Monday, July 2, 2012

An Interview with The Yogger -- Part 2

1. If Geronimo and Ellie Greenwood were yogging together from No Hands Bridge to Robbe Point and a bear jumped out, who would get eaten first?
Geronimo would offer up his arm as a snack and then yog to the finish completely unbothered.

2. Is a 50k an ultramarathon?
 Yes.  Obviously it is.  Everyone knows that.  What many people don't realize though is that ultrayogging is not a sport.  It's exercise. 

3. Would you rather win a mid-major 5K or the AR25?
Whatever would give me the most respect in the eyes of the guy who works at the Auburn Running Company.

Yogger


4. Does the California Club serve imported beer?
I don't remember.

5. What is harder, the marathon BP challenge or STCC101?
Marathon BP.  By a lot. 

6. When you said "2 hours to the river" at the top of Bath road on Saturday, was that really relevant?
Don't talk about 2 hours to the river.  Sign language only from here on out.  In the next 10 years I think 2 hours to the river will actually happen in the race.  So very relevant.

7. How did you plan your racing attire?  I noticed you wore race t-shirts from the San Dieguito half marathon, Hood to Coast, and Headlands.  Did one of these three work better than the others?  Did you use the colors to inspire your performance?
I wanted to make sure the people out there know that I yog.  Race t-shirts were my way of accomplishing this.  I would have just put on a sticker, but I was afraid it would have fallen off.  Then how would the people know?  That I yog? 

8. Do you think additional strength training could have made a positive impact on your race day performance?  Or are you happy with your preparation in this regard?
More yoga is the only thing that could have saved me. 

9. Do you consider your aerodynamic calves to be performance enhancing?

Yes.  I feel guilty.  But it is what it is. 

10. Why are 50 year old women so much faster than both of us?
Lots of yog. 

11. How much extra time would it have taken to push Maya in a jogger through the course with you?
42 hrs. 


Maya



12. Did you tire of your own self berating were you able to keep mixing it up to ensure you did not bore yourself?
Berating?  In 32 years I have not yet tired of it.  Mixing it up wasn't necessary.  I found a good rhythm and it worked. 

13. Which aid station was your favorite of the day?
They were all very good and consistent for the most part, but at Dusty Corners this guy Robert was volunteering who I yogged with some at Oriflamme and again on training weekend.  I'm sure he does not know my name, he just recognizes my food bag and makes fun of me for it every time.  That was a good moment to feel a small bit of familiarity and comfort in an otherwise not good stretch of yog. 

14. Did you laugh during the race and if so, what was the most amusing part of the day?
I don't think there was a single laugh out loud moment.  I was amused by a very sweet 20ish year old girl volunteering at Devil's Thumb very genuinely congratulating me on my finish, as if getting up Devil's Thumb meant it was all in the bag.  That and trying to strategize with Dr E about how to get him laid later that night while heading down Cal St.  He was obviously trying to distract and amuse me, and although I didn't really have the energy to play along, I appreciated the effort.   

Dr. Evil


15. You selected a very lightweight shoe for this race, one which you managed to tear just past Robinson Flat on Memorial Day weekend.  Explain your thought process with this choice and how well it worked compared to any other options you considered.
I yog much better in lightweight shoes.  110s work very well for me.  About 1 extra oz for about 4x the comfort of a full fledged minimalist shoe. 

16. Which group is more idiotic, ultrayoggers or ironman triathletes?
Too much overlap to differentiate the two groups. 

17. Who is the top talent in the sport this week?
Scott Sundahl

18. At what point on the course would you have been able to match pace with Tim if you started fresh when he passed?  I assume somewhere between Robinson Flat and Michigan Bluff?
I actually put some thought into this.  Robinson Flat is completely out of the question.  I'd like to think Michigan Bluff but I'd be yogging much harder than I do when constantly refueling and I'd likely get dropped going up to Green Gate 23 miles in.  Maybe at the bottom of Elevator Shaft? 

19. What makes Geronimo so special when it comes to ultrayogging?
128lb race weight, solid, durable lower body, world class mental game. 


20. Did you respect the distance?
No. 

21. What did you do with your Western States Endurance Run license plate frame?
My what?

22. If you had to pick one person who raced last weekend to challenge your best time to consume 5 hot dogs, who would it be?

Rory Bosio. 

23. Do you think the American Hero would have a silver buckle if he had won the Krispy Kreme Challenge West?

Well, since they reserve a spot for the champion in the lottery every year, and since he will never fail to get a silver buckle again, I'd have to say yes. 

24. Do you consider it sort of an asterisk to say "100 miles, one day" when the fact is that anyone finishing over 19 hours will need two calendar days to complete the race?  Should there be a different buckle for sub 19?  How much preparation would it take for you to take a stab at sub 19?
Dude, I had not considered this. 

25. If you could borrow anyone's body for the race (with your fitness) which one would you pick and why?  Do you think shorter/lighter ultrayoggers have any advantage or is body type generally irrelevant in the quest for ultrayogging glory?
Body and fitness are too intertwined, but it's generally irrelevant at the 100 mile yog distance anyway. 

26. If the shoulder toucher had been part of your crew, how many times would he have touched your shoulder during the race?
4-6 touches per aid station x 4 aid station appearances, I'd put the over/under at 20 touches. 

27. How many years before Dr. Evil has a silver buckle?
2. 

28. What was in your drop bags and what would you have done differently with them?
Food and various gear.  I would had a plan for what to do with the stuff in case I didn't need it for weather or other reasons.  For instance, seeing as though I'm getting drenched at Robinson Flat, I'll keep the beanie and leave the sunhat and shortsleeve shirt, but please do bring them to Michigan Bluff. 

29. What flavor DiGiorno's did you have in your feed bag?  Did you mix it up?
Just Garlic Pepperoni.  No need to mix up what works. 

30. What were you thinking when Becky put your shorts on wrong at Green Gate?
This must be corrected before i proceed with yog.  


Becky and Maya

1 comment: