Ready to Run

It's difficult for Julie Chin to predict the weather now for Oct. 29. But come rain or shine, she and Bert Marshall plan on crossing the finish line that day as celebrity runners for the 34th annual Tulsa Run.

"When I agreed to this, I thought it was a 10K," joked Marshall, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Oklahoma.

We met him and Chin, a meteorologist for KJRH, channel 2, at Hillcrest Fitness Center recently to see how their first days of training have been going for the 15K race.

Chin entered the gym that afternoon in a green "I (heart) Tulsa" tee, effervescent as always, before taking the treadmill next to Marshall, proudly decked out in his blue "Kansas Dad" T-shirt.

They will be trained between now and the Oct. 29 race by Hillcrest exercise physiologist Gini McFarland, who performed physical assessments of the duo before they began. After that, she set each one up on individualized training schedules, and she will work with them one-on-one once a week.

Both have run a 5K before, McFarland said. Marshall, who ran long distances in college, trained last year for the Route 66 Quarter Marathon 5K and the Route 66 Marathon 5K; Chin has run the Jingle Bell and the St. Patrick's Day runs.

Neither, however, has done the Tulsa Run before - "Just reported live from the sidelines," Chin said. But both have a healthy sense of humor to counterbalance the hard work ahead of them.

When asked what his first thought was upon being asked, Marshall replied, "This is blackmail," he said, smiling.

"I was like, 'Woohoo!' " Chin said. "Then I was like, 'Uh-oh ...' "

Jests aside, they're looking forward to the training and the run itself. "I never dreamed it would be me," Chin said with a big smile on her face.

"It will be fun to see both of them achieving their goals while motivating their organizations and encouraging the community to start training," said Marcia Whitaker, director for the Tulsa Run. "Their enthusiasm will inspire runners of all ages to participate."

Chin is "very strong," McFarland said.

Marshall, though, experienced some knee pain last year. Plus, he admitted to a little weight he'd like to lose. A previous doctor's visit revealed he was slightly hypertensive, and he eventually shed about 30 pounds. Half of that has snuck back.

"I want to lose that 15 and some more after that," he said while doing leg presses on a weight machine.

He has some added incentives. BCBS is a division of Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), which has a goal of losing 20 tons in 2011, Marshall said. For HCSC's 16,000 employees, 20 tons translates to about three pounds per employee.

"I want to step up to the bar and show my commitment," he said. "Participating in the Tulsa Run will be my way of showing employees how I'm going to achieve my portion of that goal. It sends the message, 'If I can do it, you can do it.' "

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Q & A with celebrity runners

Q: What do you usually do for exercise?

Chin: I guess walking back and forth from the weather center to the Chroma Key doesn't really count as exercise, right? I like to change up my workout a lot. Some days it's cycling, other days walking or jogging or Zumba. I like to do lots of different things.

Marshall: I have been walking with my wife, Martha, on the River Trails. When we moved to Tulsa several years ago, I was impressed with the parks and trails offered here. We try to take advantage of the trails often.

Q: Do you enjoy running?

Chin: Running does not come naturally to me. It has always been something that I've really had to work hard at. What I do enjoy is how much stronger I feel after a run, even if I have suffered through every single step.

Marshall: I love how running provides relaxation and quiet time. Back in the day, I used to sport my Sony FM radio with antenna. It looked way cooler than the iPods people are wearing these days.

Q: Are you nervous about your upcoming training?

Chin: Yes! I've never run nine-plus miles in my life. I don't even like to drive nine miles sometimes. This is a big, scary undertaking for me. I think running long distances takes not only physical strength but mental toughness. Keeping my head in the game and pushing through the pain is not going to be easy.

Marshall: I am nervous, because I participated in a 5K program last year and found myself working through some injuries. However, the training program for the Tulsa Run has already been incredibly useful. I have learned valuable techniques to help me avoid some of the injuries I incurred last year.

Q: Do you prefer running solo or in groups?

Chin: I like a little bit of both. I love running with others because it helps me with pace and also passing the time. It's a fun way to make new friends. However, I work such crazy, super-early hours that if I have enough energy to get out and run, I often need to jump on that momentum and get moving before exhaustion sets in. Oftentimes, that happens in the middle of the afternoon when all my running buddies are at work.

Marshall: There are benefits to both. I love the quiet time that running alone offers. But as a competitive person, I also enjoy the social aspect of training in groups. You can encourage each other - or egg-on each other, whichever is more effective.

Q: Will you have to modify your diet any to prepare for the run?

Chin: I tend to eat pretty healthy, but I am looking forward to getting nutritional advice. I'm not sure Gummi Bears are on the list of suggested runner's foods.

Marshall: A while back, I visited my doctor and had a serious wake-up call. He told me I'd have to start losing weight or start taking blood pressure medicine. That motivated me to lose 30 pounds. But it was difficult to keep that weight off, and I have now gained 15 of those pounds back. So honestly, I'm not looking for a new diet; I'm looking for a lifestyle change.

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Jason Ashley Wright 918-581-8483
jason.wright@tulsaworld.com