This is the twenty-fourth edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.
Intro
Today’s guest is a “hobby jogger” who can absolutely fly, has raised money to help save the BWCA, and ran alongside a local running legend during Grandma’s Marathon weekend.
He is a native of Esko, MN and is currently a Cardiac ICU Nurse at Essential Health here in Duluth…today’s guest is Adam Eskuri!
Interview
Why is running important to you?
I’ll be the first to admit that running and I have had an “on and off again” relationship throughout my entire lifetime. I was an above average high school cross-country runner who mainly participated because of the team and to get in good shape for basketball.
I was lucky enough to qualify for state multiple times, but that never sparked my interest in continuing the sport. After my last cross-country race at state in 2010, I celebrated afterwards because it was my last race ever, but Coach Zimny told me, “I’ll bet you a million dollars that’s false”…. It’s a good thing I didn’t take him up on it.
I started running again during my freshman year at the U of M to avoid the infamous “freshman 15.” The running scene down there is very prevalent, and there were plenty of scenic routes to keep my mind occupied while out on the roads. What really made me fall in love with the sport was being a true “hobby jogger.”
It allowed me to be my own coach, run on my own schedule, and the ability to plan my own workouts. If I intended to do a tough workout on a random Wednesday, but my body wasn’t feeling it, I could move it to Thursday instead. I loved finding who I was as a runner on my own terms. It’s really that simple, and it made a world of difference for me.
My first real “race” came my junior year of college at the Garry Bjorklund (GB) Half marathon. A couple of my buddies, Jackson Lindquist and Ben Hanson, were signed up which put the pressure on me to join in.
That’s when I truly figured out how to eat a balanced diet, how many miles my body could handle before going off the deep end, how to enjoy the pain of workouts, and see the progression I made from week to week. For the first time I saw myself as a somewhat decent runner and thought, “this is really bleeping sweet!”
What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?
I have neglected strength training, neglected stretching, I have over trained, peaked early, and suffered some pretty bad consequences because of it. I have learned over the past couple years that if you do the exact opposite of those exact things, I’ll be in some pretty damn good shape.
For me, I need to be better at listening to my own body. If I feel like I need an easy day or a zero day, it’s better to just do it. If I do that, my workout later in the week will be much better as a result. I have also learned that what I do after my run is just as important as the run itself. Stretching, rolling out, and a little strength training go a long way.
Something that has really hindered my training is my Ulcerative Colitis. It’s a gnarly disease that has plagued me throughout high school and college. In the past, I couldn’t seem to got on top of what was causing such bad flare ups, no matter what medication I was on at the time. Running has mostly been beneficial for my UC, and I had been off medications for 6 years thanks to a balanced diet, reducing stress, and exercise.
That was until this past year training for the Grandma’s marathon. I was in the best shape of my life and just took my training a little too far, which unfortunately caused my colitis to flare up just two months out of race day. I was prescribed high dose steroids to get into remission, but the bleeding lasted almost 7 weeks. It’s something that I always have to be thinking about during training because I know there is a very fine line when it comes to taking my training too far.
What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?
My job as an ICU nurse can be quite demanding, both physically and emotionally. My day could consist of titrating lifesaving medications, and talking to families as they are about to lose a loved one. For me, running is my time to leave my work behind, and be at one with my own mind. And I can tell you, the days where I get screamed at, kicked at, or almost bitten by a meth addict (true story) are some of my fastest runs!
Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?
Without a doubt my wife, Kate Eskuri! The woman knows running in-and-out, and she has a lot of advice to offer me. Though I will admit that I am reluctant to hear her advice at times (I am a guy after all), she is usually right (she is a woman after all). She teaches me a lot about nutrition, strength training, and when to take a zero day. Some of my favorite runs are the two of us running along with Coach (aka our dog, Summit).
On top of that, a couple of my closest friends that I mentioned earlier, Jackson and Ben, have been great motivators for my fitness. We all grew up running together and have been friends since elementary school. It’s always great to get out on the roads with those two and catch up!
