Blue Spot

WHAT'S YOUR WORKOUT?
By JEN MURPHY
Editor's Note: What's Your Workout? is an Online Journal column that looks at busy people's fitness routines. Here we talk with congressional candidate Steve Harrison, a Democrat, about how he's found time to train for the New York City Marathon while also running for office.

THE POLITICIAN

Steve Harrison, 57, a trial lawyer who has his own practice in Brooklyn, New York, is running against incumbent Republican Congressman Vito Fossella for a seat in New York's 13th Congressional District. The 13th District covers Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Gravesend, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn. According to Congressional Quarterly's Web site, CQPolitics.com, Mr. Fossella is favored to win. Mr. Fossella declined a request to be interviewed.

THE WORKOUT

Mr. Harrison has competed in four marathons and was told he was crazy to even consider training for a fifth marathon while simultaneously campaigning. "When people told me I had gotten the [Democratic] party nomination in February, they said it would take all of the time and energy I had," says Mr. Harrison, who will run in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5, two days before Election Day. The lifelong runner had already made a pact with his 25-year-old daughter Michelle to run the race together this year and could not be swayed to break his word.

Mr. Harrison has been running nearly every day since age 26. He hit a three-year slump between 2000 and 2003 while serving as chair of Brooklyn's Community Board 10, in addition to his full-time job as a trial lawyer. His weight got up to the 200-pound range, nearly 30 pounds heavier than his normal weight. He got back on track by joining Michelle on runs.

The father and daughter frequently race and train together, and both are members of the New York Road Runners Club. They often go to Central Park on Sundays and compete in one of the Club's races and then return home for breakfast. "It's a very nice way to make family time," says Mr. Harrison, who lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Alice. The couple also have a 23-year-old son, Jeff.

Mr. Harrison ran the Long Island Marathon in 1986 and New York City in 1985 and 1986. He completed the 1986 New York City race in a personal best time of 3:34:86. Last year, Mr. Harrison accompanied his daughter on her first attempt at the 26-mile, 385-yard distance in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C., where he clocked in at 3:58. "I left her at mile 22 last year but this year I expect she'll be passing me at mile 15," he jokes. "I might have to run, walk and limp to the end but I'm looking forward to it," he says.



Mr. Harrison usually runs in the mornings between 6 and 7 a.m. The campaign, however, has made that nearly impossible. "I have to wake up at 5 a.m. just to get to campaign events," he says. Sometimes he'll run when he has a lull between 9 a.m. and noon and if not he'll run at night on his treadmill. "The treadmill is one of the best tools ever invented," he says. "I can watch C-SPAN while I'm running."

Although he didn't begin training for the upcoming marathon until the end of July, Mr. Harrison has been running three to five miles daily. On weekends, he fits in longer runs of about 10 miles and sometimes uses races to train. He competed in the Staten Island Half Marathon on October 15. Last weekend was his last long run before November's marathon, an 18-miler. He has begun to taper off to five- and eight-milers and the week of the race will keep to three-milers. "I'm not expecting my best time for obvious reasons," he says, "but my goal is to finish running." He says his goal is to finish in under 4:30.

THE DIET

Mr. Harrison admits that the demands of the campaign have to some extent affected his diet. "I would like to eat more regularly but you just can't during the campaign," he says. "You're going from place to place and have to be really careful not to pick at food along the way. People are always trying to feed you and you just have to say thanks very much but no thanks."

THE WORKOUT

One trick on controlling his weight is drinking water exclusively throughout the day. He tries to have tea and a banana or Wheat Chex cereal for breakfast, though he sometimes skips a morning meal because he doesn't like to eat before a run. He usually tries to avoid high-fat foods at lunch and dinner, opting instead for salads and pasta. "Lately, dinner is usually something in a can that I eat when I get home around 10 or 11," he says. Despite the rigors of a hectic schedule, his weight has remained consistent. At 6'2" and 170 pounds, he roughly is at the same weight as what he weighed in his 30s. During the marathon, he'll try to stay fueled with packets of energy gel to help his body maintain blood sugar during the long run.

THE COST

"Running is a cheap sport," says Mr. Harrison. He usually researches which running shoes are on the market but avoids looking at price and instead goes with what fits best. Right now, he has three pair of shoes that he alternates using. He bought his treadmill for about $700 ten years ago and he estimates the stationary bike he got for Christmas last year costs between $300 and $400.

THE EFFORT

Mr. Harrison has never needed a lot of sleep and rarely goes to bed before 1 a.m., waking up by 7 a.m. In order to train, he's learned to multi-task, using his running time to plan out the day and work on speeches in his head. He also believes fitting in time to train has helped him stay balanced. "Even though I'm running for office, I still need to make time for my family, my passions and my health." He's always found the marathon distance frustrating. "Once I hit 20 miles, I have to hop, skip and roll to get to the finish line," he says.

THE BENEFIT

On Nov. 5, the marathon will take Mr. Harrison through the district he's campaigning in, giving him some extra visibility. "Whether or not I was campaigning, I would have run the marathon," says Mr. Harrison, "but when I run or race I wear my 'Harrison for Congress' shirt and that gets me more exposure and is just as beneficial to the campaign as me shaking hands all day long. It shows people that I have the energy and ability to do what's necessary in Congress." Mr. Harrison says the running has also kept him energized throughout the campaign. "The campaign might be more intense than the marathon," he jokes.

Labels: NY-13, Steve Harrison