Meet Run Bum Guy Sean Blanton
Name - Sean Blanton
Age - 24
Years Running - Less than two
What Type of Running Do You Do? - I run everything from ultra marathons to 5Ks.
Why Did You Start Running? - I enjoyed pushing myself, and now I have fallen in love with trail running and ultra running. I love the entire race atmoshpere.
Weekly Mileage? - 10-80+ depending on races
Accomplishments - 1st place FATS 50k. Only Person to ever run the Athens to Atlanta inline Skate event 90+ miles. 1st place Sweet H20 half marathon 2010. 1st place O’Highlands Jig n Jog 2010. Completed over 30 ultra marathons since April of 2009 and over 10 marathons.
What is Your Most Memorable Run Moment? - Finishing Athens to Atlanta. During the race my good friend and fellow ultra runner turned to me and said, “Sean congrats you just finished 3 marathons...we're almost there!” Then an hour or so later at 80 plus miles, we were giving all we had to give and she looked down at her Garmin and said, “Is this a good pace?” I replied yea, “it's ok”, thinking that I was going at a 12 min mile. Well, later that day when we finished she told me that we were running a 6 min mile. It was an amazing feeling. I’ve never felt better and I’ve never felt worse than during that race. I am so glad I ran it. I am still the only person to have run it and that's a great feeling.
What's the Hardest Thing You've Ever Run? - San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Run in which I only completed 31 miles. (I'll make 50 next year).
What's Your Favorite Race? - Atlanta ING marathon, I love it because the entire course is bits and pieces from my childhood. I just get this strong emotional feeling during the run. KNEE KNACKER 30 mile trail run in North Vancouver is another one of my favorites. This is 2 years in a row running it. It’s the hardest (most climbing over shortest distance I’ve ever done...try 18,000 ft elevation change over 30 miles) and most scenic ultra I’ve run!
What is the Race You Crave to Run the Most? - This is really a hard question but Tahoe Rim 50 mile and any ultra in Patagonia. I am signing up to run the Everest Ultra in Nepal in April 2011..... I can't wait!
Your Favorite Running Spot? - Signal Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Your Favorite Post-Run Meal/Drink? - Shrimp and grits with beer!
Heros - My mom and dad. Dean Karnazes (who is the reason I run the way I do now), Scott Jurek, Karl Melzter, Tony Krupika. Landon Donovan (I'm a soccer player at heart). All my fellow GUTS people because they inspire me to push harder and be more of a runner than a bummer.
Goals for 2010 - I have a lot of goals because I demand so much of myself. My main goal is to have fun. 1. Inspire people to run and have fun around the world. I want people to try something they thought impossible 2. Build an army of RUN BUMS!!!!!! 3. Don’t DNF any races 4. Finish 3 Coosa loops at Vogel State Park back to back. 12.9 miles per loop 5,000-6,000 ft elevation change per loop. No one to our knowledge has ever done this in one go. 5. Break the 9:30 sec/mile for 50 miles. Aka sub 7 hrs 30 min 50 mile. 6. Break 18 mins on a 5k
Advice to Other Run Bums - Never look at running as work, look at it as play and you will enjoy every bit of it. Don’t hold yourself to someone else’s standards hold yourself to your dreams. Running takes patience and I am still learning that every race I run...work your way up gradually.