Marathon Maniacs News Letter – August 2004

 

Could there be a better way to start out the month of August than by having a bunch of Maniacs do what they do best?  Yes, running first…and eating fine food a close second! And while the Maniacs are more into quantity, there are a few speed demons in the club, as witnessed by their wins and high finishing places.  But then again, everyone’s a winner by finishing. Happy reading!

 

August 1

What a gathering in San Francisco; 18 maniacs ran in the Chronicle marathon! Check out the roster: Carol Dellinger, Sue Fauerbach, Barb Bumann, Jennifer Yogi, Alicia Britt, Kurt Lauer, Steve Supkoff, Dennis Spurlock, Marc Frommer, Gregg Walchli, Deo Jaravata, Mark Looi, Ruben Contreras, Chris Marr, Guy Yogi, Chris Warren, Steven Yee and future maniac Laura Bleakley. Maniac headquarters for the weekend were either at the Club Quarters or the Hyatt Regency.  Special thanks goes to Chris Warren, who coordinated the maniacal dinner gathering at Buca di Beppo, ensuring that everyone attending got their fill of pasta and great Italian food.  We hope to do more of these in upcoming races!

 

If you’re looking for a summer marathon that doesn’t involve heat or humidity, this is the one for you.  While they say that San Francisco is full of hills (OK, so there are a few minor hills), that obviously didn’t stop the following maniacs who garnered age-group awards: Jennifer (1st), Barb (2nd), Chris W. (2nd) and Laura (2nd).  Congratulations to all, everyone ran great races…did anyone end up leaving their hearts in San Francisco?  There was one Kodak moment…Chris eating Dim Sum in Chinatown for the first time…you should’ve seen his facial expression!

 

August 13

Will it go round in circles? You will, as Jack Thornton did while participating in the Around the Lake Marathon.  This marathon, held in Wakefield, Massachusetts, consists of 5K loops around a lake.  What a fabulous way to spend a Friday!

 

August 14

Crater Lake Marathon: The serene beauty of this race cannot be underestimated.  Neither can the elevation and hills, both up and down.  Ten tough maniacs made the trek to southern Oregon for this 29th annual classic.  Showing true grit were the infamous Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Cathy Troisi, Sue Fauerbach, Brenton Floyd, Tony Phillippi, Chris Warren and Steven Yee.  Newly initiated Maniacs included Laura Bleakley, Bobbie Howard, Fenny Roberts and Jim Scheer and Cyndie Merten.  This marathon has to rate as one of the toughest around and one that every runner should do at least once in their lifetime.  Just don’t go looking for a personal best.  Our illustrious sandals guy finished third overall (though not wearing sandals), while Laura was the female winner.  Chris and Steve had a great time running with Laura…she pushed us hard!  Just about all of the Maniacs came away with age-group awards. Below are a few press clippings:  

Press release from marathonguide.com

 

Crater Lake Marathon - Aug 14 - Klamath Falls, OR
Michael Bergquist was second at the Crater Lake Marathon in 2000, and four years later he returned to win the race that he had spent years thinking about. This year, in 2004, Bergquist won the first place honors, finishing in 3:04:20. Second place went to Michael Lynes in 3:06:59. Tony Phillippi, a Marathon Maniac (more on them in an article later this month), finished in third place in 3:28:00. Another Marathon Maniac, Laura Bleakley, finished sixth overall and as first woman in a time of 3:40:36.

 

The sandals guy favorite all-time press release:

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0815/sport/stories/02sport.htm

For a more detailed race report, look for Bob Dolphin’s race report on ontherun.com.  He’s a fabulous writer!

 

August 15

Humpy’s Marathon: Steve Monk and Marie Bartoletti participated in this alternative to the Midnight Sun Marathon held in Anchorage. Here are a few comments about the race from Steve:

 

Humpy's Marathon was a mostly flat out and back race, 95% on a bike/running path. The course was very scenic and the weather was great, partly cloudy with temps from 60 to 75 degrees start to finish. There were a few small hills that seemed a little bigger on the way back in (like always). I didn't see any moose on the course during the marathon but did see two on the course when I was out jogging the day after the race.

The organization was pretty good and the people were very friendly. The water stops were not very close together though. The brochure said every two miles, I would guess some were closer to three miles apart. They said there would be oranges and that you should carry your own GU. As it turned out there only oranges at the finish but plenty of GU at the rest stops. The water/Ultima cups were the ones the dentist gives you to rinse with and they were only half full. I drank about six of them per rest stop.

Since most of the run was in the woods or along the waterfront, there were few spectators. There were plenty of bikes on the path for the second half of the race but they weren't a problem. There wasn't a lot of food after the race but it finished at Humpy's restaurant, which was fantastic. Most of the runners went in there for beer, burgers, salmon, etc..

