You may know David Willey as the longtime editor-in-chief of Runner's World magazine—he's been at the helm of this publication for 14 years—and as the host of the popular Runner's World podcast. But did you also know he's a native of Michigan? David joins Heather on the show to talk about growing up in the Mitten (he lived in Ann Arbor as a child and later Grand Rapids, where he played high school football and other sports) and how he's returning to his home state for this month's Bayshore Marathon on Saturday, May 27 in Traverse City. David has been talking quite a bit about this upcoming goal race of his, in the print magazine and also on the podcast he hosts each week. This is because the Bayshore is the race he chose for his "moonshot marathon quest," otherwise known as his attempt to finally qualify for the Boston Marathon. Heather and David talk about his early years of sports-playing (and his initial dislike of running), how he eventually fell in love with our sport in his 20s, the first marathon he ran, and some of the highlights of his years as editor-in-chief of Runner's World. He also shares how he "feels like a new runner," having worked with a team of Nike experts throughout his training for the Bayshore. Heather and David delve into this and also talk through Bayshore course tips and, of course, where David should consider going in Traverse City post-race for a celebratory burger. David also talks about his upcoming plans post-marathon (hint: a career change is in the works...) You're sure to be inspired listening to David's story and ambitious plans for BQ'ing in another couple of weeks. Heather found herself feeling even more excited about Bayshore—her fourth Bayshore Marathon—after talking with David.
Links: