Marathon Maniacs News Letter – August / September 2007

August Highlights

·         9 new members for the month of August (634 total members)

·         Cliff Richards and the Annie(mal) win the Inaugural Cedar River Marathon

·         Sherry "MMM" Mahoney wins the Loop the Lake Marathon

·         Nicole Mills wins the Fallburg Marathon

·         Meghan Arbogast wins Where's Waldo 100km…outright!

·         Amy Yanni wins the Run with the Horses Marathon

·         Terry Sentinella double dips…wins the Rattlesnale Lake and Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathons.

           

The leaders in the Cedar River Marathon: Kent Sizer and "Quack Quack" Richards        "Annie-mal", "MarathonDiet" and Terry S

 

 

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

The new and improved Maniac database is up and running. Muchos gracias to Brian Pendleton for creating and administering the database and Marc Frommer for answering members e-mails and troubleshooting. Since we weren't able to migrate passwords from the previous server, your password is the same as your user name, until you change it. And please offer suggestions on how the Insane Asylum and bulletin board can be improved. If you continue to have problems logging on to the database, please contact Marc (marc@marathonmaniacs.com).

 

                                                                        CEDAR RIVER MARATHON MANIACS 

               

      Steve Ellis                  Volunteers Bill Barmore, Patch Dahl, Lesa Overfield and Hollywood    Bonni Brooks and "Road Kill"

                                                               

                             The Marathon Maniacs…At the Races

August 5

Cedar River Marathon: Steve Barrick, Linda Barton, Valerie Beyer, Jim Boyd, Bonni Brooks, Adrian Call, May Cheng, Ruben Contreras, Tony (*tc) Covarrubias, Steve Duncan, Christel Elliot, Steve Ellis, Sue Fauerbach, Rick "Road Kill" Haase, Mary "mph" Hanna, Rob "Rattler" Hester, Kurt Lauer, Little Leslie, Jess Mullen, David "ricochet" Murray, Gary Otheim, Monte Pascual, Van "pigtails" Phan, Cheri Pompeo, Jeannette Quintana, Cliff "quack quack" Richards, Terry Sentinella, Ray "McGyver" Shaw, Kent Sizer, David"Marathon Diet" Spooner, Steve Supkoff, aNnIe Thiessen, Guy Yogi

 

      

   "Hotrod", Linda Barton and Jess Mullen                        Tom Stoltz                                                Adrian Call          Jeanette Quintana

 

Bartlett Park Ultras: David Livingston, Phil Min, Ken Saveth

 

August 11

Crater Lake Marathon: Linda Barton, Russ Johnson, Mary Latta, srlopez, Cyndie Merten, Little Leslie, Steve "Marathonfreak" Walters, Christopher "Hollywood" Warren, Cynthia "Draggon" Witman

Loop the Lake: Jon "Coconutboy" Mahoney, Darwin "runninguy" Weimer. The press release from marathonguide.com. In the women's field, Sherry Mahoney of Vernon, the first female of the 2007 Diamond Valley Lake Marathon, won in 3:48:33. Inger Jensen of Lake Louise finished second in 3:57:32. Mary-Joy Croll of Vernon was third in 3:57:57.

 

     

     Bartlett Ultramaniacs Phil Min, Ken Saveth, David Livingston                                            Maniacs at the start of the Crater Lake Marathon

 

August 12

Haulin Aspen 26.2: Bill "Hotrod" Barmore, Linda Barton, Christel Elliot, Rick "Road Kill" Haase, Bret Fat-Boyee Henry, Jane "camelback" Herzog, James Klarich, Roman Kucala, srlopez, Little Leslie, Jess Mullen, Brian Pendleton, Jeff Perry, Van "pigtails" Phan, Marilou Russell, Karl Rysted, Ray "McGyver" Shaw, Michael Shiach, David Stout, Ed Walsh, Steve "Marathon Freak" Walters, Christopher "Hollywood" Warren, Marv "The Commish" Winters. From marathonguide.com. Paul Saladino, 30 of Bend OR, won the 2007 Haulin' Aspen Trail Marathon setting a new course record in 3:05:11. Sean Meissner, 34 of Sisters OR, who was third at the 2007 Yakima River Canyon Marathon, finished second in 3:11:54. Todd Ragsdale, 38 of Talent OR, the winner of the 2006 Crater Lake Marathon, was third in 3:15:44.