August 21

Grizzly Marathon: Neither Ursus horribillus nor “hillus horribillus” were going to get the better of the Maniacs who ran in the 2nd Grizzly Marathon.  On a cloudy, mostly overcast morning, Maniacs Steve Supkoff, Mike Wakabayashi, Mike Shiach, Diana “Slug” Robinson, Dennis Spurlock, Steve Monk, Brenton Floyd, Sue Fauerbach and Steven Yee trudged up and down through the Ear Mountain Wilderness area (Choteau, Montana). Spending every ounce of energy to conquer this demanding but scenic course.  The first 8 miles are on a paved highway, then gravel roads the rest of the way.  It’s worth noting that at mile 19, the hill from hell, “hillus horribillus”, a special pin is given to all participants who make it up that hill within a certain time limit.  All 9 maniacs received the pin!  Special mention goes to Mike Wakabayashi, who was running his first marathon since Honolulu of last year. Injuries have prevented his marathon participation, but we all know he’ll soon be back to his maniac ways! Age-group awards were won by Diana Robinson (1st) and Steven Yee (3rd).  No grizzly bear sightings during the race, but you know the old adage…when you encounter a grizzly, don’t try to outrun the bear, just the runner next to you!

 

Where’s Waldo? That’s a good question, one that only Maura Schwartz can answer. She ran half of the 100k ultra with her husband. 50K is still a loooong way!

 

Way up north in the last frontier, Gregg Walchli was making headlines in the Ketchikan news by winning the Tongass Marathon.  Another press clipping:

http://www.sitnews.us/0804news/082304/082304_marathon.html

Great picture of Gregg…now if we can only convince him to wear Maniac yellow!

 

August 22

Silver State Marathon: Fun in the heat and sand? Venture to Reno, as did Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Laura Bleakley and Chris Warren to find out! Can you say 1-2-3? Yes, (1) Laura is on a roll, winning the female race for the second straight week…didn’t you tell Chris and I that you weren’t competitive? (2) Chris was second overall in the men’s race…I know you’re competitive! (3) Bob placed third in his age group.  Way to go Maniacs!! 

 

August 25

What…a Wednesday marathon? Yes, Cathy Troisi ran in the Self-Transcendence Marathon.

 

August 28

Mesa Falls Marathon: Situated in the quiet community of Ashton, Idaho lies a hidden gem of a marathon.  Run on dirt roads for the first 8 miles (sounds like Grizzly!), you get a glimpse of scenic Upper Mesa Falls at mile 11.  Just past halfway, you converge on an old Rail to Trail where all you hear is rushing water and are mesmerized by the landscape and foliage surrounding you.  Bill Mandler, Sue Fauerbach and Steven Yee all participated.  Bill took third in his age-group and won a unique hand-stitched award.  Great running Bill!

 

Cascade Crest 100-miler: If you’re looking for some real studs, then Kendell Kreft and Tony Covarrubias are it! While we are Maniacs, there aren’t too many of us whom would even attempt to run a 100-mile race.  Taking place in the heart of the Cascades, one of the highlights of the race is to run through the 2.3-mile long tunnel through Snoqualmie Pass.  You don’t know what might be in there or fall on you!  Both Kendall and Tony had fantastic times, 21:10 and 25:11, respectively.  Kendall finished second overall, and beat the previous course record!

 

Look for great snapshots of the race on the website, courtesy of Glenn Tachiyama, who was part of Tony’s support crew.  Hmm, Glenn’s been supporting everyone lately, let’s try to get him to run a 100-miler soon!

 

Elkhorn Mountain Endurance Run: Gunhild Swanson, please tell us Maniacs how this one went!

 

Noteworthy Accomplishments: 

Ø      Silver Maniac: By finishing the Chronicle Marathon, and thus completing 6 marathons/ultras in 6 months, Maniac Kurt Lauer has progressed to Silver Status (2 stars). Way to go Kurt!

Ø      Silver Maniacs Family: Team Yogi  (Jennifer and Guy) accomplished the same feat at Chronicle, where they completed 6 marathons in 5 months. 

Ø      She’s at it again…Carol Dellinger is everywhere! Read her article in the July/August issue of Race Center Northwest

Ø      Coming to a newstand near you…the October issue of Runner’s World, out September 1! Maniac Sutah Robins is at it again.  She is one of five winners in the magazines best getting lost on a run writing contest!

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.  We owe you John!

 

****Please note: While we are trying our best to stay up to date with all of our members and all of the races they run, unfortunately we may have missed some of you.  If we did, it wasn’t intentional!!! To make sure we get all your races and that you get recognition on the website marquee as well as the monthly newsletter, we are asking you to send us an e-mail each time you run a marathon.  This will make it easier to keep the Insane Asylum up to date and your personal count correct.  Thank you for your help in making this a great marathon club!

