This week I talk to Tyler Adgalanis who just moved to Kentucky from Indiana. I have not met Tyler but hope to in the near future. Tyler just ran his first marathon at this years Indianapolis Monumental Marathon this past November and ran a 2:27:38 for 14th OA.Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I just recently graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I am 22 years old and was born in Bluffton, Indiana, but my hometown is Fort Wayne, IN where I went to Bishop Dwenger High School. After Graduating, I moved to Elizabethtown, KY to work for Altec Industries.
What is your profession?
I am a Manufacturing Engineer for Altec Industries
I hear you just moved to Kentucky from Indiana – what brought you to Kentucky?
I am from Indiana, but I attended the University of Dayton for College in OH. Altec was at the career fair, so I was able to have an onsite interview with Altec and was offered a position in the fall of 2017. Accepting the offer, I was excited for the opportunity and the area.
How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
I grew up being involved in sports, like football and soccer, but I was too small to play football in high school and I didn’t make the soccer team. I turned to running because I wanted to be involved with a team and continue in athletics.
How long have you been running?
I’ve been running for 9 years now… yikes haha, but I’ve been able to log about 24,000 miles
Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
Since I’ve started running I haven’t been involved in many sports other than pickup soccer/ basketball games with some friends.
Did you run in grade school, High School or College?
I started running in High School and continued to walk on at the University of Dayton and received a scholarship position after 1 season.
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.
- 5k: 14:48
- 8k: 24:34
- 10k: 30:22
- “Mini” Marathon: 1:08:45
- Marathon: 2:27:38
I’ve been training for this after my first mini marathon in May, 2018. My collegiate coach, Jason Ordway, helped me put together a plan to get ready for the race in the fall. Will Rivera helped me look into nutrition that was a new part to the marathon that I never needed to focus on. Putting together some workouts and races prior to the marathon, I was able to meet up in Indy with some runners, like my high school coach, from Northeast Indiana and get ready for race day!
The race itself was a new challenge. The Monumental Marathon starts with both the marathon and half marathoners at 8 am, so there was a large crowd to get out with and I was able to tag along to a strong group at 2 miles. I stuck with the group to 7 miles but they were all half marathoners and split at mile 7 for their course. From there until the end I was on my own. I was passed in the later half (16, 20, 23) by some strong runners that some more experience could have helped me push more with them. I was able to pass some guys but the race was an overall lesson.
The notorious wall never stopped me, but it was noticed that I was not able to get my legs to work at mile 21->finish like they were at the start. Nutrition was solid and the weather was great for a marathon! Finishing 14th was also a huge accomplishment, but I am excited for my next go around after I rest up from the beating.
How did running your first marathon compare to how you thought it would be?
I thought the race would feel a lot longer. I remember at 21 I just wanted to be done, but the race had me in a rhythm and I never had trouble keeping in. It was tough racing on my own most of the time.
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| D1 2017 Pre Nats at Tom Sawyer Park (#387) |
What are your future marathon plans?
I want to run another marathon and see my time drop, but I have not looked at my next step yet after this race. I’m resting and relaxing the body at this point to catch up with friends and family after putting in some high mileage this summer and fall.
I am looking to run some faster half marathons in the spring and another try for the marathon in the fall of ’19 if everything goes well. *knock on wood*
Do you have any major races planned for 2019?
I am excited for 2019 but I still have to look around at some races in the area. Traditionally all my races have been north of here so I am excited for a longer and warmer spring racing stretch being farther south in the states.
What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
My most memorable races:
- First time racing varsity in high school (I was visibly nervous, haha)
- Running at the state meet in cross country in high school
- A lot of College racing, especially winning conference for the first time in school history. The team that season put together a strong training segment and sacrificed a lot to get a chance to do better. We went into the race knowing that we had a strong group, but we were able to put 4 in the top 15 and win it all.
- Following the next season at conference, it was great to return and win the race again as champs! Following that, the team finished 7th at the great lakes regional, which is the best it has ever placed in school history.
- Indy Mini 2018
- Indy Monumental Marathon 2018
I don’t have a favorite workout at this time, but some notable ones are tempos, fartlek, and 1000m/mile/2mile repeats! I typically vary them depending on where I am in training.
What is your favorite distance to run and race?
Right now, I like racing the 8k/5k. They are pretty fast races when you’re in good shape and can really make you dig deep on your strengths.
What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
For easy/normal days I run in brooks adrenalines. I like the reliability, cushion/structure, and weight of the shoes. Whenever I need to get in the miles and recover right for the next workout, the adrenalines will get me there and give me many miles before I need a new pair.
For workouts/races I am using the brooks hyperion. The shoes give me the flexibility and responsiveness to give more to the run or race.
Do you have any bucket list races?
My bucket list races would probably be the Boston, New York, and Los Angeles Marathons. I see those as the big three within the states, and I think it would be great to run those races and see the environment they bring.
What do you struggle with most with regards to running and racing?
I get excited for racing, so I may struggle with keeping my emotions in tack before the race. Through so many races, I have found it easier to accomplish compared to when I was in High School.
What do you see as a trend in running?
I see runners are getting faster! I hope to see the headline of a sub 2 marathon in my lifetime (by another runner). But besides that, I see runners messing with their eating habits too much. Non-runners always make the comment and bring up valid points.
If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
- Enjoy the company you are with during the run
- Enjoy the scenery around you
- Enjoy the day to day battle against yourself to be a better you with the run
I’d like to thank Elizabethtown Running Community for welcoming me with open arms as I start my career and life after school. I’ve met great individuals with this group and have had nothing but support so far in my transition.
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