Alone, they're three amazing individuals. Together, their synergy is the stuff that ultrarunning crews are made of. Let's meet them, shall we?
TRACY FAWNS
Age: 36
Town: North Bend, OR
Education: B.A. Journalism, Portland State University 2000; currently obtaining R.N./BSN at OHSU with lofty goal of PhD in genetic research.
A bit about Tracy:
Single, live with golden retriever (Shimano). Built a 17.5' mahogany wood/fiberglass kayak this past winter. Started studying violin about 1 year ago. Enjoy running, backpacking, cycling, kayaking, fishing, photography, and gardening. I run my own business as a freelance copy editor, with major client Stanford University, and also work as a writing tutor at local community college. I have Lyme disease, so running is a form of therapeutic exercise for me to help ward off arthritis issues.
Interesting facts: I have 11 toes. I brush my teeth in the middle of the night when I get up to pee. I sleep on flannel sheets, even in summer. My comfort foods are Mac&Cheese, OJ with pizza, and mashed potatoes. I ran my first 1/2 marathon in 2006. I was a vegetarian until 2002, when I craved rotisserie chicken in the middle of RAAM. To test my ability to function with limited visability (you never know when the sun may stop shining!), I practice running with my eyes closed and see how close I have remained to the fog line - I'm getting really good at it! I have been chased by a bear not once, but twice in my life!
PAUL CURRAN
Serious (in my own head) runner since 2000
Hometown: Portland, OR
Nickname: Big Red to you, mister.
Favorite action hero: Catwoman
Snacks on the run: Nuts and Nuun
Quote to live by: Finish what you start
Shoe of choice: Montrail’s new STREAK
Real Job: Montrail Marketing Manager
Upcoming plans: Besides being the Iceman for Greg, I’m racing the new Gore-Tex stage race from Beaver Creek to Aspen. I don’t know much about it but I got a free entry and signed up with Luis Escobar.
Fame: Hawaii Ironman, 2:37 road marathoner, and a half-dozen 50Ks.
Advice to Greg: Be sure to listen to your crew bosses…that would be the ladies. I’m just there to run with you and to keep you alive.
LARISA MANUEL
Age: 25 (just made the cut to drive a rental car!)
Hometown: Bothell, WA
College: Gonzaga University
Nickname: Rissy, Ris, Crazy L
Favorite Place visited: Savannah, Georgia (incredible Civil War history)
Ethnicity: A little Cajun, a little Asian and the rest unknown...therefore, I am on any given day: Greek, Eskimoan, Native American, Mexican, Brazilian, Romanian, Polish, Italian, Chilean.
Person I would most like to meet: Craig Newmark, creator and founder of Craigslist.org
Most vivid non-athletic historical memory: Fall of the Berlin wall, November 1989.
Most vivid athletic historical memory: Kurt Gibson's home run in the 9th inning of Game 1 of the 1988 world series of the infamous Dennis Eckersley. pinch hitting with a injured leg he hit a home run to win the game. I can still see him hobbling the bases with his fist pumping. A truly amazing moment.
Greatest running feat: 3rd place, Eugene Half Marathon, April 2007, 1:21:58.
Random hobbies: clipping coupons, flossing my teeth, flying kites, mowing the lawn
Things I find comforting: my blanket, Oat Bran, a zero balance on my credit card, The song "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister, any mention, any person on the street wearing Gonzaga gear, oversized sweats.
More: Though frequently described by those who know and love her as "odd" and even "bizarre," Larisa defies expectations and actually tends to befriend more people than most of us will meet in our lives. Perhaps it's because she reveals deeply personal facts about herself to random people while purchasing her morning coffee, thus forging immediate bonds with others over a shared skin rash or digestion problem. Perhaps it's her standard uniform worn out in public: a headband, a sports bra and a pair of short shorts, with a t-shirt always only optional. Or maybe it's her dance moves that are spotted across a bar or dance floor, alternating smoothly between awkward and more awkward. But most likely it's her general lust for life and her deep aversion to felines that helps cement her friendships with most everyone she meets.
