March Runner of the Month: Mahir Rahman
Mahir joined NBR the day after the 2019 Brooklyn Half after meeting fellow teammate Dan Torrens while volunteering with Prospect Park Alliance. “I PR'd roughly by a minute relative to my first half marathon nearly two-and-a-half years earlier. Not a bad effort with a lack of training, but I was disappointed by my mediocre result. I thought joining a group would help me get my act together.” Mahir is one of our Wednesday Mourning Doves run leaders and is an active member of the Men’s LC.
Photo by teammate, Mike Maye
What do you do when you're not running?
I work as a data analyst with Eden Health, a health tech startup focused on delivering integrated primary care virtually and in-person. To put it lightly, I've been busy. Regardless, I try to find the time to escape through other interests - hiking, cycling, cooking, and movies.
How did you initially get into running?
I flirted with running in middle school. We actually became a regular thing in high school when I realized I would never get enough playtime on a massive soccer team. I finally committed to running after joining NBR 🖤
Photo by teammate, Drew Reynolds
What is your favorite race distance?
There is no better race than the 10K. A distance that begs you to be both ambitious and sustainable. As long as I'm able to get out there, I'll eagerly put in the work for 6.2 miles.
Best running memory?
After a Christmas snowstorm in 2009, my high school teammate Khang Le and I went for a run on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. After realizing a deep snow pile on the beach was essentially free cryotherapy, we plunged into the bliss. That moment submerged in the frost has been a reminder of the serendipitous joy that comes with running.
Favorite running route in NYC?
I wouldn't mind only running variations along our Gotham bridges 🌉
What has running taught you or changed about you?
My love-hate relationship with running developed after I sustained a tendon injury from overtraining the summer leading up to my senior season of high school cross country. The heartbreak of losing all the progress I made left me pretty resentful towards the sport. I stopped spending so much time on it after entering college, running only intermittently on my own or with a club. After getting into the outdoors and really taking the time to get out there to just be out there, I garnered a newfound appreciation for running. As a method of exploration, a meditation in motion, an opportunity to be conscious, I realized running could be an end in itself. Moreover, most things could be the same if I would allow such a perception. Living life without forcefully seeking a higher purpose has been very freeing.
Favorite post-race food?
Smoothies please me 🧉
Favorite song album to run to make you want to run?
Nothing gets me more hype than the soundtrack to the 2018 universally critically acclaimed cinematic masterpiece "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse".
Photo by Mahir’s Mother at the Atlantic City Marathon
What do you think is the worst part about being a runner?
GI issues... W.T.F.
Best advice to running newbies?
SAVE YOURSELF! Just kidding, running ain't so bad. Be kind to yourself, learn what you can handle, and push yourself gradually if you're aiming to perform. Otherwise, get out there, explore, and have a good time.
Current running goal?
Being fit enough for the next race that comes around, whatever the distance.
Any other fun running facts about you?
The week I officially affiliated with NBR, I seeded into the NYRR A Corral, became the 45th Crownimal, and raced with the team at the Percy Sutton 5K 🍩
