This is the thirty-fourth edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.

Intro

Today’s guest was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan. His very active parents had an influence on him growing up – he even began doing local races while in elementary school!

After focusing in on running and having success in high school, he ran both cross country and track while attending UMD — also where he met his wife! He currently works at Essentia Health in the Orthopedics/Sports Medicine Department…today’s guest is Dillon Johnston!

Interview

Why is running important to you?

Running has been part of my life since before I could walk. My dad would take my brother and I to local road races and push us in a jogger so in reality, being around runners is one of my earliest memories.

Running has been important for me in many ways – it has connected me to many of my lifelong friends from college, it’s how I met my wife, it’s how I de-stress and allow myself to not sweat the small stuff.

As an added bonus, it helps keep the “dad-bod” at bay.

What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?

I’m not the best person to answer this just because I’ve been lucky enough to be mostly injury free throughout my life. I can tell you what I should be doing…stretching/foam rolling/core, but I don’t do any of those things, although I often talk about how I should. What I do is try to take family walks at least a few times a week, cross training is chasing my three and one year old around the house.

What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?

The main thing is how much better and more relaxed I’m going to feel if I can get out for even half an hour. If I can organize things enough to plan a day in advance to meet a few guys for a run, that keeps me accountable.

As I’ve gotten older I have more competing priorities than just getting out the door for a run so I have come to terms with the fact that if I can’t run on a given day, it’s not the end of the world.

Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?

I became accustomed to having a group to workout/train with after 8 years of high school/college. After college it was usually my wife (Ally) or our Vizsla (Leo) who would head out into Hartley with me.

I spent a couple years training with one or two guys or just going solo. Over the years there have been some regular training buddies, many of them UMD or UM alum. Quick shout out to: Jared, Gorman, Grunewald, Escher, Neil, J. Brown and Perko. More recently I’ve connected with some younger guys in town who “allow” me to run with them on their slower days (John, Ben, Bennett).

When/what is your next race?

I didn’t officially sign up, but I’ll be joining my wife on the trails while she does her virtual Grandmas Marathon.

Do you prefer roads or trails, and why?

Historically, I’ve been more comfortable on the roads as it’s easier for me to get into a rhythm. In reality, I’ll do either one and be happy about it!

What do you think about while you run?

If I’m alone I think about work a lot and things that stressed me out or annoyed me, sometimes family and future type stuff. I often just daydream/zone out.

What is your most memorable race or running achievement?

I’ve had some “fun” marathon and college track moments/finishes, but I think winning my first high school state championship will stick with me the longest.

Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).

My dad drove my brother and I 8 hours each way to compete in an AAU meet in Detroit one high school summer. We got our butts kicked, fun ride home…there’s plenty of others.

What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?

I listen to a decent number of podcasts/audio books. Another fun fact, both my wife and I are identical twins.

Closing

Many thanks to Dillon for agreeing to stop by The Duluth Runner and share some of his knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!