December Runner of the Month: Phil Catterall

When did you join NBR and why?

I joined NBR in August 2022. My wife and fellow NBR runner, Emma, was training for her first marathon at Chicago and had started coming to NBR runs to escape the monotony of training alone. I figured it was a good excuse for me to get into shape as well. It had been about a decade since I had run with a team, and I had no racing goals on the horizon—I was just hoping to run a few times a week consistently. I never would have imagined that just a few years later, I'd have raced two marathons, shaved almost 30 minutes off my half marathon PR, and found a new community of friends in the neighborhood.

In what ways have you been involved with NBR?

I've been a regular at Tuesday Night Tempo since I joined the club and one of the run leaders for the past year. You can also find me at most Friday morning AnD coffee runs, Saturday LC long runs, and as many NYRR races as I can get in to.

What do you do when you're not running?

For work, I'm a product manager at a data infrastructure startup called Snowplow. The company is based in London, so I end up traveling to Europe a fair amount for work, which has been a nice perk. Running is a great way to get to know new cities!

In the winter, I love skiing and snowboarding and try to make it up to Vermont as often as I can. This past year we took a trip to Big Sky, and there were also a few houses of NBR folks there at the same time which was a ton of fun. 

Closer to home, you'll usually find me reading (I just finished The Running Ground by Nick Thompson, which I'd recommend to any runner) or cooking for family and friends.

How did you initially get into running?

I went out for the crew team my freshman year of high school. At 6 foot and 145 lbs soaking wet, I very quickly realized I didn't have the body for rowing, but found that I did enjoy the 2 mile warmup run we did before practice each day. I joined the track team that spring and ended up captain of the cross country team my senior year. I ran the 5K cross country and 800m and mile on the track. 

After high school, I was tired of dealing with nagging injuries and wasn't quite competitive enough to run in college. I ran very inconsistently for around 10 years after that, running maybe once a week. Like a lot of people, I started running a bit more to pass the time during Covid, but really picked it up again when I joined NBR in 2022.

What is your favorite race distance?

I'd have to go with 5K or half marathon. 

5Ks are short enough that it's easier to stay "locked in" the whole race and focus on racing people around you instead of the clock. You can also turn up pretty well after racing one.

Half marathon because it's long enough that you don't feel like you're running all-out the whole time so can take in the scenery a bit, but I find I get less nervous with anticipation than I do for marathons.

Best running memory?

Finishing my first marathon in Philly in 2024. For years, I had been so intimidated by the distance that it was hugely gratifying to get it done and even run a negative split along the way.

Favorite running route in NYC?

My favorite long run starts with taking Kent and Flushing down to Dumbo. Across the Brooklyn Bridge (ideally early in the morning before the tourists are out), then down around Battery Park and up the West Side Highway. Across on 59th to Central Park, around the lower loop, then continue east across the Queensboro. Finish down through LIC, across the Pulaski, and through Greenpoint. A great way to see a ton of the city without having to stop at too many red lights.

What has running taught you or changed about you?

With running, improvement comes from slow, boring consistency—lacing up your shoes and getting out the door day-in and day-out, regardless of the weather or if you really want to run or not. The same can be applied to all parts of life. You always hear the self-help writers talk about the compound growth of small habits, but running is what made it real for me.

Favorite post-race food?

The sausage breakfast burrito at Santa Fe BK. I stop there after basically every Saturday long run, and most local races too.

Favorite song to run to / that makes you want to run?

The first song on my running playlist for the last 5 years has been You Only Live Once by The Strokes. It's to the point where I hear it in my head when I hit start on my watch, regardless of whether I actually have headphones in or not.

What do you think is the worst part about being a runner?

There's few things better than a Saturday morning long run with the group, but nothing worse than having other commitments the rest of the day (especially ones you have be standing!). I usually have to take a mid-day nap, but even then, I'm too restless to get any real rest. Maybe it's just a poor reflection on my fueling...

Best advice to running newbies?

Start way slower than you think, and don't worry about being slower than other people. When I picked up running again, I was trying to run at my easy run pace from high school. I'd be exhausted after just a few miles, my heart rate would be sky-high, and I'd get frustrated at how out of shape I was. 

I finally put my ego aside and slowed it down to what felt like a shuffle. I found that I recovered way better after each run, which let me train more consistently and eventually start adding mileage, then track workouts. That's when I started seeing the most improvement. 

Current running goal?

I ran a Boston qualifying time in NYC this year, but I don't think it'll be enough to make the cutoff. I was also just 5 seconds off the NYC qualifying time. I'd like to hit both of those this year.