When/what is your next race?
As of right now I am signed up for the GB half next June. I am hoping to get out and run another PR like I did the last time I ran the GB, but regardless of what happens, I am excited to get back out on the home course that I know and love!
Do you prefer roads or trails and why?
Mostly stick to the roads at this point. Personally I think that this is the fastest I will be age-wise and want to take advantage of that. Plus I don’t think I am smart enough for the trails. The training, pacing, and technicality of it would all be new to me. Kudos to you off-roaders out there! I can’t wait to join you one day!
What is your most memorable race or running achievement?
My PR at the GB half in 2017! My goal going into the race was to run a sub 1:17, and that was asking a lot based on my training that spring. I went out comfortable and I was hitting my splits perfectly, that was until I hit the infamous “lemon drop hill” (dun dun dun). But it wasn’t a wall that I hit at lemon drop. Instead, I started hearing the crowd yell “Go Kara! Go Kara!”
I looked up and about a quarter mile ahead of me was none other but Kara Goucher. I thought to myself, “how cool would it be to race with an Olympian?” So that’s what I did, I picked up my pace to track her down, raced with her until the end, and ended up crossing the finish line with a brand new PR of 1:15:04 (nearly 2 minutes faster than my previous PR)! She gave me a fist bump at the finish line, and I giggled like a schoolboy.
Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).
The 2018 Boston Marathon. Oh boy. My wife touched on this in her Duluth Runner interview (go check out the interview with Kate Eskuri), but it is hands-down the worst running experience of my life. Besides a minor back injury happening three weeks out, training was going perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better as we were training through the heart of a Minnesota winter. Emotions were high as we raised money for the Save the Boundary Waters campaign, and I had my eyes set on going sub 2:40. I had my race plan all laid out, and was ready to get the show on the road.
If anyone is unfamiliar with how the 2018 Boston Marathon went down, it was 35 degrees, with a 25-30mph NE wind (the route goes directly northeast), and Boston got dumped on with 2 inches of rain that day. With treacherous weather conditions at hand, I knew it was a race that could go downhill in a hurry. I had sub 2:40 in my mindset since January 1st, and knew that if I didn’t at least try to go for it, I would regret it for a long time.
My race was going just about as perfect as you could hope for given the conditions. I would find a group to run with, and then work my way up to the next group to work with. My paces were spot on until just after heartbreak hill. The cold/wet weather started to go straight through me. My fingers, toes, and pretty much everything else started to go numb. The last few miles were the longest miles I have ever ran. At one point my watch alarmed another mile split and I thought, “finally mile 23” but only to find out it was mile 22.
When I finally got into the city I heard my family screaming my name. I stopped and panned the crowd to find them, and turned around on the course to go see them. My dad describes seeing me as pale faced, blue lipped, with no expression in my eyes. I crossed the finish line and was caught by a volunteer who brought me to the medical tent. I registered a 91.5 temperature and quickly got the attention of a lot of medical volunteers who got me back to a normal body temperature. Long story short—I ended up running a 2:55 and got to experience first-hand what my nursing textbooks taught me about hypothermia. On the bright side—Galen Rupp dropped out of that race so I am officially at a 1-0 all-time record against him.
What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?
After my awful experience at Boston, I was feeling down about running and planned to take a break from the sport. Well my VERY NEXT shift at work was caring for a longtime avid runner in the Duluth community, and we talked about the sport in general. We chatted about training, races we have done, and our personal records. He even had me wake him up at 5:00am so we could watch the London Marathon together. He would never get to run another mile again, and to put in perspective that I was feeling down on myself about one lousy race at Boston.
My nursing career has been in the fields of oncology, hospice, and intensive care. I have seen a lot of heartbreak and tears, and it has really taught me a lot about enjoying the life I have. My patients have reminded me to never wait for retirement to make time for the things I love—and that will always include getting out for a run.
Closing
Many thanks to Adam for agreeing to stop by The Duluth Runner and share some of his knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!