Tony started running only a few years ago and with the help of the Big River training and racing team (and a lot of hard work from himself) has already become one of the top Master’s runners in the area. Learn more about his training below.
Tony Hilkin
Central West End
Original Hometown: Dubuque, IA
Favorite Running Shoe: Nike Flyknits
Favorite Race distance: Half Marathon
Favorite PR: 1:22:25 for a half marathon during a BRR 15 mile Sunday long run!
Q: You had a pretty solid fall season. Give us a recap of some of your best races.
Hilkin: My best race this fall was the Webster Turkey Day 3 mile. I felt strong the entire race, finished my last mile faster than my first two miles, and had fun during the race (I generally don’t enjoy 5ks). I also finished the race with a PR of 17:12 and I was the 1st overall Masters to cross the line.
The Clayton ½ Marathon was also a good race for me. Clayton is a hilly course and is also known as a race that most runners do not PR in. I finished with a PR time of 1:22:45 and was the 4th overall Masters to finish.
Q: And what are you training for right now?
Hilkin: I started a new training plan with Jason Holroyd for the spring Go STL ½ Marathon. He‘s building me up to 80-90 miles per week over the next few months with additional speed workouts every week. I’m also planning on racing St. Pats, so I will be focusing on a lot of mile repeats several weeks before that race.
Q: St. Pat’s is always a great race with a really deep field. It’s sometimes referred to as the unofficial city championships. What are your goals for that race?
Hilkin: This will be my second St. Pats race, and I am wicked excited about it. I would be happy with anything under 30 minutes. Ideally, I’m hoping for a time closer to 29 minutes.
Q: When did you start running and what got you involved in the sport?
Hilkin: I started running in the winter of 2013. My first race ever was the GO STL ½ Marathon in the spring of 2014. I really didn’t get serious about running until the summer of 2014 when I signed up with the BRR Training Team. Around that same time, I met several folks who lived in the Central West End, and we started running together around 5-6 days a week.
Q: We’ve had a mostly mild winter this year in STL but it’s been cold recently (with some snow). How does the winter weather affect your training?
Hilkin: Well, since I am from Iowa, I love the snow {Editor’s Note: Tony had a smiley face emoticon here, but I can’t figure out how to insert that in wordpress other than just :)}. It’s the cold and dark that eventually gets to me. By mid-February, I am very tired of it and struggle a bit. Several of us from the racing team have been consistently meeting on Wednesday and Friday mornings for group runs and workouts (and, of course, Sunday long runs). This really helps with keeping me focused and motivated.
Q: You recently moved into the masters age category, has your race strategy changed at because you might be competing for age group awards?
Hilkin: Yes, now that I am in this category and my 1/2 Marathon time is close to the leading local Masters, I’m training much harder. I’m also trying to get more familiar with local elite Masters who race ½ Marathons, guys like Rick Barnes and Dan Rooney.
I’m really hoping that more races will include a leader board for the Masters category (anyone 40+). The Clayton 1/2 Marathon has done this in the past and has handed out prize money to the top 3 male and female Masters finishers.
The bar will definitely be set much higher when Jason Holroyd becomes a Master (this year) or if Tyler Small gets back into racing.
Q: What is your toughest challenge to overcome with regards to running, training, and racing?
Hilkin: Since I am new to the sport, my greatest challenge is patience. I often forget that most BRR runners that I run and train with have been running/racing for years. I forget that they have developed their speed/form through building a foundation, hard work and consistency. I also forget that I have been running for just a couple of years now. I feel a silly when I remember this and realize how often I try to compare my time/pace to fellow BRR runners.
Q: What do you do to help you recover after workouts or hard runs? Any particular food or exercises?
Hilkin: My wife is a great cook and eats super healthy, so I tend to eat fairly well because of her eating and cooking habits.
My overall mantra when it comes to recovery is hydration and sleep. I believe sleep is the single most important thing any athlete can do to augment the recovery process and hydration is a close 2nd. I am someone who sleeps 8-9 hours a night and drinks 100+ oz of water a day.
Q: What is the best piece of running advice you have ever received?
Hilkin: Easy question – to slow down on rest days! {Editor’s Note: I second that, Great Advice!}
Q: And finally why do you run for the Big River Racing team? What do you find the team helps you with the most?
Hilkin: Three reasons for running for the racing team: the first and main reason is Jason Holroyd. He is an amazing runner and coach. I respect him a ton and has helped me so much with my running in last 6 months. I think it goes without saying, but he is such a genuine, authentic, committed, and humble person/coach. The second reason is that I am a competitive person. I would like to say that I only compete against myself and my personal times, but that would be untrue. I enjoy racing against others as much as I enjoy racing for a PR. The third reason is that I think Big River Racing is such an impressive team with so much talent. I am always a little shy to say I am on the BR Racing team because of the vast amount of skill and talent on this team.
Great results on the Turkey Day Run and your recent 1/2 marathons! They are spectacular! Results like that must surely help keep you motivated. It is good to see a profile of a runner with a little more ‘experience,’ shall we say, than these young whippersnappers. I look forward to meeting you on an upcoming run.