Member Spotlight: Julien Parouty
Julien joined Trail Roots in 2023 when he was looking to run his first marathon and to get out of boring neighborhood running. As a food tech executive by day and a father of two mostly grown kids, he still manages to attend almost every Trail Roots workout and trains with coach Rachael to help him crush his goals. Completing some big races this year, he has been dedicated and dialed in. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his journey with running and Trail Roots.
What part of France are you from and what brought you to Texas?
I was born in Lyon and grew up in Nice, where I lived and studied until coming to the US as an undergrad engineering student in 1994, 30 years ago. I lived in Florida through grad school and then spent 10 years outside of Detroit where I started my family. We moved to Austin in 2010 to get away from the cold and to search for better careers.
What inspired you to start running?
There is a point in middle school when boys want to start pumping iron because it’s cool, so my son begged for a family gym membership. I think that was 2018. I started running on the treadmill at the gym and could barely run a mile without dying. I also wanted to lose weight. That was 40 lbs ago. From there I started running the hood with my dog Oreo until he got too old to run and I had to drop him 🙂.
Why did you join Trail Roots?
At the start of 2023 I was running 20-25 miles a week quite slowly and had run the 3M half twice and did a couple of turkey trots. I was also turning 50 later that year and set a goal to run a full marathon before the big five-o. My wife at the time found Erik and Trail Roots and that’s how I joined.
“Be patient with yourself, take it slow, don’t read too much into the numbers, and definitely don’t worry about how others are doing. There will be many barriers to breakthrough but the walls do come down when you put the work in and the rewards are totally worth it.”
Has your training changed since joining a group?
It’s night and day really. Last year Rachael had to take me from around 25 miles a week to a couple of 50-mile weeks in 4 months, so every week was uncharted territory, and my focus was on completing the distance. It was super hard and I did finish. Since then I have improved a ton and my focus is entirely on pace and strength. I’m learning a little bit about nutrition and plan to focus on that a lot more next year, along with getting faster. That seems to be a natural progression when you’re fixated on getting better!
What do you love about running?
There is so much…
It’s fun and it’s a great way to explore when traveling. It’s meditative; I love zoning out on long runs and just going. That’s also why I lean more towards road running.
It’s a great way for me to manage the stress that comes with my job and a busy life, and it does wonders for sleep quality and energy level.
Running, and especially training, is also a great teacher. Pushing the limits of what you know and what you think you’re capable of is so enlightening and empowering. It’s a huge confidence booster.
What do you think is special about the Trail Roots community?
The people for sure! Awesome coaches and so many amazing people and friends who are there for me and who don’t hesitate to help each other out. Positive vibes all around 🤙. There is something for everyone I think, as a runner and as people. I started volunteering at a few races this year, it’s fun and it’s a great way to give back.
You’ve had a busy race schedule, tell us more and why you picked them?
First, my brothers and I wanted to meet up somewhere fun to do a trail race together this fall. We picked the Ecotrail 30k in Madeira Portugal, which ended up being mostly road. So much climbing! It was a great experience and Madeira is just stunning. I hope to meet them again somewhere else next year, maybe a 50k but flatter 😬.
Secondly, I wanted to run the Turkey trot again out of tradition and to log another PR. I skipped last year and my prior best time was pretty slow (45+ min for 5 miles). I surprised myself and finished sub 38 minutes, which I didn’t think I could do.
Lastly,I picked CIM for my 2nd marathon because it’s later in the year and because it’s a fast course. I really run my best in colder air and I’m banking on that to help me out a bit. I did amazing at that race and beat all my goals, and i’m stoked to see what I can do next. I’ll be at the 3M half [Austin International Half] in January where I have more big goals to crush!
Why did you decide to hire a coach and how has your running changed?
I had no idea what I was doing going into my first marathon and was looking for an easy button to get me there, and peace of mind that I was in good hands. I wanted to focus on putting the work in and not having to worry about how I was approaching it, and I learned a lot.
My running has changed so much…when I joined I found myself running alone a lot because I couldn’t keep up, losing sight of the group within a few miles. I still like zoning out and running alone, but I get to make that choice now 😉. I am so much stronger and can run so much faster than I did even a year ago. I know how to manage pace and effort a lot better, and I recover so much better.
Do you have any big goals that you’re working towards in the next few years?
As long as I keep improving I’ll be out there pushing for more. I plan on running the 50k at Dos Senderos in March, and am going for another marathon PR at Tunnel in June. I would like to get a group together for Tunnel so message if you are interested. Registration opens January 1. I also think my best chance to BQ is at 55 since I get an extra 10 minutes, unless they pull that rug from under me. That will be ten years of running so that would be cool…unless of course I can BQ before that!
What advice would you give people who are new to running and want to join a group?
Don’t hesitate, lace up and go! If the group doesn’t jive, find another one. I think I got lucky and found my people on the first try, so I’m probably not the best person to ask…
It takes several years to get to a decent base where you feel like you’re actually running. So be patient with yourself, take it slow, don’t read too much into the numbers, and definitely don’t worry about how others are doing. There will be many barriers to breakthrough but the walls do come down when you put the work in and the rewards are totally worth it.