Spotlight on "Fire Fighter" Joe

by Jennifer Meyer of the Muscatine Journal

MUSCATINE, Iowa — The call of the outdoors has guided a Muscatine firefighter down more than one of life’s paths.Joe Timmsen joined the Muscatine Fire Department almost nine years ago, after he took a class to learn first aid for rock climbing.Timmsen also enjoys running on trails at area nature reserves. The hobby led him to begin participating in ultra runs, which are 26.2 miles or longer.
He recently took part in a 24-hour, 100-mile run with the Cornbelt Running Club.

Personal

Name: Joe Timmsen

Age: 38

Occupation: Firefighter, Muscatine Fire Department

Hometown: Muscatine

Q&A

Q: Describe the recent Cornbelt run.

A: It’s running around a track for 24 hours, to see how far you can get.

Q: Is it 24 hours of constant running?

A: You walk here and there. I did 100 miles in 21 hours ... I’d guess I walked 20 miles of it. You run slow.

Q: So you were on the track for 21 hours?

A: There are some people who try to do all 24. My brother does ultras with me, he wanted to get 100 out of the way in 24 hours.

Q: So what does it feel like after 100 miles and 21 hours of running?

A: There’s a lot of pain. I had blisters over most of the pad of my feet.

Q: How long have you been running ultras?

A: I did my first one three years ago.

Q: How did you get started?

A: Trail running — marathons are usually on pavement. I started running over at Wild Cat Den on the trails there and at Loud Thunder. Most of the trail runs are ultras.

Q: Do you just like to be outside?

A: Yeah. I do a lot of mountain biking and triathlons. I just kind of got into the ultra running from there. I love being in the woods, it’s good stress relief from work and keeps me in shape for the job.

Q: Are there any similarities between running 26 miles and being a firefighter?

A: I suppose the endurance, the tolerance for bad weather. Mostly, the running for me is relaxing.

Q: What kind of stresses do firefighters face?

A: I suppose you get a lot of stressful situations, the hours and everything. You don’t work that many days in a month, but sometimes 24 hours can be brutal — mentally and physically.

Q: How did you choose this profession?

A: I was in college, I had just finished my associate (degree). I took a break from college, and I took an EMT basic class and we had to do some ride time and I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do. It was just to get some first aid for (rock) climbing. Then, the minute I got on the engine and the tones went off, I knew. I knew 100 percent that was what I was going to do, and I never looked back.