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1. Personal Data:
Name: Bette K. Davis Age: 59 Occupation: Director, Office of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, MIT Family: Family consists of mother and seven siblings, who live a considerable distance west of here (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, etc.). Also many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and even a great-great niece and great-great nephew! Where do you live now: Mid-Cambridge (395 Broadway) Where did you grow up: on a farm in south central South Dakota (just west of the Missouri River, just north of the Neb. border) 2. Running Profile: When/How did you start running? I ran track in grade school--grades 1-8. I loved it and I did well. There was no track for girls in high school (LONG before Title IX!), so I started jogging on my own when I was 14, and I have been running ever since, with interruptions only when I was injured. I didn't run competitively from the eighth grade until 1979. In 1978 I broke my right leg cross-country skiing, and when I could start jogging again, I became more "serious"--running more miles, every day, doing speed work--mainly as part of the effort to get my right leg strong and back to normal again. Then I decided to try racing. In 1979 I ran my first race as an adult ( 5 miles, "Women Running for Women Running," to benefit the National Women's Political Caucus) and in 1981 ran my first marathon.
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1981. (I was training for my first marathon and looking for a training partner.) Howie Sagran, then manager of Marathon Sports, recommended CSU to me, even though he was in BAA at the time. He told me that CSU had speed workouts Tuesday evenings on the MIT track, so I just went one Tuesday.
What are some of your personal bests?
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1985 Mt. Washington Road Race 1985 Boston Peace Marathon 1986 D.H.Jones 10-Miler, Amherst 1986 New Bedford Half-Marathon 1986 Cambridge Center for Adult Ed 10K 1986 5-mi. "Bunny Hop," Winchester 1986 Master's Track Meet, 1500m. 1990 Mt. Washington |
1:36:58 (Second Master) 3:12:07 (First master, 9th woman) 71:29 (First master) 1:31:40 (Third master) 40:45 (First master, 3rd woman) 31:56 (First master, 4th woman) 5:25 ? 1:39:38 (Course record, 45-49 age group) |
It was always 10-milers and half marathons. Now I don't run those distances very often; my last half marathon was 2002 New Bedford.
What are some of your favorite training routes?
I have a "Somerville Loop" that Phil Keely's
father (a lifelong Somervillian) gave me over the phone. The idea was to get
some hills, since Cambridge is pretty flat. I run from my place (Broadway in
Cambridge) to Kirkland. That becomes Washington; I take it into Union Square.
Left on Summer St. to Lowell, right on Lowell to Magoon Square, sharp right
onto Broadway (Somerville), to Walnut St. Right on Walnut into Union Square,
and then Washington, Kirkland, home. I don't hit all seven of the Somerville
hills, but it's a good hilly run.
A traditional "River Rats" noontime run from MIT is
Memorial Drive to the BU Bridge, over the Bridge, through Brookline (usually
St. Paul's) to Beacon St. Right on Beacon, through Coolidge Corner, to Summit
Ave. Right on Summit, to the top (huff, puff!), then loop around, left on
Lancaster, back to Beacon, back to MIT.
Sunday long run: From my place to Bow St., to the river (Weeks Footbridge),
left on Memorial Drive to the BU Bridge. Over the Bridge, through Brookline
to Beacon (St. Paul's St.), right on Beacon to Cleveland Circle. Right, up
the hill, then left onto Comm. Ave. (You're doing the marathon route in
reverse here.) Out Comm. Ave. over Heartbreak Hill, to the intersection just
before Newton City Hall, and back.
Most common runs are (1) loops on the river and (2) running to and around
Fresh Pond.
What are your favorite pair of running shoes?
I can only wear Asics. My one favorite pair
were (light blue) racing flats--don't know what they were called. The days are
gone when I can wear racing flats--neuroma, heel spurs . . .
What is your training like (weekly mileage, specific workouts)?
In general, I run 6 days a week; I try to do
some version of "hard/easy." Sun. is long run (8-12 mi. lately), if not a race.
Mon. is an easy 4 mi. on the river. Tues. is usually some kind of interval
workout on the track--might be a ladder, or 3 one-mi. repeats with half-mile
recoveries, or quarters . . . Wed.--easy 4 mi. Thurs.--"Big Loop" on the river =
6.5 mi. Fri.--easy 4 mi. Sat. is my day off. During a good week, I run 30-35 mi.
What running achievements are you most proud of:
It would be nice to be in shape when I turn 60
in a few months. However, my main goal these days is to stay healthy, so I
can keep running.
3. Other Activities, Hobbies, and
Interests
What other sports/activities do you enjoy besides running?
I love to throw Frisbee (but don't play
Ultimate Frisbee). I also enjoy bicycling (away from traffic) and hiking.
If you couldn't run, what sport/activity would you do instead?
I have done daily "aqua jogging" when I'm
injured and can't run; I'd probably do some of that, plus walking, biking,
Nautilus workouts, and whatever kind of aerobic machine my body could handle
(elliptical, rowing, ?) I hate the treadmill, so I hope I'm never reduced to
that!
What are some of your non-athletic hobbies or interests?
I sing--currently in the Cambridge
Community Chorus and church choir. I'm interested in politics--local, national,
and international--and have been on my Democratic Ward Committee and Cambridge
City Democratic Committee for 30 years. I'm kind of an activist (feel at home in
Cambridge!); I'm on my church's (OCBC, Old Cambridge Baptist Church) Social
Action Committee, Cambridge Pedestrian Committee, etc.
What non-running achievement(s) are you most proud of:
I felt good about finishing my doctorate (Ed.D., Harvard), which I did while
working full-time as Director of the International Office at UMassBoston.
What are some of your non-running goals/resolutions?
Clean up my condo, lose 5 lbs, be a better
person . . .
4. Wisdom to Share With Others
Enjoy the moment. I've been injured so much, when I
couldn't run at all
(once for two years, 1991-93, with a hip injury) that I'm really grateful
now "just to be out there." Sometimes when I'm running with my fellow
River Rattettes at lunchtime, I think, "These are the good old days!"
What do you like most about CSU?
It has always impressed me as a sociable,
friendly, egalitarian club. It's not that we don't have fast runners, not that
people don't care about excelling, but I think CSU'ers remember that it's for
fun. We're not getting paid!
What's your favorite piece of advice for
injury prevention?
Take time off and pay attention
to an incipient injury when you FIRST feel something. Don't just "run through
the pain." Even if it's not REALLY bad, take a couple days off from running.
Ice, stretch, take an anti-inflammatory--whatever seems called for.
What advice would you give to newbie
runners?
In a word--"gradual." Don't try to
build up too fast, either speed or distance. Don't try to run fast at the
beginning; run at a pace which allows you to carry on a conversation
comfortably. The important thing is consistency. You can increase speed and/or
distance later, after you have established a base. Don't try to increase speed
and distance simultaneously.
5. Personal Favorites:
Favorite food?
Popcorn.
Favorite song?
I can't think of one song, but I like lots
of things the Beatles did.
Favorite movie?
The Buena Vista Social Club
Favorite restaurant?
Christopher's Pub, Porter Square
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