Interview with Dr. Andy Baldwin

Categories: Chicago Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon, Chocolate Milk Refuel, Dr. Andy Baldwin, The Bachelor

If you’ve been hanging around here you already know that I was invited by the Chocolate Milk Refuel Team to interview and run with Dr. Andy Baldwin at the Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon. Yesterday’s post left off at the expo Q and A session. Afterward, Dr. Baldwin and I went back to the Chocolate Milk Refuel Zone for the interview portion of the weekend.

First let me share some things about Dr. Baldwin just to give you an idea of the kind of super achiever we’re dealing with:

High School Valedictorian
ESPN’s National Scholar Athlete of the Year–1995
Magna Cum Laude Graduate of Duke University
US. Navy Lieutenant Commander
Medical Doctor currently a Family Medicine Resident and Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton
8 x Ironman
Humanitarian and author of Running with Kenyans
Season 10 Bachelor, proposed to Tessa but broke up 8 months later
Team Refuel Captain

Our interview was short and sweet. It was really more of a chat. I didn’t record anything and The Caveman assured me I’d be a total dweeb if I whipped out a notebook and wrote anything down, so I kind of just absorbed what I could. Dr. Baldwin (because I know you’re hanging on every word) feel free to jump in here and set the record straight.

Here I am before we started, um, formulating my thoughts.

Doing my best to stay on topic.

Our talk went something like this:

Confidence

Q: You are so accomplished in so many areas. What do you attribute this to? Where did you gain the confidence necessary to reach for and achieve your goals?

According to Andy, his confidence came from playing sports from an early age. He was a swimmer before high school. He also played tennis, basketball, football and baseball. His confidence grew as he set and attained goals.

Q: How did you get into distance running?

He ran his first marathon (Marine Corps Marathon) when he was 19 as a challenge from his dad. They ran it together.

Q: Next big race?

Focusing on shorter races. He wants to get back under 1:30 for the half marathon. He loves the NYC Marathon and if it works out, will be running that one again in November.

Q: Which do you prefer: speed or endurance?

Andy says he thinks he’s better at outlasting his competition.

Balance

Q: Where do you find the time to train?

Like many of us, Dr. Baldwin fits training in wherever he can. With hospital hours he needs to be flexible. It’s not a chore though because he loves it. Physical activity is his stress release. Currently he’s running approx. 30-40 miles per week. He likes to be always training for something.

Personal

I didn’t ask Dr. Baldwin anything about The Bachelor. As I said yesterday I am not a fawner and honestly, there are so many more interesting things I wanted to ask him about. Plus I barely made it through the above questions and crowds were lined up for autographs so it was time to wind it up. I can tell you though that his girlfriend was with him. The lovely Natalie Davila, older sister of Desiree Davila, one of my favorite marathoners who is going to rock out in London.