i got caught up in the 70s running boom, and ran as much as 90 miles a week for a while there. i completed three marathons, the first being a death march in unseasonal warm weather (78 degrees on 12/7/78, with strong winds out of the south, ungghh!); second was 3:00.00 having followed to the 0 a pace plan that would bring me in to 3 hours. the third, in fall, 1982, i went out at a little over 6 minute pace, cleared 20 in 2:04, and then, like being hit with a poison arrow, hit the wall and absolutely suffered my way through the last 6 to finish in slightly over 3 hours.
my better runs were in 5k on the track at 16:19, 5 miles in 27:30, and 10k in 34:50. but like many, i ran into the lower limb injuries. which led to triathlon, of which i did three, longest being 1.5 mile swim, 45 mile ride, 10 mile run. i can honestly say, i hate triathlon.
from there i went to USCF road cycling, and became fairly competitive in criterium and shorter road races. a frequent top ten/top five finisher, time trial winner from time to time, but a crash in a sprint finish showed me what could happen to a young, self employed father unable to work....and i moved on to....
swimming, the sport of my childhood. i was lucky enough to find a masters team in the fall of 1989 coached by olympian jerry heidenreich. i enjoyed a very special friendship w/ jerry for many years, and he taught me much about swimming and coaching swimmers. jerry died in 2002; he helped me find much success as a masters competitor, where i am primarily a freestyle sprinter. swimming has brought me much over the years.
i train year round with a strong combination of dryland plyo-, core and strength training and swim workouts. this is my 20th year in masters swimming. at a recent regional championship meet, i swam my fastest 50 freestyle in 15 years at age slightly less than 58 (24.50), and my fastest relay leg ever (23.89). don't think i wasn't just a little pumped about that!!
this friday, my wife and i will be with my brother at Grand Canyon, where we will descend to the river on south kaibab trail and then come back out again along the river to catch bright angel trail up and out. this involves 10,000 feet of elevation change, and is about 18 linear miles. having done it before i know it will take about 8 hours, and we will be utterly wasted but it is also deeply satisfying and a beautiful thing to do. effort wise, i would say that hike is beyond marathon ....
ok ok ok enough enough
I started running a bit in 9th & 10th grades, & did alright, but nothing spectacular. I've always preferred long walks, though, what's the rush? 
