October Interview: Mark Sisson - Part I

Mark Sisson joins us today.  Mark is a recognized expert in the field of sports nutrition, fat loss, and a primal lifestyle.  You can read Mark's daily advice over at Mark's Daily Apple (MDA). 

Mark, tell us about your background in athletics?

My father’s past as a top track and field athlete was hugely formative for me, especially in my early years. I was always testing my athletic limits: climbing, running, leaping, and getting hurt in various interesting ways. I’d always been active as a kid growing up in New England, but I was too scrawny to play basketball or football, so I opted for cross-country running in school. I seemed to have a knack for it, eventually moving on to marathons – which I ran competitively for years, even making the Olympic trials one year. Injuries forced me to reconsider my plans. I figured maybe it was all the running, so I moved onto triathlons to “spread the damage around.” Maybe the running wouldn’t be so bad if I could swim and bike for most of the race, you know? I placed fourth in one of the first Hawaii Ironman competitions, but the health issues didn’t get much better. Around 1988, I officially retired from competition.

When did you start helping others with their health and fitness?