Marathon Maniacs News Letter – November / December 2007

November Highlights

·         48 new members for the month of November (724 total members)

·         Bob Hearn and Annie(mal) Thiessen win the UWR Marathon

·         Marathon Junkie wins the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey and the North Central Trail Marathons

·         Jonathan Bernard wears the honorary #1 at the Seattle Marathon

               

                   Bob Hearn                                                    Marathon Junkie                                   Jonathan Bernard

 

      The Marathon Maniacs…At the Races

 

November 3

MidSouth Marathon: Kevin Brosi, Wrayjean Cornwell, Claude Hicks, Jr., Rob Klein, Phil Min, Johnny “The Animal” Spriggs

Autumn Leaves 50km/50 mile: Jenny Appel, Eric “Trail Scat” Barnes, Michelle Barnes, Sarah Duncan, Rick “Road Kill” Haase, Bret Fat-Boyee Henry, Jane “camelback” Herzog, Rob “Rattler” Hester, Stevie Ray, Amy Mathis, Little Leslie, Van “pigtails” Phan, Gail “Detour” Phillips, Marilou Russell, Ray “McGyver” Shaw, Rick “Pole” Smith, Steve “Marathon Freak” Walters, Karen Wiggins. The race according to Maniac #9 Marc Frommer.

Since my foot has been feeling no pain during my runs and I wanted to run 20 miles this morning in preparation for Cal Intl, a couple of weeks ago I decided to enter the Autumn Leaves 50K. Luckily, I know the RD since entry was already closed and he let me in. I figured what's another 11 miles among friends and  I knew there were going to be lots of Maniacs (around 15 or so) at the race so I'd have company along parts of the race.
         

 Phil Min, Claude Hicks Jr, Kevin Brosi: at Mid-South         Chris Baker at the Hamilton Marathon                         Stu Jackson at the Richmond Marathon

 

 I've run this race once before (in 2005, with Maniac Clay and during a downpour that lasted most of the race) but have run the shorter races associated with the event many times.  They have had 1/2 marathons, 25K, and now 10K.  Many moons ago, I also accompanied an ex-mayor and now barrister for the last lap and a half during his first ultra. When I ran the race two years, I ran 4:54 and was in much better shape than I currently am in.  For example, I had run more than 33 miles in September like I did this year and had run Blue Lake almost 3 minutes faster in 2005 than I just did.  Plus, in June of 2005 I ran Newport in a bit over 3:19 as opposed to my 3:29 this year.  So this was going to be a test of my fitness and help me decide what to attempt in Sacramento in 4 weeks.  Let's just say that I think I have to readjust my expectations.

I've run this race once before (in 2005, with Maniac Clay and during a downpour that lasted most of the race) but have run the shorter races associated with the event many times.  They have had 1/2 marathons, 25K, and now 10K.  Many moons ago, I also accompanied an ex-mayor and now barrister for the last lap and a half during his first ultra. When I ran the race two years, I ran 4:54 and was in much better shape than I currently am in.  For example, I had run more than 33 miles in September like I did this year and had run Blue Lake almost 3 minutes faster in 2005 than I just did.  Plus, in June of 2005 I ran Newport in a bit over 3:19 as opposed to my 3:29 this year.  So this was going to be a test of my fitness and help me decide what to attempt in Sacramento in 4 weeks.  Let's just say that I think I have to readjust my expectations.
 

Maine-iacs David (s) Goodrich and Bates with Lauri “The Kid” at NYC                Hollywood with Kate Merrill at the Manchester Marathon            


When I left my house this morning it was around 38 degrees but by the time I got to Champoeg it was 32 and a thick layer of fog – the Willamette can do funny things like that.  I was definitely concerned about my hands since it didn't appear that the sun was going to break through for a while and my hands certainly did not enjoy the first few hours until the sun finally came out full blast.  However, after 2005, I really can't complain about the conditions (though I can always try). My goal was to run around 5 hours and run even 5 miles splits (the course consists of six 5 mile loops with an initial 1+ mile out and back).  The course isn't terribly accurate which for ultras is pretty normal.  Ultras are a totally different breed than marathons, even just 50Ks.  I run them with a different mindset, take breaks at the aid stations and buffet tables they have set up, and the camaraderie is pretty great.

My plan worked great for the first 3 loops and most of the 4th. However, during the 5th loop, I started getting a stitch in my side, which caused me to walk portions.  After I got it under control, I had totally lost it.  The 6th loop was run totally on fumes.  The only good thing was that it was gorgeous "running" (hard to call what I was doing running) along the river and trails.  Here are the splits: 11:39 (who knows how long this was), 46:04, 46:40, 47:01, 50:32, 56:32,60:37
The total time was 5:19:07, almost 50 secs slower per mile than in 2005. Plus, my legs were sore from about the third lap on.  So I don't think I'm ready to attempt 3:30 at CIM in December.  I'll wait until later in the year at Newport or maybe if I stay healthy I could try to run Boston around there.  I've never run that fast at Boston and it would be real nice to have a good race there this year.  But it is a tough course and if I couldn't do it in when I could run sub-3:20 at Newport I don't think it is in the cards.

If anyone wants a fairly easy and low-key introduction to ultras, I'd recommend Autumn Leaves.  Yes, it can get boring during the loops but there are a couple out and back sections so you get to see folks.  Plus the lovely Olga (Maniac #101) was recording times at the end of each loop so that was another thing to look forward to.  And since I knew many of the runners, it was fun.  During most of the run, I had the Cole
Porter Songbook sung by Ella going through my head since that is what I listened to on the drive down (a great album if you at all like Ella and/or Cole Porter and who doesn't :-).  I kept on hoping "Its Too Darn Hot" would help me during the first two loops but my hands didn't believe it.  Luckily, I kept my singing internal since I'm not quite on the same key (or even close) as Ella.  There were also some Gershwin and Rogers and Hart going on at times -- Ella singing of course. So now it is take a few days off and see if any damage was done.  My leg muscles are pretty achy, I felt the area under my metatarsal where I had the problem last month a bit over the last portion of the race, and my back was getting sore towards the end.  But running is good for you -- remember that.

