Watch Ned's breakdown from last year's BKLYN MILE.
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This week's 5 Dreams is with Brooklyn resident, Ned Trim. You may know Ned as a coach at Brooklyn Track Club or Mile High Run Club, or most recently as Coach of The Program, or as that friendly-looking fella ripping down Kent Ave seemingly every day. Or a deeper cut, perhaps, you recognize his name from the end credits of box office hits Avengers End Game, Ant Man 2, and Black Widow. Before packing up a car (what I imagine was a 1996 Chevy Caprice, but is unconfirmed) and roadtripping for 2 weeks from LA to NY, Ned worked in a niche VFX job alongside 3D models for Marvel movies. Uncanny behavior for a running coach, but if you've met Ned, this Forest Gump-esque career path easily tracks.
You see, Ned Trim has what my mom calls the happy gene—a term used only to describe people who are perpetually smiling (or on the verge), laughing, dancing, cheering, and when things get tough—immediately thinking on the bright side. A brain hard-wired for positivity and an energy that'll turn your whole day around. Life finds a way for folks like Ned, so despite hanging the spikes up in 2019 after a brief love-ache with the sport, he's happier than ever to be back with a reinvigorated energy for inspiring runners of new and old to set and chase goals of any size.
Ned is running The BKLYN MILE Bandit Men's Open this Sunday, so it was high-time we got inside this man's REM cycle and learned a little more. Without further adieu...
5 Dreams...
Dream race?
It would have to be the Dispea Race. I believe it's the 2nd oldest race next to Boston, super beautiful trail north of SF that goes over Mount Tamalpais. There's a start, middle, and finish and you can make your own route along the way. The race has a fun handicap system where fastest people start at the end (or something to that effect), so you get all different winners. There's a staircase involved... It's just historic and looks a ton of fun.
Dream running achievement?
Can I say something abstract? For instance, if I were to say, I want to get to the end of my life and still love running, and that would be my dream... Would that work? If that's a cop out answer, I can come up with something different.
I had stopped running before I moved to New York and being between jobs, I was thinking about what I wanted to do, who my role models were. I met Steve Finley [Bandit Head of Community] at Brooklyn Track Club and he said a couple things that changed the way I thought about running. The walls I had up against the sport came down pretty quickly and fast-forward to today, giving myself and running a second chance was the best decision I've ever made. If I had known then what I know now, I would've been way less scared.
Dream cultural experience?
Ooooh. The Kumbh Mela. My dad has done it. It's a pilgrimage and festival in India that happens once every 12 years or so.
From Wikipedia: The festival is traditionally credited to the 8th-century Hindu philosopher and saint Adi Shankara, as a part of his efforts to start major Hindu gatherings for philosophical discussions and debates along with Hindu monstaries across the Indian subcontinent.
Dream running partner, dead or alive?
Let's go with Mitch Hedberg. If I could convince him to run, it would be a great time. I saw this clip as a 10 year old and think about it every time I buy a donut, which is extremely often.
Dream way to evolve running?
This is by no means concrete, but to find a way to make people less scared of the sport. What more ways can we find to break down the barriers and make a bigger impact? More people should run and I want to help them get started.
Bonus question—your strangest running ritual?
Tell me if this is weird enough... I get completely dressed in my kit the night before a race—shoes tied and all. Sorta look in the mirror, close my eyes, do some visualizations of how I want to feel and perform and then I go to bed.
Do you sleep in the kit?
Oh no, I lay it back out for the morning.
Stolen off Ned's Instagram. Sorry Ned.
Want more Ned? Who doesn't. Listen to our episode of Fast & Loose with Ned from early last year.
