09/09/08


TEXAS MARATHONS IN THE LONE STAR STATE
by Michael Zielinski

The Texas marathon season begins at 
about the time of the annual State 
Fair of Texas that has been held at 
the historic Fair Park in Dallas since 
1886.  From September 26th to October 
19th this year, more than three 
million people are expected to visit 
the largest state fair in the United 
States.  Big Tex, a 52 foot tall 
cowboy, continues to be the symbol of 
the fair that also has the annual 
college football game between Texas 
and Oklahoma, "The Red River 
Shootout", scheduled this year for 
October 11th to be played in the 
Cotton Bowl at Fair Park.  

During the three plus weeks of the 
Texas State Fair, visitors can enjoy 
the extensive agricultural, 
commercial, and recreational exhibits 
along with numerous food items 
beginning with native Texas cattle 
products plus other high-fat foods 
that include Fletcher's brand corny 
dogs and some unusual deep-fried foods 
that include deep-fried Oreo cookies, 
deep-fried Twinkies, deep-fried pork 
ribs, fried cheesecake, deep-fried 
peanut butter, jelly, and banana 
sandwiches and batter-based fried 
Coke.  After all of this, it is time 
for the 2008-2009 Texas marathon 
season.

The West Texas CrossRoads Marathon is 
scheduled for October 4th with both 
the start and finish on the CrossRoads 
Fellowship campus in Odessa with the 
event designed to promote physical 
health and fitness, as well as 
encourage spiritual growth.  The out-
and-back course is from the campus to 
the outskirts of Midland before 
returning to the start.  On Friday 
night before the race, the flavor of 
West Texas can be experienced with the 
real "Friday Night Lights" in Odessa 
and Midland when the Permian Panthers 
play the cross-town rival Odessa 
Bronchos; and Midland Lee will see 
action against Amarillo Tascosa.  Two 
weeks later and over two hours to the 
south is the October 18th Marathon 2 
Marathon forty miles north of Big Bend 
National Park.  The run through high 
desert with nearby mountains is a 
point-to-point course that starts 
three miles east of Alpine on U.S. 90 
and finishes outside the Gage Hotel in 
Marathon.

The Texas marathon season continues 
the following week on October 26th 
with the Waco Professional 
Firefighters Association Miracle Match 
Marathon.  The course begins in Indian 
Springs Park, along the Brazos River 
near the historic Waco Suspension 
Bridge.  The route is fairly level as 
it goes past Baylor University before 
beginning a steady rise across the 
historic downtown area and then 
winding through the fairgrounds to 
beautiful Lake Shore Drive on the way 
to the crossing of Lake Waco Dam.  On 
the way back to the start, the runners 
traverse the hills of Cameron Park.  
At the Pecan Bottoms of the park, the 
marathon course crosses the Brazos 
River and continues along the river 
before crossing the Waco Suspension 
Bridge landmark to the finish line.

Next month on November 16th is the 
Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon in 
the nation's seventh largest city.  
The marathon course includes the the 
following sites along the way:  The 
Alamo – Mile 2.25, San Pedro Park –
Mile 6.5, King William District – Mile 
9, Southtown Arts District – Mile 
10.25, Mission Concepción – Mile 12, 
Mission San José – Mile 14, Mission 
Espada – Mile 17, and Tower of the 
Americas – Mile 25.  Before or after 
the 26.2 miles, a visit to the San 
Antonio River Walk (also known as 
Paseo del Río), a network of walkways 
along the banks of the San Antonio 
River one story beneath downtown, 
gives a good flavor of the city. 

Returning to Texas running is the 
December 8th Sunmart Endurance Runs, 
considered one of the premier U.S. 
ultra events.  The ultras of 50 miles 
and a 50K are located in the piney 
woods of Southeastern Texas at 
Huntsville State Park about an hour 
north of Houston and an hour west of 
Texas A&M and the George H.W. 
Presidential Library.  The 50 mile 
course route is comprised of four 12.5 
mile loops through the park’s 
extensive trail network with the 50K 
being on a two loop course.  

Three hours to the north on December 
14th is the Dallas White Rock 
Marathon, the third largest Texas 
marathon in the country's ninth 
largest city and one of the top ten 
metropolitan areas in size.  The 
marathon begins and ends in Victory 
Park at the American Airlines Center 
approximately one mile northwest of 
downtown Dallas.  The clockwise route 
goes north near Southern Methodist 
University prior to almost ten miles 
around White Rock Lake before the 
twenty mile mark is reached and then 
returning toward downtown.  In 
contrast, the April 5th Big-D Texas 
Marathon starts and ends on the 
grounds of the State Fair of Texas as 
the route heads north and goes 
counterclockwise around White Rock 
Lake before finishing on the front 
steps of the historic Cotton Bowl at 
the fairgounds.
Another historic location near here is 
where President John F. Kennedy died 
on November 22, 1963.
  
