This is the forty-sixth 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 lives and logs his miles up along Lake Superior’s North Shore after growing up in Maple, WI. He loves being active and getting (him and his family) outdoors!

He runs his own business building/remodeling houses and is one heck of a great guy. Today’s guest is…Eddie Brown!

Interview

Why is running important to you?

Running is important to me for many different reasons. The main three are energy, time to reflect, and providing a sense of accomplishment. I always feel rejuvenated after a run and finish feeling better than when I started.

Running seems to not only refresh my body but also my mind. Running provides me with mental clarity and time to reflect on everything around me. I find that while running I am able to better analyze roadblocks and struggles in my life with a fresh perspective often creating solutions to them during the run. I always finish my runs, the good and the bad, with a sense of accomplishment.

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 tried to always follow the 80/20 rule which I think helps prevent injury. I typically try to keep 80% of my running at a leisurely pace and reserve the last 20% for intensity training. I feel like that also allows me to push harder during my intensity workouts.

Daily stretching has likely helped contribute to minimizing injury. I try to stretch at least 10-20 mins everyday, typically right after my run and then again at night before bed. I also regularly use a foam roller after any hard or long workouts.

What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?

My support system is my number one motivation. My wife and I always make sure we allow time everyday for each other to get our workouts done. If I am not motivated to do my run, I often just tell myself to start with little steps.

First, get dressed and just lace up my shoes. I sometimes then just do things around the house with my workout clothes on before starting. I eventually after a while convince myself to run at least a mile. One foot in front of the other. Before I know it, I feel great and those are often the best runs of the entire week! Lastly, I try to never compare myself to others and focus only on self betterment.

Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?

My family is my support system. My daily support system consists mostly of my wife, my two kids (5 and 6 yr old), my brother, and my coach. My brother who is also an avid runner is my first go-to when I want to bounce any ideas off of someone.

My wife is my daily support since we are both runners and need to be flexible and juggle our home/work/life responsibilities together to allow for us both to be able to get our workouts done everyday.

When/what is your next race?

My next races are the 25K Trail Mix in April followed by Grandma’s Marathon in June. I look forward to hopefully having races again now in 2021 and fewer virtual events. Crossing my fingers that Grandma’s Marathon does not go virtual only.

Do you prefer roads or trails and why?

I tend to prefer roads because of the convenience. I do have a blast on any trail run but find that it is just much easier to run straight from my house and stay on the roads. We live just outside of Two Harbors so I am able to do the majority of my outside runs somewhere along the North Shore.

What do you think about while your run?

Sometimes absolutely nothing. Sometimes absolutely everything. Everyday is different. Sometimes I just think “Man, you need to focus if you want to maintain this effort.” I don’t listen to music while running. No headphones. I enjoy taking in the sounds around me and just letting my mind wander.

If I am doing sustained harder efforts I will run through an inventory on exactly how each part of my legs, mind, and whole body are physically feeling every several minutes. By the time I finish analyzing my full-body checklist I have noticed that an additional 5 minutes has already passed!

What is your most memorable race or running achievement?

My most recent running achievement was a 50K run I did during the summer of 2020. I ran from Beaver Bay to our house south of Two Harbors. It was memorable because it was 100% self-supported and very impromptu run. It was an experience that was completely solo and self-supported which unlocked a whole new door to what my body was capable of without needing any additional support.

Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).

I would be happy to forget Grandma’s Marathon in 2013. This marathon was overall very painful for me due to some serious gastrointestinal issues that develop unexpectedly. Unfortunately these events seem to occur when there are no porta-potties nearby. I was coming over the top of Lemon Drop when it hit me hard. I ended up having to run straight into Burger King because this was the closest option aside from the curb!

What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?

I wasn’t always a long-distance runner. Approximately 6 years ago (almost to this date), I was headed into a six hour surgery for a pituitary brain tumor. The surgery went well and I have thankfully now remained tumor-free but it required a long recovery. I was about 60lbs heavier then with an overall unhealthy lifestyle.

Once I recovered from surgery and was returning to my normal activities again, I clearly remember hiking in Colorado and I could feel my inactivity and weight on my body. I returned from that trip and decided I was going to get fit again. I started running.

I decided to try a plant-based whole foods lifestyle approximately a year and a half ago after reading the book Eat and Run. I noticed significant benefits for myself from this choice. I feel better than I have my entire life. I find that I have improved performance and quicker recoveries with multiple overall health benefits.

I follow closely with my primary doctor to ensure that I am getting the appropriate multi-vitamins needed to maintain as a plant-based athlete. The plant-based lifestyle isn’t for everyone but has worked well for me as an athlete.

Closing

Many thanks to Eddie 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!