 

Edmonton Centennial Marathon: Sue Fauerbach, Danny Lyon, Dr. Ashis Roy, Martha Corazzini, Richard Stewart, Prez Steven Yee. The race, according to newly inducted Maniac Lorne Sundby. I ran the Edmonton Marathon on Sunday, in 3:48. It was a fine day for running; actually, one of those very unique days featuring cool and overcast and a light breeze that just makes a long run a pleasure. My goals in this race were very modest because I haven't actually done any marathon training in 10 months. In fact, it's been all-tri all-the-time since about Christmas, and no runs longer than maybe 18k since February. Hardly a marathon base.  Let me try to explain what I'm up to - it does make sense for anyone who has met me even once. I'm a little "intense" when it comes to goal races. Sort of like Iraq is a little "unsafe" if you know what I mean.

My primal focus on a single goal race a year is unnerving to some folks, as they edge away from me, keeping their backs to the wall and watching out for quick movements on my part. Yes, I tend to get rather wound for one day a year, and the 10 months leading up to it to boot (imagine what it's like being married to me - my wife should get a medal). But even I get tired of that intensity, and from time to time, I find I forget why I do this (run, swim, bike, whatever) and I get too wrapped up in the goal and find myself not appreciating the fun of running and the sheer pleasure of racing - as well as the utterly infectious excitement that
comes from a marathon. So I've deliberately strung together a few events that have no goals and no performance pressure of any kind, trying to recapture that fun and make up for the grimness of, for example, that Half Iron barf-o-fest I (successfully, I remind you) did a few weeks back.
         

       Martha Corazzini                           Maniacal bunch at the Edmonton finish                             Dr. Ashis Roy                 Richard Stewart


So with no mileage and in fact no real performance-running base of any kind (think my running journal has 100 consecutive easy runs), and a single long run in 10 months, I toed the start line in Edmonton. This is a race, by the way, that was in serious trouble only a couple of years ago. The original marathon committee won the 2001 World Championships marathon and used IAAF cash and logistics to put on some great practice races in 2000 and 2001 (my first two 'thons) that
included finishes in the 60,000 seat Commonwealth Stadium. But after the cash and the excitement dried up, there was no one left to manage a race and no resource to do it. ING stepped in as title sponsor two years ago, as they have in other cities, and slowly the momentum has built - there are now just over 2000 participants in the run/walk events and a few hundred more kids doing events. The course is really good (probably too hilly to be a serious BQ contender) , the volunteer support is actually remarkable (considering this is a city with an under-employment situation where you can't even PAY people to do things
much less get their time for free), and now the numbers are creeping up. They might be able to sustain this after all.

Anyways, back to the race. It was a pleasure to run into Maniac #1 Steve and his companion Sue at package pickup the day before, and the start line, and during the race. I think Steve had a tough time calculating the conversion of miles to km and such, and as a result he thrashed his heavily-sandbagged 3:30 "I'm not running well" prediction by a healthy margin. Sue broke 5 by a mile and seemed quite satisfied with the results. I regret that I had to give my visiting friends
advice on where to go as tourists, which included "the mall". It pains me to say that, but the big mall is in fact where some people go when they visit Edmonton. I understand they took in other sights too, and enjoyed their visit and their race. Edmonton is a nice, green, safe city - come visit sometime and check with Steve and Sue for their recommendations.

My race was a study in restraint. I went out conservatively to see what the body was feeling. I felt like crap for the first 15k, legs tight, everything sore, and everything off kilter. But perhaps due to age, infirmity, or the after effects of the half iron, I started to feel good only at 15k. Real good. I hit my half split at 1:55 and then from 15 to 35k I had some of my best running - good, consistent, even leg turnover, good breathing, steady comfortable zoned-in running. It was
terrific - this was some of my best, sustained, and managed (not fastest, mind you) running in a couple of years. But around 36k,as it always does, my body suggested the race should be over now so the last 6k were really uncomfortable and I had that wacky tingling in the fingers you get when your brain is trying to tell you something that you won't listen to.

So I finished in 3:48 which is, um, 33 minutes slower than my PR and 21 minutes slower than the last marathon I trained for in October 06, so why am I happy? 1. I had fun, a lot of it 2. I did pretty good given what I went in with 3. I had a negative split for the first and only race of my 13 marathons (holy shit!) and 4. I discovered that dedicated half iron training gets me to a 3:48 marathon. I have another marathon scheduled for Sunday which makes back to back weekends which means some kind of Maniac qualification and rating - the pewter level or something, I don't exactly remember, but it seems important. Being with Maniacs at a marathon start line is an interesting experience - it has become a world-wide community of practice, and everyone treats you (Steve, or Marc, actually, as the case may be) like you were long lost friends.  Interested. I'm sure if the Main Maniacs had their picture taken with the Pope, and you showed it around at a marathon start line, the first words to be spoken would be "Who's that guy in the funny hat with Steve, Chris and tp?"

 It was a good race. Kinda fun not checking the watch every 9 seconds to see if I'm on pace.

August 18

Fallburg Marathon: From marathonguide.com. Nicole Mills, 32 of Chicago IL, who was third at the 2007 Trailbreaker Marathon and the winner of the 2006 Katrina Marathon, was the first female finisher in 3:52:35. Martha Irwin, 48 of Grand Rapids MI, finished second in 4:25:15. Nancy Henriksson, 49 of Middleville MI, was third in 4:36:12.

Grizzly Marathon: Lorie Alexander, Barry Hopkins, Little Leslie, Valentine-John "Phinish da Run"Ridao, Gregory Taylor, Hollywood Warren, Fiona Wright

 

August 19

Humpy's Classic Marathon: Dave Bell, BK Gilbertson, Mike Herrin, Angela Ivory, Lorne Sundby, Dianna Sulser. The Humpy's Marathon, as told by everyone's favorite Maniac volunteer, Marc Frommer. Brief: 3:40:35, 1st AG, 61st Marathon, 13th state, no moose sightings

 After last year's trip to Grizzly, Lorne and I decided to run another destination marathon this summer. This year we chose Humpys in Anchorage. What a good decision. I'd highly recommend the race to everyone. The marathon is small (there were 190 finishes) but very well organized. The course consists of a few out and backs. You start in downtown Anchorage and then head downhill to a bike path (Tony Knowles Coastal Trail). After about 2 miles you stay right at a junction and run around 7 miles out and back.  This trail has some rolling hills with a couple of decent ones but nothing horrendous. You are running along Cooks Inlet and this was supposed to be prime moose viewing area but, unfortunately, all we saw were a couple of squirrels. Around the mile 16 mark, you turn into a park and run a 4 mile out and back. Again, rolling hills to flat. Finally, you get back on the starting trail and go up to the downtown streets to the finish. If you are into cheering crowds, this isn't the race since besides the volunteers and walkers/bikers out for their own exercise, you don't see too many folks.  But that isn't very important for me and the volunteers were wonderful, friendly, and enthusiastic.

                                                                                                GRIZZLY MARATHONERS


                                  

                   Lou Karl                               Valentine-John Ridao                            Gregory Taylor                           Barry Hopkins and Lorie Alexander            


Our plan was to run around 8:30 miles and shoot for a 3:45 time. This ended up being my most evenly paced marathon I think I have run (you can see the 5 mile splits below). There was no halfway marker but we passed mile 13 in around 1:50 so I figure we ran the first half in just under 1:51 and the second half a little under 1:50 -- my second negative split marathon in a row (I did that at Seafair). It was also Lorne's second one in a row since he ran Edmonton last week in negative splits. You definitely feel much better over the last 10K by doing this. As you can see from my splits, the fastest one was between mile 20-25. Lorne and I stuck together the whole way until around the mile 20 aid station. I usually got a bit ahead of Lorne since he hasn't mastered the complicated skill of drinking and running but he always caught up pretty quickly. However, after a while there was no Lorne. He finally blew right by me telling me he had to stop and stretch at the station since he was beginning to cramp. He was going to push the race the rest of the way and lengthen his stride to try to hold the cramps off. So I had to run the next few miles by myself but tried to keep him in sight.


We both passed a bunch of folks over the last 10K and didn't get passed by anyone. Finally I saw I was making up some ground on Lorne and on the steep hill coming off the trail, I spotted him walking. When I caught up to him, he sucked it up and we pushed together to the finish to get the same time (as Lorne already mentioned, no hand holding but the same clock time). The race was chip timed but I think they didn't turn the mats on at the start so it really is a gun time. My watch (and splits) are about 4 seconds faster than my official time since it did take us a few seconds to cross the start.

My slowest mile was mile 8 (9:00) when we took a porta-bush stop while my fastest was mile 10 (8:06). At the finish, I was announced as second in my AG but the guy who was announced as first told the director that he was actually 48 (they must have made some sort of data entry error). So, I ended up with first in my new AG (I would have been 2nd in the 50-54 AG). While waiting around for the awards, I saw a few Maniacs and two folks from Portland who recognized me. One remembered me from the Sauvie Island fiasco so we bitched about it for a while. The other bought shoes from me at Fit Right around the end of June (he loved the shoes :-).

Before and after the race, we tooled around Alaska looking a glaciers, wildlife, gorges, waterfalls, etc, and ate real well (I think I gained about 5 lbs on the trip). Yesterday while driving around north of Anchorage, we spotted a couple of bear cubs crossing the road so I quickly got out of the car with my camera but didn't get a good picture as they scrambled up the side of the hill. When I got back to the car, Lorne said he thought of one word when I was got out -- "bait" since the momma was probably hanging around. All in all, a great trip and race. Lorne is a blast to travel with and we will probably go to another race next year. If I keep adding one new state every year, I'll make all 50 before I turn 100 :-).

