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Marc Samuel, DLA Piper, Washington, D.C 

Samuel focuses his practice on private equity and mergers and acquisition transactions, as well as corporate governance, finance and commercial matters.

How often during the week do you work out? Five to six days each week.

At what time during the day or evening do you work out? Morning.

Marc Samuel.

What's your go-to routine? I'm naturally a long-distance runner. However, as a former field goal kicker, for many years I focused on power-lifting and other workouts to improve explosiveness. I played in college and was in training camp with the Buffalo Bills before bouncing around the Arena League.

I even kicked while I was a first-year associate at Cravath. But after a defensive lineman knocked me unconscious in a half-empty arena in Macon, Georgia, while I was the junior on the Lazard IPO, it was time to hang it up!

For many years, I played adult soccer and was a very casual runner. Maybe three to five miles once or twice a week, and only as fast as my dog would allow. Then, I heard an ad on the radio for the 2016 Baltimore half-marathon and something made me go for it—first marathon in 2017 (NYC of course), and NYC again in 2018. Now, five marathons and five Half-Ironman races later, I'm an all-out endurance junkie. I try to get in at least two runs, bike rides, swims and strength sessions a week.

How have you revised your workout during current circumstances? As the designated shopper in my family, I'm following guidance to back off the most demanding and longest workouts, which could compromise my immune system during recovery. I'm also supplementing at-home upper-body work to compensate for no pool access. Otherwise, morning running and cycling as usual. Thank you, Peloton!

How long does your usual workout take? Twenty minutes of high-intensity and a three- to four-hour bike ride on the weekend. As a deal lawyer, I just have to be flexible.

Why do you like this routine? I love the variation. I never swam or cycled, except when I was a kid, so it's been really cool to pick up new activities in my 40s.

What does regular exercise do for you? It's my form of meditation and gives me something to think about totally unrelated to work. It also hopefully sets a good example for my associates because I'm a big believer that you can balance family, friends and outside interests in even the most intense of big law jobs.

How long have you been exercising regularly? Almost four years.

How do you get convince yourself to work out when you don't want to? I don't. I sleep in!