This is it, the final day before the 113th Boston Marathon. If you are running the Boston Marathon on Monday feel free to click here to download the interview questions and email it back (with a picture of yourself if you would like) to tim.short1@gmail.com. Boston Marathon Interview
Boston Marathon Interview
Wicked Runner: Mark Tuttle
How long have you been running, when/why did you start?
I started running in college when I stopped playing team sports. I needed to do something to keep fit. The fact that running helps cure hangovers was a great motivator in college.
Is there something about the Boston Marathon that makes it special to you? Why run this Marathon?
Every runner across the country views the Boston Marathon as the premier marathon. People get excited when they talk about Boston: its history, the punishing course, and its prominence.
How many Boston marathons have you done? Or will this be your first?
I ran in 2001 and made all the beginners mistakes.
Do you have any special diet the week prior to the marathon?
If getting the flu four days before the race is considered a special diet, then yes, I didn’t eat much for two days and now I am eating as much as possible to make up for lost time.
Do you follow any specific running program to prepare for a Marathon?
I try to run six days a week and get several 20 mile runs in before marathon day. I have done some cross training (with the help of Jen Lincoln) to keep me injury free.
What’s your favorite training run while training for a Marathon?
I like the long run because it has a lot of scenic water views. I run around Marblehead Neck then over the Salem Bridge then the Kernwood Bridge. It may sound odd, but I get a great sense of satisfaction looking at the smokestack at the Salem Power Plant and thinking, “I was way on the other side of that 45 minutes ago.”
What is your way to approach running a Marathon? I.e., slow at first, negative splits?
When I find one that works, I’ll let everyone know.
Do you bring your own nutrition for the Marathon? Electrolytes, Gels, Bars?
I wouldn’t have qualified for Boston without the help of GU.
Are you shooting for a specific time at Boston or are you running to enjoy the sights and sounds?
I hope to run under 3:20. I hope to enjoy the sights and sounds, but the smells are often repulsive. There is something about the smell of grilled meat in Ashland and the smell of alcohol in Cleveland Circle that can make you gag. Seeing the finish line is glorious.
Do you run with an MP3 player? Have any tunes that get you over the wall or the rough points in the Marathon?
I try to tune into what my body is doing and tune out any urge to quit or slow down. No music…, although there is a cadence from Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket that I might sing over the hills in Newton.
Anything else you would like to add??
Good luck to everyone running, thank you to everyone volunteering and congratulations to anyone who has completed the Boston Marathon.
Superb stuff, thanks