Per suggestion of a few blog readers, I signed up to be a Marathon Maniac this month. This loosely organized running club is for the 400+ runners who run lots of marathons/ultras each year, and has a welcoming atmosphere of fun and celebration.
The Marathon Maniac club was started in 2003 by three runners who agreed that "more races is better". Center to their club philosophy is the Maniac Criteria that awards each runner with an insanity level based on their biggest streak of marathons in one year. The streak is either "marathons in a row" or "marathons in a year". I get the Gold Level for 15 marathons/ultras in one year, whereas Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series Ultra winner Van "Pigtails" Phan gets the Titanium Level for 53 marathons/ultras this year.
One cool thing that members can do on the Marathon Maniac Web site is keep track of your marathon/ultra finishes on one page. For those of you who want to log your races but don't want to take the time to do a full-blown blog, this is a great way to just write one or two lines about each finish. Check out Van Phan's 50+ race log for 2006 for a good example.
I hope all of you (Maniacs or not) are having a great holiday. I have a relaxed training plan for these next two weeks - running for fun when time permits, and the tai-chi-with-15-pound-medicine-ball known as holding baby Sophie. My preliminary 2007 race schedule is up on the right - Pacifica 50k is already coming up!
Cheers, SD
