Malcolm Richards (2:17:29) qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials less than one month ago on December 4, 2011 at the California International Marathon. This teacher-to-be will have the opportunity to inspire his future students with his stories of running professionally at the Olympic Trials! Richards will be representing the West Valley Track Club located in the Bay Area of California.
Runners Feed: Take us through a typical day of your life
Malcolm Richards: Well, during the week my schedule varies somewhat based on whether or not I have class, but typically I’m up early (between 5:30 and 6) to get a run in, followed by a quick breakfast and then a bike ride to work. If it’s a day when I have class I go straight from work to class and don’t get back home until 7:30 or 8. If I don’t have class I’ll generally get out for a run right after work. Either way I try to cook at home as much as possible. If I have any free time I try to catch up on some news, maybe watch a little sports if there’s anything on. I attempt to get at least 7 hrs. of sleep, but I hardly ever get any more than that.
RF: Do you work full or part-time while training? If so, what do you do? If not, what has kept you afloat while you pursue your dream?
MR: I work full-time, as an assistant teacher at an independent school in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco called the Hamlin School. I’m currently in the second (and final) year of a teacher credential program, so I’ve been taking classes two nights a week in addition to my position with the Hamlin school.
RF: Who introduced you to the sport of running? And what about running do you think has kept you coming back for more?
MR: I think that one of the things that got me into running was having done the mile run in elementary school and doing pretty well at it. I went out for cross-country in 9th grade, and had two amazing coaches at Minneapolis South high school, Warren Kaari and Craig Canham, that really got me motivated to invest myself in the sport.
Sometimes I honestly wonder what keeps me continuing to invest so much time and energy into running, especially on those rough running days when nothing feels quite right. Ultimately, though, I think it gives me a sense of purpose and confidence. I also tend to thrive with a sense of routine, and running keeps me on a specific schedule of sorts.
Rapid Fire
RF: Sock or no socks?
MR: Socks, although I feel like I am constantly running out of clean ones.
RF: Breakfast the day of the race?
MR: I’ve found instant oatmeal to work well for me. Not terribly exciting, which I think is a good thing prior to a race.
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