Kevin Webb

Kevin is the type of runner who pays attention to the details and has paid off for him tremendously. With each race or run he works hard and is always determined to improve his PR time. Even after overcoming injuries, Webb’s grit led him to standing on the podium numerous times in his running career.

Something he wishes he knew when he first started running is that running 15 miles a week isn’t going to be enough to see extra ordinary results. Once he bumped up his weekly miles to the 20’s, 30’s and even sometimes in the 40’s he really started to notice his gains.

Not having a mantra, Kevin focuses on his split times and stays confident in his abilities. This prevents him from starting too fast and makes sure he sticks to his split time goals.

Website: Strava

Current running shoes: Brooks Revel 3 for everyday use; Brooks Hyperion Tempo for speed work and racing

Current watch you are wearing: Garmin Vivoactive 3

Most memorable race: I’ll list two:

1. St. Pete Run Fest 2018 Half Marathon – This was my best overall race.  It was the culmination of a month where I PR’d in 5k, 10k, and then this half.  I felt bulletproof going in and even better when it was done.  Everything went according to plan. I ran a slight negative split which is my preferred racing style and my last mile was my fastest mile. Finished 2nd in my age group but since my age group winner won masters, I got bumped to first in my age group.

2. A series of races, the 2018 Gasparilla Ultra Challenge, running all four distances (15K, 5K, Half, and 8K) in the same weekend.  Not really knowing how I’d hold up with four races in two days, I came up with some goal paces for each race.  I nailed each goal pace for the first three before blowing up a bit in the final, 8K race, but was thrilled to finish 8th overall out of the 973 runners who finished all four races (1,121 people attempted the challenge overall).

Years doing running/triathlon races: Since 2011 but more seriously since 2016

Favorite meal the night before a race: Nothing specific, just something low in fiber and not too heavy.  While I absolutely love Mexican food, it’s not a great pre-race meal.  Trust me on this.

Advice you wish you had when you first started: Run more miles.  My first 3-4 years, I was happy running 15 miles a week or so.  It wasn’t until I started bumping my mileage up into the 20’s, then the 30’s, and sometimes into the 40’s that I really started seeing performance gains.  Those miles don’t have to be hard running either.  As I’m approaching my mid-50’s, I try to have one workout a week (usually some form of interval), and one long run per week.  The other 3-5 days I run during the week will be easy to moderate depending on how I’m feeling.

Favorite running mantra: No mantras.  When I’m running and racing consistently (which has been tough for me the past couple years due to injury and the COVID-19 situation), I know what times I’m capable of and keep busy during a race making sure I’m staying on my goal split times.  That keeps my mind occupied, keeps me (mostly) from going out too fast, and gives me the confidence that my body is capable of doing what I’m asking.

What is your favorite PR?: The St. Pete Run Fest Half Marathon I mentioned earlier.  I hadn’t run a half in a while and I knew I was ready to beat my previous PR (1:36), but when I ran some recent races through the various online predictors, they were estimating a 4 minute reduction down to the 1:32 range.  I wasn’t sure if I could do that, but trusted the numbers and trusted that I was in the best shape I could be.  As it turned out, I knocked almost 5 minutes off my previous PR and ended up with a 1:31:06.

Are you more of a winter runner or summer runner?: That’s a tough question.  I guess Winter in that one can run faster, longer in FL winter conditions.  That being said, if you’re living in Florida and don’t want to run in “summer” heat and humidity, you’re going to be missing out on a half year of running.

Have you ever been injured from running/triathlon?: I’ve lost my share of toenails, if that’s what you mean 🙂  Unfortunately, I’ve had a few injuries.  Going 5+ years back, I’ve had some IT Band issues and some hip bursitis.  Those maladies resolved themselves with ibuprofen and a couple weeks off of running.  The past couple years, however, have been more problematic.  In December, 2018, I tore something in my core, right below my belt line.  Not sure if it’s a sports hernia or what.  I ended up going to PT which helped, but I still missed most of six months of running.  Then, in September, 2019, I fell victim to Plantar Fasciitis for the first time in my life.  I’d heard it was painful, but holy cow I didn’t realize how bad a heel could hurt.  Two cortisone injections didn’t really help.  It just took time and I missed most of another six months of running.  I’m still trying to get back to where I was in 2018, but I’m nowhere close as of now.  Both of those injuries are still there, but currently manageable.

Do you have a pre-race routine?: Yes, this is my routine:  I go for a light, carb heavy breakfast 60-90 minutes before a race. I try to stay away from simple sugars.  A typical pre-race breakfast will be a pack of Belvita breakfast biscuits.  I don’t drink coffee so I’ll have a Diet Coke with those biscuits.  If I feel I need an extra boost, I’ll have 8-12 oz of water with a pre-workout powder mixed in.  Those things are loaded with caffeine, so I will usually only use 1/3 to 1/2 of the packet. I always try to get in a pre-race run (super easy pace) of a half mile to a mile.  This gets my heart pumping and warms me up.  The problem is, I don’t like to do that too soon before the race starts.  I like to finish my warm up run with less than five minutes to go before the race starts.  This doesn’t work well in crowded races like Gasparilla, so I often have to climb barriers to get into my desired spot in my desired corral.  Finally, I like to run with music, so once I’m in my corral, I get my music going, make sure my watch is ready and then try to stay active (knee raises, hopping in place, etc.) until the race starts.  During those last few minutes, I tend to internalize things.  I’m vaguely aware of the announcements and the Star Spangled Banner, but mostly I’m going through my race strategy and reminding myself not to get caught up in the excitement and go out too fast.

What is the farthest you have ever run at one time?: 26.2 for my one and only (to date) marathon.  Qualified for Boston and sent in my application but missed the cut off time by 16 seconds!  If I only hadn’t stopped at that porta-potty at mile 14.