Expect nothing, gain everything. This is the mantra of an accomplished runner by the name of David Dorsey. Compare this to the mantra of another champion, Bruce Lee, who stated that “with less effort the faster and more powerful one can be.” Dorsey began running at the age of six with his father and sister in the Bronx. He continued with track in his sophomore year at Cardinal Hayes High School in 1982. David later joined the U.S. Coast Guard; currently he is a recruiter and has been on active duty since July 1990.
David began competing in road races while he was stationed in Hawaii in 1992. Since then, like his father did with him and his sister, David has been building a team with his own family, which has become a wonderful support group. He has two children, ten-year-old Geordan and eight-year-old Julia. Rounding out his team is his special running partner, his girlfriend of three years, Emily, who has a seventeen-year-old son, Marcelino.
Dorsey competed in the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon and finished with an excellent time of 2:46:16, placing him in the top fifty runners and fifth in his age group. But now his sights are set on shorter distances: David’s personal running goal is to break sixteen minutes in the 5K and bring his mile time down to 4:30.
To achieve these goals, David trains in Staten Island as well as his favorite area in Central Park. His training method consists of a weekly tempo run of three to four miles, cross-training on a stationary bike twice a week, Pilates and weight-lifting once a week, and two medium-paced recovery runs.
Dorsey has been a member of CPTC for three years, after he was introduced to CPTC by Derek Laves and Tony Ruiz. His membership in the club and diligent work here have helped others to obtain the ideal performances that all runners desire.
But Dorsey’s time with CPTC has not been without obstacles. In 2004 he experienced an injury that created a sharp pain in his left ankle. After having an MRI, he followed the advice of an orthopedic doctor and stopped running and racing. He wisely used the RICE method of recovery—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—in order to get back running again. Now, after several years of running cautiously, he is building his long runs back up in distance and has the NYC marathon in mind for the fall.
Many distance runners often use music to keep them company on their lonely runs; however, even those runners who do not use music establish their own methods to slide into the zone. David’s is to spend time in prayer along with his mantra, “expect nothing and gain everything.” This humble attitude, along with an established work ethic, patience, and faith, helps to carry him through the last mile of every race. It also recently helped him place first in Staten Island’s weekly 5k fun run at Cedar Park, where he enjoyed coffee and donuts after crossing the finish line.