Friday Spotlight: Zazzera
##Note: Our featured athlete will be in and out during this thread as he is working to make cash-monies. Please continue to ask your questions and make comments and he will get to them as soon as he can! Thanks
Happy Friday everyone! I'm once again excited to get today's thread posted because we are featuring yet another member of the 2016 Black Mountain Monster family. I've had the opportunity to get to know today's Spotlight athlete and his wife and I couldn't be happier that I got to finally interview him this week. He's one of the people in this sub that I personally look up to because he's got the kind of vibe that he's a genuine, good quality person and he's got some pretty sweet tattoos too! But enough about that, let's get this ball rolling shall we? Ladies and gentlemen... u/Zazzera!
Let's do this!
###The Runner:
First Name?
Dan
Age?
37
Where are you from?
Western NY
Occupation?
College Lecturer
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5k 21:29
15k 1:17:xx
Duathlon: 1:37:58
25m 3:54:xx
50m 10:20:20
What is your distance PR?
50 miles.
I hit 100k at a 24-hour race, but I also took a nap during it. That seems like cheating.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
66 miles
What’s your comfy pace?
Somewhere around 9:00 or 9:15 minute miles right now.
How long have you been running?
2 years-ish
Tell us why you began running?
Because my wife started and seemed to enjoy it. Turns out I like it, too.
Most memorable running moment?
Late last fall, out on a back road, the batteries died in my headlamp about 6 miles into a long run and an hour before sunrise. Running in the dark was far nicer than I expected it to be.
Do you have a running mantra?
No mantra. I just try to smile.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
Sunrise or sunset
Any big races coming up?
I have an awesome race year coming up! 12 hour in May, 40 miler in June, and the Barkley Fall Classic in September.
What are your short-term running goals?
Stay healthy this year.
Get back to 40mpw and stay there for awhile.
Run to Pennsylvania from my house. It’s just about 30 miles away and seems like a worthy challenge
What are your long-term running goals?
I’m looking at a 100 miler in late 2018 and seriously thinking about Vol State for 2020.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
“You should start running (and get your PhD, too).” Or maybe, “You should get a job at a running store instead of the bar.”
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
I keep overtraining to the point of injury. I only got 6 good months in last year. I mean, wtf?! It’s really frustrating and put me in a pretty bad mental space this last time around. I need to get much, much better about listening to my body.
What is your current shoe choice?
Lately I’ve been alternating between my Kinvara 6 and Pegasus 31.
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Treadmill in the winter because it’s dark and snowy. Road because there are no trails near our house. Trail whenever I have the time to get to one. I very rarely get to a track.
What is your ideal running weather?
Cool summer day with a nice breeze.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
Beaver. They’re industrious little fuckers.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
Woodworking, canoeing, camping, reading.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I have a fantastic memory for stuff like conversations, who said what, where we were, etc. I remember it all with ease. When I read, I can remember where certain passages are on the page and approximately where in the book, too. Birthdays, ages, and names though? No recollection whatsoever.
Biggest pet peeve?
People that don’t try. People that are oblivious to the rest of the world. Hearing people eat.
Dream job! What would it be?
So this is really specific: I want to have a small farm that sells produce through a local CSA and build “rustic” furniture and housewares to make ends meet. Working toward that dream, by fall I might have enough inventory built up to have a decent craft show booth.
Part of this farm dream also entails owning enough land to make a nice trail network. Then we’d be able to host our own ultra right in our backyard!
Favorite Quote or Poem?
I have several favorites. A relevant one that I have tacked above my desk is from Gary Robbins’ race report on last year’s Barkley:
"I feel like I unlocked a door in my mind that led to a room I'd never entered before and in that room existed a near perfect version of myself, devoid of ego, free of judgment, removed from life's minutia, steadfast in purpose, distracted by nothing, heart wide open with a complete inability to overreact to any obstacle that stood in my way. I wish I could be that person more often.” --- Gary Robbins
What is your favorite movie?
The Big Lebowski or Zombieland
What is your biggest character flaw?
I’ve never been good at small talk, so I avoid it. I think people mistake that for me ignoring them.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
I’ve been on a huge Lumineers kick. We’re going to see them soon, and I’m really looking forward to it. Google Play Music has a SoCal Summer channel that’s pretty kick ass, too. It’s all mid-90s Sublime, No Doubt, Blind Melon, Beck, Weezer, etc.
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
I only lurk in non-running subs. I will plug r/empiredidnothingwrong and r/birdswitharms though. They both make me laugh. r/abandonedporn and r/futurology always catch my eye, too.
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
Many years ago we were playing Balderdash with a bunch of friends and the word “zazzera” came up. We all thought it sounded magical, like something a Hogwarts wizard would use to cast a spell. Our definitions were all way off. Instead of unlocking mysterious powers, the game defined it as “the scruffy hair on the back of your neck.” In real life, it’s Italian for “a mop of hair.” I’ve been using it as my screen name off and on since then, partly because I still think it’s magical sounding, but mostly because it’s a good memory.
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and enjoy the miles.
####Thanks for reading everyone!
#Please tag u/Zazzera when asking a question in this thread.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Feb 17, 2017, 12:58 PM UTC · edited