Maniac questionnaire

April 20, 2006

 

Name Paula Boone    

 

Maniac # 149

 

Country you live in TEXAS

 

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 155 marathons/13 ultras

 

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) I Love to Eat & Run 5K in Ogden, UT

 

What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? Antelope Island Marathon 5/11/96 on an island in the Great Salt Lake, UT.  My friends told me they could get me to the finish under 4 hours and I finished in 3:58:14!! I was the 2nd woman overall.

 

How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? I ran high school track and then didn’t run for about 10 years.  Was miserably married (to my ex) and it was a great escape.  I have been running marathons since 1996, so it's almost my 10th anniversary of marathoning.

 

Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? Being a Maniac was an obvious choice for someone who runs over 20 marathons a year.  Lots of our friends had joined, so we figured it was time to join, too.

 

Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? Boston again (Steve and I met there).  Don’t see much chance of losing enough weight and getting back to those fast times (too happily married now!)

 

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? I would always choose to run with Steve because he is my best friend and favorite traveling companion. (But he runs too fast for me to keep up with him)

 

What was your most memorable marathon and why? Boston 1997 because it was my 4th marathon and I met Steve there and it was his 107th marathon.  Little did I know what I was getting into!

 

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

 

What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? Paris, France.  But we’re heading to China for the Great Wall Marathon in May 2006.  We plan to eventually complete a marathon on all 7 continents.

 

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? The usual comment is “Why??!!??”  Most of our friends are runners, and they still think we’re over the edge.  Our non-running family members don’t even understand what marathons are. 

 

If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? About the same as now- between 20-30.  I think that more would just injure me further.

 

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? Mickey is my favorite – Disney.  Liked Donald, too, but the Goofy medal wasn’t as cute as it could’ve been.

 

Where do you keep your finisher medals? In a box and on a shelf.

 

 Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? Always wear my race shirt home from the race (unless it’s really ugly).  We have hundreds stacked in our closet (luckily our closet is big enough to park a car in). 

 

If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? We’re working out the details to put on a marathon(s) at the 4 corners area next year- 2007.  It will be 4 marathons, 4 days, 4 states.  We’d also like to rent a cruise ship and put on our own race in Antarctica.  We’ve run into a snag with international treaty that will only let us land 200 people at a time. 

 

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Guess I would chose Maniac Yellow if I had to wear one of those godawful shirts – I usually wear my 50 States Marathon Club finisher shirt.  Need to come up with a half Maniac/ half 50 State shirt.

 

What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Pasta party at Sunmart Ultra is my favorite pre-race meal of the year. Have eaten at Subway before marathons in all 50 states.  Post race is ALWAYS Mexican food (except when we’re in Yankee towns).

 

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? Hate gels, but will eat a GU if I have to.  Powerade is at least tolerable if it is ice cold.

 

Which race would you never run again and why? Cowtown in Ft. Worth, TX.  The only part of the race that was even fun was to finish at the Stockyards, and now they don’t even do that.  It’s always miserable weather and not very fun.

 

What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? NH and ME double followed by Tahoe the next weekend.  It was an exhausting week.  I drove the support vehicle for the first 2 days of Tahoe and then had to run the 3rd day.  I swore off doubles after that week.

 

What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? Try to run 6-8 miles 4-5 days a week and then walk every evening.  We do a marathon or a long run of 12-14 miles on the weekends.  I probably get in 25-35miles a week.  Sex is great cross training.

 

Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? Of course, Steve Boone.

 

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

 

What are your short-term running goals? Get through the next race.

 

What are your long-term running goals? Plan to do my 200th at SLC in 2007.  Will also finish the states for a 2nd time.  Plan to do the continents eventually.  Maybe knock off a new one each year.

 

Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? Love to snorkel and go on cruises.  Scrapbooking is my hobby and creative outlet.

 

Who is your favorite "James Bond?" Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan  Roger Moore was the James Bond I saw the most growing up, so he’s the one I identify as James Bond.  No one is sexier than Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan is pretty fine, too (but he was better in Thomas Crown Affair). Who is Timothy Dalton??