Sen. Chuck Grassley is committed to staying fit.
The 85-year-old, who is the oldest sitting male senator in Congress, runs 3 miles four days a week, no matter the weather.
“I just wanna get out and do something so I don’t get fat, I guess,” the Iowa Republican told Roll Call.
His running regimen began when he was 65 years old, when he realized that the residents at nursing homes he was visiting did not exercise.
“I wanted to make sure I was in shape so I didn’t get in that position … so I started running,” he said, noting that he prefers to go it alone. “I think I would be performing better if I had a running partner, but I don’t really want a running partner.”
He wakes up at 4 a.m. to get the miles in before he leaves for work at 6 a.m.
Despite his commitment to the routine, he doesn’t particularly enjoy it. “Anybody that says they love to run is lying,” he said.
Grassley is also known occasionally to challenge others to push-up contests. In 2017, the senator faced off against a Bloomberg reporter and a high school student.
