Marathon Maniacs News Letter – May / June 2006

 

May Highlights

·         A Maniac record 20 new members for the month of May (297 total members)

·         Marathon Junkie Chuck Engle wins the Avenue of the Giants, Lake Geneva and Delaware Marathons

·         Van "pigtails" Phan completes the most miles in the Watershed Preserve 12-hour Run and to top it off, wins the Blackfoot 100km in a course record time!

·         Congratulations to the newest 10 star Titanium Maniac, Robert "srlopez" Lopez

                                                         

Maniac Mel Preedy completes his 300th Marathon at Capital City, accompanied by "PigTails"

 

*****IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*****

If you find a discrepancy or are missing any information that should be in the scorecard (number of marathons/ultras, total count and states/countries/provinces run, please contact Chris, Steve or Marc (#7).  They will be more than happy to make the corrections.  Also, if it's your Maniac anniversary date, please help Main Maniac out by renewing your membership. Dues collected help pay for website fees and maintenance, cat food, purchasing of more singlets and other wear and…future surprises. Keep your Maniac Seniority Number!

                                                 

Special Thanks to the following Maniac volunteers

 

Asylum Updates/Initiator/Chief Gopher                 Race Discounts                Awards Task Force Leader                      Plaques

                                                                              

            Marc (#9) Frommer                             Robert "srlopez" (#111) Lopez           Lesa (#49 ) Overfield                   Gary (#145  ) Geuss

 

                                               The Marathon Maniacs…at the Races

 

May 6

Ogden Marathon: Bill Mandler, Tom Neuman, Blaine Phillips

Whiskey Row Marathon: Lois Berkowitz, Ruth Morrow, Cathy Troisi

Elk/Beaver Lake 100km: Al Harman

MiWok 100km: Cheri Gillis, Sean Meissner, Van "pigtails" Phan, Olga Varlamova

Strolling Jim 40-miler: Brenton Floyd

Toronto 100km: Laura Bleakley

 

May 7

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon: Marie Bartoletti, Jennifer Beck, Andrew Edwards, Brian "Action" Jackson, Mark Janosky, Robert "srlopez" Lopez, Jan Rego, Steve Rice, John Richeson, Ron Westbury

Fort Collins Old Town Marathon: Lauri "The Kid" Fauerbach Adams, Keith Panzer

Avenue of the Giants Marathon: Eric Jensen, Marathon Junkie, Cyndie Merten, Van "pigtails" Phan, Gregg Walchli

                                                                                 

Marathon Junkie running Avenue of the Giants

               

Vancouver International Marathon: Alicia Britt, Ruben Contreras, Philip DeYoung, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Sue Fauerbach, Monte Fus, Eric Gierke, Nathan Greene, Al Harman, Jon "Coconutboy" Mahoney, Mel Preedy, Michael Shiach, CJ "Hollywood" Warren, Cynthia "Draggon" Witman, Prez Steven Yee, Jen Yogi and newly inducted Maniacs David England, Robert Jacobsen, Karen Jones-Wiggins,

                 

    Hollywood, Jen Yogi and Ruben Contreras                             Eric Gierke                  The Prez and Al Harman (Al ran 100km the day before Vancouver)          

Lincoln Marathon: Barefoot Rick Roeber, Vincent Ferraro, Ron Knecht, Larry Macon, Don Pattison, Barefoot KenBob Saxton, Amy Yanni

Marathon De Mayo: Dave Bell, Eddie Hahn, Les Omura, Charles Sayles

Potomac River Run Marathon: Don "The Rev" Kienz, Amanda & Grace Preble

Walter Childs Run: Tom Detore

 

May 13

Ice Age 50 mile: Kurt Lauer

Brookings Marathon: Robert Britain, Tom Detore, Robert "srlopez" Lopez, Larry Macon, Dennis Spurlock

Courtesy of marathonguide.com. Adam Booth, of Wanblee SD, won the 2006 Brookings Marathon with a final time of 2:36:20. He was followed by Gregg Uecker, of Freeman SD, who placed second in 2:52:05. This year's Hogeye Marathon winner Terry Sentinella, of Anacortes WA, came in third in 2:57:51.

