Interview Tuesday: Meet Kentucky and Masters Runner Kelly Tipple

2017 Tunnel Hill - First 50 MIler

This week for Interview Tuesday I talk to Kelly Tipple from Elizabethtown Kentucky.  I have known Kelly for a few years and ran one of my first Ultras here in KY with him in E'town a few years ago.  Enjoy getting to know a really great guy and one tough runner.


Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
My names Kelly Tipple.  I was born and raised in rural Ohio in a little town called Union City.  ½ of the town was in Indiana and ½ of the town was in Ohio.  Back when Indiana didn’t change times, ½ the year the two sides of the city were on 2 different time zones, which we called slow and fast time.  I graduated from Mississinawa Valley High School in 1988, Taylor University in Upland, Indiana in 1992 with a bachelor degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Public Relations, Georgia State University in Atlanta in 1996 with a Master of Business Administration and in 1997 with a Master in Health Administration.  I currently live in Elizabethtown, Kentucky with my wife, Lori, and our youngest daughter, Victoria.  Our oldest daughter, Jordan, lives in Louisville.

What is your profession?
I’m currently a police officer for the city of Elizabethtown where I’m also a D.A.R.E. instructor at one of the local elementary schools.

How does running help you in your profession?
Obviously, staying fit is critical in law enforcement and the ability to run when needed is a most have skill for success.

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so? 
Other than running as part of conditioning drills for other sports, I never ran until approximately 3 ½ years ago when I decided to apply to become a police officer in E-town.  I actually hated to run and thought those who did had something wrong with them.  Knowing that at 45 years old and 280+ lbs. that I must get into shape in order to not only pass the PT test during the application process, but then to be successful at the Kentucky police academy, I began running and getting into shape, which lead to getting hooked up with my running family at Running Soles and ultimately losing approximately 100 lbs.

2018 Tunnel Hill - First 100 MIler

How long have you been running?
Approximately 3 ½ years.

Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
I participated in baseball, football and wrestling off and on in my young years and even 1 year of college football as a walk on at Taylor.  I was never a superstar at any of them, but always loved the competition and camaraderie of team sports.

I’ve played the drums since I can remember and participated in most of the high school bands including concert, jazz and marching band, starting when I was in the 7th grade, which made participating in sports a little tricky.

Did you run in grade school, High School or College?
No, only when required for gym class or as part of a sports team.

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 –  23:59
• 10k –  52.13
• ½ Marathon -  1:50
• Full Marathon -  4:22
• 50 Miles -  9:52
• 100 Miles  -  28:12

What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
There are so many it’s hard to just pick only one or two.  I have to say one would be the 2016 National Police Week 5k in Washington DC with the E-town Cadets.  Trooper Ponder’s mother had given us all 954 headbands to wear to honor his memory and running through the streets of DC past all of the memorials with other law enforcement officers was a humbling experience.  I ended up setting my 5k PR that day.

Running Soles Bourbon Chase Team

The 2nd would be my 1st Hundo at Tunnel Hill in 2018.  I had my 954 hat and arm band on along with one of my good friend Judy Walden’s pink buffs as she had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.  While training for my 1st 100, my mentor Will Rivera had mentioned the importance of having a Why to focus on when the going got tough.  Ponder and Walden were a couple of Why’s for me as I focused on running for those that can’t.  At the 50 mile mark, I was in a bad place mentally and stopping sounded like a good idea until Will, fellow ultra nut John Wright, my wife and daughter, Victoria, gave me a good lecture and basically forced me back out on the course, which I’m glad they did because physically, I was in a pretty good place and just needed to get past that mental block.  I’m now just an average dude who is blessed to have his name on the Running Sole 100 Mile Club plaque at the store.

Do you have a favorite workout you do?
Being still relatively a novice runner, I’m still tweaking my running, however, I am a firm believer in hear rate zone training revolving around the 80/20 rule.  I absolutely love trail running and find the sloppier and nastier the better, which reminds me of an 8 hr. ultra I ran with Tony where we ended up running in thigh deep water on portions of the course before the time expired.  Wow!  Good times!

I have also always enjoyed weight training since my teenage years and believe functional workouts are very important in my line of work and ultra running.  I’ve been using Bronco Billy’s Tough 21 workout for several months and have found it to be very worthwhile.

What does a regular week of training look like?
Typically, 50-75 miles per week, depending upon where I’m at in my training cycle, with 3 days of 6-8 milers, 1 day LSD then 2-3 days of 5 milers on the elliptical followed by a weight work out, which is currently the Bronco Billy routine.  Zone II runs take up 80% of my time, then the other 20% is more speed focused and thus, higher Zones.

How about a favorite route you like to run?
My routes are all dependent on multiple factors like length of the run (miles), focus of the run (speed vs. low heart rate), how much time I have (before or after work) and what race is coming up (trail, road, ultra)

What is your favorite distance to run and race?

Graduation Day

Without question, I am an ultra runner.  I’m too slow to enjoy short races and if I’m going to spend the time and money to signup for a race, I want a full day adventure to get my money’s worth.  The joke with my wife now is when I ask her if she would like to go somewhere for the weekend, the very next thing she asks is….what race are you running?

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
I’m almost an exclusive Altra runner with my favorites being Torins for road and Temps for trail with Instincts, Paradigms and Lone Peaks thrown in on occasion.  I also have a pair of Hoka Cliftons that get a run every once in a while.

How about diet, do you eat any certain way and do things change on race week and race day?
This area is really under construction right now as I began working with an awesome nutritionist about a month ago.  She’s working with me to custom fit an eating plan to not only lean me out, but develop a healthier lifestyle that is sustainable.  I am a brand ambassador for Honey Stinger and love their products for race day along with Sword for hydration and nutrition.

Do you have any long-range plans?
I typically try to race once per month on average depending on my work schedule and have several awesome races coming up including Ragnar Otter Creek – Ultra, RUTS Corydon, The Backyard Classic, and The Moonbow, which are all leading up to Tunnel Hill 100 round two with a focus on a sub 24 hr. performance.

What do you like best about living and running in KY?
The weather for the majority of the year is very runnable and the variety of places to run within an hour driving distance is phenomenal.

Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
I love to run a lot of places and seem to keep increasing the size of my running area over time.

Do you have any bucket list races?
Somethings I like to keep secret.  LOL!

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
The will power to take that 1st step out of bed in the early hours before work to go put the necessary work in to train.  Once I’m up, I’m usually good to go, but the 1st step sometimes can be a killer!  Sometimes I have to scroll throw Strava and see what my Running Soles friends have done, which then motivates me to get moving!

Backside 1/2 Marathon

What do you see as a trend in running?
I don’t believe I’ve been around long enough to provide a solid answer, but I will say 3 years ago, I’d heard of a ton of 5ks, but no ultra races.  Now, it seems there are ultra races somewhere in Kentucky about every month.

