THE ATHLETE NEXT DOOR
term and long term goals because you have to
celebrate those victories.”
KEEPING UP WITH
COREY QUEEN
As a comic book fan, Queen is no stranger to
the idea of the short-term satisfaction of monthly
single issues to the long-term satisfaction of the
giant events they build toward; he just needed
to think of fitness in the same context.
Dieting Tips: I
eat based on fueling
my body for workouts and
recovery from races/ workouts.
So, lean proteins and lots of
veggies. I never go more than 3
hours without eating, so I keep
my metabolism going.
He decided he was going to set a date to run
a marathon in a year, despite friends suggesting
otherwise.
“This was just a personal thing. I just wanted
to cross the finish line,” Queen said.
Queen set out his long-term goal, but not
without setting a preliminary short term goal
along with it.
Workout Routine:
Find whatever
motivates you personally I wake
up at 4 in the morning to run
before my family and the rest of
the world.
“The next week I decided to do my first 5K, the
UofL Health Classic in Cherokee Park. I ran that in
48 minutes,” Queen laughed. “It’s not, you know,
the best feeling being lapped twice … but I will
never forget hearing and seeing my daughters
cheer for me at the finish line. They didn’t care
how long it took me. There was a mental switch
that went on in that moment that said I love this.
Fitness Tips: Don’t
get caught up
in the scale; it’s just a number
that tells you how much gravity
is weighing down your mass. As
long as you’re exercising towards
what’s healthiest for you, that’s
most important.
“You have to find something to turn that light
on inside you, flip the switch.”
The Marathon Man
Soon, Queen started to sign up for any race
he could find within the next year leading to his
first marathon. Jumping from 5K to 5K, eventually
attempting a 10-miler, there was no stopping
Queen’s ambitious strides.
After only a year of epic training, Queen went
for the marathon.
“I did it the first year and it was awful,” Queen
said. “I finished in six and a half hours … felt like
I was hit by a truck.”
them” moment, Queen found a true direction
for overcoming the obstacle of running.
“(As a trainer now) this is the problem with the
fitness industry. We want to compare ourselves
to everyone. And there’s television and everyone
and their mother is trying to sell you something,”
Queen said. “With fitness you have to have short
12 EXTOL SPORTS / AUGUST 2017
Though slightly discouraged by the outcome,
Queen achieved his goal: He crossed the finish
line. But this wasn’t the end of Queen’s reign, not
by any means. As a goal-oriented crusader, he set
new goals to learn more and become a distance
running apprentice imagine Dr. Strange with
sorcery, only its Corey Queen, and with running.
“I became a student to the game,” Queen said.
“Every book, article, documentary I could find.”
Along with the academic approach, Queen
also emphasizes finding personal motivation
and ignoring the naysayers. “Screw what your
friends say (and) find what motivates you.”
Some examples of motivation for Queen include