What’s Floyd’s Fastest Product on Two Feet?

You’d be excused for missing it over the commotion of the holidays, but at the end of December, Noah Droddy became the fastest marathon runner ever out of Indiana. The Floyd’s of Leadville Ambassador and Indianapolis native finished second in The Marathon Project at Chandler, Arizona, running 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds with an average time of 4:56 per mile. The long haired, mustachioed Droddy became a viral sensation when he showed up at the 2016 Olympic track trials sporting his signature backwards baseball cap. Now that he’s finally had a chance to catch his breath, we sat down with him for a recap of his incredible performance.

Floyd’s:  2021 – It’s a weird year for events but I think we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. What’s your tentative schedule look like?

Noah: 2021 is still a little up in the air. I’ve taken my time coming back after the marathon in December and have been reluctant to commit to anything until I feel like my body is ready. I definitely haven’t ruled out some track racing this spring and summer, but road races are where my heart is, and my biggest target for the year will be a fall marathon.

Floyd’s: What’s your biggest goal for the year.  If you had to peak for a race, which one is it?

Noah: The biggest goal for the year will be a big city marathon in the Fall. I should be able to announce which one in a month or so…

Floyd’s: Oh we love surprises! We won’t speculate… but could it be a windy one?  Walk us through a 2:09 marathon from the moment you woke up until you finished. When did you know that it was going to be a very special day?

Noah: The morning of the race was fairly typical. I usually wake up about four hours before the start of the race, so around 4 am. That may seem early, and it is, but my day is basically over after the race and I want to make sure I’m fully awake at the start, and have had time to digest breakfast (oatmeal and coffee). The course was flat, and the weather was perfect, so I knew the pack would run fast — the only question was how long I could hold onto the pace (4:55 per mile). When we got to mile 20, and ran a 4:50 mile, I knew I still had legs. I just focused on running the mile I was in, and not letting all the work I’d done slip away at the end. I faded a bit in the last couple miles, but was still able to finish well. I feel like I got the best out of myself that day.

Floyd’s: A 4:50 mile at mile 20. You were on a bike, right? We are not sure how it’s possible to run that fast. You are now among a very elite group of runners in history. How has your life changed since, if it has? We know it was hard being injured last season but was this a confidence booster — did you feel like you reestablished yourself as a top American in the sport?

Noah: My life hasn’t changed much since, but I do feel like this race legitimized me as a marathoner. I struggled in my first few marathons, and never really had a performance I could be proud of. That began to change when I ran 2:11 in Chicago in 2019, and came full circle at the Marathon Project in December. I never expected I could run a US top-10 all-time mark, it’s been an incredible journey and was especially sweet after a difficult year of injuries and missing the Olympic Marathon Trials.

Floyd’s: So now that you’ve made Indiana history, are there any streets or schools getting named after you?

Noah: Hahaha not yet… but I did get a nice letter from my alma mater, DePauw University.

Floyd’s: How long does it take to recover from an effort like that? When is your body able to cope with a heavy training load again. What’s your training like this time of year?

Noah: I never seem to recover from marathons very quickly. It’s a long brutal race, preceded by a lot of long brutal training. I’ll typically start jogging again after a couple week break. I try to just go with the flow  and run when I feel like it. It’s nice to keep the training unstructured for a bit, and just let it progress naturally. I started to get more serious a few weeks ago, working in some harder efforts, and that will continue to progress until I’m back into peak training in a few more weeks.

Floyd’s: We have to ask– what’s your favorite Floyd’s of Leadville CBD product and how do you use it?

Noah: I love the tincture after a tough workout, I drop a dose under my tongue while I eat breakfast. It helps get the recovery process moving and sets me up to relax for a couple hours and let the training soak in.

Floyd’s: And your favorite post race beer?

Noah: Post race I keep my beers pretty light until my stomach is feeling more solid. My go to is Miller High Life, how better to celebrate than with the champagne of beers?

Floyd’s: We’ll cheers to that! Thanks so much for joining us Noah, you are a true legend, amazing athlete, chill dude, and we love your style. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see what else this season brings!