Marathon Maniacs News Letter – October 2004

First off, let me apologize for getting this month's newsletter out so late. October was truly a busy month for all the Maniacs, as witnessed by the incredible amount of races. A lot of times, Main Maniac (with cat on head) either is 1) too busy training, 2) has to clean the cat house, 3) loses focus on what's important or 4) is at a loss of what to write. But there's one thing he knows…great performances and running by all the Maniacs in October. Keep those race reports coming. Send us race photos…we need to see you on the website!

October Highlights

· Sean Meissner wins the Tahoe Triple…again.

· 10 Maniacs complete the Tahoe Triple, 7 Maniacs complete "Quadzilla"

· Fastest Maniac Meghan Arbogast proudly sings…"we're in the money"!

· Halloween Marathon: the first 6 overall finishers were Maniacs

· Jennifer Yogi wins Tri-Cities Marathon, Alicia Britt first masters

· The 4 banditas from Washington cleaning up at Javelina…don't mess with these ladies!

· 11 new members…geez Main Maniac, you haven't even initiated Lois Berkowitz and yet she still makes this month's newsletter.

Upcoming Marathon News

· If you're looking for a low-key marathon to participate in the great Northwest and really don't want to spend the $$ it would take to enter the Seattle Marathon, there's the "ghost" of the Seattle Marathon the day before (Nov 27) at Seward Park, starting time at 0800 hours. For details, contact Scott Krell at (425) 922-3343 or e-mail him at scott.krell@philips.com. And yes, this marathon would count as an official race in the Insane Asylum!

· December 26, Run for the Ranch Marathon: Here's some info passed on from a runner we met at the Montana Marathon. The race director of the Run for the Ranch in Missouri will let some crazy people make that into a double marathon. You'll have to supply your own aid, etc. but won't need much since it'll be cold.
- Nothing definite on start time yet, etc. but it'll be a very easy one to make a double out of as the race has an unsual afternoon start time.
- Paul Piplani knows the RD and has arranged it. Here's his e-mail: daredoc@worldnet.att.net for any info on it. It is a great end of year chance to increase anyone's total marathon count for the year. Hope to see some other folks do a double that day also. Please forward to any crazy runners you know.

· Anyone interested in doing the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon next June? If so, here are some reduced entry fees, courtesy of Jerry Dunn, the event director (thank you "slug" for spreading the Maniac news!). From now until the end of November, entry is $55 full; $40 half / December 1st, til May 15: $65 full; $45 Half / May 15 to May 30; $75 full; $50 half. Your maniacs can take $10 off the full and $5 of the half of any of the above fees. However, in order to do that, I'd like for them to download the entry form and mail it to me, so as not to have to mess with trying to do this at the online registration site. Be sure to write down that you are a Marathon Maniac.
Additional option: If they want to register on line, at the listed fee, I will give them a $10 coupon for Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon merchandises. (Of course they will have to make me aware that they are in fact MANIACS. Jerry can be contacted at (605) 641-3534.

Race Summaries

October 2

St. George Marathon: Bill Mandler, Steve Monk, Doug MacLean, Ted Coulson, Linda Horne

Wild Bill is knocking down some fast times…he set a PR of 3:01:01. And it's great to see Linda back in the running mix again.

New Hampshire Marathon: J. Ellis, Paul Hargrave, Roger Biggs

Baker Lake 50K: After a one-year hiatus, Ultramaniacs Glenn Tachiyama, Cheri Gillis, Tim Lofton, Tony Covarrubias, Kendall Kreft and Diana "Slug" Robinson got to enjoy this scenic trail run. If you want to sign up for this classic, better do it early as it tends to fill up fast.

Capitol Peak 50K: This scenic figure-8 course comprised of two humongous climbs, enjoyed by Maniacs Van Phan, Tony Phillippi and future Maniac Olga Varlamova. The race included the option of predicting your time without wearing a watch. We're happy to hear that our sandals guy Tony won the contest, and for his efforts received a Sierra Tent.

