Dale Giesen makes a mean quenelle

Dale Giesen makes a mean quenelle. A quenelle is a beautiful little egg shaped topping of ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream, molded on a spoon and set tenderly on top of desserts.

Dale, a professional cook at Lucca and Roxy, works under the watchful eye of Roxy pastry chef and Team Lucca runner, Kristina Dula. With the two of them producing such luscious desserts, it would make anyone consider taking up running just to be able to eat dessert everyday.

Quenelles are only one of the many things Dale does well. Another is running fast.

Team Lucca training officially began last January and Dale was one of those team runners that got on board with training from the get go.
In turn he has seen his fast times improve in leaps and bounds, his endurance increase to the point where running long distances is enjoyable, and is now, quite simply, the fastest guy on the team.

Following is a recent running interview with Dale

T: How long have you been running?

D: I started running about a year ago at the Alzheimer's aid race, which was my first 5k, as well as the first time I had run more than 3 miles since high school.

T: What is your favorite thing about running?

D: I enjoy running because it gives me a chance to disconnect from everything. I can just concentrate on my breathing and finishing the next mile.

T: Favorite race?

D: My favorite race thus far has been the Buzz Oats No Excuses 5K because it was a nice track and my fastest race yet.

T: Favorite distance?

D: 5K races are my favorite so far because they allow me to track my progress and force me to push harder on the next race. However finishing my first half marathon was an exhilarating experience since it was the farthest I had ever run.

T: Best place to train?

D: For long distance I love to run by the river either starting out in Folsom or at the Howe Bridge; and my shorter runs are almost always at McKinley park.

T: What inspires you to keep running?

D: Pushing myself to run farther and faster keeps me inspired because I always want to set a higher goal for myself.

T: What are some of the things you do to abate the boredom of a long run?

D: I usually don't run with any music so I tend to just get lost in my surroundings.

T: What are your goals and what are you currently training for?

D: I am currently training for the Cowtown half marathon, which I hope to complete in under an hour and a half. My goal by the time I complete it is to not be so sore for the next 3 days as I was on the completion of my first half marathon.

T: What do you enjoy the most about being a part of Team Lucca?

D: I love that Team Lucca got me started running because I had wanted to start long ago, but never found the motivation. It's nice to just be a part of the team dynamic and have people who root for you, that you can root for, and who hold you accountable for your training.

T: If and when you run to music what are two great songs you like to run too?

D: Anything by Regina Spektor or Imogen Heap gets me really pumped up when I exercise. Cyndi Lauper "Into the nightlife" is still one of my very favorite songs to get me through hitting a wall on a run.

Dale will be leading the team on Sunday morning, September 13th for the Sacramento Valley Aids Run/Walk. Come join us for this 8:30 am race starting at the west steps of the Capitol.