Open Mic Friday: Meet ExtraOrdinary Runner Award Winner, Reid Axman

We met today's guest, Reid Axman,catching up from  last September.  Today we're re-connecting with Reid after winning the July ExtraOrdinary Runner Award for his story, My Mile Story.

Reid is a great runner and friend. Perhaps the only thing that exceeds Reid's running talent and drive is his devotion to his family. 

Enjoy meeting Reid a year later and learning more about his life in and outside of running.

Give us a little more background behind your sub 5:00 goal.

I was extremely inspired when I started learning about the man, Steve Prefontaine. He was so fast, so fun to watch. He went out hard every time, giving his all. I started imagining what it would be like to run like that. It was in a conversation with my wife after watching the film "Without Limits" that I decided to see what I could do. I made the goal of breaking 5 minutes in the mile, about 30 seconds faster than my high school times. That's crazy! I'm 29 years old! What am I thinking? I had to fight back those thoughts and just go for it. And as hard as it was, it was so much fun!

Many runners focus on goals related to 5k to marathon.  How did you select the mile for your “I did it” moment?

I think it was maybe a week prior that I read in Runner's World about Alan Webb breaking the American record for the mile. That article entered our conversation, and was one of the things that got me focusing on the mile. But I think the main reason was that I just wanted to run fast. Like Pre. Sure, I also thought about the marathon, but a 7 minute mile seemed pretty slow compared to a 5 minute mile (even though I'd only be doing one as opposed to 26). A fast marathon is still on my radar so stay tuned.

You draw a lot of motivation from your family.  Tell us how they inspire you.

I have the greatest family on earth! My wife is so supportive. She always has words of encouragement when I need it. It's so nice to know that she believes in me and my crazy running goals. And I love seeing her cheering for me at my races. She also ran through most of her most recent pregnancy, and is about ready to make a comeback! Can't wait for that!

I also want to be a good example for my kids. Health and fitness are important to me, and I want to pass that on to them. I want them to see me working hard at something. I want them to see me setting and achieving goals. Lofty goals. I want that to rub off on them. And I would love to see them come to love running as much as I do.

What role did your online friends play in the pursuit of your goal?

When I started my quest for the 5 minute mile, I never imagined I'd get so much attention. It started out pretty quiet, just writing about my attempts on my blog (who reads my blog besides my wife?). It wasn't long before I started getting comments from other bloggers showing their support, wishing me luck, giving me encouragement, sharing tips, and even recommending books. It was great! I was getting closer to my goal and I was making new friends at the same time. It was after a disappointing attempt #12 that I really enlisted the help of the online running community. I put together a virtual 1 mile race for others to run with me. I was utterly overwhelmed with the response I got.

My announcement started popping up on other blogs, getting the word out and rallying support. For me. I started feeling a little pressure. I especially noticed that pressure during workouts when I started getting tired and wanting to stop. I imagined all those people sitting in the stands surrounding the track. I couldn't let myself slow down in front of them. They really kept me going, gave that extra push. By the time my race day rolled around, I knew there was no way I couldn't do it. I had to. I didn't want to disappoint all those new friends who rallied around me, all those people who really believed I could do it. I can't even describe the elation of not only reaching that goal, but doing it with so many other. It definitely felt like a group effort.

Thanks again to everyone who was there for me! I don't think I could have done it without you!

What goal are you working toward now?

I've shifted my focus to the 5k. I'm currently running in the 19:30s, good enough for a couple age groups awards at races this summer, but I want to cut that time down. A lot. My ultimate goal is to run around 17 minutes. I figure if I was able to run a 5 minute mile, I could probably train to run two miles in 11 minutes. From there, it's only a 6 minute mile for a 17 minute 5k, right? Sure, there's that 0.1 to add on, but I think that's pretty doable. Obviously, I'm not there yet, and it is going to take a lot of work to get there, but coming off my experience with my mile quest, I am certain I can reach this goal.

What’s your favorite run or workout?

I read about this workout several years ago in RW called the "Quick-Step Quickie" designed to get a good workout in a short amount of time. It's very simple. You run hard for 20 seconds, then run easy for 40 seconds. Repeat 15 times. A great workout in only 15 minutes. I've done this a few times in the last couple months, and it really helps train your body and brain to shift gears when you're fatigued, especially towards the end of the workout. For some odd reason, I think that's fun!

You let RL interview you last September.  What’s changed in and outside your running life since then?

Wow, a lot has happened since then! On the home front, there's the exciting new addition of my son! He was born in April, and has since become quite the little chunk. He's very active, and I can tell he's going to be a great runner with all that energy. And my girls absolutely love him. Speaking of my girls, my oldest just started kindergarten! I can't be old enough to have a kindergartener! Good grief.

I had another great year coaching cross country and track at the middle school. We had bigger teams than the previous year, and had some kids do really well. This year, I will be coaching cross country at the new local high school. I'll be coaching with a friend of mine, and we look forward to building the program.

My running has kind of been up and down. Not long after my 5 minute mile, I somehow injured my knee. It's flared up a time or two since then causing me to take some time off, during which time I volunteered for a few races. I ended up not doing the marathon I was planning for in January, and have had to keep my runs relatively short (partly the reason for my 5k goal). Right now, things are going really well. I've run a couple 5ks this summer and am making a lot of progress. I've got my eyes peeled for more 5ks, and hope to get closer to that goal.

Do you know a runner you would recommend for Open Mic Friday?

Pass along their name, contact info, and some background and we'll explore introducing them to the Runners' Lounge Community.

Send your suggestions to Tom@runnerslounge.com or Amy@runnerslounge.com

Comments

[Judy Adams]

Glad your sweetheart put this interview on her blog where I found it. Enjoyed it! Nice to have such a cool son-in-law.