Maniac questionnaire
Name Bill Coumbe
Maniac # 565
State you live in
How many marathons / ultra marathons have you run? 11
What was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance) 100 meter
dash
What was the first marathon you ever ran? What year did you
run it? Did you have fun that day? My first marathon was the Philadelphia Marathon in November
2004. I DID NOT HAVE FUN THAT DAY.
How long have you been a runner and why did you start
running? I’ve been running consistently since about April 2004
because my employer is a very health-conscious organization.
Why did you decide to become a Maniac? Or what inspired you? I decided to
become a Maniac because I’m a little crazy…
Of all the races out there in this world, which one would
you most like to run? Comrades “Up” from
If you could run a marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone
either living or deceased, who would you choose and why? I would choose to run unaccompanied
because I tend to do my own thing and don’t necessarily need the companionship.
What was you most memorable marathon and why? Set a PR in
If someone asked you to pick a race for him or her that they
could run a PR at, which race would you suggest?
What was the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a race? So far,
from Philly to
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? Everyone—even my triathlete coworkers—think I’m crazy
because of my marathoning schedule.
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? I
receive my favorite finisher’s medal at the end of EVERY race.
Where do you keep your finisher medals? Hanging in
my private library—which is just an old library bookshelf.
Do you wear your
race t-shirts? What do you do with the ones you don’t wear? I wear my race
t-shirts as casual wear for about 3 months, then exercise in them. When they’re wore out, I chuck ‘em.
If you could put on a marathon anywhere in the world, where
would you have it? Probably an out-and-back course from the old
Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black? Black
What is your favorite pre race meal? Post race meal? I like to
get the pasta in me on the day before a race, and prefer to eat
bagels/yogurt/fruit/animal protein/beer/junk food after.
What is your energy gel of choice? Sport drink of choice? PowerGel
Chocolate.
Which race would you never run again and why? I would
never repeat my first marathon experience.
Not in good enough shape, when I thought I probably was, not emotionally
strong enough to survive hitting “the wall”, sore in one place or another for
about 2 months.
What was the most challenging race or combination of races
you’ve ever done and why? I ran the Country Music Marathon in
What is a typical training week like for you? How many miles
do you run? Any cross training? I typically do about 20-30 miles of roadwork, and ride the
bike every day.
Do you have a training partner? If so, who is it? This Maniac
prefers to roll solo.
What kind of shoes do you train in? Do you race in a
different shoe? Asics Gel Nimbus all the way—although I’ve experimented with
Mizuno recently.
What are your short-term running goals? Qualify for
What are your long-term running goals? Do a
marathon in each of the 50 states
Assuming you have time, what do you do for fun other than
run marathons? Read, spend time with the Mrs., walk.
Who
is your favorite Super Hero? Superman, Wonder Woman, Main Maniac (with cat on
head)