Rattlesnake Lake Marathon: Steve Barrick, May Cheng, Steve Duncan, Sue Fauerbach, Eric Gierke, Jane "camelback" Herzog, Monte Pascual, Brian Pendleton, Van "pigtails" Phan, Terry Sentinella, Ray "McGyver" Shaw, David "MarathonDiet" Spooner, aNnIe Thiessen, Maniac #3tp!, Gregg Walchli, Prez Steven Yee

            

   Winner Terry Sentinella                               The starters of the Rattlesnake Lake Marathon                                                          Steve Barrick

 

Leading Ladies Marathon: Sheila Lawless-Burke, Sheri Nemeth. The race summary, coutesy of marathonguide.com. Jennifer Valentine, 25 of Broomfield CO, won the Leading Ladies' Marathon in 3:08:41. Amy Yanni, 53 of Rapid City SD, who won the 2007 Swan Lake Marathon and 2007 Desert Classic Marathon, finished second in 3:24:23. Amanda Johnson, 30 of Rapid City SD, who was fourth in 2006, finished third in 3:31:27.

Pikes Peak Marathon: Jim Collins, Chester Kalb "Southernmost Walker" , Thomas "T.O." Okazaki, Gay Renouf, Johnny Spriggs. The Pikes Peak Marathon, as run by Jim Baudhuin, whom by the way completed the grueling event with a severely injured toe…now that's Maniacal!!

Billed by its race committee as “America’s Ultimate Challenge”, the Pikes Peak Marathon celebrated its 50th anniversary in August of 2005.  The 2007 edition was the 52nd and apparently warmest of the lot, with temperatures reaching the low 90’s at the finish line. The course begins and ends in Manitou Springs, Colorado, a small, quaint touristy town of about 5,000 just a few miles west of Colorado Springs.  For anyone who has ever either driven to the top of Pikes Peak or taken the Cog Railway up to the top, both of these start in Manitou Springs. The race begins at 6,300 feet on the main street in Manitou Springs, in front of City Hall.  After a few blocks up (remember that word, “up”, because it is very important in this race) the main street, the road turns left and heads into serious climb mode.  You “run” past the Cog Railway station and start onto the Barr Trail, which was carved all the way up the mountain in the early 1900’s.  When I first “ran” this event in 2005, I remember trying to figure out who was crazier – the folks who dug a 13 mile long trail up a mountain by hand in the early 1900’s or the equally crazy folks who decided to race up it in the 1950’s.

 

Anyway, the runners hit the trail around 1.5 miles into the race.  The Barr Trail is, in most areas, only wide enough for one runner.  In many stretches, it is either sand or gravel, with innumerable switchbacks.  The first 3 miles on the Trail are very steep, with an elevation gain of about 2,100 feet.  This first section of the trail puts the runners a little over 4 miles into the course.  The second main section of the Trail runs from No Name Creek  (4.3 miles into the race) up to Barr Camp (7.6 miles in) and it is the “flattest” section of the course, with a total elevation change over the 3.3 miles of only 1,400 feet.  The race committee is kind enough to put a small map with this elevation information on the back of the race number and I remember thinking on the way up that there are very few marathons who could ever get away with putting a 400 foot elevation increase in any one mile of the race, much less having that be the flattest and fastest section of their course. After Barr Camp, the mountain gets serious.  The last 5.6 miles up contain just under 4,000 feet of elevation gain, including over 2,100 in the last 3 miles.  Ouch!

 

Once the runners get above around 12,000 feet, which hits with about 3 miles left in the ascent, they are above the treeline.  In 2005 and 2006, sections above the treeline that were shaded (such as areas under large rocks) showed patches of snow, even in August.  Because of this, many runners carried gloves and tied Tyvek or other jackets for use above the treeline, especially considering the amount of time that it takes to “run” the top section of the course.  This year was much warmer and the jackets and gloves went unused.  In fact, the upper portions of the course were downright warm and I ended the run with some nasty sunburn on my neck.

 

The race itself is easily the toughest 26.2 around.  Those of us who really don’t have access to either altitude or extensive hill training will struggle.  I started this year in a very slow jog the first mile or so on the road and still had sweat dripping off the brim of my cap within the first mile (temp in the 60’s at the start).  By the time I hit the start of the Barr Trail, I had already been walking for some time and the majority of the rest of the ascent was (at best) a power walk. Because this is such a tough race, the usual time perspective for a marathon is lost.  I think I made it to the Barr Camp (7.6 miles in) around 2:15 or thereabouts.  The next section of the course, up to “A-Frame” (10.2 miles in), which is only 2.6 miles long (but which goes up over 1,700 feet), really caused me trouble and I believe that I was around 3:45 or so by the time I hit A-Frame.  Once again, at this point we are more than 2 miles higher in elevation than here in Dallas, so the mind isn’t exactly processing information as clearly as usual.

