Maniac questionnaire Name Alemma Maniac # 698 State you live in Virginia How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 4 marathons / 0 ultras What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) 1984 – 400 meter run in 8th grade for track What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? 2006 – Mountain Home Marathon for Kenya I had a blast. I spent the weekend with my parents. I also ran with a Biggest Loser contestant, Jaron Tate, for about 13 miles. He had only run for about 6 weeks and his longest run was 14 miles. He finished well ahead of me and I was very proud of him. How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? I ran track for 5 years in junior/high school. I ran a little bit during college since I was training to be an Air Force officer. Once I entered active duty in 1994, the Air Force did away with the 1.5-mile run and replaced it with a bike test that measured your VO2 max. So the incentive to run was no longer there. Around 2004, the Air Force brought back the 1.5-mile run test. I would only run a couple months before my test so that I could pass. I hated running because I was always running as fast as I could and it wasn’t pleasant. In August 2005, I started running with my newly adopted collie who had been severely ill. Once she was all better, the vet told me I needed to run with her to get her back in shape. We started slowly since neither one of us could make it around the block. We finally worked up to 1.5 miles and ran that distance every day for 2 months. I grew to love running at that time and have been running ever since. Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? I wanted to see what I could achieve. I’ve been inspired by my dad. I’ve also been inspired by my virtual running friends from Kickrunners, mainly the Running Moms and Dads group. Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? Osaka International Ladies Marathon If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? My Dad because he is the smartest, most loyal person I know. Also, if I ran with my Dad, then it would mean he would be healthy again to run a marathon. What was you most memorable marathon and why? 1. Mountain Home Marathon for Kenya: My Dad also ran this one and qualified for Boston. This was my first marathon and it will always have a special place in my heart. 2. Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon: My best friend from high school and college ran part of it with me. 3. Marine Corps Marathon: I got to see my twin sis, Ty, from Kickrunners. I also met originalsuds, Willa, tpenn, and Ron from Kickrunners. This was also my fastest race. 4. Richmond Marathon: I got to see Ty, batmomm, and Jen from Kickrunners. 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 have only run 4 marathons, so I don’t have experience. But if I were to choose based from my experience, I would say the Richmond Marathon. What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? 744 miles 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? Yes How many miles is a marathon? Do you run it all in one day? Why would you do that? If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? 12 From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? Mountain Home Marathon Where do you keep your finisher medals? In my closet Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I wear my Marine Corps long-sleeve turtleneck and my Marathon Maniac singlet ALL the time!!! The other ones, I either get a size larger and give to my husband or donate them as rags. (Sorry. I hope this didn’t offend anybody.) If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? In the town where I live since we do not have a marathon here. Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Maniac Black What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Spaghetti for pre-race meal and donuts for post race meal. What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? I’ve never tried energy gels. I love Accelerade. Which race would you never run again and why? Marine Corps Marathon only because it was too crowded. Everything else about it was fantastic though. What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? My first marathon, because I didn’t know if I could do it. Plus, it was the hilliest race. What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? I run between 30 – 50 miles a week. Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? I have lots of virtual training partners. They are the Running Moms and Dads from Kickrunners. I love them very much. What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? I wear Asics 2120T and Saucony Omni Grids. I do not race in different shoes. What are your short-term running goals? My short-term goal is to run the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Marathon in Feb 2008. What are your long-term running goals? 1. Run my first ultra at Umstead. I’m going for 50 miles. Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? 1. Spend time with my 2 beautiful girls and husband. Who is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on head) Main Maniac all the way baby! |