Tuesday, June 30, 2009

He sure is a runnin' fool ...

This is the third in an ongoing series of short profiles highlighting an ardent local running enthusiast. Up today: MARK CARBONE, store manager at both of our city's Charlotte Running Co. locations. He moved to the area from Brooklyn, N.Y., two years ago.


Age: 36.
How long I've been running: Running-running? Heck, all my life.
What I love about running: The solitude.
What I hate about running: Not having multiple surfaces to choose from. I'm not the type to drive somewhere to go for a run, so I don't like not being able to run on any surface -- one day trails, one day concrete, one day beach ... that kind of thing.
Current running shoes: Four different shoes in the rotation: Mizuno Inspire, Saucony Triumph, Mizuno Wave Creation, New Balance 1063s -- all women's models in size 9.5.
Women's models? Women's models are narrower, provide a softer feel, and just feel more comfortable. I also make it a point to defuse the idea people have about the color of a shoe -- they shouldn't care what it looks like. Function over looks. I'm writing a book about all this.
Do you have a standard running route in Charlotte? Countless routes right out the front door. Never a standard.
Do you prefer to run alone or with a group? Alone for specific training, but love running with my Charlotte Running Co. group.
Favorite annual Charlotte race: GBS/CIDP 5K (last held May 9).
Favorite distances: Half Ironman/Ironman/marathon/half marathon.
PR for those distances: 4:37/10:08/2:40/1:13.
Are you a morning or an evening runner? A.M., brother!
Advice for novice runners? Go to a specialty running store and ask a hundred questions -- you need to be well-informed. Learn to ice yourself, too.
What's next on my race calendar: World Championships 70.3 in Clearwater, Fla., on Nov. 14. (Mark qualified by posting a time of 4:56 at the Buffalo Springs Lake Half Ironman in Lubbock, Texas, last weekend.)

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Know of another running fool? Tell me about him or her in an e-mail to tjanes@charlotteobserver.com.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark is awesome! Thanks for including him in your series!

Brad said...

Way to go Mark!

Anonymous said...

Mark is one of the most inspiring runners out there. Would never have continued w/o him. Thanks for including him, love your blog!!