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| On the summit of Ben Lomond, just outside of Queenstown, NZ |
Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I was born in Memphis, TN and have lived in Tallahassee, FL, St. Louis, MO, Dallas, TX and Bowling Green, KY where I have been for 30 years. I am 41 at this moment, birthday in 2 weeks (8/1). I am a graduate from Western Kentucky University in the Photojournalism program and will be starting grad school this fall. I have three children… Meredith & Connor, 22-year-old twins and a 20-year-old son, Cameron.
What is your profession?
Staff photographer at WKU
How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
Short version: I almost died on the side of a mountain in Peru.
Long version: (episode 20 of SETR Podcast) I started backpacking and climbing before running. Through my contacts at WKU and a mutual love of climbing, I was invited to photograph a climate research mountaineering expedition in Peru by one of our faculty members in 2011. I was out of shape and had barely a month to train to prepare. My lack of fitness plagued me the entire two weeks of the trip, and I succumbed to the altitude and exhaustion collapsing on the side of Quitaraju in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes. I was already an hour behind the rest of the group, so I was alone and unconscious until a hiker from Colombia found me and assisted me down the mountain to our basecamp where I rested for three days while the team continued on. At that point, I made the commitment to fitness when I got back to the States. During the trip, I lost nearly 20 pounds and did not summit a single mountain.
I returned home with a new focus on fitness. I spent the next year and a half in the gym and learning to run, but only as a means to train for climbing. My return trip to Peru in 2013 was flawless: 4 summits, zero issues and I was one of the strongest team members during my four-week stay.
As training continued after my second expedition (it was habit by now), trail running overtook climbing as my primary outdoor passion.
How long have you been running?
Since 2013
Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
Played soccer in elementary school when I lived in Texas, and swam a little bit in TX & KY. I could never really do much back then because I had severe asthma.
Did you run in grade school, High School or College?
Nope
So we get an idea of where you have been with running can you share your PR’s for: 5K, 10K marathon and any other distance you may have run in the past.
- 5k: 23:05 in NZ
- 10k: 47:18
- 13.1: 1:53:40
- 26.2: 4:36:34
- 50k (34mi): 8:08:11
What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
Oh gosh… first (and only) road 26.2 in the Outer Banks of NC. One of my favorite places on earth. Started having IT Band issues at mile 10 and only got worse from there, practically hobbling at the end. And my Airbnb had stairs. UGH. That took a long time to recover from. Four months later was my first 50k at Yamacraw. Fared a little better, but still had some nagging issues. The first 10 miles of Yamacraw are one of the most beautiful starts to any race ever.
Do you have a favorite workout you do?
I have a love/hate relationship with hill repeats and intervals. I also spend a decent amount of time in the gym weight training.
How about a favorite route you like to run?
My favorite trail at the moment is the new Twisted Oliver Trail at Barren River Lake. I also love the trail system at Mammoth Cave National Park. In BG, I have a fun 20ish-mile route at circles town.
What is your favorite distance to run and race?
I love the challenge of a 50k.
What is your current favorite trail running shoe? How about a road running shoes?
- Trail: I just got the Inov-8 Terraclaw 250 and really like them. I also run in the Salomon Speedcross 3 & Sense Ride.
- Road: New Balance FreshFoam Zante. I think v2 is still my favorite.
Do you have any long-range plans?
Stay healthy and keep pushing. I’m signed up for my first 50 miler in Dec. and I’m slightly terrified. Eek.
What do you like best about living and running in KY?
I love the variety of terrain here in KY for running… we have great trails. The best thing about KY in general? Bourbon.
What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
Being slow. I also need to work on the mental game of long distance running. I can get demoralized pretty quick in a long race and I am down on myself for miles. That’s not a good combination for a successful race. So I want to work on staying positive and putting out a more even effort to make the days more enjoyable. Of course running in groups help that, so I’m always looking for company. But the best training is staying in a good headspace during a long solo run.
What do you see as a trend in running?
Women crushing long races. There is no question that some of the best runners are women and the longer and tougher the course, the better they perform. Another trend I hope to see continue is the self-policing of banned substance use in races. It just has no place on the trail and the current culture seems pretty adverse to it. I hope that stays in place.
Being one of the hosts of the Southeastern Trail Runners Podcast, what prompted you to start a podcast?
We wanted to highlight the runners, trails and races of our region. The southeast is overlooked by pretty much all of the running media outside of a few races. We have great people, tough ass races and beautiful trails. We want everyone to be proud and celebrate what we have.
What has been the best thing about doing the Southeastern Trail Runners Podcast?
Meeting the runners. Having the elites return our messages and be on the show is awesome, but the real inspiration are the local runners that dominate the region and show up to work on Monday morning. This is also a great excuse to get out and explore new areas of the southeast and run trails and meet runners... you know, for research… J
If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
The one thing I would say, and one thing I still need to work on, is to believe in yourself. You are capable of far more than you think you are. Following that, listen to your body. You can adjust a training plan based on how your body feels. Don’t let a piece of paper dictate you into injury. Finally, explore. New people and trails are the breath of life for us. Sharing experinces with others is the tie that binds us all together and makes life fun. I have a massive wanderlust, so I am always looking for new places to run and explore. Keeps you young!
Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
- Personal Photography Site: ClintonLewis.com
- Twitter: @yclphoto
- Instragram: @yclphoto - I’m most active on IG.
- Strava
Any closing comments?
I am incredibly thankful and blown away at the support and love that the podcast has received. We have fun doing it, as you can probably tell, and it has been a joy to meet people from all over the southeast. So let’s go run sometime!
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