July 2012, Atlanta INtown by Atlanta Intown

INtown Runaround Tim Sullivan

Run Like a Nerd Bearded and bespectacled Cabbagetown resident Bill Phillips lives with his wiener dog, Chauncey, and his hairless sphinx cat, Tiger. He works at a company called The Big Nerd Ranch, and he makes his own sandal-like running shoes. And in those shoes, he is covering lots of ground and clipping off some major races. How old are you now and when did you take up running? Why? I’m 30, and I took it up in earnest two years ago. I had stints previously where I would get on a kick for a few months and then drop it, but two years ago I decided it would be a habit. And it hooked you enough to train for and complete both the Chicago marathon and Publix Half Marathon in the same year. How did they go? My dad and my sister were planning to run Chicago and asked me to join them. I didn’t push it too hard, but I finished it in 5:15 so I decided to do the Publix half as well. That was great, and I increased my pace significantly. We all plan to do the NYC marathon next. What advice would you give someone who wanted to take up running in earnest well into adulthood? It’s all about not worrying about your pace or killing yourself. If you are running 9 to 12 miles a week, you are already at week one of marathon training, so it is within reach. It is always You vs. You no

Cabbagetown resident works at The Big Nerd Ranch and runs major races.

matter where you are in the pack. I was never athletic in high school, but I love the community feeling of lining up for a big race. What exactly goes on at the Big Nerd Ranch? We do consulting; we write codes. We write for Mac and Android, and we teach. We write books to teach people programming, and we hold week-long seminars in the woods for more intense training. Right now I’m writing a book on Android. Don’t ever bring me to this programming place in the woods. Everyone involved will regret it deeply. That being said, when I was a kid, one of the worst things you could be called was a nerd but now it is all the rage. Nerds make and do all the cool stuff and the rest of us just aspire to nerd-dom. How’d that happen? In high school if you were a little antisocial and could operate a slide projector, you might be deemed a nerd but I think if you occupied any defined niche in high school, then it probably sucked for you. Yet having a niche as an adult is interesting and cool. Plus, as you get older, being nerdy is a way to make money. Oh great. Are you telling me the nerds are making all of the money too? If only I understood more of what you were talking about two questions ago! But I

also see a direct link between being nerdy and running. Nerds are running all over the place, testing new gear, keeping stats, tracking elevations. My dad and I talk about it a lot. He’s been running for 40 years, and the things you tweak to improve your own experience or performance never cease. You push yourself and your connective tissues. But not many nerds or runners can claim to make their own running shoes like you can. Can you describe them? I tried the Vibram five finger shoes in response to some plantar fasciitis I was having but they gave me blisters plus, they stink to high heaven! Also, I have a weird stride. My left shoes wear out much faster than my right shoes, so I would need a new pair every month. So then I ordered a pair of sandals, liked them, and realized I could make them myself. They are called Huaraches or some refer to them as Gladiator sandals. I order the material from a cobbler supply store, cut them to

size, punch holes in them and lace them up. Have you tried barefoot running? I have and I’ve enjoyed it, but I just don’t feel comfortable running through the Krog Tunnel barefoot! The sandals offer basically no support which is the point. While I haven’t been totally injury free, the plantar fasciitis has not come back. Who’s faster, Chauncey the Weiner dog or Tiger the hairless Sphinx cat? Well, it’s hard to get them to race. Chauncey used to be faster but he’s nine years old now so probably Tiger even though he’s very fat. He is not a very dignified looking cat.