 

Journeys Marathon: Angela Ivory. Again from marathonguide.com. Rebecca Bartowitz, of Milw Wauwatosa WI, led the Women's field with her finish time of 3:24:39. 2005 Brookings Marathon winner Amy Yanni, of Rapid City SD, took second place in 3:26:52, while Pamela Parent-Baker, of Maple Grove MN, came in third in 3:40:22.

 

Lake Geneva Marathon: It was a great day for Maniacs…more marathonguide.com. Chuck Engle, newly relocated to Columbus OH, set his site on his first Wisconsin marathon and easily ran to victory in 2:42:11. For those still counting (and we've just about lost count-help!), this is Engle's 20th marathon for 2006 and his 11th victory this year... Fifty year-old Doug Sundling, took third place in 3:08:46.

 

McDonald Forest 50km: Christel Elliot, Sara Heskett, Robert Hester, Sean Meissner, Jeff Perry, Van "pigtails" Phan, Glenn Tachiyama, CJ "Hollywood" Warren. Race Report from Clay Hathorn

Short version of a long race: 5:40:something for a hilly 50k (actually 32.4 miles), that was good for a 40th-place finish. I don't want to know what kind of pace that is, but I feel satisfied about my effort. I felt strong the whole day, passed about six runners in the last four miles and was blasting downhill at the finish. As strong as I felt, I'm surprised there were that many people who finished ahead of me (the field was only 170). But I guess that's a welcome to Oregon trail ultras.

Longer: This is an amazing run--great great trails through old growth forests in some land owned by Oregon State University outside of Corvallis. Very well organized and attended. Nice crowd and challenging up and down terrain. Saw a bunch of folks I knew; met a bunch of others--good to see you finally Glenn T--and walked away from the experience on my two blistered, battered feet.

The day (Saturday) was spectacular, and the woods offered enough cover that it never seemed to get very warm. The trails started off with a nice climb and stayed interesting because it's almost never flat. At about 8 miles we veered into a single-track stretch that glided downhill through a nice stretch of woods. I flipped on my music and feeling great at this point--loose and fueled up, enjoying the sun through the trees and the tuneage in my ear. I hit the second aid station at 11.5 miles feeling pretty good. We passed some hikers, and the woman told her daughter, "Oh, there goes some more of the crazy people." This was followed by a 2.7-mile uphill. I was shuffling along so slow that I fell on the uphill.  I hooked up with Chris Warren at about mile 17, and the poor guy was feeling ragged after getting into Corvallis at 1 a.m. before the race and having run a good marathon the prior Sunday (nice week). We cruised along for a bit, both concerned that we were going too fast (sub-10:00, whoa!) given the distance still to cover.  But I moved ahead at the 21-mile aid station, which is kind of last chance Texaco before the course enters what's known as "the maze"--six miles of zig-zag, up-down, jump-river, cross-logs running with no aid available. I hooked up with a guy named Scott who works as a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard--man, there are some tough folks out here.

My friend Sara was running the race, too, her first ultra. I was a bit concerned 'cause it was kinda my idea, and this wasn't really the course one should try as their debut ultra--and she didn't have trail shoes. She had taken the early start, an hour earlier, and I caught up with her in the maze. Luckily, her cursing my name had long since passed and she was enjoying the scenery in this part of the course. Once one finishes the maze, it seems manageable. Only about 5 miles left, 3 of that (I had heard was downhill). Which meant a good 2 miles or more of uphill. I put it in low and churned on up. Then I flipped off the music and enjoyed the nice descent into the hoots and hollers of the finish line.  I know this sounds like the endorphins are talking, but this is easier on one's system than a 20-miler on the roads. I was able to run 2 miles yesterday and feel fine today.  Although the funny part was Saturday night Sara and I had tickets to the Portland Opera; we missed the first act, went out and had a humongous dinner with a couple of pints, got back for the second act. And lasted about 45 seconds until we were both sound asleep...

