Pub Runner of the Week – Page 2

Tag: Pub Runner of the Week (page 2 of 4)

Bonner Saylor

Where are you from? Born in Texas, claim Aiken, SC as my hometown, and most recently spent six years in south FL.

How long have you lived in the area? 2 years

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Determined, loyal

Why do you run? To keep my family from killing me! I started running in high school when I joined the cross country team. According to my mom, I became a much more pleasant teenager when I did. As an adult, I have been ordered on runs by my spouse when he’s had enough of my attitude. While I love the challenge of bettering my running each year, I really keep at it because of the balance it brings my mental state.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? When I first moved to town I went to the Fleet Feet runs on Wednesdays because I was home all day with my then 2.5 year old on Wednesdays and I needed the mental release. Then the faces I was starting to recognize stopped going, so it wasn’t fun anymore. I had been on a run with SPR while on a scouting trip before moving here, and decided to join the cool kids.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? The people. And the beer. And Steph’s amazing emails!

Describe the most recent (appropriate ☺) photo you took with your phone: I do (almost) daily Christmas countdown pictures of my son to share the excitement of the season with a small child with out of town family. The current one is of his and my feet showing off our matching glow in the dark Christmas light Toms!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? “Don’t go borrowing trouble (or worry) from tomorrow.” - my mom

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? Either the ability to fly a plane or sail a boat. I have neither time nor money to learn either, but if I just knew and didn’t have to pay for it I’d never be home.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: My favorite non-technical job ever was working for the county library.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? Does June count as recently? I’m going with it anyway! We took a family vacation to Vermont in June, and the place we stayed had a mini triathlon. I entered and finished, even though the lake had massive amounts of chop and I wanted to give up not even halfway through the swim. My Achilles has hated me ever since, but that ridiculous rubber duck keychain was totally worth it!

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: Same as above. It’s such a simple concept, yet so difficult to consistently follow through with. I find myself thinking “that’s just borrowing worry” quite often, and it’s usually coming out of my mouth at some point when being asked my opinion, so it’s clearly greatly impacted how I approach life.

Oliver Lamb

February 12, 2019 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? I grew up about 10 miles outside the small university town of Aberystwyth, Wales.

(High fives for anyone who can pronounce that name correctly!)

How long have you lived in the area? I moved here in January 2018 to start a postdoctoral researcher position at UNC.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Driven, silly, and err…..tall?

Why do you run? My research involves working around and on top of active volcanoes. If one decides to erupt, I need to be able to get out of there fast!

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? Having just crossed the Atlantic from my home country, I needed to find ways to meet new people. The pub seemed like an ideal place to start.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? The lack of seriousness. It’s so nice to catch up with friends over a well-earned beer after a run.

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone: I have an amusing photo of my cousins dog, who live in San Antonio, Texas. A super close up of his nose and face while he was paying attention to a treat behind me!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? I’ve received a lot of great advice, but my parents teaching me to be patient is probably the best. ‘Patience is a virtue’, or ‘Good things come to those who wait’ is what they would say. In hindsight, this is actually terrible advice for running.

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? The ability to understand and fluently speak any language I want. It’s so frustrating not being able to speak the local language wherever I go travelling.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: When I was 17, I spent three weeks working in a glacier research station in the far north of Sweden. I met the crown princess of Sweden when she decided to do a flying visit to the site!

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? At the time of writing, I’m about to submit a revised manuscript about my work at Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala. If all goes well, it will be accepted for publication!

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: I have this on the wall next to my office desk:

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you just don’t give up.” – Stephen Hawking

Heather Bucurel

February 5, 2019 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? Born in Germany; raised in California and England before settling in Sanford, NC at the tender age of 10. More than two-thirds of my life has been spent living in NC so I consider myself a Tar Heel now.

How long have you lived in the area? I’ve lived in Chapel Hill/Carrboro on and off since 2002, when I first arrived as an undergraduate at UNC. Living abroad (for work) and in Raleigh (for grad school) doesn’t compare to living in the “Southern Part of Heaven”.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Motivated, Friendly, Hermione Granger (I’m told I look like her a lot).

