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Valentine Marathon
February 14, 2004
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
There was a good turnout of over 300 runners at Millersylvania State Park (south of Olympia, WA) for the combined events of a Valentine Marathon, Half Marathon and three shorter races on Saturday, February 14, 2004.....Valentines Day. Bob Green, the ubiquitous race director, had a 10:30 a.m. starting time for the half marathon and marathon combined fields. The 1 mile, 5K, and 10K fields left together at 10:40 a.m. The longer races had out-and-back courses on a county highway and secondary roads. All runners crossed the same finish line at a picnic shelter that served as race headquarters.
When Lenore and I arrived an hour early so that she could help with registration at the shelter, we greeted our friends Fenny Roberts of Salem, OR, and Jim Scheer of Vancouver, WA, who ran by as they were taking an early start.
At packet pickup in the heated shelter, there was an opportunity to visit with our friends: Herb Allen, Ron Fowler, Greg Judge, and Robert Reed. Also on hand were our Marathon Maniac friends (founders of this popular club): Tony Phillippi, Chris Warren, and Steve Yee.
As I shed my warmups at our car, Jack Thornton and his wife introduced themselves and asked questions about the marathon. I answered their questions and then found out that they live in Gardner, MA, close to my hometown of Worcester, MA. Jack belongs to the 50 States Marathon Club, was adding "
Washington" as a new state, and later became a new member of the Marathon Maniacs Club.
At the starting line of the marathon and half marathon, I was part of a group of 11 Marathon Maniacs who had a group picture taken. This picture is posted on the website, www.marathonmaniacs.com.
After Bob Green started the race, we ran on a park road from Deep Lake for about a half mile to Tilley Road, a two-lane rolling highway, and then turned right heading south. The air temperature was in the high 40's, a light rain was falling, and there was a 5-15 mph headwind.
In the 6th mile we turned on to Goddard Road, the first of seven country roads that the marathoners follow to the halfway turnaround. At the half-marathon turnaround, runners whom I had accompanied headed back. As the field spread out, I found myself running alone with only one marathoner in sight.....about a half mile ahead of me.
In my 11th mile I met a runner in his 16th mile going in the opposite direction. It was Michael Georgi, 51, of Honolulu, HI, who won the race in 3:12:22. In second place was Brian Roby, 48, of FPO AD (3:14:50). Tony Phillippi, 42, of Tacoma came in third with a time of 3:15:20.
The first woman to finish was Ann Marie Thressen, 33, of Tacoma who ran a 3:21:18. Second and third place honors went to two Marathon Maniacs, Laura Devine, 34, of Portland (3:27:37) and Jennifer Yogi, 28, of Seattle (3:32:25).
In my 12th and 13th miles I met most of the runners heading back to the finish area. Running up a long, gradual hill to the marathon turnaround seemed more laborious than usual, and I had a slow 2:12 half marathon time.
On the 14th mile downgrade, I figured it out. I had hit the wall only half way into the race. Where I had thought a 4:30 race was feasible, now I was looking at a 5-6 hour finish time. Glycogen depletion, cramps in my calves and one foot, and sore lower back muscles were problems I had to cont
end with for a dozen more miles.
Powerade, water, gels and Ibuprofin helped, but sustained running didn't work anymore. To compensate, I powerwalked the hills and alternated walking and running between telephone poles at an average 13 minute pace. Finishing under 5 hours became the focal point that helped me to keep moving. W
hen the finish line was close, I ran the last 50 yards on the dirt trail with legs that were locked with calf cramps.
The clock showed that it was going to be close. I lunged across the finish line at 4:59:59, my legs quit working, and I fell into the mud! After 5 hours of movement, I was content to sit there and rest. When I tried to get up, leg cramps reoccurred, so I appreciated having Steve Yee and Tony Phillippi take me to a nearby bench where Lisa Lawrence, a paramedic, could check me over. It was "pamper time" so Lenore got me a sandwich and a drink, and Bob Green brought a bowl of chili that he had saved for me.
I finished 47th out of 51 marathoners and first (and only) 70+ Male. The moral of my story is this: If you train for marathoning by running frequent marathons as I do, don't go two months without running a marathon. Go South in the winter to find a marathon or two!
Written by Bob Dolphin
Valentine Marathon Results
3:12:22 Michael Georgi, 51, Honolulu, HI
3:14:50 Brian Roby, 48, FPO AD
3:15:20 Tony Phillippi, 42, Tacoma, WA
3:16:41 Edward Bernal, 41, Glendale, AZ
3:21:18 Ann Marie Thressen, 33, Tacoma, WA
3:26:33 Clay Hathorn, 42, Portland, OR
3:27:37 Laura Devine, 34, Portland, OR
3:32:25 Jennifer Yogi, 28, Seattle, WA
3:32:26 Christopher Warren, 36, Renton, WA
3:32:27 Steven Yee, 44, Renton, WA
3:33:00 Jack Thornton, 40, Gardner, MA
3:37:17 Kevin Hansen, 22, Ellensburg, WA
3:37:41 Steve Supkoff, 38, North Bend, WA
3:38:14 Connie Ridenour, 45, Spokane, WA
3:41:44 Michael Shiach, 53, Bainbridge Island, WA
3:42:09 Donald Milliken, 60, Victoria, BC
3:42:13 Marc Prommer, 51, Portland, OR
3:43:22 Guy Yogi, 50, Seattle, WA
3:45:53 Lesh Overfield, 45, Tacoma, WA
3:46:38 Melanie Springer, 35, Dundee, OR
3:46:38 Amy Landes, 32, Dundee, OR
3:48:12 Gene Morris, 58, Seattle, WA
3:48:25 Ron Fowler, 56, Seattle, WA
3:48:25 Greg Judge, 55, Renton, WA
3:54:17 Diana Robinson, 37, Bellingham, WA
3:56:37 James Konder, 48, Bainbridge Island, WA
3:57:23 Claudia Cooper, 44, Seattle, WA
3:57:29 Kristin Sanford, 30, Lynnwood, WA
3:57:29 Alison Pope, 29, Edmonds, WA
3:58:04 Kurt Storey, 41, Sherwood, OR
4:01:44 John Ochs, 40, Tigard, OR
4:04:05 Kaitlan Monroe, 22, West Linn, OR
4:05:51 Dawn Marti, 35, Seattle, WA
4:06:11 Eugene Moore, 23, Bremerton, WA
4:06:41 Rod Strodi, 67, Surrey, BC
4:10:21 Herb Allen, 61, Bainbridge Island, WA
4:13:10 Chris Marr, 49, Spokane, WA
4:13:14 Barb Bumann, 50, Spokane, WA
4:16:35 Dennis Spurlock, 41, Spokane, WA
4:17:16 Lisa Stranc Bliss, 35, Liberty Lake, WA
4:22:00 David Selander, 50, Seattle, WA
4:34:36 Robert Fukura, 48, Seattle, WA
4:34:59 Jeremy Brown, 29, Mt. Vernon,WA
4:50:01 Robert Johnston, 18, Seattle, WA
4:56:37 Mike Herrin, 55, Tremont, IL
4:59:47 Ester Selander, 43, Renton, WA
4:59:59 Bob Dolphin, 74, Renton, WA
5:06:54 Rebecca Beckstead, 20, Corvallis, OR
5:30:20 Fenny Roberts, 51, Salem, OR
5:30:20 Jim Scheer, 61, Vancouver, WA
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