Nickname: Duff
Workplace: Northern Trust
PB’s: Marathon 2:45:04 – Tokyo 2016; Park Run 16:47; Tan 12:35
Best Running Experience: Great Ocean Road Marathon is amazing for the scenery and sea breeze filling the nostrils – ahh very zen like. Tokyo Marathon 2016 being a major – huge atmosphere and crowd passion with the added bonus of sharing the experience with a team of Milers – LG, Rog, Malibu, Katie and Fury – just awesome!
Worst Running Experience: Crashing and burning early doors in Melbourne and Great Ocean Rd Marathons for many kms of consequent agony. Maroondah Dam one year where is bucketed down sideways wasn’t much fun either!
Racing Shoes: Adidas Adios
Years Running: First Marathon Melbourne 2009 and coming up to my 8th Melbourne Marathon in a row in 2016.
Why Do You Run?: Because I like it! Running makes me feel good and relax no matter what other stresses may be happening in the outside world. It is therapy, clears my mind and I fall into a meditative state especially on long runs. The social aspect of running with the Milers has changed my life in so many ways.
Favourite Training Session: Anything short – Mona Fartlek, 6 x 3 mins or AOP sessions.
Hobbies: Ummm Running; playing footy or basketball with my boys. Was bitten by the travelling bug very early in life and have circumnavigated the world on a couple of different trips and lived in London for a few years which was a great base to explore Europe and the Northern Hemisphere from.
Most Important Thing To Me: Family
Biggest Dislike: Obesity, Volvo drivers
Favourite Movie: The Empire Strikes Back
Favourite Music: The Who, David Bowie, anything from the 80’s
Favourite Food: Peking Duck, Eye Fillet Steak, Pork with crackling, Lobster
Favourite Drink: Beer (Hawthorn or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – I’m a beer snob now have moved well and truly on from the Carlton Draught and VB days). Love freshly squeezed Orange Juice.
Favourite Event: AFL Grand Final (when the Hawks win)
Dream Occupation: I’d like to be Maverick from Top Gun
Most admired athlete: Leigh Matthews – GOAT and I have a man crush on Hodgey as well (Framed photo at home).
Little known fact(s) about me: Was a bit of a pyromaniac as a youngster – burned down the bottom floor of family home as a two year old. Still reminded of it regularly by my family. Maybe as punishment my dentist dad later in life extracted my wisdom teeth and performed root canals without anaesthetic.
Life Highlight: Obvious answer is the birth of my two boys Frankie and James. Outside of family, trekking Inca Trail, exploring the Grand Canyon, the tombs of Luxor Egypt and the Temples of the Angkor region in Cambodia deserve a mention.
Life low-point: Divorce – hurts on several levels.
Three Things You Want To Do Before You Die: Travel through Russia / hitch a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway; Take the boys on the Inca Trail for my son’s 18th, my 50th (we share the same birthday), live in the home where I grew up.
Favourite Quote: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
