Don't be abeard, it's just another interview thread.

How/when did you start running?

I was bored one evening in November 2013 and decided to go for a run. I enjoyed it enough to book a place in my local 10K the following May. After the race, I stopped running until I wanted to run the race again. This occurred for a few years, I was the worst hobby jogger of all time. Late 2016, I decided to give up alcohol for a year and decided that I would take running more seriously in 2017. I always enjoyed it, I was just really lazy.

Looking at my Strava history, I ran 35mi in 2013, 84 in 2014, 106 in 2015, 120 in 2016 and 1003mi in 2017. I've already ran more miles in the first four weeks of 2018 than I did in any of the first four years!

What are your PRs?

I've only raced three distances:

• 5KM - 20:23
• 10KM - 42:45
• Half-Marathon: 01:39:29

Favorite shoes to train or race in?

Hoka One One's Clifton 3s are everything I have ever wanted from a shoe. I used to get knee pain from the impact of the road (RUNNING IS BAD FOR YOUR KNEES FOLKS) and these sorted me out a right treat. I have had two pairs and I am currently about to rotate to the Napali, which are waiting in the box.

What's your next race?

The fake Boston Marathon in the UK. They've advertised it as "The Flattest Marathon in the UK" and they're not lying - I read a race report from last year where the elevation came out as 0FT on Strava! It's the same week as OG Boston.

What is your favorite distance to race and why?

10K, no doubt. This might change as I become a stronger runner and can hold fast paces for longer.

What are your goals this year?

• Stay healthy and consistent
• Run 1500mi (28.3mpw)
• Run a sub 3:30 marathon
• Run a sub 1:35 half-marathon
• Have a consistent and effective training place for both races

Proudest running accomplishment?

I don't feel like I have had one yet. I won an individual medal for my age category in my last 10K but only because the winner was also in my age category and he couldn't recieve more than one medal.

What do you do outside of running?

I work at my local college in student services, providing information, advice & guidance to our students and applicants.

What other hobbies/interests do you have?

I enjoy video games and watching football (soccer for you yanks). I'm currently working my way through my backlog of games and I am hoping to find some gems but I am struggling with balancing work, life and marathon training!

What is your favorite route/place to run?

I visited the Panathenaic Stadium and completed 400m solo on the track. It was a brilliant experience and one I would recommend for every to do when visiting Greece.

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

I remember my first lactate threshold interval run being key for me to realise that I can go quicker than what I thought I could which was a big thing for me mentally.

My favourite race was the Perkins Great Eastern Run based in Peterborough. You would start near the city centre and there would be a big crowd but things became quieter when heading outside of the city. We went through lots of housing estates and small suburbs which was brilliant, the few people outside cheering you on really helped. I thought I was near the end at some point when I could hear live music but it was just some kid shredding his electric guitar in his driveway!

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

r/ARTC! Without you guys, I wouldn't have discovered Pfitzy baby, would not have many people to share my love of running with and probably wouldn't have been too bothered about self-improvement. Every run I used to go on would be the same pace, same distance - I'm sure some of you were the same!

What is your favorite post long run food?

Spaghetti bolognese or spaghetti & meatballs... I could live off spaghetti.

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

I see some of the guys here, like /u/OGFireNation, who have improved so much from regular miles and doubling most days and really wish I had the consistency and time to do it. I know I'd try to work up to 100mpw without distractions so I'd hope to improve as much as OG has over the years!

Favorite subreddits?

I have limited the amount of time I spend on Reddit each day to 20 minutes (which is why I'm more active in Slack), so I only get to check my front page - r/ARTC, r/Soccer, r/SquaredCircle, r/Games & r/NintendoSwitch.

Origin of your username?

I was originally on Reddit with my real name and I soon realised that could potentially be a bad idea... I was attempting to grow a yeard at the time and settled with u/LucasTheBeard. My beard is shorter now and I really could do with changing - who knows, I might want to shave one day!

Strava link if you use it?

Hit me up for some kudos 4 kudos