Politician Hasn't Stopped Running
He enjoys the latter a lot more than he misses the former.
"One of the (great) things about running is, if you train hard and make a real effort to lose weight, it produces results," says McNeill, 67, who on Monday will be among some 50 New Mexicans to line up for the 110th Boston Marathon.
In 1986, McNeill previously an aide to Sen. Joseph Montoya and chief of staff for Gov. Toney Anaya lost the race for New Mexico attorney general to Republican Hal Stratton in one of the closest elections in state history.
"I lost by a third of a vote per precinct statewide," he says. "It took them three weeks to figure out who won."
Two years later, McNeill ran for Bernalillo County district attorney. Republican B Billiga Nike Free Run ob Schwartz defeated him handily, 57 43 percent. "This is more of a Republican county, and Bob's a very clever, glib guy."
McNeill, however, isn't running from his political past when he laces up his shoes. He maintains a busy law practice, races sports cars and volunteers his time to a number of community concerns.
"I started in the late '70s, seriously around '79, and I was reasonably consistent," he says.
McNeill ran his first half marathon at the Duke City Marathon in 1985 and ran it again in '87.
"I think I had a time of 1:55, and I was in my 40s," he recalls. "So that was nothing outstanding by any means."
Fast forward to January 2006, when McNeill ran the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon in 1:46 placing third in the men's 65 69 age group.
"You're supposed to get slower as you get older, and I've gotten faster," he says. "So, that's encouraging news."
How has McNeill gotten faster? With a little help from his friends, and with considerably fewer pounds to carry.
"In 1999, I saw a notice in the Journal about a club called Master Runners Unlimited," he says. "I wound up going to a meeting."
McNeill began doing Saturday morning runs with members of the club, which since has merged with the Albuquerque Roadrunners.
"That was really helpful," he says, "because a key ingredient is to have some structure. Otherwise, it's too easy not to go out in the dark or the cold at some ungodly hour and go running."
More recently, McNeill began running Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with a smaller group coached by Patrick Morrissey, a local runner and cyclist.
"That has provided more structure and more vigorous training," McNeill says. "We do speed work and intervals and all those running terms that I barely understand the meaning of."
Meanwhile, McNeill began sipping fruit smoothies for lunch and gave up his post workout beer. His weight dipped from around 185 to 168 on a 6 foot, 2 inch frame.
As a result of the weight loss and the more intense training, he expects to break four hours in the marathon for the first time Monday.
Last year, only three men age 67 or older bettered four hours at Boston.
"I don't t hink the marathon is that hard, frankly," McNeill said, "at least the ones that I've trained reasonably well for.
"I've trained much better than ever for this one, so I'm anxious to see if it will make a difference."
GONZALES SIGNS: Former Lobo Matt Gonzales has parlayed an eye popping start to his road racing career into a shoe and apparel contract with Nike.
It's his first such contract, said UNM track and field coach Matt Henry, who coaches Gonzales with Art Azevedo.
"It's huge," Henry said. "Those guys (professional distance runners) will go through 12 pairs of shoes in a year, at $100 a pair or so. To get those for free is really important."
In the past six months, Gonzales has finished second in the 10K national championships; helped the United States take third in the Chiba (Japan) Ekiden Relay; and taken second place in the Gate River Run 15K.
He enjoys the latter a lot more than he misses the former.
"One of the (great) things about running is, if you train hard and make a real effort to lose weight, it produces results," says McNeill, 67, who on Monday will be among some 50 New Mexicans to line up for the 110th Boston Marathon.
In 1986, McNeill previously an aide to Sen. Joseph Montoya and chief of staff for Gov. Toney Anaya lost the race for New Mexico attorney general to Republican Hal Stratton in one of the closest elections in state history.
"I lost by a third of a vote per precinct statewide," he says. "It took them three weeks to figure out who won."
Two years later, McNeill ran for Bernalillo County district attorney. Republican B Billiga Nike Free Run ob Schwartz defeated him handily, 57 43 percent. "This is more of a Republican county, and Bob's a very clever, glib guy."
McNeill, however, isn't running from his political past when he laces up his shoes. He maintains a busy law practice, races sports cars and volunteers his time to a number of community concerns.
"I started in the late '70s, seriously around '79, and I was reasonably consistent," he says.
McNeill ran his first half marathon at the Duke City Marathon in 1985 and ran it again in '87.
"I think I had a time of 1:55, and I was in my 40s," he recalls. "So that was nothing outstanding by any means."
Fast forward to January 2006, when McNeill ran the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon in 1:46 placing third in the men's 65 69 age group.
"You're supposed to get slower as you get older, and I've gotten faster," he says. "So, that's encouraging news."
How has McNeill gotten faster? With a little help from his friends, and with considerably fewer pounds to carry.
"In 1999, I saw a notice in the Journal about a club called Master Runners Unlimited," he says. "I wound up going to a meeting."
McNeill began doing Saturday morning runs with members of the club, which since has merged with the Albuquerque Roadrunners.
"That was really helpful," he says, "because a key ingredient is to have some structure. Otherwise, it's too easy not to go out in the dark or the cold at some ungodly hour and go running."
More recently, McNeill began running Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with a smaller group coached by Patrick Morrissey, a local runner and cyclist.
"That has provided more structure and more vigorous training," McNeill says. "We do speed work and intervals and all those running terms that I barely understand the meaning of."
Meanwhile, McNeill began sipping fruit smoothies for lunch and gave up his post workout beer. His weight dipped from around 185 to 168 on a 6 foot, 2 inch frame.
As a result of the weight loss and the more intense training, he expects to break four hours in the marathon for the first time Monday.
Last year, only three men age 67 or older bettered four hours at Boston.
"I don't t hink the marathon is that hard, frankly," McNeill said, "at least the ones that I've trained reasonably well for.
"I've trained much better than ever for this one, so I'm anxious to see if it will make a difference."
GONZALES SIGNS: Former Lobo Matt Gonzales has parlayed an eye popping start to his road racing career into a shoe and apparel contract with Nike.
It's his first such contract, said UNM track and field coach Matt Henry, who coaches Gonzales with Art Azevedo.
"It's huge," Henry said. "Those guys (professional distance runners) will go through 12 pairs of shoes in a year, at $100 a pair or so. To get those for free is really important."
In the past six months, Gonzales has finished second in the 10K national championships; helped the United States take third in the Chiba (Japan) Ekiden Relay; and taken second place in the Gate River Run 15K.
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