Erick Snyder

Erick Sny1

Usually when I tell people that they have been chosen as East Nasty of the Week their reaction ranges somewhere between astonishment and humble acceptance. This week’s East Nasty was a little different however, when I told him of that he had been selected (which by the way is a process up there with choosing a new Pope) his reaction was a quick and almost outright refusal. Therefore, what I offer up this week is an “Un-Authorized” version of East Nasty of Week, where I received all my information from his friends who know him best. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Erick Snyder.

Erick Snyder may or may not have been born in Tennessee, but what we do know is that he graduated high school from Brentwood High in 1996. He then decided to head off to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee where he majored in business (I think.) He now works in the banking industry as a financial planner and supports his beloved Vols any chance he gets.

When Erick began running he used to claim that he only ran for the fun of it all, and that he never raced anything to win it. Then in 2009 he joined Winter Speed Sessions, and apparently a new Erick emerged. Now he is all about the race and running faster. His running still is not that competitive though, as he is more about competing against his own personal bests than trying to triumph over others. Over the past year he has improved greatly, including a 20:24 PR in the Franklin Classic 5K last September and a remarkable 1:35:51 in the first annual Nashville Half Marathon in November.  

Other interesting facts about Erick Snyder are that he enjoys parking in the exact same space every week at the East Nasty Wednesday runs. He has a slight obsession/addiction to Cytomax canisters, and usually goes to Fleet Feet once a week to purchase a fresh supply. Finally, he also runs the Country Music Half Marathon every year for an organization called Team Chad, which raises money for cancer research in memory of a college friend who died of Leukemia.  

All the East Nasty people I talked to expressed how generous and kind Erick Snyder is to his fellow runners and friends, and said that he very much deserved to be East Nasty of the Week, even if he doesn’t want it.

Rod Jones (with assistance from Margaret Jones, Erica Tober and Micah Puncochar)