Friday Spotlight: RobotPettingZoo
##[Note: Due to tomorrow's activities the Friday Spotlight thread will be a day early this week. If you are curious, read on to find out more!]
Let's kick the weekend off early and pretend like it's Friday! As you dig in, you'll discover the reason as to why this post is early but don't let that search sway you from reading about today's featured runner. The guy is a speedy little bugger. He's got a great set of PR's and is definitely a person I could run a few miles with. I'm excited to get to it, so let's do it. Ladies and gentlemen... u/RobotPettingZoo
Let's roll...
###The Runner:
First Name?
Matt
Age?
26
Where are you from?
Georgia
Occupation?
Chemist
###The Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5K: 19:19 (Sept. 2016)
10K: 47:30 (July 2015)
15K: 1:06:12 (January 2016)
10 Miler: 1:14:32 (October 2015)
Half Marathon: 1:31:47 (November 2015)
Marathon: 3:13:37 (February 2016)
What is your distance PR?
26.2 miles (42.2 km). With all the 50K and ultra-distance runners around the board though, it’s been tempting to see what all the long distance buzz is about. I have a couple shorter goals and then I’ll check out longer distances.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
96 miles (154 km) (Jan. 11th – Jan 17th 2016). I was between marathons and since it was the winter, I ran every day before work, usually between 10-12 miles (16 – 19 km), and then longer runs on the weekend.
What’s your comfy pace?
Around 8:00/mi (4:58/km)
How long have you been running?
4 years. I started in Summer of 2012
Tell us why you began running?
I don’t remember the particular reason but I think I was just bored. I had a couple semesters left of college and was home for the summer. Instead of interning/CO-OPing/adulting, I stayed at home and enjoyed my last “summer.” I wanted to get out of the house, since Mom works at a school, so she was home all summer. So…, I went running. I kept it up when I returned to college and took a jogging course in Spring 2013, did my first race April 2014 and the rest is history.
I actually pulled up my Endomondo profile (I used that before I joined Strava and r/running) and my first run was June 19th, 2012. 2.29 miles at 8:18/mi (5:10/km). The memories…
Most memorable running moment?
I’ll give two moments but I’ll make it quick!
First would be running the Dallas Marathon in Dec. 2015. When December got here, I had 8 vacation days left (they don’t roll over at work). I found a cheap flight (The jury is still out on Spirit Airlines for me), good hotel, and signed up for the Dallas Marathon. I went down early, toured the city (had an Uber driver warn me that a BBQ place was “in the hood” (still went, 10/10 would go again)), and ran the race Sunday. It lightly rained on and off but it was great. I had no expectations for the race, knew vaguely of the route and how we’d go by White Rock Lake, set a PR, and took it all in. I think just the whole trip and how whimsical it was snags it for me. Dallas does it right.
The other was a couple weeks ago, PR-ing a 5K in my hometown (Well, not where I was born but where I live now). I registered the day of and had, at one time or another, run all of the roads the race was on. I went sub-20 and took the overall winner award. That was just a fun, small race and definitely good to come by after a shin-related issue for some of the Spring/Summer.
Do you have a running mantra?
I wouldn’t say this is a mantra but I really like a phrase I heard on a podcast, which was attributed to Bernard Suits. “Playing a game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” When I heard that, I applied it immediately to exercise
What time of day do you prefer to run?
In the morning. I got a headlight a couple years ago and it’s been one of the better running gear investments I’ve made. I like the sense of accomplishment running before work and also how much more empty the roads are.
Any big races coming up?
As I type this, I’m stretching out/unwinding from my first Half Ironman 70.3 from Sunday (9/25). It was a great experience and I learned a lot. The heat was brutal (90F+/32C+) but it was fun and the first one is in the books. 6:18:XX for the curious.
By the time you (yes, you!) read this, I should hopefully be close to finishing my drive to meet u/YourShoesUntied (LadyShoes too), u/Craigster38, and u/MrsCraigstr38 for our first Ragnar trail Ultra!
After that, I have my Full Ironman in Panama City Nov. 5, the US Election race on Nov. 8 (not a real race but it’ll be interesting to watch the election returns), and the Seattle Marathon Nov. 27. 2017 is already shaping up with the Pittsburgh Marathon May 7th, Chattanooga 70.3 May 21st, and the Chicago Marathon in October (based on my marathon PR in February).
What are your short-term running goals?
Short term, I’d like to ramp back up my running this winter. With triathlon training, I scaled my running back a lot to crosstrain, so I want to get back up to some 50-60 mile weeks. I’d like to go sub 1:30 half marathon. I think my fitness is in a decent spot and if I find the right half marathon in the winter (maybe early 2017), I’d give it a shot.
What are your long-term running goals?