 

New Members for the Month of August

 

Marie Bartoletti, Pennsylvania (8/2/04)

Meghan Arboghast, Oregon (8/2/04)

Earl Fenstermacher, Washington (8/5/04)

Laura Bleakley, California (8/14/04)

Fenny Roberts, Oregon (8/14/04)

Jim Scheer, Washington (8/14/04)

Bobbie Howard, Washington (8/14/04)

Roger Biggs, United Kingdom (8/22/04)

Al Harman, British Columbia (8/28/04)

Cyndie Merten, Oregon (8/28/04)

 

UPCOMING MANIAC RACES

 

9/04 – Pocatello (Bill Mandler, Dennis Spurlock, Mike Wakabayashi, Tony Phillippi, Chris

           Warren, Sue Fauerbach, Steven Yee, Laura Bleakley)

 

9/05 – Country Roads, B.C.  (Gregg Walchli, Al Harman)

           Potsdam Raquette River Marathon (Cathy Troisi)

           New Mexico (Marie Bartoletti)

           Tupelo (Tom Detore)

           

9/06 – Heart of America (Tom Detore)

 

9/11 – Plain 106 miler (Tony Covarrubias)

 

9/12 – Skagit Flats (Janet Burgess, Carol Dellinger, Cheri Gillis, Diana Robinson, Bob and

Lenore Dolphin, Jack and Gunhild Swanson, Alicia Britt, Marc Frommer, Mark

Looi, Ruben Contreras, Earl Fenstermacher, Kurt Lauer, Tim Lofton, Gregg

Walchli, Mike Wakabayashi, Dennis Spurlock, Dale Shoup, Tony Phillippi, Chris

Warren, Steven Yee)

           Sydney, Australia (Deo Jaravata)

           Erie at Presque Isle (Bruce Katter)

 

9/18 – Top of Utah (Jennifer Yogi, Guy Yogi, Bill Mandler, Steve Supkoff, Tony

Phillippi, Chris Warren, Steven Yee, Susan Marshal, Laura Bleakley)

           Bohemian Alps (Tom Detore)

           USAF (John Richeson)

           Cle Elum 50 K (Barb Bumann, Cheri Gillis, Van Phan, Gunhild Swanson, Kurt

Lauer, Lisa Stranc Bliss, Earl Fenstermacher)

 

9/19 – Montana (Laura Bleakley, Ruben Contreras, Tony Phillippi, Chris Warren, Steven

Yee)

           Maui Marathon (David Hipps)

           Lewis & Clark Marathon (Marie Bartoletti)

           Shore to Shore (Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Gregg Walchli)

 

9/26 – Boulder Backroads (Gunhild and Jack Swanson)

           Quad City (Steve Monk, John Richeson)

           Omaha (Tom Detore)

                       

10/3 – Portland (Marc Frommer, Chris Warren, Ruben Contreras, Van Phan, Mike Shiach,

           Gunhild and Jack Swanson, Mike Wakabayashi, Greg Walchli, Cyndie Merten)

 

10/7-10/9 – Tahoe Triple: 3 marathons in 3 days! (Anne-Marie Thiessen, Cathy Troisi, Bobbie

           Howard, Laura Bleakley, Tom Detore, Chris Warren, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee)

           Les Wright, the race director has opened the entry back up; it is going to cap at 125

           entrants, so if you’re even remotely pursuing the option of participating, by all means

           e-mail him…you might hit the jackpot. Don’t think about it…Just Do It!!!

 

10/9 – Lake Tahoe (Sue Fauerbach)

 

10/10 - Bizz Johnson Trail (Ann-Marie Thiessen, Chris Warren, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee,

            Gunhild and Jack Swanson, Sue Fauerbach)

            We are calling this the Quad to cap off an exciting weekend after the Tahoe Triple.

 

12/04 – Reggae (Jamaica) (Nelsen Petersen) Join Nelsen from Destination Marathon for this

             exciting 5-day, 4-night winter adventure. For more information, go to the maniac website,

             and under maniac links go to Destination Marathon.  The information can be found under

             the heading “Video Journeys”. But don’t delay…there are only 12 spots available!

 

In an attempt to make the Marathon Maniacs one of the best and unique running clubs out there, we want to hear how we’re doing.  You as members know what you want and what you don’t want, so don’t hesitate to let us know.  We can’t guarantee that we can accommodate every request, but we’ll do the best we can.

 

If you have a desire to share your race experience with the rest of the Maniacs, feel free to write up a race report, submit it to us and we’ll post it in the monthly newsletter.  This is a good way to get the info you want into the letter and not just what we might write.

 

Maniac Discounts

· $5 off marathons put on by Bob Green

· 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)

                                                End of the Year Maniac Awards

 

That’s right Maniacs, we still plan to have “End of the Year” Maniac Awards.  The founding Maniacs are still working out the details.

 

More to come in the September Newsletter and to the web site soon. 

 

The President has written…