October 3

Sportshoe Center Maine: J. Ellis, Keith Panzer, Diva Burns, Meridith Johnson

Portland Marathon: Marc Frommer, Chris Warren, Ruben Contreras, Eric Gierke, Mike Shiach, Gunhild and Jack Swanson, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Mike Wakabayashi, Greg Walchli, Cyndie Merten, Alicia Britt, Connie Ridenour, Fenny Roberts, Jim Scheer, Carol Dellinger, Doug MacLean, Ted Coulson, Robert Hester, Brian Baker, and future Maniac Ruth Balf. Always a plethora of Maniacs at Portland, don't forget to read Bob Dolphin's account of the race (and all his races) on the website, on his own personal page.

Twin Cities Marathon: Meghan Arbogast, Marie Bartoletti, Steve (PR!) Supkoff, Bruce Katter

Here's an excerpt of the race from an elite racer…Fast Maniac Meghan, whom not only is an exceptional runner but an equally talented writer.

Twin Cities Marathon beckons, as it is the USATF master's championship race, and as such, offers depth of prize money, support, and competition unrivaled by any major race I know of. I arrived in town on Thursday, and soon ran from my hotel to the last portion of the course. Two years ago, I really suffered on this uphill 6 miles, and wanted to have another look at it before Sunday. And as I experienced before, was surprised at how gentle the hill really is when you are fresh. The next few days were spent with massage, eating, sleeping, napping, getting special fluids bottles ready, a press conference, technical meeting, and best of all, getting together with friends.

My own goals were simple - have fun, run my own race, drink well, run in company when possible, don't do anything foolish (like go out to fast), and hopefully I would run somewhere between 2:40-2:50.

Race morning welcomed the runners with clear skies and temps around 50. The elite athletes were bussed to a separate building where all our amenities were provided - coffee, food, fluids, and extra back tags, required by all master's runners. I was cool enough that I decided to keep my long sleeve over my singlet, so had to have another back tag pinned on. I also kept gloves on. With 15 minutes to go we were escorted to the start only 2 blocks away. Just in time we got to see the wheelchair racers depart. Once allowed onto the course, we all did several strides, and after the singing of the national anthem, lined up and went!

The group quickly thinned out. I strode out, wondering what my pace was. We turned a corner and went through mile one in 6:19. I was pleased and stayed beside Janet for another mile, before she picked it up a bit. I went through mile 2 in 6:11. Mile 3 included a hill, and I let runners go by, not at all interested in hurting up a hill now - and went through in 6:29. Now we were starting onto the most beautiful part of the course, which lasted for 17 miles - running along the lakes. Mile 4 included Lake of the Isles, with a split of 6:09. I started looking for my fluids near mile 5, hit my watch in 6:14 just before grabbing my bottle. I drank best I could - suck a few gulps, then gasp for breath, repeat up to 4 times, toss bottle to the side. Mile 6 included a hill between lakes, and I managed a 6:19. Between miles 4 and 8 we would pass through lakes Harriett and Calhoun. At mile 7 the crowd was fantastic - I managed to find someone to run with for a good mile in this section. In all the clamor, I missed the mile marker, but by mile 8 I had run an average of 6:20 for the last two miles.

The course was pretty much one beautiful picture after the next. More lake, more green, more cheerful Minnesotans cheering me and my red shoes on - they loved my red shoes, told me so, and I rewarded them with a smile, which brought on chuckles. Mile 9 - 6:21, grab my bottle, and drink as before. Mile 10, 6:15. My 10 mile accumulative split was 1:03, and I thought, well maybe if I run the second 10 a little faster I would still have a remote chance of 2:45. I ran to the beat of drums, radio stations, musical bands, and a cheering crowd. Someone running behind me finally ran beside me and we stuck together for the next few miles, going through them in 6:18, 6:27, 6:23. My half marathon split was 1:23, but knowing this is not an negative or even split course, I didn't have much expectat 12 over the bridge to Lake Nokimos, but he started pulling away, and I was on my own from then on.

I was feeling very impatient for mile 19 where we cross the Mississippi. I struggle with pace here, legs not used to the speed, my right hip giving indications of behaving badly causing me to wonder if that would become an issue. Before it did, my left hamstring gave many indications that a cramp was in the works. Mile 14 through 18 were pretty much a blur - 6:35, 6:28, 6:24, 6:30, 6:33. I continued to drink from my bottles, and monitored my hamstring. My thoughts often drifted on how I would like to run Boston in April and train properly for it. Not the normal train of thinking at this point in a race. I felt slower than my pace, so was continually surprised at the splits. Finally, mile 19, with a huge crowd to carry me up to the bridge over the big river. I didn't fail to hear little girls laughing as they spit off the side of the bridge and watched it go all the way down. FOCUS!

