Friday Spotlight: Brunchweasel
This week, the British invasion continues as we learn a bit more about a name we've all probably seen popping in and out of the sub often. I've been excited to share with everyone the things I've learned by doing this spotlight. I'll keep it short so we can get to the good stuff. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you..../u/brunchweasel
###The Runner:
First Name?
Ellie
Age? 25
Where are you from?
Nottingham, England
Occupation?
Translator
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5 miles: 45:51 (May 2015 and my first ever race)
10k: 54:32 (July 2015)
Half marathon: 1:55:40 (September 2015 – down from 2:13 in June 2015)
How long have you been running?
Just over a year now! I started in earnest in mid-February 2015.
Briefly explain why you began running?
A few months before I started running, a friend encouraged me to join the gym. I was enjoying getting fitter, but every time I went on the treadmill I could feel my soul being sucked out of my body and I was sure running just wasn't for me. Then one evening, I was watching an early episode of Star Trek: TNG, the one where they go to a utopian planet where everyone wears slutty pillowcases and has big hair. Google tells me the episode is called “Justice”. Image search it at your peril. Anyway, upon landing on this planet, the crew of the Enterprise is encouraged to jog with its inhabitants, and off they all trotted down the path. I felt deeply dismayed by the fact that even Ryker could jog further than me, and I made it my mission to learn to run for long enough that if I were ever called upon to be an extra in a sci-fi show, I would pull it off with aplomb and not be shown up by bloody Beardless Ryker, of all people. It soon got out of hand and before I knew it, I was signed up for a half marathon.
Most memorable running moment?
Probably my first long, solo trail run on an unseasonably cold day in June last year. It was my longest run to date at that point, coming in at 15 miles. There was a point about half-way through that endeavour where I was being absolutely battered by the wind, one of my legs was caked in mud and I only had a vague idea of my route from that point onwards. And I was loving it. Curlews were circling just overhead and the view was spectacular. (Near Buxton, in the Peak District - photo from a warmer, sunnier day). I'd hiked in the area several times with Mr. Weasel, but when I was running I was enjoying the complete and blissful solitude.
Do you have a running mantra?
Not really, although if I'm dragging my feet a bit towards the end of a run I'll divide the remaining distance into small chunks, tell myself “anyone can run [x] miles/km”, and repeat until I'm done.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
A mere 36 miles, although I should beat that this week. I know, I'm a filthy hobbyjogger who doesn't deserve nice things.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
I usually run in the evening after work, which I find infinitely preferable to getting up early. I'm far too sluggish in the morning. I actually like to run late morning/early afternoon but I normally only get to do that at the weekend and in reality I try to avoid it as there are just too many people around at that time of day.
Any big races coming up?
The Hamburg marathon on 17th April! It's my first marathon. I'd entered the ballot for the London marathon but unsurprisingly I didn't get in. I really like Hamburg though, and picking a city that I know relatively well for my first destination race has definitely alleviated some of the stress. I have some other things lined up for this year (including my first ultra in September, 40 miles through my stomping grounds in the Peak District), but it's hard to think about anything except the marathon at the moment.
What are your short-term running goals?
Get to the start of the marathon uninjured and in good shape, and finish it strong! Marathon training has definitely dealt my ego a much-needed blow. I was riding the noob gains train most of last year but training through the winter while grappling with injury, illness and moving house has been tough. But I've thrown all time expectations out of the window and I'm just going to try and keep it steady and enjoy myself.
What are your long-term running goals?
I like to have one really dumb, outlandish, unachievable goal to keep me sharp. I'd love a stab at the Barkley Marathons one day. I read an article about the race not long after I started running, and realised I definitely fell in the “that speaks to me on a fundamental level” camp as opposed to the “not in a million years, those guys are clinically insane” camp. It's more of a symbolic goal than anything; I think really I'm just chasing that feeling I get when it's just me and all of nature. I want that feeling more often, I want it to be more intense and all-encompassing. I've also already lost both of my big toenails so I've got nothing more to lose.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
I don't think younger me would believe anything that present-day me had to say! I was literally dead last in every single running activity at school, always. I had so little athletic prowess that all my sports teachers hated me. Yet as far back as I can remember, I always had this fascination with marathons in particular. When I was a kid I thought that running a marathon was the most amazing physical feat anyone could achieve. So I suppose I'd like to tell past me that life is funny and you never know what will happen, and to pay all those mean kids no heed because one day physical activity will be the main source of happiness in your life as opposed to the main source of misery.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Consistency! When I look at each month as a whole I do OK, but my mileage can vary wildly from week to week. I always chalk it up to external factors but really I just have to be more disciplined and sort it out.
