Running a Business, a Classroom — and Ultramarathons

P. Jeffrey Christakos, CPA, wouldn’t consider himself a natural-born athlete. As a matter of fact, this Monmouth University professor and partner at Christakos & Co. and Westfield Wealth Management says he couldn’t even run a mile in high school. But it’s definitely clear that today he has the physical and mental stamina of an athlete. Jeff has not only run eight marathons, he has completed four ultramarathons.

Getting Started

When Jeff was 26 years old and his career was taking off, he needed to find a way to manage work-related stress. “I would work out my anxieties on a treadmill,” says Jeff. After realizing how much he enjoyed running, he did it more frequently. “I would run before work, during lunch and after work,” he says. He signed up for his first marathon, running from Asbury Park to Sandy Hook and back.

After Jeff had run numerous marathons and half marathons, his son, Andrew, who also works at Westfield Wealth Management, decided to join him. “He wanted to start exercising and thought that running would be a great start,” says Jeff. “I would put on my running shoes with my suit pants and run with him around the park.”

Taking on an Ultramarathon

With six marathons under his belt, Jeff decided to try an ultramarathon. “It’s a one-mile loop that’s mostly asphalt,” explains Jeff. “You have access to an open kitchen, and there are people who cook all day and all night for runners. You can have all the food you want. You can place an order, run another mile and then pick it up.” The goal isn’t to compete against time, but to run for as long as the body allows. Participants run and/or walk until exhausted and take breaks in between. People cheer on runners — even those who are putting in their miles in the middle of the night.

Jeff’s first ultramarathon was a six-hour running event; he ran more than 30 miles. In a subsequent ultramarathon, he ran 56 miles. Last he and May, Andrew ran in a 24-hour event and completed 70 miles. And in May 2017, father and son will together attempt a 48-hour ultramarathon.

The Science of Ultramarathon Running

“Running is about mind over matter and seeing what your body can do,” says Jeff. He abides by the three Ts of ultramarathon running:

• Technique — Jeff utilizes chi running. The idea is to keep the body straight, chest ahead of feet, and make a falling motion when moving forward so that the runner doesn’t rely on leg muscles to push off of. Runners swing their elbows to create a pendulum motion to propel forward when running up hills. Jeff uses a 90-beats-per-minute cadence with light foot bounces. “If I’m ‘falling’ for 24 hours, running for that time period isn’t that difficult,” says Jeff.
• Training — Jeff has a 12-minute-mile pace and runs three times a week. He’ll run 10 miles twice a week and up to 20 miles on a longer run, depending on the race he’s training for.
• Temperament — Although running can come with all sorts of challenges, Jeff says having a sense of humor is important — especially while running with blistering toes or in harsh weather.

Taking It to the Classroom and the Board Room

“Whenever I have a challenging task, I know that I can press through because I’ve been able to accomplish things I thought I could never do with my body,” says Jeff. The same strategy that helps him endure ultramarathons helps him solve problems as a business owner and professor. Jeff likes to inspire his students who might feel overwhelmed by school work. He tells them, “If an old guy can run 56 miles, you can do an extra problem or two.”