We are very proud of the accomplishments of all of our fastisfun.ca athletes. Below are a few of them:
Steven Schmidt
I rate meeting Adam as one of my truly lucky moments. I had just been back in running and racing for about a year and set a goal to break 20 minutes in the 5km. I tried all the internet advice I could find and while I had managed some improvement (starting at over 23 minutes before finally breaking 21), I was frustrated as I had hit the wall and no matter what I did on my own, I couldn’t seem to get faster.
Enter Adam Hortian. I feel Coach Hortian encompasses what a great coach should be. Knowledgable and very experienced in competitive running while being truly interested in getting to know his athletes in order to understand how to design an effective training program as well as properly enhance their motivation to reach their goals. He also isn’t afraid to be honest with you as an athlete and that is really important. Adam’s well-thought-out approach to running also looks at other training activities such as core strength to ensure that the body is strong and able to handle your training and minimize the risk of injury. Most of all, he really tries to make sure that the enjoyment of running is a continued focus.
Having Adam as a coach has been an educational and rewarding experience as I learn about what it takes to reach my potential as an athlete and meet my own very high personal expectations. I fully trust Adam’s judgement where my training is concerned and I have seen some excellent results. I recommend Coach Hortian to everyone looking to improve their running experience.
By the way, in my first race season with Adam as my coach, I crushed my 20 minute 5km goal and I am now looking forward to beating my new, even lower time goals.
Personal Bests:
5KM – 19:16
8KM – 32:18
10KM – 40:52
Accomplishments:
2015 Kincardine Rotary 5km Champion
2014 Run for the House 5Km Champion
2015 and 2016 Sprint Duathlon Age Group National Team Qualifier
2016 KW Oktoberfest 5km 3rd Overall
John McLean
As a former competitive junior sprint/hurdles athlete, I took up distance running after university, and at first ran for fitness. When I began entering road races, my competitive nature lead me to pursue different online training plans, but I missed the feedback and opportunity to discuss my progress with a coach. I joined FastisFun in the summer of 2016, and Adam’s coaching has provided me a fresh and personalized approach to my training. As a result, I enjoyed one of my most successful seasons in 2016.
Running is traditionally a solitary activity, but an incredible benefit of FastisFun has been the opportunity to meet and run with new friends, and enjoy the motivation they provide.
Personal Bests:
5K: 16:04 (2016 – 5k Fall Classic, Waterloo)
10K: 33:40 (2015 – National 10k Championships, Ottawa)
11K: 38:05 (2016 – Remember Run 11k, Waterloo)
2016 Achievements:
1st Overall – Mudpuppy Chase 10k, Waterloo
4TH Place Age Group – National 10k Championships, Ottawa
1st Overall – Waterloo Classic 10k, Waterloo
2nd Overall – Runway 2 Mile, Waterloo
2nd Place Age Group – National 5k Championships, Yorkville, Toronto
1st Overall – Pinery Fall Classic 5k, Grand Bend
1st Place Team Finish (Course Record, 16:07 Avg Time), 5k Fall Classic, Waterloo
1st Overall – Remember Run 11k, (course record holder) Waterloo
1st Overall – Battle of Waterloo IV (4-Leg stage race), Waterloo
Derek Nakluski
I have goals of improving my marathon time and becoming amongst the best marathoners in Canada. I have known Adam for several years and trust in his guidance and loyalty to his athletes. Fastisfun is Adams personality in a nutshell.
Personal bests:
5k – 14:08
10k – 29:22
Half marathon – 1:05.20
Marathon – 2:28.20
Accomplishments:
Detroit Marathon Champion
Around the Bay 30k Champion
Represented Canada on 7 occasions internationally.
Runner up Canadian 10k Road Championships
Leslie Eakins
Over the years I have been running for two reasons, first to improve my fitness and secondly to hang out with my friends and participate in what they love to do which is running. I will admit that I don’t have the natural ability that they do so I make up for that with a desire to get better and finish no matter what. In the past I have entered some shorter distance events locally as well as ½ and full marathons in Toronto and Disney. With no real training plan I managed to find a way to finish these events. Never really feeling comfortable when I ran or completely prepared I thought it was time to take my training more seriously. When a friend of mine said they were going to run Boston and that they were looking for a coach I decided that this too would good for me as I definitely needed some direction. As I start week 12 of my training program with Adam I feel so much more comfortable when I run and with a couple of races under my belt I am seeing the results of the training and steady improvement in my race times. Looking forward to continuing to work hard and prepare for upcoming events this summer.