Eddie Valentine

​About Eddie

 

 

I am a Southern California native. I moved to the DC area in 1998 when studying for my undergraduate degree at American University. I am a Virginia-licensed CPA working since 2002 in the internal controls and government compliance industry.  I was recently admitted to Johns Hopkins Environmental Policy and Science Masters Program, switching gears to potentially find a new career path.  I started running when I was 15 when I joined my high school cross-country team. Since then, running has been an addiction.  I have been a member of the Front Runners for over seven years.  I love that the group continues to prove to others in the community that not all gays fit a particular stereotype - we are athletic and competitive. I owe my running accomplishments to this group and thank the Front Runners for their continuous support.

 

 

 

​Questions

 

Congrats on winning the DCFR race circuit for the second year running. You came in runner-up for many years due to our age-graded scoring system. Did this bother you? I think age-grading is fair. Those are the rules and I agree with and respect them. Someone who is in their forties who can run marathons every other week should be recognized for that. I was not upset with the rules, only that I couldn’t run faster to get over the hump.

 

What is your diet and alcohol regime? I am a vegetarian so I don’t eat meat or fish. I eat eggs, cheese, tofu, beans, and vegetables. I usually cook all my food as I like full control of what I eat. I eat a lot. I snack all day at work on fruit and nuts to keep the protein levels up. With alcohol, I’ll have a social drink at weekends and a glass of wine maybe every other night. I don’t usually drink a week before a marathon, just to flush out my system.

 

You’re a top class non-professional runner. Did you ever think of going pro? No. I didn’t think it was realistic. It’s realistic for me to run a good marathon, but not to win one. If I quit my job today, ran every day, and trained even more closely with my current coach, I don’t know that I’d be able to run the 2.17 necessary to qualify for the Olympic trials.

 

You run short and long distances, confounding the rule that you can’t do great times at both. How do you do it? For me the 5ks are very painful because I am not a sprinter. But I push through the pain and then the endorphins kick in. With longer distances, the challenge is more mental but I am still able to keep a high cadence and pace throughout. I only start to feel the pain the last couple of miles. 

 

How much do you run? This summer I’ve been clearing fifty to sixty miles a week. I’ve hired a coach who does track workouts once or twice a week. I do three 1 to 1.5 hour runs. Hill repeats and strength training are also part of my routine. On Sundays I usually go biking to use different muscle groups and to recover. Mondays I usually take off. 

 

How do you avoid injury? I stretch a lot before runs. I also do striders, where you sprint back and forth for fifty meters. If you warm up your muscles and circulate the blood before you start running you are less prone to injury. If you just go out and run without stretching you may pull a muscle. I’ve been doing my drills religiously and it has paid off so far.

 

You’ve spoken about wanting to break through gay stereotypes. What do mean? I think people – gays and straights - have an idea of gays not being very fast or competitive. So I get an extra joy out of beating the stereotypically macho or military types. I think in the gay world it’s not very cool to run, which is why we struggle recruiting sometimes. Young gays often just want to hang out and have a tea and focus on fashion to live up to the stereotype in order to fit in - that’s insecurity. I do things because I enjoy them. I’m a huge football and track fan, I love watching sports. I embrace the fact that I’m not the normal gay man that you see on TV.

 

Is it harder being a black gay man? It’s much harder. The black culture is really surrounded by religion, traditionally Christianity, and many people in the black community regard homosexuality as evil or taboo. Fortunately I have a very supportive family. I am proud to be out in the work place, to my friends and all my family. I think non-black cultures understand – or maybe tolerate - being gay more. Of course if you’re Catholic or of Latino or Asian descent it’s much harder too.

 

You look ultra-serious, even angry when running, but then at Happy Hour, you’re this vibrant party animal. Are you a personality of extremes? I become very focused when racing. I want so badly to do well, even in practice. I also zone out during long runs and my mind isn’t thinking about who is around me. I think some people are turned off by that, which is fine. But outside of running, I’m very approachable and hopefully not arrogant or stuck-up.

 

Which Front Runner most inspires you? Lennie Carter. He was one of the first people I met when I joined. His presence and support gave me the confidence to run my first marathon. He’s always been a very solid figure in the group and a mentor to many people.  

 

What is your favorite memory of a race? Running with Rich Robinson in my first marathon, the 2004 Marine Corps, trying to break three hours. As I was finishing at Iwo Jima I started seeing colors - my body was going crazy. Then, as I crossed the finish line, I saw the clock at 3.00.00. I was overjoyed by that accomplishment.

 

What’s your motto in life? I try to live my life day by day and learn from my mistakes, keep it simple, try my best, and just roll with it.

 

Interview by Brian Beary, Design by Marcel Acosta

September 2010