Randy Birnschein Sticks To A Simple Strategy Of Just Adding Miles
Today’s guest is someone that I’ve known through Twitter for a while now and this conversation is a bit overdue.
As is often the case, I’m not exactly sure where this conversation will go, but I’m excited to find out.
I look forward to going a few easy miles today with Randy Birnschein.
Randy Birnschein
A Late In Life Runner
Randy Birnschein is a self-described “late-in-life runner.”
While growing up he didn’t like to suffer and therefore tended to avoid most sports.
He eventually joined the Navy where running was a requirement.
Randy ran the minimum required to pass his aerobic tests.
The one appealing thing he found about running was that he could eat and drink more without gaining weight.
It wasn’t until his first race where he came close to an age group award, that Randy really got hooked.
He got a taste of competition which prompted him to begin to train more seriously.
Different Pace, Same Struggle
Randy realized early on that even though people run all different paces, they all struggle at various points in any given race.
That is one of the many things that Randy loves about running.
Regardless of ability and experience, we are all working hard to achieve goals.
As Randy continued to progress through the distances, a friend suggested he try a marathon.
This friend overly simplified the process and made it sound easy.
His advice was to just keep adding miles during training.
Randy followed a popular online training plan which was enough to get him over the finish line injury-free.
To date, Randy has completed 10 marathons with no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Randy Birnschein
Mastering The Marathon
In the 10 marathons Randy has finished, he hasn’t had a good one yet.
He has a love/hate relationship with the distance.
There is always something he can improve upon.
At times he wondered if he is just not built for the distance, but he will continue to try.
His last attempt got him two minutes from a Boston Qualifier (BQ) and he now has his sights set on that goal.
Randy ventured off the roads at one point to try a trail 50k.
He found that the mentality for trail races is vastly different than the roads for a variety of reasons.
Running Connections
Randy is lucky to live in an area that has a robust running community.
Lynchburg, Virginia is also a short drive to the Blue Ridge Marathon, one of Randy’s favorite races.
Along with in-person races and running groups, Randy has also made connections with other runners online over the years.
Social media has allowed Randy to expand his running community near and far.
Other races that Randy recommends are the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon and the Krispy Kreme Challenge.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge entails running 2.5 miles to the donut shop, eating 12 donuts, and then running 2.5 miles back to the finish.
The challenge must be completed in under an hour to be an official finisher.
The race has proven hard to specifically train for, but Randy enjoys the fun atmosphere.
BQ Or Bust
Randy is currently training for the California International Marathon (CIM) which takes place in December of 2023.
His goal is to run a BQ time.
He wants to know he is capable of pushing himself to his limits and striving for a BQ is his way of doing that.
Randy has the added benefit of having family in California located near CIM.
Though he will be traveling across the country, he will have some of the comforts of home.
Regardless of if he is successful in reaching all of his goals, Randy can’t imagine his life without running in it.
Running is akin to breathing for him and a big part of who he is.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Stay connected to Randy Birnschein by following him on Instagram and/or Twitter.
Randy Birnschein doesn't overcomplicate the sport he loves. He just keeps adding miles and seeing where that gets him. Click To Tweet
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