We first learned of joggler Thomas Gounley when he contacted me looking for information on how to break the 50-mile joggling world record. I was happy to inform him and look forward to his attempt this coming May. Here is an interview with more about him.

Introduction: Thomas is a 21-year-old senior at the University of New Hampshire studying journalism and environmental conservation studies.

JYAJ – What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

Thomas – I learned how to juggle in middle school, as part of a broader circus phase. I’m not sure exactly how the phase happened, but at one point I even bought a unicycle off Ebay and learned to juggle on that.

JYAJ – When did you start joggling?

Thomas – My first joggle was on May 16, 2011, when I rode my bike to a park in my hometown of Newport News, VA and joggled seven miles at 7:37/mile. I joggled on and off last summer and fall, but with the new year and my upcoming races I doing a lot more of it now.

JYAJ – Why did you start joggling?

Thomas – I started joggling because a couple years ago I decided I wanted to set a Guinness World Record before graduating college (which happens on May 19 of this year). The record for fastest time to joggle 50 miles, which you currently hold (thanks for being a good sport about it), stood out to me because I already knew how to juggle and I had already run 50 mile and 62 mile ultramarathons.

JYAJ – How many races have you done while joggling?

Thomas – My first race run while juggling was a 5k on January 1st of this year. I ran 18 flat, and was fourth overall out of 263.

JYAJ – What are some of your favorites?

Thomas - Since that’s the only one, I don’t really have any favorite joggling races. Independently though, I ran a 5:32 mile while juggling and joggled a 3:20 marathon in a training run last month. I’m excited to joggle the Boston Marathon this April, and then to attempt the record on May 12 as part of “3 Days at the Fair,” a multi-day race in Augusta, NJ.

JYAJ – What are some of your most interesting joggling stories?

Thomas – The best part of joggling to me is the comments I get while doing it. I chronicle the best ones on my Tumblr, but recent good ones include “That’s some mad hand-eye coordination, bro,” “Oh my god! Baller,” and “Showoff.” The one interesting story I have is that when I joggled the marathon on my own, a cop in a patrol car stopped to tell me how impressed she was. Normally, cops stop you. When joggling, you stop cops.

JYAJ – What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

Thomas – I don’t really follow a set training schedule. Basically, I’ve built up a strong base over the years and just make sure I never stray too far from good condition. Honestly, a good week is 40-50 miles, though I’d like to say I run more than that. I like to cycle and hike too, so I’m usually doing something. Runs are usually between 6:30/mile and 8:00/mile, depending on the day and distance.

JYAJ – Do you eat a special diet?

Thomas – I strive to eat better than the average college student, basically. I try to eat a fairly high-protein diet, since I’ve found that works best for me from past experimentation. I like healthy food anyway, so it’s pretty easy.

JYAJ – How long do you think you will keep joggling?

Thomas – I think I’ll do this for a long time. After the record attempt in May, I’m interested in seeing how fast I can joggle the 5k and marathon.

JYAJ – Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

Thomas – It’s easier than you think it would be.

JYAJ – Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

Thomas – Well, I think joggling will always be the fringiest of fringe sports. But I don’t see that as a bad thing. There will always be a few people crazy enough to do this in races and the like, and those few will always make everyone else smile. That sounds like a good enough future of the sport to me.

You can follow Thomas through his Tumblr Blog.

Greg Morrison stumbled upon our joggling blog and was pleasantly surprised to find that there were other people who were jogglers.  He’s been joggling since the early 80’s!  Here’s his story.

Who are you?

My name is Greg Morrison. I live in Aptos, CA. I open the door to my RV and step onto a trail to Niesene Marks State Park. I’m an un-employed Hardwood Flooring Mechanic. We’re all pretty much un-employed. In the last few weeks I’ve decided to write a book about Joggling. It was during my earliest research that I found your site. The theme of the book is: Living longer, smarter and happier with joggling. Be the Proof.

When did you start juggling?

Around 1975 a friend in college broke out three balls and started juggling. I’d never seen anyone juggle, in person. My eyes popped out of my head (that’s two balls down and one to gather). I shouted, “I always wanted to do that”. He stopped and showed me how to do a cascade. I learned in under a minute. Granted I needed a clear 4 foot circle for 10 jugs, but I was the happiest man alive. After that I juggled everything I could find. What a thrill Hardware Stores became.

When did you start joggling?

I started joggling in 1983. I saw Brad Jackson joggling 3 clubs. He was a math professor and headed up the San Jose State Juggling Club, so I knew him. I yelled, “How do you do that?” He said, “Start with balls”. I’d been jogging on and off since the early 70′s, so I got out my La Cross balls and hit the streets. It was easier than I imagined. Yes, I dropped a lot during my 2 mile joggle. But La Cross balls bounce up and forward. Soon I was catching my drops in-stride. (It never occurred to me to do tricks, until I saw your videos. Now, I’m thinking you could do quite an interesting routine with drops on purpose). A week later I tried clubs, and never looked back.

How many joggling races have you done?

I’ve only ran 3 races. Two 10 K’s and a marathon. My favorite race has to be the Pacific Rim Marathon in San Francisco- on Father’s Day around 1988. I had not ran in years. I saw the ad 2 weeks before the race started. I got out my clubs and started running. I was terrible. I only broke 2 miles twice. One 4 miler and a 6.  I showed up in my Levi-cut-offs, and 100% cotton t-shirt. Under-fed, under-hydrated. Miles 13 through 18 were along The Great Highway (Highway 1 at the ocean). It was a windy day. I had to twist my upper body into the wind and throw the clubs at least 6 inches to my left. Must have dropped 20 times. I passed the same people 4 or 5 times.

Around mile 15, I needed a Porta-john. There wasn’t one, so I walked off the race to a near-by gas station. Sitting there, all I could feel was my feet throbbing like some cartoon character. Mile 18 was at the base of Cliff House, and a steep, long hill. By the 2nd parking lot I was done in. Collected my 3 clubs in one hand and started walking. I got a tap on my shoulder, I looked over and saw a woman in her mid-60′s, taking 6 inch strides. As she “blew” by me, she said, “That’s okay. You did good”.

Near the top I started again. At mile 20 my time was 3:22. Wrongly, I thought the world joggling record was 4:22. I remembered thinking- that should be easy to break. Things went wonderfully wrong. One of my drops rolled under a parked car. So here I am, laying flat out on a steep down-grade with my head under a car (a true Kodak moment). I hit the  first Runner’s High of my life in the Presideo overlooking the Bay. Clear blue sky, white caps on the Bay, sail boats everywhere. I walked off the course and just stared at it. I’d never felt so good about being alive. What’s a world record compared to this?

Mile 22 offered cookies at the water station. I sat down and ate an entire box of Little Debbies Oatmeal Cookies filled with white goo. I crossed the finish line in like 5:38. Whatever. I had reached my first runner’s high; I got a little medal to mail to my son.

Have you ever been recognized as a joggler?

A couple years ago, I’m met two young, un-polished buskers in the Pacific Mall of Santa Cruz. We talked, and juggled. I told them that I had joggled a marathon in The City back in the mid 80′s. Their mouths dropped. “We just came from The City and met a guy who told us about a guy he saw club joggling a marathon way back then. Oh my God, you’re that guy”.

Maybe I should do more marathons, but I’m reminded of Forrest Gump, when Jennie says, I wish I had been there. And he says, You were. And he flashbacks to the beautiful places he saw while running across America. That’s the way it is for me.  With my clubs, I’m never alone. I have a close attachment to every place I’ve ever joggled. And there are many. At least 9 States. Every joggle in Henry Cowell State Park, the Redwoods talk to me. “Oh look, Greg, came to visit us today”. I can feel them. They are very happy that I came to joggle just for them, and me… The ocean and surfers along West Cliff… The time a street car in New Orleans ran over a dropped club… a panicked squirrel on the trails of San Antonio County Park… The time I raced a Cable Car up the crazy steep incline of Hyde St. in SF and won. People along the streets. Every joggle has been so lovely. I never remember why I ever quit. And there have been many. Unbelievable.

What kind of training do I do?

For the last three years I’ve been a depressed grub worm. I’ve grieved the loss of my joggling and good health, but just couldn’t walk out the door. In the last month I’ve started again. I have one of those large water bottles that are normally inverted in a water cooler. I’ve been using it and making up exercises. I like to hold it like a suitcase and lift it while standing on one foot. I do some reps and switch feet, more reps. Change hands. And I like swinging it around in every direction that occurs to me. (This is not a full bottle, not half). I heard somewhere that the greatest defense against Alzheimer is to dance. Now, I dance while cleaning house. What a pleasure… I’m exploring.

Do you eat a special diet?

My diet has been miserable. Fruits and vegetables always went bad before I ate them. Often I would go hungry and forget I had them. It’s probably one of the reasons my blood pressure was 212/128, 2 months ago. I bought a blender. Got a list of fruits and veggies that are listed to help lower blood pressure. Now, I enjoy chopping up bizarre combinations- the only constant has been garlic, an apple, and cocoa powder. I enjoy the ritual of chopping, and the wonder of what this one is going to taste like.  I imagine that I’m making my own medicine, one that will get me off Western Medication.

How long will I joggle?

Until I drop. Seriously, after reading your post, Minimal Level of Running to Get Benefits, and when you toss in the Dartmouth Study, and the fact that a few months ago I had been a walking-talking heart attack or stroke victim, I figure that all the miles I put in joggling in the past, Saved my life.  I know I would have quit jogging 30 years ago, if not for my three clubs. Without them, I wouldn’t have ran a marathon, I would never have reached a runner’s high. I wouldn’t have run 12-15 miles a day, every day. Without joggling, I would have either died or been a drooling burden on my son.

How fast do you joggle?

I don’t think about per mile time. I seldom joggle in places with known distances. I prefer to run trails or beaches. My guess is around 12 minute miles, but it might be 10. I used to go around 8:30. I really don’t care. For me it’s the place, and like the name on the Ken Kesey and The Merry Prankster’s Bus- Further.

Advice for would-be jogglers

I was teaching a woman how to juggle. She was one those who had the two ball approach down, but was too afraid to throw the third. Finally, I said, “This time, NO MATTER WHAT throw the third ball.”

She laughed, and said, “I’ll remember that- In life, always throw the third ball”.

She did, and as all jugglers, had it for life. Try it. If you can only run a block, don’t be ashamed; do it. You’ll be a hero to all  who see you. And “Drops Happen” should be a bumper sticker. One time I was joggling in the Pebble Beach Golf Course and dropped. A golfer called out to me. “Thank you. For a minute there, I thought you were God. And I didn’t want to be seen being beaten by Harry”.

I just got out my copy of One Wheel Many Spokes (USA by Unicycle) by my friend Lars Clausen for a couple quotes. On his Dedication page, “Security is mostly a superstition. It doesn’t exit in nature… Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”. Helen Keller. And later in the book, “Twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the things you did do”. Mark Twain. Try it. Strike the gold that Mark Twain never found.

What will joggling look like in the future?

In ten years I want to see joggling dominate the potato-sack race. It could happen. In fact we could push the boundaries of the p-s race. Imagine the guy on the right changing chords on a guitar, the guy on the left strumming, while between the two, tied at the leg, they are joggling torches (maybe an accordion is more practical than a guitar).  I’ve only seen 2 other people joggle in my 56 years. In 10 years I’d like to see jogglers everywhere you turn.

I have a theory about who were the first jogglers. Cavemen. They would go out on a hunt for big game. If they were successful, it would take at least two guys and pole to carry it back to camp.  That leaves 3 clubs for the runner of the group. In celebration, He would joggle back to the women. Hence, it’s in our shared DNA, when we see a joggler, we giggle in relief, knowing that for now, “We are Saved”.

Thanks Greg!

You can see more of Greg’s writing on his blog gregshortstories.blogspot.com

It’s been a little while since we’ve done an interview but we’re still doing them. Here is an interview with Kristian Bergstrand who we discovered via Twitter. Read on to learn how Kristian got started in joggling and what he thinks about the sport. He is the first Swedish joggler that we’ve found.

JYAJ – Tell us about yourself

My name is Kristian Bergstrand and I live in Helsingborg, Sweden. I am 29 years old and work wihin the field of GIS, i.e. Geographical Information Systems. When I´m not working, I love music, books, chess, lindy-hop, squash, boardgames and of course juggling/joggling. I don´t have a website for the moment, but I’m available on Twitter (follow bergstrand).

What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

I started juggling back in -96, because I had a friend that could juggle and I thought it looked cool. Now I have clubs, torches, rings, diabolo… but I don´t spend so much time juggling, unfortunately.

When did you start joggling?