May 14                      

Central States Marathon: Terry Sentinella

TimTam 50km: Tom Detore, Lauri "The Kid" Fauerbach Adams

 

May 20

Fargo Marathon: Dave Bell, Lois Berkowitz, Tom Detore, Marathon Junkie, Lou Karl, Helmut Linzbichler, Edward McGowan, David Reid, Dennis Spurlock

Great Wall Marathon: Paula Boone, Steve Boone, Bruce Katter, Cathy West, Fiona Wright, Wayne Wright

Idaho Great Potato Marathon: Bill Mandler

Olathe Marathon: Barefoot Rick Roeber, Robert Bens

Palos Verdes Marathon: Diva Burns

Twisted Ankle Trail Marathon:Brenton Floyd

Watershed Preserve 12 hour Run: Ruth Balf, Barb Blumenthal, Jim Boyd, Tony (*tc) Covarrubias, Karen Jones-Wiggins, Genia "Tiptoes" Kacey, Kendall Kreft, Arthur Martineau, Stacy "PoSSum" Otter, Van "Pigtails" Phan, Diana "sLuG" Robinson

 

May 21

Cleveland Marathon: Angela Ivory, Mark Janosky, Don "The Rev" Kienz, Michael Shilling

Colorado Colfax Marathon: Todd King, Keith Panzer, Charles Sayles, Mike Swanson

Green Bay Marathon: Barefoot KenBob Saxton, Lisa Spence

Peach City Marathon: Jon "Coconutboy" Mahoney, Tim Pate

Delaware Marathon: Jack Heely, Andrew Moore. Chuck Engle (Marathon Junkie) banged out his 21st marathon of 2006 and landed, once again, at the front of the crowd with his 12th victory for the year. Following a move to Columbus OH, Engle made a late decision to choose the Delaware Marathon and ran the race wearing a less-than-elite number 610 on his chest. Despite the high number, Engle led from the start and easily beat his competition by winning in 2:34:22. Marco Capelli, 33 of Collegeville PA, who ran a 2:46 at Boston the month before, finished in second place in 2:51:22. James Nolan, also of Collegeville PA, finished in third place in 2:54:47, his third top-ten finish in this race that has been held now for three years.

                     

          Don Pattison, "srlopez" and the "Hippo"                    Christel Elliot                       Maniacs at the Capital City Marathon finish

 

Capital City Marathon: Bill Barmore, Eric Barnes, Jim Boyd, Janet Burgess, May Cheng, Amanda Cohn, Ruben Contreras, Patch Dahl, Carol Dellinger, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Michael Dutton, Christel Elliot, Earl Fenstermacher, Judy Fisher, Monte Fus, Robert Hester, Barefoot Jon, Robert "srlopez" Lopez, Jim Morton, Pete "Hippo" Nicholson, Gary Otheim, Lesa Overfield,  Don Pattison, Van "pigtails" Phan, Mel Preedy, Maniac #3 tp!, Maniac #200, Terry Sentinella, Gary Sparr, Gregg Walchli, CJ "Hollywood" Warren, Prez Steven Yee, Guy Yogi, Gayle Zorrilla and newly inducted Maniacs Leslie Miller, Eric Greiner, David Murray, Brian Pendleton, Marilou Russell, David Stout, Vickie Schwent, Joseph Tompkins

               

                Maniac #200                  Lesa Overfield and Gayle Zorrilla     Bill Barmore, Guy Yogi, May Cheng   Serenading "Put your head on my shoulder" 

 

May 25

Inca Trail Marathon: Ruth Morrow

 

May 27     

Bayshore Marathon: Mark Janosky, Barefoot KenBob Saxton

Blackfoot 100km: Van "pigtails" Phan

http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/Articles/Blackfoot100KbyPigtails.htm

 Can anyone stop this runaway freight train known as "Pigtails"??

