Maniac questionnaire

November 19, 2005

Name David Dassey

Maniac #96

State you live in - California

How many marathons 66 / ultra marathons [first one pending] have you run?

What was the first race you ever ran?

5K in San Francisco – Gay Run ’81. I have no idea what my time was.

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

Los Angeles ’89. It was a warm day; I overdressed and went out too fast. Dragged myself the final 5 miles and swore I could do it better the next time. I did, with a 22 minute improvement at Chicago later that year.

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running?

I ran track in high school but never well. Skip to my 30^th birthday – I began to run again so I could meet my roommate’s cute friends.

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

My friend Deo joined a few months earlier and introduced me to Steve at San Francisco ’04. Deo and I did our 50^th marathon together in Sydney, but he just passed 100 while I’m nearing 70.

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run?

I’m trying to coax my buds into doing Comrade’s in ’07. The Grand Canyon Rim to Rim also sounds incredible.

What was you most memorable marathon and why?

In 1995 I trained hard and carefully to qualify for Boston ’96. St.George was going to be the one. When I hit the halfway point in 1:47 I resigned myself to just having a fun run, since I was WAY over my qualifying time of 3:25. But then I peeled off several 7:00 minute miles and was suddenly within reach of my goal. I ended up with 3:26:12, an 8 minute negative split, and ultimately a bye for the extra 13 seconds.

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

Cal International – CIM – in December is a wonderful course, net downhill, but not so much that your quads will hate you for a week [think St. George]. Just pray you don’t have a winter storm in your face the whole way. If you like FLAT, come run Huntington Beach in late January; 20 miles are on the beach. Same caveat for the weather.

What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race?

Sydney, NSW, for the Gay Games ‘02 marathon. It was 90* at the start and the health department tried to stop the race, but a couple hundred of us ran anyway.

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?

My folks ask if I’m still doing that “running stuff”, and when am I going to act my age?!

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year?

My body can’t handle more than one a month; maybe if I walked a few of them I could manage more.

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers’ medal?

Tough one. Boston ’96 is a classic. Huntington Beach gives a cute little surfboard.

Where do you keep your finisher medals?

I made several shadow box frames lined with dark velvet. Each box holds 12-15 medals. I’ve got three hanging in my office and the latest two in the den at home. People at work really get talking when they see them.

Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear?

I wear each shirt the very next time I join my running club, Frontrunners, after the race, to show it off. Then it gets washed and put into storage under the bed. Shirts from shorter races get worn till I throw them out.

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

Right here in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, just 5 miles north of downtown. It has miles of trails and closed roads, plus Lake Hollywood and the L.A. River, where I train all the time.

I’m Maniac Yellow. Black is boring.

What is your favorite pre race meal?

Banana, 2 muffins, a quart of apple juice

Post race meal? ANYTHING

What is your energy gel of choice? GU, for no particular reason.

Which race would you never run again and why?

I’ve stopped running L.A. after completing 10 of them, including a PR in 1990. They’ve changed the course to eliminate the most interesting and culturally diverse part of the city – Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Echo Park. Now it’s a sterile, empty course, so I volunteer at a water station instead of run.

What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why?

Catalina ’03 was amazing. We had a fierce, constant downpour, cold winds, sleet at the higher elevations, and MUD, MUD, MUD. It was slip-n-slide over and over. I was glad to survive.

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

Miles range from 10-35 per week in 3-4 runs, averaging 25 miles/week over the year. In summer I try to slip in a 1-hour bike ride one day a week. I stopped going to a gym many years ago.

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it?

I’ve been a member of Los Angeles Frontrunners -- www.lafrontrunners.org -- since 1981 and run with them a couple days a week. Most of my long runs are solo, until this summer when a gang of us trained together in preparation for Long Beach.

What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe?

I train and run in the same shoes, Saucony Grid Trigon. They accommodate my bunions without causing blisters.

What are your short-term running goals?

I’ll be going back to Boston next spring after a 10 year hiatus; I’d like to do well, maybe break 3:40. I’ve got my first ultra in 2 weeks – Over the Hill Track Club’s 50K in Ridgecrest, CA, 12/4/05.

What are your long-term running goals?

To keep running uninjured as long as humanly possible.

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons?

I’m addicted to orchids, with several hundred in the backyard. I also like succulents, cacti and bromeliads.

Star Trek! Mr. Spock