    

           Nathan Greene                                                                The start of the iUWR Marathon                                                                                    *tc

 

November 4

Hamilton Marathon: Chris Baker

Manchester Marathon: Scott Allen, Larry Macon, Kate Merrill, Henry Rueden, Hollywood Warren, Prez Steven Yee

New York City Marathon:  Gary Allen,  Linda Ambard, Margaret Barrett, David Bates, Beth Berndt, Brad Bleiweis, Gayle Boulais, Frank Colella, Rob Cowan, Bob English, Richard Ervais, Lauri “The Kid” Fauerbach Adams, Jeff Fong, David “Maine-iac” Goodrich, Jack Heely, Larry Herman, Tom Hosner, Dean Hutchinson, Debbra Jacobs-Robinson, Gene Jochen, Don “The Rev” Kienz, Valerie Kilcoin, Jeff Krueger, Johnny “Shaka” Landeza, Dave MacBean, Dotty Maddock, Jon “Coconutboy” Mahoney, Sherry “MMM” Mahoney, Edward McGowan, Sheri Nemeth, Satiro de Oliveira, Stephanie Powers Day, Jeanette Quintana, Emma Riconda, Charles Sayles, Dean Schuster, “Grannie” Annie Singer, Michael Szklarz, Thomas Tan, Randy Thierman, Daniel Tyukody, Cindy Wetzel, Richard White

iUWR Marathon: Bill “Hotrod” Barmore, Jonathan Bernard, Valerie Beyer, Barb Blumenthal, Jim Boyd, *tc, Steve Duncan, Nathan Greene, Bob Hearn, Robert Jacobsen, Barefoot Jon, Shawn Lawson, sancho lin, Tim Lofton, Stevie Ray, King Arthur Martineau, Jess Mullen, Monte Pascual, Brian Pendleton, Van “pigtails” Phan, aNnIe Thiessen, Linda Walter, Steve White, Guy Yogi, Jon Yoon. Race Director Jason Gordon

 

November 10

Chickamauga Battlefield Junior Marathon: Lynne Evans, Angela Ivory, Russ Johnson, Phil Min, Wayne Wright

Richmond Marathon: J.R. “The Turtle” Ankney, Kevin Carrothers, Lauri “The Kid” Fauerbach Adams, Claude Hicks, Jr., Scott Insley, Stuart Jackson, James Klarich, Ron Knecht, Cheryl Lager, Kurt Lauer, Tammie Massie, Clarence Wilson Jr.

 

         Chikamauga Marathoners Wayne Wright and Phil Min                           Amanda, Grace, Ocean Preble and Dan Marvin enjoying the Outer Banks 

 

November 11

OBX Outer Banks Marathon: Cowboy Jeff Bishton, Kevin Carrothers, Bill Doernbach, Claude Hicks Jr., James Klarich, Cheryl Lager, Amanda, Grace and Ocean Preble, Gregory “GRE” Taylor, Keith Whited

 

November 18

Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon: Corrine Austerman, Wrayjean Cornwell, David Hamilton, Russ Johnson, Marathon Junkie, Matt Manning, Phil Min, Janis Posey, Trent Rosenbloom, Jeff Veneble. Race Director Trent Rosenbloom

Philadelphia Marathon: Cowboy Jeff Bishton, Lauri “The Kid” Fauerbach Adams, El Hamersly, Marius Hansen, Robin Hudson, Dean Hutchinson, Gene Jochen, Ron Knecht, Craig MacBean, Dave MacBean, Little Leslie, Aaron Pendergraft, Greg Roth, Anne Scarazzo, Scott Stambaugh, Hollywood Warren, Claudia Wolfe

  

           Maniacs at Harpeth Hills: Janis Posey portraying “Dorothy”                                           Trent Rosenbloom – Race Director

 

November 24

Mississippi Coast Marathon: Jorge Rivera. The race summary from marathonguide.com. In the women's field, Theresa Novak, 46 of Lake Charles LA, was the winner in 3:30:46. Caro Linn, 34 of Duluth MN, the runner-up at the 2007 Ocean Drive Marathon, finished second in 3:39:53. Cheryl Lager, 42 of Newport News VA, the winner of the Orlando Xtreme Marathon, was third in 3:46:49.

North Central Trail Marathon: Nancy Dillon, Bill Doernbach, El Hamersley, Scott Insley, Jesse Leitner, Tamara Mackey, Amada, Grace & Ocean Preble, Clarence E. Wilson Jr., Amy Yanni. Another race summary courtesy of marathonguide.com. Defending champion Chuck Engle, 36 of Dublin OH, successfully defended his title - winning the 2007 North Central Trail Marathon in 2:35:56. This was Engle's ninth marathon victory (and 17th marathon race) of 2007. Thomas Cole, 47 of Mahwah NJ, finished second in 2:38:04. Chris Ganter, 29 of Doylestown PA, was third in 2:43:48.

        Dan Marvin and Amanda Preble at the North Central Trail Marathon                           Rick Rayman and Little Leslie in Philadelphia

         

Seattle Ghost Marathon: Jenny Appel, Gilles Barbeau, Bill “Hotrod” Barmore, Eric “Trail Scat” Barnes, Michelle Barnes, Margaret Barrett, Steve Barrick, Adrian Call, Michael Cartwright, *tc, Jill Hudson, Genia Kacey, James Klarich, Stevie Ray, Jon “Coconutboy” Mahoney, Jess Mullen, Lesa Overfield,  Monte Pascual, Brian Pendleton, Van “pigtails” Phan, Lorelei Sadowski, Richard Sadowski, Ray “McGyver” Shaw, Richard Stewart, Tom Stoltz, Joseph Tompkins, Linda Walter, Steve “Marathon Freak” Walters, Jon Yoon. Race Director Scott Krell

 

The maniacal double (Ghost of Seattle Marathon and the Seattle Marathon) be new Maniac Frank Purdy

By now, most folks need no introduction to the Seattle Marathon, a Thanksgiving weekend fixture for runners from the Northwest and beyond. Whoops, my bad. By truncating the title, I don't mean to diss the "University of Washington Medical Center Seattle Marathon '07." Sorry.

Now meet the Ghost of Seattle Marathon -- sans sponsorship prefix. And that is one of the key points of the race, also a Thanksgiving weekend fixture for the Northwest's running counterculture. It's a low-key event with an ultramarathoning attitude and ambience, occurring annually on the day before its much more massive marathoning cousin. For some participants, it's a nostalgic trek on the former Seattle Marathon course, a now-two-decade-old layout along Lake Washington, a double out-and-back that loops through Seward Park and up past Interstate 90 and back. It all harkens back to when the marathon was a glorified club run, with few of the 21st century mainstream marathoning accoutrements, and it drew fields that numbered in the hundreds rather than the thousands.             

 

  THE SEATTLE GHOST MANIAC RUNNERS

    

    Linda Walter and Lesa Overfield                                             Starters of the “Ghost”                                                        Genia Kacey          


On this Saturday, the field numbered in the dozens -- well, maybe four. Most were running the marathon, a handful in an accompanying 50k and half-marathon. A disproportionate number were Marathon Maniacs, a club whose entry-level membership requires completing three marathons in three months. Prospective MM members also can run two marathons in two days, and that admittedly was an attraction in this race for yours truly. But the back-to-back marathoning nut fell from the tree eight years ago, when I did the 50k version of the Ghost. At the start, the race director asked for a show of hands on who was doing the Seattle Marathon the next day, and more than one-third confessed. It's a thought that hadn't crossed my mind before but has loitered there since.
Thus began the quest for the maniacal double:

* GHOST OF SEATTLE MARATHON:
Arrived about 15 minutes before the start after the Metro bus driver on Route 39, who had been asked to let me off as close to Seward Park as possible, somehow forgot about the one remaining passenger on the predawn weekend route and took me to the end of the line and then back. It mattered little, as there was no line for the bathroom or the check-in table. The bus was a warmer place to wait than the park, anyway. Not that the weather was extreme. It was cloudy but dry, temps in the mid-30s for the 8 a.m. start but rising above 40 as the sun peeked through around noon.

