Will Noah Droddy Fly the Floyd’s of Leadville Flag in Tokyo?

With his long flowing mane and mustache that would make Prefontaine jealous, Noah Droddy is a recognizable figure in the running world. While some of you may remember him from our introductory profile piece last August, we’re excited to have Noah back on team Floyd’s for 2020. This season Droddy is running headlong into an exciting season of Olympic Trials as he trades marathons for 10,000 meters. We were able to slow him down enough this week to catch up and discuss his recent injury, CBD recovery, and rockstar status on and off the track.

Hey Noah! What’s going on? When we last caught up with you in August you were getting ready for the Chicago Marathon. Could you tell us a bit about that experience?

The Chicago Marathon was very much the focal point of my racing year. I had run a marathon in April that didn’t go my way, so I was feeling hungry for redemption. The race was really special. In what would end up being the deepest American marathon of all time (the top ten Americans went under 2:12), a big group of us worked together and took a huge risk by going out aggressively. While I faded a little at the end, I still secured a big personal best of 2:11:42 and found renewed confidence in my ability as a marathoner.

That’s incredibly fast. I’m not sure we could ride it that quickly. How long does it take for your body to recover from an endeavor like that?  Is there an off season or are you just taking it one race at a time? 

I definitely took some down time after Chicago. Mostly I just wanted to let my body and mind recover. I focused on relaxing, and not worrying about training for awhile. We took a couple short trips back home to the Midwest to visit the family.

We’ve been stalking you on social media and saw that you’re battling a knee injury and have decided not to compete in the Olympic Marathon Trials.  Can you tell us a little about that and how it’s affected your road to Tokyo? 

As I recovered from the Chicago marathon, it started to become apparent that I had done some damage to my knee. As I began to train again, the pain got worse. What I originally thought was a minor injury just lingered longer than I hoped. Eventually it became clear that my window of opportunity was closing, and I just wouldn’t have the time to be at my best by the end of February. The Olympic Trials is one of the biggest events on my four year calendar, and missing it was a hard pill to swallow. But I need to have a long range focus, and my health is my first priority. I’m feeling better know, and am excited about some other opportunities coming my way. Hopefully I can share race plans soon, but they include a return to the track and I’m hoping to run my 10k under 28 minutes, and a fast half marathon in the spring.

That’s a little over six miles in under thirty minutes…on foot. That hurts just thinking about it. We’re so bummed to hear about your knee but we know you’ll be back stronger.  How’s your recovery? Have you been able to incorporate CBD into your regimen?

My recovery at this point is going well. I have spent countless hours on massage tables, in the gym, and doctors offices. I have definitely used CBD as a tool in this process. I always take a Floyd’s Recovery Protein shake to my gym sessions, and use the SoftGels as well. At night, I’ll usually slather some Warming Balm on the knee, and I’ve been waking up feeling pretty good!

Great to hear! It’s hard to beat the balm before bed. What’s your spring schedule look like? Ready to give everyone a run for their money?

I won’t run a full marathon this spring, but I will make a return to the track at the 10,000 meter distance. My current PR is 28:07 and I would love to break 28 minutes. If I do that I should qualify for the Olympic Trials on the track this summer, which would feel like redemption after having to miss the marathon. If I can get into that kind of fitness, I would love to challenge my personal best of 61:48 in the half marathon as well.

What would you tell a runner who’s using CBD for the first time? 

I would tell them to have some patience, and be willing to try a couple different products to find out what really works with them. Do you love the Tincture, SoftGels, or Recovery Protein? Be willing to experiment with dosages, but ultimately be consistent and patient – that’s when you’ll see the greatest results.

So true- we’ve been hearing of more studies that indicate regular CBD consumption may be more beneficial than sporadic use as it’s possible for cannabidiol to build up in your system over time. So now that you’re resting your knee and laying low we’ll take our chances and challenge you to a feat of strength. What sport other than running would you challenge Floyd to?

I would love to get a game of badminton going. Though chances are high we both immediately tear our hamstrings.

Badminton, that’s a new one. Maybe we should get some FOL shuttlecocks made? We know you’re a pretty competitive guy, walk us through the night before a big race:

The night before is pretty relaxed. I realize at this point in my career that the preparation is long finished at that point. I just like to briefly reflect on the training I’ve done, appreciate the opportunity I have in front of me, and be mindful of enjoying the whole experience. I won’t get to do this forever.

That’s a great way to look at it. Enjoy the moment and who knows what other opportunities life will bring. Speaking of opportunity, if we made a Noah Droddy signature CBD product what would it be? 

We should probably get some beer brewing, huh?

Now you’re talking! But, we’re guessing you aren’t pounding pints midrace. How do you fuel for your races?

Before a race, I’m pretty simple – oatmeal and peanut butter. Just enough to fill my stomach but not enough to upset it. During the marathon, I’ll drink some sort of carbohydrate/electrolyte drink every 5k or so. Late in the race, I might have some flat soda to get a quick hit of sugar and caffeine.

Better to keep the digestion jostling to a minimum. Say that I’ve been running 5ks and finally decided that I want to run a marathon, when should I pick one on the calendar and how should I structure my mileage?

For your first marathon, I’d recommend picking a race that’s six months or so away. That would give you plenty of time to increase your mileage slowly, grow accustomed to the bigger workload, and build in some time in case you have a small injury or something. Structuring mileage will be different for everyone depending on your starting point. But the general rule is to do it slowly. In my training, I like to add about 5 miles a week. I think that rate is slow enough to allow the body to adapt without over stressing it. A few weeks before the race, start backing it back down, so you can show up fresh and ready on the big day.

Great advice Noah, you’re a wise fellow. Any other hidden talents that you’d like to share?

I played guitar in bands through high school and college, and have recently been getting back into it. Feels good to play again!

Nice! Circling back to our social media sleuthing we’ve seen a few pictures of you jamming mixed in with those running shots. Thanks so much for sitting down with us today and if our readers want to peek into your online persona they can follow along with you on Instagram @noah_droddy or you’re pretty active on Twitter as well @IBuiltTheArk.