! How do you feel about that?

SJ: (laughing) Well, it’s either she wear the pants, or I live alone in a dirty apartment, eating Chef Boyardee. I mean, Chef Boyardee is ok….but I’ll take the curfew if it means a few more dining options and a cool roommate.

US: I was also going to ask you if you know of a good way to stop hair loss, but it looks like whatever you’re doing isn’t working either.

SJ: (frowning) I dunno, wear trucker hats? No, I don’t know a good way, but I know a good silver lining. Me and you, we’ve got way more testosterone than other guys. That’s why our scalp betrayed us. Physically we may be repulsive, but in actuality, we are manlier.

US: I don’t know…you should get Trisha’s and your cool roommate’s opinion on that one! Or just solicit feedback from the readers of this interview.

SJ: Ok, I will! But what do women know about being manlier? I’m sure we’re manlier. And I think that’s a good way to end this. Thanks Uli, you’ve been very generous with your time! Congratulations again for Boston, for the amazing thrill of the Mariners first pitch, and good luck in all of your manly pursuits!

I want to thank Uli again for letting me into his house even though I was wearing Vibrams, and being the inaugural subject for what I hope will be a recurring installment here at the Seattle Running Club website. Both he and his wife Trisha are running ambassadors for our city. I was a little nervous interviewing such a talented and decorated runner, but I think I did a pretty superb job.

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • Is Uli manly? (show your work!)
  • Are you bald?
  • Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman?

Call for Comments (from Uli)

  • Is Joe manly?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • Did you enjoy this? Are you already a club member, like Uli? If not, consider becoming a member, like me, and help support us! Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to do a second interview!
  • Did you not enjoy this? 🙁
Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (left) & Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (right) & Shoeless Joe

All photos of Uli & Joe: Terry Creighton