A few years after I began juggling, I read about joggling in Charlie Dancey´s excellent “Encyklopædia of ball juggling”. But I didn’t try it out until June this year (2011).

Why did you start joggling?

I was going to run a 10 km race – “Malmömilen” – and wasn’t sure of my condition, since I had only been out running once during the last 10 months. In the race there would be a prize for making the most joyful appearance. So, I thought that I could hide my bad condition through joggling and have a chance of winning the special prize! I didn’t win the prize, but I ran at a decent time.

How many joggling races have you done?

Just one, but more to come!

What are some of your most interesting joggling stories?

While joggling Malmömilen, I found myself running beside an old friend. Because he can juggle, I offered him to try out joggling a few meters. So he did, and I think we managed to swap the pattern from me to him and then back, without a drop.

I also got some indirect appreciation via the hashtag of the race on Twitter from ppl who were impressed of the joggling!

What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

I´m only joggling once a month, but I intend to do it more often in the future. My average pace is 5min 45sec per kilometer (approx. 9.2min per mile).

Do you eat a special diet?

No. Before the race I actually ate some bread with herring, due to bad planning…

How long do you think you will keep joggling?

Until I´m six feet under ground!

Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

Don’t be afraid to test it out! If you can juggle solid, then it shouldn’t be any problems.

Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

I think that there is a quite big threshold to the sport, i.e. you have to learn to juggle first. In Sweden I don’t think that the “trendy winds” are blowing towards more juggling/joggling – therefore I don´t think that the sport will be any bigger 10 years from now.

Any last thoughts?

Joggling is great for arm-exercise and you will get better at juggling. Also, the rhythm is quite nice and makes running funnier!

Thanks Kristian! We can’t wait to hear more about your joggling adventures.

See our interview page to read more interviews with running jugglers.

Diarmuid first contacted us looking for advice about joggling a marathon. He liked what he found and went ahead and completed the Dublin Marathon while joggling. Here’s the story of how he got into joggling.

Introduction

My name is Diarmuid Collins. I am 28 and come from Dublin, Ireland. I work as an electronics researcher with a university in Dublin Ireland. I am an avid juggler, jogger and above all …joggler… who holds the Irish national record for joggling a marathon with 3 balls.

JYAJ: What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

When I was 20, I missed the bus home from University. As the next bus was in 2 hours, I decided to take shelter from the rain in the nearby University gym. That night coincidentally, the university juggling society was practising! Walking into the hall, seeing all those objects flying into the air just enthralled me. I became completely addicted to the hobby, learning over the coming years to juggle 3, 4 and 5 balls, rings, clubs, knives, fire sticks, whatever I could get my hands on.

JYAJ: When did you start joggling?

I’ve been juggling now for about 10years and jogging for about 15. Truth is, about 1 year after I learned to juggle I became interested in the challenge of joggling. However, due to various reasons I didn’t actually start joggling until 5 months ago.

JYAJ:Why did you start joggling?

Central to juggling is rhythm in your arms. Central to jogging is rhythm in your legs. The combination of the two just seemed perfect to me i.e. combining the movement of your legs with your arms to obtain total body co-ordination. In addition, both practices require Zen like concentration, another aspect which makes them perfectly matched. As I already did both exclusively I decided – why not try both in unison!

Also, joggling is strange, it grabs peoples attention and above all – it’s great fun … how could I resist!!!

JYAJ:How many races have you done while joggling?

In total I have completed 4 races whilst joggling: Dublin City 10 mile fun run, Dublin City half marathon, Graz (Austria) Half marathon and the 2010 Dublin City Marathon.

JYAJ:What are some of your favourites?

My favourite race is without doubt, the 2010 Dublin City Marathon. It was the first time anyone had ever joggled that marathon and, for most of the spectators, the first time they had ever even seen a joggler! So you can imagine the kind of response I got … over the 26.2 mile course I think every spectator who saw me was cheering, shouting, blowing horns … unbelievable … it really got the crowds going and in turn, their positive energy kept me going. Truly an unforgettable experience, running up the final straight, thousands of people either side screaming and shouting at you, you’re feeling like death but still seem to keep going! With all the cheers and excitement, I found I had to concentrate extra hard on the juggling aspect, as my left wrist had seized up after 24miles which slightly hindered my arm movement. But thankfully, I focused hard, soaked up the positive vibes and got passed the finish line!!!

At the end, I had interviews with various papers … even the next day I woke up to see my picture in 4 national newspapers … first time that ever happened to me … strange … wish I had shaved that day!!!

JYAJ:What are some of your most interesting joggling stories?

I’ve been joggling for 5 months now and some of the things I’ve experienced are priceless. I joggle in Ireland, where people (believe it or not!) like the odd drink … or 10! The most entertaining runs I would do were always on a Friday evening where, I would time the runs such that I am joggling through the main streets of my local town at 9pm. At this time people are on their 4th or 5th pint of Guinness, standing outside the bar having a cigarette and when you joggle by after that … the responses are priceless! Old men shaking their heads in bewilderment going “jaysus Paddy, I think I’ve had to much … could have sworn I just saw a guy running with 3 balls … think I’ll order a pint of water next”!

Then passing through the main street one evening, I overheard a college student shouting “ah great … I didn’t think the circus Olympics were on here this weekend”. In addition I found I would often end up with 3 or 4 kids running behind me … which I loved, as it kind of made me feel like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 2!!!

JYAJ:What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

I would say I’m a medium speed joggler and train 3 to 4 times per week. Most weeks are done purely whilst juggling although I may spend the odd week simply jogging to give me a break from the balls. I suppose a typical training week for me would be:

• Tuesday – Run at an easy pace for a moderate distance (~ 6miles) to loosen the joints.
• Thursday – Speed training. Do 200m ? 1km fartleks to get speed into my legs.
• Friday – Run a moderate distance at a harder pace (~ 6 to 8 miles clocked).
• Sunday – Long distance joggle. Could be between 15 and 20 miles.

JYAJ:Do you eat a special diet?

In general I eat healthy. Before a long run / race I carb up with bread and pasta 2 / 3 nights before. I also include a large portion of fruit in my daily diet and try to drink as much water as possible. I think in general if you look after yourself and your health, you’re halfway to becoming a good joggler!

JYAJ: How long do you think you will keep joggling?

I’m joggling 5 months now and have completed a variety of races. I really enjoy it and am learning more about the sport every time I got out and do it. So for now I would say I will joggle indefinitely … it improves fitness / co-ordination, gives a great sense of achievement and makes people laugh and smile … so why would I stop anytime soon!

