Maniac questionnaire

Name – Philip DeYoung

Maniac #

118

State you live in

Dallas, Texas

How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run?

46 marathons (and counting), 0 ultras

What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance)

Tom Landry 10k in Dallas when I was 10 year’s old. I have a picture somewhere of Tom signing my bib number. Finished in 52 minutes.

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

I ran the Disney Marathon in 2001. It was an unforgettable experience.

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

I started running through Team In Training. I have stayed with the program and became a coach in 2003.

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

I met 2 of the 3 Main Maniacs in a café in Pocatello, ID the day after the marathon (they had finished 1-2 in the race). We sat and talked about “all things marathoning”. I was hooked. I joined shortly thereafter.

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

Boston (I’ll get my first BQ one of these days!!!)

If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why?

Phiddipedes. This time I would make sure there was a medic at the end for him.

What was you most memorable marathon and why?

There are two…the 2002 Oklahoma City Marathon where I ran the entire first half with Frank Shorter. The other would be the NYC Marathon in 2004. It was an unbelievable experience.

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

Chicago or St. George.

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

Maui in Sept 2006

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’re an idiot” has been the most direct comment. Most think I’m nuts, and some admire what I do. But then I sit back in admiration of what some of the other Maniacs accomplish.

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

52!!!

From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal?

Disney, because it was my first. St George, because of its uniqueness and it is engraved with my and time on the back, and Haulin’ Aspen…cowbells? Are you kidding me?

Where do you keep your finisher medals?

On a giant pegboard.

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

They are stacked up ready to be sewn together into quilts.

Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black?

Maniac Yellow, but I really like the new black/yellow combo singlets.

What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal?

Pre – Pancakes, Post = Ribs and beer !!

What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice?

I’m not very finicky, but I really like the new PowerGels with sodium.

Which race would you never run again and why?

Olathe Marathon. Nothing special about it. Just miles and miles of orange cones. Yawn.

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

Crater Lake/Haulin Aspen double marathon. That was #1 and #2 ranked marathons on my “most difficult” list. And to do them back-to-back made it especially challenging.

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

40-60 miles, 4-5 days a week.

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

Not really. I have a ton of people I train with with the Park Cities running group in Dallas and my TNT team that I coach.

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

Asics Kayano’s…religiously.

What are your short-term running goals?

Qualify for Boston. Run more consistent during the marathon. Break 18 minutes in a 5k

What are your long-term running goals?

Qualify for New York with a half or full marathon time, break 3 hours in a marathon.

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

Be a couch potato and watch TV, play with my kids and go to their soccer games.

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

Main Maniac of course.