Lined up with fellow Marathon Maniacs James Klarich and better half Mary--James in the marathon and Mary doing a shorter training run. I stayed with them a mile or so, but they were long gone after my first walking break. The plan was to treat the double marathon like a 50-miler and walk two minutes a mile -- at regular intervals on the flat spots and on the few upgrades. After looping Seward Park clockwise, we came back to the start and one of two strategically placed aid stations that offered provisions about every four miles. It was ultratype stuff -- water, sports drink, candy, fruit, potato chips, pretzels, some other stuff that skipped my mind. I carried water and sports drink; the chips supplemented them beautifully.



Quickly, the other runners left me behind, even those replicating my double. I saw them coming back maybe a mile or more before the first turnaround. I was settling into an extremely comfortable 11-12-minute-per-mile pace, supplemented by extended -- and unanticipated -- use of the facilities. So this is the true price of Thanksgiving overindulgence. Meanwhile, we ran amid neighborhood residents out for a stroll, neighborhood residents' dogs out for a stroll and scores of bicyclists touring the lakeside bike loop. One peloton must have had 30 riders. Near the north turnaround at Leschi Park were restaurants and the ubiquitous Starbucks, all occupied by bicyclists. The race director advised we could stop at Starbucks ("But you have to bring money"). I brought money but opted for the aid station with the chips and M&Ms.

       

         Tom Stoltz in “rare” form                                                McGyver, Marathon Freak and Jon Yoon                                    Margaret Barrett

The halfway point, the quarter-point for the double -- saw a stop for food and an extra pair of gloves -- the wind had picked up a tad. Off I went with a 2-hour, 23-minute half-marathon split, comfortably under sub-5 goal. Another loop around the forested peninsula of Seward Park, another potato chip stop, another out-and-back focusing on, then passing under, the Interstate 90 bridge. The extremely nice lady at the aid station near the turnaround unfortunately believed me when I said I thought I was the last runner. She closed up shop, only to rush back when she recognized a couple of women behind me. It was hard to tell us from the locals -- this race had no bib numbers.

The legs started feeling more stressed in the final miles than I would have liked, so I kept walking two minutes per mile through the end. The key to all of this was not bonking in the first race, and I wasn't quite sure if I avoided that or not. The race director's watch got me at 4:57:06 -- I wish I could subtract the eight minutes lost in the facilities. That put me 30th out of 34. At the finish were a couple of surprise witnesses: the tolerant spouse and the bemused stepson. I thought they had better ways to pass the time. In true ultra style, the race director was warming soup and grilling hot dogs for all the finishers. Both went down well, as did the remaining Payday candy bars. The warmish sunshine (temps in low 40s) and cordial companions encouraged lingering, but eventually it was back onto Metro Route 39 and to downtown Seattle, to the high-rise Westin Hotel with its expo and packet pickup and timing chip and prerace instructions for the next day's race. Thus armed, it was back to Metro Route 255 and a trip back to the suburban motel and a bath, a large meal (salmon/garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus no doubt from Peru, a sore point for asparagus growers in the Yakima Valley) and a long sleep. The quest was halfway done.

 

                                                                                                THE SEATTLE MARATHON EXPO

     
                                          mph, Aunt Fun and pigtails                                                       Carol Dellinger with her sponser…Saucony


* SEATTLE MARATHON, Nov. 25:
Here's a confession. I have no problem with the UW Medical Center's sponsorship of this race. I wouldn't be up and running back-to-back marathons, and arguably not up and doing anything at all, without the UW cardiologists who laser-angioplastied my 100-percent coronary blockage back in 1993. That was, like, serious stuff. I appreciate the sentiment of the Ghost; I'm indebted to the skills of the UW Medical Center.

Sunday morning, off Route 255 and onto Route 13 with two young women,sisters. One recently moved to Seattle and was a spectator, the other a marathoner from the Philadelphia area. The Route 13 driver, on his toes as Metro bus drivers tend to be, shooed us off at a stop: "You'll get closer to the marathon start on the 16 that's right behind us." The 16 dropped us two blocks from the start. The marathon walkers had already gone, and the half-marathoners were lining up. Numerous porta-potties kept the lines nonexistent. It was chilly, again in the mid-30s in the morning, but the day promised more sunshine than the previous day. Midday temps reached the mid-40s. No rain for two straight days in Seattle? What gives? Shouldn't I feel guilty?

Talked to a Maniac whom I'd recognized from the day before; turns out, it was Jon Yoon. He was a veteran of this doubling thing. He was also a lot faster than yours truly. I knew from training -- back-to-back long runs --that the first mile would reveal everything. The initial signs were ominous; the legs felt dead, the pack with water, sports drink and cell phone in case I crashed and burned felt very heavy, man. Anything in the neighborhood of 10 minutes for the first mile would be very encouraging.

  

      Gary “Red Rabbit” Marr                           Maniacs with Guest Speaker Maniac #133 Dick Beardsley                   Steve Barrick and daughter

Off we went, not quite 2,000 of us. I lined up way in back, where I belonged, and it took a little over a minute to get to the start. We meandered under the supports of the Monorail, and soon came an impressive and enduring image of an urban marathon: the skyscrapers of Fifth Avenue banking a river of runners. Several of us commented on that. The crowd of runners kept my pace slow, and I had no expectations as we approached mile one. The bullhorn call was barely distinguishable in the crowd: " ... 10:58 ... 11 minutes ...." In real terms, that's about a 9:55. This just might work. I started walking for two minutes a mile.

A long, sweeping ramp took us out of downtown and onto the Interstate 90 express lanes. Another enduring image: the condensation from the breathing of 2,000 runners rising in the faint morning glow. We entered and exited a long tunnel and emerged onto the Lacey V. Murrow (brother of Edward R.) floating bridge, which carries I-90 traffic across Lake Washington. Mile 4 in the tunnel was right at 45 minutes with seven minutes walking. This might just work.

On the mile-and-a-half-long bridge, I caught up with Bob Dolphin, our internationally famous Hard Core Runners member. The lead runners were coming back after a turnaround; Bob spent about half his energy moving forward and the other half acknowledging the scores of returning runners yelling his name. Together in about 1:10 we hit the 10K, where we touched land on Mercer Island before taking on the bridge again. The 100-foot or so upgrade from lake level to land was the most significant hill of the first 20 miles.

As we returned on the bridge, a young woman brightly said, "Hi, there!" It was the Philadelphia visitor from the 13/16 buses. She said, "I did a marathon last weekend, so I'm going real easy today." I one-upped her with my tale of the day before, then immediately felt like a schmuck. Quickly I pointed out one of the distinctive Marathon Maniac yellow singlets and explained. That seemed to pump her up after she realized that finishing this race would also qualify her. We ran off-and-on together for the next six miles or so.
    