As the course started to gradually ascend, I felt new life in my legs, which was something new for me at this point. I was wear from the flat and down, and the relief was welcome. I surged through to mile 20 in 6:36, with an overall time of 2:07 - well 2:45 wasn't to be, but still a sub 2:50 was there. Mile 21 in 6:44, and the point with the steepest hill, mile 22 in 7:01. I visualized one of my runs being 4 miles from my house, and running as hard as I could to get there. But again, I would lose focus ('oh, listen to those church bells', and 'thanks!' to the folks complimenting my shoes, high-fiving some children) and have to tell myself to 'RUN'. Mile 23 was moderately uphill, 6:53, and mile 24-25 averaged 6:32. I was flying by the men who had hit the wall. One mile to go, and I took off. I ran hard, and then harder. The downhill didn't hurt one bit. I gained momentum, and hit my watch at mile 26 in 6:17, and the last .2 I watched the clock click from 2:48 to 2:49. I sailed across the finish line in 2:49:13 in great spirits and was escorted to the VIP tent and began hearing the war stories. For my efforts, I received $2000, and a surprising $500 for my age-graded performance! But prize money aside, it is a beautiful, friendly, well-supported event, and I would encourage any of you to give it try.

October 7 - 9…the beginning of Quadzilla!

Tahoe Triple: Every Maniac needs to fulfill their destiny by participating in this awesome spectacle…more to come on the triple and "Quadzilla" in the next/future newsletter.

Times splits for each race and cumulative total:

Sean Meissner: 3:08:06, 3:08:32, 3:11:23, 9:28:01

Chris Warren: 3:07:15, 3:07:52, 3:17:56, 9:33:03

Tony Phillippi: 3:22:02, 3:24:36, 3:37:37, 10:24:15

Sam Thompson: 3:17:40, 3:18:50, 3:48:13, 10:24:43

Laura Bleakley: 3:47:39, 3:42:49, 3:46:22, 11:16:50

Tom Detore: 4:10:59, 3:47:20, 3:52:57, 11:51:16

Steven Yee: 4:04:52, 3:50:44, 4:07:19, 12:02:55

Annie Thiessen: 3:47:34, 3:50:41, 4:29:48, 12:08:03

Bobbie Howard: 4:22:24, 4:35:30, 5:54:36, 14:52:30

Cathy Troisi: 6:16:04, 5:54:26, 5:51:22, 18:01:52

October 9

Lake Tahoe Marathon: Sue Fauerbach, David Knapp and future Maniac Lois Berkowitz

Hartford Marathon: Kevin Brosi, Roger Biggs, Diva Burns

October 10

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon: Anne Thiessen, Sean Meissner, Sam Thompson, Gunhild and Jack Swanson, Laura Bleakly, Tom Detore, Chris Warren, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee, Sue Fauerbach, David Knapp

Chicago Marathon: Michael Brisbois, Janet Burgess, Tom Neuman, Carol Dellinger, Meridith Johnson, J. Ellis

Just Around the “Bend” Marathon: Maura Schwartz, David Hipps, Olga Varlamova

Long Beach International Marathon: Gregg Wachli, David Dassey, Brad Bleiweis

Mt. Rushmore Marathon: Deo Jaravata, Keith Panzer

Royal Victoria Marathon: Susan Marshall, Jennifer and Guy Yogi, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Kurt Lauer, Mark Looi, Ruben Contreras, Earl Fenstermacher, Mark Looi, Al Harman

October 16

Baltimore Marathon: Stan Neumann, Rev. Don Kienz

Indianapolis Marathon: Janet Burgess, David Reid

Green Mountain: Brenton Floyd

Mt. Masochist 50 miler: Olga Varlamova, her race report follows…

I ran Mt. Masochist 50M (or was it 54?) in VA last Sat. It was pretty darn hard. May be from all the effort for 50k and marathon in previous 2 weeks. Or more likely from no sleep before - I flew in DC 11pm, got a car, drove 4 hrs to Lynchburg, changed, ate, saw runners coming for the bus to the start - and off went...the whole thing was run in a fog, even caffeine pills didn't help. And it was very very cold and windy. And I didn't like the fire roads with gravel - I trashed my feet way before midpoint. But - great organization, marking and people. 9:49. I guess I am pretty happy with this time. But now is time to rest up.