JYAJ: Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

Lots. This website has given me great tips on joggling that have really helped me throughout training. However, over the past 5 months here are some additional things I have learned:

1. Become very fluent at juggling your chosen number of objects. This will improve ball control and maneuverability, two very important aspects when trying to weave in and out of competitors / navigate around wide corners, during a race.

2. I don’t know if this applies to everyone but perhaps it might help: When going up hills I found that keeping the balls closer to my chest and ball throws short helped me go faster and steadier. Correspondingly, when going downhill the opposite applies … throw higher and further from you. Perhaps there is a reasonable explanation for this or perhaps it was just the style I adopted, but nevertheless it’s worth a try.

3. Don’t look directly at the balls. This inhibits your overall vision, possibly resulting in injury to yourself or others. In addition, it inhibits your enjoyment of the sport as you don’t get to see people’s expressions as you joggle past, as well as the countryside you may be joggling through.

Keep your head up and look straight ahead. Throw the balls into your vision as; once your brain sees the object, it will automatically register your hands to continue the juggling pattern. Visualize an imaginary triangle in front of you with which to keep the balls roughly inside of.

4. Don’t practice on busy roads. Dropped balls are unpredictable. They can go anywhere. Dropping on a busy road may result in a ball suddenly falling into the path of oncoming traffic which could lead to disastrous consequences. Practice on safer back roads and through pleasant countryside. Also, work in portions of your run through areas with lots of people … you will give them huge amusement, in turn their expression will boost your motivation and also, it is good practice for race day where you can have hundreds, even thousands of people, all concentrating on you!

5. Have as much fun as you can with the sport. Enjoy every minute of every joggling session and don’t be too hard on yourself when you drop the balls. Just pick them up and keep going.

JYAJ:Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

Joggling is a great sport. It combines everything – full body movement, intense concentration, co-ordination and most of all … amazes and entertains people. What other sport can offer this? I hope the sport will get more and more attention in the coming years … perhaps even become an Olympic sport someday … hey, if ribbon gymnastics can be one … what cant joggling!

As jogglers, we all need to do our part – get out there and publicise the sport through race participation and training sessions. I think if we all do this, interest in the sport will rise exponentially … everyone loves juggling and there seems to be a magnetic attraction to anyone who joggles a race – I mean the day after I joggled the Dublin Marathon, there were photos of me in 4 of the national newspapers!

If we all do something like this, then interest in the sport will grow and who knows what height it could achieve in 10 years.

Great story Diarmuid! Looking forward to hearing about some of your future joggling adventures. See this page for more joggling interviews.

We first learned of Owain Jones while perusing joggling posters on Twitter. Here is his response to our interview questions for jogglers around the world. Owain Jones is a 36 year old, father of 5 who lives in Wales, works as a psychiatric nurse and joggles!

What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

Used to be in a circus when I was younger, teaching kids to juggle, unicycle etc, also done a bit of fire breathing, and fire eating, but have given that up now, the devil sticks were my forte, also used to juggle 5 but have not practiced for ages.

When did you start joggling?

Started joggling when for a laugh after reading about it on the internet, but didn’t real think too much about it until reading about all the world records out there. I have yet to do a race whilst joggling, but am hoping to get one done within the next month or so………will keep you informed.

What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

I have run several marathons a yr so am always out training, managed a sub 2:52 marathon, 35 min 10k and 17 min 5k, have no special diet just eat what i want. Am hoping to get a bit better over the coming months then have a go at some of the joggling world records towards the end of the yr. I am hoping to do the London marathon next yr whilst joggling. I normally get a good spot for age entry so watch this space

Any pointers for other would-be jogglers?

You do get some very strange looks.

You can read more about Owain’s quest to set a joggling world record at his joggling blog. The Welsh Joggler.

We first learned of Peter Meyer from his amazing 4-ball marathon joggling performance.  After some investigation, we got in touch with him and asked him to talk more about his joggling life.

Introduction

My name is Peter Meyer. I am 52. I live in Erlangen, Germany and I run a kindergarten there. My wife and me have four, now adult children, one daughter lives in Chicago.  She told me first about ‘this guy also joggling along the lakeshore’. So that made me interested in browsing a bit and that’s how I found Perry’s site JYAJ.

What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

MEYER:  I learned to juggle (the easiest pattern with three beanbags), when I was a student. A friend of mine taught me to juggle the cascade. At that time we were four people and a dog sharing a very small house. That’s why I always had to practise outdoors, often having to be careful mainly because of the dog snapping. This prudence hasn’t lost its importance up to now.

When did you start joggling?

MEYER:  Reading a juggler’s guidebook, I learned about some people joggling with three balls in Central Park, New York, and that encouraged me to start joggling in 1998.

Why did you start joggling?

MEYER:  As for the running: I was a long-distance runner in school times.  As a youngster I trained on a regular basis every day. But then at the beginning of my twenties I had a long break due to a rupture of the Achilles’ tendon.

As for the juggling: I liked these easy patterns of juggling while listening to music. For practising more complicated patterns I never found the time.

As for the joggling: Having lost the chance of becoming a top runner and not being a top juggler by any means, I opted for this still unusual combination which offered me the possibility to satisfy my competitiveness. After a few weeks of training, the number of drops decreased steadily and I began to actually enjoy running through the town, forest and fields, experiencing a tremendous harmony due to this combination of body-and-mind-activity.

How many races have you done while joggling?

MEYER:  I have done a lot of half-marathons and up to now three three-ball-marathons and recently my first four-ball-marathon.

What are some of your favorites?

MEYER:  Obviously, my very first marathon in Berlin in 2004 will stay unforgettable. There where music bands all along the streets and me juggling to the rhythms. But just as memorable is my recent marathon in Munich 2009 where I was joggling with four beanbags first time. I had been preparing for that event in a very disciplined way and I was rewarded by the encouraging comments of spectators as well as fellow runners, and finally by the fantastic atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium – the finishing line of the marathon.

What are some of your most interesting joggling stories?

MEYER:  I think we all experience lots of little stories while joggling all those numerous kilometers, because we are in the focus – by the way, a definitely good motivational aspect for us jogglers. For example, giving a very short basic juggling lesson in the street because of having been stopped by a really interested spectator. Furthermore there are rare situations where you meet runners asking you to let them have a go at juggling – hereby giving you the chance to motivate them to take up this sport.

