Friday Spotlight: ThePsion
Hey! Hey! It's time for the Friday Spotlight. This week we are featuring a runner who's as entertaining as he is hilarious. This person first got my attention when he started frequenting the Thursday Complaints & Confessions thread. I found I was always laughing and always learning something new every time he posted. I'm so glad that he got nominated which means he also sparked interest in last week's highlighted runner too. Let's get to know more about a fellow athlete. Ladies and gentlemen.... u/ThePsion
###The Runner:
First Name?
Mike
Age?
32
Where are you from?
Pittsburgh: Where fries belong on both sandwiches and salads, every bridge you run is a hill and we’re proud to call Mr. Rogers our neighbor.
Occupation?
Marketing Coordinator at a truck upfitter (we build dump trucks) where I’m a department of one; so marketing, graphic and web design. Previously I ran camps for the Boy Scouts as well as being the only graphic and web designer in-house. I worked 11 summers at camp, living there as well, and worked five years full-time in the office downtown.
The Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5K: 30:32 (race), 27:21 (track) - So close to breaking 30 minutes in a race! Goal for this season!
10K: 1:03:56 (race,) 59:41 (track)
10 Mile: 1:40:50 - My goal was to finish, and my “really stretching and hoping” goal was 1:40:00, so I was really excited with this result!
What is your distance PR?
10 miles
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
What I’m currently running: 20 miles. My last training cycle took me up to 16 miles/week and this one will take me up to 24 miles/week.
What’s your comfy pace?
Usually around 10:30 minute/mile, at least I think. I’m not too concerned about time during this training cycle and I don’t have a GPS watch or anything like that; I’m mostly focused on just finishing and reaching my next distance goals. I like to pride myself, even in races, of running very consistently. So even with hills, snow or rain, I just keep chugging along.
How long have you been running?
Since 2012
Tell us why you began running?
My best friend was getting ready to take his exams to join the county police and I offered to train at the same time so we could commiserate. He’s always been much more athletically inclined, but running was his weak point. He ended up passing the exam, although due to retirement timing and whatnot, never got to join the force, and I just kept training. I made a promise to run the Pittsburgh 5K so I was stuck.
Prior to that, I had backed a project on Kickstarter called “Zombies, Run!” Well, that was a bit too ambitious for me, so I started with their companion app, “Zombies 5K” and did the C25K program before diving into the world of ZR. Now, after five seasons and three virtual races, I’m completely hooked on the story. I’m totally addicted and have been out there crying as I run because Sam needs me to come back to Abel Township! The top-notch writing and voice acting keeps me coming back for more, these are totally my stories (since I have no soap opera to watch). Also, it’s worth pointing out, talking with the head writer, she is very conscious of the horror movie tropes of killing off minority characters for the sake of advancing the stories of straight, cis-gendered, white men and women, and she avoids that. Deaths happen in the (fictional) zombie apocalypse, but they mean something in the ZR world, and I’m very appreciative of the fact that so many people of all walks (and those unable to walk) are represented as fully fledged and engrossing characters, not just cannon fodder.
I keep running for two different reasons. One, as mentioned, I’m totally addicted to the Zombies, Run storyline. Season six starts this spring, and I can’t wait. I also run to help manage my depression. I have a form of chronic depression and I’m one of those people who will probably always be in therapy, but that, combined with running, is a good mix for me. Medications are so difficult to pin down, and the process of guessing and checking (each medication, dosage and waiting for it to start working) actually took me down some really dark paths, and once I finally found one that worked for me, the side effects were pretty nasty. I get antsy if I go too long between therapy sessions, and the same applies for running (just a much shorter time frame), so that also helps to keeps me running; it’s my “me-time” where I can block out the world, and my mind will work out problems, usually unbeknownst to me.
Most memorable running moment?
One of my bosses is also a huge Penguins fan, so he signed up for the Mario Lemieux 6.6K. I had run it before, but it was a lot of fun listening to his stories about training and then the race itself. We lost each other in the crowd, but did meet up afterwards (after high fiving Le Magnifique himself at the finish line!).
I was also really honored at my 10-mile race last fall, one of my best friends decided that he would pace me! He was coming off running his first marathon, but my pace turned into a good recovery run for him. It was so cool to have him with me as I tackled my longest run yet and he was an amazing pacer, something he thinks he’s going to volunteer to do on a more official basis in the future! Afterwards we spent the day having some great food (and free mimosas) while watching the NYC marathon and then seeing a recreation of a Houdini straightjacket escape, suspended upside down above cheering crowds in downtown Pittsburgh!
Do you have a running mantra?