 

The last section of the trail is just downright nasty.  It took me right around 2:20 to cover the last 3.1 miles to the top.  I have spoken with a number of runners from the area who have done this race and it is very difficult to put into words what it is like at the top.  It isn’t that your legs or lungs are burning of that it is particularly painful.  It really feels like someone stuck a tube into your body and just sucked out all of your energy.  It is all you can do to just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving upward.                 This last uphill section is also where many “flatlanders” have trouble with nausea and dizziness.  The trail is very narrow and the terrain is rocky, with large boulders lining each side.  Passing is also tough, as if anyone would be so inclined.  I finally reached the top in around 6:07, just under the 6:30 cut-off.

 

                                                EVEN THE MARATHON MANIACS RUN SHORTER RACES…JUST RUN BABY!!

               

    Karen Leahy - Auburn 5 km                            Maniacs at the finish of the Covey 10 km Run                           "Quick Mick" Allen - Bridge Run 5km              

 

One incredible thing happens, though, once you hit the summit.  You are heading up the mountain and make a final turn (switchback) to the left and go the last 20 yards or so; then you turn around and someone unhooks the trailer from your back.  It is absolutely amazing.  Covering the same ground that you just covered a half minute earlier is now infinitely easier.  Still the terrain on the initial section of the descent is very rough, with large rocks from which you now must step down.  In fact, as tough as these rocks are to go up, they are almost as tough to run down, because your legs now have to stop you on each step. Because of the difficulty of the top, it still took me around an hour to make it  down the first 3 miles of the descent.  In fact, I was very concerned that I would not make it all the way down before the 10-hour race limit.  The course seems even more rocky and obstacle-filled on the way down.  Obviously you are going faster and feeling better, but your legs are now pretty drained and you have to decide just how bad you want to “race” down the mountain.  Each year many runners fall on the course.  Many suffer minor cuts, scrapes and twisted ankles.  A number, though, suffer relatively significant sprains and bone breaks from falls.  Once you see how many tree roots and buried rocks that you are trying to “run” over, it is understandable why many runners decide that it is safer to power-walk down than risk an injury just to get down the mountain a little sooner.

 

The last few miles of the descent are relatively fast, seeing as you are back down below the treeline and there are not as many tree and rock hazards.  One recommendation is that anyone considering this run invest in some “gators”.  Anyone who has ever run on a sandy or rocky trail knows how uncomfortable it can be to run with a shoe full of sand.  Well, that’s what you will get on the way down this mountain without something to keep it out. In any event, the trail ends with around 1 mile to go and then it is a relatively fast and steep jaunt down the street to the finish (which is located a short distance up the road from the start).  Thanks to my spectacular finishing kick, I was able to waddle in at 9:51:46, a whole 8 minutes under the cut-off time.  Wow!

 

A few numbers.  The start is at 6,300 and the finish is at 6,345.  The summit of Pikes Peak is at 14,115, which means that you gain more than 7,800 feet of elevation in the 13.3 mile ascent.  The ascent portion of the run is actually 13.3 miles, while the descent is only 12.9 – because of the placement of the start and finish areas in town. The race committee actually hosts 2 runs that weekend.  For those only interested in doing a ½ marathon, they can do the Ascent on Saturday.  These folks “run” up and then are transported back down in buses.  Those crazy enough to want to do the entire 26.2 get to go both up the mountain and back down on Sunday. Because the Ascent doesn’t have to deal with the congestion of runners passing each other going in opposite directions on a narrow trail, it can accommodate a few more runners than the Marathon.  The committee therefore runs the Ascent in 2 waves, with a total of 1,600 runners.

 

The Marathon is more “exclusive” than the Ascent, with race participation limited to only 800 runners (and it is very difficult to get in).  In fact, the race website (www.pikespeakmarathon.org) lists the date that the entry process begins (usually late winter – March 1 or so) and if you are not on their site within minutes after they start accepting online applications, you won’t get in. And, yes, each year there are a number of “doublers” who do both the Ascent on Saturday and the full Marathon on Sunday.  In fact, almost 20% of the Marathon finishers this year were doublers. This one is not for the faint of heart and certainly has a lot more in common with ultras than with your typical marathon.  Still, if you are looking for the “ultimate” marathon challenge, Pikes Peak has to be on your short list of “must run” marathons.

