Interview with Chris Mocko, 2015 San Francisco Marathon Winner

Chris Mocko, this year’s San Francisco Marathon winner (men’s division), spends his time as the Product Manager at mobile payments company Square and (no surprise) running marathons – perhaps the ultimate San Franciscan. We met Chris when he stopped by Zeel for a triumphant Zeel Massage post-victory.  We asked him how he finds the time to run and what makes him tick (hint: think Carly Rae Jepsen).

 

1) How did you get into running?

I’ve been running since I was a kid. Community track team, running club before class during elementary school (thanks, Mr. Utter!), and then more seriously in high school and college (Stanford). The big turning point was when I lost all coordination post-puberty and could no longer play the sports requiring hand-eye coordination that I once loved (goodbye, soccer and basketball!).

 

2) How do you find the time to train?  

I wake up early and stay motivated enough to work out before dinner. It’s all about making it a routine. If you shift your mindset from “I may try to work out after work, if I’m feeling OK” to “I will work out before and after work,”  it makes a huge difference. I also have a great group of running partners who keep me honest and get me out of bed for our early morning meet-ups.

 

3) Do you usually get sports massages while training for a marathon? Afterwards?

I should (they make a huge difference), but it’s always hard to find the time. I’m also a big believer in foam rolling. It’s been the biggest change to my recovery this last training cycle, since I can do it at home.  [Hint: we know a great massage company that fits into your busy schedule, Chris]

 

4) What do you do to prepare for a marathon?

  • Lots of food (try to stuff myself a bit uncomfortably for the days leading up the race–it makes a big difference at mile 20!)

  • Hydration – I focus on getting enough salt in my system

  • Sleep, sleep, sleep – I would love to kick the coffee habit, but haven’t been able to do it in recent cycles (way too reliant on it!)

  • Relaxation – try to get off my feet as much as possible in the week leading up to the race

  • And most importantly, put together an awesome playlist for the all-important pre-race pump-up!

 

5) What are your favorite apps? (fitness-related or not)

  • Strava (addicted to it!)

  • YouTube (first app I open each morning to listen to the latest Carly Rae song)

  • Too many dating apps…

 

Thanks for taking the time to talk to Zeel, Chris.  And congratulations to you and all the 2015 San Francisco Marathon runners.

Marcy Lerner: Marcy is the SVP of People and Communications at Zeel. In addition to overseeing the humans of Zeel, Marcy has written about workplace topics for more than 20 years both at Zeel and as VP of Content for Vault.com, a career information web site and publisher.
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