Tim Faith’s work as the cross-brewing manager for Goose Island has taken him around the globe, ensuring Midway IPA tastes the same whether it’s made in Chicago or South Korea. But he’s rooted — literally — in Pilsen, where he raises chickens and grows most of his own food. Here’s how the 31-year-old marathoner balances his hop-heavy life with good health.

Training routine

“I ran track and cross-country at Augustana College. I’ve set most of my personal-best times after graduation, which is cool, especially with beer being a central part of my lifestyle. I run five or six days a week, 40 to 45 miles total. I’m trading beer for coaching from Dan Walters of DWRunning. He has me do a longer run on the weekend, a harder run midweek, and then a few days easy.”

Active commute

“Eighty percent of my runs are to and from work. It’s two and a half miles, but I have routes from four to 12 miles. It comes down to planning, making my meals on Sundays, and biking into work with food and clothes for the week.”

Auxiliary activity

“When I’m traveling, I bring a resistance band and a Nalgene water bottle for rolling my legs out. I have the same stuff at Goose and also a pull-up bar. I use that to do pull-ups, planks, and leg swings. I do three sets of 15 single-leg squats daily for mobility, stability, and injury prevention.”

Balancing act

“This year, my goal is to do more slacklining. You take one of those fastening straps you see on the back of pickup trucks carrying large loads and string it between two trees — like tightrope walking, but easier. It works your balance and your lateral muscles. Every time I go back to it, I’m sore for a couple days in weird places.”

Eating plan

“We always have 10- or 20-pound bags of rice and beans. Every week I make a two-gallon pot. I layer it in jars with veggies, and that’s my lunch. You know it’s healthy because it’s glowing with a variety of colors. Breakfast is either oatmeal with honey and peanut butter or an omelet with as many greens as I can fit into the pan. We make dinner from whatever’s in the fridge. I avoid sugar at all costs — no dessert, not much fruit, just the occasional gel on a long run. I get all the sugar I need from beer.”

Urban agriculture

“I trade my neighbor beer for use of his lot; he just asks that I maintain it. We grow arugula, bok choy, kale, Swiss chard, and tomatoes and rotate squash — summer squash, zucchini, butternut squash, pumpkin. I have a whole bed of garlic planted. Our chickens give us about three eggs a day, which is really nice, especially right now.”

Drinking strategy

“This year, I did Dry January. I didn’t even participate in tasting panels at work. I found there’s a huge correlation between not drinking and sleeping deeply. I go through one to three French presses of green tea every morning. Green tea has anti-inflammatories and caffeine, and it boosts your metabolism. In this industry, it’s easy to fall into a slippery slope toward a beer belly.”