Maniac questionnaire

Name - Rob Colenso

Maniac #1792

State you live in – Virginia

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? - 5 marathons, 5 ultras

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) - Volkslauf Mud Run (10K), Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, CA, 1997

What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? – Marine Corps Marathon, 2007. It was a painful, terrible, awesome, joyous and ultimately life-changing experience.

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? – I started running in 2006 to give myself a new personal challenge.

Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? – It was an accident, to be honest. I ran two 50K ultras within three weeks' time as part of the training cycle for my first 50-miler -- I learned about the Maniacs only after that.

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? – Comrades ultramarathon.

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? – No one in particular. I love meeting new people during races.

What was you most memorable marathon and why? - It was an ultra, actually -- my first 50K. I was supposed to run The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K as my first ultra in September 2008. Tropical Storm Hanna forced the cancellation of the race, but about two dozen of us showed up to run it anyway in an unofficial capacity. It was an awesome introduction to how different trail runners are from roadies.

If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest? It ain't the race -- it's the training.
What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? From Virginia to Tennessee.

Do any of your non-running friends or family members think that you’re crazy for running as much as you do? What are some of their comments to you? – Yep, all of 'em. Most of the comments usually contain the word "crazy" or the phrase "dude, that's what cars are for."

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? – At least one every other weekend.

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? – the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon.

Where do you keep your finisher medals? – On a bookshelf 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 cool ones and thrift the lame ones.

If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? – Tuscany, Italy.

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Black!
What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? – Pre-race: take-out pasta with marinara sauce; Post-race: steak, fries and a tall beer.

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? – Hammer gel, Gatorade (in-race), PowerBar Recovery (post-race)

Which race would you never run again and why? – I generally don't repeat marathons or ultras, as I'm trying to experience as many different ones as possible, but there aren't any I wouldn't run again if I got the chance.

What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? - So far, my first 50-miler, the Bull Run Run. It was my first experience with the 50-mile distance and was totally uncharted territory.

What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? – I run five days a week, ranging from 40-60 miles. No cross-training to speak of … unless sitting on the couch counts?

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? – I have one friend who I meet for occasional weeknight runs, and a group that I do my weekend long runs with.

What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? – Road shoe -- Mizuno Wave Alchemy 9. Trail shoe -- Montrail Hardrock '09. No racing shoes.

What are your short-term running goals? – To complete my first 100-miler this coming spring ('10) -- the Umstead 100.

What are your long-term running goals? – To experience as many marathons and ultras as possible.

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? – Listening to music, traveling, reading, hanging out with friends., etc etc etc