 

May 28

Buffalo Marathon: Marie Bartoletti, Laura Bleakley, Philip DeYoung
Mad City Marathon: Tom Detore, Deo Jaravata, Barefoot KenBob Saxton

Coeur D'Alene Marathon: Dave Conger, Tim Bruce, Rob Cowan, Stephanie Day, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Eric Greiner, David Jones, Marathon Junkie, Tim Pate, Don Pattison, Mel Preedy, Bruce Quam, Dennis Spurlock, Lisa Stranc Bliss, Maniac #3 tp!, Michael Wakabayshi, CJ "Hollywood" Warren, Rob Willis, Gayle Zorrilla

                                     

      Mel's 301st Marathon                        Lisa Stranc-Bliss and Gunhild Swanson                                         Bob Dolphin

 

Wyoming Marathon: Dave Bell, Ron Knecht, Keith Panzer

Forest Park 50km: Cheri Gillis, Karen Jones-Wiggins, Jeff Perry

Med City Marathon: Bekkie Wright, Amy Yanni

http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/Articles/MedCitybyBekkieWright.htm

 

Vermont City Marathon:

                         

          Maniac #7 says "Welcome to Vermont"                                         Robert (257) Britain                Debbra Jacobs-Robinson, Dave and future Maniacs

 

Mother Nature played a cruel joke on runners at the Vermont City Marathon, though I was to find out not as bad as what happened in the Midwest with the Med and Mad City Marathons. While comfortable temps were fine and dandy for the spectators, the near 80 degrees at the finish left a record number of runners scurrying for the medical tent.  The course ran through a combination residential and trails along scenic Lake Champlain. Word has it that a plesiosaur named Champ is lives in the vast lake though no credible sightings were witnessed.  A few rolling hills dot the course, with the challenging one located at mile 15.  What's great about getting out of the Pacific Northwest to run is meeting new Maniacs (Robert Britain and Michael Szklarz) and seeing the ones you know but very infrequently (Roger Biggs, Ron Bucy, Brenton Floyd and Debbra Jacobs-Robinson).  Northwesterners Steve Supkoff and Robert "srlopez" Lopez were there at the finish line with me, all of us enjoying Dunking Donut holes and multiple flavors of Vermont's favorite ice cream, courtesy of Ben and Jerry's.  Maniac Dale Shoup had signed up for the race but injuries forced him to not start; instead he lent a hand volunteering and with the heat, he may have been the smartest one. Ron Westbury was also present but no sighting.  Sue Fauerbach and the Prez enjoyed the scenic beauty of Vermont, touring the Ethan Allen Homestead, covered bridges, the Ben and Jerry Ice Cream Factory, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, the mountain resort of Stowe and the picturesque dome of the state capitol at Montpelier.

                    

Roger Biggs / Brenton Floyd            Ron Bucy                          Triple Steve's (Supkoff, StevieRay and Yee)        Mike Szklarz - running for his Mom               

 

 

The Marathon Maniacs…Family Ties

                  

 Ruben (60) and daughter Melissa    Sean (91) Meissner pacing sister April          Barb ( #8) Bumann and husband Dave            Dale (68) Shoup and wife Cher                                          

 

Noteworthy Accomplishments / Promotions / Omissions / Maniac Stuff:

 

Ø       Titanium Maniac: Robert "srlopez" Lopez for running 52 marathons in one year.

Ø       Iridium Maniac: Christel Elliot for running 20 marathons in 12 months

Ø       300 Marathon Mark: Mel Preedy (Capital City Marathon)

Ø       50 Marathon Mark: Jen Yogi and Vincent Ferraro. And a belated congratulations to Olga Varlamova for her 50th marathon/ultra completion at the Chuckanut 50 km.

Ø       Thanks again to John Elliot for his valuable time and effort for linking marathonmaniacs.com with marathonguide.com, and establishing the race spreadsheet and bulletin board options.

           

More Family Ties

                                            

           Michael (114) Dutton and his kids                       Eddie (184) Hahn and family    Amanda (239) Cohn and husband Kaji      "Draggon" (221) Whitman

 

New Members for the Month of May

5/01 - Dean Hutchinson #278 (Long Beach, New York): Dean has qualified for Bronze level in the Insane Asylum by recently completing the Charlottesville and New Jersey Marathons within weeks of each other. He has 10 lifetime marathons and 1 ultra to his credit.

