NYC Marathon Team Spot Check In: Mark Shreve
1. Tell us a little bit about how you came to be involved with NBR. What was your first run? How long have you been involved?
My first run was the Saturday Bridge Run back in probably... 2015? So wow, about 8.5 years at this point!
I actually think back pretty often to that run - being a bit shy, nervous to show up, and hoping I fit in. It's a great reminder - now I lead that run! It's been so great to get more and more involved with NBR and the NYC running community. The more runs I went to, the more excited I got about the club and the more involved I wanted to get. It's always been a great decision.
2. How is marathon training going? Are there any specific workouts that are really moving things along for you? Tell the world a good NBR long run story.
Marathon training's going really well - I'm taking it more seriously and intentionally this year than I have in previous years. I typically run ~50-55 miles/week whether I'm training or not, so when a marathon's coming up, I make sure I allocate those miles more thoughtfully in the 8+ weeks beforehand.
This year, I'm working with a coach who put together a personalized plan for me. There's actually a ton about it that's moving things for me. I find that without guidance, when I run a lot I kinda just do that...run a lot. It's not too organized outside of "slam miles". Now, I'm ending every week saying "I did the best speed workout I've done in 15 years" or "I didn't think I could do that many laps of the park"; I'm regularly hitting PRs.
As far as long runs - two weeks ago I was convinced to drive out to Long Island to have a change of scenery run with two other NBR members - Scott Keatley & Bryce Wilson. The run went great - certainly was awesome to have two good friends (and NBR members) with me. Story-wise not too much to cover except the deterioration of our conversation and humor as it went on. We started out talking about life, running, work, ambitions - that lasted through let's say mile 9.5 (our turn around point). After that the conversation deteriorated to "bit hilly here", "yeah", "incline coming up ", until we hit mile 15 at which point we were post-verbal. We'd check our watches and announce "sixteen"... "sixteen five". Grunts, etc. We cranked out 19 miles and then Googled a diner nearby and ate and ate and ate. Shoutout to Massapequa Diner. Five stars no question.
3. Which NBR runs are you attending regularly to train? Are there any NBR members who inspire you to train hard(er)?
I lead the Saturday Bridge Run (CURRENTLY NBR'S #1 VOTED RUN) so I endeavor to never miss it. I'm currently working it into my training schedule (last week the bridge run's 3.5 miles were the final 3.5 of a 13.5 mile run for me). I also hit WNRR whenever I can. My main running partner right now is Scott Keatley - I'm sure you all know Scott, he's a familiar NBR face. He and I have run together for years and now are using the same coach for our marathon plans. We line up our training whenever we can and it's made such a difference. Scott's super nice, so knowledgeable and also SO FAST. He keeps my speed workouts SPEEDY. It's always such a pleasure to run with him.
4. What does it mean to be chosen by your peers for a coveted NBR marathon team spot?
Feels almost as good as it felt to have Saturday Bridge Run voted the club's #1 run - which is to say it means the world. I mentioned above that the more time I've spent with NBR the more involved I've wanted to get. Every opportunity I've had to take on more responsibility within the club (leading runs, volunteering at community events, becoming a board member) has been monumentally rewarding. Putting more of myself into the club has never been a bad decision and it's wonderful to know that I'm going to be out there representing the club this November.
5. What do you plan on eating post-marathon? What about the night before?
Last marathon I ran I finished and after a cheeseburger I went out and ate four Levain cookies in one sitting. I told a co-worker about it once and they were like "good GOD you should be dead". That combo - cheeseburger followed by Levain was a winning one, I'm thinking if it ain't broke I ain't gonna fix it this time around. The night before I'm actually going to sing Scott's praises again - he's a world-class nutritionist and put together a pre-marathon meal plan for me so I'll be digging into what'll undoubtedly be the most balanced, nutrient-rich meal of the year for me.
6. What inspires and motivates you to run this year's NYC marathon?
This was a year that I was pretty intentional about being involved in the club and focusing on my running - it's why I wanted to volunteer my time and get involved on the board, continue leading the Saturday Bridge Run, set some goals for both distance and pace & be out there in the running community. And if you live in NYC and want to have a big running year there's no better way to cap it off than with the marathon in November - it was a no-brainer. I'm not always sure how much time and bandwidth I'll have to dedicate to marathon training and I knew this year I'd have it - I also have a ton of friends running this year. All of that came together to get me super pumped to get out there and do it.
7. In your head, what animal (real or fictional) do you think you most resemble when you're running?
I'm 6"3 and my back isn't always in great shape so I'm gonna go with giraffe here . I feel that there's a gangliness there that rings true.