Prez, Rob Jacobsen, Action Jackson, Kurt Lauer          Jack Swanson                     Ruben Contreras, aNnIe Thiessen and Hollywood


Off the bridge at mile eight, we were in very familiar scenery. The next 11 miles would cover the same ground that I had traversed twice the day before. Two key differences: We ran the Seward Park loop counterclockwise as opposed to the day before, and for three-plus miles we were heading south --  
directly into the sun, which sits low on the horizon in late November at latitude 47. Seward Park brought us to the halfway point, 2:31:06 in gun time, and also put the sun at our backs for most of the rest of the race. This is also when my confidence began to build. The splits weren't blazing -- 11:30 to 12:00, slower for one of my four pit stops -- but the legs were holding up and I was starting to pass people.

This was a gentle, friendly, loving, huggable course for 20 miles. After that, it turned mean. I don't know what we did to it, but suddenly the course hated us. Mile 20-21 threw a 125-foot rise topping out with an old friend, the Madison Street hill, last covered by yours truly in the 1986 Emerald City Marathon. Back then, it was mile 10. Back then, I actually ran up hills in marathons. Then a glorious plunge into the Lake Washington Arboretum -- glorious if you still have quads left. Because of 45 minutes of walking, I did. Then came the mother of climbs, 250 feet up to mile 22. From there it obviously trended downhill, but it was all grade, either up or down, to the finish. For any runner who has hit the wall, this was a trek through Hades.

               
  Daughter Stephanie Powers Day and Dad Bill Powers                              Tim Pate, Richard Stewart, “Cat” Schwartz and Tim Bruce

An oddity at mile 25: Passing right in front the nightclub where I saw the bemused stepson perform a musical gig last summer. Just past that, I managed to avoid stumbling over the tracks for what officialdom calls the South Lake Union Line of the Seattle Streetcar; the locals prefer South Lake Union Trolley -- because of the acronym.

Though this, I was moving well and picking up places. My pace dropped under 11 min/miles, even when walking uphill. After 18 miles of wondering what I was doing, the last seven I wondered why it had to end. This was a finish to savor, which I did in 5:04:56 (gun), 5:03:49 (chip), 1,108 of 1,236 men and 1,634 of 1,879 overall. In the age group, 87 out of 100. My encore witnesses were the tolerant spouse and bemused stepson, who joined hundreds of others in Seattle Center's Memorial Stadium, then accompanied me indoors to the heated Recovery Area for soup that didn't measure up to the day before. Thus ended the weekend of racing contrasts. The one constant, of course, is the distance: twin 26.2-milers for Marathon Maniac No. 724, Iridium (four-star) Level.

* MARATHONS BY THE NUMBERS:

* Number of finishers:
Ghost of Seattle Marathon: 34 (plus 11 half-marathoners and four 50kers)
Seattle Marathon: 1,879 (plus 130 or so marathon walkers and 5,100 half-marathoners)

* Entry fee
Ghost: $20
Seattle: $107.50 (including "processing and shipping" for online entry)
    

              Barefoot Todd                     Maniacs Pendleton, Briggs, Pascual and Jackson         Alicia (A.B.) Britt action                 Ginger Gruber 


* Bib number:
Ghost: No bibs
Seattle: 1567

* Splits:
Ghost: When you hit aid station and turnaround (4.57 mi, 8.88 mi, 13.1 mi,17.68 mi, 21.99 mi, assuming you remembered all that from looking at the Web 
site)

Seattle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 miles plus 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, 25K, 30K, 35K, 40K. 
All (or most) splits read by volunteers with aid of amplification.

* Personal half-marathon splits:
Ghost: 2:23:20, 2:33:46

Seattle: 2:31:06, 2:33:50 (gun time)
         

                Cowboy Jeff Bishton                                                                      Mel Preedy                                                                    Bob Dolphin


* Road closures
Ghost: None
Seattle: Fifth Avenue, Interstate 90 express lanes, lakeshore drive by several names, at least a half-dozen neighborhood streets and arterials

* Transport from Kirkland:
Ghost: Metro buses 255/39
Seattle: Metro buses 255/16/13 (or 2, 3, 4 on online trip planner); return by Monorail (but only after 9 a.m, because tourists aren't awake before 
then)/255

*Aid stations:
Ghost: Two (hit four times)
Seattle: 15

*Aid station offerings:
Ghost: Water, sports drink, candy, fruit, potato chips, pretzels
Seattle: Water, sports drink.

            

                             Maniac #3 tp!                                                             aNnIe Thiessen                                      Cliff “Quack Quack” Richards               


* Clothing check
Ghost: Leave gym bag next to van at start-finish
Seattle: Mark race-issue plastic sack with name and bib number, twist with 
tag that has bib number, leave with volunteer at Memorial Stadium.

* Race time:
Ghost: 4:57:06 (race director's phone)
Seattle: 5:04:56 (gun), 5:03:49 (chip)

* Personal half-marathon race splits:
Ghost: 2:23:20, 2:33:46
Seattle: 2:31:08, 2:33:11 (gun time)
* T-shirts:

Ghost: None
Seattle: Long-sleeve dirty yellow tech, "walking billboard" on back
    

                     Scott Tomchick                                                 Jane “camelback” Herzog and Ray “Mcgyver” Shaw                                         Fenny Roberts


*In prerace packet:
Ghost: No packet
Seattle: Copy of Outdoors Northwest magazine, entry forms for nine races, including three Sunbelt rock 'n' roll marathons and three Canadian 
marathons, a card for "nutrition drink" sample, card for a financial adviser, samples of lip balm, hair elastic bands, "high performance sport 
detergent," vitamin supplement and ubiquitous "udder cream," plus an admittedly way-cool poster that features a Google-type race-course map

* Number of stories in daily newspaper questioning race director's salary and race organization's fund-raising practices:
Ghost: None
Seattle: Three (through Tuesday, 11/27)

 

The marathonguide.com race summary: University of Washington Medical Center Seattle Marathon - Nov 25 - Seattle, WA
Uli Steidl "owned" the Seattle Marathon - winning the race nine years in a row. With Steidl not running the race in 2007, the top position was open and the 2006 runner-up Andy Martin, 32 of Los Osos CA, successfully rose to the top, winning the 2007 Seattle Marathon in 2:27:11. Brett Winegar, 28 of Shoreline WA, the runner-up at the 2006 Portland Marathon, finished second in 2:29:11. Jesse Williams, 30 of Seattle WA, was third in 2:33:12. Steve Krebs, 45 of Wheat Ridge CO, was first Masters finisher in 2:48:51. While there was no Steidl to win the men's race, defending champion Trisha Steidl, 30 of Shoreline WA, successfully defended her title as the first female finisher in 2:59:20. Steidl was also second at the Seattle Marathon in 2002 and 2003 and fourth in 2004 when she received her marriage proposal at the finish line. Annie Thiessen, 37 of Tacoma WA, who finished fourth in 2006 and has four marathon victories in 2007, finished second in 3:01:21. Sarah Louise Cumber, 36 of Sowerby Bridge, was third in 3:04:31.