How has running with a group, such as the Running Soles group, helped you?

There is NO way in the world I would be where I am today without Running Soles.   Their areas of impact include education, training, motivation, encouragement, friendships, mentorship……..FAMILY!!

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?

1. Find a running group and participate in their activities as much as possible
2. Find your Why and focus on it during hard times
3. Stop trying to get motivated.  Either decide to Do it or Don’t.

Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
Strava and Facebook are about the outer limits of my tech abilities…..I’m old!

Any closing comments?
You do you on your running journey.  People will always be faster.  Run longer.  Look better.  But they are not you.


Here is a nice video piece done by Running Soles on Kelly

********You can see past interviews here********

Interview Tuesday: Kentucky and Masters Runner Paul Brantley

2017 River Run

I met Paul online shortly before the Kentucky Derby Festival marathon as he as to lead the 3:30
group I was looking to run in.  Got to meet Paul at the race and ran and talked to him a little as my pace ended hp being slightly faster so did not get to talk more till after the race - Paul finished up right on pace for his group. Thus, it was good to get to know Paul better through this interview and hope you enjoy getting to know him better as well.

Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I am 47 years old, 48 next month.  I live in Henderson, Kentucky.  I have been married to my beautiful wife Kim for 25years and have three children ages 24, 20 and 15.  I was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado but have lived in Kentucky for nearly 30 years.  I am active in our church and I am a volunteer Chaplain at the Henderson County Detention Center.  

What is your profession?
I have worked at GAF in Mt. Vernon, Indiana for 16 years.  We make residential roofing.  I work swing shift and a lot of overtime.  I haven’t figured out if that makes me a tougher runner or hurts my running.

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so? 
My wife started running to lose weight after the birth of our third child.  Eventually I started joining her on trips to the YMCA and soon started hitting the roads with her as well.

How long have you been running? 
I believe I started regularly running in 2007, so about 12 years.

Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
I played all the ball sports growing up.  I was always a good athlete but some poor decisions in my teen age years kept me from participating in sports the last couple years of my high school career.

Did you run in grade school, High School or College? 
I didn’t run as far as cross country or track.  Like most athletes I just ran for punishment or forced conditioning.

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.

2018 LBL

• 5K- 19:16 (2018)
• 10k- 41:?? (2016)  I need to find a race and improve on that one
• ½  - 1:26:50 (2018)
• 26.2- 3:03:24 (2018)
• 50 Mile – 7:22:00 (2018) my first and only ultra 

What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
The obvious answer would be the 50 miler at Land Between the Lakes (LBL) trail run in 2018.  Everything went so well. I finished 3rd overall,  I felt strong all day and even felt like I left a little out there.    

However, in 2017 I ran a PW (Personal Worst) at the Boston marathon and followed that up with a PW in the half on a perfect racing weather day.  Approximately four weeks later, early June, I found myself hospitalized as a stroke patient.  Luckily the damage was minor and with proper medication I can likely avoid further episodes.   With all this going on and the recent bad races I doubted if I could ever run again, let alone fast.  I slowly started building mileage again, dropped some weight and managed my blood condition with medication.  I prayed that I would be content with whatever God had planned for me.  In November I ran a 6 minute PR (3:06) at the Indy Monumental Marathon.  That race meant a lot to me, and propelled me to a strong 2018.

Do you have a favorite workout you do?
I don’t follow training plans so probably just that impromptu tempo run on a morning when I just happen to be feeling good and let it rip.

What does a regular week of training look like?
When I’m training for a goal race I usually stay in the 60 to 75 mile per week range.  I like to do 20 milers for 8 to 10 consecutive weeks before a two-week taper.  I try to get one speed session, (tempo or maybe 10X800), and one marathon pace workout in each week.  If I’m spending a lot of time on the trails, I will opt out of one of the speed sessions since the trails I run are fairly intense.  

2017 Boston Marathon

If I’m not in a training cycle I generally run 35 to 55 miles a week.

How about a favorite route you like to run?

I have a loop at Audubon State Park in Henderson that I really like.  It's about 6 miles of single track with 200 ft of gain per mile.

What is your favorite distance to run and race?
I considered myself a marathoner, but I really enjoyed the 50 miler at LBL and over the last couple years find myself wanting run trails more and more.  I think I’d like to test my limits at some longer distances.

When we talked at the KDF Marathon you said you are part of a Run for God group – can you share some about that?
Run for God is a Bible study and running program combined.  The running basically follows a couch to 5k plan.  We meet once a week for Bible study and three times a week for the group runs.  The Apostle Paul uses athletics and running in several of his letters in the new testament.  There are great similarities in training to race and our Christian walk.  My wife and I lead this class together at our church and I estimate we have had 200 people complete the class and their first 5k.  We have also had three groups complete a ½ marathon.  Some of our students still run, some have even gone on to run marathons.  Anyone interested in participating or leading a group can find more information at runforgod.com.

How does your faith work out in your running?
Jesus is my Lord.  Meaning he is master, ruler, Lord over everything in my life.  My finances, my relationships, my decision making, my job and even my running.  I want Him to be glorified and honored by everything I do, including my running.  If I can help Christians become stronger physically and spiritually through running and a Bible study then I think that is glorifying God.  I’ve had the opportunity to share the Gospel with people I wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for running. I am amazed by God’s creation, and how magnificently we are designed.  The human body is so complex and so efficient and so purposeful.  I see overwhelming evidence of God in that.  I love the time alone on the trails or the roads in deep thought and prayer with God.  I’m not sure from year to year how I will serve God through running, but I plan to keep the focus on Him and see where He leads me.

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?

Run at the Mill 10k

I like Hoka Challenger trail shoes.  I switch up between Brooks, Saucony and New Balance roads shoes. I need a little support but want something that feels light and fast as well.  I paced the Derby marathon in a pair of retired New balance Vazee Prizm road shoes with about 800 miles on them.  I just love those shoes but can’t get that specific model anymore.

How about diet, do you eat any certain way and do things change on race week and race day?
Nothing in particular, I just try to eat a balanced, somewhat healthy diet.  Lean meat, plenty of vegetables, no fast food or soft drinks, stuff like that.  I struggle with portion control and have a bit of a sweet tooth from time to time.

Do you have any long-range plans?
I would like to run the Indiana Trail 100 in October.  I haven’t signed up yet but I am leaning that way.  I also would like to run Boston again and hopefully have a better day.  That course is a grind but it would be a great course to run if you were having a good day.  The huge crowds and all the downhill after heartbreak could make for a fun finish.

What do you like best about living and running in KY?
There is wide variety of terrain to run, and I’ve seen some progress made in my area the last several years in providing more walking and running trails.  The weather is generally good enough to run outside all year and there is seems to be a growth in the running community.  

Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
I loved running in Istanbul when I was there a few weeks ago.  Any place I can explore while running is exciting for me.  I would like to run some of the Western States 100 course and definitely the rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. 

Do you have any bucket list races?
Western States would be amazing, maybe Leadville 100 if I find out I’m built for that distance.  I grew up camping in Leadville area at Turquoise Lake so I probably have been on some of those trails at some point in my life.

Run for God 5K Class

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
Probably my weight honestly.  I’m not over weight by any means and consider myself fit.  But I do know I run much better when my weight is in check and I’m on top of my diet.  10 pounds makes a huge difference when you’re pushing the pace in long races.

What do you see as a trend in running?
Ultras seem to be growing in popularity, particularly the 100 mile distance.   

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
Consistency is king!  If you want to get faster and improve your endurance you need to put in the work.  Just try to get out there each day, make it a habit.  Run the easy days easy so you can run the hard days hard.  I’ve seen people who struggled running a solid minute when they first started eventually becoming marathoners, just keep putting in the work!

Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
I am somewhat active on facebook and I also use Strava, the runners facebook.

Any closing comments?
Running has been a huge part of my life.  I am so thankful for a healthy body to be able to do it with.  It has taught me how to work towards a goal and to keep pushing when the going is tough.  I think when I started being willing to suffer during a race is when my race times started improving.  Don’t put a limit on yourself, don’t focus on the perfect result, focus on putting in the perfect effort. 

********You can see past interviews here********

Interview Tuesday: Kentucky, Masters and OCR Runner Mike Ekbundit

This week I talk to Mike Ekbundit.  I got to meet Mike after the talk that Mark Cucuzzella gave in Elizabethtown a little over a month ago but learned even more through this interview.  Enjoy getting to know another local runner and if you are not from the area getting to know a fellow runner, and learn about his journey.


Do you like to go by Michael or Mike
I use both equally.   Most close to me call me Mike.

Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I’m 46, born in Bangkok, Thailand, and have a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville, where I was a cheerleader for several years.  I’m married to my wife of 22 years and have three wonderful children.  I grew up poor and was blessed with opportunities that now allow me to provide for my family and give back to the community.  I have lived in Mt. Washington, KY for 10 years.  I’ve lived in Kentucky for most of my life but have moved around a fair bit in between.

What is your profession?
I’m an engineer.  My first job was as a NASA contractor working on the International Space Station project.  Then I spent a few years in the optical industry, followed by a few years self-employed doing engineering, graphic design, web design, and photography.  Then I spent a few years as an R&D engineer in the heavy truck industry.  I’m now an Engineering Director at GE Appliances, A Haier Company and have been with them for 9 years.

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
When we moved to Lawrenceburg, where my mother lives, the middle school cross country coach, who lived around the corner, recruited me to run.  I ran and played baseball.  Back then we were really poor so there was nothing to do except run and ride your bike to the park...so you could run and ride some more...and play basketball (we are in KY after all!)  I gave up formal running early in high school, focused on grades, got a free ride to UofL, and started running again my sophomore year in college after signing up for a class called “miniMarathon Training”.  I stuck with it and ran up to half marathons until I got married in 1997.  That’s when I made a new “bucket list” that included a lot more stuff.

How long have you been running?
I’ve been running for 33 years now, depending on when you start counting.  I ran my first marathon in 1997, my first ultra (Mountain Mist 50k) in 1998, my first Ironman (Great Floridian) in 1999.  After 13 years of 50k’s and triathlons, I converted to mostly trails then but didn’t try my first 50-miler until maybe 2013 and my first 100 until 2015.   In the meantime, I finally ran my first Boston Marathon in 2018.  Late 2017, I started obstacle course racing and made my first attempt at World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM) in 2018.  WTM is my “A” race for 2019 but I’m training like I’m going to run a hilly hundo (plus obstacle related training).

My wife and kids are all runners in a way.  My wife has 5 marathons under her belt.  My two oldest kids ran the Triple Crown this year and did their first obstacle course race.  My youngest, who is now 11, has several 5k races under his belt too.

Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
As a kid, my main sport was baseball, which I played into high school.  I started gymnastics and started playing golf my senior year in high school.  Afterwards, I tried out for but didn’t make the UofL baseball team.  I became a cheerleader at UofL for 7 years, where I collected a National Championship ring.  While at UofL, I also picked up weightlifting, restarted running, and started rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and sand volleyball.  I played on the UofL volleyball club team (indoor men’s sixes) for a year.  After college, I started marathoning and triathlon seriously.

I like trying new things.  I think it’s important to regularly face new challenges and apply the lessons from each sport to the next one...and to life.  For example, in golf you fix the divot you leave on the green plus one extra - I’ve taken that to heart and try to leave everything better than I found it.

Did you run in grade school, High School or College?
I ran cross country in early high school as a mid-packer, then stopped my Junior and Senior years to focus on school.  I restarted running for a Phys Ed class in college.  I don’t have the talent to be a competitive runner but enjoy doing it and being on a team.  My gift isn’t running...it’s pain tolerance and a willingness to suffer.  Ha.

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.
Oh boy.  I think my 5k PR is 19:46, 10k is 40:48, half marathon is 1:28, marathon is 3:17, and 100 is 21:48.  Ironman is 11:58.  All of those were fairly flat courses.  My mile times are still around 5:30, which hasn’t changed since the early 90’s.  I’m not particularly fast and have struggled to ever hit the peak on marathon race day, but did enjoy Boston 2018.   I won’t tell any fish stories about racing unless someone asks over a beverage!  I should probably race more often and focus on speed if I want to go faster.  I rarely do more than 3 or 4 races per year and those are all built into my long term training plan for that year.  I can do most regular Tough Mudders comfortably well under 2 hours.   I’m 46 years old, 6ft and 200lb so I don’t expect to compete for trophies.  I do find it interesting that my PR’s are all within the last few years and have no explanation for that. 

In talking to you it looks like you enjoy doing OCR’s – what got you started in this sport?
I love trail running.  After a few 100-milers, I wondered if there was a sport that would penalize me less for being bigger.  I like multi-sport events but after several Ironmans I wanted something besides triathlons.  I like the lifestyle required for multi-sport and don’t really care which sports are on the list.  A friend asked me to join him at Tough Mudder (full) in Sparta, KY in 2017.  It sounded like fun and was.  I liked the variety and camaraderie very much.  After the finish line at that race, I saw a big sign with national standings from World’s Toughest Mudder 2016 which showed that the winner covered 100 miles.  I thought to myself, “I can run 100 miles.  Why not try that next?”  My wife took a bit more convincing but eventually came around.  She understands me.

