Matt after completing the 2013 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon.
One of our community bloggers, Annette Vaughan, had the idea to share a little more about ourselves through some interview questions she came up with. Take these questions and come up with more to interview your running buddies! I am not as verbose as Kelly, but here goes:
Age you started running
27. I played baseball throughout my life and through college. Running was essentially punishment for my entire upbringing.
Favorite running shoes
Saucony, though I have run in some fantastic pairs by Mizuno and on in the last few years.
First race
2011 Race for the Tulips 5k in Woodburn
Favorite time of year to run (or favorite running temperature)
Early summer mornings watching the sun rise over the Cascades.
How many days/week or miles/week you run (or mileage/year)
Approx 100 mi/mo.
Favorite running tech gadgets
I’m relatively low-tech (i.e. a GPS watch). I currently use Nike+ for run tracking (though I’d like to upgrade), and my Jaybird Bluebirds X headphones are my favorite “tech-y” item at the moment – great sound and no cords!
What you can’t run without
Headphones
What you carry with you on the run
Cell phone
Pre-run/race routine/must-do’s
I am terrible at this. I don’t do dynamic stretching or have much of a warm-up routine. Mostly I just sip coffee and get a mini-stretch in before heading off.
Post-run/race routine/must-do’s
I am also pretty terrible at this. Since I have other responsibilities at home, and end up participating in a bunch of events throughout the year (typically around 30), I try to get home to my family as quickly as possible so I don’t miss out on my weekends with them.
Go to pre-race food
Black Coffee (though I won’t say no to free-food if it presents itself).
Post-race food/beverages
Beer!
Favorite race and/or distance
Half Marathon. I have run so many events over the past few years, that I can’t really nail down a favorite.
Favorite running destination
The closer the better, though I do like to try to branch out and try new areas/races when I am travelling. I travelled to every county in Oregon in 2013 for work and was lucky enough to run in some amazing places as a result!
Group running or solo running?
Solo
Music or no music?
Always music. ALWAYS.
Favorite running song
Whatever is on my playlist for the month.
Speed work?
Uhhh…no.
Cross training?
I go in cycles. I have gone through periods with swimming, P90X, and yoga, but it’s typically never consistant as my true love is running.
Treadmill?
Nope! Though I do love experienceing it vicariously through fellow Run Oregon blogger Tung’s personal blog.
Training plan?
My only training plan is getting out there and running. I don’t typically set time or distance goals when I go for a run. My distances are typically dictated by the amount of time I have allotted and how I am feeling over the course of the run. I did train decently well when working to get ready for the 2013 Foot Traffic Flat, but the committment with two young kids and a full-time job was pretty difficult.
Running pet peeve
People who get upset at obvious “non-runners” – for example, people who get huffy over 11-year-old kids toeing the front of the start line. Should they be there? Probably not. Is it really that big of a deal? Again, probably not. Should people get visibly and verbally angry about it? Definitely not.
Favorite non-running outdoor activity
Hiking and Camping
Funny, embarrassing, most memorable running experience
Two words: Bloody. Nipples.
What you do when you aren’t running or blogging
Sampling Craft and Micro-breweries (I made it to 130 in 2014 alone).
Something Run Oregon readers don’t know about me
I’m Canadian, eh. It’s aboot time you knew that, ya hosers.