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? I kept hearing about it from other SPR friends (shout outs to the Binkleys, Hwingrams, and my BFF Matthew McKirahan) who said I should join. My work schedule didn’t allow me to fully participate until this summer and I haven’t looked back! I make SPR a regular part of my running schedule and credit it with making me faster and stronger, which has paid off in spades with local races (like the Tour de Carrboro series, Bull CIty, Florence Forth, and City of Oaks). I’m pretty sure that my first sub-30 5K is going to be during a SPR.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? The people - I know that I’m going to see friends every time I go - and meet at least one new person who shares the same interests as me: running and beer! Steph makes SPR a place where you feel welcome no matter who you are or how fast or far you’re going on Tuesday night. She makes it a point to celebrate everyone’s accomplishments, birthdays, milestones, etc., which really brings the group together.

Describe the most recent (appropriate ☺) photo you took with your phone: My morning coffee in my new Fleet Feet mug - another vice of mine. Before that it was a picture of a beer from Haw River. I’m sensing a trend here...

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? My mom told me once that you can’t help others unless you help yourself first. Of course she was right - aren’t moms always right? I ignored the second part of that equation for the longest time; my natural instinct is to be selfless in the face of others. I finally learned that lesson earlier this year and started making changes to adopt this mindset - and it’s worked well thus far.

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? I love music (singing and playing instruments) but I never had the time/money to invest in lessons growing up. Right now I sing in the shower and play solo piano or guitar, but if I could have any talent or skill it would be to play and sing more in public.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: On the heels of the previous question - most people would be surprised to know that I have terrible stage fright and a fear of public speaking, which is ironic considering I’m a teacher and spend my days in front of a classroom! It’s one thing to talk to my kids and teach them daily; it’s another to get up in front of a group to make a presentation or perform.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? If we’re speaking frankly, the thing I am most proud of is coming back from injury and recovering from depression earlier this year - thanks in part to those awesome friends I referenced earlier. Running has played a huge role in building those relationships, and when I thought I didn’t have that, they really came through to show me how important it all is. I spent four months sidelined from a moderate ankle sprain and started running again in March - it was a struggle to get started again but with their help and encouragement, I’m stronger and happier than a year ago at this time. It shows in the PRs I’ve notched this year, but more importantly in the relationships I have with the people around me.

Please share your favorite quote or slogan:

Serious - “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” - Frank DeVito

Funny - “You can’t make everyone happy. You’re not an avocado.” - Unknown

Anything else you’d like to share with us?! Station Pub Run is truly special - where else can you run, enjoy tasty food and beers, meet friends and turn strangers into friends, and enjoy camaraderie that brings you back week after week - not to mention doing all this in one of the coolest locales around? Many thanks to Steph and the folks at The Station and Crossties for all they do for us!

Tom Soth

January 29, 2019 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? According to my mother I am from her and she was traveling during conception so it’s hard to give a geographical location.

How long have you lived in the area? 20 years in Greensboro, 2 years in Chapel Hill.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Nervous, spazzy, and talkative.

Why do you run? Some days because it’s fun, some days because I like competition, and other days I am asking myself the same question.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? I blame Christen Campbell.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? Running with people who laugh and talk and also run fast for fun.

Describe the most recent (appropriate) photo you took with your phone: It was a bridge in Chicago last weekend. I like bridges. I especially like running bridges. I think it’s cool to run bridges. I go to Cincinnati for work sometimes and I see how many times I can run across the Ohio River into Kentucky and back to Ohio on a run. Yup, I’m a nerd.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? Don’t sweat the small stuff. It was a present under the tree from someone who probably doesn’t like my type A personality.

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? As a teacher, I wish I could be instantly liked by all students. If a student likes me, I can help them achieve wonders. It’s like once someone likes running the momentum carries them forward but until they like it…

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: I talk a lot so if I haven’t told people it probably shouldn’t be said.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I walked part of the Camino de Santiago with my Dad (who is 75).

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: “Some believe they can, others believe they cannot. They are both correct.”

Anything else you’d like to share with us?! Maybe my bar tab.

Chris Lock

January 22, 2019 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? Greensboro, NC

How long have you lived in the area? 3 years

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Funny, skinny, anxious

Why do you run? Mostly for mental health but also it’s a good activity I can do daily so that I don’t sit all day.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? I was looking for a good group of people to run with and it gives me something weekly to look forward to.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? Fun activities other than just running. Nice people to be around.

Describe the most recent (appropriate ) photo you took with your phone: I was just in Brooklyn and took a cool picture of a stairwell leading up to a row house.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? Do the best you can with what you have.

