 I don’t know Grant VanKeulen or Austin Hamm, but I wish I did. When I asked the field of elite runners in the Sioux Falls marathon, half-marathon and 5K to fill out a questionnaire so I could let folks know more about them, most of them gave the standard answer for their race-day goals: To set a personal record. Of course. Isn’t that what we all want on race day? It makes them more relatable, reminds us all one of the reasons we’re out there, shows how humble they are when they don’t come out all cocky and say they want to win. Though of course they want to win: It’s a race, and they’re the frontrunners. And there’s nothing wrong with having that kind of drive and hope and just need to come in first. Ambition gets a bad rap, and it shouldn’t But sometimes you want more than that. “To be honest the only reason I’m here is to beat Austin Hamm and put him in his place,” VanKeulen wrote. “It would be more rewarding to run 16:15 and beat him than run 18:30 and beat him, but a win is a win.” Hamm returned the favor, listing his goals like this: “Beat Grant V., Top 3, sub 16:30. In that order.” I laughed out loud. At this point, it doesn’t matter to me if either one of them takes the podium, but I’m dying to see who has bragging rights for the next year. All week I’ll be introducing you to the elite runners in all three races. Keep coming back, and see where folks are coming from and which local runners are likely favorites. Today we’ll meet some of the elite 5K field. To everyone else, happy taper week. Name: Hayden Hohnholt Age: 26 From: Plainview, Neb. Family: Rex Hohnholt (father), Mary Hohnholt (mother), JoRae Orr (sister), Shelby Hohnholt (sister) Occupation: Teacher and high school XC, basketball, and track coach 5K PR, year, race: 15:00, 2014, 2014 Concordia Classic How long have you been running, and what keeps you motivated? I have been running ever since upper elementary. My parents both went to Weber St. in Utah and both ran there. My dad competed in the Olympic trials in 1984 in the 3k steeplechase and my mom still runs to this day, having competed in many marathons, including Boston. I have grown up around the sport and my dad was also my coach during my high school career. Favorite race to run and why? BolderBoulder 10K in Boulder, Colo. There are people along the course cheering everyone along with various bands playing along the way. Describe your training leading up to the Sioux Falls 5K? My training this summer has been different from most summers. I teach and coach three sports throughout the course of the school year, so my mileage goes down when the basketball season begins. Late spring, summer, and early fall is when I get most my training in. This summer I did not get as many miles in as it was very busy and actually spent a good portion of my July in Wyoming where I grew up. Although my mileage was not as high as it usually during July, I did get to enjoy lots of hiking, backpacking and fishing. My mileage was lower, but I recently ran a an 8-mile race that I had competed in last year and ran it approximately 30 seconds fast then the previous year. The high altitude of 6,800 feet of where I lived in Wyoming may have helped throughout the month I spent training, even though I did not quite obtain my mileage goals that I am accustomed to during the summer. What's your goal for race day? My goal for race day is to break 16:00 in the 5K. I have run one sub-16:00 5K road race since finishing my collegiate career at Concordia University in Seward, Neb., and I would like to break that barrier again. Everybody wants to stop at some point in a race -- where is that point for you, and what keeps you going? We all have our limits, and when running I try to never consider walking, however, the point I reach is how much longer can I keep this pace until I can no longer maintain it. The thing that keeps me fighting through the pain until my body can no longer maintain the pace I set is to try and achieve the goals I have set. Trying to beat a previous year’s time in a road race is always a motivator for me as well. Racing is hard, but training sometimes can be harder. Tell me about what you think about to keep pushing yourself day after day? Training is certainly hard at times, but one thing that keeps me motivated day after day is that I have not missed a single day of running in over 7 years. The last day I missed a day of running was June 1, 2010. I have run through the flu, wisdom teeth removal, blizzards, and even a run along a highway at night in boots to keep my 7+ year streak alive. This streak keeps me motivated each and every day to get out there and get a run in regardless of any condition I (or the weather) is in. What's the last book you read or movie you watched, and what did you think of it? One of the latest movies I watched was called “The Barkley Marathons.” It is about an ultra-marathon held next to Frozen Head State Park located in Tennessee. I was amazed what the runners would endure throughout the course of this race. I found it very inspiring on what these people put their bodies through and the limits they try to reach throughout