Team Spot Check-in: Russell Wight

NBR: Tell us a little bit about how you came to be part of  NBR. What was your first run? How long have you been involved?

RW: My first NBR run was back in January 2012. It was a Wednesday night run. I was fairly off and on for the first two years, however. I only really started getting serious when I did the 9+1 in 2014 and doing races and stuff. I became a Monday night run leader in October 2014. 

NBR: How is marathon training going? Are there any specific workouts that are really moving things along for you? Tell the NBR world a good long run story.

RW: I’ve been doing a lot of strength training the last month or so. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to transition into more running. I’ve followed the Hanson’s training plans for my last few big races. My favorite workouts are the long tempo runs. I really feel that those runs help to get you focused on running a steady pace for a long time. 

NBR: Which NBR runs are you attending regularly to train? Are there any NBR members who inspire you to train hard(er)?

RW: I lead the Monday night run, so that’s my jam. I also do Tom’s Plyo workout Monday nights. Aside from that, I bounce around a lot, doing the Saturday or Sunday long run, Wednesday night run, and Thursday track. 

NBR: What does it mean to be chosen by your peers for a coveted NBR Marathon Team Spot?

RW: It’s pretty awesome. I know there’s a lot of people who have worked really hard to contribute to NBR over these years, and it’s really wonderful to be chosen to represent NBR in the greatest race ever! My goal this year is to run under 4 hours.. I’ve run two marathons already, and in both races I hit the wall pretty hard. I’m hoping to use the lessons from those races to put together a great race and give everything I’ve got. 

NBR: What do you plan on eating post-marathon? What about the night before?

RW: I’m a fan of barbecue - you may see at Mable’s smokehouse right after the race. As for the night before - I’ve done Thai Curry the last few big races, and surprisingly it’s worked well. And I’m pretty sure that I do Peter Pan donuts both before and after the race. (It’s carbs, right?) 

NBR: What is your running spirit animal and why?

RW: Hmmm, not entirely sure.