For our sixth issue of People of Timmins, we interviewed Marc Rodrigue, a local runner who has competed in international competitions.
Q: How did you fall in love with running?
A: I was always pretty active as a kid and always enjoyed running. Even though I wasn’t the fastest or strongest runner, it was something that I felt I was always connected to. Something to let me burn off all the energy I had, especially growing up in a corner store with candy available most of the time. Today, running continues to be an outlet for me. I still have a pretty active and busy schedule so running allows me to de-stress, think about business and its challenges.
Q: You've competed in some international marathons. What was it like to participate in these enormous events?
A: I’ve done several international marathon including the largest ones on the planet. I still remember the lead up to the first marathon I ever ran, the Chicago Marathon. It is an Abbotts World Marathon Major event with about 40,000 runners. I couldn’t wrap my head around what it might be like to run with that many people, essentially the population of Timmins. It just blew my mind. The energy in the crowd, getting to meet so many different people from all walks of life from every corner of the planet getting together to achieve a common goal was just so inspiring. I’ve learnt that everyone has a story. I later completed the New York City marathon which had over 52,000 runners.
Q: You have some pretty lofty running goals. Which marathons do you still need to run in order to hit your goals?
A: I do have some significant running goals. My objective is to complete the Abbotts World Majors which include Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. Once completed, you receive a special medal to celebrate your achievement. This elusive medal was handed out to about 1,500 people worldwide when I first started on this quest in 2015. Now there are just over 4,000 people in the world who have received this medal. Of the six, I’ve now completed four of them. Only Tokyo and Boston remain and I’m hoping to have those done in 2020.
Q: What's the longest distance you've run in a single day?
A: The most distance I’ve ever covered in one day running would be just under 43 kilometres. That occurred at the London Marathon.
Q: Break that distance down for us in local terms. For example, that's like running from where to where here?
A: From my home in Timmins, the marathon distance one way going west will bring you to the Cache Campground on Hwy 144 while east will bring you to Kettle Lakes Provincial Park.
Q: Running can be fun, but it's also a lot of hard work and sacrifice. What does your health and fitness regimen look like?
A: If you’re going to run a distance race, training is a must. Typically, when I don’t have any races planned, I usually run 3-4 times per week with weekly mileage set around 30 kilometres. However, when a marathon is planned, I usually begin 18 weeks before the race and run 6 days a week. The weekly mileage will increase from 45 kilometres in the first couple weeks to just over 100 kilometres towards the end. A couple of taper weeks close out the training cycle just before the race. In addition to the training, good nutrition and a little more rest is also important.
Q: What was your favourite non-running related activity you experienced while travelling the world?
A: Just being a tourist and exploring. Some of the places my wife and I have travelled are pretty unique so we love to learn about the local culture and history of the area.
Q: It's time for some rapid fire questions, just for fun. What is your favourite guilty-pleasure food?
A: Pizza – yes please – A Don’s veggie with soy cheese!
Q: If someone made a movie about your life, which actor would play you?
A: Hahaha! I wouldn’t even know where to start. Got to be someone funny.
Q: When you receive a friend request from a stranger on Facebook, what do you do?
A: I check out their profile and see if there’s any reason why we should be connected. Perhaps we have mutual friends, perhaps they run, and if not, I’ll usually refuse the request.
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