October 17

Mount Desert Island: Brenton Floyd

Des Moines Marathon: Marie Bartoletti, Tom Detore, Cyndie Merten, Keith Panzer, Cathy Troisi and Lois Berkowitz.

Here is Tom's race, and his encounter with Marie.

I met Marie. She has a bad right hamstring and her doctor told her not to run Des Moines. She ran it as the 4:00 pacesetter. I ran with her until about mile 16. She seemed to be fading and I somehow got one second behind the 4 hour pace, so I took off. We found out later that the mile markers between 14 and 20 were off. I finished at 3:50 and Marie had a 3:57. We had a lot of fun at the expo and running together. We will run Mississippi Coast together and maybe the marathon in Huntington, WV, the second weekend in November.

I ran backwards on the course somewhere between mile 20 and 21. I ran with my friend Jose for a few miles. He's trying to run a marathon in every state with our flag since 9-11-01. While running back some people notice my shirt and said things like "You are a Maniac", "Yea, Marathon Maniac", and so on.

This year's Des Moines Marathon was more unorganized than the past two. It bothers me when mile markers are off. Marie was unhappy about that. One of Marie's runners took off with me at mile 16. She had run 6 marathons with a best of 4:00:02. She wanted to make sure she broke 4 hours and with the mile markers off we were not sure where we were at. The clock at the finish line was off by nearly 3 minutes to the plus side. It had me at 3:53. April, the gal running with me, started to fade with 2.5 miles to go. We had been running around 7:30 for the last few miles then. I decided to take off, since I could see she would finish under 4 hours.

I finished with 3:50:19 and April had a 3:50:55. She did not fade nearly as bad as I thought. I went as fast as my legs would take me the final 1.2 miles, so April was running pretty good. She bought her father over to meet me and to thank me for bring her in under 4 hours. I let her know how impressed I was with her running in the final 10 miles. The weather turned out pretty good for running. It was around 40 at the start and 55 at the finish. The sun did not come out until late into the marathon.

Spokane: Marathon: Sue Fauerbach, Gunhild and Jack Swanson, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Jennifer and Guy Yogi, Chris Marr, Gregg Walchli, Dennis Spurlock, Chris Warren, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee, Robert Hester and future Maniacs Phil Walchli and Jason Gordon.

My first thought when running this race…I didn't realize Spokane was so scenic. This course really had a lot to offer, from the challenging hills to the enthusiastic volunteers. And what a post-race treat…Maniac Chris Marr let us all freshen up in the exclusive Spokane Athletic Club, offered us hot drinks and treated us all out to lunch. Chris, thanks for making us feel right at home. You too Dennis!

Louisville Marathon: David Reid

Columbus Marathon: new maniac Rick Korecki

October 23

Halloween:Alicia Britt, Gregg Walchli, Sue Fauerbach, Cyndie Merten, Ann Thiessen, Robert Hester, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee and future Maniac Ruth Balf.

Whiskeytown 50K: Sean Meissner

Rocky Raccoon 50 km: Susan Bell

October 24

Detroit Free Press: Keith Panzer, Steve Supkoff, Cathy Troisi and Lois Berkowitz

Mystic Places:Bob and Lenore Dolphin

Nike 26.2: Terry Watanabe, Diva Burns

Sisters Poker Run 36 miler:Maura Schwartz, Sean Meissner, Laura Bleakley, Chris Warren, Tony Phillippi…hmm, who didn't get lost on this trail run? Be sure to check out Glenn's pictures on the website.

