Maniac questionnaire
Name Barefoot
Ken Bob Saxton
Maniac # 220
State you live in:
California
How many marathons / ultra marathons
have you run?
66 marathons, 1 ultra (50K)
What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance)
1986, California State University, Long Beach, Staff Day fun run/walk (approximately
3 miles). Incidentally I finished 1st place, but that was competing against
a bunch of state employees, most of whom were walking, so I'm not sure that
counts for much.
What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you
have fun that day?
Long Beach Marathon, 1987. I had fun up until the blisters from my shoes forced
me to walk, painfully the final 6-7 miles. But then again, it was wonderful,
because since then I've done most of my running without shoes, which really
is FUN!
How long have you been a runner and why did you start running?
I'm the youngest of 5 children. Running was essential for survival. When I
didn't run fast enough, my older brothers would catch me and beat me up, or
my older sisters would catch me and dress me up!
Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you?
I enjoyed working on mechanical things since childhood... Oh "maniac"...
sorry. Umm, I believe I was born a maniac! I've simply never been certified
as such.
Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to
run?
Life!
If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or
deceased, who would you choose and why?
Only one? No, really, the fun of running some marathons is the thousands of
new and interesting people I get to run with! OK, maybe Charlie Robbins, the
infamous barefoot runner, who raced barefoot for 65+ years. He's now retired
in Connecticut at age 86, is still barefootin', but no longer running.
What was your most memorable marathon and why?
Maybe the most memorable marathon is the one I forgot, because it sent me
into an altered state of consciousness. In which case, I'll try to change
my state of consciousness... hmm.. yes there it is. The Napa Valley TRAIL
Marathon in 1998. This was my first barefoot marathon. It ran up mountains
on goat trails, and it was a cold drizzly day. I got to the top of one of
the mountains, and looked across the valley below at the far ridge, and, naturally
after running 20+ miles up and down several thousand foot elevations, was
in a state of delirious euphoria, and out there, in a beautiful rainbow, or
maybe somewhere inside myself, I saw GOD!
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 so much the race, as it is the person. Some days you feel like a
P.R., some days you don't!
What was the furthest you've ever traveled for a race?
The farthest I traveled for a single race was from California to Boston, 3064
miles. However, the more interesting trip, was the summer of 2003. I took
the bus to Denver (1029 miles), then car pooling with my brother to our home
town, Grawn, Michigan (2327 miles), then car pooling with my sister to Chester,
Ct. (903 miles), Then back to Michigan (903 miles), fly to Seattle (2260 miles),
car pool to Portland (173 miles), fly to San Francisco (635 miles), where
my wife met me to drive me back home in Huntington Beach, California (412
miles) for a total of approximately 8642 miles. All this to run a 4 mile race
in Connecticut on the 4th of July! (well, OK, I did run a few races in between)
Do any of your non-running friends or family members think that youre
crazy for running as much as you do? What are some of their comments to you?
Hey, I don't run all that much. I only run when I feel like running. But,
of course, there are those who run even less, and they sometimes say silly
things like, "You run too much, you'll kill yourself!" then they
die shortly thereafter from a heart attack or some other health issue related
to NOT running enough. My family members are very supportive of both my running,
and my Running Barefoot!
If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons
would you run in one year?
How many marathons are there? No seriously maybe only 2 or 3 or 4 per month,
and some months, I might not run any, and other months, I might run even more!
Depends on how much I feel like running.
From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal?
When I finished my first marathon, in Long Beach, they asked at the finish
line if it was my first marathon. They had special medals that said, "First
Marathon". That was great! It made a wonderful key chain, until I lost
it some 15 years later!
Where do you keep your finisher medals?
The recent ones hang in the living room, not so much to show off, it's just
that it takes me a couple months to get around to throwing them in a drawer.
After all, it isn't the medal I'm running for!
Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don't wear?
My race shirts are nearly half my wardrobe. The other half is some shorts,
supplemented with a few pairs of long pants, sweat shirts, and jackets for
cold days, and swim suits for hot days. The shirts I don't wear, I give away,
or my wife makes them into pillow cases, quilts, etc..
If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have
it?
Under my feet.
Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black?
What, me prejudiced??
What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal?
Before a race, bananas, maybe some dark chocolate (not that cheap stuff made
mostly from sugar and milk and very little chocolate). The day before,
plenty of fresh fruit, nuts, berries, veggies, etc.. But finish early, so
I don't have digestive distress marathon morning.
After a race, most anything especially bananas, chocolate, and almonds,
so long as it's Vegan.
What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice?
Gel: Natures energy snack, oranges, limes, or lemons?
Drinks: Water. It is the REAL thing!
Which race would you never run again, and why?
If you ask me 22 miles into a marathon, I might say, "I'll never run
any marathon again!"
Ask me after mile 23, and I'll tell you, "I loved them all!"
What was the most challenging race or combination of races you've ever done
and why?
Napa Valley Trail Marathon was my first barefoot marathon (second marathon
overall). The course, in 1998, due to drizzle and rain, featured lots of mud,
stream crossings, log jumping, mountain climbing, goat trail navigating, rain,
altitude, rocky trails, and still I finished 30 minutes FASTER than my first
marathon (with shoes) on a flat course when I was 11 years younger! Must have
been the shoes!
What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any
cross training?
Training? I don't need no stinkin' training! I run because I love to run,
at least now that I run exclusively barefoot... How much do I love it? One
or two runs to or from work during the week, maybe another evening run with
a friend, some long runs on the weekend, and several walk/runs with the dog,
most any time. About 30 miles a week. When I'm feeling too lazy to run, I
bicycle to work, but not too lazy to drive, or stay home.
Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it?
I have several "RUNNING" (not training) partners. Cathy (my wife)
for mid-distance to long slow miles, Don and/or Al for moderate paced longer
runs, and Herman (our dog) for dog intervals (run-sniff-run-pee-chase a bird
method)
What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe?
Shoes? We don't need no stinkin' shoes! I always have my running shoes with
me. I was born with them, and they've lasted 50 years, growing with me, and
repairing themselves naturally. Getting better all the time... They are my
bare feet!
What are your short-term running goals?
Running Barefoot.
What are your long-term running goals?
Promoting Running Barefoot. And retirement, with adequate financial resources
to travel and run as many marathons as I want, and make videos, movies, and
television programs about Running Barefoot.
Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons?
Mostly, I enjoy sleeping. I probably spend about 1/3 of my life sleeping.
Secondly, Eating. I spend much of most every day eating. Otherwise, I love
to Promote Running Barefoot through my website, RunningBarefoot.org, and write,
make videos, etc, about Running Barefoot, and watch movies and TV, especially
Discovery, PBS, Science Channels, etc... Oh yeah, and there is work...
Who is your favorite "James Bond?" Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy
Dalton, Pierce Brosnan.
Secret Squirell. No seriously, what about George L.??? But really, I think
Timothy Dalton was the most dynamic Bond, James Bond, with more of a rough
(real) edge. I'm not really part of the tuxedo/dress-to-impress type of mentality.
On the other foot, and honestly, I'm not gay... Sean Connery, is way sexier
now, than back when he played James Bond.