Defining Moments: A Q&A with the Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray
Life Time Run - July 31, 2012
Dave McGillivray, the race director of the BAA Boston Marathon, stood at the front of a room filled with eager runners awaiting his words of wisdom. An athlete and philanthropist with varied accomplishments – including an extraordinary 3,452-mile run across the U.S. in 1978 to benefit charity – McGillivray visited Life Time Fitness Crosstown to talk about two things: commitments and their defining moments.
That’s the key, McGillivray said, to make a commitment and to stick to your commitment. That commitment could very well be a moment that defines how you live your life.
For McGillivray, that moment was when he tried, unsuccessfully, to run his first Boston marathon. Without any training, he decided to join the line of runners from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston, planning to meet his grandfather at the end of the race. Unfortunately, due to the little training he had done, he did not finish. However, he was determined to beat the mental race and make it to the end. McGillivray has run the marathon each year since 1973. For 16 years he ran the race and since1988, when he started working for the race, he has run the course afterward, being the final finisher every year.
We spoke with McGillivray after his speech, asking him questions we know are on the minds of Life Time Runners.
Many people train for marathons solo. Do you think it’s best to train solo or with a group of runners? I think they can co-exist. There is time for one and there is time for the other. I would say that 90% of the time I run alone. It’s because I squeeze it in when I can because of my work schedule. However, there are times when it gets boring running solo. It’s a little bit of both for me, and it’s all about balance.
For those afraid of running (my knee hurts, I look funny when I run, etc.), how would you change their minds or encourage them to start a training program? First of all, you have to come to a decision in your life: Do you want to better yourself? Once you make that monumental decision, then you have to choose your methodology to make the change. It’s not about running; it’s about committing to healthier way of life. Running may not be the ‘life-changer’ you are looking for. Bio-mechanically something may be going on with you, which prohibits you from running. So maybe it’s swimming or some other sport.
Regardless, I do think, for the most part, that people don’t give running a fair chance. I think it’s because most people are impatient. The truth is: There will be sacrifices made when you commit. Time. Some discomfort. Pain. You have to progressively chip away at your attack plan if you want to run. Walk first. Walk. Then jog. Add distance. And add then intensity. You need to build a program that fits you personally.
For example, I don’t wear an iPod. I run with a voice recorder. During my runs I come up with my best ideas. I don’t want to lose them! I’m clearing my mind and I’m multi-tasking. I’ve never lost a good thought in my life because of the recorder. And the recorder provides me a distraction, so I’m not concerned with the physical discomfort that I’m in.
I also suggest that you make running or your chosen activity a social thing. Run with other people. The point is: You really have to figure out a way for yourself to commit to running or whatever you choose to do to become healthy.
What is the best running or life advice you’ve received? “Never underestimate your own ability.” That’s really powerful to me. That’s where people lose out – by underestimating themselves. The toughest part of a marathon is signing up for it. People can defeat themselves before they even start. If you don’t want to do it for you, do it for somebody else. It doesn’t have to be a specific person. Think of it this way: if I take care of me, my children won’t have to devote their lives to wheeling me around. You can even run for a charity, or something bigger than you. I’m a big proponent of that and am proud to have started that tradition with the Boston Marathon in the 1980s.
Do you have any specific training advice for those who are going for a Personal Record time? Be realistic. Let’s say I want to run 2:10 for a marathon but we know that’s not realistic – maybe for half marathon but not a full marathon. You have to be true to yourself first. Ask yourself, “Is such-and-such-a-time really on the radar?” If it is, and you are just missing it, then you need to be patient. With the right weather, the right conditions, the right amount of training and the right amount of sleep, some day it will just pop. If you set an unrealistic goal and you are already training at a pace one minute slower than your goal, you aren’t setting yourself up for success. I’d rather set a conservative goal, blow it away and be a hero, rather than have the opposite happen to me. You can muster up enough energy to succeed and be on a roll. All you have to do is make a lifetime commitment to improve and better yourself.
Dave McGillivray, Race Director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and B.A.A. Half-Marathon, manages and oversees all operational and logistical aspects of these world-class events. McGillivray also directed the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials — Women’s Marathon in Boston. In 1996, McGillivray established himself as one of the world’s premier race directors with his successful coordination of the 100th Boston Marathon, which attracted a field size of nearly 40,000 participants, the largest in BAA history.