October 30

Javelina Jundred 100:Connie Ridenour, Lisa Stranc-Bliss, Cheri Gillis, Gunhild Swanson

What more can you say about these tough, tough ladies. Connie and Gunhild finished together in 22:37, Lisa in 27:26 and Cheri in 27:39. Connie received a special award for being the highest finishing woman competing in her first 100-mile race. Way to go Connie! Lisa Stanc-Bliss took some great action shots of this race…check it out! Lisa's Pictures

October 31

Grand Rapids:Tom Detore, John Richeson, Lois Berkowitz

New Maniac Lois offers her rendition of the inaugural Grand Rapids.

With an inaugural marathon I think...what will they miss? Should you bring your own sports fluid? What about transportation? Shawn and Don (Kern) missed nothing. There were constant short updates via e-mail. The race hotel was easy to find, right off I-196, and it was three exits away from the exit for the Millennium Park, the event site. The long sleeved t-shirt was a moisture-wicking fabric. Packet pickup and the pasta dinner ($8) were both held in Kosciuszko Hall, an easy few miles from the Park and hotel.

There was an official early start for velocity challenged types. I was worried about parking and got there early, in time to photograph a fairly large group of official early starters. The regular start got off a little late, due to contestants driving themselves in and coming a bit late. We got our chips the morning of the race. There were lots of porta-john opportunities, good music with a DJ, people directing traffic, and the Salvation Army passing out Krispy Kreme donuts, coffee, and cocoa made the wait tolerable.

It was a great course – I looked at the map, but after a few miles confusion sets in, so it didn’t mean much. Carter Sherline described it as sort of a cloverleaf. It was all on bike paths in the park, with no traffic to worry about. Most of the time we were hugging the river and were running along beautiful forested areas. The half marathoners had one “loop” and the full had two loops. Lots of pleasant volunteers were on the job and a few aid stations had cookies, candy, etc. The wind was a bit nasty, but since there had been gusts the previous day over 40 mph, what we had seemed minor. We had occasional sprinkles, but no rain. We were announced at the end and greeted with mylar blankets, water, and a classy triangular shaped medal. Our hotel gave a late checkout and provided coffee midday.

Check out the website for next year: http://www.cooladventures.net/grm/grmhome.htm

Marine Corps:Marie Bartoletti, Kevin Brosi, Ruben Contreras, Steve Monk, Stan

Neumann, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Keith Panzer, Mike Shiach, Fenny Roberts, James Scheer, Doug MacLean, Ted Coulson.

Below is a race report by Steve Monk.

Marathons have eaten away my vacation time so I had to take the whirlwind tour of Washington D.C. when I got there for the Marine Corp marathon. I left Madison, Wisconsin after work Friday and drove all night with a couple shorts naps at interstate rest stops. I arrived in D.C. a little after noon, checked into my hotel to get cleaned up, then headed down to packet pick up. When I got there, the line to get into the Expo was four blocks long. I jumped in line and after an hour and a half wait I was inside. Good thing I was dehydrated from my long drive. I bought too much stuff at the Expo then drove into D.C. to do the tourist thing. I didn't feel like Pasta so I hit IHOP for a tall stack of pancakes and got to bed early.

I was up at 5 am and on my way to the race start at 6 am. There were a lot of closed roads and police turning people around so I finally parked at the Navy Annex two miles from the start/ finish area. I made the trek to the start and started looking for water or food. I was told that it was suppose to be there but it for some unknown reason it wasn't. The Howitzer started us off at 8:30 and there was a enthusiastic "USA USA" chant for the first few minutes as the mass of runners made their way towards the timing mats at
the starting line. The spectators were thick on the city streets and the changing leaves were very colorful in the wooded areas. The course was laid out well with plenty to look at. The weather was partly cloudy and warm with a breeze that kept the heat bearable.

I gave my camera to a few spectators so I could be in a few pictures. I'm not too particular about my finish time but when I guy takes his time trying to frame the perfect picture I can hear the clock ticking. When I get home the extra time is always worth it though. I had a runner take a picture of Maniac Mike Shiach and me when I saw him with a few miles to go. I stopped at mile 22 for a beer with the Hash House Harriers and got my picture taken with a couple of the friendly volunteers. I've also got all the standard pictures of me in front of all the monuments and buildings.

