Maniac questionnaire
Name –
Maniac #34
State you live in - Washington
How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? As of 9/26/05, I am at 36 marathons. No
ultras yet, but I know I’ll be adding those at some point.
What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) Outside of high-school cross country, I ran the Rusty Pelican 10k
in Long Beach, California a number of years ago. I remember being in so much
pain and thinking I would never do that again.
What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you
run it? Did you have fun that day? I ran
the Seattle Marathon in 1994. I felt a strong sense of accomplishment but never
imagined I would keep running marathons.
How long have you been a runner and why did you start running?
I started running in college just as a
general stress reliever and for the exercise. Then, in 1990, while hiking
Granite Mountain with some friends, I remember feeling out of shape. The next
day, I started running and I haven’t stopped since.
Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you?
After running the Maui marathon in 2003,
I was going on a business trip in Buffalo, NY two weeks later. Buffalo was near Corning, NY where the
Wineglass marathon was taking place. I figured that no one would actually run
two marathons in two weeks, but I went for it anyhow. Then, a few months later,
I read an article by Steve, Chris and Tony in Northwest Runner magazine. In it,
they described their Maniac Ways. I felt an immediate connection.
Of all the races out there in this world, which one would
you most like to run? I truly couldn’t
say. There are so many that I want to do, I can’t really single one out.
If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone
either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? Again, it is hard for me to single anyone out here. I meet so many
great people from all over the US at every race I do.
What was you most memorable marathon and why? A
few come to mind. CDA marathon (paced for about 18 miles by Tony) where I first
realized I could beat a 3:30. Then, after that, I remember Twin Cities (2004)
and Newport (2005) where everything just clicked and I felt strong throughout.
I hope to have many more races like those.
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 guess I’d say Newport for right now since that is where I have my current
PR.
What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? From Seattle to the east coast. But, my wife
has some plans for me running the Paris marathon in a year or so this answer
will be changing.
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? While some are inspired
by the discipline it takes, almost all of them think I am crazy. I hear the
same responses that I’ve read in other maniac replies. The old standards are “I
don’t even like to drive that far” and “I only run if someone is chasing me”.
Of course, each time I hear those, I smile. I don’t bother to tell them that
these remarks are extremely unoriginal and they need to get more creative.
If personal obligations or finances were not an issue, how
many marathons would you run in one year? One
a week plus a few doubles thrown in for good measure.
From what race did you receive your favorite finishers
medal? Newport had a cool medal as did
Fargo. The Tupelo Marathon’s “Skull and Crossbones” medal was the most original
as was the Wineglass Marathon’s medal made of glass.
Where do you keep your finisher medals? My wife framed my first six medals along with the photos. The rest of
them are hanging in our closet waiting to find a better display.
Do you wear your
race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? When I’m not at work, I am usually wearing
one of the many t-shirts I’ve received from races. I have some favorites but
usually just rotate through.
If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where
would you have it? I live in North Bend,
WA and have some great training routes here. I think that the Snoqualmie Valley
would be a great place for a scenic marathon.
Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Yellow without a doubt.
What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? Pre-race pasta. Post-race, I always crave a
hamburger and beer followed by some large serving of ice cream.
What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? GU (Banana or Vanilla). No real preference
on sport drink.
Which race would you never run again and why? While there are a few that I wouldn’t
recommend, there are none that I could say I would NEVER run again.
What was the most challenging race or combination of races
you’ve ever done and why? Since it was
so recent (last weekend), the one that comes to mind is my Kansas City and
Omaha double. Both courses were somewhat hilly, but the real challenge was the
heat and humidity. I had a rough go of it on both days. I plan to go back and
do that double again so I can redeem myself.
What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles
do you run? Any cross training? Very little cross training. I have tried to
add bike riding to my routine, but I just love running too much. I usually do
about 45-50 miles per week. Sometimes more. Sometimes less. It depends on what
races are coming up and when.
Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? I used to only run solo and still do for
most of my weekday runs. On many weekends, I run with a group of other maniacs
(Eric G, Ruben C, May C, Team Yogi and others). We do some long training runs
together. They are all great runners and are a great group of friends.
What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a
different shoe? Asics 2100. When I get
tempted to try something else, I ask myself why I would change something that
works.
What are your short-term running goals? Continue to run often. Finish the 50-states plus DC. Do 100 marathons.
What are your long-term running goals? Continue to run often. Finish the 50-states plus DC again and again. Do
another round of 100 marathons. Get into ultra races. The 100-mile races really
seem like an incredible challenge.
Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than
run marathons? I read a lot and do some
writing. Listen to music. Also, I love to travel which is another benefit of
hitting the 50 states for marathons.
What is your favorite Beatle song? Sorry, can’t do it. Can’t pick just one.