Outside of running, I am a political strategist and commentator. I have spent most of my life in the political and governmental arenas, and now find myself doing commentary on Fox, CNN, MSNBC and other networks. Additionally, I write for The Washington Post, New York Daily News, Daily Beast, New York Post and Business Insider. My first book, GOP GPS: How to Find the Millennials and Urban Voters the Republican Party Needs to Survive, came out in August. Now, I should probably lose the weight I put on during the writing process and this shitshow of an election…

Running makes my mind focus and removes multiple distractions that I might have. It is a great release from reality and it also lets me focus and hone whatever I am working on. In fact, some of my best zingers originated while I was running (like the time I told a certain Trump spokesperson that their speaking caused me to lose a few IQ points). More importantly, a good run just makes me feel better mentally and physically. There is an enormous amount of satisfaction that I get from finishing a good run.

For me, my favorite thing abut the Whippets is the people. The Whippets are all incredibly talented and generous group of people that are tough to rival. They are all incredibly good and decent at their souls and it shows from the workouts to how we support one another in our endeavors, be they in running or not. Some of the friendships I have made on the team are the most important that I have. When I began to write my book, I decided to write it to appeal to as many people on the team as possible because we are a microcosm of the United States. We have members of many different races, creeds and beliefs, and we all get along with one another. That is something that is really valuable to me.

To be honest, I hate all the DWRT workouts. When I am doing a workout I feel like Larry David when he plays golf. He hates doing it, but once he has finished, he experiences a great amount of satisfaction. A side benefit is that I take my dog, Rowdy, on runs and they help tire him out.

Without a doubt the FRNY Pride Run is my favorite race. It is hot, humid and painful. However, when you finish and get that popsicle it’s the greatest feeling of ecstasy.

Do I plan on doing any other forms of running, say running for office? Hell no. The only races I will personally run in are actual road races. I don’t plan on running for office. It is like a hot and humid August 20 miler… every single day. That’s just the schedule. On top of that, I have seen up close what it does to people and families. Everything in your life is scrutinized and spun to make you as unpalatable to the public as possible. I am confident that my association to Matt Wong would be used against me.

I think that politics and running intersect. I actually think that if more politicians and their aides ran together then we would see a lot more in terms of bipartisanship. This would be especially true if they were doing their long runs together. Not only would our elected officials be healthier, but so would our republic. On the other hand, seeing Chris Christie or Bernie Sanders in running shorts might traumatize the country.