 
5/02 - Shawn Lawson #279 (Renton, Washington): Local runner Shawn enjoys the ultra scene as much as running road marathons.  Her Gold level status (best streak of 4 in 6 weeks) include three 50Km races (Orcas Island, Lord Hill and Chuckanut Mountain) and to top it off, the March Madness 100km.  She has 14 lifetime ultras and marathons attached to her resume.

5/02 - Aaron Patel #280 (Forth Worth, Texas): Aaron has only been running marathons since 2005 and is well on his way towards piling up the numbers, as he has already run in 6 in 2006, and that includes an Ironman finish (Arizona). By finishing 4 marathons in 6 months, Aaron is initiated as a Silver Maniac.
 
5/12 - David England #281 (Richmond, British Columbia, Canada): Residing in the beautiful Canadian province of British Columbia, David knows to pick them. Out of his 9 total marathons, 3 of them were at Honolulu.  Recently completing 2 marathons in 3 weeks (Wenatchee and Vancouver) cements David's spot in the Insane Asylum.

 

5/14 - Robert Jacobsen #282 (Mt. Vernon, Washington): Robert first started running marathons in 2004 (Portland) and recently set a personal best at the Wenatchee Marathon.  His 4 marathons/ultras in 4 months (Birch Bay, Chuckanut 50km, Wenatchee and Vancouver) qualifies him for Bronze status. And he's "itching" to start running a marathon a month.

 5/14 - Janis Posey #283 (Birmingham, Alabama): Janis knows that she is a certifiable Maniac. Not only is she a mental health professional, she has her own jock strap (her husband David, is her "athletic supporter" at all of her races). When she ran the Rocket City Marathon 10 years ago, she thought it was going to be her only marathon. So after completing 32 marathons and 8 ultras in 15 states, her friends have nicknamed her the "Medal Slut" and her non-running friends don't even ask her about her running anymore.  Janis provides ahelpful hint…a curtain rod displays those finishers medals very nicely!

 

5/17 - Paul Wai #284 (Hartford, Connecticut): A recent transplant to Hartford via Columbus, Ohio, Paul started running marathons in 2004 and has increased his marathon output with each successive year.  He recently completed the Ocean City, Long Island and Forest City Marathons to qualify for Bronze Maniac induction.

5/21 - Marilou Russell #285 (Olympia, Washington): Though only completing 3 marathons in her lifetime, Marilou qualifies for Bronze level by running Vancouver and Capital City 2 weeks apart. And with each marathon, her times are getting faster.  She informs us that she can't wait to represent the Maniacs by wearing the cool Yellow!

 

5/22 - Brian Pendleton #286 (Auburn, Washington): Brian's initiation to Bronze level insanity includes the recent completion of the Napa Valley, Mt. Si 50km ultra and the Capital City Marathons.  He has a lifetime total of 10 marathons and 1 ultra in 4 states.

5/22 - David Murray #287 (Maple Valley, Washington): Another Maple Valley runner who was present at Capital City to help celebrate Mel's 300th Marathon, David received the required initiation info from Maniac #222 Kent Sizer. His bronze status includes running Yakima, Wenatchee and the Capital City Marathons, with his lifetime totals of 12 marathons and 1 ultra. 

 

5/22 - Michael Swanson #288 (Plymouth, Minnesota): The Main Maniacs met Michael at the Boston Marathon expo and after much peer pressure persuaded him to join our wacky group of runners. He ran in 15 different states in 2005 and has completed 67 marathons in 45 states. His best streak is 4 marathons in 4 consecutive weekends but his best comment about the Maniacs…he knows Maniac #120 Larry Macon!

5/22 - Phil Kriss #289 (Maple Valley, Washington): Here's the scoop on Phil: he recently ran the Yakima, Wenatchee and the Capital City Marathons to qualify for Bronze induction, even though he's not that fond of marathoning. Joining was a surprise gift from his Maple Valley running gang, who's putting the "pressure" on him to qualify for the Boston Marathon as their entire clan expect to be there next year.  Well, at least he's qualified for the Insane Asylum, and when we start to run many more marathons, we all get faster, right?