As the new year 2009 begins, the 
January 1st Texas Marathon in the 
northern
Houston suburb of Kingwood is four 
loops on concrete greenbelt trails   
starting at the Greentree Pool, 
proceeding to Lake Houston and 
returning to the Greentree Pool.  This 
marathon is a bit like a long training 
run for the January 18th Houston 
Marathon, the largest marathon in 
Texas in the nation's fourth largest 
city and one of the ten largest 
metropolitan areas.  The marathon 
starts downtown in front of Minute 
Maid Park, just north of the George R. 
Brown Convention Center before heading 
through the Heights and Montrose 
neighborhoods.  By mile nine, the 
marathoners go through Rice and West 
University and then continue past the 
Galleria, Tanglewood and Memorial Park 
areas before returning to finish in 
downtown Houston at the George R. 
Brown Convention Center. 

For a change of pace, the February 
14th Surfside Beach Marathon in  
Surfside Beach, an hour to the south 
of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico, is 
the only U.S. marathon run entirely on 
a beach.  The scenic Surfside Beach 
Marathon starts as the sun rises over 
the water at the Stahlman Park 
pavilion and follows the public beach 
to San Luis pass before returning to 
the start with the entire course on 
the firm, smooth sand with much of the 
beach pristine and undeveloped.  In 
contrast to this marathon, on the 
following day, February 15th, the 
Austin Marathon is scheduled in the 
capital city of Texas. 

Austin is the sixteenth largest city 
in the United States and the Austin 
Marathon is the second largest 
marathon in Texas.  Recent accolades 
about Austin include it being named 
the "Best Big City", "Greenest City in 
America", "Silicon Hills", and "#1 
College Town".  Bart Yasso of Runner's 
World added, "I consider Austin the 
top running city in the United 
States."  This would include Town Lake 
Trail, Zilker Metropolitan Park, and 
Barton Creek Greenbelt.  The Austin 
Marathon begins and ends in downtown 
Austin and heads south across the 
Colorado River before crossing it 
again several miles later.  From here, 
the route goes through scenic West 
Austin neighborhoods close to Texas 
Hill Country before heading north past 
historic neighborhoods and then south 
again near the LBJ Library and Museum 
Complex along with Memorial Stadium, 
the home of the University of Texas 
Longhorns.  The course continues 
through the University of Texas campus 
arriving at the Texas State Capitol 
several blocks from the downtown 
finish in "The Live Music Capital of 
the World." 

Almost two weeks later on February 
28th is Fort Worth's Cowtown 
Marathon.  At one time, Fort Worth was 
on the Chisholm Trail at the site of 
historic cattle drives.  Since then, 
Fort Worth has grown to become the 
17th      largest city in the U.S. and 
it is the west anchor to the Dallas-
Fort
Worth Metroplex.  Fort Worth's 
stockyards offer a taste of the old 
west   along with the Texas Cowboy 
Hall of Fame with Billy Bob's being 
the world's largest country and 
western music venue.

One day later and at the beginning of 
a new month is the March 1st El Paso 
Marathon.  The start is at the Lynx 
Exhibits besides the El Paso 
Convention Cener in downtown El Paso 
with the route continuing past the 
neighborhoods of Kern Place and 
through portions of the Upper Valley 
alongside the Rio Grande River and the 
Mexican Border.  Along the way is the 
University of Texas at El Paso with 
its Sun Bowl as the course continues 
toward Sunland Park Casino into New 
Mexico before heading back to El Paso 
and finishing at the same location as 
the start. 

Two weeks later on March 15th is the 
fourth marathon in the Houston metro 
area, the Seabrook Lucky Trail 
Marathon.  This event has four loops 
on the Seabrook Trails, starting at 
Meador Park, proceeding to Pine Gully 
Park and then returning to Meador 
Park.  Seabrook is southeast of 
Houston near the NASA Johnson Space 
Center to the east and the Battleship 
Texas and San Jacinto Battleground 
State Historic Sites further to the 
north on the Houston Ship Canal with 
its numerous petro-chemical 
facilities.  About ninety miles 
further to the north in Groveton on 
April 11th is the Davy Crockett Bear 
Chase Marathon run from the high 
school track and into the Davy 
Crockett National Forest before 
returning to the start.  This 
concludes the Texas marathon season 
except for the Beach to Bay Relay 
Marathon, an annual six person relay 
running event held in Corpus Christi 
on Armed Forces Day, the third 
Saturday in May.  