How long are the OCRs you have done?
I’ve tried most of the Tough Mudder branded events except the 5k.  I’ve done all of the competitive distances: 10ish miles, 8 hours, and 24 hours.  The 24 hour is World’s Toughest Mudder and that’s something else altogether if you are planning to go long.  The physical stress of a 24hr race of any kind is high and takes significant planning.  This year, Tough Mudder is changing the 8hr races to 12hr.  My next race is a 12hr (8pm to 8am) Toughest Mudder in England in May.

What is the biggest race you have done and share some about it?
I’ll translate “biggest” as most impactful to me.  Your first anything is usually remarkable in some way. 

My first Iron-distance race was my first real physical and mental stretch that almost broke me mentally on race day.  I was young, freshly married, and had the world on a string.  I remember cruising the swim and bike, then withering in the heat on the run.  I suck at running in the heat.  At mile 19 of the marathon I was considering withdrawing and my wife got in my face and convinced me to finish.  She got on the course in non-running shoes and paced me the rest of the way in.  In retrospect, I can’t believe I made it given my level of ignorance at the time but am thankful for a wife who believes in me.

I started racing to raise money for charity in 2013.  In 2015, my oldest son, Evan, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes so Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) became my charity of choice.  In 2017, Evan was part of my crew and my part-time pacer at Indiana Trail 100.  That was pretty special.  He watched his dad face and overcome challenges through some tough weather and course conditions.

In 2018, I raced World’s Toughest Mudder, a 24-hour obstacle course race, for the first time - also for JDRF.  That is run on a 5 mile loop with ~17 obstacles per loop.  It was very difficult and my ignorance cost me.  On the other hand, it was another epic adventure with my son and a close friend helping as crew member.  I’ve never been tested that much physically, albeit because of my ignorance about OCR and my desire to achieve big mileage my first time out.  Greed kills.  Ignorance is not bliss.  Greed + ignorance = epic fail + epic stories.

What advice would you give to others that want to try an OCR?
Realize that it’s literally paying to play outside on a giant playground - go play!  Pick a first race that suits your current condition and provides what you care about.  If you want to be part of a team, do that.  If you want to fly solo, do that.  Big medal?  Special shirt?  Big obstacles?  Whatever it is, set yourself up for enjoyable success and don’t worry about anything else.  It’s only your first time once.  People tend to get so focused on metrics that they forget what it’s really all about.

What is your most memorable running race, or races, you have done and share a little about at least one of them?
I have a special place in my heart for the Mountain Mist 50k in Huntsville, AL.  It was my first trail ultra.  Every year in January, a bunch of crazy people show up for whatever crazy weather happens that year to run on rocky, technical trail and toe the line with some really great runners.  The swag is always tip top too.  I’ve made 14 starts and 11 finishes on this course.  One year it was flood conditions with deep mud and thigh high stream crossings.  One year the ice rain closed the main access road so only the people who made it to the start line early raced through the entire day of sleet and thick ice.  Maybe two of those years were dry and 40’s.  The back half of the course is much harder than the front and the worst is miles 23-29.  I love it so much!  Back in the day, the race was much lower key.  They’ve maintained the local, homey feel over the years while upping everything else.

Have you run Ultra’s as well?
If “ultra” means any run over a marathon, then yes.  I’ve run maybe three dozen over the years.  All of the official races were trail runs.  I put together a few unofficial events for charity that were also ultras.  One year I ran a 7hr relay race as a solo runner.  The following year I ran the Derby Festival Marathon twice back to back, starting at 3:30 a.m. for the first one, then joining the actual event for the second one.  If we include every run over 26.2 miles, including training days, then I’ve done hundreds over the years.  If you extend to multisport events, the number goes up some more.  I find great joy in testing myself and figuring out how to overcome.

How do you train for OCRs and also be ready for running races?
I’m new to the sport so I don’t know if my method is correct yet.  My next test is this November.  For now, I train my running like I’m going to do a hilly 100 mile trail run.  I also try to focus on adequate sleep while driving proper nutrition.   Run training is 6 days/wk and I do other conditioning 5-6 days/wk.  Cross training includes a mix of strength, core, agility, and yoga.  All in all, the running is the foundation of everything.  The other training makes me stronger overall while also preventing running injuries.

I noticed you son and daughter ran their first OCR recently with you, how did that go?

The kids were awesome!  They’ve been watching me try and fail and try again for almost two years now.  Last fall, we dedicated a month to training to do the Crossfit challenge known as “Murph”.  That’s a 1mi run+100 pullups+200pushups+300 squats+1mi run...and your composite time is recorded.  At the end of the training cycle, we did “Murph” (without the 20lb weighted vest) as a family.  That was the beginning.  Now, after hearing my stories, they got interested.  Terrain Race seemed like a good entry point so we signed up.  They loved it.  After completing the Derby Festival Triple Crown races last weekend, they told me that road running was far too boring.  Haha.  They’ve all asked to do a Tough Mudder 5k first before considering a full Tough Mudder.  We will look for races with age limits that fit.

What does a regular week of training look like?
A good week of running normally includes one hill day, one track day, one long day, and three easy days each week - averaging around 50mi/wk for the year.  On top of that, I try to do 6 full body strength and agility workouts each week.  These are all Beachbody programs that I do at home.   So, 12 workouts a week. As with any training regimen, discipline is king.  Making it all fit around a career and three kids in sports while maintaining a healthy marriage is a challenge.  When there is a conflict, family always wins.  Sometimes, that means running at 4:00 a.m., agility at 9:00 p.m., packing multiple outfits to work to run during lunch and again during kids’ practices.  Sometimes, it means you just sit at home and smile at your wife over a cup of coffee or do homework with your kids.    It’s all a hobby anyway.  Besides, if you’re consistent long term, a variance day here and there makes no difference.

What is your favorite distance to run and race?
My favorite distance right now is 50k on trails, half marathon on road, and 8-12hr on obstacle courses.  All for different reasons.  50k seems like enough time to enjoy a trail and still run at a comfortably quick speed.  Half marathon is a good distance to really suffer while running hard but not the acute pain associated with running full out at a 5k, which ends too soon for me.  OCR is just a different animal.  At this point, I’m enjoying the chance to learn, observe others, appreciate the sport, and still push myself.  Injury is the enemy so I’d rather take longer to learn the sport than get hurt.

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
Will Rivera, owner of Running Soles in E'town KY, recently turned me on to Altra shoes.  The jury is still out as they have wide toe boxes but aren’t made in widths.  I wear a 13 4E.  I have several hundred miles in my Torin’s and am enjoying them.  Maybe 100 miles on my Lone Peak 4’s and they’re doing well too.  The Torin’s seem to be good cruisers.  The Lone Peaks seem to handle mud well, which is why I bought them.  I haven’t really put the Lone Peak’s to a grueling test yet but that’s coming soon!

