athlete spotlight
Jorge Ramos
From slogging it out in 4 hours and 25minutes at the Hilton Head Marathon in 2020, to crushing a 3:22:32 at the Myrtle Beach Marathon a year later. Jorge has grown in strength and is only getting stronger, which is perhaps why his F3 friends refer to his as “Red Bull”. And although he might not be reaching Max Verstappen speeds just yet (I can see most of you frantically googling him now), and he may describe himself as a H1 Hummer runner, he’s definitely one to keep your eye on as Boston qualifying season comes around!
Where are you from? I was born in Santa Barbara, Honduras and came to the US when I was 5.
How long have you lived in CLT? I moved to Charlotte from Buffalo, NY when I was 12 so I have been here for over 20 years.
Favorite Sports Team? I am not a die hard fan, but I always cheer for the Panthers.
Hobbies outside of running? Before running I was really big into lifting, I occasionally make it back to the gym and still try to lift the same amount that I used to… my body does not appreciate it the following day. I am just starting to get more into golf. I have had clubs forever but never made the time so I am trying to get out to the range more often.
How did you get into running? I have always done shorter runs like 2-3 mile while I was lifting as my “cardio”. Really once covid hit and gyms closed is when I dove head first into it and haven’t looked back.
What do you enjoy about running? I enjoy the community around it, I have met so many cool people through this sport. Also the calories burnt which lead to guilt free beers is always a perk!
What music/podcasts do you listen to on your run? It varies on the run and what I am feeling, but my go to music is either rap or EDM, gotta keep those BPMs up!
What race are you working toward and what is your goal? Currently I am training for Charlotte Marathon and shooting for a 3:15 time.
Performance Highlight? Greenville Swamp Rabbit half marathon, the entire race I felt so good and felt like I couldn’t have asked for a better performance from myself.
Worst race/long run experience? Hilton Head Marathon, it was my first marathon and I went into it with an injury. I paid the price by mile 13 and the back half of that race was the worst walk/jog of my life. I still finished it though and since it was my first marathon I am still very proud of it.
Favorite race you’d recommend to others? Greenville Swamp Rabbit, awesome PR course.
Favorite place/route to run? Little Sugar Creek, super close to my house and its flat!
Favorite Workout? Love long Saturday group runs, the miles always fly by.
Do you attend any run clubs? I have been to Wooden Robot a couple of times.
What are your most ideal running conditions? Early Spring
Go to shoe for a long run? Currently right now I am using the Saucony Endorphin Pros
Go to shoe for speed work? Vaporflys
Go to fuel on race day? PB&J before with some coffee and GU for the race.
Favorite meal the night before a race? Sushi or spaghetti
Amount of times you’ll hit snooze before going for an early morning run? I don’t snooze, I just turn off the alarm and go back to sleep.
What vehicle best describes your running style? H1 Hummer
Chances of you pausing your watch at a traffic stop to earn more kudos from average pace on Strava? 100%
Guilty habit that you don’t want the coach to know about? Skipping recovery runs
Do you have a mantra? Just keep swimming.
Want to keep following Jorge’s journey? Follow him on Strava HERE.
Flow Motion’s most interesting man… but the real question is, over/under on claws the night before a LR?!
I’m curious about your EDM playlist–always looking for electronic gems to add to my cassette, uh, MP3 player!