Nathan Yanko

blog: foodandtrailrunning.blogspot.com/

What are some of your lifetime running goals?:

I would like to continue to explore quiet trails, make it over passes, and look at the world in ways that few people choose to.

Do you have a claim to fame?:

I am known for having the appropriate job to compliment my running. Working at a bakery allows me to fuel my body on high quality food to keep me going on the trails.

Do you have any vices?:

I would rather be making-out than stretching. That and eating ice cream. I try and find a nice middle ground though, and I really don't feel bad about either of them.

What makes you tick as a runner and in the real world?:

I enjoy those moments of getting out the door and not having to think about anything other than my breathing and where my next foot-fall is going to be. There is something so spectacular about knowing you are going to be outside and not necessarily doing anything for an entire day, sometimes entire night as well. This feeling of anticipation for the next chance I can get out the door and onto the trail is what makes me tick in the real world.

What drives you to run?:

I enjoy the time to myself away from everything that might seem important. This allows me to re-evaluate and realize what actually is important.

What is your favorite movie?:

The Sound of Music (preferably the sing-along at the Castro Theater, it's a total movie experience).

Do you have any nicknames? Explain:

I have acquired a handful of nicknames over the years. Most of them make no sense but some of them hit me right on the nose: Procrastinate- I tend to leave things until the last minute. Natalio- what my Hispanic friends refer to me. OvenNator- I bake.

What's the longest you've gone without sleep? Why?:

Sleep is too important to me and I get cranky if I don’t get enough of it. I guess I just try and forget the times I don’t get sleep.

If you had to be named after one of the 50 states,
which would it be?:

Ohio. It just explains me. Ohio is where I grew up and where I acquired many of my mannerisms and personality traits. That and you have to represent your home state.

What did you have for lunch yesterday?:

Rancho Gordo Vallarta baked beans with bacon, slow cooked Happy Boy collard greens, Primavera corn tortillas, avocado, Sierra Navada Creamery chevre, Allagash Curieux barrel aged ale, and Christmas cookies.

If you could hook up a thought monitor to your head,
would you see pictures, hear words or would music be
playing?:

Music

What really scares you about trail running?:

Falling and knocking out my teeth.

If your life was made into a movie, what would it be called?:

Arduous but pretty damn good.

Where would you live if it could be anywhere in the world?:

Where I am now. Bay Area California.

What's your worst encounter on the trail?:

Weekend warrior mountain bikers on single track.