How about diet, do you eat any certain way and do things change on race week and race day?
I eat well the vast majority of the time and make no changes on race week.  I follow the guideline of eating things you buy around the outside of the grocery and as little as possible from a package.  I have gluten sensitivity so I try to avoid that.  Since we have a Type 1 Diabetic in the family, we limit the sugar in the house overall.  Lots of veggies.  We don’t avoid meat or fat.

On race day, I will adapt depending on distance and effort level.  If I’m racing road marathon or less, I’ll do powder (UCAN is currently my favorite) and/or gel (I like Honey Stingers).  I add real food for an ultra and listen to my body’s cravings.  My food of choice at an ultra is a rice ball with egg, avocado, and soy sauce (~200cal each).  I pack a wide variety of things for long races just in case.  If you’re hungry at an ultra where I’m racing, I probably have enough to cover us both!  I typically have some PBJ halves, ramen, Red Bull, Kettle chips, Mountain Dew Code Red, and Beachbody shakes.  Just depends on what I’m feeling for that race.  Then back to a more controlled diet when I’m not racing.

Do you have any long-range plans?
I’d like to see where this OCR thing goes.  I’ll give it another year or two to develop myself into the sport.  I’m chasing experiences, not distances, but especially experiences I can share with the family in some way.  When it’s all said and done, all we have are our stories and memories.  And whether or not we have regrets. 

I’m considering whether to attempt one of the Barkley events at some point but I’m not ready yet.  I’m also considering multi-sport events like adventure racing, where you do a lot of things...climb, kayak, run, bike, navigate, sail, whatever.

The big thing for me is to stay as healthy and fit for as long as I can.  I want to be able to enjoy retirement with my wife.  I want to be able to have adventures with my grandchildren one day.

What do you like best about living and running in KY?
I like the ease.  I like the accessibility to so much wilderness.  I like the community that comes with living small.  I love that I’ll never be able to see everything that’s within a few hours drive of my house.  I love the great people I meet along the way.

Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
New Zealand has a multisport race called Coast To Coast that I’ve been considering for a few years.  There’s an epic race in Iceland that I’ve bookmarked.  I bet if I look around hard enough, I’ll find more.  Whatever it is needs to push me to my absolute limit if I’m going to travel that far.

Inside the US, there are so many places I want to go run that I can’t name them all.  I just pick them off one at a time.  Along the way, I find a bunch of other places that I never would have considered.  Each place has its own story and energy.  I’m fascinated by it all.

Do you have any bucket list races?
Not really.  I haven’t seen an event that I couldn’t live without.  I did the Boston Marathon last year and that was pretty epic.  Ironman was on the list, but after several, it didn’t seem as big of a deal.  I suspect everything is like that eventually.  At this stage in my life, I don’t believe there’s much I can’t do if I train for it.  I hope I have another 10 years of this before I have to choose to scale down.

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
I struggle to control my mind.  It takes constant effort.  Some days are easier than others.  I use one basic strategy and then take action depending on what I want.  Simply put, I draw mental energy three ways:  distraction, anger, and love.  Distraction is what you would think - I occupy my mind solving a problem or just wondering.  My favorites are to plan things and then dissect the plans or do math problems.  Distraction keeps me even-keeled.  Anger is a special tool that acts like Nitrous on a hot rod, good for a short and hard burn but destructive to the engine if you stay there.  I’ll allow myself to ponder an injustice or something that fires me up and then ride the wave, staying conscious not to let it go very long.  The negative side effects are too steep for me to stay there.  Then I have love.  This is the long, steady burn with all upside and no side effects.  The trick on this one for me is to reach the point where I can access it.  Sometimes it takes me hours to free my mind from worry and stress, but when I get there, it’s like I feel clean, happy, and free.  Sometimes I am overwhelmed and just let it go.  It’s a spiritual experience.  It’s hard to explain but I really like getting there.  The trick is to control the variables I can so that I can stay in a good head space.  I made a very long spreadsheet with scenarios and countermeasures that I memorize to help me avoid traps - everything from dead batteries to what it might mean to pee too often.

What do you see as a trend in running?
People seem to find some value in running farther and farther.  Who cares how far you go?  Be healthy.  Be happy.  Enjoy yourself, others, and the world around you.

Gadgets have overtaken common sense and logic.  Many choose to pass the responsibility of progress to others or to technology.  There are great tools out there that will absolutely help you.  Blindly accepting anything without considering real data or proving things out is dangerous and can lead to trouble.

People are in too much of a hurry.  Too much of a hurry to see their bodies change.  Too much of a hurry to run “fast”, whatever that means.  Too much of a hurry to cram things into a schedule.  It can ruin the experience and make you bitter.  Better to set reasonable goals and enjoy the journey.

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
Don’t get hung up on “progress”.  If you stay steady and show up consistently for a long time, good things happen.  Have a reasonable plan.  Set goals.  Reevaluate.  And remember that life happens anyway.

Remember to enjoy each moment.  If you’re running and see something beautiful, stop and look at it!  Have a thought you want to ponder later?  Stop, write it down or send yourself a message.  Try not to be in such a hurry that you miss the beauty of life as it happens.

Share the love.  Take the positive things that come from running, the energy, the state of mind, the resiliency, and pay them forward in whatever ways you can.  Help someone.  Do some good.  Keep the positive cycle going by sharing with others.  Sometimes, that just means smiling and bringing happiness to someone else who needs it.  Remember that one day it could be you or someone you love.

And don’t skimp on gear if you can afford it.  Build relationships with knowledgeable people who care about you and listen to them.  It may take some trial and error to figure out what works for you but it’s worth it.  When your body and needs change, so will your gear.

Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
Nope.  People can find me on FB and IG though. 

Any closing comments?
Nah.  I’ve said a lot already.  Haha.

********You can see past interviews here********

Interview Tuesday: Kentucky and Masters Runner George Clark

I have only seen George at a race/run or two and have yet to really meet him, except online.  Enjoy getting to know something about George, as I did.

Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc.….
I am 56, born in 1962. I am from Hardin County, grew up in Vine Grove. Graduated from North Hardin.

What is your profession?
I have been a line-tech at Nolin RECC for the past 30 years.

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
I felt like I had to prove something to myself. Should I mention I got hit by a car riding my bike 3 years ago. I was on crutches for 4 months with a severe hip fracture. It was a new goal for myself

How long have you been running?
3 years.

As you also ride when did you start riding?
15 years ago.

Do you like riding or running best?
I like them both - riding is my passion, but they complement each other.

Do you road ride, Mountain bike or both?  Ever done Cyclo-cross?
Road mainly but I do some mountain biking. No cyclo-cross.

Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
Wresting Team in High school and a local swim team as a kid.

Did you run in grade school, High School or College?

No.

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 - 24:00
• 10K - 51:17
• Marathon - 4 hrs. 15 minutes
• Ultra - 32 miles

What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
Backyard Classic(BYC), Land Between the Lakes -  learned a lot more about running, 8-hour endurance race, my first Ultra.

Do you have a favorite workout you do running?
Not really, I do a lot of hill repeats.

How about a favorite workout riding?
All out on the trainer for 30 minutes.

How about a favorite route you like to run?
BYC

How about a favorite place to ride?
Wednesday night route (we call the Wednesday night worlds)

What is your favorite distance to run and race?
1\2 race.

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
Hoka and Altra.

Do you have any long-range plans?
Full Iron Man

What do you like best about living, running and riding in KY?
Very challenging, scenic, great routes, trails and there is still a lot of rural areas.

Anywhere else you would like to visit to run or ride?
Europe, Swiss Alps, Denmark ETC.

Do you have any bucket list races – both running and riding?
Maybe do an Ultra out West somewhere. Ride across America,

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
As of now learning to turn the hurt monster off, train to block him out. It's just your mind playing tricks on you.

What do you see as a trend in running?
Ultras, I.M.

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?

• Having a good support team is key to making it happen. Spouse and family.
• Surround yourself with great people and friends like RSN (Running Sole nation), CKW (Central Kentucky Wheel) and a great biking community is what keeps me going.

Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
Zwift indoor training, Facebook, RSN, CKW, Ultra Running.

Any closing comments?
Always keep setting new goals for yourself.
Surround yourself with people that have same interest, RSN & CKW, that are willing to help you when you're down.

********You can see past interviews here********

Interview Tuesday: Ohio and Masters Runner Tim Smith

Chattanooga 50

While a majority of the interviews I have done are with runners local to Kentucky I do like to interview those in neighboring states as well as around the world.  So, this week I talk to Ohioan Tim Smith who I have only chatted with online via FB posts so it was good to learn something about him.


Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I was born and grew up in Davenport, IA. Pretty average middle class white kid. Combo nerd/athlete. I was always decent at sports. I did sports from as long as I can remember: gymnastics, basketball, softball, baseball, football, track and field, wrestling, cross country, and powerlifting. For awhile I thought I would be a pro baseball player - a catcher. Truth is I really wasn’t that great at baseball.

I moved around a lot after college, from job to job (because I’m rarely satisfied), including brief stints in Georgia and Oklahoma. Got married and had a daughter, who was born in Macon, Georgia, who is now 23 and has recently taken up running herself! Got divorced, remarried and am currently in Middletown, Ohio (near Cincinnati). My wife Deb is a teacher who bikes and runs and does some triathlons, duathlons, and running races up to the half marathon distance.

What is your profession?
I grew up doing well at math, so I began college (U of Iowa) as a math major, but switched over to chemistry. I then got a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the U California in Berkeley, and did post-doctoral work for two years in Switzerland. I then taught at a few smaller colleges/universities but never really felt right in the tenure-track environment so jumped into industry at some smaller companies doing things like drug research, radiochemistry, and special projects at a company that makes small snippets of DNA (which they sell to researchers). More recently, since moving to Middletown, Ohio four years ago, I’ve been teaching chemistry as an adjunct professor at the U of Dayton, doing a bit of chemistry consulting, working as a K-12 substitute teacher, coaching high school cross country, personal coaching, doing a podcast, and directing races. I started up and directed the Hawkeye 50K/25K in Iowa back in 2010, which still exists after I handed it off. Truth is though, I’m mainly a house husband at the moment.

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
I’ve never not run or been in sports. I’m hyperactive, generally, and was likely a handful as a child. So I guess I was just “born to run,” although in my younger days that was mostly channeled into team sports. Once it became obvious I wasn’t going to be a pro-anything, I started powerlifting in high school after hanging out with my friend Charlie Driscoll, who became world-class at the sport. During my 20’s and 30’s I was engrossed in my studies, work, and my family so mostly stuck to powerlifting, which I could do by just going to the gym a few days a week. About the age of 40 (17 years ago), I took up running for a few reasons, in part because I maxed-out on how good I could be in powerlifting (which was never that good), plus the sport was becoming idiotic to me- long story there. Also my father died at the age of 49 so I was aware that maybe more cardio was needed, and running just sounded like a new adventure, since it had been so long since I had done it. Like many folks, I moved up from shorter road races, to longer ones, to trails races, to longer trail races, and I also enjoy biking and triathlons. I completely had to teach myself to swim about a dozen years ago. I couldn’t do a proper single lap at first.

How long have you been running? 
See above. About 17 years now since I took it up as an adult.

Did you run in grade school, High School or College? If so where?
I was never really very good at running. I did it between other sports. I did some track and field and my best races were at the longer distances. The longest was the mile, which I know I did in 5:07 in 9th grade. I wish I had continued to train that so I could say I did a sub-5 minute mile at least once. I only did cross country my senior year of high school. It was only two miles then in Iowa. I was probably an average runner on our team. I don’t remember for sure. I regret somewhat not going to a smaller college, rather than the U of Iowa, and trying out for the baseball team or maybe in cross country. That would have been fun. But I directed most of my college energy into academics.

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: Since I took it up again as an adult, 20:00. Yeah I’d like to beat that!
• 10K: Not sure. Low 40’s?
• Half marathon: 1:35-something. Run for the Schools, Iowa City, IA ~2010.
• Marathon: 3:28-something, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, 2010.
• 50K: Just over 5 hours? I think at the inaugural Earth Day 50K? Around 2013?
• 50 mile: 9:37? Ice Age 50 around 2009?
• 100K: About 14:15? At the inaugural Booneville Backwoods 100K in Iowa. Maybe 2014-ish?
• 100 mile: 25:15-ish at Tunnel Hill in 2018.
• Iron-distance triathlon: About 13:30 at the Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma around 2013-ish?

You started up RunSmith Enterprises – how is that going  as you offer coaching, race directing and also have a podcast?

Thrill in the Hills 50K Relay

Whatever I originally thought the podcast would be, it’s now mostly an audio diary, even though I act like I’m talking to an audience. Almost no one listens to it compared to the other ultra/endurance podcasts. My style is a fairly dry monologue, so I understand that. The name, Topics in Endurance Sports, was intended to reflect that originally I was going to cover various topics, but I’ve found I have less time to work on it than I had hoped, so mainly it’s been me covering ultramarathons that I run. I try to interview someone else who did the race as well. I have done a couple of podcasts where I review a book. I’m doing good to get out an episode a month.

