Answers to Maniac Questionnaire
Maniac #17
I live in Pocatello, Idaho
41 years (not) old
I have completed 38 marathons, no ultras yet.
The first race I ever ran was a 5k my senior year in high school.
My first marathon was the Park City Marathon in June of 2001. I had only been running for 3 months. I had not been running since high school in 1982. I would NOT recommend doing a marathon after only 90 days. I finished, but it was a long day with a lot of walking the last 6 miles. It took me 4:41. BUT, I was still stoked about finishing and ran another one the very next month and cut almost an hour off my time.
I started running on March 15, 2001. I started running because I wanted to be in better shape and had always felt like I could run a long way even though I’m not very fast. As a side note, I just passed the 10,000 mile mark last week.
I decided to become a Maniac after the 2003 Pocatello marathon. There was an article about the Maniacs in our paper the day after the race and I knew these were my kind of runners.
I think it would be great to run the marathon in Antarctica.
I would love to run a marathon with either Clarence DeMer or Emil Zatopek. Those guys ran on pure guts and did not have the luxuries we have today.
My most memorable marathon so far has been St. George. The scenery is breathtaking and the course is favorable to my running strengths so I can go for a PR.
Again, St.George is a PR course, followed closely by the race in Ogden, UT in May.
The farthest I have traveled for a race was Boston in 2004.
Most of my friends and family waffle between admiring me and thinking I’m totally crazy.
If I could, I would run a marathon every weekend.
The best finishers’ medals come from the Top of Utah marathon.
My medals hang on my race shirts on a wall in my workout room. They are in order and I don’t wear the shirts anymore, they go straight to the walls.
I think a marathon in the Grand Canyon would be neat, or one in Yellowstone Park.
I am Maniac Yellow, black gets too hot.
I like pasta for my pre-race meal.
I use Crank Sports e-gel. I have used it for about 8 months and really like it.
As far as races I would never run again, I don’t like to say never, but the Valley of Fire marathon last year was horribly unorganized. The scenery was great, the course was tough, the support was non-existent especially at the finish. I finished 5th overall and there was NOTHING for me to eat or drink at all.
My most challenging race is normally the Park City marathon. It is mostly on trails and is a loop course at over 7000’ in elevation. The air can get really thin.
A typical training week for me is 70-75 miles during my peak weeks. I run 6 days with 3 days at 8-10, 2 days at 13 and 1 day at 21-24. I ride my road bike when I can in the summer because it is fun and different. I lift weights (mostly leg workouts) 3 times per week.
I run alone almost always.
I run in Stability shoes. Asics 2100, New Balance 766, Mizuno Maverick’s are my shoes of choice at this time. I like to race in the Mizuno Maverick’s because they only weigh 10.8oz, that is about the lightest Stability shoe I can get.
Short term goals are simple: BREAK 3 HOURS OR DIE TRYING!!! I missed by 45 seconds in Ogden in May.
Long term I want to complete 100 marathons before I turn 50. At my current pace I should do it a couple of years before that.
Other than marathons……is there anything else. Seriously, I work 55+ hours per week as the Director of Operations for a Taco Bell franchise. I am also a Scoutmaster and take my scouts camping once per month and to a week long camp every summer. My wife (Sue) and I have 3 kids, 2 of which are in high school. She is a schoolteacher so we both put in a lot of hours. Sometimes for fun I actually sleep.
I don’t really have a favorite Beatle song. I grew up on Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Rush and so on.