Winter 2025 Athlete Profile - Alejandro Gauna

What is your age, occupation, background, hobbies, and other sports?I am 42 and live in Delmar with my wife and two kids. I work for a pharmaceutical company (Regeneron) as a senior project manager in external manufacturing. As for my background, I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My career/life has taken me on a tour of the US. I have lived in rural Pennsylvania, Cincinnati Ohio, Santa Monica California, and now Delmar New York!

As far as hobbies, most of my extracurricular time is spent with my kids. That means coaching soccer and baseball, den leader for cub scouts, and kid taxi to dance and gymnastics. I am an avid nature lover and get out for long hikes when I can. Locally, I've completed the ADK 46 peaks, and most of the Catskill peaks. I especially love getting out to National Parks (e.g. Yosemite, Acadia, Death Valley, Sequoia, Zion, Bryce Canyon, etc.). My longest adventure was 2 weeks of backpacking the John Muir Trail (200+ mi) in CA.
 
When and why did you start running? 
I ran cross country in high school, but was more involved with soccer. I continued playing soccer into my thirties, but after several injuries decided to transition to only running. I ran my first marathon in 2010, fell in love with it, and have stuck with it ever since. I've currently completed 27 marathons all over the US (Chicago, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Big Sur, etc). My love for running is largely based on its simplicity. You aren't tied to a set schedule, you can run whenever you want. You can go for 5 mins or for hours. It's just you and the path ahead. 
 
What’s your favorite race to date, and why?
Boston Marathon, which I've done 4 times. The atmosphere is electric, the entire city comes out and provides cheering throughout the course. The long and storied history of Boston just adds to the experience. It's also a fun town to visit and walk around. 

Photo of local running club, Wild Rovers, team members at a race. Photo courtesy of Alejandro Gauna 
 
What is your approach to training? Do you follow a particular training plan, or do you work with a coach and if so, who?
I run because I like it. PR's are nice, but I don't take training too seriously. My main goal is to stay healthy and injury free. I can definitely appreciate the value that a coach would provide, but just have never taken that path. I am currently loosely following a training plan from Strava, which provides day by day recommendations. It's nice to have some guidance, but sometimes I just wake up and do what I feel like. The ideal scenario for me is finding people that you can train with. Not only do they keep you accountable, but the camaraderie goes a long way.  

What is your weekly mileage in peak racing training season? What is your approach to the off season? What race are you currently training for?
When I am training for a marathon, I will peak at 50-60 miles/week. At least for me, long runs are critical. I have to get in at least three long runs (20+ miles) ahead of a marathon. I think the off-season is also important. I generally only run 2 marathons a year, and appreciate running shorter distances and letting your body recover. Outside of just running, it's also important to do cross training, stretching, and strength training (I say this tongue in cheek because I should do more of it). I am currently training for the Houston Marathon in January. I have family there, so excited to make a vacation of it. 
 
During our cold winter days, do you brave poor weather conditions or stick indoors on the treadmill? If you do run outside, what safety measures do you take?
Embrace the cold! You can dress for cold weather, so just wear the proper clothing. In the winter most of my runs are in the dark with below freezing temperatures, I kind of like it. I have a treadmill, but don't use it (my wife insisted on getting one). Safety is important, so I have a fluorescent jacket and also run with a head lamp. Avoid icy sidewalks, stick to non-busy roads (luckily they do a good job of clearing/treating roads in my area).

Photo of Alejandro running is 5 km personal best at the 2023 Running of the Green. Photo courtesy of Alejandro Gauna 
 
What are your personal bests or races that you are particularly proud of: Race, time, year:
Here is a recent list of PR's: Mile – 5:02 (Route 50 Mile 2024), 5k - 17:17 (Running of the Green 2023), Half Marathon 1:18 (ADK Half 2021), Marathon - 2:46 (Mohawk Hudson 2023). While PR's are nice, I still think the journey is what matters. 

Your favorite shoe for training and racing?
I'm glad you separated the two. For training shoes I have been using the Saucony Kinvara. I will buy the old versions for half the price when I can find them. I am not good at tracking miles, so I will just run in them until they start falling apart. But for racing, I got hooked on the Nike AlphaFly. I try to find deals, but I also try to make them last ~4 years for my race shoes. 
 
What are your favorite pre-race and post-race meals?
Before the race - A Banana is my go to!  I also like peanut butter on a bagel. During the race, I’ll take whatever the race provides (usually that means random gu's). Post race, a cold beer is always nice.  

Alejandro on top of an ADK High Peak in the winter and working towards his goal of becoming an ADK Winter 46er. Photo courtesy of Alejandro Gaana 
 
What challenges / races / adventures are you planning for the coming year?
Finish the ADK Winter 46ers (only 7 left). I’d like to run in the USATF Grand Prix Series again. Run at least 2 marathons. Maybe try to break 5mins in the mile.
 
What is the greatest piece of advice you've ever received in the sport?
Mix up the type of running that you do. Running can get monotonous if you let it. Throw in speed workouts, hill repeats, casual recovery runs. Not only is it fun, but it will improve your running.

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