Friday Spotlight: Usho
##Note: Our featured athlete will be in and out during this thread. Please continue to ask your questions and make comments and he will get to them as soon as he can! Thanks
Hello Spotlight fans! We've got another new name stopping in today. A more recent visitor to the subreddit and fresh face for most of you. Some of you may recognize him from the contributions to the community as he's a video maker and frequent race runner. Keeping it short and sweet, let's get this ball rolling and find out a little bit more about today's featured athlete. Ladies and gents... u/Usho
Let's do this...
###The Runner:
First Name?
Adrian
Age?
34
Where are you from?
Orange County, California
Occupation?
IT Project Manager (Retail IT Infrastructure Support)
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
5K: 23:03
10K: 48:11
Half Marathon: 1:39:46
Marathon: 4:29:08
50K: 7:32:49
What is your distance PR?
35 miles… I missed a cutoff on my 50 mile attempt and was detoured for a 50K finish time.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
50
What’s your comfy pace?
9:00/min miles. I am often a 2:00 hour half marathon pacer for local races
How long have you been running?
I started running in 2012
Tell us why you began running?
I was in the New York City area for work in 2010 while the NYC Marathon was going on. I decided to check it out randomly and ended up around the finish line area. I was active at the time, but always considered running an accessory to weight lifting and other activities, never running more than 5 or 6 miles on a treadmill. Witnessing the various runners finishing the marathon, from young to old, paraplegics, couples carrying their loves ones across the finish line, people crossing and collapsing from pain and happiness. It was such a motivational sight. I told myself I would run a marathon someday. Two years later, I decided to run a 5K with a group of friends I’ve known since high school. I trained for it and ran the race. The following day after my boxing class, I decided to run another 4 miles just because. I knew I was hooked and I’ve had the “runner’s high” ever since. It is now my primary activity and has truly changed my life.
Most memorable running moment?
I’m what I like to call a “serial racer”. I’m not “fast”, but I run a lot of races for the experiences and to see new cities so I have many, but I would say any of my “back to backs” would be the most memorable. Last year, I ran Rock N Roll Dallas half marathon in the morning, jumped on a plane and ran Rock N Roll Mexico City half marathon in the evening. 2 half marathons in 2 countries in one day. I’ve done quite a few back to backs in various capacities.
Do you have a running mantra?
“I can do all things through God” or the quote I note down below for my “favorite quote”.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
Evening or night
Any big races coming up?
I run a lot of races, but I would say the next race I am “training” for is Rock N Roll San Diego Full Marathon. I’ve run that race before and it’s a tough one.
What are your short-term running goals?
Get back to where I was in late 2015/early 2016. I’ve recently fallen off with my nutrition and training, so I’ve gained some weight and was recently injured.
What are your long-term running goals?
Sub 4 hour marathon. Finish a 50 mile race, probably go as high as 100K, and slight consideration to 100 mile. Also, I plan to complete an Ironman in my lifetime.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Nutrition and rest are equally as important as “putting in miles”. I was injured heading into my first half marathon and had to wear a boot for 3 months shortly after, but it taught me early about the perils of overtraining. Nutrition is such a big factor in not only performance, but in recovery, preventing inflammation, and just overall health.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
I know if I want to truly tap any running potential I have, I need to run less races and train properly.
What is your current shoe choice?
Vibram Fivefingers V-Run
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
It depends. I love trails for the scenery and that it doesn’t beat my body up as much, but I also love the support and crowd from the bigger road races.
What is your ideal running weather?
40s-50s, overcast, or even a little drizzle. I warm up fast and many of my PRs are in San Francisco where that is their typical weather.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
Instagram is my primary social media: @maurruns
My videos are on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/amauricio88
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
I guess a Wolf. Never really thought about it.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I like to stay active so hiking, stand up paddle, swimming, and cycling. Outside of that, travelling, exploring, photography and videography. Reading when I actually have downtime.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I was DJ for a while but don’t do it much anymore.
Biggest pet peeve?
Bad drivers. People who are oblivious to their surroundings.
Dream job! What would it be?
Video editor and videographer for music videos and sporting events.
Favorite Quote or Poem?
“Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that's all you get, that's not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don't give a shit how high the hill is or how far you've got to go. When you've practiced that so long, that you forget you're practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won't have to worry about the last one - you get those three, and you'll be fast.”
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run
What is your favorite movie?
The Matrix, Garden State, and all the Marvel movies
What is your biggest character flaw?
I think too much. Chronic overthinker and perfectionist.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
Milky Chance – Stolen Dance, Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Thor trailer!)
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
r/GoPro r/Travel r/Minimalism r/Future_Fight r/MarvelStudios
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
It is a shortened version of my old gaming handle “Urbanshogun” (Counterstrike, Diablo II, Starcraft)
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and enjoy the miles.
####Thanks for reading everyone!
#Please tag u/Usho when asking a question in this thread.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Apr 14, 2017, 11:42 AM UTC · edited