This is the eighth 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 lifelong resident of the area, having fully embraced the St. Louis River Valley for the multi-disciplinary adventure aspects the terrain and seasons provide. He tends to be a generalist in several sports and isn’t simply focused on running. I’d like to say he embodies the spirit of duluthrunner.com well – doesn’t really matter what activity you choose, just get your butt outside and moving around 🙂

A self-coined “ADHD adventurer” (easily drawn from one outdoor activity to the next), he embraces the fact that every season and condition has a preferred activity that best suits the environment…moving from one activity to another. He has recently taken up running again (ran in high school, along with finishing Grandma’s and the Voyageur 50 in his teens/early 20’s) and has been drawn into ultra trail events particularly (I can’t blame him, they are a blast!). I actually crossed paths with him during my 50 miler last fall…he was doing the 100 MILE RACE that weekend and had been running since the previous morning – both amazing and inspiring!

He is currently a Physics and Chemistry teacher, as well as serving as the head Alpine Ski Coach at Cloquet High School…today’s guest is Ryan Zimny!

Interview

Why is running important to you?

Running is important because it gives me time to decompress mentally.  The vast majority of my running is done solo and I enjoy the time to myself.  It’s also provided something for me where I feel I can still improve on my performance.  I still definitely enjoy mountain biking and kayaking, but I know I won’t be as fast on the bike as I once was, and I’ve backed off a bit from the difficulty level of whitewater I jump into as I have gotten older and had kids.  

Running ultras has given me something new to try to “figure out” and get better at.  Ultra events especially have so many variables in terms of how your body responds to all the inputs that it’s as much a mental puzzle as physical and that’s fun to play with.

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 think because I shift between sports so much I’ve been able to work different ranges of motion and muscles enough that I’ve mostly avoided overuse type injuries.  I’ve had plenty of broken bones, concussions, and associated types of impact related injuries over the years, but I’ve been pretty healthy for the last few years.

The one running related injury was a couple years ago at the Fall Superior 50 where my IT Band flared up at about the marathon point.  I had never had an issue with it all summer, but it caused me to drop after a few more miles. I became good friends with my foam roller after that and realized I needed to pay more attention to how my body responded to the increased mileage I was doing on the trails.

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

I like to say that I’ve never trained a day in my life.  Training is work and work isn’t fun, so I don’t do workouts.  I do, however have some focused fun. Hill repeats can be fun when you do them on a trail in the woods.  It can be fun to push your body to exhaustion. So I just remember that once I’m out the door, it’ll be fun no matter the conditions or how tired I am.  I know I’ll feel better when I’m done.

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

I mainly run alone, but as I’ve increased my race distances I’ve definitely searched out people with more experience.  Steve Sorenson and Kent Ogston were both invaluable resources as I was preparing for Superior 100 last year. Last summer I also utilized a coach for the first time and Michael Borst from Trail Transformation did a wonderful job helping me prepare for last year’s running calendar which included Spring Superior 50k, Voyageur, and Superior 100.

When/what is your next race?

Right now I’m signed up for Voyageur again.  I didn’t win the lottery for Superior 100, but I signed up for the Marji Gesick 100 near Marquette and I’m excited to explore some new trails out there.  I also will do the kayak race through Jay Cooke the same day as Voyageur since they’ll let me do a late start as soon as I get over there and get a time as soon as I’m done running.  It’s fun to go directly from one sport to another.

Do you prefer roads or trails and why?

It really depends on the season.  Right now with the snow melting, the rivers are full and the kayaking in the region is at its best.  Many people don’t realize it, but the rivers up the north shore are absolutely world class whitewater runs when they are flowing.  It’s a short season for the most part though, so April and May is a kayak-first mentality when I can get out there. Although with my wife and I both teaching, and with 4 kids, it’s harder to get out consistently on the weekends than it was when I was younger.  

Once the trails dry out and the rivers are low, running will be my main focus, with a sprinkle of mountain biking mixed in.  My favorite days are the multi-sport days where I get to mix them together. I do a day of the “Tour Duluth Triathlon” every year where I link kayaking, mountain biking, and running.  Each year it gets longer and it’s at the point now where none of my friends will do the whole thing with me, but it makes a long day of type 2 fun for sure. I also enjoy getting out with my family biking, rafting, and taking turns with them in my tandem whitewater kayak.

What is your most memorable race or running achievement?

Running achievement would be the Superior 100 last fall.  It was my first 100 and was an amazing experience. I enjoy getting into things that I don’t know if I can finish or how my body will respond.  I kept waiting for the dark spot to show up but it never came and I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun in the woods.

My wife crewed for me and it was a really amazing experience going through that with her and having her pace me through the last section to the finish was an incredible way to finish up the event.  I was a little slower than I had hoped, but really the time wasn’t much of a focus for me and it gives me something to think about how to improve upon in the future.

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

I don’t know if I’d want to forget any.  DNF’ing at the Superior 50 in 2017 sucked since I was feeling really strong at the halfway point sitting in the top 20 when my IT Band revolted, but I learned I needed to be proactive in preparation beyond just getting the mileage in ahead of time.

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

We are currently building a house and will be moving in the next few months.  Our current house at the edge of Jay Cooke with direct trail access into the park will be up for sale soon, and I’d love to see it go to an active family who will utilize the location for adventure, so feel free to contact me if you or someone you know are interested.

Closing

Many thanks to Ryan 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!