Name Tom Karpowich Maniac # 258 How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 13 (as of Feb 10, 2008) What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) Walt Disney World Marathon - 2005 What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? I needed to make my life healthier & wanted a goal, so I started training for the Disney Marathon in Sept 04. My first run was about 2 miles & I was exhausted. Within a month, I was up to 7 miles though & I knew I would make it. Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? I was hooked on marathons the 2nd day after my first one. I had energy that I had not felt since I was much younger. But I could not figure out how to create a training plan for multiple marathons (everything I read said you need to train for 4 – 6 months). Then I came across the Maniacs site & realized that for at least some people, there is no need to wait months between marathons. That led to a bit of an internal challenge – ‘how do I get into this club?’. Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? There are probably lots I would love to run but I have not studied everything out there, especially in Europe or Asia. However, from what I have looked at, the Mayo Midnight Marathon looks like an intriguing run. It’s challenging to get there and very tiny (12 finishers in 2007). If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? My 17 year old son. He has no desire to run even a mile, but it took me 10 years to get him on the slopes and he loves snowboarding, so I will work on him to run with me eventually. What was you most memorable marathon and why? Disney 2005 for multiple reasons. 1. It was my very first marathon, 2. I was overwhelmed by the number of people running a nd most importantly: 3. My cousin, Master Sergeant Paul D. Karpowich, was killed in Iraq 2 weeks before the run. He was on my mind during most of the run. If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest? My PR was at the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon. I tend to like rolling hills & that marathon had them. It also had a very long downhill section, which shaved minutes off my time without killing my thighs. What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? I live in Tampa; I flew to San Francisco in 2006. 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? I have inspired 3- 4 friends to drink/smoke less & exercise more and take up running. Others think I am risking my life each time or just in awe – ‘you finished in 5 hours? Wow, you must be fast, did you win?’ (I heard that twice this month). If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? 52, but the question should also include ‘and if you had a personal secretary to make all the arrangements’. I don’t ever want to have to deal with the logistics of packet pick-up & arranging wake-up calls for that many races. From what race did you receive your favorite finisher’s medal? It’s a tie between Sarasota (lot’s of color), Marine Corps, & ING Miami (Spinning Palm Tree). Where do you keep your finisher medals? Hanging on a nails on my office walls. Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? Most are given away – all cotton ones do. I will wear some tech shirts on training runs or at the gym, but in general, I wear plain shirts in the marathons. The exception is the Marine Corp shirts. They have little advertising, are patriotic & are heavy for those few days I need a long-sleeve shirt. If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? Freeland, PA. It is my home town & is full of hills, in fact, the town sits on top of a mountain. Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Black, but everyone else wears yellow, so I will too. What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Granola, cheeseburger. What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? Crank eGel – it has the most Electrolytes (essential for summer runs) & Gatorrade Endurance – I wish every race director would use the Endurance formula rather than regular Gatorade. Which race would you never run again and why? Marine Corps – The race can comfortably handle about 12,000 runners. They cram in about 21,000 though. In 2006, I had to stop before the finish line because it was backed up with too many runners. (I guess I could run a lot faster to finish in front of everyone else, then I would not have that problem again.) What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? The US Half Marathon in Copper, Colorado (July 2007). I live & train at sea level with 90% humidity. Copper’s base is around 9700 feet & we climbed to nearly 10,500 fee during a 5-mile uphill segment. Humidity was 30 % that day. My lungs did not know what to do, nor did my brain. What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? It varies widely based on what is going on with the rest of life, but I try to run a 10 k 1 – 2 days a week with a 10 – 15 mile run on the weekend. I do Pilates 1 to 2 times a week. I plan to do a lot more weight training during the hot summer months to be stronger all around for next winter’s race season. Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? I train alone. I will meet up with folks for races, but my schedule is too unpredictable for training on a schedule. What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? Gel Nimbus VIII (2006 model year) for all. What are your short-term running goals? Beat my PR this year. (4:21) What are your long-term running goals? Qualify for & run in Boston. Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? I like creating electronic music, skiing/snowboarding & playing board games with my son. I also enjoy a good meal with conversation whenever I can. Who is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on head) Superman. |