Dave
Next Race: Peachtree 10k
1. Did/do you always find running enjoyable?
I started running on May 26, 2010 as a way to get in better shape. It took a little while for it to click that year, but once it did I’ve never looked back. Every run might not go exactly as planned, but I’m always excited and eager to go on the next one to see what it holds. I love running!
2. What is your favorite distance?
I really like the marathon. I’m not sure that it’s my best distance and I’m totally wiped out when I finish, but I love the challenge of pushing myself to train for and then complete that distance.
3. What do you struggle with most in running?
Staying healthy! It seems like at least every other year I’ve battled broken bones or stress fractures…usually from running too many miles. I’ve worked hard to do more cross training, but I still have the internal struggle balancing my love of miles with being smart and not overdoing it.
4. Do you remember your first 5k, half marathon and/or marathon time?
I still remember my first race…a local 4-mile charity race on August 28, 2010. It was three months after I started running and I finished in 29:06 and near the front of the pack – in a cotton t-shirt, baggy basketball shorts and old gym shoes nonetheless. I was hooked immediately and signed up for the inaugural Emerald City Quarter Marathon that was taking place the next week where I finished 12th overall in 47:47. My first half marathon was a month later in Columbus and I finished in 1:45:36. One year later, I finished the 2011 Columbus Marathon in 3:52:04 despite walking most of the final six miles. I can remember planning how to improve in marathon #2 on my drive home that day.
5. What is your advise for someone looking to improve and/or endurance?
The best way I have found to improve is by throwing in some races that will push you. I don’t enjoy 5Ks, but they force me to run fast and it makes my half and full marathons seem easier so I do them. Running with someone else will also help you run better and the camaraderie will help you tack on miles as you pass the time in conversation. You might even make a best friend along the way.
I have to have my Garmin watch or at least my cell phone with me to track my miles. I try not to get too hung up my paces, etc., but I really like knowing how far I went and also seeing the map. I travel a lot for work and running in new cities is the best way to discover what is there.
7. Ok shoes, do you rotate? If yes, how many in rotation – explain.
I typically have a pair of daily training shoes, an old pair for really wet days, and a racing pair that’s a little lighter and has less miles on them. I go through a pair of daily shoes (either Asics Gel Nimbus or Mizuno Wave Rider) every two months (450ish miles).
8. Do you have a mantra that you use when racing or training?
Determined, tenacious, unstoppable is something that I repeat to myself when the going gets tough. Also, the faster I run, the sooner I’m done.
9. Do you ever feel unmotivated to train? If so, how do you overcome?
I typically don’t have a problem being motivated to train. On a rare day that I might, I remind myself of when I was injured and wished I could run.
Running has given me a love of sunrises, a much healthier lifestyle, some incredible friendships and some adventures in cities that I might never have visited otherwise.
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