Name: Shad Miller
Age: 27
Residence: Somerville, MA
Birthplace: Syracuse, NY (10-11-1977)
Education:
         HS: C.W. Baker High School, Baldwinsville, NY 1996
         College: Williams College 2000 (B.A. English & Psychology)
         Graduate: Boston University 2003 (M.A. Teaching)
Occupation: High School English Teacher
Marital status: Engaged
Children status: 120 teenagers (see Occupation)

How long have you been running? 13 years
What made you decide to begin running? During the summer before 8th grade I tagged along with some extended family members who were doing a 4-mile time trial in the Pocono Mountains. I think I was just looking to challenge myself, but — wearing skateboarding sneakers — I ended up beating everyone (because they were out of shape). This gave me the confidence to join a couple friends on the Cross-Country team. It took another year before I actually enjoyed the training and racing.
Did you run competitively in high school? Yes, Cross-Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track, all four years. I went to the same high school as Don Paige (800 meter and mile champion; ranked #1 in the world) and was coached by Charlie Duggan (alternate in the 5000 meter on the ceremonial 1980 Olympic team).
Did you run competitively in college? Yes, before transferring to Williams and running for three years under Pete Farwell (2:20.09 Boston Marathon PR), I ran under Ron Stonitsch (4-min miler and 2-mile record holder at Penn Relays) for my freshman year at Vassar.
When / why did you join SRR? I knew that a college friend, Zach Blume, got in great shape with SRR, and I'm looking to do the same. I've lived in Somerville for four years and it was just a matter of motivation and timing. Since graduating from college my training had been inconsistent at best, until this calendar year. I started running consistently again over the holidays, getting in shape — ironically — to coach girls' track at the high school where I teach.
Total number races: No idea, but the vast majority were scholastic and collegiate.
Favorite race (and why): The Utica Boilermaker 15k. It was my first big road race as kid, it's near my hometown, and it's kind of like a homecoming for a bunch of local runners. The whole production is electric: they bring in 20+ professionals, 10,000 register, there are countless volunteers at the mile/ kilometer marks, and the whole city is fired up. Utica is proud of its race and takes pride in distance running. Cheering spectators line the course, along with sprinkler systems, radio stations, and bands. Finally, the post-race party is sponsored by, among others, Saranac.
Favorite race distance: I like too many: the 3000m (indoors), 5k, 8k/ 5mi (cross-country, indoors, outdoors, and on the roads), and in high school I loved the 1600m and 3200m. I'm nostalgic for all of these distances. Looking forward, it has to be the marathon.
Favorite runner: Quenton Cassidy (if you don't know, read Once A Runner)
Favorite running shoe: Asics 2090 (and the whole 2000 series)
Average miles per week: 70-ish
Most MPW Ever: 103 (August 23-30, 2004)
Best running memory: During Boilermaker '98, I was running with the lead women through 5k when some of them pulled away and then Bill Rodgers appeared! We ran side-by-side for a couple hundred yards before he dropped me on the downhill, but not before I handed Bill Rodgers a cup of water. I was giddy. Then he gave me an object lesson in downhill racing. Finishing 77th at the 2004 Chicago Marathon is also a great memory — and much more recent. After a poor start and despite not feeling good for the first 10 miles, I held sub-6 min pace for the last 10 miles, never hit a wall, and finished with a nice kick. Only one person passed me over the entire second half.
Worst running memory: My most devastating race was at Division III Cross-Country Nationals my junior year of college. It was my first time at Nationals and I felt like I didn't belong: I was nervous to the point of being sick. I cramped up during the first mile, became very discouraged and negative, and then was stuck crawling through a dreadful 4-mile nightmare, until finishing 136th — in front of my whole family.

Running PR's (when and where):
         Khoury's: 22:23 (Winter Challenge, 2004)
         3000 meter: 8:41 (Indoor Track BU Terrier Classic 1-29-00)
         5K: 15:10 (Indoor Div. III New Englands 2-19-00)
         8K: 25:07 (Div. III Cross-Country Nationals '99)
         10K: 32:54 (NESCAC Championship '99)
         15K: 51:23 (Utica, NY Boilermaker '98)
         20K: 1:13:36 (Phelps, NY Sauerkraut '98)
         25K: 1:31:54 (Cape Ann '04)
         5 mile: 26:19 (ECAC XC Championship '97)
         8 mile: 46:43 (Stowe, VT '04)
         10 mile: 55:50 (split at New Bedford Half, 2005)
         16 mile: 1:34:39 (Derry Boston Prep, 2005)
         20 mile: 1:55:46 (Eastern States, 2005)
         Half-marathon: 1:12:36 (New Bedford, 2005)
         Marathon: 2:35:50 (Chicago 10-10-04)
Favorite time of day: Morning. I love getting off to a good start: morning run, hearty breakfast, newspaper, coffee.
Favorite sport other than running: College basketball, especially when the Syracuse Orange are playing
Favorite author: Mark Twain — for his cynical sense of human nature and politics, his understanding of the destructiveness of nationalism/ patriotism, and his prolific body of satirical work — most of which is still eerily pertinent today.
Favorite book: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne (One of the earliest novels and one of the most experimental and hilarious narratives — it's laugh out loud funny!)
Favorite actor: Jason Lee, who was also a super talented pro skateboarder
Favorite actress: Kate Hudson
Favorite TV show: The Wonder Years
Favorite movie: The Big Lebowski
Favorite musician: The Beatles
Favorite song: "Mad World," Gary Jules's cover of Tears for Fears
Favorite politician: Ralph Nader is the only reliably honest, idealistic, self-sacrificing, and uncorrupted-by-power-or-wealth politician that comes to mind. Come on, without Nader we wouldn't have seat belts! Will I vote for him? Not necessarily.
Favorite cereal: Whole Kids Organic Rainbow Rings from my favorite grocery store, Whole Foods
Favorite food: Pretty much anything from a Thai restaurant
Favorite ice cream: I'm lactose-intolerant, so Edy's Sorbet (Raspberry) will have to do
Favorite cocktail: Too busy planning lessons and grading papers to drink cocktails
Favorite restaurant: The Rustic Kitchen in Cambridge, where Mary and I got engaged!
Favorite car: Toyota Prius Hybrid (brilliant!)
For the men: Ginger or Mary Ann? Maria Sharapova

Fill in the blank: I like it when something simple, good, and unexpected happens — a pleasant surprise. I hate it when I obsess about something to the point of guaranteeing exhaustion and disappointment.

Favorite quote:

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning—
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly in to the past."
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (It's so desperately hopeful, full of both promise and tragedy.)

Philosophy:

Believe in the "green light."