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 phenomenal dancer.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: Hmmmm, one has to get to know me first. 😉

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? Flew to NYC for vacation having not flown in well over a decade.

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: No Past, No Future.

Lara Ingram

January 1, 2019 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? The Woodlands, Texas, which is a Pleasantville-like, master-planned community north of Houston. My high school, having 3000 students, produced some pretty good athletes like Danny Amendola (2-time Superbowl Champion), Kyle Drabek (MLB), and Laura Wilkinson (gold medal Olympian diver).

How long have you lived in the area? In 2015, I moved from Boston after my PhD with (then boyfriend, now husband) Theo for my postdoctoral research position in the Neuroscience department at UNC. Carrboro has been a fun, new home for us, so we got married last November locally at the Barn at Valhalla in Chapel Hill.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Upbeat, driven, bubbly. Lab mates have deemed my spirit animal as a quokka. They’re small marsupials that smile a lot.

Why do you run? I run to stay fit and keep in weekly touch with friends. I’m a soccer player and a sailor, and sailing is a bit more difficult to come by during the week (unlike Boston), so running was a nice alternative to social exercise mid-week after a sedentary science day. Also, I like how running is inclusive on shape and ability while being a sport that you can improve upon, too.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? Lab mate Dan, aka Dantelope, recommended Station Pub Run to us. Then, when the Binkleys gave the stamp of approval, we knew it would be a good time!

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? We are sticking with it because the community really likes running and drinking. But the beer raffle and Crossties punch cards (especially a pooled family card) are additional perks!

Describe the most recent (appropriate ☺) photo you took with your phone: On Monday I took a photo of a spool of tungsten wire for making brain stimulating electrodes. For context, I’m a neuroscientist who researches how alcohol and stress interact in brain circuits using mice as models. We can electrically evoke currents to measure synaptic strength, so I sent my science friend a photo of the wire that we use.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” My high school world geography teacher gave me a paperweight with the saying on it. I like the bold statement about courage.

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 polyglot, for sure. I speak Spanish and can understand some Tagalog (Philippines). Duolingo was good for learning basic French and Italian for international research conferences, but it would be a secret weapon to know the world’s languages while traveling. Gotta know all the local foods and drinks.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: In high school I was our region’s president of the National Charity League for mothers and daughters, becoming a “debutante” presented in a white ball gown equipped with manners and service to Texan society. Our emcee of the event was my influential high school teacher that eventually became Theo and my wedding officiant 12 years later.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I just published my first, first-author paper of my postdoctoral research here at UNC. It describes how a single exposure to a fox scent, a threatening predator odor, for mice can have significant alterations in excitatory neurotransmission in specific neurons in the prefrontal cortex, an area that can deteriorate after chronic stress. We can reduce the stress signals on the brain and distress behavior by applying a drug that blocks receptors for a stress hormone.

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: My daily mantra is, “work hard, play hard.” I must say that this lifestyle almost killed me in college due to lack of sleep, so I have revised to “everything in moderation, including moderation.”

Anything else you’d like to share with us?! In my first year of graduate school I published a protocol that encourages mice to voluntarily drink large amounts of alcohol. It’s currently being used around the world to study the biology of alcohol drinking, and has over 100 citations (when others reference your work, not fines issued by law enforcement).

Allison Binkley

October 15, 2018 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? I was born in Marblehead, MA and raised in Cornelius, NC

How long have you lived in the area? 4 years

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Active, Planner, Intense

Why do you run? I like to eat, so I need a way to be able to eat what I want. I’ve always done individual sports, so running has proven another one where I can challenge myself to get better and having a group to do it with helps push me to work harder. It also is more accessible and less weather dependent than a number of the other sports I do.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? We walked our dog on the route on Tuesdays and finally after getting told by many of our pub runner friends that we should join we came out and haven’t looked back!

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? Friendly people, fun run, and of course Steph!

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone: Picture of our dog Sadie on the motor boat this past weekend.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? My dad’s three favorite things to tell me have never steered me wrong – “Motivate” “Suck it up” and “Be Happy”.

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? I would like to be an elite athlete. It doesn’t matter what sport, but being Olympic caliber in anything would be awesome (specifically sailing, swimming, or running).

