Striders Spotlight: Michael Reibscheid

In the spotlight this weekend is Michael Reibscheid. Michael has been a Strider since 2001. During that time Michael was the clubs webmaster between 2003 and 2007. 

Michael Reibscheid

Age

49

Occupation

I am an IT Consultant, dealing with resource management software for professional services. I have been working from home since March, but prior to that commuted into London and often saw fellow Striders on the train.

Reason you started running?

Even as a kid, I was always running around. At school I was slower than others, but found I could keep going for longer than others. I kept running on my own since then, including my in Sheffield (where I studied at the university like quite a few of Striders). I was never was part of a team or club until I joined the Striders in 2001, so I am a year shy of 20 years with the Striders. In my time I was the web master for five years, and have enjoyed the wider Striders social experience beyond just running.

One of the memorable Striders experiences was a club trip to the 2004 Nationals in Leeds where we all stayed over, and ended up in a local night club on the Saturday night. I have run Parliament Hill for the Southerns or Nationals on a number of occasions, and still have the T-shirt to prove it (along with a lockdown haircut and goatee beard).

Favourite Race Distance?

I think it has to be 10k, although may just be the distance I have raced over the most. I am a definitely a shorter distance runner; I have never run a marathon, and have no intention of doing so. I did watch the marathon at the 2012 Olympics in style though.

Favourite Race and Route?

I have always enjoyed the Ridgeway Run, and love the views on the second half of it when the weather is good. I joined in a social run of it a few years ago, to tie in with a fellow Strider’s significant birthday, which was an enjoyable alternate way to do it.

Running Goals?

Just to keep on running.

How often do you train?

I will train two or three times a week. Typically it is twice a week, but in the current circumstances I am running three times a week (whilst also cycling and walking regularly). At one point in the distant past I was training four times a week.

What motivates you?

I just enjoy getting out and running, and to feel am making some progress with my running – even though I am now at the stage where I am just getting slower with time.

Most memorable run/race?

There have been many memorable races, and I am going to give two.

The first was the 2016 Chariots of Fire run in St Andrews. This was on the West Sands, where the title sequence running through the water was filmed and everyone ran in white T-shirts and shorts to recreate the look of the film whilst the theme music was played at the start/finish line. I came up for it early and made a weekend of it, sight-seeing in St Andrews and taking part in the local park run on the Saturday morning. The weather was great the whole weekend as well.

The second was last year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon. I had not intended to run it, but a friend entered the wheelchair event (it was the first year it was open to wheelchair entrants) and I accompanied her around the course. This mainly consisted of running in front of her shouting at people to move out of the way as there was a wheelchair coming through. It was definitely a run where I got so much more out of it, because I was helping someone else.

Injuries?

There have been lots of minor things, and little niggles, so I am just going to talk about the major ones. I was out in the mid 2000’s for a year with an Archilles tendon injury; more recently I have had further ankle ligament injuries that needed physiotherapy. I have also been out with broken ribs, but that was not a running related injury.

Other hobbies?

Travel, hiking, cycling, rock music (especially Queen). I was due to watch Queen and Adam Lambert at the O2 this summer, and also had to cancel a trip walking and camping on Dartmoor. I never seem to have enough time (and money) to do all the things I would like. My dream travel destination would be the International Space Station.

Guilty pleasures?

As a young, primary school aged boy, I went to see the new big science fiction film that had come out – Star Wars, and was hooked.  I was still indulging this guilty pleasure last December when the latest film in the saga came out.