 

5/22 - David Stout #290 (Renton, Washington): After recently completing the Capital City Marathon, David has run 3 marathons in the last 77 days (Napa and Big Sur were the others), qualifying him for Bronze status.  He has 13 lifetime marathons to his credit. Some of David's other Maniacal accomplishments include

missing only 4 days from May 1997 - 2005 of running at least 5 miles outside (longest streak was 1,100 days) and actually running 7 miles in an ice storm (30 degrees below zero with 25 mile per hour winds).

 
5/22 - Vicki Schwent #291 (Renton, Washington): Basically everything you read about Maniac #290's Marathon Maniac initiation pertains to Vicki as together they are an item. Vicki has run in 7 lifetime marathons, encompassing 5 states.

 

5/23 - Joseph Tompkins #292 (Mt. Vernon, Washington): Another Maniac inductee via the Capital City Marathon, Joseph has caught the marathon bug. With recent finishes at Whidbey Island and Vancouver with Capital City, Joseph is a Bronze Maniac. He plans to stay active in marathoning, especially since he's hanging around Maniac #112 Terry Sentinella, with a goal of cracking the elusive sub-three barrier this year.

 

5/23 - Melissa Heaton #293 (Highland Heights, Kentucky): Melissa has been quietly planning her marathon schedule during the past year, and combining it with 4 marathons this year has a streak of 9 marathons in 12 months (Silver level). With a total of 16 lifetime marathons, Melissa last two marathons (St. Louis and Frenck Lick) were run in a span of two weeks apart. Will she try for a week apart, or even back to back soon? Stay tuned.

 
5/24 - Leslie Miller #294 (Bellevue, Washington): Its great to see current Maniacs spreading the "marathon disease" to new Maniacs. Leslie is a member of the Eastside Runners Club and a friend of Maniac #167 May Cheng.  So having recently finishing the Flying Pig and Capital City marathons, Leslie is a certifiable Bronze Maniac.  She has run 12 marathons so far and her goal is to complete 30 marathons by the age of 30. The Maniac Mantra is…YOU CAN DO IT!

 
5/25 - Darwin "runninguy" Weimer #295 (Emerald Park, Saskatchewan, Canada): Our second maniac from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Darwin ran in 12 marathons in 2005. Darwin, whom requested the nickname "runningguy", started his marathon career in 2001. With 35 lifetime marathons in 14 states, 6 Canadian provinces, his entry into Maniacdom is 4-star Iridium (6 states and 2 provinces in one year).   

 
5/29 - Karen Jones-Wiggins #296 (Bremerton, Wa): At some of the her races, Karen kept seeing runners wearing yellow singlets. She thought she was alone   in her pursuit of insanity. Was she ever wrong! She figured she needed to be one of us.  She recently completed 4 races in the past 6 weeks (Boston, Vancouver, Watershed Preserve and the Forest Ridge Ultra to secure her entry into the Insane Asylum.  She says if she joins now, she'll get free entry into the Lake Youngs Ultra. So there are benefits to becoming a Maniac!


5/30 - Eric Greiner #297 (Steilacoom, Washington): Completing the Capital City and Coeur D'Alene Marathons (2 in 2 weeks) qualifies Eric as a Bronze member into the Insane Asylum. He especially thanks Maniac #208   for running with him at CDA. Eric has run in 5 states and Italy , with a lifetime total of 10 marathons.

 
Rhetorical Revelations and W(Rites)…from the Rambunctious Rev

May, 2006

Hiya Stevie el Presidente par Excellente!

 

                Actually, that sounds way too energetic for how I’m feeling right now, ol’ buddy.

 

See Stevie, you and so many of our yellow-and-black-singleted friends have made Unbelievable into Routine!  Normal, almost.  Why, I’ll bet there are enough of you to, to, why, to form a club of “Marathon Cuckoo Lulues”, or something like that…. {...oh…oh yeah…never mind…}.  You run more marathons, and more marathons, and more marathons...  it all does seem quite normal in your lives.

