Runner Spotlight - October 2023

David Engblom

Meet David Engblom! Growing up, David lived in the country, in Burlington, MI and graduated from Union City High School in 2001. He then attended Western Michigan University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Computer Engineering and a minor in Math in the spring of 2005.  After college, David moved to Downers Grove, IL (a suburb of Chicago) and worked as an intern writing a software application for the Argonne National Laboratory; he was there just shy of a year.  David moved back to Spring Lake in 2006 and worked in a medical office on a patient tracking system, charting, and billing.  After a year, he started a job at PCR in Grand Rapids and has been with them for sixteen and a half years! David lived in Wyoming for ten years and decided to come back to the lakeshore. He and his partner bought and updated an old farmhouse in Fruitport.  In addition to running, David enjoys weightlifting, reading, and traveling. 

As a part of our Runner Spotlight, we also asked David to answer a few fun questions:

1. How long have you been running?
I was never particularly athletic in school, but I ran my first mile in 6th grade.  I was a bit overweight in middle school, so it was a huge confidence boost for me to run that first mile; it helped me to lose a bunch of weight.  I’ve been running off and on throughout my life but never really pushed myself to run long distances. Mostly just 3-4 mile runs a few times a week.  During the pandemic, I wanted something to challenge myself with, so I trained for my first half Marathon in 2021. Now I’ve run 11 half marathons!   I’m currently training for the Detroit Marathon in October.  

2. Do you race? If so, what is your most memorable race experience?
I do! I love a good destination Race. My two most memorable races would be my half marathon in the Grand Tetons and the Cherry-Blossom ten miler in Washington DC. Running with the Grand Tetons as a backdrop was so breathtaking. Also, running with the cherry blossoms in full bloom and the national monuments of DC as a backdrop was just so incredible.  

3. Ever run in a costume? If so, what?
    I have not, but I definitely would. I do like to wear fun hats regularly, however. 

4. Only running shoes for me are…
I love the Saucony Endorphin Speed for tempo days and faster paces. For my everyday runs, I’ve been using the Asics Novablast 3’s; they’re just fun to run in and cushioned enough to keep my legs from getting torn up. 

5. What is your worst running-related injury?
I have been pretty lucky so far, mostly just muscle strain in my IT band.  I have sprained my ankle walking, though lol 

6. Hot or cold weather runner?
I definitely prefer cool weather running. Fall is my favorite time of year for running. I love the mild temps and changing colors.

7. What is your motivation for running?
There are plenty of reasons, but mainly, it’s for my mental and physical health.  It’s also a way to challenge myself and push beyond what I thought I could do. 

8. If I didn't run I....
Would go crazy, lol.  But seriously, I would focus on weight training or biking. 

9. I can't run without…
Music or podcasts. I can’t stand just listening to myself breathing or my feet hitting the pavement.

10. What's the farthest you have run at one time?
So far, the furthest I have run is 20 miles, training for the Detroit Marathon.  In two weeks, I hope the furthest will be 26.2 ;) 

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