Eva Vertes: Runner

(logo whooshing) (upbeat music) - I love to run.

And for me, that is my number one outlet.

When I'm in the lab and when I get frustrated, when I need to just get away, I just put on my running shoes and go running.

I run in Manhattan or Central Park, between 30 to 35 miles a week.

I began running my first year of high school.

My teacher in my geography class was also the cross country running coach.

And I think I was laughing in class (laughs) and he said, "You're disrupting the class.

You have to come to cross country running practice after school."

So I showed up and he said, "Oh, I was kidding.

Why are you here?"

And ever since then I've run.

Running and research, for me, are very similar in the sense that you need an inner drive in both.

In running, it's how to do it faster.

How to do it longer.

In research, it's is there another way to do it?

Is there another way you can prove this or disprove something?

In both, it's always a battle trying to take it one step further.

Sure you've answered one question but what about another question that comes from there?

And so it is very much a inner competition in both running and research.

It's funny because my friend actually commented on that the other day.

I had just run a race and I said, "Oh, you know, I don't care if I had done worse.

It would've been fine.

You know, I'm happy I beat my last time."

And he said, "No, you really do care.

And it's pretty obvious that you do care where you finished."

The truth is I don't have to be number one.

I don't have to be the best but I do like to see progression.

It's that progression that's sort of excites me and I like getting better.

So it's a constant battle, yet very satisfying.

I don't really like competing with other people, but with myself, I'm a fierce competitor.