In addition to being Primacy’s Director of Infrastructure, Dave Fusfeld is also an avid runner. But he wasn’t always into running, in fact, he only picked up the habit a little over 18 months ago. Motivated by a company led challenge and a group of employees that came together to inspire a culture of running and fitness, Dave embraced running as a way to set fitness goals for himself and focus on weight loss.
What inspired you to start running?
Back in May of 2011, Primacy made an effort to get employees to try to run or walk every day. It was a company challenge to get people up and moving and as I started doing that each day I found myself enjoying it and seeing the benefits more and more. As a result, I ended up participating in my first 5K that summer. That’s led to more and more events; I’ve completed four half marathons and just ran my first full marathon over Mother’s Day weekend. And in January, I’m running the Disney Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge – a half and full marathon happening on the same weekend.
What motivates you to stay active? What’s your goal?
It’s been the most efficient way for me to stay in good shape and keep my weight off. Plus, it’s a good outlet for my competitiveness – I keep trying to beat last weeks / months / years time. And running with friends makes it a lot more fun and makes it feel less like a chore. When you’re out there suffering through sleet and cold, or hills and sun, having people out there to socialize with makes it feel less like a chore.
How many miles are you running each week?
I’m up to 30-45 miles per week right now.
What’s on your feet? Barefoot, five-fingers, traditional, or somewhere in between?
Somewhere in between, I alternate between New Balance Minimus 10 Road and Saucony Kinvara 2. Mixing up your shoes is a good way to develop your muscles even further as each shoe will force them to work a little differently.
Tell us a little bit about your role here at Primacy.
As the infrastructure director I’m responsible for keeping our network and hosting environment running in tip-top shape. Everything from web and email servers to iPads and telephones.
What’s the most important lesson you learned least year?
Running, especially when I’m out for a long run, has shown me how much focus and mental toughness I can have, which I’ve been able to apply to other areas of my life.
