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| 2018 Boston Marathon |
It has been almost 6 months since I interviewed you last and you have been pretty busy. Do you still work at John’s Run/Walk Shop?
I still work at John’s Run/Walk Shop as a buyer/race director and am now on full time. Since graduation (and a long trip to Europe), I had brief career as an engineer in Louisville, Kentucky. After 3 days, I knew it was not going to be a path that would bring me happiness in the short or long term, so I made the decision to retire from engineering go back to John’s full time. Some people have balked at how quickly I gave up engineering, but the work I do at John’s is something I really enjoy and allows me to work in the industry of the sport I love. It didn’t seem logical to waste a year or two pretending I would be happy in engineering when I knew I would likely ultimately come to the same conclusion down the line.
I noticed you went to Europe – did you do any running there or was it just a sight seeing trip, if so where did you like running the most? Was this your first time in Europe?
I was in Europe for a brief study abroad trip with the UK Engineering/MBA dual degree program. It was my first time to Europe and a fantastic experience. I was using my time on the trip as a long needed extended break from training, but I made sure to run in every place I visited. My favorites were running in the mountains outside of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and in the mountains of Salzburg, Austria. The trails and the scenery in the Alps were stunning, so I was grinning like an idiot the whole time. I got to spend a lot of time with friends and family, so it was a great month of travel.
How has your training been going?
I’ve been slowly getting back into the swing of things since returning from Europe. I’m back up to 90ish miles per week range and slowly working my way back up to my marathon volume. My fall marathon isn’t until December this year, so I’m keeping this buildup a little more leisurely.
Have you been able to avoid injuries?
Knock on wood, nothing to report!
What does a typical week of workouts look like for you?
My “typical” week varies drastically depending on where I am in a marathon training cycle. I could be doing anything from 80-125 per week based on the time of year. A typical week in the thick of a training block might look something like this:
- Monday- 10/6 double day
- Tuesday- 12/6 double day
- Wednesday- 13 with a workout faster than Marathon Pace (hills, tempo, intervals, etc.)
- Thursday- 12/6 double day
- Friday- 10/5 double day
- Saturday- 18 long run with 8-9 total at Marathon Pace (2x4 miles or 3x3 miles)
- Sunday- 12 mile trail run
Total: 110 miles
You ran Boston this year in the cold and wet – how did that go?
Boston this year was a fantastically miserable experience (and I mean it was both fantastic and miserable). It was very cool to line up with the world’s best in the elite corral and even cooler to end up finishing so high in the field. For a detailed race report, you can check out my report here
Did you have any thoughts during the race of dropping out as many of the faster runners did when things did not go as planned? Do you have any plans for another Boston?
I went to Boston to run the Boston Marathon, so I never considered dropping out. There were points in the race where I was concerned about whether I could physically make it to the line, but at no point did I consider dropping out of my own volition. I would absolutely love to go back to Boston in a more “normal” year. Even with the terrible weather, the atmosphere was incredibly special and unique. The crowd support was astounding even with the conditions. I could only imagine what it is like in a normal year, as there were stretches of road with barricades and no people where I assumed they would be 3-4 deep in normal weather.
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| Zack followed by Antonio Marchi at the 2018 BG 10K |
Like I said, I have just gotten back from a long trip (with less than ideal dietary and drinking habits) where I took an extended break from training. I tried to ramp up miles pretty quickly and threw in a few haphazard workouts in the couple weeks I had when I got back, but I didn’t head into the race with many expectations. The race turned out well, though, and I was able to win for a second year in a row. I think I ran a smart race for my current fitness- I was patient, didn’t over estimate my fitness, and had fun with it. After a lifetime of miles I think I’ve become a mature runner and established a baseline level of strength/fitness that is always there- that’s what I ran Bluegrass off of this year.
So, what are your up coming plans with regards to racing? I think I remember you wanted a US Marathon Trials qualifying time – when and where do plan to go for the time?
I have 4 races lined up for this fall. I’m running the Hot Hot Hundred 100k trail relay in August for the third year in a row for fun. That race is always a blast and Next Opportunity Events always puts on top notch events. Beyond that, I have the Akron Half Marathon in September, the Indianapolis Half Marathon in November, and the California International Marathon (CIM) in December. CIM acts as the US Marathon Championships and is always a fast race with plenty of people to run with. I’m hoping to tuck in with a group of runners also going for the standard to hopefully get my US Olympic Trials Qualifying mark there.
I noticed you are putting on a trail race – The Harrods Creek 5K/10K. Can you share a little about the race?
I grew up exploring and bushwhacking my way through a massive nature preserve directly behind my parents’ house. The land was donated to the city decades ago because it was too rugged to build houses on and essentially just sat there, wild and unused. Eventually an ambitious councilman got permission to put in a few trails, which I discovered and ran pretty much daily. I got in touch with the councilman and personally pushed for and built an additional 1.5 miles of trails while I was in college. Within the last couple of years, the park has come together nicely with 4 miles of trails, swings overlooking the creek, and a canoe launch. I started the Harrods Creek Trail Bash as a way to both show off the little-known park to the community and to raise money for ongoing park projects. We sold out last year and are well on our way to doing so again this year. You can check it out at the here.
You recently were part of the start of Hill Runners Coaching. How did this come about and tell us about the coaches and coaching offered and how it can help runners?
Matt Hillenbrand (3:57 miler at UK) and I ran together in both high school and college and have been friends for a very long time. For a while we had been talking about the potential of getting a coaching service together, and we’ve recently made it happen with Hill Runners Coaching. Cally McCumber (multiple time All American at UK and current pro runner) also came on board as a coach. So, we have 3 UK alumni with years of experience with pretty much every angle of the sport from middle distance to road racing to trail running.
We offer individualized training plans and personal coaching for runners of all levels at a competitive price. The only requirement is a desire to get faster, and we can help with the rest. For me personally, being involved with this project is about sharing what I’ve learned through my years in the sport with others and surrounding myself with people who love this sport as much as I do.
I hope this update lets you know a little more about Zack and that you keep up with his progress in running.