Not to forget the funny story where a tiny dog, appearing out of some bush in a park, just snatched one of my beanbags and sped off – the sudden appearance of the animal had obviously caught me unaware – and it took me a lot of patience to finally get back my luckily still intact beanbag. And finally, it’s always great, exploring new places, different landscapes whichever country I travel to and getting in touch with people (who are curious to find out about this sport) and seeing their various reactions: greeting me with smiles, admiring looks or comments or perceiving me as crazy.

What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

MEYER:  About three or four times a week I go joggling. In addition, I do some muscle build-up training at least twice a week using a Thera-Band.

My pace is average for most M50 runners. So with joggling, I am not too bad. But I try, not to focus on my finishing times. For me, it is more important to complete a run performing my juggling show in good spirits.

Do you eat a special diet?

MEYER:  I am very lucky that my wife (she is a marathon runner, too) cooks excellent, healthy, mainly vegetarian, meals.

How long do you think you will keep joggling?

MEYER:  Like most jogglers – I guess – I am addicted to joggling. My daily life has become really enriched by some of its positive effects, so I cannot find any reason why I should put an end to this.

Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

MEYER:  For training: After having trained sufficiently to look “through the beanbags” on even and smooth surfaces, try more difficult tracks with potholes, creeping tree roots on the ground and “show them that they cannot trick you”.

In races: I mostly start at the end of a startfield. This is more relaxed to begin with, it is easier to get over the natural nervousness and to quickly find your own rhythm.

Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

MEYER:  One of my dreams is, joggling becoming an Olympic discipline. But at first, I think, we should support the implementation of joggling into physical education lessons at schools. And we should help to make known the good effects of joggling on health, recreation, concentration, neurophysiological effects etc.. This would increase the popularity of joggling and would help to break down the barrier that joggling is something exotic and too hard to learn.

How important is it to you to stick out of the crowd during a race?

MEYER:  Despite the fact that it’s nice to be in the focus, the more important factor is to promote this sport and make it known to as many people as possible. To reach this effect, it’s vital not to bathe in your singled-out position, but to be happy to share it with more fellow jogglers in the future. This creates an inner dialogue we all have to face.

Thanks Peter!  Good luck with your joggling adventures in the future and keep us posted on how you’re doing. You can also see Pete’s joggling website here. And go here for more for more joggling interviews.

We first heard about Joe “the Juggler” Welling from a story about his efforts to joggle the St. Louis marathon. Here is more about this amazing club joggling juggler.

Introduction:

JOE:  I’m 47 years old. I’m a professional juggler living in St. Louis. I’ve lived here almost my entire life, with the notable exception of 2 years that I lived in Quito, Ecuador. I’ve been performing as a professional, comic juggler since 1985. For much of that time I had other jobs to make ends meet, including the 8 years I worked as an interpreter for the Deaf. I’ve relied solely on juggling since my return from Ecuador in 2001.

JYAJ – How’d you learn to juggle?

JOE: I don’t remember since I starting juggling very young. I think maybe I was inspired by an older brother. (I’m one of 10 siblings.) I learned most 3 ball tricks using billiard balls. That at least gives you very quick reflexes (like getting your head out of the way if a couple of balls collide even slightly in mid-air). One of my favorite tricks with the billiard balls was full claw juggling.

I remember clearly learning how to juggle clubs at the age of 16. I used Carlo’s The Juggling Book to make some home-made clubs and worked it for like 20 minutes before it clicked. (I had been juggling balls for many years by that time.)

JYAJ – When did you start joggling?

JOE: I never ran much at all before high school. I never thought to do both until some time after that. I think I first joggled about the time I started performing. (That was also about one of the times I got back into running–in 1985 or so.) Even then, I had such a strong preference for club juggling that I never did much of any ball joggling.

JYAJ – Why joggling?

JOE: Hmmm. . . I can only answer with the mountain climber’s rationale: “Because it’s there.” That’s not entirely true. I’ve never been a very good distance runner. I had a pretty quick 400 meter and did well at 300 meter hurdles, but in high school cross country meets where they only score the top 4 finishers for each team, I never even counted.

I’m just not so fast.

I think I started joggling as 1) an excuse for not running very fast, and 2) the fact that I’m a born show-off. I certainly dig the attention and encouragement you get when joggling. In the first half marathon I joggled, I almost felt guilty that in a crowd of thousands of runners, people single out praise for “the juggler”.

JYAJ – How many races have you done while joggling?

JOE: Just 3. I did a 10K many years ago (in the late ’80s), and this past year have done two half marathons. I expect I’ll do more. The only drawback is, when the weather is nice and most of these events happen, I tend to be busy with juggling shows–especially on weekends.

JYAJ – What are some of your favorites?

JOE: I did the 10K right when I quit smoking (yes, I smoked from about the age 18 until about 25). I ran one 6 mile run on my own, and then did an organized 10K with joggling. After the race, some radio program did a quickie interview with me and with a 50-something year old woman who had run the race sporting an elegant hairdo and full make-up. She finished the race without a lock out of place or a smudge. I finished, as always, drenched in sweat and well back in the pack.

Last fall, after a summer of doing very slow joggling runs where I struggled with pain and numbness from carpal tunnel syndrome, I did my first half marathon with club joggling. The reporter for the Post Dispatch, who is a runner spotted me during training and did a nice story about my plans. Before that race, I never even did my 5.6 mile run while juggling straight through. The carpal tunnel pain would be so bad, I would stop juggling for like 30 seconds about every mile to extend my wrist.

In the half marathon, I think the fact that there was an “audience” the entire time, I was determined to minimize those stops. After about 6 miles I realized that the pain and numbness didn’t get any worse than it felt at about 2 miles, so I did the whole thing without stopping. I had 3 drops (mostly when I was chatting with people and not paying attention) and finished with a time of around 2:15.

Prior to the race, just after the news story came out, a young lady from the Post made arrangements to videotape me joggling in Forest Park. She had a pretty hefty camera with an uncomfortable shoulder mount apparatus. She did the entire 5.6 mile loop with me on in-line skates lugging that camera. She’d frequently go up ahead of me and set up shots of me approaching or passing the camera. She edited it together with some fun music and made something very boring into a fun video. But you can see the video.

