Friday Spotlight: Kinsibit
It's Friday again and that means it's time for another spotlight interview with a familiar name with some speedy times. Let's get to know a little bit more about our fellow Australian runner 'from down unda' Kinsibit. Before getting started, all of you in the land of Freedom Units is going to probably need THIS.
Let's not forget that as of when this thread is posted in the AM for most of us, it's PM and nighty-night time for Kinsibit so just be aware of the time difference when expecting speedy replies. Now...
Let's get rolling!
Who's Kinsibit?
First Name?
Alex
Age?
Where are you from?
Brisbane, Australia
Occupation?
Operations Planner
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5K: 18:55
10K: 40:37 (Tempo run in April 2015)
Half Marathon: 1:28:54 (Melbourne Marathon - unofficial splits)
Marathon: 3:00:13 (Melbourne Marathon)
How long have you been running?
I've been running since August 2014, so just under 18 months.
Briefly explain why you began running?
For years I kept on saying that I wanted to enter and run Brisbane's Bridge to Brisbane. August 2014 was the year that I actually had the guts to sign up and train for it. I ran the race on September 7th and absolutely loved the experience. From that moment forth I was a runner, and I've been enjoying it ever since.
Most memorable running moment?
Kilometres 26-35 in the Melbourne Marathon would probably come down as my most memorable running moment. I'd caught up to and was running with the 3:00 pace group and was performing much better than I expected to. All I could think about was how much I was enjoying the race and that I absolutely love running. I was experiencing "Runners high".
As a cricket fan, there's also something quite special about running into the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Do you have a running mantra?
I don't. I tend to zone out while I'm running and time seems to fly by.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
120kms
What time of day do you prefer to run?
I prefer to run in the evening/night, but there are a number of factors at the moment that drive me towards running in the morning (Heat, afternoon storms, riding home from work and snakes).
Any big races coming up?
Twilight Run - 10K on the 20th on March
Canberra Marathon - 10th April
What are your short-term running goals?
Break 3 hours in the marathon and 39 in the 10K.
What are your long-term running goals?
<2:30 marathon.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Don't be self-conscious about your weight and lack of fitness. Look up C25K and try and run at an easy/comfortable pace. If you're consistent with your training it will get easier.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Running fast. I've done very few interval sessions in my 18 months of running. The only time I really do them is in the latter stages of a marathon plan. I did 4x600m earlier in the week and I felt quite uncomfortable throughout.
I did a couple of interval sessions in the weeks leading up to the Melbourne Marathon in October 2015, but prior to the my last interval session would've been in the middle of July. They're few and far between and I know if I gave myself a chance I would perform a lot better.
What is your current shoe choice?
Hoka One One - Clifton 2
Brooks - GTS Adrenaline, Transcend 2, Vapor
Asics - Gel Kayano
Saucony - Hurricane
... Sorry
What’s your comfy pace?
4:40-5:00/km
Trail? Road? Or Treadmill?
Road
What is your ideal running weather?
15-20 degrees celsius. That's 59 to 68 in freedom units. I would rather run in warmer weather this than colder. Though 34C and 80-90% humidity is a lot less appealing (thanks Brisbane).
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
If I were an animal I would love to be a wolf. I loved reading about Fitz and Nighteyes in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy (great author and would recommend her work). They're fast, have excellent endurance and love chasing down their prey. In a race I love chasing people and treating them like rabbits.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I'm a bit of a video gamer. In the past I've played both World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 at a high level. Reaching 2700 mmr as a resto druid on wow and grandmaster on Starcraft 2 as a zerg across multiple seasons.
Do you have any hidden talents?
But if I told you... they wouldn't be hidden anymore? I can frighten people by bending my thumbs 90 degrees backwards. I can also make a rather nice "claw" with my left hand by locking my joints. It tends to freak people out...
Biggest pet peeve?
People that walk in the middle of the footpath. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STICK TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE? And groups of people that walk four or five abreast and refuse to move. I hate those guys.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Australian classics like I Am Australian, Waltzing Matilda and Along The Road To Gundagai.
... Just kidding :) At the moment I mostly listen to Taylor Swift and Rachel Platten. I'm pretty obsessed with Rachel's album "Wildfire".
###One Final Question:
What is the origin of your username?
I lack originality when it comes to creating usernames. Like my last alias "Zyldra", Kinsibit was created from a random name generator.
Hope everyone enjoyed learning a bit more from our first Spotlight runner located outside the United States. Fist bump to Kinsibit for allowing us to learn a bit more about him. Also, please tag u/Kinsibit's username when personally asking him a question, all responses come to my inbox and if you've not tagged him personally, he has to search each comment one by one which can be a daunting task at times when there's a lot of traffic. Please don't forget that Kinsibit might be away tending to he shrimp on the barbie so be patient in allowing him time to respond. Again, it is nighttime over there as of when this thread is posted so please keep him up as long as possible answering questions!
####Thanks for reading!!!!!
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Jan 29, 2016, 12:44 PM UTC