What is your current shoe choice?
I'm running in Saucony Guide 8s, which are actually the only shoe I've ever bought. I'm planning on visiting the hallowed Local Running Store this weekend though, as my current pair are nearly dead and I'm probably not as catastrophically wobbly a runner as I was when I first got the Guides fitted.
What’s your comfy pace?
It looks like it's around 9:30 min/mile, according to my Garmin data.
Trail? Road? Or Treadmill?
Trail if I can get it! But I do like the cheap thrill of a good road race too. Mmm, all that Lycra.
What is your ideal running weather?
Definitely on the cold side. I've always been far, far happier in winter than in summer, because I am terrible at dealing with the heat. Although I must admit, I'm really looking forward to running in the daylight again.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Here's my Strava!
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
That would have to be Cecil, my performance-enhancing dinosaur. Here he is whispering words of encouragement to me before the Great North Run last September.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I love hiking, bird watching (don't judge me; birds are better than you), visiting nature reserves and boring people with dinosaur facts. I also love to cook, and I want to go on Masterchef one day so I can meet Michel Roux Jr and talk to him about marathons.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Not so much a talent as a peculiarity, but I have a very mild form of sort-of synaesthesia where numbers and days of the week have colours, and numbers in particular sort of have a “feeling” to them as well. Sadly this doesn't make me good at anything useful, like mental arithmetic, but I can memorise strings of numbers relatively easily.
Biggest pet peeve?
People who chew loudly. Even thinking about it makes my eyes water.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Lots of epic black metal that sounds like it has been spewed forth from an ancient abyss. The Great Old Ones, Abyssal and Der Weg Einer Freiheit in particular. THAT'S RIGHT, EVEN MY MUSIC TASTE IS REALLY WEIRD.
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
My usual internet handle was taken so I used the name of a beer I'm quite fond of. You'll also be pleased to hear that I do indeed like brunch and weasels.
I think Brunchweasel is definitely someone I could hang out with! Black Metal & Dinosaurs are right up my alley! Not to mention her interest in the Barkley. That's gonna be it for today folks. I hope you guys and gals enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Ellie as much as I did. As usual, please tag u/brunchweasel 's username when personally asking her a question. All responses come to my inbox and if you've not tagged her personally, she has to search each comment one by one (which I'm sure she'll do anyways) which can be a daunting task at times when there's a lot of traffic. Please don't forget that Brunchweasel might be busy headbanging to Abyssal and memorizing the color of numbers in the days of the week so be patient in allowing her time to respond while she works on her superpower!
####Thanks for reading!!!!
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
ATTENTION READERS!
I've been getting messages weekly from a lot of people asking to be featured in the Friday Spotlight Thread. My response to them is the same every time. I do not get to personally choose who is chosen for each thread. With exception to Palindrome27 (which I randomly chose to get this started), every runner thus far has been selected by the person before them. It's one of the perks of getting nominated. There is no list of names. No spreadsheet with columns and columns of usernames. Nothing. So for those confused, users like Philpips was chosen by Despoena. Despoena was chosen by Craigster38. So on and so on. You get the idea. Doing it this way eliminates the hassle of having to personally pick someone every week. This keeps me neutral. Some of you have expressed your opinion (via PM) on who's been featured this far claiming that I have only chosen runners who are fast, have been running for a while, or compete in longer distance races. This is simply luck of the draw. There is zero favoritism here. Each featured runner gets to personally pick someone they find interesting. I apply no pressure to the runners to pick a particular skill level of runner. This is the beauty of the process. If you want to be featured, you can up your chances of being chosen by being an active member of the subreddit. Comment as much as possible. Submit quality content. Provide as much as you can as a runner to help keep this community growing and I'm certain your efforts will not go unnoticed. Just keep tuning in and making friends and eventually it'll pay off if you want to be featured. Thank you.
Posted Mar 4, 2016, 12:48 PM UTC · edited