Intro
A bit about my life, my training, and my goals.
Who I am
My name is Hunter Richardson, and I’m an IT recruiter who lives in Piedmont, South Carolina. Pretty boring, right? But I suppose that’s what my LinkedIn (where the bulk of my day is spent and income is made) says, and those are the answers to the first three questions you get when meeting someone new. Really, I see myself as much more than that. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, a soon-to-be husband supporting a newly-minted pediatrician through her residency program, a lifelong athlete, and an aspiring coach. The latter two are the focal point of my writing.
I grew up near Memphis, Tennessee and always enjoyed sport, competition, and physical fitness. I was a soccer player and wrestler, and I credit the sport of wrestling for my grit, tenacity, and perseverance. I was never the most athletic or technically sound, which still rings true today, but I was generally able to find a way to outwork my peers and competitors.
Upon graduation, I headed off to Clemson University on an ROTC scholarship. While not a sport, the military is still a competitive environment, which I enjoyed. In Clemson, I met my future wife, worked hard to do well in class and ROTC, spent some time on active duty orders attending military training, earned a marketing degree, and was commissioned as an officer in the hardest branch of the army: the infantry. I may have even had a beer or two along the way.
I spent just over four years on active duty, serving at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Hood, Texas. I had numerous failures, enjoyed some success, and made lifelong friends. It was truly a pleasure to serve and lead soldiers, especially as a rifle platoon leader in Eagle Troop. Ultimately, I had a handful of good reasons for staying in the military, and buckets full of great reasons to leave. Ready to settle down and be done with the long-distance portion relationship, my fiancée and I moved back to South Carolina together.
Training Background
My training over the past decade or more has revolved around barbell lifting and running. I’ve run several races from 5K to a full marathon as well as a sprint triathlon. Recently, I have garnered a deeper interest in trail running; so far, I’ve only completed 4-mile and half marathon races.
The genesis of my strength and endurance training probably wasn’t the most optimal. Strength workouts were constantly pushed to failure and it was unthinkable to run anything slower than an 8-minute/mile pace, even in training. After a knee surgery, a lot of lower back pain, and a hernia procedure, I’ve matured a lot. I’m constantly reading books, articles, and manuals, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos in order to learn as much as I can about training for both performance and preservation. Truly, I think my best days are ahead of me.
For more on my training background, previous programming, etc., take a look at my articles published on EliteFTS.
Current Training and Future Endeavors
Today, I am six months removed from a surgical procedure to repair an umbilical hernia. My current focus is building a robust base of aerobic conditioning and general strength. I am training for the Conquer the Rock 25K trail race, which climbs a couple of the highest points in the state of South Carolina. My race training has been almost completely inspired and driven by the principles and templates in the book Training for the Uphill Athlete–I highly recommend this book for any person that runs or trains for endurance. My strength training follows a 5/3/1 template; if you don’t know what that is, I would also highly recommend researching Jim Wendler and his books. Every aspect of my training–mileage, weight, speed, volume, etc.–has been conservative. There will be a time to push my limits, but as Louie Simmons said, “a pyramid can only be as tall as its base.” I’m making great progress as a runner and lifter while feeling strong and healthy.
On the horizon, once I finish my 25K, I plan to compete in a powerlifting meet in 2023. My goal is to total a modest 1100 pounds (something like a 375 squat, 275 bench press, and 450 deadlift). I plan to experiment with conjugate-style strength training leading up to that; I’ve been running almost exclusively 5/3/1 templates for my strength training for the past 8 years or so.
In 2024, I aim to complete a 50K race, my first ultra-distance event. Beyond that, depending on what I enjoy more, I will likely bounce back and forth between lifting and running events. Regardless of what I’m competing in, I plan to continue pursuing both strength and endurance proficiency for life.
Why I Started This Page
After getting such a positive response to my EliteFTS articles in 2022, namely the “5/3/1 and Run” program, I knew that I needed to continue writing. There was no better feeling than knowing I had helped some firefighter, Marine, or retired powerlifter who is trying to keep up with his kids discover a formula that would set them up for improving both performance and health. I don’t have anything to sell, although I would like to one day make money off of coaching or programming. I’m here to hone my writing craft, connect with coaches and athletes that I can learn from, and provide insights that readers can apply to their training and life in general. This won’t be a training log by any means. I post most of my training, which is not particularly exciting or impressive, on Instagram. Feel free to follow and reach out.
Again, I appreciate anyone who takes the time to subscribe to or read this Substack. I hope it proves valuable, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via comment, email, Instagram, or anywhere else. I would love to connect. Thanks!
