Post 24hr World Championships
Zane: It was an honor to witness your World Championship silver medal performance. You were out there running with some of the top names in the sport and didn't seem intimidated. Did you ever get nervous?
John: Thanks Zane. Not so much nervous as embarrassed. Did you see how short those shorts I had to run in were? In all honesty though, I tend to be the most nervous leading up to but not during races. Running in the Netherlands was no different. Once the race started I felt much more relaxed. Being an underdog helped too.
Zane: On the train to the race you told me that you didn't even know you qualified for the 24hr World Championship until a friend told you that you had met the qualifying standard in Philadelphia. Can you share that story?
John: I first learned about the 24hr USA team about three years ago after my first 24hr race. I had no conception of what kind of mileage it took to qualify to make the team until this past December when a runner unknown to me congratulated me on Facebook for having the last spot on the 24hr USA team. I had no idea I was even close to making the team. It was exciting as hell to hear that! Then it was disappointing as hell to find out that I was bumped off the team twice by other runners over the next month.
Zane: You made the team as an alternate due to some injuries. Do you think it was to your advantage to come into the World Championships as a relative unknown, without any pressure?
John: Absolutely. It made all the Rocky movies I watched so much more relevant.
Zane: A few days before the race there were a lot of questions about the men's team. Did this motivate you to step up?
John: It definitely motivated me. I thought we had a decent chance for a team medal if a few of us could get in the mid 150s or early 160s. I was motivated to try to do my part to make that happen or to fall apart trying. Either way I knew I would be able to leave the Netherlands with my head held high.
Zane: Your crew said you came into the world championships with very specific split times in mind. You ran an extremely calm and steady race. How did you come up with those splits and would you share your game plan?
John: I asked my brother Ed to come up with a race plan for me based on my goal of running between 155 and 165 miles. He very closely looked at my splits from my past 100-mile and 24hr races and put together a very detailed race strategy to help me target those goals. It involved starting the race conservatively with a gradual but controlled decline in pace every few hours. He emailed me that strategy two days before the race. I knew before I saw it that I would follow it regardless of what it looked like because I have that much confidence in him.
Zane: Speaking of your crew, you had a pretty 'lively' support crew at the championships. Would you care to give them a shout-out and tell us why they joined you?
John: Mindy Whalen, Brian Jakubowski and Travis Dennis provided the best crew support imaginable! They far exceeded my expectations and somehow managed to have whatever I needed ready on every one of my 100+ laps. “Lively” to describe a crew that was doing push-ups throughout the race to fire me up and downing Heinekens and wine to stay “motivated” might be a serious understatement though. They joined me because they are the best, most generous people ever! The fact that the race was close to Amsterdam didn’t hurt either.
Zane: What was a normal training week like for you leading up to the World Championships?
John: I would try to get in between 90-125 miles per week on 4 to 6 days of running.
Zane: Runners have a wide variety of diets, what do you eat when you are in training?
John: I eat horribly. No one else is going to see this right? Let’s just say my diet may or may not involve a lot of pizza, burgers from Five Guys, Kit-Kats and IPAs.
Zane: What was the turning point in the race for you?
John: When it started raining about 12 hours into the race I got cold as hell and kept running hard to generate enough body heat to stay warm. Toward the middle of the night the USA Team coaches informed me that many of the other runners in front of me had been slowing down. That, along with the constant support and encouragement from the my crew and fellow USA runners on the course, motivated the hell out of me to keep pushing as hard as I could.
Zane: With 163.255 miles you are currently 5th on the all time American 24hr list and within a couple of miles of being 3rd. And you are also at least 4 years younger than all the people above you were when they set their records. What is your ultimate 24hr distance goal?
John: My plan is to continue running 24 hour races as long as I can train hard enough to have a shot at setting a PR each time I start one. Hopefully that’s a long time and I can move up on that all time American list.
Zane: It was very exciting to see both the USA men's and women's teams win Gold in the Netherlands. What was it like to represent Team USA and be a big part of that men's gold medal?
John: I can’t begin to describe the pride I felt walking around in Team USA gear in the days leading up to the race, let alone the excitement of running the race with the USA letters on my chest. I feel incredibly honored to be part of a USA team that accomplished what we did in the Netherlands this year! My excitement during the awards ceremony might have looked somewhat tempered due to my near inability to stand or climb podiums but I can assure you I was even more exited then.
Zane: The standard question- how did you get started in running, what brought you to ultra running and 24hr running?
John: My older brother Josh and I both started running while I was in grad school and we kept upping the distance to see how far we could go. We ran our first marathon, 100-mile and 200-mile races together. I crewed and paced him at his first 24hr run and he returned the favor for me the following year. We still haven’t figured out how far we can run yet and I’m pretty sure that may be a concern to our wives.
Zane: I'll be honest, I didn't know who John Dennis was prior to seeing you on the list for team USA. Now, I'd guess most ultra runners know your name. How has your life changed since you won the silver medal in the Netherlands?