The personal coaching I do is mostly for fun, because I can talk and think about running endlessly. I have just a few clients at any one time. I’m probably the very cheapest coach you can find in the States. I’m flabbergasted at folks charging hundreds of dollars per month, but that’s fairly common. I don’t claim to have all of the answers with my clients but try to gently get them to focus on a few straightforward goals to simplify their training, to take the stress out of training. I try to work with what they can do, and what they like to do. It’s really interesting how individual every individual actually is.

What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?
 I have a number of them. So many are memorable.

That 5:07 mile in 9th grade is the first one. Interestingly I was the #2 miler at our school. This race was the city championships. On the last lap I surprisingly found myself in the lead, with our #1 guy just behind me. At the last moment I let up and let him pass, so he got first and I got second. I felt like he would be let down to lose and didn’t want that. I know this may sound like some kind of humble brag, but it bugs me to this day. It told me that I’m not really the fighter type of athlete. I’m still not. I wish I were, but the truth is I like to participate more than I like to fight for the win (not that that’s a consideration now).

In more recent years, the Detroit Marathon in 2008 where I barely qualified for Boston was fantastic. I had tried hard for many races to qualify. The Boston Marathon in 2009 was amazing. Runners are treated like royalty all weekend. I loved it. The race was great and I ran really well.

My 9:37-ish at the Ice Age 50 was great. I know that’s just an average time, but I have never approached that speed again. I’ve never finished a 50 miler under 11 hours besides that one. That was also 2009, I think. The years from 2008-2010 were my magic years where I had enough miles in my legs to feel strong, and no nagging injuries yet.

The 13:30-ish iron distance triathlon was really cool. (I say “iron distance” because it’s the same distance as an Ironman, but that’s a trademarked name and this was not put on by the Ironman corporation.) That’s not a good time either in comparison to others, but just a few years before I couldn’t swim nor had ridden a bike more than a few miles for about 30 years.

My first 100 mile completion, in 31:06 at Mohican was quite memorable. Very painfully memorable. You get 32 hours there, thankfully. I had all kinds of problems  but managed to get through it. Finishing the Indiana 100 in one of their ridiculous rain/mud years was memorable just because it was so so hard to fight through it. Finishing the UROC 100K last year was memorable. I was nearly dead last, just beating the 19:30 cutoff. But it was really really hard. Lots of folks dropped.

Finally, just a week ago I ran a 50K relay with my daughter down near Atlanta (Thrill in the Hills 50K). She took up running a couple of years ago and is doing great. What a dream come true, to run with her!

Besides this, so many races bring happy thoughts because of what I experienced and because of the athletes I’ve met. I can’t think of a single race I didn’t enjoy. Also just running by myself or with others in training has been fun.

Do you have a favorite workout you do?
No, because I love everything. Seriously. Any workout is fun, slow and long or short and speedy (although in the past few years a chronic and tiny niggle in the knee has prevented me from doing much sprinting). I like cycling, and I still lift weights 3x per week just because I like it. I always do at least a couple of short swims every week.

How about a favorite route you like to run? 
Honestly not really. It’s all good. I’m always happy running. I’ve only been an endurance runner in Iowa and Ohio so it’s not like I’ve got some amazing mountain trails to train on, but I enjoy what I do have.

What is your favorite distance to run and race? I think 50K to 50 miles on trails suits me best now as far as total enjoyment goes. What’s nice is that I can run those races, feel like I really did something tough, yet still get to bed that evening. (Half iron distance triathlons fit this category too.) None of the overnight stuff I need for 100 miles, and 50K-50 miles means a few days of medium-pain, not the mind-bending pain I have after 100 miles. Having said all this, I love every distance from 5K to 100 miles, as well as triathlons, bike races, and cyclocross. Oh, I think I forgot cyclocross. I do a few cyclocross races in the fall. It’s a blast!

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
Oh boy! This is embarrassing but I have like 40 pairs of shoes in my efforts to try to figure this out. I have wide stupidly-shaped feet so there’s that. What I have worn has evolved over the years.  I do like some cushioning. I have tried about six different Altras and have run up to 100 miles in the Olympus but am transitioning away from them now. The no-drop just doesn’t suit me. I like Hoka but, as everyone knows, they are too narrow. Still I’ve done 100 milers in those (Challenger) and have not given up on those completely yet. I wear the Speedgoats too. For both the Challenger and Speedgoats I have to buy very oversized so they are wide enough. More recently I’ve enjoyed running in Skechers for both road and trail. They are wide enough, with some drop and good cushioning. I’ve got two different road versions and two different trail versions of those I like. Finally I like the Topo Terraventures (also wide, with some drop) for shorter trail races and just got the new Topo Ultraventures and did my first race in those recently. Pretty good.

Do you have any long-range plans?
Not specifically. I just like to do new races that are interesting. I don’t repeat races much. I often use races as reasons to visit an area. One thing I would like to do that I haven’t yet are some solo-adventuring, either hiking or biking or a combination of the two. I think getting into fast-packing would be fun.

What do you like best about living and running where you live?
There are a lot of races and lots of athletes. Ohio is highly populated, so there are lots of runners and running clubs and race directors. Same for triathlon. Some races are very inexpensive. A local club (ORRRC) puts on races that we can run for free if we join. There are some decent parks to run in as well. I’m also well situated to travel to a number of great running destinations in nearby states like KY, TN, WV, NC, PA, VA.


Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
I would really like to do a race in Switzerland or near there. Unfortunately when I lived in Switzerland I was too dedicated to my research and wasn’t yet into trail running. It kinda kills me when I realize what I could have been doing. Same goes for the five years I lived in California. Beyond Switzerland, I just read about so many cool races I’d love to do from Iceland to Comrades in S. Africa and beyond.

Do you have any bucket list races?
Not exactly. Just a long list of races that sound fantastic.

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
Hmmm… I suppose mostly aging, and the chronic aches and pains that accompany that. Getting slower isn’t great either. But I can’t complain. I’m still moving. Social media can be annoying, in that it’s full of misinformation, athletes who want to put others down, and so-called experts know-it-alls who substitute opinion and bias for actual knowledge. But like many, I’m still addicted to it and fall prey to being that same annoying person I just complained about.

What do you see as a trend in running? 
One thing is people who go from Couch to 100 miles (or similar) very quickly, skipping so many intermediate steps. It seems crazy to me, but many do it successfully. I imagine this is due to social media and people highlighting *epic* races and the feeling of checking off an accomplishment. This is not necessarily bad but just perplexes me some. Women kicking butt is certainly a great trend. And of course longer and out-of-the-box races and anything Laz does being copied by others. I’ll be against the tide on this one, but I think there is a lot of over-focusing on nutrition, leading to goofy diet wars. Everyone’s a nutritional expert these days. Footware has graduated to the point where neither barefoot running or max cushioning is the fad right now, so it’ll be interesting to see if some new shoe fashion pops up soon. Politically I’m curious to see if more endurance athletes will mix their sport with poliitcal issues. E.g., Claire Gallagher, Stephanie Case and Avery Collins. I applaud their kinds of activism. Oh, and there are too many podcasts. Ha ha.