   

                                        The Prez and Bob Martin                                                                                       Steve Supkoff and Greg Mills

 

And lest we forget, the Maniac cast of thousands whom participated in the Seattle Marathon: Herb Allen, Corrine Austerman, Keven Babbitt, Gilles Barbeau, Jonathan Bernard, Cowboy Jeff Bishton, Barb Blumenthal, Ken Briggs, Alicia Britt, Faye Britt, Jon “Ice” Burg, Janet Burgess, Amanda Cohn, Ruben Contreras, Mark Cook, Mark Dix, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Steve Duncan, Hope Fox, Steve “El Pinguino” Frederickson, Nathan Greene, Ginger Gruber, David Hamilton, Jane “camelback” Herzog, Yolanda “Walking Diva” Holder, Brian “Action” Jackson, Robert Jacobsen, Eric Jensen, Barefoot Jon, Barefoot Todd, Dean Kayler, Gary Kobold, Phil “Uncle Philly” Kriss, Mary (cartwheels) Latta, Kurt Lauer, sancho Lin, Stevie Ray, Craig MacBean, Jon “Coconutboy” Mahoney, Sherry “MMM” Mahoney, Bob Martin, Dave Miller, Little Leslie, Greg Mills, Jess Mullen, Monte Pascual, Tim Pate, Gwen Payne, Cheri Pompeo (Gillis), Bill Powers, Stephanie Powers day, Mel Preedy, Jeanette Quintana, Michael Rasmussen, Cliff “quack quack” Richards, Jeffrey Roger, Tom Rogers, Marilou Russell, Lorelei Sadowski, Richard Sadowski, Tom Saunders, Catherine “Cat” Schwartz, Ray “McGyver” Shaw, Michael Shiach, David “Marathon Diet” Spooner, Brian Starkey, Richard Stewart, Tom Stoltz, David Stout, Steve Supkoff, Gunhild Swanson, Jack Swanson, Thomas Tan, aNnIe Thiessen, Nancy Kay Thomsen, Scott Tomchick, Maniac #3 tp!, Erika Van Flein, Gregg Walchli, Steve “Marathon Freak” Walters, Hollywood Warren, Steve White, Catherine “Aunt Fun” Wyman, Prez Steven Yee, Guy Yogi, Jon Yoon, Marie Zornes

  

    David Hamilton and Marilou Russell                            Gunhild Swanson                                          Corrine Austerman and Erika Van Flein

 

Changes to the Monthly Maniac Newsletter

The monthly newsletter will be experiencing changes in the next few months, maybe even with a “new editor”. With over 700 members, we can’t list all of the races and which Maniacs ran in them. I'll continue to list races with the names of 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 (you’ll have to inform me, especially if it’s an ultra!) and 6) give me any other reason to include it. And please keep those pictures coming my way.

 

            Noteworthy Accomplishments / Promotions / Omissions / Maniac Stuff:

Ø  Platinum (8 star) Maniac: Jim Collins (24 marathons in 24 states in one year)

Ø  Osmium (6 star) Maniac: Wayne Wright (16 marathons in 16 states in one year)

Ø  Iridium (4 star) Maniac: Jim Norman, Tom Stoltz, Jon Yoon  (2 in 2 days) , Phil Min (4 marathons in 22 days and 9 marathons in 9 states in one year) , Clarence Wilson Jr. (2 in 2 days…5 years ago!)

Ø  Gold Maniac (3 star): Bob Hearn (4 marathons in 29 days)

Ø  100 marathon mark: Barefoot Jon (Seattle Marathon)

Ø  50 marathon mark: Jim Collins (Route 66)

Ø  Donna Gering: In third place after four age-group Trophy Series events (Trail Runner)

Ø  Gary Allen: Has reached his goal of notching his 50th career sub 3-hour marathon (New York City) to match his age. His new goal is to see how long he can run at least one per year to match each successive year.

                                               

New Members for the Month of November

 

11/01 – Michael Cartwright #677 (Bellevue, Washington): Michael certainly prefers the dirt over the pavement as most of his completed races have been  ultramarathons. Starting in April 2007, he ran the Mt. Si 50km, Capitol Peak 50 mile, Watershed Preserve 12 hour and the Mt. Blanchard 50 km, all in a span of 42 days. He laments the fact that he missed Gold Level by 5 days! Nevertheless Michael, welcome to the wacky world of the Insane Asylum as Bronze.

 

11/01 – Michael Kuhlmann #678 ( Lakewood , Washington): Michael’s first marathon was the Tacoma Marathon where he must’ve seen the sea of yellow singlets and realized he needed to join this group of crazed runners. So with a little bit of training and voila…3 marathons in 2 months completed (Skagit Flats, Portland and Halloween). Michael, you’re made the Bronze level!

 

11/01 –Teresa Ellington #679 (Tulsa, Oklahoma): Anyone whom has completed the El Scorcho ultra, which started at midnight deserves to be called a Maniac!

Teresa recently completed 2 marathons in 16 days (Chicago and Wichita) to qualify for Bronze Maniac induction and just completed the Route 66 Marathon. 

Ø          

                Michael Cartwright                                                   Kirk White                                                                           Lisa Combs                 

 

11/01 – Kirk White #680 (University Place , Washington): Kirk’s first marathon was back in 1989 in Seattle and took a long hiatus from marathoning before returning last year to run in the Foot Traffic Flat in Portland. Coupled with the Park City Marathon and the Baker Lake 50km  qualified Kirk for Bronze Maniac induction in the Insane Asylum. His lifetime totals are 7 marathons /ultras in 3 states. And he qualified for Boston  in 2008!

 

11/02 – Lisa Combs #681 (Alabaster, Alabama): Lisa’s Bronze Maniac streak of  3 marathons in 3 months started with the Bartlett Parks Trail Ultra,  and the Tupelo and Columbus Marathons. What should be noted is that Bartlett Park was her first ever ultra and trail run…and she finished third female overall in 102 degree heat.

 

11/04 – David Tucker #682 (Westland, Michigan): David’s ultimate goal is to complete the 50 state circuit (in his words, before he wears out!) and so far he has run marathons in 11 states.  His introduction to marathons was rather blaise’…he thought it was interesting , but that the participants were crazy. When he first heard about the Marathon Maniacs, he thought it was interesting and yet the runners in it were crazy. Now he’s become one.  His recent completions of the Lakefront and Detroit qualifies him for Bronze level induction in the Insane Asylum. So guess what David…you’re crazy!


11/04 – Susan Berry #683 (Seattle, Washington): Since Susan’s family thinks she’s a Maniac, they’re probably right. Her recent streak of the Skagit Flats, Portland and Tri-Cities Marathon makes her a Bronze Maniac. So Susan, welcome to the Insane Asylum, a place where you will be treated with respect again!

          

                       David Tucker                                           Shelley Mahoney                                                Erika Van Flein (with Barefoot Jon)                               

 

11/06 – Shelley Mahoney #684 (Cohasset, Massachusetts): OK, even though Shelley doesn’t think Maniac yellow is flattering she still stoked about being a Maniac. A friend of Maniac 175 Shelleena Bunker, Shelley‘s  marathon completions at Chicago and the Breakers within 3 weeks of each other qualifies her for Bronze level in the Insane Asylum. 

