Oh gee, looks like it's time for another interview.

How/when did you start running?

I started running a bit before I joined the Air Force. I wanted to join, but was overweight, so my recruiter told me to lose weight. So of course I made my way to the nearest Planet Fitness and did stupid amounts of cardio and tracked all my calories. I lost the weight I needed to, and my recruiter told me that if I got a perfect score on my PT test in basic training that I’d get an extra family day at the end. So it became my mission. A few months later I took the test, and maxed the run score by 1 second (ran a 9:11 when I needed 9:12.) It was my first real taste of race effort though, and I loved it.

So after basic training I did the proper thing and decided the next logical step was a marathon. I trained for this marathon by running as far as I possibly could once per week. I worked from 10 miles up to 22, with lots of injuries, setbacks and loss of motivation. I ran my first marathon in 4:03:xx.

So those were the actual starts of my running back in 2014, but I started training seriously in summer of 2016. I’d been doing marathons all in the 3:45-4:20 range when I was told I would be deploying. Most of you know from this point, but I decided if I had 6 months of nothing to do, I’d build a real base and follow a real plan. I consider that a start to my racing, because it’s been a night and day difference since then.

What are your PRs?

800m- 2:17

1.5 mile- 8:09

5,000m- 16:40

10,000m- 36:29

Half Marathon- 1:16:27

Marathon- 2:49:48

12 Hour- 61.5 miles. The goal was 100km, and had hours left to finish it, but the race director and everybody else insisted 250 laps on the track was enough. It wasn’t. Not that I’m upset.

Favorite shoes to train or race in?

The Saucony Kinvaras are my favorite. I race my fulls in them, and do my high volume runs in them. Plenty of cushion, but also responsive. I also really like the Nike Zoom Streak 6 for my shorter races. I think the most I’ve had at once is 12 pairs of shoes with 8 of them being different, so I am easy to please.

What's your next race?

Boston! That’s my goal race, but I’ll probably have some random tune-ups thrown in. Idk about fall races yet. I planned to do the AF marathon, but word on the street is I might be deploying again, so who knows.

What is your favorite distance to race and why?

Marathon. It’s such a grind. It makes me think of real life. You work your ass off a long time, for one moment. Sometimes it doesn’t work out like you want, but when it does... holy shit.

What are your goals this year?

I would like sub-2:40 in the full, and I would like to get on the Air Force marathon championship team. I didn’t make it last year, but I know I was close. I’ll just apply every year until they take me.

Ideally though, I’d just like to stay healthy, run a ton of miles, and improve as a runner and person.

Proudest running accomplishment?

That’s tough! I’ve had so many moments that I’m proud of. My last marathon PR at Rockin Chocolate was awesome. Running the Peachtree Road Race for the Air Force was really cool. Being able to say I ran 1569 miles on a dirt track was really cool. I just enjoy the sport so much, I guess it’s hard to pick one moment!

That’s such a cop out answer, I’m sorry! I guess all the times I kept running when work made it near impossible is what I’m most proud of. You can take a lot of things from me, but you can’t take my miles.

What do you do outside of running?

I work with satellite communications for the Air Force (if you couldn’t pick that out yet,) but that’s really just a way to pay my bills. I’ve been cooking a ton lately, and really enjoying it. I really enjoy vegetables, and meat. Mostly pizza though, and I’ve really enjoyed making pizza the few times I have. I also play Rocket League quite a bit, but not as much anymore.

What other hobbies/interests do you have?

Oh, I guess I answered that. I love travelling. I travelled so much last year, and it got stressful at times, but it was so great. Even when it was somewhere lame like Idaho, it was so cool to see new places. My two favorite places I travelled to would probably be Brussels, and San Diego.

What is your favorite route/place to run?

That’s tough! I REALLY enjoyed the B2B trail in Ann Arbor last time I went home. It’s scenic, mostly flat, and the perfect distance for out-and-back runs!

Do you have a favorite run/race that you’ve ever done?

Mmmmmmmm that’s tough. Peachtree Road Race was a lot of fun! It was a pretty tough course, but just such a cool time. I haven’t done a lot of races multiple times, so it’s hard to say I have one that I ALWAYS do.

If you could run anywhere in the world with anyone in the world, alive or dead, where would you run and who would you run with?

I’d run with Pheidippides, so I could show him how big of a baby he is for dying.

Just kidding. That’s a tough one! There’s so many to choose from. I’d definitely run somewhere cool and dry though. Somewhere that looks nice too. Maybe we could get pizza and a beer afterwards.

What do you think has been the greatest contributor to your success in running?

CONSISTENCY AND SLOWING DOWN. Hands down. Consistency didn’t mean running every day to me. It meant getting out when I said I would every time I said I would. First that meant 4 days a week. Then 5. Then 6 and 7. It was a huge game changer when I decided I had to stop making excuses for myself.

And slowing down too! When I slow down on my easy days it lets me go faster and smoother when I’m supposed to. Recovery is so much easier when you actually let your body do it.

What is your favorite post long run food?

Pizza. Hands down. Toppings don’t matter. Style doesn’t matter. Just give me the ‘za.

If you had a year to train, with no other distractions, how fast do you think you could get?

That’s tough! It’s hard to predict the future. I like to think maybe I could get near 2:30 in the marathon. Maybe one day!

Origin of your username?

We were in a radio class, and everybody was too afraid to make a callsign, so I made mine “FireNation” or FN. Then I was just OG, because everybody else made callsigns. Pretty underwhelming, really. That’s me. Underwhelming.

Strava link if you use it?

https://www.strava.com/athletes/14779675

Favorite non-running physical activity?

Ripstiking. I can just rip all day long. Love it.