the course of this race. What's the funniest thing that's happened to you on a run? I live in a small town and have no one to train with so unfortunately I don’t get too many funny memories with others running. However, to keep my 7+ year streak of running alive I have gone to extreme measures to ensure I run every day and sometimes people get a good laugh about the runs I share with them. A couple years ago we had a big blizzard roll through and school was cancelled for a couple days straight. The first day of the blizzard the streets where a mess and the snow was just below knee deep on some spots. The only street that was plowed well was the main street (part of highway 20), so in order to get my run in I put on my winter gear and ran up and down the middle of main street to get my run in. The conditions were miserable so there were no cars to worry about as no one was out traveling. *** Name: Grant VanKeulen Age: 23 From: Marshall, Minn. Family: Single (and looking) Occupation: District Sales Manager for Agnition in Marshall, Minn. 5K PR, year, race: 15:55, 2015, Beef and Eggs 5K How long have you been running, and what keeps you motivated? I began running in 7th grade to get in shape for basketball (it paid off in the end as I was an intramural champion). I have a habit of eating quite a lot of ice cream, and this is the easiest way for me to support my borderline ice cream addiction. Favorite race to run and why? Alumni 4x300, I can fake being in shape for 300 meters much easier than I can fake being in shape for a distance race. Describe your training leading up to the Sioux Falls 5K? Sporadic at best, mostly training has been with high schoolers (I’m a volunteer coach for Marshall High School cross country team), occasional workout simply to do a fitness check. What's your goal for race day? To be honest the only reason I’m here is to beat Austin Hamm and put him in his place, it would be more rewarding to run 16:15 and beat him than run 18:30 and beat him but a win is a win. Everybody wants to stop at some point in a race -- where is that point for you, and what keeps you going? I have been known to have an incredible lack of hamstring strength, so whenever that comes back to bite me is about the time I want to stop, typically 70 to 85 percent of the way through a race. Racing is hard, but training sometimes can be harder. Tell me about what you think about to keep pushing yourself day after day? Typically one of two things, either that I need to finish this run/workout in order to get in shape for a race or an event….or the more likely option of remembering I have ice cream waiting for me at home. What's the last book you read or movie you watched, and what did you think of it? I’m not much of a reader, but I am a big Bob Lee Swagger fan so I watched Shooter a week or so ago. It’s one of my favorite non comedic movies. What's the funniest thing that's happened to you on a run? The funniest stories are either too big of inside jokes or too inappropriate, but I did shotgun a beer mid run during hobo days one year (beat both guys that challenged me, then finished the last 3 miles of my run). *** Name: Austin Hamm Age: 23 From: Canton, S.D. Family: Engaged Occupation: UPS loader 5K PR, year, race: 15:39, 2015, Hobo Day 5K How long have you been running, and what keeps you motivated? I've been running since I was 13 or so, and at this point the biggest motivation is being more fit than my old teammates. Favorite race to run and why? SDSU alumni mile, because it goes out slow and most of the field has at least 5 years on me. Describe your training leading up to the Sioux Falls 5K? Slowly building miles and speed to build as much fitness as possible. Essentially a couch to 5K but with more 400 meter repeats. What's your goal for race day? Beat Grant V., Top 3, sub 16:30. In that order. Everybody wants to stop at some point in a race -- where is that point for you, and what keeps you going? I usually want to stop about the time I start running out of gas, but the desire to win usually gets me going again, at the very least for a good JV kick. Racing is hard, but training sometimes can be harder. Tell me about what you think about to keep pushing yourself day after day? That a lot of my teammates don't have the time or drive to get out the door and this is a chance to be better than them. What's the last book you read or movie you watched, and what did you think of it? Major League. Let's win the whole thing. What's the funniest thing that's happened to you on a run? My junior year in the steeplechase at outdoor conference, a guy who should have placed highly slipped on the first water barrier in front of me, and as I went over, I inadvertently shoved him back into the water as he got up.  Jacqueline Palfy is a longtime runner, reader and writer, marathoner, mom and board member of the nonprofit Sioux Falls Area Running Club. Her contributions to the 605 Running Co. blog will appear each Tuesday. You can follow her on Twitter @runnerJPK or reach her at [email protected]. Story ideas are encouraged.
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