Pub Runner of the Month – Carrboro Run Club

Tag: Pub Runner of the Month

Laura Sonday

Name: Laura Sonday (pronounced just like Sunday/Sundae)

Where are you from, and what brought you to the area? I’m originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. San Francisco, Santiago (Chile), and Ann Arbor are other places I’ve called home. I came to Carrboro after I was offered a job at UNC.

Why do you run? To help offset the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups that I eat every day, and to connect with kind and interesting people. It’s an open secret that I like runners more
than I like running!

Why did you decide to join Carrboro Run Club, how long have you been running with us, and what keeps you coming back? A friend recommended CRC to me when I first moved here. I started coming in July 2021 and I keep coming back for the friendships I’ve made. It’s a great community, thanks to Steph’s leadership!

Tell us about your best/worst/weirdest running moment: The worst was when I was mugged while running in broad daylight when I was in my 20s. It took me about six months to feel comfortable running outside again. On a lighter note, though it did not happen to me, this is the weirdest running moment I’ve ever heard of, and it still makes me laugh every time I think about it: https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a41196297/flock-of-sheep-follow-runner-on-the-trail/

If you could have any talent or skill in the entire world, without needing to practice and money was no limitation, what would it be? Be fluent in all languages. I like to listen and chat with other people, and it would be wonderful to be able to do that with anyone.

If you could eat only one meal or food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tofu tikka masala with garlic naan-- or pizza-- and homemade pie (raspberry, chocolate, or strawberry-rhubarb) for dessert.

What is something you want people to know about you? I love to dance salsa and bachata! My running endurance is terrible. My dancing endurance is impressive! I also love to read, so anytime you have a good book recommendation, send it my way.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I’m proud of the work I do in the classroom with my students. Thinking critically and establishing loving communities are both important skills. I’m glad to be in a position where I can work on these skills in myself and other people on a daily basis.

Emma Calabrese

March 28, 2021 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from, and what brought you to the area? I grew up in Louisville, Colorado, and moved to Chapel Hill in 2011 to start grad school at UNC.

Why do you run? To prevent my body from permanently adhering to my couch’s microplush fabric cushion covers.

Why did you decide to join Carrboro Run Club, and how long have you run with us? I first became a Fleet Feet Pub Runner in 2013 when I realized that, if I didn’t do something to reach beyond the weird, isolating, intense environment that is grad school, I might lose my mind. Little did I know that I would find a running community with its own brand of (fun) weirdness! From there, I followed Steph to The Station in 2016 and then to Craftboro in 2020, loyal disciple that I am.

Describe the most recent (appropriate ☺) photo you took with your phone: Our new cat, Kiki!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? “Let’s add some more butter.” – various trusted people in my life

Favorite book? How about a book you think everyone must read? (They can be different.) Because having to choose a single favorite book paralyzes me with indecision, I will just say that my original favorite is Ramona the Pest. RIP Beverly Cleary!

The last book I finished reading is Tommy Orange’s There There, and I would classify it as a must-read.

If you could have any talent or skill in the entire world, without needing to practice and money was no limitation, what would it be? K-Pop sensation.

If you could eat only one meal (not just a single food) for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pasta with my dad’s pesto, a simple green salad the way my mom makes it, maybe some nice white beans on the side. A glass of wine.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: If I told you that, how would I maintain my air of mystery?

Obviously Pub Run has looked very different for the past year…

Did you pick up any new hobbies or interests during the pandemic? I joined the Great Sourdough Craze of 2020 for approximately 3 months. My starter is now languishing in the refrigerator, hoping to be rediscovered one day.

Were there any silver linings that came out of the pandemic for you? Feeling life slow down.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? After spraining my ankle this past winter, I recently ran again for the first time in a couple of months, and even though it made me very sore, I did it again a few days later. #perseverance #butwhy

Logan Treat

February 18, 2020 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? I spent the first 10 years of my life near West Point, NY. Then my family moved to West MI where they say “if you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much.” I’m not Dutch…

How long have you lived in the area and why did you move here? A year and a half. My wife, Sara, is one of the many (though in my book, the most extraordinary) UNC Medical School students at Pub Run. We moved here for med school.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Committed, Critical, and Considerate (alliteration for the win).

Why do you run? To get rid of my nervous energy and to delay heart disease.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? Can you say “beer?!”

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? Having other people to run with! It’s SO much better running with other people than by yourself.

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone: A puzzle my wife and I completed last week. It has lots of birds on it. I like birds.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? Søren Kierkegaard advocated for the teleological suspension of the ethical. Ask me about it sometime if you’re interested in having a good philosophical conversation. If not, that’s okay too.

Favorite book? How about a book you think everyone must read? (They can be different.) Either “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky or “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck.

What is your most primary mode of transportation currently? (I like to think all the Pub Runners are smart commuters.) Every morning I bike a mile to the bus stop and take the bus to work.

If you could have any talent or skill in the entire world, without needing to practice and money was no limitation, what would it be? To be a really talented jazz musician.

If you could eat only one meal (not just a single food) for the rest of your life, what would it be? I really love breakfast food, so it would probably be big breakfast feast!: eggs, potatoes, bacon, sourdough toast, good coffee, etc.

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Brain. It was gross.

Do you collect anything? No. My hate of clutter precludes collecting things.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: I often wish I was a dog. It seems like it would be altogether better than being a human, somehow. Someone brings you food, takes you for walks, and scratches your head. What more could a person-become-dog want?

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I am (hopefully!) about to publish a research paper in bacterial genetics. It will be my first peer-reviewed publication and is the culmination of over a year’s worth of lab work!

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: Most recently it’s “Stand for something or fall for anything” attributed to Malcolm X.

Carrboro Run Club

Tag: Pub Runner of the Month

Laura Sonday

Emma Calabrese

Logan Treat

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