Have you always wanted to run intervals at a steady pace, in a group that stays together? How about running intervals at such a steady pace that if you go under the pace you are first warned and then banished from the group … forever! That may sound crazy, but not if you've experienced the track with Dano (aka Dan Cornet, the subject of this month's Profile) and Wild Man (aka Tim McCollum).

Dan Cornet is a renaissance runner. While many discover running later in life, Dan was an avid, accomplished runner while in high school. He started his competitive running career so long ago that he was one of only 300 in the Bay-to-Breakers the first time he competed in that now legendary event that draws over 100,000 runners. Ultimately, Dan returned to running and racing after a 25-year hiatus and came back with vengeance. He is still running consistently but racing less. His current priorities are family/family activities but watch out - with his running past, his experience and training partners like Wild Man, Lee Carter and others daring enough to join them at the track, he will soon be back at the races.

Note: Dan is such a creative guy he developed his own Profile in narrative form. Despite his comment that he found certain of my standard Profile questions "corny", I applaud his initiative and I am sure you will enjoy his Profile as much as I did.

BASIC INFO

Name: Dan Cornet

Track Moniker: "Dano"

Age: 51

PERSONAL INFO

Occupation: Sr. Deputy Labor Commissioner
State of California
Department of Industrial Relations

Job description: Supervise the Labor Commissioner's Santa Barbara Wage Claim Adjudication office with a jurisdiction of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. Enforce the state labor laws and adjudicate wage disputes between employers and employees.

Wife: Jeanie administers research grants in UCSB's Physics Department.
Son: Bryan, 13 years old, plays ice hockey and baseball and maintains a 4.5 GPA at Carpinteria Middle School.

Believe it or not, I used to be fast! I ran a 49.2 quarter mile and was on my high school's mile relay team which beat the top team in the state my senior year. I also ran cross-country. I was one of the original Bay-to-Breakers participants in the late 60s, when all of the 200-300 competitors received a pre-race physical and a diploma at the finish line. (There were 85,000 participants when I returned to the race several years ago after a 30-year hiatus). I ran so much during my high school and early college years that I burned out and vowed to never run again.
I kept my vow for twenty-five years. However, after I stopped playing team sports, I missed the competition and camaraderie. I was also losing my sanity due to sleep-deprivation brought on by the birth of my son and anxiety from the rigors of my new job. My doctor suggested that I initiate an exercise program so I joined the Santa Barbara Athletic Club (SBAC) and started to workout during my lunch hour. I was up to two or three miles on the treadmill when a friend convinced me to start running four or five miles on the street with him a couple of days a week. Later, we formed a relay team for the Law Day 15 K but one of my teammates came up lame on race day and the other one talked me into running the entire distance with him. It went well and the next thing I knew we were doing the Lompoc Half-Marathon.

There was a lot of talk in the SBAC locker room about doing the St. George Marathon in October of 1995. I had never done a marathon but about ten other guys were going to do it and somehow convinced me that I should go too. I obtained a beginner's marathon program from Runners' World and was on my way. Being a goal-oriented person, the discipline and desire to train came easily to me. As the race approached, everyone else had dropped out for various reasons, legitimate or otherwise, and I ended up being the only one to go. The race itself was one of those life experiences that still gives me goose bumps when I think about it. I have never been more motivated and excited and completed the race in a most gratifying 3:34. I equate the whole marathon process to the birth of my son...9 months of training and the pleasure and pain of completing the race.

Even with all of the running I do now, I can't say that I really love to run or ever experience "runner's highs." I definitely enjoy the endorphins and the sense of accomplishment from completing a run. It's unparalleled for weight control too. From running, I branched out to triathlon and now enjoy the variety of cross training, which helps to hold my interest and prevent injuries from over-training. For now, racing has taken a back seat to my son's school and sporting activities and to umpiring Little League games. I hope to get back to racing by the time I reach my next age group, or sooner, if I can somehow retire from work.

As far as my local running hero is concerned, I'd have to say it would be Lee Carter. When I was just getting started, Lee was always so upbeat and encouraging. It didn't matter if I had just run the worst race of my life, Lee would always be telling me what a great accomplishment it was and how beautiful life is. He also had a hand in procuring my first two bikes, although everyone in town can probably say that. Lee even served as a hero to my son who constantly repeated the mantra "I'm Lee Carter, I can do anything" while learning to ride his bike as a 5-year old.

Exercise is such an integral part of my life and the SBAA affords me the opportunity to associate with other active healthy individuals who do not think that a daily workout constitutes obsessive-compulsive behavior. Ageless wonders like Wildman and Godfather serve as constant reminders of the benefits of our lifestyle.

Copyright 2003, Santa Barbara Athletic Association