 

I was sort of kind of trying to keep up, sorta kinda.  But Man, Stevie, I’m exhausted.  Did five marathons in these last five months.  Pretty good, huh?  Shoot, by the performances on the website, I’m a slacker.  Just between you and me?  I be a pooped slacker too!  Sometimes I’ll eeeeeeeeeeeven be typing and find that I losssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst my train of thought there for a minute spinach in the other sneaker. 

 

                Might be a good time for a little introduction to any of our new friends that YOU ARE NOT ALONE if you shake your head and wonder what you’ve gotten into when you read about, say, sweet Pigtails there, running a crazy 71 miles in 12 hours. (Note to Editor: that is not a misprint.)  Yes, 71 miles is more likely to be run in 12 days, but this treat of a person followed that course-record-setting adventure with a peppy little marathon the next day.  Ouch. 

 

                When you ran your first marathon, didn’t you say something like, “HEY WORLD!!  I did something pretty cool: I just ran a marathon!  A marathon!  Whohoo!”  Well, you should have.  That was genuinely, definitely, quite an accomplishment! 

 

                Then, maybe ten months later, you ran a second marathon!  In the same year, two marathons run by you (!), forcryingoutloud.  And then you must have done something maniacal: like, the very next weekend, not next year, running another marathon.  Two in 8 days?  What were you thinking? Or three in three months!  What, you don’t value your knees, hmmmm?

 

                Then these guys in the Great Northwest said, “Hey, Welcome!  You’re a Maniac.”  They were right.  You were.  You are. 

 

                Careful now…what you’ve already done is way cool, but you may be many, many Maniac-level Stars removed from the coveted Uriptenium (actually not sure if that’s a maniac level or what my calf tells me I’m about to do to it).  You might accomplish the unbelievable too!  Or, maybe not!  But you might go a little Nutso Kookoo LuLu finding out.  (Now how would I know that?)  It may actually be DIFFICULT (who’d have thought?) to even get close to TOUCHING the accomplishments of the officers, the Holcombs, assorted Animals and a score of others whose performances can make your own Incredible Dedication look like you’re a mere dabbler, I tell you. 

                But see?  Some of these folks are incredible.  They might run with a fever, some plain-tar footitis, a jigger of ibuprofen on the rocks, and all after a short overnight car ride between marathons.  For them, such behavior is …um… Fun! They (and even some of the nice, sane people I’ve seen them hanging with) reach the inexplicable.  We salute how bedazzling their accomplishments… no, sigh, their routines are.  Some of doze guyz are just better’n some of us other guyz.

 

                So, a memo to newcomers and any Mini-Maniacs like me.  You tired yet?  You aren’t alone.  I am sore in muscles I only recently just met, my maculum ventrical triscopops (or whatever) need a massage badly, and I’m creaking in joints I didn’t know needed oil.  I’ve barely walked upright at some expos, the bibs are getting heavier, and I’m buying new rubs I never used to shop for.  Didn’t know they existed.  Didn’t know they needed to.  I do now.

 

                But hey, we’re Marathon Maniacs in Good Standing even if:

1) You wake up each day and think, “man, I could use another two hours sleep.” 

2) And you think, “man, _____  and ______ are really sore this morning.” 

3) And, though you are otherwise well-balanced, your first couple of steps each morning look like you jusssst might topple over from the breeze when you open the sock drawer, AND YET

4) You know exactly when your next marathon is. 

 

                Thanks to the Marathon-and-WAY-Beyonders for making us all feel special, and really, really cool, whenever we run even one of these blasted 26-point- painful-2’s.  Because, as your bones and muscles eventually come around to admitting, to run a marathon really is cool.

 

Love ya,

Rev

 

Injured Shelleena (161) says "I still bleed Maniac Yellow! 

"I'll trade you my Cherry Garcia for your Turtle Soup" 

                      

Maniac Ongoing Discounts


· $5 off marathons put on by Bob Green (his next one is the Gateway to the Pacific Marathon).
· 10% off any running shoes, apparel at the Bellevue, Wa Foot Zone store (ask for Jenny)
· discount on BITE sandals (contact Tony at tony@marathonmaniacs.com for details)
                       

More to come in the June / July 2006 Newsletter and to the web site soon.

The President has written…