Maniac questionnaire

Name: Katie Robinson

Maniac #1597
 
State you live in: Washington

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 5 Marathons, Ultras are next on the list.

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) A 75 yard dash at my Dad's work picnic. I won the race and my prize was the coveted Lion King Sountrack.

What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? First Marathon was the Seafair Marathon in 2007. I had tons of fun, met a marathon couple from Florida who inspired me to keep running, ran with 2 great friends and stuffed myself afterward at a Post-Marathon BBQ.

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? I was a State sprinter in high school. I tried running cross country and though they were crazy running more than a mile. After high school I didn't run until Winter of 2006. I started running again to get into shape with a friend. We decided to run a 1/2 marathon together but decided we could do better than that so we trained and ran the Seafair Marathon in 2007. Now I'm hooked and am always running.

Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? Jessica Bienvenue (MM #1006) inspired me to become a Maniac. I met her at my weekly running group and was in awe of the amount of marathons she was running and had run. I knew I could do it too and thought it would a good way to meet and run with folks who were as excited about running and marathons as me.

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? There are too many to choose from and I've started my list in my running journal. Obviously, I'd love to qualify and run Boston and I'd also love to do the Marathon du Medoc where I could combine my two loves, food and running.

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? I'd choose my husband. So far he's gotten injured on training runs and hasn't been able to complete a marathon. I'd love to share my love for running with the person I love the most.

What was your most memorable marathon and why? My first marathon. I was proud for setting and achieving a goal that I thought was unobtainable.

If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest? I would pick the Eugene Marathon, it's super flat, really scenic and supported by a great running community.

What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? Seattle to San Diego. I am happy to say marathons are now a part of our family vacation travel planning.

Do any of your non-running friends or family members thing that you’re crazy for running as much as you do? What are some of their comments to you? Everyone has been really supportive so far. They think I'm more crazy for trying to recruit them to come run too.

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? As many as my body would let me.

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? Don't have a favorite so far. I like the t-shirts more.

Where do you keep your finisher medals? On a bulletin board in my home office.

 Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I wear the technical ones all the time. Cotton ones are for lounging around the house.

If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? Start in Ballard and would tour the Locks, Discovery Park, Magnolia Bluffs, Shilshole, Woodlawn Park, Greenlake, Carkeek Park, it would be a tour of what Northwest Seattle has to offer.

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Do I have to choose, which ever one is clean.

What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Pre-race:  Bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter. Post-race: Cold Pizza and a smoothie.

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? Lime-sublime GU, or Blueberry GU Chomps and Cytomax Crisp Apple.

Which race would you never run again and why? Haven't met a race I didn't like.

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? I run with my friend Lindsay who will hopefully become a Maniac soon. I also facilitate a weekly running group with some awesome women.

What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? I love my Newton Gravity trainers. I'm on my 2nd pair after runing in Brooks for a number of years. Can't say more than good things about them, except for maybe their price tag.

What are your short-term running goals? Keep healthy and have fun.

What are your long-term running goals? Qualify for Boston, then 1/2 Ironman. Now that I've written it down, it's on!

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? Anything outdoors, adventures with my dogs, cooking, crafting.