Maniac questionnaire

Name:  Bhasker Sharma

Maniac # 808

State you live in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run?
10 Marathons and 1 Ultra marathon

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance)
I did a 10K race in Belgium in 1983

What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day?

The first marathon I attempted was the Pune Marathon in December 2002. I had to give up at 20miles due to lack of support from the race organizers – no traffic control and water for slower runners. It made me more determined to complete my 1st marathon which I did in Chennai in January 2003. It was not great fun specially the last few miles due to lack of traffic control. However, it was a highly satisfying experience.

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running?
I have been jogging since I was 20 for fitness reasons. I tend to gain weight very quickly if I don’t exercise. I ran beyond 15K for the first time in June 2002.

Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you?

Was very excited and overawed when I first came across this site. It led me to the discovery that there are much crazier runners out there than me. It gave me a great target to aim for. I was thinking I would get a maniac email id and was a bit disappointed on learning that it would’nt be the case

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run?
The Big Five Marathon in the South African Savannah

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why?

What was you most memorable marathon and why?
The Richmond Marathon in November 2007 was the most memorable one – the weather was great, the course was good and I ended up doing my PR time of 4:04

If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest?

What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race?
From Bangalore to London to run the marathon – I planned a 2 weeks family vacation     a round it though

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?
Wife definitely thinks I am over doing it. Others at work are quite impressed that I can manage work and at the same time spend so much time running

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year?
At least 4 – one per quarter

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal?
Bangalore Ultra 2007

Where do you keep your finisher medals?
At home in a cupboard

 Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear?
I wear them regularly on my training runs

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

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black?

What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal?
Bananas, bread, dry fruits – figs, almonds; post race – Gujarati Thali – unlimited food from a region of India which is quite rich in fat and carbohydrates

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice?
I use Power bars during marathons and drink only water – not into sports drinks

Which race would you never run again and why?
Possibly Pune marathon – its not friendly to amateur runners  - no traffic control and water support for the slower runners

What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why?
The 2005 NJ marathon was the most challenging one for me .  I ran my second marathon more than 2 years after completing my first. I had not trained too much and ran this within 36 hours of flying in from Bangalore to NJ.

What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training?

I run 3-4 days a week between 20 and 40 miles a week (closer to 40 when training for a ultra). I also do 2 days of cycling as cross training

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it?
A number of us from the running club called Runners for Life(www.runnersforlife) train together specially on the longer runs. I do the weekday runs usually alone.

What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe?
I have been running in Addidas Supernova cushion for the last 6 years – I use the same shoe for training and for racing

What are your short-term running goals?
To do a sub 50 minute 10K in the Sunfeast world10K in Bangalore on 18th May and a sub 4 hour marathon this year

What are your long-term running goals?
To do 12 marathons in 12 months probably between August 2008 and August 2009
To do a Boston marathon probably in about 5 years – need to get a bit faster as I get older
To run the Athens marathon in Greece
To do 70 marathons by the time I become 70 years old

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons?
Watch lot of cricket on TV, reading Running books, work with a NGO

Who is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on head)
Main Maniac
Bob Fletcher – the guy who did 50 marathons in 50 weeks in 1981