The Author

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Towpath Marathon 2011, between mile markers 21 and 22

My name is Greg Strosaker, and I’m a husband to a pediatrician, father to three boys (one with autism), product management professional, and, most relevant for this blog, an age-group competitive (and, most shockingly, a marathon-winning) runner in the Cleveland, Ohio area.  With all these balls in the air, I find it necessary to put extra hours in the day, and that is the concept behind Predawn Runner.

Why do I run? My life should feel full enough.  But after giving it up for several years, when sleep was a rarity and life was about constant adjustment, I realized that running is essential to my happiness and sense-of-self, not to mention my physical health and energy levels.  Running is “my thing”, the endeavor that not everyone in my life fully understands, but over which I have complete control.  I am responsible for my own results, for having the commitment to get out the door and get the required training in (plus, the flexibility to know when there are other priorities, and to adjust accordingly).

Predawn Runner emerges from the early morning musings of my wandering, and not always fully awake, mind (for more on this condition, please see my other blog, Constant Cogitation).  There is no better time to squeeze running in than in the wee morning hours, before most of the world is even thinking about getting up. Maybe I have been imbued with this attitude because my parents grew up on farms, where a lot of work gets done before sunrise, and where a strong work ethic is simply the entry fee.  My father still gets his run done before I get up many mornings, even though he has more time on his hands than he knows what to do with – it just becomes habit.  There is no feeling like knowing that you have accomplished a major goal for the day before 5:30AM.

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to running.  I don’t try out a lot of different products, I don’t buy into trendy training techniques, and I don’t pretend that one technique or approach works for every runner. If you find me recommending a product, you can trust that it is because I have tried it and believe in it.  My only goal is to be the best runner and person I can, recognizing that the definition of “best” can evolve.

2011 Towpath Marathon victory yell

If you are interested in more information on my background, training approaches, and results, you can visit this interview I gave on the Dailymile blog, listen to my interview on the Dirt Dawg’s Running Diatribe podcast, or peruse my running resumé.  Welcome to Predawn Runner, and I look forward to our conversations.

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