Maniac questionnaire
November 29, 2005
Name: Robert López (the accent is important). The nickname is Stevie Ray, which brings us to ‘srlopez’. The SR does not stand for senior or señor.
Maniac #111, which is a very balanced number.
State you live in: Washington, 7 months out of the year. Hawai’i, 5 months.
How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? As of 12/1/05, I have completed 53 since finishing chemo. The ones pre-sickness are from a different life, so I don’t keep them in my total.
What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) A one mile fun run in junior high. Post-sickness, the 2001 Capital City Half Marathon.
What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day? Post-sickness, the 2001 Portland Marathon. I had a lot of fun, but I noticed at the halfway point “wow, I just ran a half marathon PR”. You can guess how the rest of my day went.
How long have you been a runner and why did you start running? As of 12/1/05, about 5 years. I started running again post-sickness because I like running, I didn’t want to work on a bike, and it’s too cold in Seattle for island boys to swim.
Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? I wanted a yellow shirt.
Of all the races out there in this world, which one would you most like to run? There are many great ones and I am going to do them all.
If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? I’d pick John Lennon, but I doubt he’d shut up. And that would get annoying.
What was your most memorable marathon and why? So far, it would be this year’s Cape Cod Marathon because it was my fifth in five weeks, it was played up as a hella hilly/hard course, and I PSPRed (post-sickness PR).
If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you suggest? Erie PA, Houston, or Mardi Gras. Napa, perhaps. Maybe a downhill course like Tucson or St. George, but I would tell her/him to be expecting extreme soreness for awhile afterwards.
What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? Hawai’i to Maine.
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? Many want to know how long this weekend’s marathon will be.
If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in one year? Like Dr. Evil, I’d do one million. Ok, seriously, by the end of 2005, I’ll have completed 29 this year. I think 30-35 is my limit. Not because of the race miles, but rather because of the travel miles. Travel is a pain.
From what race did you receive your favorite finishers medal? There are so many good ones.
Where do you keep your finisher medals? In a red filing cabinet.
Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I wear the ones that look nice. I’ll save a few from meaningful races even if they are fugly. The rest go to Goodwill.
If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it? In the Amazon or another rain forest, so we can all feel like we’re running the title sequence at the beginning and end of Jonny Quest.
Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Yellow. Hello. The black one is too hot for running in Hawai’i.
What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Pizza works for both. And beer. Mmmm. Beer.
What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? Hammer Gel and ABHU (anything but hateful Ultima).
Which race would you never run again and why? I doubt I’ll do Marine Corps again because they don’t do a great job of handling crowds. Also Grandfather Mountain because the RD is the soup nazi of marathons.
What was the most challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why? Ask me again in February when I complete my first double.
What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training? I run 60-80 every week, go to spinning class twice a week, and do yoga thrice a week. I also eat a lot, which feels like cross training in and of itself sometimes.
Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? Whoever I meet at races. Mostly, I go solo, though.
What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a different shoe? I’m a Mizuno guy, though I’m trying to like Brooks. Mizuno Alchemy is the shoe I use for anything longer than 20.
What are your short-term running goals? 10 stars, baybee. Finish the states. 3:30 marathon. Do some 50ks. Chase girls.
What are your long-term running goals? 100 marathons, a sub-1:30 half, a sub-19 5k. An 8-9 hour 50 miler. Others will come along, probably.
Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons? Time? What’s that? I read a lot. Continually give thanks for ditching the corporate job.
Mary Ann or Ginger on Gilligan's Island? Why are you ignoring Mrs. Howell? And what about our female and nontraditional male Maniacs? I’ll take Jeannie.