 

11/06 – Erika Van Flein  #685 (Fairbanks, Alaska): Welcoming our very first member from the great state of Alaska, Erika was introduced to the Maniacs via Barefoot Jon. Being in Alaska does pose a greater challenge for Erika to find local marathons compared to members living in the continental U.S., but somehow she still manages. Having done the Equinox Marathon the past three years, she recently completed 3 marathons in 3 months to become a Bronze Maniac.


11/06 – Bill Gross #686 (Ridgefield, Connecticut): While Bill thinks he’s just a novice by Maniac standards, his wife think he should be institutionalized.

Being a mid-life convert, Bill started running three years ago while at 235 pounds and now is a svelte 160 pounds and a marathon machine. He has 10 lifetime marathons to his credit and with finishing the New York City and Philadelphia Marathons, he is now admitted to our tribe of chronically obsessed and off-center loons as a Bronze member. He promises to contribute his “unstable and demented” personality to the group.

    

                            Jerry Olsen                                                              Marie Zornes                                                      Seok Bee Lim and Susan Berry

 

11/12 – Jerry Olsen #687 (Downers Grove, Illinois): Jerry figured he’d start marathoning (2006 Chicago) and join the Maniacs soon after. By completing this year’s Quad Cities and Chicago marathon, Jerry earned reserved his spot in the Insane Asylum as a Bronze member. By the time you read this he also completed the Chicago 50km  ultramarathon.

 

11/06 – Maria Zornes #688 ( Gig Harbor , Washington): It’s always a treat when the Prez gets to meet new members and that’s what happened during the first mile of the recent Seattle Marathon. Marie insisted that I include her enclosed photo at Maui rather than her draped in a “garbage sack”! She has completed 8 marathons in 5 states and Canada and is a Bronze Maniac by having completed 3 marathons in 3 months.

 

11/06 – Phil Millard #689 (Mill Creek, Washington): Phil claims that he has seen the Maniacs at all of the marathons that he’s run (he’s probably correct!) and decided that it was high time for him to join. A true veteran of marathoning, his first one was run back in 1977 at the now defunct Trail’s End Marathon. After a series of marathons between 1979-1993, he didn’t return to the scene until 2003and since that “fateful” year has run numerous marathons. Phil is a 4-star Iridium Maniac by virtue of completing 9 marathons in 9 states in 11 months. Way to go Phil!

11/06 – Laura Benson  #690 (Moscow , Idaho): There are some new marathoners whom just couldn’t resist the urge of becoming Maniacs right off the bat and Laura is living proof of that. Her first two marathons were completed within 3weeks of each other, thus qualifying her for Bronze level membership.

 

11/07 – Al Kohli #691 (Lomira, Wisconsin): Al is also a member of the 50 states club and just need one more state to complete the circuit, which will happen in December at Honolulu. Last year Al ran 3 marathons in 3 states within the required 7 day period to thus earn him the 4-star Iridium level. He has 89 lifetime marathons to his credit.                

        

                           Al Kohli                                                               Lily Unk                                                                        Ty and Alemma

 

11/08 – Debbie Gobins #692 (Phoenix, Arizona): Perhaps Debbie had a premonition she would become a Maniac someday as her very first one was back in 1986…the Pikes Peak Marathon! Since that time she has completed a mind-numbing 320 marathons and ultras.  While accumulating that total has involved several Maniac streaks, the best so far has been 16 marathons in 16 states in one year, thus earning her the rare 6-star Osmium Maniac level.

 

11/09 – Todd Lehman #693 (Hesston, Kansas): Todd is another one of those runners whom just enjoys running lots of marathons. His best streak is 13 marathons in one year, thus earning him a 3-star Gold level membership in the Insane Asylum. He has 17 lifetime marathons completed in 10 states.

 

11/10 – Seok Bee Lim #694 (Seattle, Washington): A friend of newly inducted Maniac #683 Susan Berry, Seok recently completed the Skagit Flats, Portland and Tri-Cities trifecta to qualify for Bronze membership in the Maniacs. She has one other completed marathon to her credit in two states.

 

11/12 – Gary Beaty #695 (San Antonio, Texas): After a busy couple of weeks, Gary is ready to join the Marathon Maniacs. Starting with the Marine Corps Marathon and followed by the Rocky Raccoon 50km and the San Antonio Marathon all within a 2-week period, Gary qualifies as a full-fledged 2-star Silver Maniac.

 

11/12 – Lily Unk #696 (Issaquah, Washington): Lily first marathon  was back in 2004 at the Northwest favorite Newport Marathon. She’s averaged one per year until recently when she completed the Royal Victoria and the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco within a few weeks of each other. She is now certifiably Bronze and Insane.

    

                          Dusty Hardman                                                      ….is no longer a marathon virgin. She’s a Maniac!

 

11/12 – John Lotts #697 (Central Point, Oregon): John was given the Maniac communication link via Maniac Linda Barton as wanting to join the Insanity by having completed the Bronze qualifier criteria. During an 8-week stretch, John completed the Top of Utah, St. George Marathons and the Autumn Leaves 50km ultra. So John, welcome to the Marathon Maniacs and the Insane Asylum!

 

11/14 – Alemma #698 (Yorktown, Virginia):Alemma is a relative newbie to the marathon world though has quickly become addicted to it. She just recently

completed her highlight(s) of the year, the completions of the Marine Corps and the Richmond Marathons to qualify for Bronze Maniac induction in the Insane Asylum. At Richmond she ran the entire race with her good friend and Maniac #699 Ty, which is the reason they asked to join the Maniacs together. 

 

11/14 – Ty #699 (Raleigh, North Carolina): When Maniacs #698 and #699 first met on-line, little did they realize that they would be etched together (and forever) in Maniac lore. Their lives had so many similarities and parallels it was inevitable that they would run their marathons together. Ty has the exact same streak as Alemma and are Bronzed, together.

 

11/14 – Karen Van Rite #700 (New Berlin, Wisconsin): Karen started marathoning in 2000and has completed what many of us aspire to do…finish all 50 states and DC.  Back in 2003, Karen completed her best marathon streak of running in 14 states that year, thus earning her the coveted 5-star Ruthenium status. Her lifetime totals are 76 marathons and 2 ultras.

                                   

                                                  Kay Evans and friends                                                                                                           Jen Savage

11/14 – Dusty Hardman #701 (Victor, Idaho): Dusty has come a long way since in the last 13 months she is proud to say that she is no longer a marathon virgin, triathlon virgin or an ultra virgin. Her Bronze Maniac streak consisted of the marathon in the Vineman Triathlon, the Grand Teton 50 and finally the New York City Marathon.  She prescribes by the infamous words of Steve Prefontaine…”To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift.”

 

11/14 – Kim Lobree #702 (Bellevue, Washington): Kim started running marathons back in 2000 and has run them in 4 states. Her Bronze Maniac qualifier consisted of the North Face 50km, Halloween Marathon and the Ron Herzog 50km. She enjoys mixing her marathons by competing in shorter races (10 km;s and half marathons) and has participated in many of the Northwest relay races.  

