Lodi's Rodger Robinson will be competing in his second Boston Marathon on April 16. (News-Sentinel file photo)

10 questions with Rodger Robinson

Lodi wheelchair racer Rodger Robinson, 38, will be competing in his second Boston Marathon on April 16. Last year Robinson placed third in the handcycles division with a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 29 seconds. Last month he placed fifth at the L.A. Marathon with a personal-best time of 1:33.43. His goal is to qualify for the Olmpics.

Robinson is a teacher at Victor Elementary School and works with autistic children. He is married to Quinta Robinson.

Q: On Tuesday, a passenger train in France traveled at a speed of 357 mph. Do you think you could handle that kind of speed in a wheelchair?

A: Maybe on one hell of a downhill. If there's not too much of a wobble on the front end maybe I'd be OK. I'm trying to imagine it.

Three hundred and fifty-seven. That's a bullet train, baby! I'm thinking the wheelchair would disintegrate. If you were to impact something you wouldn't be able to tell it's a wheelchair.

Q: You've been an inspiration for so many people. Who inspires you and why?

A: If we're talking past tense, all my inspiration comes from family members that passed away.

I'm inspired by all the kids out there giving their best to make it despite challenges they face in life. I hope to give them the opportunity to enjoy sports and recreation. I'm inspired by seeing kids overcome challenges.

Q: How has being in a wheelchair made you a better person?

A: You never really know what challenges you will face in life. Even before I was in a chair, I worked with people in chairs and told them to focus on what they can do as a person, what they can achieve rather than their challenges. I want to be an example of what you can accomplish in a chair. That has helped me push and encourage others.

Rodger Robinson

Q: What would you be doing differently today had you not been in the accident?

A: My love when I was walking was riding and racing motorcycles. If I wasn't in the accident, I probably would still be competitive in motorcycle racing.

But I don't think I would have been as successful in motorcycle racing as wheelchair racing. The chair taught me to look deeper within myself and live what I teach to my students every day. The success I'm seeing now was a choice to find something competitive other than motorcycle racing.

Q: What's the most frustrating thing you deal with being in a wheelchair?

A: When you get up every day you're trying to function like everyone else, but some things happen that are out of your control. It's tough to try and act like you're not dealing with some of the problems that you are.

Q: What's your training routine like now?

A: It's about like last year. I get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and start at 4:30. I train a few hours and do some weightlifting. I have my bike on an indoor trainer and I ride 45 minutes to an hour. This is the stuff during the week.

On the weekend I do a 24-mile loop, and if I'm out with my cycling coach I do a 36-mile run. The last two weeks I've been working with coach and put in about 310 miles. I'm ready to go.

Q: How do you think you'll do in the Boston Marathon?

A: I've ironed out the bugs from last year and I won't have any of those challenges again. If it's the same competitors from last year, the winning time was 1 hour and 41 minutes. I just ran 1:33 at the L.A. Marathon, fifth overall. It's a much tougher course (than the Boston Marathon).

Q: What's your favorite route in the Lodi area and why?

A: If I'm solo I like to take Kettleman to Lower Sac, Lower Sac to Turner, Turner to Guild, and Guild back to Kettleman. One loop is about 12 miles.

Q: From your experience, what shouldn't a racer eat before or on race day?

A: On race day I wouldn't eat anything you're not normally eating during the week. And not too much volume.

If you've been eating cereal and bananas you want to do that three to four days in advance.

If carbo loading, it takes at least two weeks, sometimes three. I eat lots of pasta, at least four times a week to store up a lot of sugar and energy.

Q: Do you suspect any wheelchair racers are on steroids?

A: I don't really know. Some pretty fast guys out there are pretty big. But some supplements will do that.

It could be a possibility. I'm sure some of it is going on. There seems to be some in all sports, especially sports of endurance.