If you read this space, you know that when I meet or hear about a runner with what I think is an interesting story, I do a “question and answer” post I call Runner Spotlight.I met Justin when we were put on the Nuun Hood to Coast team together. Here was a guy who was full of personality and a lot of fun to be around, but that’s not what I found to be the most interesting thing about him.
In order to get chosen to be on the Hood to Coast team we had to apply. Applications were limited to Nuun Ambassadors which meant on some level, we needed to be athletic and socially savvy (or at least social media savvy). As a runner and blogger, it was a no-brainer for me to apply.
But for Justin, it was a different story. This dude had never even run a 5K. And he not only applied to be part of a team that would run a 200 mile relay (in which he would have to run at a minimum, 15 miles over 36 hours), but he got accepted!
Talk about an adventure!
I can’t claim to know him really well, but I can tell you that Justin is a lot of fun to be around and pretty silly. In fact, he knew the Nuun team for less than an hour before this happened:
Need I say more?
So without further preamble, I present you with the first spotlight of my Nuun Hood to Coast teammates.
Name: Justin Fricke
Age: 24
City/state: Winter Springs, FL
Occupation: Banking
Twitter & Instagram: @JustinLFricke
When and why did you start running?
In April of 2014 is when I really got into running. I’m an ambassador for Nuun Hydration Co. and they asked all us ambassador folk to fill out an application to be on one of their Hood to Coast (the mother of all relays) team. They’d be putting together 2 teams with 10 ambassadors on each team; they’d be taking 20 ambassadors altogether.
At the time I was in a real low point in my life and was craving an adventure that’d really put me outside my comfort zone. I figured I’d fill out the application and see what happens. A week later I got an email from Nuun saying I’d been selected to be on one of their teams. The next day I went to the local running store, got fitted, bought my first real pair of running shoes, and got to training.
From there I guess you could say “the rest is history.”
As a runner, what are you most proud of having accomplished?
Running and finishing all my legs during Hood to Coast probably takes the cake. I mean I was running in places unfamiliar to me. I’d just started running five months prior and I wasn’t relying on music to power me through my runs for the first time, ever. It was just really gratifying to be there in those moments, alone, and just letting go of what had transpired months before.
What was the biggest hurdle to running and how did you get over it?
Training during the dog days of summer in Florida has been my biggest running hurdle so far. I just get my mind in the game, knowing it’s going to feel like I’m going to drown from the humidity with each breath I take, and knowing I’m going to be uncomfortable most of the time.
It kind of works to my advantage though because I’m always trying to test myself physically and mentally to see how far I can push myself.
How do you fit running in with your daily schedule?
I’ve found it best for me to set aside certain days throughout the week for running. I’ll adjust to a morning or evening run to make it fit in with my schedule. I’ll run more when I’m training for a half-marathon or a marathon and taper off a bit and do some other sort of activity (cycling, climbing, mountain biking, etc.) to eat up my time.
Do your friends and family support your running or think you are crazy?
For the most part they do. They think it’s cool how active I am and how I’ve just picked up running and just ran with it (pun intended). The only kickback I get is the typical “you know running’s bad for your knees” and my climber friends say that “running’s bad for your climbing.”
I kind of tune it out because let’s face it, people are constantly going to find a way to bring down something they’re not into. To my climber friends I just mention the slew of top notch climbers climbing the hardest routes in the world that are also die hard runners. Running sure doesn’t seem to have a negative impact on their climbing.
Have you ever been injured due to running?
Nothing major, aside for the typical dehydration, sore legs, and feet. Hoping it stays that way!
Any favorite motivational quotes?
4th quarter, let’s go!
That’s what my lacrosse coach in high school would yell at us as we were doing our conditioning at the end of practice. We always made fun of him because we thought it was a stupid saying. Now I find myself repeating that phrase at the end of my runs, guess it stuck with me through all the years.
What’s your favorite piece of running gear?
My New Balance Fresh Foam 980’s. They’re my first legit pair of running shoes, are pretty comfortable, and they’ve got almost 200 miles on them. Without them, my running game would be nothing.
What are your long-term goals?
Right now I’m training for my first half-marathon race (I’ve run more than that training) and I’m hoping to finish with a sub two hour time. In February I’m running my first marathon and it’d be rad to finish with a sub three hour time.
Really long term, I’d love to run a 100 mile ultra in under 36 hours. That’s a long ways off because training for that takes up a lot of time and there are other things I want to do right now, like cycle, climb, and surf.
Do you use any music or run tracking devices when you run, or are you a “naked” runner?
I prefer to stay clothed while I run (pause for laughter). Right now I’ve got my phone set to the New Found Glory radio station on Pandora. It’s been taking me back to the good old days of middle school and high school.
I also use the
Strava run app. on my phone. It keeps me from dropping a crap load of money on one of those fancy GPS watches.
How do you get yourself through the difficult parts of your runs?
While “4th quarter, let’s go” is running through my head (pun intended) I’m also focusing on keeping proper running form and cadence in my step. I find myself deviating from my running form and start running at a slower cadence the more and more tired I get, so making sure my form and cadence is in check helps me take my mind off the pain and monotony.
