Runner in the Spotlight: Shenna Kevorkian

Shenna Kevorkian is an energetic addition to the Charlotte Running Club! Not related to the infamous Dr. Kevorkian, she loves running and keeps the early runs fun and exciting from the Dowd YMCA!







Where do you work?
I work at the Shaw Group in Uptown. I start work pretty early (7:30) which is why I run with the extra-early crowd!

What's your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?
I like all kinds of restaurants but one of my favorites is Copper. I love Indian food, and it's especially good there. I also tend to go to Nolen's Kitchen a lot.

Favorite place you've traveled and loved for running?
I enjoy running on the beach - any beach. Also, (and this is the opposite of a beach) Todd and I went for a really scenic run in Prescott, AZ a few months ago. The views were beautiful, and the altitude kicked my butt.

When and why did you start running?
I started running in high school. I played soccer, and was really pretty bad at it, but found that I could outrun most of the girls on my team, so I switched to straight running, leading to fewer embarrassing moments for me (tripping over the ball, etc)

What do you love about running?
I love that I can do it anywhere and it's something I always look forward to. Even at 5AM. Sounds like a cliche, but I'm really able to put everything else out of my head while I'm running.

What’s the funniest or strangest thing that has ever happened to you on a run?
I was doing a dark early AM run by myself in an especially dark area, and something swooped down and clawed my head. I couldn't see what it was; in my mind it was a large bird of prey, so of course I screamed and sprinted all the way home. Someone later pointed out that it was probably a bat - gross, but harmless.

Are you a morning or an evening runner?
I'm more of a morning runner, but I enjoy a chance to get out for an evening run now and then. I do prefer to do speed work in the evenings.

Do you lead any Charlotte Running Club group runs? What time?
I've been trying to recruit people to come to the AG Middle School track on Wednesdays at 6PM. So far, it's not a very big group that goes. I can't make it every week myself anyway, so for anyone who does want to come, make sure and email me first to see if anyone will be there!

What's your most memorable race and why?
I had a good race at Thunder Road this past December. I was just going out to do it for fun, not really competitively, and ended up having a really good day and got a PR without ever feeling like it was a monumental effort. Todd paced me for that race, and did a good job of feeding me motivational lines the whole time.

Is it convenient to have a boyfriend (fellow club member Todd Patterson) who runs too?
It's very convenient... in fact, the most convenient thing about it was that we met through running! It's great to have a love for running in common; Todd and I can train together, travel to races together, and he doesn't think I'm neurotic with my running routines.

Where is your favorite place to run in Charlotte?
I like meeting at the Dowd and running through neighborhoods around that part of town. I also like running on the many trails that Charlotte has to offer.

Favorite distance?
My favorite distance is an odd one: 30k. The 18.6 miles is a good endurance race, but it's over before that point in a marathon where I'm likely to really start to feel pain and/or hit a wall.

PR for that distance?
2:19

What’s next on your race calendar?
The first ever Tobacco Road Marathon, 3/21!

Best of luck to Shenna and Todd at Tobacco Road!!!