– can you pls introduce yourself /who you run with and for how long
I’m Coach Saes of the NYC Bridge Runners and We’ve been Runnin $#!+ since 2003.
– your the founding father of ‘the bridge the gap movement’ how did that come about how did it start and why
I’m the founder of Run Crews but that Gap wasn’t Bridged till Charlie Dark appeared and lit the whole planet.
Still, just having one pair of anything is not a collection or anything close to a movement. It wasn’t official until I answered some emails from who I thought was Edison Chen saying he was coming to run with us. At the end of our run at Bowery Stadium I introduced myself to a 1st timer, he had an accent and might’ve been wearing short shorts. What was perfect is that Charlie and Edson ran with the crew on some undercover boss shit and received a pure Bridge Run. This was the start of the BTG movement that fully bloomed in Berlin and has spread from Seoul to Soweto. I just helped make running cool for locals. They caused BTG to go #ALLPLANET.
– your also the personification of Hip Hop (in my opinion) can you tell in ya own words what Hip Hop means in ya life and why
Hip Hop is my lifestyle not really my soundtrack. I was luckily around when it travelled downtown in the early 80’s and I basically spray painted myself into the culture. I used to boogie on the streets with Vin Diesel but I wasn’t really good, had a great boombox tho. From my early years of sneaking into clubs I eventually became peers with the great Dj’s like Red Alert, Lovebug Starski and the Duke of Denmark. I also became tight with my Subway childhood RocStar heroes like CeyCity, Kel1st, Futura2000 and Dr.Revolt. In 2001 I founded the NYC Urban Experience Museum where I became friends with Charlie Ahearn, Jamel Shabazz, Rammellzee, Kool Herc and StayHigh149. I already knew Fab5Freddy and Henry Chalfant from 1985 so by 2002 I knew all of the pioneers worth knowing. Later thru running we had Martha Cooper and Mare139 do a book reading for the BR’s and finally I was truly complete with the Hip Hop quilt I sleep and daydream in.
– what’s ya favourite city to run in except for NY off course and why
Amsterdam has a lot of bridges with slight inclines!!! Also the trick to running is keeping your eyes occupied so you don’t even notice that you’re 5 miles or almost 10k in. Any City with a story helps with the trickery, Running thru a park does not.
– what’s ya favourite food before and after the race and why
Actually just changed my diet for the better so I try to only eat meat on Mondays. I find that running #OnaWednesday without a Luger burger in my belly is a lot easier. Afterwords it’s all about where the crew is going and normally that is Royale where I get a Kale Salad…. with a burger on top! But if I’m on the run and want to end it with grub it is 100% Patsys’s Pizza for a vodka pie. As far as a race? Hmmm I don’t really race unless it’s maybe to Patsys? I drink Maurtens, possibly a banana and maybe eat a beer afterwords, carb reload.