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: One of my bucket list items is to live and travel in a boat or van. I love the idea of the adventure and being free. My grandfather lived on a boat for 2 years so it’s in my genes. The boat is still in our family so who knows, it may happen sooner than later.

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: “You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss

Melissa Jensen Madrigal

October 9, 2018 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? A small-ish town in Costa Rica called Quepos

How long have you lived in the area? A little over two years

Why do you run? So that I can eat chocolate… ha! I am a happier person when I run. It adds balance to my life, a great way to meet people, and some of the friendships I cherish the most I have made through running.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? I have a hard time running alone! Back in Costa Rica I ran with a group called “P’alante!” twice a week to help keep me motivated. When I moved to the area, I tried the Mon-Wed FF pub runs where I met Agustín, who told me about the Station PubRun.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? The punch card. And the people, of course. 🙂

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone: Last night, with “Amigas en Salud” at the Seymour Center. Just a picture of our weekly Zumba to share on our Facebook page.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I revised and resubmitted a research paper about unhealthy food marketing to children in Costa Rica, that might get published (fingers crossed!). Oh, and my first 50 km race coming up in 1 week!

Anything else you’d like to share with us?! I don’t really enjoy beer, so I feel a little silly when I wear our Station Pub Run shirt! Lol

Tim Thirion

September 25, 2018 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Where are you from? I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, more specifically Northwest Indiana.

How long have you lived in the area? I moved to NC in 2005 for grad school and ended up staying once I realized I wouldn’t have to suffer through another Chicago winter unless I wanted to. :0

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Tall, smart, funny … I hope. 🙂

Why do you run? I run because it’s one of the most effective ways to exercise. Plus, it builds character.

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? I have a personal rule that I never turn down an invitation to exercise. One day a coworker invited me to the Pub Run and now I’m stuck doing it for the rest of eternity.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? I really enjoy catching up on the previous week with my new friends and cooling off with a beer after the run.

Describe the most recent (appropriate ☺) photo you took with your phone: I have a great picture of my 12-person team from a long running relay race I did recently. I also took a picture of some gelato.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? I’ve heard it many ways from many different people, including loved ones, a physics professor and a former CEO—simply: be flexible.

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? I would love to know how to paint or to generally be a great artist.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: I had to be rescued by a lifeguard my first time swimming in the ocean because I got caught in a riptide. I was 21 years old at the time. (Midwest, represent!)

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? I just ran a 200-mile, 12-person relay race through New Hampshire. I personally ran about 13 miles total over 30 hours, which is quite a bit for me. It was a great adventure!

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ― Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Jeff Clemons

July 28, 2018 / Steph Bryant / Comments Off

Name: Jeff Clemons (Jeff Jeff on Facebook)

Where are you from? Boaz, Alabama

How long have you lived in the area? Moved to NC in 2011 and then to CH in 2015.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Jovial, Passionate and Stubborn (that last one is how my wife often describes me – in a loving way, of course)

Why do you run? To socialize, compete and problem-solve. Running has provided me an opportunity to meet some pretty amazing people - that are also great athletes and competitors – in the area, while also giving me an avenue to have my “ah-ha” problem solving moments outside of the shower (replacing long showers with long runs has really helped my water bill).

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run? One random Tuesday when I was having beer at the Station, this really friendly lady with a big box of stuff came up and invited me to run next week. I was looking for something that included beer/running/socializing, and this fit my schedule perfectly.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run? The $10 off punch card? Sorta. The amazingly witty subject lines to the weekly emails? Maybe. Running, drinking beer and talking current events/politics with my elders (Bill/Dan/Steve/Kevin)? Definitely.

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone: Last picture I took was of a group of deer that live in my neighborhood. I see groups of them nearly every morning that I run, and it just makes me really happy to see them.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you? “People are going to hear you (talk) and assume a lot of things. Don’t worry about it and be yourself.” – My Mama

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? I would love to be able to hear song lyrics once and remember them. The things I do to the chorus of some of my favorite songs is embarrassing.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know: Huge fan of the Pitch Perfect movies. Not ashamed.

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of? Ran a Ragnar Relay in May with a group of CH friends. Not so much proud of the run as much as the group that I got to be a part of.

Please share your favorite quote or slogan: “I guess if you keep making the same mistake long enough, it becomes your style” – John Prine

Anything else you’d like to share with us?! Too much for one question. I am definitely an over-sharer.

Carrboro Run Club