 

                                                                                                          CASCADE CREST 100 MILES

            

                                                Michelle and Eric "trail scat" Barnes                                                            Olga Varlamova and Maura Schwartz               

 

August 25

CCC 100 mile: Gilles Barbeau, Eric "Trail Scat" Barnes, Tony (*tc) Covarrubias, Shawn Lawson, King Arthur Martineau, Van "pigtails" Phan, Sam Thompson

                   

             Lisa Bliss with Shawn Lawson and Robert Hester                                      "pigtails"…..is this really fun????                    Tony (tc) Covarrubias

 

Run with the Horses Marathon: Corrine Austerman, Dennis "Brows" Barrett, Dave Bell, Janet Burgess, Tim Chesko, David Hamilton, Rick "TheRrrick" Karampatsos, Todd King, David Malone, Doug Meadows, Don Pattison, Cheri Pompeo, David Reid, Daniel Tyukody, Ron Westbury, Fiona Wright, Wayne Wright. The press release from marathonguide.com. Jack McDermott, 38 of Tallahassee FL, who finished second at the 2006 Ocala Marathon, won the 2007 Run With The Horses Marathon in 3:20:33. Gregg Walchli, 45 of Seattle WA, who has three marathon victories in 2007, finished second in 3:31:07. Jim D'Haenens, 55 of Granger IN, was third in 3:37:32. Amy Yanni, 53 of Rapid City SD, who finished second at the 2007 Leading Ladies Marathon last weekend, was the first female finisher in 3:51:13. Parvaneh Moayedi, 43 of Austin TX, finished second in 4:14:04. Leslie Wunder, 46 of Carson City NV, was third in 4:15:20.

ET Full Moon Midnight Marathon: Sable Cantus, Eddie Hahn, Kurt Lauer, Edward Lyell, Mel Martin, Dana Mosell, Henry Rueden, Jeff Veneble

 

Lean Horse 100M/50M/50KM: Rob Cowan, Tom Craven, Barry Hopkins, Stephanie Powers Day, sLuG, Gunhild Swanson

Congratulations to the sLuG, who wore bib #100 to signify her 100th marathon/ultra finish and the completion of her very first 100 mile race in Hot Springs, South Dakota.

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

                The sLuG finishing, with a "Possum Pacer"                                                Gunhild Swanson and the sLuG - All smiles after Lean Horse

 

                                                                     Changes to the Monthly Maniac Newsletter

 

I've read your messages and now I'm acting. Its much too lengthy, especially with 600+ members, to list all of the races and whom ran them, so to shorten the newsletter I'll try this. I'll continue to list races with the names of the Maniacs running only if it falls within the following criteria: 1) I have photographs of the race, 2) a member submits a race report, 3) the race director is a Maniac, 4) if your name shows up in the weekly marathonguide.com summaries, 5) if you win a race and 6) give me any other reason to include it. Frankly, I'd rather include more pictures of you, the members, in the newsletter so please keep those photos coming.

 

August 26

Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon: Steve Barrick, Jim Boyd, Sue Fauerbach, Jane "camelbak" Herzog, James Klarick, Little Leslie, Monte Pascual, Brian Pendleton, Jeffrey Roger, Terry Sentinella, Ray "McGyver" Shaw, Michael Shiach, Christopher "Hollywood" Warren, Prez Steven Yee, Guy Yogi

 

               

      Light at the End of the Tunnel Starters                         Race Director Brian Pendleton      Eddie Hahn - ET Full Moon Marathon

               

Question to pose to the members regarding Maniac Certificates….we were thinking about giving out Maniac Certificates only to new members when they join and are initiated, just to cut back on some work. In the past, we've always mailed out new certificates when you achieve another star. So, do you all still want the certificates???

 

Noteworthy Accomplishments / Promotions / Omissions / Maniac Stuff:

Ø       Palladium (7 star) Maniac: Little Leslie (13 in 12 weeks and her streak is continuing as this newsletter is being written!)

Ø       Silver Maniacs (2 star): Valentine-John "Phinish da Run" Ridao (6 in 5 months)

Ø       100 marathon/ultra mark: Diana "sLuG" Robinson (Lean Horse 100 miler)

Ø       50 states and DC Completed: Dianna Sulser (Humpy's Marathon)

Ø       Gary Allen: Lance and Me in the latest edition of Marathon and Beyond

 

Please let the newsletter editor know if you've been promoted and want the recognition in the newsletter!!

 

 

 

MANIACAL HOBBIES

       

Linda Major - Alligator Wrestling                  Hollywood - Wheelchair Racing and Aging                     Maniac #3 tp! - Sarong Modeling

 

 

 

New Members for the Month of August

 

8/01 - Valerie Beyer #626 (Auburn, Washington): Another member of the Northwest Chapter of the "Dead Runner's Society", Valerie probably got tired of reading about the Maniac talk on postings of the "Dead" list, plus her friends have finally worn her down to the point that she decided to just be one herself. She has achieved the Bronze level criteria, having run the Capital City and Seafair Marathons and followed by the Lake Youngs Fund Run for 3 in 3 months. She has run 9 lifetime marathons and 5 ultras, in 3 states.


