Playing on the Run

By George Banker

It takes years of practice and dedication to become a violinist, and many miles
logged on the roads to become an accomplished runner. The musical tones and the pounding of feet against the pavement make beautiful music when the mind and the body become one.

On the roads, and on center stage, we present Desi Alston, age 46, a native of Philadelphia, who now resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

In his life, there have been 38 years of passion for playing the violin combined with 26 years for his love of running. The years have blended over 60 marathons, several Ironman Triathlons, and a 25-year-tenure with the National Symphony Orchestra. He is, as well, Conductor and Music Director for George Washington University.
Alston says, "The balance of the two is basic. For playing the violin, I have rehearsals, concerts, and tours. I get a time sheet that tells where I have to be and when. It's time oriented. For athletics, I have running. It's something I can do everyday. Over the last 20 years I may have missed about 20 days of running. It's a discipline that I have learned. I have learned to budget time in my life. It's not difficult for me to just visualize the time constraints."

In the early years, 1962 to 1974, Desi studied with Edgar Ortenberg, a former member of the world-renowned Budapest String Quartet. There have been numerous musical milestones which included concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as soloist, and a stint as Musical Director for the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra.

"Running is a very important part of my life and I attribute that to who I am. I have become more philosophical as to how it enhances my life. Sport is an avocation; playing the violin is a vocation," says Alston. "They are both similar. Sometimes when I run I start to think of a rhythm in a concert. They are both visceral. They work together and are very congenial."

"I've always felt that I was a fairly talented runner but not a gifted one. In my younger days I could do a 33-to-34 minute 10K and finish within the top 10. I never thought of time as being a major component of my running. As long as you are a runner, there is always someone who is faster," says Alston.

A memorable event in running had nothing to do with time. Alston reminisces, "About four years, ago I ran the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon and finished in about three hours and 45 minutes. Prior to the race, the mother of a friend in the symphony took a fall, was hospitalized, and was in great pain. I went to visit her after the race and gave her my finisher's medal. She kept the medal on and wouldn't let anyone remove it. Whenever she sees me, she tells me that she still has the medal."

Alston talks of his early running years; "I was running when it was not in vogue. I could go across Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., and not see anyone. You really had to enjoy it. In the 1981 Georgetown 10K in Washington, I did a 4:32 for the first mile. I was out-kicked by Dr. Fay Bradley at the end. He beat me by one second. He was 10th and I was 11th.

"In 1981, I ran the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon. That race was the easiest 2:42:04 marathon that I had ever run. I finished 147th overall," Alston remembers. His finishing time at the 1982 Boston Marathon was 2:52.
A couple of running events last May show that talent is still there with the musician and runner. At a 5K in Rockville, Maryland, he captured 5th place overall and was second master with a time of 19:45. At the Colt-USO Defenders 10 Mile Run at the Pentagon a few weeks later, his time was 1:09:39. He was the 161st male and 16th in the age group 45-to-49.

The results of a lifetime of commitment to music and running are evident in the standing ovations and satisfying race times. Alston notes, "Whenever we go around the world I find time to run. You can run anywhere and meet some interesting characters. Some of my colleagues think I have a couple of bolts loose, but the comments are complimentary.

"I'm in good shape now and I want to try and set a couple more PRs. When I turn 50 I would like to do an ultramarathon."

For Desi Alston, music and running are tied together.
Bravo!

George Banker is a writer, photographer and member of Montgomery County Road Runners Club in Maryland.