Friday Spotlight: IamShartacus
##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've got to keep this intro short because the boss is already on my tail about getting some work done. Today's featured runner isn't a name you see often around here but that's quite alright because he's got a list of accomplishments a mile long that even I'm a bit envious of. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you... u/IamShartacus!
Let's do this...
###The Runner:
First Name?
Ryan
Age?
30
Where are you from?
New Jersey
Occupation?
Research Physicist
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
1mi 5:51
5K 19:47
10K 42:44
26.2 3:17:09
50M 7:44:39
100M 19:39:50
What is your distance PR?
102 mi at Grindstone
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
122 mi in a race week
79 mi without a race
What’s your comfy pace?
8:30/mi
How long have you been running?
A little over 4 years
Tell us why you began running?
I was getting fat and unhappy in grad school. I played ultimate frisbee as an undergrad, but I ran out of eligibility and wasn't able to fit practices and tournaments into my schedule any more.
Some friends of mine got me into Tough Mudders, and my in-laws introduced me to hiking and road racing. My endurance was crap, but I was intrigued. In 2013, I decided I was going to run 1,000 miles for the year because it sounded like a nice round number that was still achievable. I guess my addiction progressed from there.
Most memorable running moment?
Finishing my first 100 miler and sobbing into my wife's shoulder in front of my family and friends.
Do you have a running mantra?
Suffer faster.
(i.e., if it hurts to go slow and it hurts to go fast, then go fast)
What time of day do you prefer to run?
After work, usually 7pm-9pm. All day on the weekends if possible.
Any big races coming up?
I race a lot. Here are the highlights:
4/15 Breakneck Point Marathon
4/30 NJ Marathon
5/13 North Face Bear Mountain 50M
6/17 Manitou's Revenge 50M
7/15 Vermont 100
10/8 Grindstone 100
What are your short-term running goals?
I'm totally scattered when it comes to running goals. As Sage Canaday says, any surface, any distance. Here's a general idea.
3:10 at NJ Marathon
Sub-20hr at Vermont 100
Sub-40min at any 10K
What are your long-term running goals?
Finish Western States 100 and Hardrock 100
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Start sooner in life! It turns out you enjoy this crazy ass sport.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
My VO2 max is pretty lackluster. It's not a huge concern in ultras since there's so much more strategy involved, but I really want to pick up some speed in my current training cycle.
What is your current shoe choice?
Altra Instincts on roads
Altra Lone Peaks on trails
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Trail if possible, but most of my training is on roads. The weather has to be truly apocalyptic for me to use a treadmill.
What is your ideal running weather?
To run fast: 50^o F and cloudy, maybe some light rain
To win a race: The worse the weather, the better I'll do.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Instagram @ry_runs
Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/10027961
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
The majestic mountain goat
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
Ultimate frisbee, hiking, camping, kayaking, rock climbing
Do you have any hidden talents?
I have really hairy feet. Does that count?
Biggest pet peeve?
Slow drivers in the left lane of the highway
Dream job! What would it be?
Mythbuster
Favorite Quote or Poem?
I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
-Kurt Vonnegut
What is your favorite movie?
I don't really have a favorite. Fury Road was cool. I also have a penchant for lying on the couch and watching crappy action movies after long races.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I really really like sleeping in super late
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Believer by Imagine Dragons
Human by Rag'n'Bone Man
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
/r/nba
r/nfl
r/ultimate
r/NationalPark
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
Oh man... Surprisingly enough, my username predates my running days. I used to play this electronic version of Risk, and I would always use Shartacus as my user name (he was, of course, the most feared Roman gladiator). So when I signed up for Reddit on a whim, I essentially used the same name.
Nowadays my feelings on my user name are a mixture of regret and amusement whenever I hear someone say "I signed up for such-and-such race because of IamShartacus's race report."
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and enjoy the miles.
####Thanks for reading everyone!
#Please tag u/IamShartacus when asking a question in this thread.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Mar 3, 2017, 12:49 PM UTC · edited