All photos by Tim DeFrisco
Posted on 09/07/2002 12:12:10 PM PDT by PLK
We Raced With Bush
President Bush has lost weight, stopped drinking, and is feeling better than ever. His secret? Running, of course. Our exclusive interview with the President reveals why the leader of the free world still makes time to run.
by Bob Wischnia
I received my October issue of Runner's World magazine today, and guess who the cover story was about? Yep, our physically fit President George Bush running in the President's Fitness Challenge 3-mile race at Fort McNair in D.C. The story is not online, but you can go to the website and see the cover of the magazine. I would post the article, but it's VERY long.A couple of quotes though:
"The President personally organized the race (he even picked out the color and design of the souvenir T-shirt), in part to promote fitness, in part out of frustration that he could no longer enter road races like the regular runner he is."
"We've heard the President likes to hammer from the start. One of his former bodyguards has warned us that Bush goes out hard and fast every time. "He's a pretty tough guy." the bodyguard said. "And he likes to prove it when he runs."
"For a moment I wonder if the Bush people knew I was a life-long Democrat who, as a boy growing up in Connecticut, attended the same grade school as Joe Lieberman."
"At the 1-mile mark, our split is 6:29, more than 10 seconds faster than the pace the Bush is aiming for. I marvel at how smooth and efficient he looks. He's got a near-perfect running form I can only envy. But we're running too hard."
During the second mile of the President's Fitness Challenge, the pace and the heat start to take their toll. I urge Bush to ease off the throttle a little, and I try to make some small talk. But it's too hot, and the President is running too hard to talk. His shirt is plastered to his chest with sweat, he's gasping for air, and he's spitting and belching the way anyone might in an all-out race."
"Politics be damned, I admire the guy. He could have jogged the 3 miles and gotten his point across, but here he's redlining it."
"The Road Running Information Center later tells us that the Presdent's time places him in the top 3% of all 5-K race finishers, of any age, in the U.S."
"Laura Bush walks up, looking fresh after her 22:58 in the 1.5-mile fitness walk. She greets her husband with a kiss and asks, "Well, Bushie, how did you do?"
"But it's obvious he's in no rush to leave. For 20 minutes, he talks running to Carrozza (another RW staffer) and me. Finally, reluctantly, he piles into the Suburban, still dripping sweat. A presidential aide thrusts a stack of papers into his hands, and Bush begins to pore over them with the zeal of a scholar. "Jeez," I say to another aide. "You people can't even let the guy catch his breath before you're shoving papers in his face. What's so important that he can't even cool down?" The aide smirks a bit. "Those are the race results," she says."
(Excerpt) Read more at runnersworld.com ...
All photos by Tim DeFrisco
- Gin
Of course, my fastest 5K was 14 years ago or so, but at a little under 16 min. I can live with it :0)
Oh...wrong President...sorry.
The guy tried to do a hit piece but our President is too admirable.
I thought this was a sneak attack, as well. The guy's point, I think, was that Bush is NOT a scholar. Another cheap shot, but overall, the article is pretty good.
He had my vote in 2000 and he's got my vote in 2004!!!!!.....GO DUBYA!!!
A "life-long Democrat from Connecticut" indeed. Even a little obstructionism practiced while running, eh?
Actually, no. Bush himself has noted that running and stopping drinking are relater. IIRC, Bush even said it to the guy.
I also like the way the writer casts aside the political affiliations in favor of Bush the man. It's an adult thing to say. I think what it really means is that we'll be reading about the "Bush Democrats" after the '04 election.
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