Member Profile – Tim Degrado

From Bruce Kirschner – Photo courtesy of Michael Scott

Tim DeGrado ran his first race with the BRR Men 60-69 team at the Colleen De Reuck Cross Country Classic at Boulder’s Nevin Platt Middle School in early November 2021. The team won the USATF Colorado Masters Cross Country Championships for their age group. In mid-December, he debuted with the team at the USA Track & Field’s National Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee Florida. This 8K (5 miles) race is the first and most competitive event in USATF’s 2022 Masters National Grand Prix championship race series. Tim was the first team member to cross the finish line (30:42) in a field of 126 runners. He finished second overall and was quickly followed by team members Roger Sayre (3rd place) and Mark Tatum. (7th place). The team took first place in the M60-69 age group and captured the gold medal in a tough field of 15 age group teams from across the U.S. On January 16, 2022 61-year-old Tim DeGrado won the 60-64 age group at the Houston Marathon in 2:47 (6:25 min/mile). The second-place age group finisher was nearly 6 minutes behind him in the field of 190.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in Covina, California, and grew up in Whittier and Paradise, California.

What brought you to Colorado?

A great job opportunity and the chance to join the great endurance community here.

Where do you live now?

Arvada, Colorado

What do you do for a living/professionally?

I am directing a recently formed Research Imaging Center at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver. It has Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) and Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance (PET/MR) scanners for research and some clinical applications.

Tell us a little about your immediate family.

My wife, Jan, and I live in Arvada with our border terrier, Yallah. Jan is a homemaker. We have two sons and a daughter, scattered between Sacramento and Milwaukee. We also have one granddaughter.

Tell us about your running career. When did you start running and why?

I did some 5ks and short course triathlons in my 20s and then just low-key recreational running for some 30 years. At age 48 I was found to be prediabetic so I took diet and exercise more seriously. To continue to motivate myself, I tried a half marathon and then a couple of marathons at the age of 55. I then set a goal to do a half Ironman and full Ironman. I ended up qualifying and racing in Kona twice in the Men 55-59 age group, a real blast. After that, it was obvious that running was my best sport, so I decided to focus on running races, all kinds of them, including short and ultramarathon trail races.

What is your regular training program like, e.g., weekly mileage, workout types, etc.?

I am coached by Lee Troop. We have quality sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays with various interval workouts. A long run on the weekend. I am free to improvise with rest days, recovery sessions, or cross-training as I see fit on the remaining days. I have learned the art of listening to my body pretty well to avoid overtraining and injury, although there are going to be niggles. Honestly, weekly mileage is not very important to me. It is more important to be sure to have a good mix of slower aerobic running with quality intensity sessions. This is particularly true when I put in a lot of trial running into the mix.

What do you consider your favorite race? Why?

I’m probably best suited for the half marathon or marathon on roads or shorter trail races. I really enjoyed racing the Black Squirrel Trail Half Marathon in Fort Collins because it had just one uphill at the beginning and then I could let loose on the way back down. It was also ego-boosting to have outright wins in two small local marathons in 2021, All-Out Beat the Heat in Arvada (April) and Long View in Fort Collins (October).

What is your favorite race distance?

Half Marathon. What is your personal record (PR) at that distance? 1:15:59 (2019).

What are some future running/racing goals?

I would like to finish a 100-mile ultra in under 24 hours. A really far-fetched goal is to stay fast enough to someday challenge a world record in the half marathon or marathon. Winning an Abbott Major Marathon in my age group would also be great.

What are your thoughts about being a new M60+ team member?

It has been very rewarding and enjoyable to become a BRR team member. This is a fabulous and just serious enough group of runners that are tremendously supportive and active. It is clear that they just love running. I also enjoy the playful competitive side of club events as well. It’s a great place to have that sense of belonging and pride for each other’s accomplishments.