Long-term, I’d like to Boston-qualify (3:05 for my age), sub-3 marathon, and become a 50-stater (complete a marathon in all 50 states). I’ve got five states done already (SC, GA, OR, TX, AL), so that’s definitely a longer term goal.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Trust your training and have fun. On my first few races, I went out very conservative and didn’t really know what I was capable of. My biggest fear was having to walk the end of the race. In hindsight, that’s not the end of the world and it’s just a race. Have fun. I took my first marathon WAY too seriously. You win some and you lose some. Regardless, you should always learn from all of them.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Speedwork and yoga. My speedwork has improved since I started it earlier this year but I could step it up. I used to do yoga once a day last year and then it gradually faded and my yoga mat does not see the attention he deserves. Also, foam rolling. I’ve never done it but it can’t hurt. I read on r/running it is helpful and they can’t post anything online that isn’t true. All-State quoted Abraham Lincoln when they said that.
What is your current shoe choice?
Asics Gel Cumulus 16 (I have two unused pairs waiting in my closet).
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Road, with possibly some track thrown in there (I’m a couple miles from a high school track). I’ll be doing my first set of trail experience this weekend.
What is your ideal running weather?
50F (10C). A little cool when you start and finish but your body warms itself up during the run. Perfect.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Here’s my Strava. I’m in the Facebook group, so you can add me there if you want.
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
A penguin. Penguins are just really cool. They waddle around, they swim amazingly, and they’re always dressed spiffy (unlike me). Plus, the Pittsburgh Penguin pillow pet always has that shock/awe expression.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I like to cook and write. I have a lot of cookbooks, which of course means I print recipes and cook those instead. I wrote a novel in high school and haven’t revisited it since (despite setting that as a resolution each year). I think it’s around 490 pages in Word. It’d need a big overhaul but I had a whole trilogy idea and maybe I’ll self-publish one day. I love reading and listening to podcasts (I listen to A LOT).
Do you have any hidden talents?
I’m a beast at Tetris. I checked and I’m still in the Top 20 All-Time for N-Blox. I used to be in the Top 5 but haven’t touched it in a couple years, so my score has slid down. I like all their variations but N-Blox is no frills, no magic, just Tetris. It’s old school. I also peer-tutored Calculus, so I have six years of Calculus knowledge, if anyone ever needs help.
Biggest pet peeve?
Littering. I almost went with a driving pet peeve, but there’s so much litter on the roads near me. Random bags of trash (normally smashed open so it’s spread across the road), fast food containers, wrappers, beer bottles, etc. If you don’t have time to dispose of it properly, you shouldn’t have gotten it in the first place.
Dream job! What would it be?
I’d be a corporate trainer or educator. I really like teaching, training, and facilitating. I love the light bulb moments and seeing the moment when the material finally makes sense. If I was a corporate trainer, ideally there’d be a little travel, which would mean more places to run!
Favorite Quote or Poem?
This is really obscure. I used to watch Big Brother on CBS. It was All-Stars (Big Brother 14) and they had coaches from previous seasons. Mike Boogie (former winner) returned to be a coach. In one “coaches’ challenge”, they had to transfer “stacks of money” from one end of a beam to another, without stepping off of the beam or dropping any of the stacks. When you finished, you had to press your button before you stepped off the beam. Mike Boogie sets down his last “fat stack”, steps off the beam while saying “Lookin’ like cash money!” and hits his buzzer (which doesn’t work. He lost because he stepped off). The other players laughed at him. Britney (a fellow coach) mocked him in the confessional area, by saying “That was sweet. Right as Boogie is saying one of his stupid catch phrases, he steps off and forgets the rules. What a loser.”
For some reason, I really like the “Lookin’ like cash money” phrases. I’ll say that sometimes after a run or bike, especially if it’s a good run.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I want to see the point of what I’m doing. I don’t want to do work just for work’s sake but to actually understand why I’m doing what I’m doing and the larger context it has. Some people seem confused when I want to know more or ask “Why?”
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Christmas music year-round. Besides that, I have the musical tastes of a teenage girl who doesn’t like boy bands. Lily Allen, Nikki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus (older stuff, plus Wrecking Ball), Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez (old and new stuff), Bridgit Mendler, a little Ashley Tisdale, all the tracks from Hamburger Helper’s mix tape, and Taylor Swift. So, if you have any artists that are similar to those, I’m all ears!
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
I don’t check r/AdvancedRunning as much as I wish I did.
I like r/WritingPrompts and r/Triathlons. r/Steelers and r/SubredditSimulator (best one besides r/running).
One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
When I signed up for Reddit, I wanted to break away from my old username. I wasn’t too big into podcasts, so I was listening to NPR on the radio (I’m single, ladies) and they were discussing a Robot Petting Zoo at SXSW and one of the robots there, Blabdroid. I liked how Robot Petting Zoo sounded. I used it first as the league name for a March Madness group and then I used it for my username. Plus, Blabdroid just looks really cool.
That was a good little session! I'm glad I finally got to learn more about RobotPettingZoo considering I'm meeting the guy tomorrow. It's always nice to read more on the people I interact with daily and when that person is unique it makes it even better. I want to thank Matt for being a good sport and letting me get this post rolling a day early. Makes both of our lives easier.
####Thanks for reading everyone!!!
#As usual please tag u/RobotPettingZoo's username when asking him 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 him after asking him a question, I'll try my best to respond to your question by tagging him myself. So be aware. Tagging his username alerts him that his attention is needed. This way, he 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.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Sep 29, 2016, 11:58 AM UTC · edited