John: My time home since medaling has been phenomenal! I helped my sister-in-law move the first weekend I was back. The following weekend my 38-week pregnant wife and I moved to a new place ourselves. Now I’ve been cleaning and painting since. It makes me question why everyone doesn’t strive to finish 2nd place at 24 Hour World Championship races…and it only makes me wonder what Jon Olsen has been up to.
Zane: Sounds like your new life as a celebrity is pretty wild. Jon lives in California, so I'm guessing he's gone all Hollywood on us. Haha!
Zane: What do you do for a living in real life? How do you find time for running?
John: I work as a psychologist in a group practice in Washington, DC. My schedule fluctuates between starting work in the morning or late afternoon. I try to get my long runs in during the mornings I have off to minimize the time training takes me away from my wife and friends. It works somewhat but definitely not perfectly.
Zane: You left your wife at home when you went to the Netherlands, but I understand it was for a good reason. How has she supported your running?
John: We’re expecting our first child any day now! My wife Lauren would have been with me supporting me in the Netherlands and celebrating with me afterward if it wasn’t for that. I’m extremely lucky to have a wife as supportive as she is. The decision to fly to the Netherlands without her was a hard decision to make and I definitely wouldn’t have gone if it weren’t for her encouraging me to do so.
Zane: After you take some time off to bring a new baby into your family, what are your running goals?
John: I really don’t have any future running goals yet. I really hope to be back from the 24hr World Championships next year but other than that I’m not sure what races I’ll do next.
Zane: 2014's team already has automatic qualifiers- gold medalist Jon Olsen, 10th place finisher Joe Fejes, and yourself. If 2012 World Champion Mike Morton comes back for 2014 you all could be looking at a very strong men's team. What kind of mileage is it going to take for someone to sneak into those last 2 or 3 spots?
John: My guess is that there will be more than one person who runs more than 150 miles and doesn’t qualify outright for one of those last two spots.
Zane: A lot of people don't realize that ultra runners representing Team USA have to pay for a large part of their travel and costs out of their own pocket. Any ideas on how to get sponsors excited about, and supporting, Team USA?
John: It would be great if some of the race proceeds from national qualifying races would go toward funding the USA men’s and women’s teams, independent of any prize money that would be awarded for the winners of those races.
Zane: There is a rumor that you and your crew had a very good time in Amsterdam following the Championships, is there any truth to this?
John: I’m still unbelievably proud (and surprised) that we were all able to make it to our flights on time the next morning.
Zane: Impressive indeed! Thanks for your time and good luck with your running and the growing family
Zane: It was an honor to witness your World Championship silver medal performance. You were out there running with some of the top names in the sport and didn't seem intimidated. Did you ever get nervous?
John: Thanks Zane. Not so much nervous as embarrassed. Did you see how short those shorts I had to run in were? In all honesty though, I tend to be the most nervous leading up to but not during races. Running in the Netherlands was no different. Once the race started I felt much more relaxed. Being an underdog helped too.
Zane: On the train to the race you told me that you didn't even know you qualified for the 24hr World Championship until a friend told you that you had met the qualifying standard in Philadelphia. Can you share that story?
John: I first learned about the 24hr USA team about three years ago after my first 24hr race. I had no conception of what kind of mileage it took to qualify to make the team until this past December when a runner unknown to me congratulated me on Facebook for having the last spot on the 24hr USA team. I had no idea I was even close to making the team. It was exciting as hell to hear that! Then it was disappointing as hell to find out that I was bumped off the team twice by other runners over the next month.
Zane: You made the team as an alternate due to some injuries. Do you think it was to your advantage to come into the World Championships as a relative unknown, without any pressure?
John: Absolutely. It made all the Rocky movies I watched so much more relevant.
Zane: A few days before the race there were a lot of questions about the men's team. Did this motivate you to step up?
John: It definitely motivated me. I thought we had a decent chance for a team medal if a few of us could get in the mid 150s or early 160s. I was motivated to try to do my part to make that happen or to fall apart trying. Either way I knew I would be able to leave the Netherlands with my head held high.
Zane: Your crew said you came into the world championships with very specific split times in mind. You ran an extremely calm and steady race. How did you come up with those splits and would you share your game plan?
John: I asked my brother Ed to come up with a race plan for me based on my goal of running between 155 and 165 miles. He very closely looked at my splits from my past 100-mile and 24hr races and put together a very detailed race strategy to help me target those goals. It involved starting the race conservatively with a gradual but controlled decline in pace every few hours. He emailed me that strategy two days before the race. I knew before I saw it that I would follow it regardless of what it looked like because I have that much confidence in him.
Zane: Speaking of your crew, you had a pretty 'lively' support crew at the championships. Would you care to give them a shout-out and tell us why they joined you?
John: Mindy Whalen, Brian Jakubowski and Travis Dennis provided the best crew support imaginable! They far exceeded my expectations and somehow managed to have whatever I needed ready on every one of my 100+ laps. “Lively” to describe a crew that was doing push-ups throughout the race to fire me up and downing Heinekens and wine to stay “motivated” might be a serious understatement though. They joined me because they are the best, most generous people ever! The fact that the race was close to Amsterdam didn’t hurt either.