I couldn't stick around after the race for very long so I grabbed a bag of food and drinks and started my two mile trek back to my car. I went by the hotel to clean up and check out then started my cross country drive back to Wisconsin. I stopped for a few naps along the way and made it home by 6:30 am. Just in time to unpack a couple things, take a shower and get to work by 8:00.

Silicon Valley:Tom Neuman, Brad Bleiweis

Tri Cities:Marc Frommer, Kurt Lauer, Jennifer and Guy Yogi, Diana Robinson, Jack Swanson, Gregg Walchli, Robert Hester, David Jones, Mark Looi, Barb Bumann, Terry Watanabe, Bobbie Howard, Alicia Britt, Olga Varlamova, Steve Barrick, Earl Fenstermacher, Sue Fauerbach, Cyndie Merten, Mel Preedy, Tony Covarrubias, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee and new Maniac Jason Gordon. Below are two perspectives of Tri-Cities.

From Olga Varlamova:

As my name is officially added to the list since the last Maniac-with-cat-on-the head newsletter I figured I'll put a token in a piggy bank of Maniac's story-telling.

My first motion will be a plea of not being a real Marathon Maniac. Yep, I am not a big fan of road marathons. I lean more towards a longer trail runs. But - I love the company of people and since I just moved from East to West (oh-oh) and joined this group of freaks (aka totally normal) people going by
name "MM" under a huge pressure of Tony P. (who I've bumped into at Capitol Peak 50k a month ago). I decided to put names to faces and come for a Tri-Cities marathon. Now, besides not being a marathon lover (due to a total absence of fast-twitching muscles that need to work soo hard for a period of 4 hours non-stop on a flat concrete surface as opposed to fly-hike pattern in a mountain run) I am officially off season. It means that after my last race (MMTR50) 2 weeks ago I didn't run a step (for the first time in 3 and half years since I started).

Anyway, the kind soul named Marc Frommer picked me up from Portland and drove all the way to Richland, WA where I registered and got my number. Than a bunch of maniacs met at Olive Garden for a dinner - and, boy, were there many of them! Of course I didn't remember anybody's name not to mention I don't speak English anyway so I inhaled my pasta and five of us went to a friendly nearby farm owned by Gregg's parents. Thank you, Marge! I don't think I've been to a farm since I came from Russia. The air was clear, cold and windy, as a warning to what's ahead. We had a visit to a best museum of hunting memorabilia and old cars where you not only look, but touch, and eventually after some mingling, Bobbie's push-ups and a game of pool went to sleep. Fun and games, wish we didn't have to get out next morning.

Well, as the whole reason was to run a marathon, this is what we did. Since you all know how it usually goes let me just add that MM swapped 2/3 of the awards overall and AG and everybody did damn great
(Bobbie, next time I am drinking, may be I can finally make it to 3:45?). I won't bore you with my disappointment (not with time - that was usual, but with a feeling of pity to myself and a question of why am I in this great group of people).

You, guys, are so friendly, it was fantastic to have people cheering at the finish line and offering a food and drink and a shower and sharing some laughs at the lunch and a ride home with Marc... I pulled 3 layers of skin from the balls of my feet, hugged a toilet for 10 minutes saying "good-bye" to the inner liner of my stomach and now ready to go again! Well, may be after I do rest a bit so at least my next 4 hrs don't
feel like I have to work at the end of a 100M:) Thanks again to everybody and hope to see you soon. Way to go, Maniacs!

From Robert Hester:

Well I left for Tri-Cities on Saturday after a quick easy run with the group at the Y and of course some coffee at Starbucks. The drive over was rainy over the passes, sunny on the other side of the mountain, but extremely windy all the way to Richland. I felt like I was getting blown off the road in my parents sleeper van that I was driving. I arrived a little early and was able to pick up my number at 4'Oclock at the Shilo Inn where the race would start Sunday morning at 8 a.m. After that I did some studying at Starbucks and then headed over to the Olive Garden for dinner with the Maniacs, actually not all of them were maniacs, some of them belonged to what is called the dead runners society???

