Maniac questionnaire

October 30, 2006

Name Jeff Venable

Maniac # 364

State you live in The Great State of Texas

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 22 Marathons, a big goose egg for Ultras

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) Either the Fool’s Parade or a 24 hour relay…it was a long time ago when I was in high school

What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? Valley of the Flowers Marathon, June 11^th 1993 in Lompoc, CA. I had a blast!

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? Off and on for about 40 years…I ran because I was slow and could not catch a football.

Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? Sam was running the 50in50in50 (or was it 51in51in50?) and the Maniac site was there. I had to be one just for the name!

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? Anartica, or the Valley of the Flowers Marathon if they resurrected it…OH!, the Western States 100…or whatever it is called…maybe actually RAAM…but you ride a bicyle in that one don’t you?

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? Gosh, that is tough. I think my father (my son would be a close second)…because he is my father.

What was you most memorable marathon and why? Gosh, it had to be my first, the Valley of the Flowers. The Pig has been my favorite, but Valley of Flowers Marathon would be it…I have more crap from the 100^th Boston…that was special, but my first wins by a landslide.

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 hear Twin Cities is great, but the old Oklahoma course was pancake flat.

What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? So far just to Alaska from Texas. The furthest that I have driven would be Albuquerque from Dallas.

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? You use the word “think”. They know that I am crazy. Generally they just ask how far is this marathon? Or don’t you get tired running that far? Or simply how long does it take to run a marathon? I get no good material to share…sorry about that.

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? Actually my body limits me almost as much as anything else. I’d run a marathon every week if my body let me…two or three a week would be even more fun.

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? Gosh, I have only run a few races…I love my 100^th Boston, my Castle from Disneyland Half, my little Valley of the Flowers, my huge Little Rock, my Skull and Cross Bones from Tupelo…but my favorite…the next one that I am chasing! The Flying Monkey…

Where do you keep your finisher medals? I used to keep them on door knobs, then I got married and moved to a small cottage and did not have enough door knobs any more! I bought shadow boxes…I am at three and need a fourth, my wife has two and needs a third at this time. Soon, we will need more walls!

Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I don’t wear cotton shirts…I used to wear my long sleeve shirts, then they all went to the high tech shirts…I wear them more as they are not worth saving for quilts. The high tech shirts are even less colorful than what the cotton shirts have become. Races used to compete for the best shirt design, then they got into competing for elite runners and abandoned us slower running shirt collectors. So I give most shirts away to charity, never having been worn, save the best shirts for quilts, wear some of the high tech...even run in some of the high tech shirts.

If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? They already have marathons in my favorite places…I’d just try to put on a smaller race. Size matters, smaller is better.

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Yellow all the way baby!

What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Pre race is fish, post race is a ribeye steak, good bottle of wine, and an avocado, and maybe even a good cigar and glass of scotch before my rum raisin ice cream…can’t have apple pie after a steak, I am too full, or the steak was too small!

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? I love the idea of the leash on the Cliff, enjoy the taste of Hammer Gel, but tend to eat only Cliff Bloks now. Sports drink is probably Powerade…I drank Accelerade when I cycled, or some other high tech crap. I buy the Cliff for the neatness of the leash, but it really only sits in by closet.

Which race would you never run again and why? I don’t run many races twice, but I’d run them all again. I did not like Boston, I suffered hugely on the Big D, I am bored with White Rock, but I’d do them all again. Oh, The Last Train to Boston was a terrible race…as ugly and pathetic as they come, but if it was started up again, I could be convinced to run it again. Heck, I want to do Anartica! Talk about a lousy race, I bet that I a perfect zero.

What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? I suffered hugely on the Big D…it was hot, it was humid, it was hilly, and it was in my own backyard…I knew how to get home without finishing the race!

What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? I run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday…about 30 miles a week. No cross training, never been to a gym…I cheat and run Sundays sometimes as well.

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? During the marathon training season I have just one guy that I run with on the weekend, and two different people that I run with during the week…during off season I have about six people in a rag tag group that I run with during the week, and a smaller group on Saturday (some people just hate getting up early on the weekend).

What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? I train and “race” in the same shoes. I run in at least three pair of shoes at a time…different brands, different models. That way I can lose any favorite shoe and not care too much.

What are your short-term running goals? Run a marathon whenever I get bored and think that I need a long run.

What are your long-term running goals? Maybe do the 50 states, or at least 60 unique marathons by 60.

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? I golf, I used to do distance cycling

Who is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on head)

Wonder Woman may be hot, but Main Maniac is the man!