Chicago Marathon Val

Hi everyone! I was so excited and honored to have had the privilege of interviewing John “The Penguin” Bingham, who you may know from his book Marathoning for Mortals or from his monthly column in Runner’s World Magazine. 

According to his website, “Once an overweight couch potato with a glut of bad habits, including smoking and drinking, at the age of 43 Bingham looked mid-life in the face—and started running. Since then, he has completed 40 marathons and hundreds of 5K and 10K races—and developed a whole new outlook.”

 I would be thrilled if you could re-tweet this post, if you like!

And, in honor of my birthday today (as well as Maggie from Say Yes to Salad and my good friend Vanessa, happy birthday girls!), I will be having a fantastic giveaway later this week!!!

I will be giving away a one year subscription to Vegetarian Times!!!!! I am a subscriber to VT (have been for years), and every month it’s chockfull of dozens of easy, delicious, yet healthy recipes.   Check back soon for more info, and enjoy the interview!

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1) What is your favorite dinner the night before, and favorite race morning breakfast?

The most important thing the night before is to eat something easy to digest. There’s no need to “carbo” load anymore since we have sports drinks and gels. My favorite breakfast is a bagel with peanut butter and a banana.

2) Do you prefer treadmill or outdoors running?

Living in Chicago, I do quite a bit of treadmill running in the winter, but I get outside every chance I get.

3) What is the best thing that you have gained from all of your experience running?

Confidence. I now believe that if I really put my mind and body to something I can do it.

4) How does your family deal with your running, and the time that running sometimes takes away from them?

My wife is also an athlete, so that’s not a problem. At first my family [mom, dad, son] thought I was crazy. They’ve come around.

5) What do you do to motivate yourself on those days when you don’t want to run, or during those especially tough runs when you want to quit?

This is rarely a problem for me. If I just don’t want to run, I don’t. But, that only happens a couple of times a year.

6) Pick one: iPod, or run with silence? If you prefer running with music, what is your favorite type of music and favorite song to run with?

Silence.

7) What training schedule do you follow – Jeff Galloway, Hal Higdon, etc?

I follow the programs created by Coach Jenny Hadfield in “Marathoning for Mortals.”

 8) Do you do speedwork, and do you recommend this for beginning marathoners or simply for later on when you may want to better your marathon time?

Gentle speed work is a good idea for everyone. But, it’s no substitute for the long runs.

9) Do you do strength training while you are in the middle of training for a marathon?

Yes. Upper body mostly.

10) What are your tips for building endurance and speed as well as hill work?

Hill work builds strength. Time on your feet builds endurance. That’s why it’s SO important to do your long slow runs VERY slowly.

11) I’m in Chicago, where we face extreme cold in the winter and extreme high temperatures in the winter.  How do you deal with running in extreme weather?

In the heat you just have to slow down. Period. With modern fabrics you can usually layer up and run even when it’s quite cold. I do not run if it’s below freezing.

12) At what point should one decide to visit a PT/doctor for pain during running?  One of my readers said, “I don’t want to interrupt my training every time my knees hurt but I don’t want to exacerbate any growing problems.  Is there any rule of thumb that you live by, such as, if it still hurts after 2 miles then stop and see a doctor, etc, in terms of getting potential injuries checked out?”

If the pain causes you to change your natural running gait, you need to see someone.

13) What advice do you have for someone who is just now coming back from an injury, has missed many weeks of training, but would still like to compete in a marathon in a few weeks?

Pick a different marathon.

14) Another reader asked, “What’s the advantage of being short (if any) when it comes to running?

None.

15) How do you feel about splitting up long runs into 2 per day – for example, instead of running 16 miles in a row, running 8 in the morning and 8 at night? 

It’s not a good long term plan.

 16) Do you have any advice for newbie marathon runners?

Be patient. Be gentle with yourself.

17) What do you say to the naysayers who say that “running is bad for you”?

I don’t even try to talk to them. I know better.

18) What was your favorite marathon, and why?

Chicago. It’s home.

19) What was your least favorite, or most difficult marathon, and why?

Every marathon is difficult in one way or another.

20)  Do you ever get the competitive urge, despite your “go slow” motto?

Nope

21) Do you ever set time goals for yourself?

Nope

22) I am a coach for Girls on the Run, which is a program that teachers girls to train for a 5K.  Even though I now love running, I hated it as a child, and even if GOTR had been around I probably would not have been interested.  What advice do you have for getting children involved in running?

Take away the competitive aspect. Teach them to run for joy.

23) What advice do you have for middle-aged runners who think they are too old or to out of shape to get into running?

You’re only going to get MORE out of shape if you don’t start now.

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Thanks for the interview, Mr. Bingham! Happy running everyone and don’t forget to check back soon for the Vegetarian Times giveaway!

John “The Penguin” Bingham interview, and a giveaway!!

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