8/01 - Zander Ross #627 (New York, New York): Zander loves to travel when it comes to marathon running as his 4 star Iridium streak was 9 countries/states in 1 year. Some of those marathons were run in Rome, Rio, Boston and Vancouver. His lifetime marathon total is 24, run in 8 states.

 

8/04 - Peter McGrane #628 (New York, New York): Peter qualified for Bronze Maniac status by completing the Country Music and Vancouver Marathons on consecutive weekends. Later on this year he plans on running the New York City Marathon and two weeks later the Knickerbocker 60Km…much more maniacal! You can also read more about Peter on the NYCswim.org web page as he swims a bunch also.

                      

          Valerie Beyer                                                            Zander Ross                                                                         Peter McGrane                   

 

8/10 - David Major #629 (Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom): The latest 10-star Titanium member in the Insane Asylum, David ran an amazing 52 marathons in 2006. What upset him the most is that he would have had 53 but Clearwater in Florida had cancelled their marathon! Also a member of the 100 marathon club in the United Kingdom, David and his wife Linda (see below) plan their vacations in the US each year to run marathons, though preferentially in the southern parts, where sunshine is their top priority! As of this writing, he has completed 232 marathons in 21 countries.


8/13 - Mel Martin #630 (Ripon, Wisconsin): Mel says that he is at the "puppy" level in terms of his status in the Insane Asylum (2 stars-Silver) but is "trying".

His best marathon streak occurred earlier this year (3 in 3 weeks) and has run a total of 35 marathons in 14 states.

 

8/13 - Linda Major #631 (Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom): Our latest wife and husband Maniac combo (#629 David), Linda is no slouch as witnessed by her 6-star status, achieved when she ran 35 marathons in one year. Linda ran her first marathon in 2001 (New York City), and then decided not to run again until 2003. Last year she celebrated her 100th marathon. Linda and David got married in 2004 where they had their wedding vows changed to

to incorporate " As we journey through life & MARATHONS together"!

8/20 - Ote Wood #632 (Rensselaer, Indiana): Ote accomplished an impressive streak last year by running 4 marathons in 4 weeks (Wineglass, Towpath, Columbus and Chicago), which makes him a 4-star Iridium Maniac in the Insane Asylum. His 35 marathons to date have been run in 10 states.

 

           
                                David Major (Athens)                                                                                        Linda Major (Munich)

 


8/22 - Dawn Howell #633 (Springfield, Virginia): Dawn has had a busy year, starting last November when in succession she completed the Harrisburg, Kiawah Island, Disney Goofy Challenge, Tybee Island, Ocean Drive and Boston Marathons, good enough for 6 in 6 months to qualify for Silver status in the Insane Asylum.  She has completed marathons in 13 states and is in preparation to tackle the Chesapeake Man Iron Distance race later this month.  

 

8/26 - Lorne Sundby #634 (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada): One of the last of the Northwest Dead Runners to succumb to the Maniac pressure, Lorne finally caved in and now has been rewarded with induction in the Insane Asylum. His recent completions at the Edmonton and Humpy's Marathons qualify him for Bronze status. His lifetime marathons are at 14, with perhaps half of those running with Maniac #9, discussing broad issues such as the environment, politics and Pfitzinger training plans!

 

              

                Dawn Howell                                                                         Lorne Sundby flanked by Maniacs #1 and #7                               

 

 

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

 

Hiya Stevie! and members #2 to #642,

 

                We have a whole bunch of new members this year, so a quick word on what you’re reading here.  While I’m in the club, I’m not really so good at this marathon running stuff, but I do love it, and find so many of the rest of you rather fantastic. And I find the differences between us kind of funny.  So Prez asked me some time ago to talk about those differences here, and that’s what this is.

 

                Like many of us, I’m having a bit of an off running year.  But my of-late themes on the struggling-side-of-the-sport in the column finally elicited a response from a Maniac buddy, who said, basically, “Kienz, if I sound like that when I’m your age, I’m going to ask my wife to just shoot me.”

 

                So on that bit of advice, I have turned this month instead to INSPIRATION.  Rev. Norman Vincent Bill Rodgers, here now with stories of inspiration from the world of Marathon Maniacs, for September, 2007.

 

                The records of what you all have done in the first eight months of 2007 reveal lots of goodies.  (From here forward, “marathons” includes ultra-marathons.  It’s my article. I’m counting them.) 

                                                                            

                Ninety-four members have run nine (!!!) or more marathons in the first eight months of the year. 94 of us!  That’s more than one per month!  (Whoever said I’m not quick just hasn’t been paying attention.)  Is that incredible?   