The more recent half marathon was in April. Since I had some poorly-timed injuries and illness, and I’m really undisciplined about getting out of the house when it’s cold or nasty, I did almost no running over the winter. I was contacted by a local producer from the local PBS station about maybe participating in a documentary they’re doing about stories of runners in the Go St. Louis Marathon and Half. I hadn’t heard from them again until a couple of weeks before the race, and they asked if I was still interested, so I decided I’d give it a try. I trained pretty hard for about 10 days, and did a video journal (just a quick daily entry about how the training was going). I wasn’t in very good condition, but I did the half.

It rained that morning. It varied from a light drizzle to pretty darn heavy. I was very worried about the clubs being too slippery. I put some of that wrap that sticks only to itself (the modern Ace bandage). In the starting line up, I juggled a little bit and moaned with dread–they felt soooo slippery. I had no idea if it would work. I think since I knew I was in bad shape, and the conditions for joggling were pretty rough, I took it extra slow. At any rate, I ran the entire race non-stop and I juggled straight through with just one drop. My time was 2:30. But it was quite a rush to have done it.

I haven’t heard anything about the PBS documentary. I don’t know it’s going to happen or not.

JYAJ – What kind of training do you do? Speed?

JOE: I’m terribly undisciplined. Lately, I’ve been doing some speed-training on the track with a large group. Trouble is, since I’ve gotten back to my busy season with juggling, that’s almost all I’ve been doing (and it’s just once a week).

Without juggling, I run a 6:30 mile (my time trial this year was actually 6:29). Last summer I did a 5 mile run in exactly 40 minutes. With juggling, I’m very slow. I usually run about a 10 minute mile when I run the Forest Park loop (5.6 miles). In longer runs, I go even slower. For the half last fall, through 10 miles I was a little under a 10 minute mile pace, but then I faded dramatically for the last 3 miles. I ended up at about a 10:30 per mile pace.

JYAJ – Do you eat a special diet?

JOE: I’m a junk food vegetarian–proof that vegetarianism is not necessarily a healthy diet.

JYAJ – How long do you think you will keep joggling?

JOE: I think I’ll stick with it pretty long–at least as long as I can run, unless the incipient arthritis I’ve got in a couple of fingers gets much worse. (Right now it’s more a nagging pain than anything debilitating.)

I’m so happy to see how well the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome responded to wearing a splint. Just over a year ago, when it first came roaring on, it was about the most intense pain I’ve ever felt. For a period of about a week, it was so bad I couldn’t sleep more than about an hour at a time. I really feared I’d need surgery. Wearing the splint, especially to sleep, makes all the difference in the world.

In the speed training I mentioned above, a 52 year old guy ran the mile time trial in something like 5:30, so I’ve got something to shoot for!

JYAJ – Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

JOE: Have fun!

That’s my attitude toward juggling in general. I don’t think there’s any innate talent other than the ability to enjoy it. I never feel like I “practice”. On the contrary, if I go a few days in a row without a gig or the opportunity to juggle, I miss it! I think in that way it’s similar to many other skills–playing a musical instrument, learning a foreign language, etc.

If you see someone who’s good at it, they’ve probably put in many thousands of hours doing it. You can’t put in that much time doing something you don’t enjoy doing. (OK, at least I can’t. I’m not very disciplined at all.)

Also, clubs are MUCH easier not to drop! They’re bigger, and they sweep out a huge arc. If your hand is anywhere in there, you can catch it. For balls or bean bags, your hand has to be pretty nearly at the exact spot at the exact time. Plus, I think tricks with clubs are a lot showier.

JYAJ – Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

JOE: I dunno. I still feel like a newbie to these organized races. In my experience, I’m usually the only joggler most people have seen or even heard of.

JYAJ – Anything else?

JOE: I forgot, I did participate in the IJA games one year, 1991. I wasn’t running at the time, and I was totally out of condition. Also, I never found anyone I could ask about juggling clubs for the races, so I tried bean bags. I think I only did the 440. I was doing all right until I dropped at around 300 meters. I was in such bad condition, that when I stopped to pick up, I simply couldn’t pick the ball up. I ended up being an also-ran.

Another thing: wind. Now that I know I can do all right in the rain or with sweaty hands, the last problem of conditions is the wind. I find the wind incredibly frustrating. For my last run a couple of days ago in Forest Park, it was really gusting hard. The park was nearly empty (it was pretty hot and the middle of a weekday), and at one point coming down a steep little hill, the wind just really whipped up and I was chasing the clubs all over the place (though I didn’t drop). I have a tough time not getting mad at the wind. (Yeah, not a good sign of mental health when you take weather phenomena personally!) I was cursing the wind pretty colorfully when another runner came by to pass and just grinned at me!

I keep thinking I need to experiment with some kind of low profile clubs. When I perform outdoors, even juggling on stilts, I find my torches are easier to handle in windy conditions that the regular clubs. They’re narrower and heavier in proportion to their profile. I use standard width Renegade clubs with a lot of tape on them, so they’re very close to one pound each. Still, at some point I’ll have to try something that I can handle better in the wind. I’ve lucked out with very calm conditions on my two half marathons, but in running on my own, the wind is something that can make me fail to complete an intended run.

Fascinating interview Joe! Thanks. You can learn more about Joe by visiting his website Joe the Juggler.

And see this page for more juggling runner interviews.

Here’s another in our continuing series of interviews with juggling runners (jogglers). We first became aware of Joe Havlick when he contacted JYAJ about his PhD research project involving teaching people to juggle. Since then he’s gone on to take up the sport of joggling. Here’s his story.

Introduction

Joe lives in the western suburbs of Philadelphia and works at Harriton High School in Lower Merion School District as a high school counselor. He’s 48 years old and has had a variety of careers and interests including civil engineer, businessman, basketball coach, and, of course, a juggler.

JYAJ – What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

HAVLICK: I taught myself how to juggle when I was ten years old and never looked back. I’ve done parties, fairs, and taught all kinds of people. I earned my Ph.D. last year and my research was on teaching juggling using imagery. I collected my data through an Internet site designed to teach juggling to just about anyone.

JYAJ – What kind of joggling / racing have you done?

HAVLICK: I’ve done endurance racing for years, completing my first marathon in 1984, and competing many other running and biking races, and duathlons since. My swimming sucked, but that didn’t stop a friend from talking me into triathloning (Mt. Gretna was my first ever, and I’ve done the Philly tri twice).

I taught myself how to swim for distance and completed my first of five sprint triathlons a few years ago. Last year, after communicating with “Your Average Joggler” a few times, I thought I’d give it a try during the run leg. What a home run! I don’t think I’ll every run a tri again without the juggling balls. The energy from the crowd and other runners is indispensible.