There were about 20 of us at dinner so we split up into 2 tables and I ended up sitting next to a lady named Olga who is an ultra-runner and runs 100 milers, so I got to talk to her quite a bit which was nice. After some conversation, fettuccini, and a 22 oz Hefeweisen I was ready for bed. (it was about 8 O'clock) I went back to Starbucks and did a little more studying and then just decided to go back to the van and find a place to park for the night and go to sleep. I ended up parking the van at the Shilo Inn and hoping nobody would peek in and try to kick me out of the parking lot during the middle of the night. The king size bed in the van was actually the most comfortable bed I've slept in in a long time so I was well rested in the morning.

Race morning was clear and cold. I of course was up at 5 a.m. and was just killing time before the start. I ran into Pat, Cora, and Raymond and also talked with some of the people I had dinner with the night before. By the time the race started the sun was shining and it had warmed up enough to take off my hat and gloves. The start went well and it took me about 3 miles to feel comfortable with the pace I was running. I wasn't wearing a watch so by mile 3 I caught up with one of the maniacs and he informed me we were
running about a 7 minute pace. I walked through the next aid station and took one of my gels early to hopefully fuel me through the race. I backed off and continued running about a 7:10 pace or so for quite awhile.

The course ran along the Columbia River most of the time and we had 3 bridge crossing which were the only places on the course that had any hills, which was nice. The wind was blowing pretty good along the river and on the way out it was at our backs, but going across the bridges were pretty blustery. I hit the half-way mark in about 1:34 and was feeling good. I hooked up with a guy who as using the run-walk method and was shooting for a 3:10 finish as well so I decided to stick with him and it worked out well. There were a few periods where I got some side stitches and the walking helped clear them up.

At about mile 18 after running a bit through the industrial area we ventured back along the river to head back the same way we came. Well since the wind was at our backs going out, of course it was right in our face coming back. I am sure you can see where the story is headed from here. We decided to take turns breaking the wind for each other, but it was really taking a lot of effort to run. At mile 20 we had fallen about 10 seconds off a 3:10 pace and the wind was starting to take a toll on me. The other fellow started
creeping away and by mile 21 I had probably lost another minute and was struggling to stay near him.

After praying from about mile 20 to mile 22 I realized that no matter how hard I tried there was no way I was going to make it to the finish in 3:10. It was a matter of fact kind of realization with not much emotion involved except kind of a defeated feeling in my stomach. I decided at that point just to slow down and cruise to the finish. Each mile I went slower and slower and then the people started to pass me. One by one they came by with words of encouragement, which is what makes running marathons so great. Even
when you have been defeated in the later miles and fellow runners are passing you by feeling victory in their own minds, they have enough respect to push people along and wish them well.

In the end the truth is, I went out like a maniac and finished like a rookie with all the veterans passing me by as if to say, "You should've gone out slower." I crossed the finish line somewhere between 3:25 and 3:26 with my right hamstring cramping up right after the finish. I got a medal from the Tri-Cities Queen and felt like crawling into bed for a week. I laid on the grass for a few minutes with other runners around and maniacs sitting and talking and laughing and all the while I thought, "Who in the hell's idea is it to run marathons every stinkin week."

Well by now the pain has faded, the humbling experience of feeling like a fast starter with nothing left at the finish, has subsided and I am left to look forward to next week and another marathon. Boston will have to wait another year, but in the future I will try to tackle 3:10 once again. It has moved up on my list as being enemy number one. An enemy that I am going to have to plan and find a solid strategy and then of course execute the plan of attack.

Linda always asks me if running a marathon gets any easier. I suppose in some respects finishing a race becomes more routine. I am not as sore anymore after a race, but there are always challenges that you take upon yourself in order to make it just as hard as your first one. It sure didn't feel any easier at mile 22 and maybe the week after week marathons have caught up to me and drained some of my strength. I still feel like a beginner out there with the other runners, but I have the hope that someday I will be able to
sustain a pace the whole race and finish strong. Whether or not that will validate my running when it finally happens I am not sure, but I am thankful every week that I am able to go out and make the effort and come across that finish line one more time. Remember the miracle isn't that you finished it's that you got started in the first place.

Noteworthy Accomplishments / Promotions:

Ø Palladium Maniac: A belated congratulations to Gregg Walchli, who in 2001 completed 20 marathons in 20 states, earning him the label of Palladium Man.

Ø Gold Maniac: Bill Mandler recently completed 4 marathons within a span of 36 days, earning him Gold level status.