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?

1. Take your time. Enjoy the shorter races leading up to longer ones. What’s the rush? Don’t let the accomplishments of others decide for you what to do.
2. It’s cliche, but listen to YOUR body and create a training lifestyle that fits YOU. It’s good to learn about what everyone else is doing, and to try new things sometimes, but in the end it’s likely no one is going to train just like you do. And over the years your training will change. Do workouts you enjoy, that give you real satisfaction. And slow down or STOP when you feel little injuries coming on, or you’ll end up with a big one.
3. Make your own nutritional rules. You know what’s healthy and what’s not. For example, I don’t eat breakfast (unless I have a race or very long workout in the morning). That’s a big no-no, according to the experts. It works for me though.
4. Try not to let social media get to you. Don’t compete with their Instagram pictures. You can’t win that game. (I confess I fight with this myself.)

Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
Website is RunSmith.net, on Twitter I’m @RunSmithE, on Instagram timcsmith1961. On FB join RunSmith Enterprises. I don’t post a whole lot there, but I announce new podcasts episodes. Add me as a friend on FB. Search Tim C Smith. Finally, I’m on Strava too.

Any closing comments? 
Nah. I blabbered on enough.

********You can see past interviews here********

Interview Tuesday: Meet Kentucky and Masters Runner Greg Florey

Grand Slam 4 Miler - 2012

This week I talk to Greg Florey of Meade County.  Greg is another runner that I have not really met but have interacted with online and hope to meet some time at a local race.  Next week I will be interviewing the other half of team Florey - Lisa.

Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
Currently I’m 49 years old. I was born in Montgomery, Alabama. Grew up between there, Florida and Georgia. I live in beautiful and rural Meade County, in the unincorporated portion of Vine Grove. Father of 2 and married to my awesome fellow runner wife, Lisa.

What is your profession?
I’m a retired Army Soldier and still working for the Army as a DA Civilian. My job is that of a National Convention Exhibits Specialist for the Army. That is, I travel to locations all over the country where the Army wants to have a presence (booth) at a particular type of National level Conference. These can be anything from Band to Chaplains and Education to Medicine (Dentists, Doctors, Nurses, Physicians Assistants, Veterinarians, etc.). Outside of getting paid for it the biggest benefit is that I get to run in all sorts of new and different places!

How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
Other than what the Army said that I had to do twice a year (a 2 mile run on my Physical Fitness test), I was never (what I would call) a runner. I didn’t get by the proverbial bug until 2010 (22 years in the Army at that point), when I was going through a divorce. I found that the more that I ran the less stressed that I was. Sort of a Forest Gump transition! lol

How long have you been running?
A little over 8 and a half years now.

Did you participate in any other sports over the years?
Nope, never had any interest. Not a sports fan…except for watching the Summer Olympics - Women's Beach Volleyball to be specific. lol

Did you run in grade school, High School or College?
Never played any sports in school.

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  - 21:32   - Jun 15, 2013  10th Annual Dash For A Cure 5K on Long Island, NY
• 10K  - 44:08   -   May 11, 2013  Run for the Red Cross 10K on Fort Knox
• Half Marathon - 1:39:57    Apr 27, 2013  Louisville Derby Mini Marathon
• Marathon  -  4:32:24    Dec 4, 2011  Las Vegas Marathon
• Farthest  - 51.12 mi    Jul 9, 2016 RUTS in Paducah

As your wife, Lisa, also runs how do you support each others running activities?
We both just get it. The whole, I have to run thing. Usually, whoever is not racing, will crew the other one for their race. When Lisa completed her first 50 Miler at Mo’ Bell in Tennessee, the RD there gave me a finishers award as well, saying that I was voted Best Crew and that she might even have to hire me for her next race. lol

What is your most memorable race or races and share a little about at least one of them?

Greg and Lisa

The Mohican 50 Miler in Ohio where I earned my first 50 mile trail finish! Lastly, The breaks 45 Mile Trail Race (RD’d by the evil genius Mike Whisman), where I learned a lot about myself and the will to live…ok, ok I admit that was a bit dramatic. It was a bit insane though. The last 3 miles were in the dark with monsoon rains, a not the best headlamp, fewer and fewer trail markings up the side of a very steep, rocky and slippery hillside! When I finished, I was so worn out that I had gotten angry and was just making it over to Lisa where I was just going to say, “Let’s get our things and get out of here, now”. Just as I was about to reach Lisa though Mike gets to me first and gives me a hug and suddenly I wasn’t mad any more. #whydidyoustealmyanger #runnerhug Oy vey and lol!

What is your most memorable race you have gone to with Lisa?
The 10th Annual Dash For A Cure 5K on long Island, NY, which was the first time that my wife and I did a race together and the Big Blue Riverfront Marathon in Owensboro, KY, that Lisa and I did as a Co-Ed Team together and we placed 3rd! We had no clue until they called out our names and we were looking around thinking, “Why did they just call our names”? lol

Do you have a favorite workout you do?
Not really. Any run is a good run.

How important do find groups like the Running Soles group to be and why?
I think that they are a great source of inspiration for runners of all types!

Do you have a favorite route you like to run?
I really enjoy Otter Creek, Siltstone and the Back Yard Classic course

What is your favorite distance to run and race?
Trail Half’s are my favorite as they don’t wreck me for the rest of the day afterwards.

What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?

Lisa and Greg

Currently, I’ve been running in Hoka Speed Goat 2’s (thanks to Will Rivera) for trail.
I really miss my Mizuno Kazans though (Mizuno stopped making them). =(  For the occasional road run I’m currently using, Mizuno Wave Rider 22’s, as they just seem to work well for me.

Do you have any long-range plans?
To improve my ½ trail marathon times.

What do you like best about living and running in KY?
The fact that there are so many great trails and trail races in the area!

Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
Lisa and I are going up to Canada and Montana next year and while in Canada we’re going to be doing the Banff  National Park ½ Marathon! Would love to get over to Australia someday and run there. I’ve always heard that it’s amazing there for running.


Do you have any bucket list races?

Hel's 1/2 Pound - 2015

The Barkley Classic and Leadville.

What do you struggle with most with regards to running?
Being consistent with my fueling and hydration. I wish that I was able to get as regimented with it as Lisa is!

What do you see as a trend in running?
That the ladies are coming on strong in the 100+ mile races!

If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
Stick with it and mix up the locations. Same path every day can turn a joy into a drudgery.

Any closing comments?
How soon before I can get in another run? ;-)

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