Member Spotlight: Ian Spechler
Ian Spechler has been a lifelong runner, but joined Trail Roots in October 2019 to focus on ultrarunning and building new friendships. Before heading to his day job as a judge, Ian can be found consistently putting in the hard work and long training sessions with the HokaHey in the pre-dawn hours. He has heart, dedication, and has built incredible endurance over the past two years. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his running journey with Trail Roots.
What inspired you to start running?
I can’t remember not being a runner. I used to tag along with my dad from the age of 6 when he did his daily 3-mile run in our neighborhood. I ran high school cross country and ran my first marathon when I was a student at UT.
Why did you join Trail Roots?
My good friend Sam LaBrie had been trying to get me to join for years. I was going through some life changes in 2019 and was looking to get serious about trail running while meeting new people and having fun, so I finally took him up on it.
How has training with a group helped you? How did your running change after beginning to train with Trail Roots?
So much! I have met incredible friends through Trail Roots and I miss them on those rare days when I run without them. My training has structure to it. And adopting the back-to-back Saturday-Sunday long runs has helped me gain more endurance than I thought I could.
“ I have met incredible friends through Trail Roots and I miss them on those rare days when I run without them. My training has structure to it. ”
What’s your favorite post-run snack/meal?
I wish I could insert something more clever than breakfast tacos here.
What’s your dream run?
I was registered for a trail race in Alaska in July 2020. That didn’t happen for obvious reasons, but I still really want to run the trails there. I also want to do an ultramarathon in Iceland on a glacier. In reality, though, I’m a homebody and I generally just dream of running with my Trail Roots buddies on Saturday mornings somewhere in Central Texas.
Do you have a race ritual? Do you have a race mantra?
To quote Michael Scott, “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” So I don’t have a strict pre-race ritual, I just try to get there early so I don’t have to stress too much. My running (and life) mantra that I often repeat to myself comes from a Jimmy Buffett song: “breathe in, breathe out, move on.” Great song if you are a Spotify person!
What’s your favorite trail with Trail Roots?
I love Lake Georgetown! It’s a long run, but a great way to spend 5+ hours with the ladies and gentlemen of HokaHey.
How have you motivated yourself to keep training during the pandemic?
Trail Roots was super helpful here. At the beginning, when we could not even run with other people, having a group to reach out to and to join for Friday happy hours was indispensable. With the gyms closed, running was really the only way to exercise. It was easy to get excited to get out of my apartment for a bit. Also, I think our tribe earned a lot of happy hour money from the weekly challenges. I’m hoping that money has been earning interest ever since.
What was your experience like running at the Grand Canyon?
I had never even been to the Grand Canyon previously. I could not believe how beautiful it was. It was overwhelming and humbling. Jews are taught to keep in mind two thoughts at the same time: “the world was created especially for me” and “I am but dust and ashes.” Feeling so lucky to have the chance to run through this beautiful place, but also surrounded by thousands of square-miles of rocks and cliffs that are more than a billion years old, it was easy to feel simultaneously like the center of the universe and like an insignificant speck in this grand creation. I felt amazing for 40 miles and then the reality of running through 107-degree heat caught up with me in the form of dehydration. Luckily, my friends Matt Fletcher and Joel Williams were there for me. I cannot thank those two enough. And the three of us pushed it home and made it from rim-to-rim-to-rim, a 50-mile, grueling adventure.
What’s next for you?
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday mornings with my Trail Roots brothers and sisters for the foreseeable future. I’m not sure what race I will do next, but I am excited to train anyway.
What advice would you give someone who is interested in trying trail running?
That’s a great idea! You will love it and you will learn to appreciate how gorgeous Central Texas is. Also, breakfast tacos taste better after a morning on the trail, no amount of salsa and extra cheese can make up for that feeling.