               

                Seventeen members have run an astonishing 18 or more marathons in the first 8 months of the year. This is almost beyond describing.  18, already?  The fall marathon season hasn’t even started yet. After re-attaching one’s jaw, though, one does pause…surely there are some very fine institutions for these folks??? 

 

                David and Linda Major (#629 and 631) have combined for 57 this year.  I figure, pastorally speaking, these two exemplify for the rest of us who are married or partnered folks, the healthy finding of that elusive hobby to enjoy together (that, or they both secretly really like the guaranteed five hours of peace and quiet).

 

                The “most improved player of the year” may be “Little Leslie”, (word is just about the nicest girl you’d ever meet), who has posted 25 already, after entering the year with a career total of “only” 23.  Talk about your life-changing decisions.

 

                The King Kook (sorry Prez, I meant Marvelous Maniac) on the chart to date this year would be one SRLopez, member #111.  T h i r t y – f i v e.   Loopy, I love ya man, but I’m not sure I’ve been to the gym 35 times this year.  Could be why you beat me.

     

                Lurking in mystery land is the ever-smiling Larry Macon (#120), who, and I’m not making this up, in recent years (and the man is in his 60’s) has made a habit of running 79 marathons each year.  Airlines love him.  If you need a boost, run with him.  He always makes me feel like we’ve been best friends since kindergarten, and that no matter how slow I might be limping, that I’m doing just great out there.

 

                On the career side, some 72 members are in the one hundred marathons-and-ultras club.  100.  If you run one marathon in the spring and one in the fall, and you started when you were 31 years old, you keep up the good work until you are 80, and write to me, and I’ll adjust the club’s numbers.

                100 marathons in a lifetime?  Did anyone of you say “99 to go” after the first one?

 

                Fourteen of “us” (I love saying that ”us” part) are over 200 in a career..

                Five are over 300.

                Three are over 400:  Bob Dolphin, #32; Hajime Nishi, #472; and Henry Rueden, #441. That’s a lot of Gatorade.  Here’s how you do it.  You start running marathons earlier, at age 20, and you have to run four per year, not two, and you keep at it until you’re 119. Then write to my unborn grandson, and he will update the numbers.

                Ray Scharenbrock (#305) is at 518.  But he’s having an identity crisis.  Only posted one this year.  His Keds finally wore out.

 

                When one reads down the list, a few other inspiring stories surface.  Shawn Lawson has run an incredible 13 long races this year, but amazingly, zero marathons and thirteen ultras!  The word for that is…  ouchy. 

                Then Karen Wiggins name pops up: 13 ultras, and 3 marathons too!  Yo, Shawn, clearly, you’re some kind of slacker, huh?

                Me, I like Darwin “Runninguy” Weimer’s numbers: 14 marathons, 55 on the career, and not one ultra.  My kind of running inspiration there, see…we don’t necessarily have to do 31 milers to work up to 40 milers to get up to 50 milers.  That stuff can make a guy nuts… “should I ? can I ?  who am I kidding I ?”.  On the one hand, I still sort of tremble at mile 19.  On the other, there’s SluG.

                Diana SluG Robinson (thee most inaccurate moniker of all time) is one of our newest 100-career club members, and she chose to do it in style, as have one or two maniacs before her.  But first, understand the context. 

                At approximately age 30-ish, when so many start thinking about running, the girl wasn’t thinking of running bunches of marathons at all.  She was thinking about recovering from a stroke.

                For her first big run she was escorted by one portly Pop, who nursed her through a quarter-mile, once around the block, or shorter than it takes to get back to your car at the mall. Her vision wasn’t perfect any longer, and falling at odd moments (she claims that some of these are actually planned somersaults and cartwheels…but, in her words, “they are all good!!!”) became part of her life.

                But approaching 40-ish, Happy One approached her 100th marathon with the plan: to make the 100th a race of 100-miles. 

                And so she did.  Sprung it on most of us like it was a piece of cake, which of course she didn’t eat much of this year.  Truth is, she built up to this extravagant feat for years, a 40-miler here, a 50-miler there, a trail marathon here, a somersault there. 

                She’s no Kenyan, fellow Maniacs.  She is one of us.

                Life is a grand gift, isn’t it?

 

Love ya,

Rev  

dgkienz@yahoo.com... Do write. Kienz greatly enjoys hearing from you.

 

                                                                               

                               

Maniac Ongoing Discounts

·         $10 off marathons put on by Bob Green (his next one is the Gateway to the Pacific Marathon).

·         15% off shoes, apparel at the Balanced Athlete (Kent, Wa); ask for Eric

·         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 August / September Newsletter and to the web site soon. The President has written…

 

   

               Maniacs partying at the Looi's Residence                         No partying for Larry Macon…his most expensive marathon!

 

 

    

Jane Herzog and Ray Shaw…riding into the Sunset                                          Head Maniac Chef Monte Pascual