Friday Spotlight: Edge767
It's finally Friday and to make things even better this is our 50th Spotlight!! What better way to hit such a milestone then to start with a runner who's only getting started himself. When this person was nominated I had to do a bit of stalking to see if I'd interacted with them before because the username wasn't ringing a bell. Now, after this interview, I can say that today's featured athlete is totally a member of the r/running community and rightfully so. Getting to it, let me introduce the newest Friday Spotlight runner.... u/Edge767
Let's do this!
The Runner:
First Name?
E.J.
Age?
49
Where are you from?
Spring, TX
Occupation?
Technical Writer
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
My two-mile PR is right at 19 minutes. I know I can do better; I'm working on that.
What is your distance PR?
So far, 4.1 miles.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
12 miles
What’s your comfy pace?
Around the 10 minute/mile mark. I've run as fast as 8:58 for a first half mile and I've run 9:30's for two miles, but I was running hard for those. The 10 minute/mile pace feels like coasting on a bike for me.
How long have you been running?
Since September 10th of this year.
Tell us why you began running?
For a few reasons. First, I'm a former Marine, and I'm going into the National Guard. I wanted to make sure I was as fit as possible prior to swearing in. I don't want to be the old guy that makes the formation have to turn around and pick him up. Second, as I lost over 100 lbs, I found that my leg muscles were pretty strong and I wanted to not just get thin, but to get fit. I figured running would help toward that end.
Most memorable running moment?
The day I ran 4.1 miles and felt like I could have kept going for another mile or two. I felt no pain, no burn, not out of breath or any discomfort. It felt amazing, and I knew that I had reached a new level in my running that could allow it to be enjoyable.
Do you have a running mantra?
I would say that it's perseverance. Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
I wake up daily at 5 am for my runs. I love it when it's dark and cooler. The world still appears asleep while I'm getting more distance on my shoes by 5:45 am than most people will get walking all day. Feels good.
Any big races coming up?
My first: a charity 5k/10k in the second week of December. I'm looking forward to it! After that, I'll be signing up for more.
What are your short-term running goals?
To increase my speed/distance.
What are your long-term running goals?
To be able to do my runs 5-6 times a week and to be comfortable while doing them. I'm not looking to be a speed demon or a distance runner, but I want to be able to do 4-5 miles a day comfortably.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Never stop. Keep doing it. I ran in the Marines and quit running when I left the Corps. I should have kept running. I never would have gained weight and gotten so far out of shape.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Not getting so lost in thought that I let my pace settle down to a slow run. Sometimes I "come to" and find myself at a really slow and easy pace. I kick it back into gear while kicking myself for wasting the time.
What is your current shoe choice?
Brooks Glycerin 9's. They are old because I bought them years ago intending to do some walking and never did. They sat in my bedroom taunting me for years until I started running this past September. They may be old in age, but they are very new in wear. I'm definitely putting them to good use now!
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Road and sidewalks that are trails around lakes in our neighborhood. Mostly the roadways, though, as I run cul-de-sacs to maximize the distance within the space available to me.
What is your ideal running weather?
This morning was great: 61 degrees and not humid. I prefer cooler weather (but not cold!). In Texas where I live, it gets really hot and nasty in the summertime. I am loving this cooler weather and will enjoy it until it gets hot again next spring.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Sure. I have a Facebook page at facebook.com/paleomarine and Twitter at @ThePaleoMarine
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
lol I'd have to say a reluctant old war horse. It's hard to get started, but once going, good luck stopping.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
Too many. Flying RC planes, shooting, playing bass in a band (with my wife and daughter), playing computer games, and helping people get healthy.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I play the saxophone and I am fluent in Hungarian.
Biggest pet peeve?
People saying that weight loss and good health can only be achieved through lots and lots of exercise.
Dream job! What would it be?
Helping people get healthy.
Favorite Quote or Poem?
"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." -Herman Melville
For favorite poem is Invictus by William Ernest Henley
What is your favorite movie?
Master and Commander always gets me to sit down and watch it when I catch it on TV. Clerks II is highly underrated; I love it.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I am known to get too focused, to the point of annoying my wife. It has benefits (my 100 lbs weight loss in a year, building up my running distance and pace) but it can be harmful. I've had to really pace myself to not go too hard too fast with running. Every other time I've tried to start, I've ended up getting injured and not running for weeks or months afterward due to the injuries. This time, I seem to have found a good starting pace to go with. I still struggle with aggressive goals, but with running, I have been working to stick with my go-slow-first plan.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
This is a playlist I made that I've been listening to a lot.
https://play.spotify.com/user/ehunyadi/playlist/0fZ5t4rycVuA0qnntt4vGx
And this is my running playlist right now:
https://play.spotify.com/user/ehunyadi/playlist/4pB2TOywjDYvS8pFhsVwxH
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
r/progresspics, r/paleo, r/whole30, r/silverbugs, r/elitedangerous, r/xcom, r/diablo
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
My dad began calling me "Edge" when I was given the nickname "E.J." in high school and the 767 is my month/year of birth. Nothing great or original, but it seems to work as nobody ever has Edge767 on anything I need a username for.
I am really humbled that Edge767 shared with us his journey so early in his running game. All too often the Spotlight shines on someone who's been a lifelong runner, or a person who's got insane PR's, or a person who's done ridiculous distances. It's exciting to me to feature such a fresh face because we get to see how his evolution as a runner unfolds from the beginning. Losing all that weight and straightening out his diet, I can tell that our highlighted athlete is going to continue on to do great things because of his perseverance, perseverance ,perseverance! Thank you Edge for taking the time to let us in on what makes you tick and thank you for being a member of the r/running family.
####Thanks for reading everyone!!!
#As usual please tag u/Edge767'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:
| 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 | El_day2 | YourShoesUntied | Jeade-en | Kyle-Kranz |
| ItsReallyReallyTrue | Jangle_Bo_Jingles | RichieClare | sloworfast | RobotPettingZoo |
| Runwichi | Smruttkay | Sacamato | Kibitzor | Edge767 |
| ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? |
| ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? |
| ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? | ???????????? |
Posted Nov 4, 2016, 11:50 AM UTC · edited