 

11/15 – Kay Evans #703 (Chocowinity, North Carolina): Kay has certainly travelled around the Unites States to satisfy her marathon thirst. With 30 states completed and with her best Maniac streak of 9 states in 12 months, Kay has made it to 4-star Iridium level in the Insane Asylum.  She may be known to some Maniacs as “Dirtball”, aka the Chicken Lady!

 

11/19 – Jen Savage #704 (Warsaw, Indiana): Jen had her best Maniac streak starting in April 2007 with the Martian and Trail Marathons and ended with the Hawthorn ultra, thus making it to Bronze Maniac status. And Jen does have some bragging rights, with her win the Women’s Open in the Hawthorn Ultra and also won the Women’s 50km race at Lake City this year. While she says that she isn’t going for 50 states as she can’t afford the travel and because of work commitments, sometimes being a Maniac does some very strange things…..

                                 

Michael Hagen and favorite running partner                                Larry Greenberg                                                      Lynne Evans

11/19 – Michael Hagen #705 (Salina, Kansas): Michael started running marathons in 2003 and has 14 lifetime marathons, 2 of which were in full military uniform and backpack at the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon. His Bronze Maniac streak was completed recently at the Twin Cities Marathon and the Des Moines Marathon.


11/19 – Kyla Wallace #706 (Renton, Washington): Kyla is a Bronze Maniac with her recent finishes at the Nike San Francisco and the New York City Marathons.


11/19 – Larry Greenberg #707 (Chester Springs, Pennsylvania): Larry had read about the Maniacs and decided to join as a way of challenging himself to greater heights. While only having done 3 marathons (Bronze qualifier with 2 in 3 weeks at New York City and Philadelphia), he’s completely hooked on the entire marathon experience. He can’t wait until 2008 rolls around his spring schedule is already set.

  
11/19 – May Curran #708 (Woburn, Massachusetts): May took the marathon plunge back in 2005 (Marine Corps) and has a few Ironman finishes to her credit (Florida and Lake Placid). Her Bronze qualifier was met recently at the New York City and the Route 66 Marathons.

              

                                                Paul Ahnberg (second from right)                                                                                                Karl Leitz

 

11/19 – Julie Garcia #709 (Houston, Texas): Julie enjoys those ultras as her maniac streak of 3 in 3 months consisted of 2 ultras (one 50 km and the other a 50 miler) interspersed with a marathon in between. Julie is a Bronze Maniac and her motto is “If you think you can’t, you’re probably right”.

 

11/19 – Deborah Botkin #710 (Bonaire, Georgia): As Deborah put it, she finally reached a point where her marathon streak just started and got to the point where she can join the club…Yippee! With her finish at the Chikamauga Marathon and a few weeks before at the Marine Corps Marathon, Deborah is now a Bronze Maniac. She already has calendar laid out for the next 5 months, with the Old Pueblo 50 miler in March 2008 being her event. 

 

11/19 – Paul Ahnberg #711 (Bradenton, Florida):Paul recently completed his Bronze Maniac qualifier with the completions of the Tupelo, Towpath and the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey marathons within the requisite 3 month period. A friend of Maniac #275 Peggy Shashy, Paul has completed 15 lifetime marathons in 12 states and DC.


11/20 – Lynne Evans #712 (Etowah, North Carolina): Lynne said it best, “I have finally made the cut”! With her finishes at the Chickamauga and the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Lynne is now a Bronze Maniac. She has 12 lifetime marathons to her credit, run in 6 states.  She thanks Maniac Phil Min for running Chickamauga with her, which I’m sure he was performing some of his magic “Maniac recruiting”!


11/21 – Nancy Stoltzfus #713 (Parkesburg, Pennsylvania): Nancy is a 2-star Silver Maniac with 6 marathon completions in 6 months (Myrtle Beach, ING Atlanta, Boston, Lincoln, Grandma’s and Leading Ladies).

 

                                                Phil Broyles                                                                                                                         Charise Shively

 

11/21 - Karl Leitz #714 (Jersey City, New Jersey):A travelling Maniac, Karl has run marathons in 9 states so far in 2007, thus earning him the 4-star Iridium level in the Insane Asylum.  He has completed 14 lifetime marathons in 11 states and DC and hopes to be sporting Maniac yellow in January 2008 at the Redding Marathon. 

 

11/22 - Betsy Bromley #715 (Clearwater, Florida): Betsy enjoys those mega-marathons, as her Bronze maniac streak of 2 in 2 weeks consisted of the Marine Corps and the New York City Marathon.

 

11/23 – Phil Broyles #716 (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania): Phil started running in 2006 and says he is addicted and can’t stop now. His recent finishes at the Marine Corps and Harrisburg Marathons qualify him for Bronze level membership in the Insane Asylum. He has run 3 marathons in 2007 and plans to run 5 in 2008.


11/24 – Charise Shively #717 (Albion, Washington): Charise started marathoning this year, completing her first one in Coeur D’Alene in May. Her Bronze Maniac streak consisted of the Haulin’ Aspen, Lake Chelan Shore to Shore and the Marine Corps Marathon. The latter marathon was special to Charise, as well as to Maniac #716 as they had a mini family reunion there. Charise and Phil are the first sister and brother Maniac combination.

          

                      Wendi Shulte                                                 Paul Gentry                                                         Ric Hart (with the Penguin)

 

 

11/25 – Wendi Shulte #718 (Plant City, Florida): Wendi enjoys running marathons all over the United States as witnessed by her 7 lifetime marathons run in 6 states and DC.  She completed her Bronze Maniac qualifier of 3 races in 3 months with her finishes at the Air Force, Detroit and the Philadelphia Marathons.

 

11/26 – Paul Gentry #719 (Belfair, Washington): Paul has been in the Pacific Northwest for 5 years but has always avoided the Seattle Marathon due to weather and hills. But the Prez recently saw Paul toe the start line of the Seattle Marathon where he enthusiastically proclaimed that the race will qualify him for Bronze Maniacism, with his streak of 3 marathons in 7 weeks (Bellingham Bay, Tri-Cities and Seattle).  So Maniacism does do strange thing to the mind! Seattle was his 10th lifetime marathon and he has never repeated one. When not training for marathons, Paul likes to tinker around with music, so please check out his website.   http://GentryMusicWeb.com


11/26 – Rich Menzel #720 (Everett, Washington): Rich recently completed his Maniac streak of 3 in 3 months (Skagit Flats, Bellingham Bay and Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey) to earn him Bronze level membership. He has run 21 lifetime marathons in 9 states.

 

11/26 – Ric Hart #721 (Monroe, Washington): Ric doesn’t let his asthma get in the way of marathoning, of which he has completed 14 of them. His last three (Skagit Flats, Bellingham Bay and Seattle) qualified him for Bronze level in the Insane Asylum and at the beginning of 2008, will have completed his 10th state to qualify for the 50 states club.

