The United Airlines NYC Half Marathon is quickly approaching on Sunday, March 15! We have five amazing runners who will be running and fundraising for Minds Matter of NYC. To highlight their incredible efforts, we will be posting interviews with each of our runners leading up to the race. Meet our first runner below!
Name: Jeff Vogel
Profession: Private Equity Investor
How did you learn about Minds Matter? I learned about Minds Matter over 10 years ago from a friend who is a NYC High School teacher. I joined Minds Matter as a volunteer Mentor in 2004 and have held various roles including Team Leader, Director, and now Board Member.
What inspired you to run in the NYC Half Marathon? I have been an avid runner the past several years. The NYC Half Marathon is one of my favorite races and I’m very proud and grateful to be running it on behalf of Minds Matter.
What are your pre-race rituals? Everything with running has some basis in ritual for me. So this question is quite loaded from my perspective. “Pre-race” really starts the day or two before the race in making sure that I’m eating healthy, drinking a lot of fluids (except alcohol!) and getting enough sleep. The morning of the race is pretty routine for laying out my typical running gear, eating (bananas, smoothies, kind bars, GU packs), and stretching.
What’s your favorite way to motivate yourself when you’re running? I’m a pretty competitive person so I’m always trying to compete with my best times. But in reality, the best motivation is just the feeling I get from staying in shape. It makes an unbelievable difference in all other aspects of your life.
Cheer Jeff on at the NYC Half and help him reach his fundraising goal!
Go, Jeff, go!
– MMNYC Team