April Runner of the Month: Roy Zhou

Roy joined NBR in January 2022 when looking for a crew to run with, and according to Roy, “NBR looked so inviting. Haven't regretted it once.” You can find Roy as one of our Monday Morning Easy Run leaders, and showing up at most of our morning runs throughout the week. He is also our Inter-Club Alliance coordinator, helping NBR to partner with other clubs in the running community to bring events to our members!

What do you do when you're not running?
Definitely not complaining about running... but also hanging out in the park or goofing off with my friends.

How did you initially get into running?
My friend at work was talking about waiting for the Brooklyn Half online queue in 2020 and there's nothing I like more than waiting in an online queue and seeing the little guy on the progress bar run. Two years and one pandemic later I finally started training for it.

What is your favorite race distance?
I honestly think this is TBD, but I would say currently it's the Half or 10k. They're just long enough to enjoy and training doesn't consume my entire life.

Best running memory?
I'm going to cheat and say two:
1. Doves Beach Day, which is honestly just one of the best days ever, no explanation needed.
2.Harrier's Donut relay last year. Krispy Kreme donuts, good friends, and entertainment by the one and only Thomas Kelsey.

Favorite running route in NYC?
My little loop around the Gantry and back. It's so peaceful in the mornings, you get to catch the sunrise reflecting off Midtown on a good day, and you get to run the Pulaski twice. Does it get any better?

What has running taught you or changed about you?
Having scary goals is okay. Honestly, on most of my workouts when I'm negotiating with myself on pace, I question if my goals are even realistic and worth chasing. So far I've been lucky enough to surprise myself every time, partly due to having so many teammates supporting me along the way.

Best advice to running newbies?
It's very okay to slow down a bit. Your body will thank you later.

Current running goal?
Happily train for a BQ 🙂 emphasis on happily