Friday Spotlight: Anbu1538
Welcome to the Friday Spotlight! Today we'll be reading up on a new name and a new face. This athlete has some pretty speedy times for the distances he runs. I hope you're as interested as I was when I found out more about him. So let's get right to it and see what today's highlighted athlete has to offer. Ladies and gents... u/Anbu1538!
Let's do this...
###The Runner:
First Name?
Alex
Age?
20
Where are you from?
Greenville SC/ Gainesville FL
Occupation?
Student
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
200m: 27.83
400m: 1:01.6
800m: 2:17
5K: 18:33
(these are kinda soft. 200, 400, and 800 were all right in the middle of peak mileage weeks and I'm alot fitter since that 5K)
What is your distance PR?
16 miles last sunday.
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
55.8 (last week)
What’s your comfy pace?
8:00-8:30
How long have you been running?
I started running September 6, 2016. However, I didn't really take it seriously until the start of 2017 (I never went over 9mpw in 2016).
Tell us why you began running?
I began running because I was upset and mad at myself for how unhealthy I thought I was. I was actually planning on dropping running for lifting after January, but my apartment's gym closed down so running was all I had.
Most memorable running moment?
I don't really have a 'moment' yet. I guess right now it'd be a tie between getting my first 5K PR or winning my last 5K.
Do you have a running mantra?
My favorite is this section of an interview from Molly Huddle. It has gotten me through a lot of pain at the end of races. So I repeat something along the lines of "hurt now or hurt later" in my head.
What time of day do you prefer to run?
Morning!!!! I like putting in work while everyone is asleep.
Any big races coming up?
I have a goal 10K race coming up on July 8th. Really important race because I'm going to use it to determine my VDOT for JD's 2Q plan this fall.
What are your short-term running goals?
Sub18 5K by the end of this year and finish strong at Space Coast.
What are your long-term running goals?
Sub17 5K in 2018. Sub16 after that (2019?) and keep going faster.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Run slower and run more miles.
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
I need to work on my endurance (which is improving). This is the exact reason why I'm doing marathon training this fall ,need a lofty stupid goal to keep me at high mileage until it becomes a habit.
What is your current shoe choice?
Altra Escalantes
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Track for short speed work, road for everything else. I WILL NOT run on a treadmill.
What is your ideal running weather?
50s and slightly overcast, but I'll really run in anything, just give me a week to adjust to it.
Do you have any social media accounts you’d like to share? [Facebook, Strava, Twitter]
I got Strava
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
Morgan Freeman
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
I enjoy fishing, studying medicine, anime, and watching football and basketball.
Dream job! What would it be?
Neuro or orthopaedic surgeon (I love surgery). I've got so many years to go, but I WILL make my dream a reality.
Favorite Quote or Poem?
"Work while they sleep. Learn while they party. Save while they spend. Then live like they dream."
What is your favorite movie?
I don't really watch alot of movies. My favorite tv show is House MD, anime is HunterxHunter.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I have problems committing myself to things I'm not passionate about, or something like that.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
uhh..... I'm really only on reddit for r/advancedrunning and r/running. sometimes I go on r/floridagators and r/Heat
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
Well when I first made a reddit account it was for smashbros melee. My gamertag was anbu and I just threw some lucky family numbers behind it. Naruto is pretty good, so ya.
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and enjoy the miles.
####Thanks for reading everyone!
#Please tag u/Anbu1538 when asking a question in this thread.
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
ATTENTION READERS!
I've been getting some more messages recently from a lot of people asking to be featured in the Friday Spotlight Thread. My response to them is the same every time. I do not get to personally choose who is chosen for each thread. With exception to Palindrome27 (which I randomly chose to get this started), every runner thus far has been selected by the person before them. It's one of the perks of getting nominated. There is no list of names. No spreadsheet with columns of people. Nothing. So for those confused, users like Philpips was chosen by Despoena. Despoena was chosen by Craigster38. So on and so on. You get the idea. Doing it this way eliminates the hassle of having to personally pick someone every week. This keeps me neutral. Some of you have expressed your opinion (via PM) on who's been featured this far claiming that I have only chosen runners who are fast, have been running for a while, or compete in longer distance races. Quite frankly, you're wrong. Just browse the table of previous athletes above and you'll see that a wide variety of runners have been on display. Being chosen is simply luck of the draw. There is zero favoritism here. Each featured runner gets to personally pick someone they find interesting. I apply no pressure to the runners to pick a particular skill level of runner. This is the beauty of the process. If you want to be featured, you can up your chances of being chosen by being an active member of the subreddit. Comment as much as possible. Submit quality content. Provide as much as you can as a runner to help keep this community growing and I'm certain your efforts will not go unnoticed. Just keep tuning in and making friends and eventually it'll pay off if you want to be featured. Thank you.
Posted Jun 30, 2017, 12:02 PM UTC · edited