No real mantra, although very short snippets of music will get stuck in my head for an entire run, even if I have other music playing. I swear I’ve had the theme from “The Magnificent Seven” stuck in my head since junior high (I’ve never seen the movie, but we played the score in band, I played French Horn). I do sometimes like to picture myself as Quentin from “The Magicians.” In the books, the final project while at Brakebills South was to get to the South Pole. Lev Grossman’s description of him running through the snow and ice, his legs acting as never-stopping pistons stuck with me.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
I like running right after work, although that doesn’t usually happen. I can’t quite get the right balance of breakfast/time to run comfortably in the mornings, but I’m working on it.
Any big races coming up?
I’m currently training for my first half marathon in May! Super excited and a little nervous, but I’m pretty sure I got this. I ran the local 10-miler in the fall and I wasn’t destroyed after it, so I figured I can run a half. I’m using a Hal Higdon training plan again (Novice 2), which has pushed me to run four days a week and so far I’ve seen it really pay off. I like being on a plan, it helps keep me focused, so I’ll need to devise a base-maintaining plan for after the half.
What are your short-term running goals?
After the Pittsburgh half, there is another local half in the fall that I could actually walk to from my brother’s house. It’s also sponsored by a great craft brewery and I swear their beer is only good at the brewhouse (it’s flat at every bar I’ve had it, they need to work on their carbonation), so that’s a legit reason I should run that race, right? Plus it’s flat so I should be able to break the PR I’ll set in May!
I also organize a 5K and beach party our camp staff alumni association uses as a fundraiser and social event. This will be the second year (last year we had 30 runners and 60 at the beach party), and I want to make sure this year is run even smoother than last year’s! We didn’t have any major problems, but found a few things we want to improve.
What are your long-term running goals?
Usually I hate talking about my running goals, because I’m always afraid that saying them means I’ll fail and I’ll disappoint someone, but I kind of want to try to run the Pittsburgh Marathon next May (2018). It would be the tenth running of the marathon since it returned after a five-year hiatus, plus it would push me finish the last of my weight loss. I’ve lost about 80 pounds, and have another 40 (at least) to lose, so I think in a little over a year, that’s doable at a healthy rate and would be a great way to celebrate.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Join the Frontrunners sooner! Or for anyone else, find a running group that you love! I tried joining the local road running club, but honestly it felt like grindr: too many people and I wasn’t pretty enough to be there, so I was kind of turned off by the idea of running clubs.
I grabbed a postcard from the Frontrunners at Pride, and finally joined up with them when I realized their runs fit in perfectly with my training for the 10-miler, even though I was a little hesitant. The group is the perfect size for me, and I love having friends I can run with. I’m also so, so grateful that we all start at the same place: we don’t have to explain ourselves or hide the fact that we’re part of the queer community (or allies). We can joke and laugh and when we go out afterwards, talk of boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses don’t have to come with explanations or us trying to hide things, and that’s so valuable, even beyond running.
I also wished I had started my spreadsheets earlier. Now, I don’t guess what layers to wear based on the temperature, I just look at my chart to see what has worked in the past, that would have saved me some uncomfortable runs.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Rest. I feel like I say this every week to myself (or someone who has the misfortune of asking how my training is going), but I need to respect the need for rest more. Also, while my diet throughout the week is really disciplined, the weekends, I think because of the lack of work to structure the day, I kind of go nuts. Not insane, but I definitely give in to my cravings. Granted, I’m allergic to dairy, so it’s usually wings, peanut butter and Wheat Thins, but I need to do better if I want to finish losing the last bit of weight.
What is your current shoe choice?
I just switched to Brooks Glycerine and I’m really liking it so far! I had been running in Brooks Dyad, and the change kind of surprised me, especially how much lighter the Glycerine is!
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
A mix of road and trail. I put in treadmill miles when I have to (I don’t trust drivers when there’s ice on the roads). One of the two courses the Frontrunner use actually goes past a public track, so that option is there for me, maybe down the line when I add speedwork, it will be nice having that there for me! Having managed camps for years, I’m very at home in the woods, I just need to find some good trails close to me, most are over-used by mountain bikers so I need to expand my search.
What is your ideal running weather?
Overcast, breezy and probably high 50’s. I’m a furnace when I run, so I’m usually a sweaty, disgusting mess after any run no matter what, but at least at that temperature I’m not dealing with winter layers.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
I’m pretty sure I’ve downloaded, looked at and then never used Strava, Map My Run and Runtastic. For anyone who does the Zombies Run virtual races I’m on Rofflenet with the same username. I’m fairly active on Twitter @thepsion, although forewarning, it’s mostly me talking about politics, Hamilton (and other musicals), NaNoWriMo, the Pittsburgh Penguins and RT’ing pictures of hot guys who aren’t wearing many clothes. You’ve been warned, but come say hi!
Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
I’m cheating, I have two. The first being a badger. I’m totally a Hufflepuff. Like, the most Hufflepuff-y person you’ll meet (we’re just so happy to be included!). And also a blue heron: the heron was often a symbol of depression and also associated with Rand from the Wheel of Time series of books, a source of his power, so I like those connecting threads, it lets me acknowledge what I deal with but how I can overcome the obstacles it poses.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I’m a local chapter leader (Municipal Liaison) for National Novel Writing Month, and I’m a huge reader (currently working on The Familiar: Book 3 among others). I volunteer still with the Boy Scouts on the Camping Committee and Scouts for Equality, as well as with Gay4Good and at Drag Queen Bingo.
I’m getting into homebrewing, and will be brewing my third batch very soon. It’s nice to have on hand the type of beer I like (stouts and porters) and not just the hop-bombs people are obsessed with.
I’ll also never turn down a game of Smash Brothers (Yoshi is my main), and I’m currently working through Breath of the Wild. I also used to work at a website dedicated to the Myst series of games (and it’s spinoff, URU), and I love board games (Lords of Waterdeep is the current favorite). And finally, I’m a huge fan of Phipps Conservatory, a Victorian greenhouse here in Pittsburgh, and I try to garden as much as I can, but I only inherited half of my grandfather’s green thumb.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I taught leatherworking for three years and I’ll occasionally create items for friends. Currently I’m making a custom boot sheath for a friend’s knife. Fun fact, I’m a pacifist, but I have enough people around me to do my violence for me, so it works well.
Biggest pet peeve?
In grand terms, a lack of empathy. I also can’t figure out a way to teach it, so it just makes me sad. But also sharing a kitchen with someone who doesn’t know how to efficiently work in a space with someone else. You have to hussle. And if you can’t, just get out of my way!
Dream job! What would it be?
I have a very skewed idea of this. Noted above, I worked for the Boy Scouts. While I did, it was still against their membership policies to be gay, and since they are a 501(c)3, they were exempt from the non-discrimination policies. I’m an Eagle Scout, camp is my home, and the chance to not only continue working on camp staff but also in a full time position, getting kids and adults outside, was a dream.
But that came at the expense of me having to stay in the closet. Which meant, at every single moment of the day, living in fear of being outed, never talking about dates or weekend plans and carefully choosing every single word and mannerism.
I didn’t realize how much of a toll it took on me; how much it destroyed me. I was in a very dark and dangerous place and something had to give. Through a strange series of events, I was offered a job at a private company (covered by non-discrimination policies) and ten minutes from home (my job at the Boy Scouts was a 45 minute bus ride).
I guess I haven’t thought much about a dream job, I’ve always been more concerned with surviving. But in my wildest dreams, it would still be ten minutes away and just with a bigger budget to work with. All in all, I really do love my job, the industry and the (most of) people I work with, I just haven’t given myself much time to really dream.
Favorite Quote or Poem?
“Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” That’s been my personal motto for quite some time. It’s fitting since at my previous job, the main camp that I ran, our logo was an acorn.
What is your favorite movie?
“Death to Smoochy.” I love dark humor, and this does it in such a unique way. Not a successful movie by any measure, but I love it and quote it often!
What is your biggest character flaw?
Remember how I said I’m a Hufflepuff? Yeah, I spend most of my energy taking care of other people and making sure they are happy, at the expense of myself. I’m also really, really good at gaming out how people will react to what I say and do (a skill learned in the closet to protect myself), so I’m always taking that into account and changing my own interactions to benefit those around me at the expense of myself.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
We Belong:DJ Bill Bennet Remix - This came back into my rotation lately, and I’m glad it did.
The original cast recording of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” - My favorite Disney animated movie rescored and expanded on for the stage, and it’s amazing. Here’s a clip of the finale.
Aside from movie and video game scores, I actually don’t listen to a whole lot of music, although I constantly have podcasts playing. A few favorites: The Orbiting Human Circus, Beef and Dairy Network, Hello Internet, Hello from the Magic Tavern, Lore, My Dad Wrote a Porno, Distorted View Daily, Sparkle and Circulate, Throwing Shade, Wooden Overcoats.
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
/r/pittsburgh
/r/homebrewing
/r/penguins
/r/eood
/r/houseofleaves
One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
I started playing Dungeons and Dragons while working at camp, and if I was allowed by the DM, loved to play as a psionic character (if not, I was a wizard/sorcerer most likely). When NeverWinter NIghts was released for PC, I foolishly hoped that they would add psionics to the game. They didn’t, but the name I used for my account has stuck ever since. Currently I’m playing a psychic warrior, which is a new class for me (we’re playing 3rd edition since we had the books and didn’t want to buy 5th edition stuff), but I’m enjoying it while annoying the DM (my brother) with some creative feat and power combinations: basically I’m creating a version of the DC superhero Midnighter, just with a three-in-one split personality.
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and enjoy the miles.
####Thanks for reading everyone!
#Please tag u/ThePsion when asking a question in this thread.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Mar 24, 2017, 11:51 AM UTC