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Barenaked Runner – Jim Creeggan, Barenaked Ladies bassist

Barenaked Runner, Canadian rocker once ran 800m in 1:51.6

Running Celebrity. Canadian rocker and Barenaked Ladies Bassist Jim Creeggan once ran 800m in 1:51.6.
Running Celebrity. Canadian rocker and Barenaked Ladies Bassist Jim Creeggan once ran 800m in 1:51.6.

Despite playing in a band that has seven Junos and several hit singles, it takes bassist Jim Creegan a while to come up with a good Barenaked Ladies running song. “Some Fantastic,” he eventually blurts out while answering an unrelated question. The track – from the 1998 album Stunt — is actually slower than the 180 beats per minute of an ideal running song, but it’s an upbeat tune. Music, like running, is an emotionally and physically stimulating pastime for Creegan and one passion led to a successful career in the other. “I became serious about music when I injured myself,” Creegan recalls. “When I was in Grade 9 and I couldn’t run anymore, I put all my energy into practicing and playing bass.”

Creegan grew up as the fastest kid in his school in Scarborough, Ont., a suburb of Toronto. By the time he was 12, he was winning cross-country races and dominating the 800m and 1500m with the Scarborough Optimists Track and Field Club. He tore his hamstring in Grade 9, and it forced him to take two years off from running. So he developed his skills at the bass and joined the Toronto Youth Symphony Orchestra. In Grade 12, Creegan came back from the injury and competed at the Ontario High School (OFSAA) championships in the 800m and cross-country skiing. He was running under two minutes by his final year of High School and close to four minutes for the 1500m, attracting the attention of track coaches Peter Pimm and Andy Higgins at the University of Toronto. He ran a couple of seasons with the U of T track team, winning a CIAU championship in the 4x800m relay, and bringing his personal best down to 1:51.6.

At the same time in 1991, Creegan could also sense his music career starting to take off with the early success of the Barenaked Ladies. “When it came time to go on tour, I thought, ‘we were starting to get a real following here. Maybe it’s time to take a year off [from running].'” The entire U of T track team came out to one of the band’s early shows at a small club in Toronto, showing their support for Creegan’s decision to leave school and pursue music.

Creegan’s touring schedule is hectic. He can be on the road for months at a time with the Barenaked Ladies and his side project, Brothers Creegan, with his brother Andy. He always makes time to run even if he’s been eating poorly or not getting enough sleep. Other band members and sound enginners sometimes join him on the trails. Creegan says he turned BNL singer Ed Robertson into a regular runner. “Ed is the one who got me into the Vibram FiveFingers,” Creegan says.

Kneeling on the floor of his spacious home in Toronto’s trendy Queen West district, Creegan shows off his old running medals, hanging next to one of his Juno awards on his a windowsill in his son’s room. He wants his children – Finn, 7 and Chloe, 4 – to enjoy running as much as he did when he was young. Creegan does most of his running in minimalist shoes (or barefoot) with the family dog, doing grass loops around the popular Trinity Bellwoods Park. He takes a holistic approach to running, incorporating yogic breathing exercises. “When I run, I start by breathing in for eight steps and breathing out for eight. Then I take it down to seven,” he says. Musically that’s really interesting too, if you go to an odd number, the “one” comes on a different foot each time. “You can play games with the rhythm,” he says.

Running will always be a significant part of his life, Creegan says, even though he is no longer trying to go as fast as he once ran. He volunteers by coaching the local school’s cross-country team. Creegan also runs a ukelele program, supplying the instruments for children who want to learn how to play. After reaching the top of the charts, Creegan seems focussed on helping others achieve their dreams too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8Npm6qCttA[/youtube]

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