Our dailymiler of the week today comes from Brunswick, Maine. Bendan M. took a few minutes away from shoveling the snow off of his porch to answer some questions about what it’s like to be part of the community, and what his running life is all about.
(KS) What’s your favorite part about being a member of the dailymile community?
(BM) I was a tad suspicious about joining this on-line community as I thought who in their right mind would review my workouts and share their comments. However, I have found just the opposite has happened. The social interaction among athletes within the dailymile community provides positive social interaction, accountability, and a safe place to ask questions, share information, and learn from others. In less than a year I have ‘met’ some amazing people that extend from Asia, Europe, Australia, South America to right here in my own home town in Maine. The support that I have received on a athletic level in addition to a personal level has been profound.
I enjoy sitting down and visiting other members of The Predawn Running Club led by El Jefe Greg S with first mates Jeanne B, Dirtdawg50k, Brian A, Jamie A, Jim, Jen, and a sidelined James K. Each one (among many others) often stop by to offer words of encouragement – I am blessed by their friendship and countless comments and positive words of encouragement by so many of the dailymile community.
I know that my running has improved because of this site as the reflection and dialogue allows me to challenge myself to new and varied workouts. I have enjoyed the informal dailymile meetups at various races in 2010 and hope for more during the coming year. 2011 has high hopes for an amazing race for me with two special friends whose workouts inspire me on a daily basis, Joe M and Madelyn H, both with ties to Pittsburgh, PA. Joe M spent a large portion of 2010 creating awareness and raising funds for his friend Dom attempting to beat cancer 26.2 miles at a time, touched me in many ways. He is an amazing athlete and someone I hope to meet in person one day. Madelyn H continues to inspire me with her impressive workouts; the results achieved with her two BQ races in 2010, along with a recent 38+ mile ultra race. Her workout comments are often filled with humor and occasional ribbing but continue to be “awe” inspiring. These two runners embody what dailymile means to me. I am thankful for their friendship and look forward to running a special race in 2011 with them and many others in the coming year.
(KS) Describe your favorite running route?
(BM) I love the route from my hometown that meanders through neighboring islands from the mainland of Brunswick to Bailey Island. It is a special place for me as this was the location of my family’s summer island retreat growing up as a kid, where my parents retired, and where I met my wife growing up playing kick the can. The route is filled with spectacular vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and the rocky coast of Maine. I always take time to stop the Garmin, breath in the fresh salt air, and be thankful for my gift.
(KS) What’s your favorite piece of running gear? Why?
(BM) Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp – for personal reasons I tend to do all my runs in the predawn hours. Because of this, I relay on a good “head torch”. I’ve found this piece of running gear perfect for my runs – it is lightweight, bright, and is rechargeable so I don’t have to replace the batteries after two weeks of running. It is definitely a ‘go-to’ gear component along with my Garmin 405.
(KS) If you could only get running gear for Christmas and nothing else, what would you ask for?
(BM) I’ve heard the virtues of compression wear – I have about everything else running related (that I need) other than compression wear. So I would like to try a pair of these bad boys and see if they are everything they are cracked up to be. I suspect they are.
(KS) How long have you been running/racing and what got you into the sport?
(BM) I started actively training in 2005. I committed to run a marathon before my 40th birthday as a personal goal. I completed 4 by that milestone. In the end I challenged myself to running to change my lifestyle to be a healthier person for my family.
(KS) What’s a Naked Wednesday Run?
(BM) This is not my idea, but the idea that I saw on dailymile of a fellow runner and friend Joe M – the idea behind this is that we abandon the electronics for our run – the GPS watches, the iPods, the heart rate monitor. You run for fun based on your natural pace. It helps me in my own training plan as a forced recovery run.
(KS) You’ve run a lot of marathons, (is it six or seven?), what keeps you coming back to the marathon distance?
(BM) I ran 4 marathons in a period of 2 years with finish times that ranged between 4:12-3:53. In 2007 my wife’s nephew was tragically killed in an accident that impacted my desire to continue running. I took almost two years off from running and in the spring of 2009 I committed myself back to running with a goal of running for a BQ. In 2009 I ran the Baystate Marathon and shaved 27 minutes off my previous PR. Three weeks later after Baystate, my wife’s brother (the father of my wife’s nephew) passed away after a 18 mos battle with cancer. Last year at this time I considered not continuing the running campaign. In the end, the memory of Ian and Ian is what gets me through the dark times and I think how blessed I am to have the gift of life and to be able to run. I run because I can. I will continue to run and try my best for that marathon distance in their memory. Since that time I ran two marathons for a total of 7 marathons completed. I hope to run my eighth marathon next spring.
(KS) What’s your favorite running distance for a race?
(BM) I think 10k are great race distance since it attracts so many runners to toe the line, beginners and advanced. It is something that anyone can train for and I certainly use 10k races as a barometer for my own fitness during a marathon training cycle.
(KS) What’s your favorite running shoe?
(BM) I have been wearing the Saucony Kinvaras daily on my runs since June – these shoes are great and loved wearing them in my past marathon. I had the pleasure of running with two great New England Runners Luau (Matt W) and Peter L who were also sporting the Saucony Kinvaras and earned their right to Boston in 2011.
(KS) What’s the race you haven’t tried, but wish you would… if you just had enough guts to do it?
(BM) I have two remaining running goals – to qualify for Boston and ultimately run an ultra distance running event. I really respect those runners who are able to go beyond the 26.2 mile distance and fight through other mental and physical barriers. Reading Andy O’s race report this year from BR100 and seeing him cross the finish line gives me great admiration for him and other ultramarathoners.
(KS) One of your goals is to chase down the mythical unicorn… have you come close to finding the mythical unicorn?
(BM) For me the mythical unicorn is a symbol of the Boston marathon. When I started running, I never thought I had the ability to get even close to running a Boston Qualifying time, and I was ok with that notion. I was comfortable challenging myself to run the distance not for time. However, with focused training and a personal desire to toe the line in Hopkinton, I have made several attempts to get a BQ time. In my last attempt I was so close I could see the hoof’s of the mythical unicorn (missing the BQ time by less than a minute). One day I will be there. Until then, all I can ask of myself is to Bring Your Best to every event and every workout (thanks Steve S for inspiring me on a daily basis!)
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