Ø Platinum Man: Our beloved "sandals guy" aka Tony Phillippi, reached the bestowed level of 8 stars by completing an astonishing 28 marathon/ultras in the 6 month period of May-October. Roll out the red carpet and down on your knees…the King has arrived!

Ø Osmium-ites: Congratulations to the Quadzilla finishers. Finishing 4 marathons in 4 days elevates you up to 6 star status (Anne Thiessen, Laura Bleakley, Sean Meissner, Sam Thompson and Steven Yee). Sorry Tom, but you were at 6 stars already.

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.

****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. Thank you for your help in making this a great marathon club!

New Members for the Month of October

10/02 - Brad Bleiweis (California)

10/03 – Tom Neuman (Utah)

10/16 – Meridith Johnson (Washington)

10/16 – Olga Varlamova (Oregon)

10/17 - Phil Walchli (Oregon)

10/18 - Sam Thompson (Mississippi)

10/19 - Jim Morton (British Columbia)

10/22 - Steve Fredrickson (Washington)

10/25 - Rick Korecki (Florida)

10/25 - David Reid (California)

10/28 - Ruth Balf (Washington)

UPCOMING MANIACS at the RACES

Nov 6: Autumn Leaves: Tony Phillippi, Fenny Roberts, Jim Scheer, Van Phan

Haney to Harrison Ultra: Al Harman

Nov 7: Athens(Ohio): Bruce Katter

City of Trees: Janet Burgess, Ruben Contreras, Bob and Lenore Dolphin, Bill Mandler, Jack and Gunhild Swanson, Paul Hargrave, Brian Baker

United We Run: Robert Hester, Steve Barrick, Jim Anderson, Tony Covarrubias, Glenn Tachiyama, Jason Gordon, Tony Phillippi, Steven Yee

New York City: Marie Bartoletti, Steve Hamling, Lesa Overfield, Michael Shiach, Annie Thiessen, Doug MaClean, Gary Allen, Don Kienz

River Crown Plaza:Tom Detore

Santa Clarita: Brad Bleiweis, Sue Fauerbach, David Reid

Nov 13: Kevin's Cup Ultra: Sean Meissner

Richmond: Sue Fauerbach, Steven Yee, Phil Walchli

Ron Herzog Memorial 50K: Ruth Balf, Robert Hester, Tony Phillippi,

Nov 14: Huntington: Marie Bartoletti, Tom Detore, Keith Panzer

Marathon of the Palm Beaches: Carol Dellinger, Rick Korecki

Montgomery County in the Parks: Greg Walchli, Sue Fauerbach, Steven Yee, Phil Walchli

Nifty Fifty Ultra: Cathy Troisi

Nov 20: Oklahoma: Keith Panzer

Valley of Fire: Bill Mandler

Nov 21: Gobbler Grind: Roger Biggs, Tom Detore

Philadelphia: Deo Jaravata, Kevin Brosi, Sue Fauerbach, Steven Yee

Palermo (Italy): Greg Walchli

Nov 25: Atlanta: Keith Panzer, Sue Fauerbach, Steven Yee

Nov 27: Mississippi Coast: Roger Biggs, Tom Detore

Nov 28: Firenze (Florence): Greg Walchli

Nov 29: Seattle: Ruth Balf, Steve Barrick, Brad Bleiweis, Alicia Britt, Janet Burgess, Ruben Contreras Contreras, Bob & Lenore Dolphin, Sue Fauerbach, Earl Fenstermacher, Marc Frommer, Eric Gierke, Cheri Gillis, Steve Hamling, Bobbie Howard, Kendall Kreft, Kurt Lauer, Tim Lofton, Mark Looi, Cyndie Merten, Tony Phillippi, Diana Robinson, Michael Shiach, Dale Shoup, Steve Supkoff, Gunhild Swanson, Jack Swanson, Glenn Tachiyama, Cathy Troisi, Chris Warren, Steven Yee, Guy Yogi, Jen Yogi

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. Look in the website to see what we've come up with!

More to come in the November Newsletter and to the web site soon. Please excuse the length of the newsletter. Main Maniac is so happy that winter has arrived…he could use a rest from running and writing!

The President has written…