Maniac questionnaire Name: Erin Vestal Maniac #1816 How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 5 marathons so far What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance): 5K! What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? 2005, Cowtown Marathon, it was tough, but I was hooked! How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? I started running in 2003, needed something to do once college sports ended. Running got me through grad school….hours in cadaver lab make you want to RUN! Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? I was in awe of all the Maniacs I saw running the Seattle Marathon and I knew…I wanted in! Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? Boston for sure. If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? I think I would chose Amy Palmiero-Winters, the marathoner who is a below knee amputee. I have followed her for years and use her as motivation for many of my patients, and myself. What was you most memorable marathon and why? Seattle Marathon. I stuggled a lot. I had to fight my demons and found so much strength in all the runners and all the fans along the way! If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest? Probably California International Marathon What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? Not too far….from CA to WA. 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? Many people think I am crazy for running marathons. The most common question is, “What do you think about for that long?” or my personal favorite, “how long is that marathon you are running?” If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? At least 12, probably more like 24 J From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? Napa Valley this year was a pretty medal. I really liked Seattle Marathon medal also. Where do you keep your finisher medals? In my treatment room, I am a physical therapist and it makes for great motivation for my patients. Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I wear them until I wear them out (either stained or holes) and then keep them as mementos. If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? Tough question! I have not traveled too much, but I do think Washington is a beautiful place. So in the states…I say Washington. Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? I am going with Maniac Yellow! What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? I adore whole wheat spaghetti for pre race and nothing beats a nice hamburger or pizza after a race capped off with frozen yogurt. What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? I stick with ClifShot Mocha flavor for energy gel and really like PowerAde zero in strawberry. Which race would you never run again and why? I would do any of them again. What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? My first back to back with Lake Tahoe Marathon first….it made marathon #2 in 7 days seem easy though! “The Hill from Hell” is no joke! What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? A typical training week is cross training on Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday are running days and Thursday is speed work out. I try to float around 40-50 miles a week. Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? Sometimes….my husband accompanies me on a bike on longer runs. He is able to do shorter runs with me now, which is great! What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? I train and race in Asics Nimbus. What are your short-term running goals? I will be doing Boston in 2010. Until then….run as many marathons as I can. What are your long-term running goals? I want to run for ever and ever and ever. Long-term I would like to run in many more states and maybe even an international marathon. The next realistic goal also is to venture into the world of Ultra’s…… Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? Sew, read, got to Cal football games and like many girls I do like to shop J Who is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on head), non Maniac Beauty? |