Team inov-8 2012: Tommy Manning

1) Primary sport (s):  Trail Running

2)  Team member since:  2011

3) City/state of residence:  Colorado Springs, CO

4) Occupation:  High School Teacher

5) Goals for 2012: I want to make the U.S. Mountain Running Team again.  I would like to go to the World Championships again and redeem myself for the poor showing I had in Albania in 2011.  So placing top-6 at Mount Washington is my main goal this year. 

6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport:  I think making my first U.S. Mountain Running Team by finishing 6th place at Mount Washington in 2010 was huge.  That was probably the biggest race of my career up to that point.  Then I went on to finish 18th at the World Championships in Slovenia and helped the U.S. men win the silver medal.  That was definitely the highlight of my running career. 

7) Favorite inov-8 gear:  I love the X-Talon 190s.  They’re lightweight and those big ol’ lugs on the bottom can grip anything: loose dirt, mud, gravel, rocks, wet grass.  It’s a mulitdimensional racing shoe. 

8) List one thing others may not know about you:  A high school motorcycle accident, and three subsequent knee surgeries, nearly ended my running career (and my life!) before it really got started.

9) Your favorite race/event and why?  I love the Bridger Ridge Run in Bozeman, MT.  It’s a 20-mile race that takes longer than a road marathon.  It goes up and down up and down a ridge just north of Bozeman, Montana.  The views are wonderful (during training – I don’t take in the views while racing).  It’s a booger of a run though and has kicked my butt the two times I’ve raced it. 

10) Advice to other athletes:  I am a big fan of the saying “good things happen to people who work hard.”  I don’t think you win races because you want to, or you win races because you’re naturally fast.  I think you have to put in the effort day in and day out, and work your tail off to achieve your goals.  This doesn’t mean everybody is going to be a champion or an olympian, but good things will happen to those who work hard.