Zane: What was a normal training week like for you leading up to the World Championships?
John: I would try to get in between 90-125 miles per week on 4 to 6 days of running.
Zane: Runners have a wide variety of diets, what do you eat when you are in training?
John: I eat horribly. No one else is going to see this right? Let’s just say my diet may or may not involve a lot of pizza, burgers from Five Guys, Kit-Kats and IPAs.
Zane: What was the turning point in the race for you?
John: When it started raining about 12 hours into the race I got cold as hell and kept running hard to generate enough body heat to stay warm. Toward the middle of the night the USA Team coaches informed me that many of the other runners in front of me had been slowing down. That, along with the constant support and encouragement from the my crew and fellow USA runners on the course, motivated the hell out of me to keep pushing as hard as I could.
Zane: With 163.255 miles you are currently 5th on the all time American 24hr list and within a couple of miles of being 3rd. And you are also at least 4 years younger than all the people above you were when they set their records. What is your ultimate 24hr distance goal?
John: My plan is to continue running 24 hour races as long as I can train hard enough to have a shot at setting a PR each time I start one. Hopefully that’s a long time and I can move up on that all time American list.
Zane: It was very exciting to see both the USA men's and women's teams win Gold in the Netherlands. What was it like to represent Team USA and be a big part of that men's gold medal?
John: I can’t begin to describe the pride I felt walking around in Team USA gear in the days leading up to the race, let alone the excitement of running the race with the USA letters on my chest. I feel incredibly honored to be part of a USA team that accomplished what we did in the Netherlands this year! My excitement during the awards ceremony might have looked somewhat tempered due to my near inability to stand or climb podiums but I can assure you I was even more exited then.
Zane: The standard question- how did you get started in running, what brought you to ultra running and 24hr running?
John: My older brother Josh and I both started running while I was in grad school and we kept upping the distance to see how far we could go. We ran our first marathon, 100-mile and 200-mile races together. I crewed and paced him at his first 24hr run and he returned the favor for me the following year. We still haven’t figured out how far we can run yet and I’m pretty sure that may be a concern to our wives.
Zane: I'll be honest, I didn't know who John Dennis was prior to seeing you on the list for team USA. Now, I'd guess most ultra runners know your name. How has your life changed since you won the silver medal in the Netherlands?
John: My time home since medaling has been phenomenal! I helped my sister-in-law move the first weekend I was back. The following weekend my 38-week pregnant wife and I moved to a new place ourselves. Now I’ve been cleaning and painting since. It makes me question why everyone doesn’t strive to finish 2nd place at 24 Hour World Championship races…and it only makes me wonder what Jon Olsen has been up to.
Zane: Sounds like your new life as a celebrity is pretty wild. Jon lives in California, so I'm guessing he's gone all Hollywood on us. Haha!
Zane: What do you do for a living in real life? How do you find time for running?
John: I work as a psychologist in a group practice in Washington, DC. My schedule fluctuates between starting work in the morning or late afternoon. I try to get my long runs in during the mornings I have off to minimize the time training takes me away from my wife and friends. It works somewhat but definitely not perfectly.
Zane: You left your wife at home when you went to the Netherlands, but I understand it was for a good reason. How has she supported your running?
John: We’re expecting our first child any day now! My wife Lauren would have been with me supporting me in the Netherlands and celebrating with me afterward if it wasn’t for that. I’m extremely lucky to have a wife as supportive as she is. The decision to fly to the Netherlands without her was a hard decision to make and I definitely wouldn’t have gone if it weren’t for her encouraging me to do so.
Zane: After you take some time off to bring a new baby into your family, what are your running goals?
John: I really don’t have any future running goals yet. I really hope to be back from the 24hr World Championships next year but other than that I’m not sure what races I’ll do next.
Zane: 2014's team already has automatic qualifiers- gold medalist Jon Olsen, 10th place finisher Joe Fejes, and yourself. If 2012 World Champion Mike Morton comes back for 2014 you all could be looking at a very strong men's team. What kind of mileage is it going to take for someone to sneak into those last 2 or 3 spots?
John: My guess is that there will be more than one person who runs more than 150 miles and doesn’t qualify outright for one of those last two spots.
Zane: A lot of people don't realize that ultra runners representing Team USA have to pay for a large part of their travel and costs out of their own pocket. Any ideas on how to get sponsors excited about, and supporting, Team USA?
John: It would be great if some of the race proceeds from national qualifying races would go toward funding the USA men’s and women’s teams, independent of any prize money that would be awarded for the winners of those races.
Zane: There is a rumor that you and your crew had a very good time in Amsterdam following the Championships, is there any truth to this?
John: I’m still unbelievably proud (and surprised) that we were all able to make it to our flights on time the next morning.
Zane: Impressive indeed! Thanks for your time and good luck with your running and the growing family
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