About Fellrnr
Contents
1 Bio
- Name: Jonathan Savage
- Nom de plume: Fellrnr
- Why 'fellrnr': I wanted fellrunner, but that username was taken on the first site when I tried to use it, so fellrnr was a natural abbreviation. The shorter 'fellrnr' also has the advantage of being unique and fitting on a NC vanity license plate. I like the name especially because of the ambiguity of 'fell', which has at least three meanings in English:** 'fell running' - the English term for trail running, coming from old Norse Fjell, meaning hill
- 'fell' - 'Of an inhumanly cruel nature; fierce'
- 'fell' - one who has taken a fall
- Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
- E-mail: fellrnr <at> fellrnr <dot> com
- Occupation: Software engineer/architect
- Height: 5' 10"
- Weight: 135 Lbs (down from a high of 205 as shown to the right)
- Birthplace: Bedford, England
- Date of birth: July 11, 1966 (start of 1966 FIFA World Cup)
- Current goals: My main goal is to qualify for the US 24 hour team, and to break 150 miles in 24 hours. I will compete at 50 and 100 mile distances next year as well.
- Started running: 1997 (For most of my life I avoided exercise due to a genetic skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa)
- Started running ultras: 2005
- PRs: 146 miles in 24 hours, 100 miles in 15:58, 100K in 9:31, 50 miles in 7:08, 50K in 3:38, 26.2 in 2:53.
- Shoes I run in: Modified Nike Free
- Favorite running surface: My mind prefers trails, but my feet prefer asphalt
- Some ultras I have completed: Races
- Ultra achievement I enjoyed most: Double crossing of the Grand Canyon
- Typical training week: See Training Macrolog
- Injury history: Epidermolysis Bullosa and Back Surgery
- Favorite ultra foods: I often use just liquid fuel
- Favorite ultra beverages: Carbohydrate/Protein mix - Fellrnr's Go Juice
- Things I like most about ultras: The people and culture
- Things I hate most about ultras: The half way point
- Why I do ultras: "For those who ask the question, no answer will suffice"
- Diet: I often joke that I have the genes of a professional athlete, but the sport is sumo wrestling. Keeping my body weight under control is a continual battle for me and I struggle with overeating. I generally try to keep my carbohydrate intake low and slow, with a lot of Protein and good fats.
- Running Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Castro
2 My Story
Because of my skin condition I never did any exercise as a child. By my early-30s I was overweight inactive and not terribly healthy. It was at this point I got my "wake-up call" in the form of a particularly severe migraine. This migraine was unusual in that the early symptoms included not only loss of vision but also impaired the speech center of the brain. I was unable to speak coherently, understand what was said to me, or even read and write. In many ways the symptoms mirror those of the stroke, and were quite frightening. This migraine did not last long and I recovered fully but it made me realize that unless I did something can to improve my health than the stroke was a very real possibility. I started off by joining an aerobics class and got into running as a way of getting to and from the class. My weight dropped from its high of 205 pounds and I started getting into longer distance running. I entered my first half marathon woefully unprepared having only run a maximum of 6 miles before. I was nearly the last one to finish the race competing for DFL with a 70-year-old woman. I could barely walk for a week afterwards, so naturally I signed up for the London Marathon. I finished the London Marathon in 1999 and moved to the US in 2000, where I continued running marathons. After a few years of marathon running I realized that speed was not my forte but I did have a lot of endurance. I found the world of ultrarunning rather more relaxed and over time found myself becoming competitive in the longer distances.
3 My Genetic Profile
I've had genetic testing using 23 and Me, and published an overview of my genetic testing results.
4 Supporting this web site
There are three ways you can support this web site; spreading the word, using affiliate links, or charity gifts.
4.1 Spreading the word
The best way of supporting this site is by telling your running friends about articles that may help them, or use links to this site on social sites like Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or forum discussions. If you have a blog or web site, then links here are greatly appreciated. (I don't do simple reciprocal links; I only put a link on this site if I find it genuinely useful.)
4.2 Affiliate Links
If you shop at Amazon.com,Zappos.com, RoadRunnerSports.com or REI.com, then clicking on these links will result in a commission coming back to help fund this site. This has no cost to you.
4.3 Charity Gifts
I'm a believer in enabling others to help themselves. Oxfam is an international charity that allows you to buy people things that will help them support themselves in the longer term. For instance, I like their gift of a dozen chicks for $45. When you check out, you can select to send me an e-card, as shown below so I'll know and I'll track the gifts here.
5 Financial Disclosure
The purpose of this wiki site is to make you a better runner. I have avoided putting any advertisements on this site, as I believe they will detract from its primary purpose. I have however, used some "affiliate links" when referencing particular products. These links result in a small portion of any resulting sale coming to me, but they do not increase the cost to you as a customer. Product reviews are not the focus of this site, and the products I review I generally pay for myself. The only exceptions are a few gels, and any freebies I get for taking part in races. I do not receive any "review samples", and vendor, manufacturer, or supplier has any input on any of the reviews. Please e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns.