The Olympian and four-time winner of the Boston and New York City marathons will run in Sunday’s Chicago Half Marathon and offer support to beginners.
Q. Your stellar running career spans three decades. What attracts you to Chicago’s Half Marathon?
A.This is a little bit different for me. I used to run about 25 races a year, and I always have been a competitive runner. I always am trying to win my age group. But this year with the Chicago Half Marathon, I am going to be running with some beginners at the back of the pack and work my way up to talk to these runners.
Q. You were ranked No. 1 in the world in the marathon by Track&Field News in 1975, 1977 and 1979. How has your training changed as you have aged?
A.I am 56 now. What a wonderful age. When I was 40, I cut back because the aging process forces you to do that. The camaraderie part and the fitness part become more powerful in a way as far as your interest in running. I always have liked meeting marathon runners, whether it is an Olympic runner like Joanie (Benoit Samuelson) or if it is a beginning runner.
Q. You have a free clinic for “midpack” runners at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Palmer House Hilton. What sort of tips will you give?
A.People will get wristbands that say “I Ran with Bill Rodgers.” I often tell people that during a warm-weather race, don’t wear a T-shirt, because that keeps your body overheated. It is better to wear something [perforated] where the perspiration evaporates and you stay cool. . . . My new book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Running,” is filled with valuable tips.
Q. There are 9,000 runners scheduled for Sunday’s race and 40,000 in the upcoming LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Physical preparation for a marathon obviously is important, but how important is the mental aspect for long-distance running?
A.[Friends of mine] started a [distance running] program down in North Carolina. On the back of their T-shirt is a slogan: “The Mind is the Athlete.” When you look at our sport, you see skinny little people. They don’t look like our traditional version of an athlete as a very large, strong-looking person. So your mind is key.
Q. Many people have good intentions when it comes to starting a regular running routine. What is the best way to get people off the couch and out running?
A.You just have to find a way to fit running or walking into your life. Once you do that, nothing can stop you. In marathon running, more than any other sport, you can create personal goals. Finishing a race is a huge achievement. That is even true for world-class runners. They struggle too.
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fmitchell@tribune.com