JYAJ – What is your best story about joggling?

HAVLICK: Everyone has something to say! As a triathlon joggler, the most common remarks are about my juggling during the cycling leg. By now I have the pat answer, “The cycling leg is easy, it’s the swim that’s tough.”

I was even propositioned once. A distinctly female voice told me to put the balls down and come over to her house. The problem is that I really couldn’t see who said it because I was concentrating on the juggling, and there was no one waiting for me at the finish line. What’s up with that?

JYAJ – What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

HAVLICK: I lift swim, cycle, run, play basketball, and do yoga. I do 7:30′s without balls and 8:30′s with balls.

JYAJ – Do you eat a special diet?

HAVLICK: Veggie, primarily, but I’ll eat meat if that’s all there is. Big breakfasts!

JYAJ – How long do you think you will keep joggling?

HAVLICK: I’m planning on joggling every running leg from now on. Why wouldn’t I? My last tri (Black Bear in the Poconos) had a mountainous bike leg and I was wasted in the last transition. I considered not joggling. I decided to and am glad for it. It gives me energy.

You just have to smile and it’s much harder to whine with a smile on your face. Try it, you can’t.

Thanks Joe! We can’t wait to hear more updates from the Triathloning Joggler.

Click here to Follow Joe on Facebook!

And check out our interviews with juggling runners page to read about more jogglers around the world.

Here’s another in our continuing series of interviews with juggling runners (jogglers). Ralph Kidner is a relatively new joggler but he has clearly embraced the sport and become a great joggling ambassador.  Here’s his story.

Introduction

Hi. I’m Ralph Kidner. I live in Leeds, England. I do software development and general IT support for a small chemical distribution company, and I’m also on the internal auditing team. I’m 55, married, with four children, with just the youngest (23) still living with us now.

JYAJ – What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

My sister-in-law’s brother, who’d had a spell working with a traveling circus, started teaching a few of us when he visited once. I didn’t get it straight away, but then I bought some bean bags of my own and took them with me on my next business trip. I learned to juggle, over the bed, in a hotel room in Croydon [near London]. I think that was probably around 1989.

JYAJ – When did you start joggling?

My first joggle (out in public, from scratch!) was February 16th 2008. I was out for 13 minutes and dropped the balls 33 times. For comparison, I then ran the same route – without balls – in 8:58.

JYAJ – Why did you start joggling?

Starting in November 2001, I’d done a 10k race in Leeds each year called the Abbey Dash. In November 2007 I managed to break through the 50 minute barrier, which was a significant achievement for me. I didn’t then want to just keep aiming to shave seconds off my PB, so I thought “what can I do to make this more interesting?”. The idea popped into my head in early 2008, having (as I recalled) seen people juggling while running marathons, etc, that I’d like to give that a try.

In an amazing example of synchronicity, when I spoke to a work colleague about this [Tony Gough], he said “I worked with someone in the States who was a serious joggler … ”. That was you, Perry – and that must have been the first time I’d heard the term “joggling”! I got in touch with you, and you’ve been a great source of inspiration and support to me ever since – thank you. (You’re welcome!)

JYAJ – How many races have you done while joggling?

My first joggle in an organized event was a 5k in May 2008. I must confess to stopping juggling through a couple of tricky wooded sections, but I managed it in 32:07 with about 35 drops.

My first 10k joggle was in June 2008 – a disappointing performance, 1hr 12mins with 82 drops! One significant factor was that the bean bags I was using at the time were quite small and light and it was a very windy day and they were getting blown around a lot [see “advice” below]. I then joggled another three 10k’s in 2008, managing to break the 60 minute barrier for the first time [58:18] in the Abbey Dash in November – albeit with 33 drops [but, hey, I was improving!].

I also discovered a great free weekly event in 2008, called “parkrun”, which is hosted [in Leeds] by Leeds University. Every Saturday morning at 9am, in various places throughout the UK, there’s a measured and timed 5k run around a local park. I’ve joggled this about 25 times now, and in recent weeks have finally managed 2 drop-free outings, in about 29:15 each time. So, I can see that my goal of a drop-free 10k (hopefully sub-60) sometime this year is definitely achievable!

JYAJ – What are some of your favourite races?

I can certainly tell you my least favourite. It was a 10k on probably the hottest day of 2008 and it didn’t start till 10:45. It was a very hilly course and a lot of it was off-road. I decided at one point it was prudent to stop joggling for a while, after I saw a (normal) runner sprawled at the side of the stony pot-holed track having lost her footing.

Another frustrating 10k was where I probably would have achieved sub-60 if I hadn’t got stuck behind a slower runner on a long canal towpath section – I was scared to try and overtake in case my beanbags finished up in the water!

Definitely my favourite joggle so far was on 4th April this year [your birthday, Perry, and my eldest son’s too!] when I managed my first drop-free 5k – I was elated at the finish!

JYAJ – What is your best story about joggling?

Coming up to the finish of my first 5k I heard the man on the p.a. say “and here comes the juggler” – I’d been noticed!

There was a photo of me in the local newspaper after the Abbey Dash, captioned as “a juggler”. (As far as I know, I was the only juggler that day, but I wasn’t complaining!)

On the whole, I do like the attention I get when I’m out joggling, and the chance to engage and interact with people. Probably the most extreme example of this to date has been when I was surrounded by about 8 drunken students while I was joggling home from work one evening – I had no choice but to stop and talk to them! One of them was saying to me “hey, you’re legend, man”, and I finished up sharing a few full-on hugs with a couple of them before they let me on my way!

JYAJ – What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

Through the winter, I’ve been going out just once a week, 2 or 3 miles each time, just to keep ticking over. I’m now going out 3 times per week, typically 3 to 6 miles each time, including joggling home from work once or twice a week (which is about 4 miles). I don’t push myself speed-wise, I just go at a pace that feels comfortable (about 9-10 minute mile pace?) – I’m focusing more on not dropping the balls at the moment! I do occasional runs without the balls as well – no real logical or scientific reason, just because I want to, I guess!

JYAJ – How long do you think you will keep joggling?

For as long as I can keep running! (My right hip gives me a bit of grief sometimes, but it’s not stopping me yet!)

JYAJ – Do you eat a special diet?

