Brian profile

Runner's Profile: Annie Toth
By Joe Howell

Last month I gave Semana Nautica 15K men's winner Brian Kostock a simple introduction by stating "Brian Kostock is a stud." With equal confidence, I can introduce the subject of this month Runner's Profile (women's winner of the Semana Nautica 15K) in a similar fashion: Annie Toth is a stud (or should it be studette?)

If you have run in any one of Santa Barbara's recent running events, you no doubt have seen Annie as she proudly yet quietly receives her hardware. For details on her hardware count in recent events, simply go to edhat.com (see our Links page), click the SB Race Results button, type in "Annie Toth" as the runner's name and you will immediately see results from her last five races. (By the way, edhat.com is a very slick way to get a quick reference to historical race results for locals running in local races.)

In Annie's case, she won her age group in each of the five races listed and was the overall women's winner in the most recent three. With Annie and significant other/fellow runner Carl Legleiter (another scary fast young runner) hopefully to continue their stay in Santa Barbara for an extended period, you should have many more opportunities to see Annie run. (Just to surprise her, I suggest that you address her by one of the several nicknames listed.) [Editor's note: If you place no value on your life, that is.] Informed sources report that one of her next big events will be as the runner on a highly touted, yet to be announced co-ed relay team competing in the Santa Barbara Long Course Triathlon in late August. Stay tuned!

Name: Annie Toth
Age: 24
Nicknames: Annie (the name on my birth certificate is Ann Marie), Dude, Doodler, Dood-d-lion, Oni, Annie Banannie
Hometown: Tolland, Connecticut
Employment: I am a graduate student in the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department at UCSB.
Family: My parents, Greg and Rosemary Toth, live in Tolland, Connecticut. My mom is a talented musician who teaches piano, writes music, sings and plays guitar and saxophone. She's a tough woman and if she ever started running seriously, she'd beat me in any race! My dad is an excavating contractor and a mechanical genius. My older sister Amy is a graduate student at the University of Illinois. She's a lot like me (or should I say I'm a lot like her??) except I run and she hasn't tried yet. My fiance Carl Legleiter, also a graduate student at UCSB, is my best friend and is the world's greatest teammate - both in running and in life!

Other sports, hobbies, interests, etc.: I like to be outside, particularly when it's sunny. I enjoy hiking, backpacking, traveling to new places, playing with my digital camera and helping out Carl with his field work. I love animals, music (especially jazz and bluegrass), reading and people.
Favorite Food: Vanilla ice cream
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
My friends describe me as: Silly, innocent, kind, hard-working, accident-prone, lucky.
My trademark expression is: "It's at least five hours past my bedtime."
If money were not a consideration, I would love to: be a wildlife photographer.
In the next 5 years, I hope to: get my PhD, get married, travel to Alaska, run a PR in the marathon.
In the next 10 years, I hope to: have a challenging, interesting job, own a dog, have kids, continue running competitively.

Favorite Distance and PR (post collegiate): Probably the marathon (2:59:12 at the American Discovery Trails Marathon in Colorado Springs, Colorado).
Best Race and Why: 1999 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. My team (Hamilton College) placed 7th in the nation, better than ever in its history. I was an All-American, and our coach won Coach of the Year.
Worst Race and Why: 2000 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championships. I qualified in the 5K, and decided to compete instead of attending my sister's college graduation. I hurt my foot, and ended up coming in dead last.
Average Weekly Mileage (last 12 months): Anywhere from 0 (dang Achilles!) to 70 miles.

Favorite Local Race: Orchard to Ocean
Most Memorable Running Experience: Running through the cedar groves in Glacier National Park with Carl and his brother Kyle.
Ellwood Bluffs.
Glory Days PR: 37:03 in 10K; 17:34 in 5K.

Realistic Running Goals for this Year: Not get injured!!
Wildly Optimistic Running Goals for this year: Run the Long Beach Marathon in sub-2:50, run a 10K in sub-38.
Lifetime Running Goals: To still be running when I'm 85.

Local Running Heroes & Why: Mariann, Chrystee, Megan, Martha, Melissa, and Suzy because they train so hard and they still manage to have such full lives. John B. and Jim K. because they're just so into running.
Personal Training Tips: Train hard enough to get stronger, but not so hard that you get injured. It sounds so simple, but it's really not.
Why I Run: It feels so good!

I love runners who: Try it and stick with it.
I don't care for runners who: Pass you just because they can't stand being slower than a girl, and then stay exactly 20 meters ahead of you until you turn your separate ways (then, of course, they slow down).
Suggestions for local races: I'd like to have more opportunities to race on the track.
Suggestions for SBAA: Nothing. SBAA is great!

My views on: Stuffed animals. They have feelings.
Add anything: Yay SBAA!
Favorite Quote: "If the problem can be fixed, it's not worth worrying about. If the problem can't be fixed, then worrying won't help." â?" the Dalai Lama

SBAA Member since 2002