MICHAEL WILLE is a graduate of the CIA. No, not that CIA. The Culinary Institute of America. He enjoys adventure, travel, culinary arts, and, of course, running. He spent 2 years working in East Africa as a remote catering and safari chef. He now freelances, which allows him to cook on small yacht ocean crossings, remote resorts in the Sierras, and small restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, which he calls home. In the summer of 1998, he completed a hike of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. He used to consider that his biggest physical challenge—until he was hit with Portal Vein Thrombosis. He has also been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and is currently training for the 2002 Marathon des Sables.

GAIL KISLEVITZ is the author of two books, First Marathons, a compilation of told-in-their-own-words first marathon experiences by a wide range of runners, from world class to seemingly ordinary; and It’s Never Too Late, which brings together the experiences of people who came to exercise later in life. Gail has been published frequently in M&B and is one of the few runners who has seen Johnny J. Kelley’s feet.

DICK BEARDSLEY remains one of the four fastest U.S. marathon runners, even though his best times came in the early 1980s. In June of 2001 Dick returned to the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth (the subject of his “Most Unforgettable” feature in this issue) with the intention of running a sub-3:00 marathon 20 years after running his breakthrough 2:09 there. Dick succeeded, turning in a 2:55. Dick and his wife Mary and son Andrew live in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, where Dick is a radio and TV personality and spends the summer months guiding anglers between giving speeches at running events around the country.