JOEL BERNARD
Hometown: Boonville, NY
Background: Grew up as a wrestler and HS runner for Adirondack HS '91 in Central NY - Section 3 (Utica/Syracuse area). My dad coached HS track and cross country for nearly 50 years, so after all this time, it's still in the blood. Went to college at the U.S. Naval Academy '95 and finally got back into competitive running when I left the Navy in 2007.
Racing Competitively Since: 1978-ish -- My dad had my older brother and I running track and XC meets early in grade school. Compared to the all-day Sunday wrestling tournaments, we loved the AAU track and XC invitationals.
PRs: Haven't seen a PR since about 1990, but some masters races have been:
5K: 16:41 (San Diego 5K, 2014), 17:33 (Carlsbad 5000, 2014)
The Fun Questions:
Favorite Race: Ursula Rains XC / Morley Field
Favorite Workout: "The Lumberjack" - 4 x 400 m, 10 minute tempo, 4 x 400 m, 10 minute tempo, 4 x 400 m
Words to Live By: "There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people." - Bill Bowerman
Why I Choose to Run for PRT: I wanted to run for a Masters team that challenged me to train and run harder in every single race... and hopefully faster. I missed the team dynamic that I grew up with in HS.
What I Like to Do Besides Running: Aside from work, it's pretty much track and XC all year long except for the occasional ski trip in the winter. My vacations are typically watching the Olympic Trials every four years and any local NCAA or HS races.