May 2010 Reader Athlete – Shane Slayton

By
Sky Barsch Gleiner
Posted May 1st, 2010

Age: 38
Residence: Milton
Family: Sister, Marion; brother, Edison
Occupation: Manufacturing team leader at Husky
Primary sport: Biking
VS: What inspired you to run the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon this year?
SS: The inspiration this year would be that my girlfriend, Katie Cate, is a marathon runner, too. Her goal is to finish under four hours. I did the Marine Corps Marathon last fall, and at that point I felt kind of content with marathon running. But then, as we started to talk over the winter, she said I haven’t yet met that four-hour marathon. So basically, this year we’re driven by that. We do all our long runs together. And at this year’s marathon we are going to run together, and I’m going to help her get under four. At the Marine Corps Marathon I tried to do the same thing with a friend who I run with at lunch time. He wanted to get under four. Unfortunately he had some stomach trouble, and he did not meet his goal.
VS: What about the race are you looking forward to?
SS: Probably one of my most enjoyable marathons was the Marine Corps, because there really wasn’t a lot of pressure and I was just able to enjoy the moment. I really wasn’t running at race pace. I got to enjoy the view, enjoy the company, kind of enjoy the whole aspect of marathon running, and I’m thinking that the VCM is going to be the same way. I’ll just be keeping my girlfriend focused on that four-hour goal. I haven’t done a VCM without going all out. I think I’ll enjoy seeing friends and do a little rubbernecking.
VS: So you’ve competed in the VCM before. What is your favorite stretch?
SS: This will be the fourth time doing the VCM. My favorite stretch is actually going through Church Street two times, and I like doing the South Cove section before the halfway mark. And I like going through Oakledge on the bike path, and Battery hill.
VS: Are there any stretches you’re not as excited about?
SS: I don’t look forward to doing the Beltway. It’s an out-and-back, and there’s obviously not a lot of fan support. It’s just a stretch of road that’s pretty uneventful.
VS: Will you have friends or family to cheer you on?
SS: Actually, Katie’s from Burlington, and she lives on Howard Street, so she has a lot of friends in the neighborhood. Her friends will group up on Pine Street, where it meets with Howard Street. That’s her favorite section because that’s where all her friends are. My brother usually comes out, too.
VS: So, you’ve run VCM, the Marine Corps, and any others?
SS: The Green Mountain Marathon in Grand Isle. That’s a whole different run altogether. There’s usually an average of 400 runners. That one is just very low-key, kind of like the Unplugged Half Marathon where it’s not overly organized. It’s basically like doing a long run—not a lot of people out there for support. Even the aid stations are pretty limited, so you have to go prepared. But you can’t beat the scenery—it goes along the East Shore Road and the West Shore Road. I’d say 80 percent of the time you can see the lake, and there’s always a breeze off the lake. And it’s in October, which is a pleasant time of year to do a marathon. If it wasn’t for how positive the fan support is within the Vermont City Marathon, I’d say the Green Mountain Marathon is more preferred in my book. But you just can’t beat the support crowd at the VCM. Even at the Marine Corps Marathon, there were 30,000 runners, but at the end of the day, I think the Burlington people are just more energized. You would think that with all those runners and all their support, Marine Corps would be better, but there’s just a special energy in Burlington.
VS: You mentioned you got into marathons because you were running with a friend who was preparing for an Ironman. Do you have any desire to do an Ironman?
SS: I have a good friend of mine who’s a triathlete. He’s done roughly six Ironmans. He started at Husky in 2005 and we became friends, and he would say, “How about going for a bike ride? “How about going for a run?” and he got me to the point where I was becoming more active. We started just going for a three- or five-mile run at lunch. Next thing you know, we’re doing that on a regular basis, and he’s calling me on the weekends to do longer runs. He said, “You’re doing 15- and 16-mile runs, but you don’t do any races, you’re really not doing anything with all this work you’re putting in.” I said, “I’m OK with that.” But one day I said, “You know what? I should sign up for the race.” So in 2006 I signed up for the VCM, and I just loved it. Then, once you invest that time to do that first marathon, next thing you know it becomes a routine, I guess. It’s hard to just stop after all that training. And the Ironman? I would, but I’m not much of a swimmer. A doggie paddle just doesn’t do much for you.
VS: You are an avid mountain biker. Where do you like to ride?
SS: Typically I do the Wednesday night Catamount races. I do those and then typically every weekend I’ll go on a long ride either at the Kingdom Trails or with the Fellowship of the Wheel. I like the trails in Essex at Saxon Hill and some in the Waterbury area.
VS: You plan to do the Vermont 50 this year? What’s that like?
SS: That’s a 50-mile mountain bike race at Ascutney at the end of September. It’s about 30 percent dirt roads and 70 percent singletrack. The Pro guys and Experts will finish in around five hours and then your average rider will finish in seven, seven-and-a-half hours. The thing about training for the Vermont 50 is you’ve got to get those long rides in. That’s where the road biking comes into play. It’s much easier to hop on a road bike and get in a long, five-hour ride. But I prefer to be off-road.
VS: So you’ve done the Vermont 50 before?
SS: I’ve done it six times. That’s kind of like my race of the year. Running keeps me in shape in the winter so I’m not playing catch up in the spring time. In February I was already biking.
VS: Do you have a goal for this year?
SS: I’ve done 6:01, and my goal is to be under six hours.
VS: What other outdoor sports do you enjoy?
SS: I’m a Nordic skier. I’m not much of a downhill skier, though I snowboard. Typically I go to Trapp Family Lodge for the Nordic skiing. You get a full body workout and after three or four hours I’m just toast. Snowshoeing is kind of like an off-day activity. For my rest days, I get out and enjoy the outdoors that way. And I love to hike in the summer time. I’ve been trying to knock off the Adirondack 46er peaks. Every year I try to do three or four different peaks in New York. It’s getting harder and harder because I’ve done most of them that I can do in a day hike. Now, in order to do a peak I haven’t done yet, I’m going to have to do some overnights. So my girlfriend and I are preparing for some backpacking.
VS: And you’re a photographer, too.
SS: It’s definitely a hobby. I’m not a photographer, there’s a big difference. I’m not that good. I take a slew of pictures when we’re out hiking. I took photography in high school, and I’ve got a good camera, but I don’t invest the time to be a good photographer. But it is something I really enjoy doing.
– Sky Barsch Gleiner