Madison attorney Yanacheck goes the distance

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As Tim Yanacheck approached the finish of the 26.2-mile Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Hurley a few years back, he realized he had a choice.

He saw a fellow racer struggling, an opportunity to race ahead. But Yanacheck, who’d recently undergone hip replacement surgery and was grateful to be back running marathons, opted to encourage his fellow runner and ultimately let the man finish ahead of him.

A much younger running buddy couldn’t believe Yanacheck’s response to the situation. But some day, he will, said Yanacheck, a civil litigator with Bell, Moore & Richter SC, Madison.

Running is about much more than competition for Yanacheck, who said his life changed for the better when he laced up his first pair of tennis shoes at age 11 (his first real running shoes did not come until college and they were a pair of blue kangaroo-skin Adidas spikes).

After five decades, Yanacheck said he’s lost track of how many marathons, ultramarathons, half-Ironman competitions and triathlons he’s completed.

More important to him is that he’s made countless running friends over the years. And he shares his love of the sport with the love of his life, Dr. Ann Heaslett, a psychiatrist at the Mendota Mental Health Institute and an accomplished ultra runner in her own right. They met 13 years ago through their mutual love of running.

Yanacheck used to log more than 100 miles training per week for various endurance events including the Boston Marathon, the Leadville Trail 100, Western States 100 and the 2007 Wisconsin Ironman.

Lately, he’s running just 30 miles per week as he recovers from his second hip replacement. He’s gradually increasing the mileage, however.

Yanacheck’s comeback race, an 8-kilometer race July 4, “felt great,” he said.

“The joints are working perfectly,” he added.

Some people have suggested that too much running has necessitated Yanacheck’s hip replacements.

That’s when his lawyer side kicks in.

Running didn’t cause it,” Yanacheck said. “Some 63-year-olds never got off the couch and they’ve needed hip replacements, too.”

Running relieves stress, he said, and opens his mind.

“Maybe it’s endorphins or clearing your mind of clutter,” he said. “I also sometimes get inspiration on how to solve difficult problems in cases during a run.”

A few years ago, Yanacheck started giving back to the sport by serving as a co-race director for the Kettle Moraine 100 and the Mad City 100k U.S. National Championship. He founded the latter race, which involves running 10 times around the Arboretum in Madison. And, if he’s not running in one of the local races, he’s probably volunteering for it.

Yanacheck said the qualities that help him complete endurance events also help him succeed at trial.

“In ultramarathoning, you’ve got to be patient and persistent, and not impulsive,” he said. “You go with your gut, but you’ve prepared well and you get through it no matter what distractions pop up.”

In addition to adequate preparation, distance running and practicing law are both about seeing the big picture, he said.

“As a defense attorney, the first day or week of the trial is all about the plaintiff. They go first, and they’re carrying the jury with the intensity and humanity of their story. It can be demoralizing, unless you’re confident in your plan and remember that your time will come to put your plan into effect,” he said. “So by the end of your trial, you’ve caught up with and passed the plaintiff. That’s what we do on the defense.”