   

                Michael Lacombe                                                                                        Frank Purdy                                                                              Grant Lindsay   

 

11/26 – Michael Lacombe #722 (Puyallup, Washington):Michael has been around the marathon scene for quite some time and has seen the Main Maniacs at quite a few races, long and short. He decided the “stars were aligned perfectly this time” so he recently completed his streak of 3 marathons in 3 months (Skagit Flats, Bellingham Bay and Seattle), making him certifiably Bronze and Insane. His lifetime totals include 49 marathons and 5 ultras, in 5 states and 3 countries.

 
11/26 – Mike Brigoli #723 (Hilo, Hawaii): Another Hawaiian Maniac to add to the Insane Asylum, Mike just started running in 2007, with his first being the Big Island Marathon  in March. He has stayed on the islands to complete his Maniac streak of 3 in 3 months (Kona, Volcano and the Maui Marathons).

 

11/27 – Frank Purdy #724 (Toppenish, Washington): Franks’s marathon career started way back in 1983 with the Mt. Si Marathon. For the next 20+ years, he engaged in 1-2 or no marathons a year until just a few weeks ago he must’ve got caught in a “weak moment” by participating in the Ghost of Seattle and Seattle Marathons on back to back days, which earned him 4-star Iridium status. Frank is involved with Yakima’s Hard Core Runners as their newsletter editor so the Prez knows what he goes through in putting together the monthly edition! 

                

     The maniacs first sister/brother combo: Charise Shively and Phil Broyles      More Flying Monkey Maniacs (Bishton, Scheer, Veneble)

 

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

 

Hiya Mr. Prez:

 

I’m putting two and two together here, Stevie: 

1) You live in Washington, which is pretty far north; 

2) Everybody in the great North seems to know Yee; so, I figure Sled Driver Man knows you too, and he will read this if you send it to him. 

 

“Dear Santa,    

 

Well, hey hey hey, Saint Nick! I hear you’ve decided to run a marathon in ‘08!  Way to go, Bearded One!  IronMan Phillipi sends his regrets about not being able to coach you. Honestly? You can’t swim a lick, and you’d surely break a bike, so I suspect he doesn’t have much hope for your running, and so he asked if I would help you. Well, who better, huh?  We have many better marathoners in the club, but few more likely to run your pace.  So let’s go, Papa Elf!

 

First off, well, “off” would be the operative word, there, oh Jolly One.  With all due respect, you’re carrying a few too many ho-ho-ho’s around, so here’s the game plan. 

 

One, Christmas Eve, that whole cookies and milk bit, that’s got to go.  Sure, some traditions need keeping, so, you get to Switzerland, you get one piece of chocolate; Bavaria, one pastry; France, one cruller, got it?  No?  Listen, Plentifully Pillowed Person, we don’t even carry a singlet in your size, so get rolling here! (alright, I could have picked a better word there). 

   

Two, whole food supplements! A veggie meal-replacement shake replaces those morning bacon-egg-and-cheese bagels and Cappuccino chasers!  Health food stores, that’s the ticket! We’ll be buying you a new belt in no time! Hopefully something a bit more stylish, too. Why do you think those little elves get so much done, SC?  No waisted energy, Bubba!

 

Three, you already know what the all the children want, so stop this sitting around in the stores all day long already! And yes, yes, the sled is very pretty, but come on, Santa Beans, ride, sit, ride, sit… get out for a walk once in a while, will you?

 

You know the deer will thank you! Speaking of Rudolph and Co. … we’ve got some incredible athletes in our club, but nobody touches their 24-hour event of dragging you and your sledstrosity all over the place. Whatever energy drink it is they’re downing, man, get some!

 

Alright, that’s enough for lesson one.  Now I’ve got a few requests.

 

On the “have I been good” question, I’ll give it to you straight: Kind of! …except… for not stretching regularly … and when volunteers at races stick their fingers in the water cups, I suppose I should stop dumping the water on their heads… and… there was Boston… that whole kissing Wellesley co-eds bit …that’ll haunt me, at least until next April.

 

On the plus side, I have stopped pushing people who cut me off at corners.  At the last expo, I took only nine packets of Tylenol.   I let Korecki win four times this year!  I start in the right corrals (it is fun being the last guy to cross the starting line in New York…the sweeper police car is right there again, but they can’t touch me!).  And when it is cold out before a race, if the race provides a campfire, I let girls stand near me.

 

So with all this good behavior in mind, Dear Mr. Claus, I humbly request:

 

1)     Beautiful San Diego to move their marathon to February;

2)     Ice cold Coke at all races’ mile 20;

3)     I need a good escape answer to the latest Maniac question… at Saturday-morning-marathons… “so, Rev, which Marathon are you running tomorrow?”

4)     The ability to run an ultra, not because I want to run an ultra…I just want to enjoy running a mile 23 at a marathon;

5)     Just one more time, I’d like the experience of running a marathon without walking a bit…that’d be great… that would bring me up to…one;

6)     Couple of jelly donuts…you know, good pre-race fuel…

7)     A pair of those sneakers kids wear that have the little wheels on the bottom, only don’t tell anyone;

8)     I’d like to try a 24-hour run, but a headlamp seems awkward, so how about one of those shiny nose attachments?  They’re red;

9)     The account number of Larry Macon’s Delta Frequent Flyer Membership;

10)  Whatever constitution you gave Bob Dolphin…if I can run at age 53 what he runs at 78…

11)  Lenore Dolphin’s true heart, which no heart ailment can ever weaken;

12)  Steve Yee’s temperament, Possum’s smile, and the Barefooted Fellers’ Feet;

13)  Our Programmer’s skill, and Steve’s, Chris’, and Tony’s generosity with their time;

14)  A return to action of King and Queen Turtle, J. Ellis and Meredith, and all our other injured buddies;

15)  a) SRLopez’s negotiating skills, and…b) his taste in shirt color (see, Santa, I figure you won’t give me all of these, so this could be the one you forget);

16)  Larry Macon (“What’s up with this Macon guy getting two lines?” You run 79 marathons a year two or three years in a row, you get Something, no?) Santa, I’d like to see Larry just once not flying off to a “next marathon” but rather sitting with us, swapping stories over a burger after a race;

17)  Please let a whole bunch of other selfless wonders in this club know how very much they’re appreciated, and all the newcomers Welcome!;

18)  Finally, for everyone, everywhere, a quieter, surer appreciation for this wonderful gift of Life, and the capacity to share serene, superb, Spirit-filled love to all.

 

                                                                                    Merry Christmas, Santa.

                                                                                    Kienz”

 

Rev

dgkienz@yahoo.com

 

               

Maniac Ongoing Discounts

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

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

·         10% off any running shoes, apparel at the Foot Zone store (Bellevue location only, ask for Jenny)

·         discount on BITE sandals (contact Tony at tony@marathonmaniacs.com for details)

·         More to come in the November/December Newsletter and to the web site soon. The President has written…

 

 

       Yeah, that aNiMal…she did it to me again!                                                                        Hmm Action, you do have a nice ***!