My wonderful wife Liza makes me marvelous meals every day. We have a good balanced diet, I think – meat, fish, Quorn, potatoes, rice, pasta, various veg, etc.. I have toast or muesli for breakfast and usually a cheese or ham sandwich for lunch, with perhaps a banana as a snack at some point. I rarely eat crisps, but I’m partial to chocolates/cakes/biscuits/etc, for example if someone has brought them into work for a birthday treat!

JYAJ – Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers?

You may feel embarrassed when you first start joggling in public – I certainly did! Push through that barrier, it will be worth it.

When I started, I was using smaller lighter bean bags. As well as getting blown about a lot if it was windy, I found that I was tending to impart too much energy to them, especially if I was running faster (e.g. downhill). I’ve now switched to using larger heavier bean bags, which I find easier to keep under control.

I used to have a lot of problem coping with the sun – particularly dappled sunlight through the trees. I’ve found a way of compensating for this now, which is to look down through the balls towards the ground in these conditions rather than gazing straight ahead, which is what I usually do.

Something that’s helped me with reducing mid-air collisions – which I think is a good rule of thumb when juggling generally – is to try and keep my arms relaxed and low, with my elbows close to my body (not out in front of me), and try and keep the pattern fairly wide (throwing across my body rather than up and down).

Finally … don’t forget to breath, and don’t forget to blink! When I first started joggling, I noticed I wasn’t doing either of these things when I first set off – which was a symptom of me being too tense generally, I suppose.

JYAJ – Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

Sadly, I can’t see joggling as a ‘sport’ – in terms of organized events – progressing much beyond featuring prominently at IJA conventions, etc..

However, as an “activity”, I would very much like to see it grow. I would like many more people to experience the fun and sense of achievement that I’ve felt over the last year or so. In my own small way, I like to think that I’m helping to raise awareness of the fact that joggling [first of all!] exists. I’ve yet to recruit my first convert – or indeed make contact with anyone else in the UK who’s actually doing it “seriously” – but I’m going to keep plugging away!

Happy Joggling!

Thanks Ralph! An engaging story and a great list of joggling advice. If you are a UK joggler (or have joggling aspirations) and want to get in touch with Ralph you can email him at: ralph.kidner (at) ntlworld (dot) com

Or, connect with him on Facebook.

We first learned of Riley McLincha from a book called Running Wild about the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. He and I were both featured in photos. Me joggling, him…drubbling. That is running while bounce juggling three basketballs. Here’s his interview below.

Introduction

Riley lives in Clio, Michigan, and is known by some around the area as the Wizard of Clio. The name stems not just from his “drubbling,” but began over 30 years ago when he held a Guinness World Record for memorizing pi. He invented drubbling, (dribbling 3 basketballs while running) which he will argue with anyone, is more difficult than joggling. Click this link to see an example of his drubbling. And a longer version can be found here.

Riley was born in 1951 and began joggling in 1981, making him one of the oldest jogglers out there. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Flint and is now retired (from working anyway).

What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

MCLINCHA: I learned to juggle from a book my wife checked out for me at the Flint Public Library. Boy, was she sorry after. I photocopied many pages before returning it.

When did you start joggling?

MCLINCHA: That was in 1981, but I stayed in the closet, I came out at the 1987 Crim 10 Mile.

Why did you start joggling?

MCLINCHA: Heard about jogglers from a story in the Runners World. It was about the same time that I was learning to juggle, so I just had to take running to the next level.

How many races have you done while joggling?

MCLINCHA: It was only once a year, at the Crim 10 Mile, from ’77 to ’93. Once I converted to drubbling in 1994 I have not gone back to joggling. The number of races I’ve drubbling since ’94 is countless.

What are some of your favorites?

MCLINCHA: The Crim, NYC Marathon, Boston, and Chicago, Peachtree, Indy Mini, and The Brooksie Way.

What are some of your most interesting joggling (drubbling) stories?

MCLINCHA: I startled one man I was passing while dribbling three basketballs, he, yelped, “Jesus!” I said it was kind of amazing, but nothing like walking on water.
I have many favorite comments, the same many jogglers have heard, but my favorite was from a Bostonian, As I passed dribbling 3 basketballs, in disbelief he screamed, “That’s unf***kingbelieveable.”

I also met Barry Goldmeier at the start of the ’97 NYC. He saw me sitting on the ground with the basketballs and asked if I was going to juggle them. I was very much impressed that he was going to juggle 5 balls, and mostly because he said he averaged only a few hundred yards before messing up. Can’t imagine stopping 200 times or so in a marathon, bending over and picking up my balls. That is the only time, I knew I was in a race with another joggler. Michigan is a joggler desert.

What kind of training do you do?

MCLINCHA: I don’t train much anymore since the Boston in ’04. I swore off ever drubbling another marathon, for it nearly killed me. Now, once in a while I’ll do one training run before I do a half marathon.

How fast do you run?

MCLINCHA: With basketballs, a marathon takes me 5:30 – without 3:45 (3:17 was PR when 40). In a 5k, 28 min. w/b-balls, and 21:30 no balls (17:45 PR when in 30s).

How long do you think you will keep joggling (drubbling)?

MCLINCHA: With running being the first degree, and joggling the second, I will boldly say drubbling is the third. Those are the steps I took on the road to drubbling. When drubbling becomes too taxing I can go back to joggling, and eventually revert to just running. I hope that is 20 years from now. I turn 58 next month.

Do you have any advice for would-be jogglers (drubblers)?

MCLINCHA: Always start at the very back of the race. Remember for a drubbler its not about time. Think safety.

Where do you see the sport of joggling in 10 years?

MCLINCHA: I really don’t see joggling growing that much. Maybe if it was combining two sports, but juggling does seem to draw athletic types. I’ve never been to a IJA festival or any big scale juggler event. In my own personal experience, the non/joggling jugglers are a different breed.

Do you expect drubbling to grow?

MCLINCHA: I invented drubbling in 1993. Many have seen it, but not duplicated it. Out of a big group of jogglers, one or two might be willing learn, and switch, but where can I meet with a large group of jogglers to convert them?

Recently I saw a youtube video of a basketball “performer” who ran across a gym floor dribbling three balls. It was weird and awesome sight, seeing someone else do what only you had done before. So, he can drubble, but that doesn’t make him a drubbler. Drubblers like jogglers have to go the distance.

Thanks Riley. We look forward to joggling/drubbling another race with you sometime. Perhaps you might even inspire a few of the joggling community to try their hands at drubbling.

You can learn more about Riley McLincha at his website www.mclincha.com

And check out our interviews with juggling runners page to learn about more jogglers around the world.