Friday Spotlight: Flocculus
Call the doctor because we've got a pretty sick one this week. I've been waiting a while to do this Spotlight because today's featured athlete is always one of those frequenters who seems to be active in both real life and around the subreddit. Definitely one of my favorite people to follow that's for sure! Let's keep this short and sweet because we've got to get educated here. Ladies and gentlemen... u/flocculus!
Let's roll!
###The Runner:
First Name?
Lauren
Age?
30
Where are you from?
Massachusetts
Occupation?
Postdoc-turned-high school science teacher (I start this coming school year!)
The Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5K: 22:10
10K: 48:46
HM: 1:48:09
They all need to be fixed! The 5K is least soft but I still think I could do better.
What is your distance PR?
27 miles
How long have you been running?
A little over 4 years
Tell us why you began running?
I was sick of feeling fat and squishy and tired all the time; I was very active in high school and college and had gotten quite sedentary after having a kid and starting grad school. I had tried to like running in the past but it never stuck, gave it one more try and ended up loving it!
Most memorable running moment?
I have so many! Probably finishing my first half marathon. I really thought I was going to die somewhere around mile 10, but my last mile ended up being my fastest by a huge margin and I came in nearly 2 minutes under my goal.
Do you have a running mantra?
During races or tough training runs: "how badly do you want this?"; new one just for trails: "don't fall! don't die!"
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
57.5 miles last week! Onward and upward - I'm supposed to peak around 60 for the marathon and hold that for 5 weeks D:
What time of day do you prefer to run?
Early morning, just as the sun is coming up
Any big races coming up?
Yes - Baystate Marathon on October 16
What are your short-term running goals?
A goal for my marathon is to BQ (<3:35 as an under-34 lady), B goal is <3:45; once I'm recovered, I'd like to race another 10K (I unofficially beat that PR on a tempo run this week so I know weather and hills were a huge factor in the race) and a 5K before winter hits the Northeast.
What are your long-term running goals?
Maybe NYC qualifying marathon (<3:15); sub-20 5K, for sure. And to still be able to run when I'm an old lady!
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Don't be stubborn about pace and injury - if you're hurting take some time off, if your easy run pace is >11:00, who the hell cares as long as you're still able to run!
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Currently working on: not running through injury/backing off when I'm feeling beat up; doing more cross-training; stretching and foam rolling on a regular basis.
What is your current shoe choice?
... too many. Asics DS Trainer and Mizuno Wave Rider as my "workhorse" shoes, Adidas Tempo and Mizuno Wave Catalyst and Brooks Launch as my lighter/workout shoes, Asics DS Racer is my shorter-distance race shoe, and Brooks Ghost is my heavy cushiony recovery shoe.
What’s your comfy pace?
9:30-10:30 or so - depends on how tired and worn-out I am from workouts and whatnot. Picks up closer to 9:00 when I'm not training for anything.
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
ROAD.
What is your ideal running weather?
50 and overcast, preferably with a light drizzle of rain (but no more than that).
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
I'm easily found on the Facebook group; Strava
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
CAT. I love sleeping and eating. I hate being wet (with the notable exception of running in light rain if the weather is right). I like to go out and run real fast occasionally, but I prefer to come right back in and sleep again after that. I like to interact with people right up until I don't, and then I'll leave abruptly.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
Not too many at the moment. I used to ride and show horses and I'd love to get back to that someday, but from a time/financial standpoint it's not possible right now. I make a lot of bad jokes and puns, if that counts, haha. I like craft beer but am enjoying less of it these days with marathon training in full swing. Naps! I am a nap connoisseur.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Nothing that's really hidden, haha. I'm a huge karaoke fan. I'm not all that talented but I can tell when my pitch and tone are off, so that's something.
Biggest pet peeve?
People who drive slowly in front of me on the highway and then speed up when I get an opportunity to pass them and then slow down again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU. Also people who can't put away their shopping carts and just leave them all over the parking lot.
Favorite Quote or Poem?
Ooh that's tough... Right at this particular moment, Ron Swanson: "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." I'm in the middle of half-assing a couple things in my last month in the lab (limited time and I can't prioritize to save my life when it comes to work) and I hate it so much.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I am the least patient person in the entire world and I'm wildly forgetful.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Hamilton! Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop The Feeling is my summer jam. The new Blink-182 album. Stupid-music-snob high school flocculus would be shaking her head right now, haha.
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
/r/oldpeoplefacebook, r/KenM
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
It's my favorite part of the brain to say!
Who would have thought that Flocculus providing us with just two other non-running subreddits would have caused me to waste so much time laughing at them?! Hilarious! Also, the 18 year old cart pusher/retail worker in me, appreciates u/Flocculus's habit of returning carts where they belong. I'm really happy that I got to highlight Flocc's story this week because I've always been curious. Huge thanks to her for helping make this subreddit a kick ass place to hang out!
#Please tag u/flocculus's username when asking her a question in this thread!
If you don't the running Gods will give you incurable shin splints for the rest of your life and you'll die a sad lonely wanna-be hobbyjogger.
If I see that you've failed to tag her after asking her a question, I'll try my best to respond to your question by tagging her myself. So be aware. Tagging her username alerts her that her attention is needed. This way, she doesn't have to sift through all of the comments one by one, which can be a rather daunting task when there is a lot of traffic to the thread. Please don't forget that all of our Friday Spotlight athletes may need time to respond to your comments and questions so give them some time to reply.
####Thanks for reading everyone!!!
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
| Palindrome27 | A-german-muffin | xfkirsten | PepperoniFire | rennuR_liarT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Claus | Brwalkernc | Pinkpiggie | Fobo911 | Kinsibit |
| Jaime_manger | Craigster38 | Despoena | Philpips | Brunchweasel |
| Chickensedan | Skragen | Incster | Freedomweasel | Jennifer1911 |
| RedKryptonite | Zebano | Kevin402can | Punkrock_runner | ProudPatriot07 |
| Once_a_hobby_jogger | Loratliff | 57001 | Borichu | Denovosibi |
| Causticwonder | Dirtybritch | TheRedInTheSky | Aewillia | Judyblumereference |
| Flocculus | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? |
| ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? |
Posted Jul 29, 2016, 11:37 AM UTC