Birthday: 9/21/45
Years running at the time of Profile (2004): A quarter century. It started as a New Year's resolution in 1979.
Occupation: Investment Broker
How many miles a week do you run? Usually about 40. This summer(2004), a little over 20. For many, many years I averaged 50.
How did you come to join Bayou City?: When I first came to Houston, Gregg Felts told me about BCRR when I was on a run at Memorial Park. He was the first Houston runner I spoke to.
My proudest running accomplishment is: Goolly, every day is an accomplishment now. I placed third in my age group in the Marine Corps Marathon and I've covered (notice I didn't say "run") 100 miles under 24 hours.
My favorite training run is: I used to run the same route Jim Fixx did-- from Riverside, Connecticut down through Old Greenwich and then around a point on Long Island Sound. Beautiful.
My favorite race is: Defunct. It used to be the Alamo Alumni Run in Central Park, NYC.
My best distance is: Currently, probably 10K. It doesn't mean I like it, though.
I run because: You know, I don't know. I don't want to know.
My philosophy for life is: To change my philosophy every day.
My next goal is: To get uninjured. My long-term goal is to stay uninjured.
Favorite training food: Whatever can't outrun me in the kitchen is fair game.
When I'm running I think about: It depends. Sometimes, I actually use the time constructively. But very, very, often I'm just concentrating on getting the maximum movement with the minimum effort.
The best running advice I could give would be: oncentrate on healing your injuries. Be prepared to get them, and take them very, very seriously.
People would be surprised if they knew I: There's a lot of surprising things about me; some of them are even acceptable for publication; but there's not enough room.
The top thing on my dream list: Really, just to be happy, to have my wife Sarah happy, and to have the rest of my family happy. I don't think I'm going to build any bridges or become President of the United States at this stage of life.
If I could have been anything, besides my current occupation it would be: A professional baseball player. Those guys actually get paid?!
Other hobbies besides running: Playing Freecell, doing crosswords, taking care of our hibiscuses.
I would love to spend the day with: In no particular order: Plato, Winston Churchill, Lincoln, Washington, St. Augustine. I'm afraid I'd have to be dead to fulfill that order, so there's no rush. In that crowd, I'd hardly be able to get a word in edgewise, anyway.
The most embarrassing thing that has happened to me is: Not the most embarrassing thing, but up there, was the time I wore my running shorts backwards, at a race. Running at a sub-6 minute mile pace, a woman next to me said, "Mick, I don't want to blow your mind, but I think your shorts are on backwards."
The most profound thing that has happened in my life: The collapse of the Soviet Union? Personally, there have been many things that have affected me directly and profoundly, and I live for them, and I know that there are many more to come.