This year’s 34th running of the Beach 
to Bay Relay Marathon will be held on 
Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16th, 
2009.  It begins on North Padre Island 
at Nueces County Park on the beach and 
then winds through the Naval Air 
Station Corpus Christi before ending 
at Cole Park along Corpus Christi’s 
scenic downtown.  The course is 
divided into six legs of approximately 
4.4 miles with the first leg run on 
the beach and the remaining legs run 
on pavement.  This six person relay 
marathon helps
honor the nation’s men and women 
serving in the military of the 
U.S.A.    

09/13/08


SKAGIT FLATS MARATHON
September 8, 2008

The Skagit Flats Marathon is a 
favorite summer marathon of the 
Dolphin Marathon Team.  I run/walk it, 
and Lenore, the finish line hugger, 
volunteers there.

I ran my first Skagit Flats Marathon 
on September 8, 1990, at the age of 
60, and I’ve participated in most of 
them since then.  Many times it was a 
struggle to make it through the heat 
of the day to the finish line.  A big 
exception was my first one when it was 
a cool, rainy day and I ran a 3:05:16 
to set the course record for 60+ 
runners.

As incomprehensible as it seemed in 
1990, I knew then that if I didn’t 
retire from marathoning I would move 
from the top 15% of the field to the 
last 15%…..and finally be the last one 
to cross the finish line.    

At the 31st anniversary of this out-
and-back course on September 7, 2008, 
at Burlington, Washington, the first 
few miles were different this year.  
Due to road construction in front of 
Burlington-Edison High School where 
the race starts and finishes, the 
change eliminated the only hill on the 
historical course…..an overpass on 
Interstate 5 in the first mile.  
Instead, we started in the opposite 
direction near the school and ran 
through an underpass to bypass I-5.  
It was a treat to be on a familiar 
part of the course going in the 
opposite direction while we were still 
fresh.  The weather was sunny with a 5-
10 mph cooling wind and 65 degree 
temperature initially that rose to 75 
degrees by the end of the race.  

Because the marathoners and half 
marathoners started together, I could 
greet some of the half marathon 
runners after they made their turn-
around.  It was good to see Doug 
MacLean of Talking Rain, who provides 
water and sports drinks to many 
Washington races.  

Then I saw Craig Romano, contributor 
and photographer for Northwest Runner 
Magazine.  At the Expo Craig 
autographed and sold me his new book, 
Day Hiking North Cascades, published 
by the Mountaineers.

Keith Wood, 79, the fastest 75-79 male 
marathoner in the area, came by, too.  
He had chosen the half marathon and 
finished it in a time of 1:55:39.

At the 6.5 turn-around, the half 
marathoners whom I had been running 
with reversed course.  I ran on alone 
and tried to close in on a marathoner 
in the distance.  Several miles later 
and with a commanding lead the first 
marathoner returned.  Peter Oviatt, 
38, would finish as the winner with a 
2:47:33.  In second place was Matt 
Krier, 26, of Lynnwood who ran a 
2:50:51.  Russ Tkebuchava, 27, of 
Vancouver, WA, was third with a 
2:56:08.

The first woman to finish was Catie 
Rodeheffer, 42, with a 3:17:26.  Jenny 
Horstmann, 30, was second, (3:18:43) 
and Marathon Maniac Mary Hanna, 47, 
was third (3:19:56).

Eventually, all but two runners had 
passed me as I reached the 13 mile 
turn-around and ran with the cooling 
wind.  I enjoyed the views of Mt. 
Baker, the Cascade Mountains and the 
rural countryside.  As a former U.S. 
Department of Agriculture employee, I 
enjoyed looking at the livestock in 
pastures and the fruit and vegetable 
fields along the course.  A turkey 
vulture, a group of four killdeer 
shore birds and several ravens and 
crows flew overhead as I ran through 
the flatland.

Expecting to finish in over six hours, 
I raced the clock.  When I reached the 
school campus and saw the track with 
the finish line only 100 yards away, I 
knew I was able to make my sub-six 
hour finish.  I followed Yau-Ming 
Chien, 65, a friend of 20 years, 
through a “Marathon Maniac” arch of 
uplifted arms (a nice touch!) to the 
finish line.  I finished with a 
5:57:16 and placed 174th of 179 
(coming in ahead of some early 
starters) and second 70+ male.

Lenore gave me a hug, and I thanked 
Race Director Terry Sentinella for 
putting on another great Skagit Flats 
Marathon.  Thanks go to all of the 
friendly volunteers, including medical 
personnel and sheriff’s  deputies.

Rodolfo Lucena, 51, was waiting at the 
finish for me, too.  He’s a friend 
from Brazil and Marathon Maniac #370 
who came to Seattle on a business trip 
and found this marathon to run!  He’s 
a journalist with a Sao Paulo 
newspaper and interviewed me for a 
marathon article several years ago.  
We became friends by telephone, e-mail 
and the exchange of reports on our 
respective races.  This was marathon 
#26 for him, and he ran it in a time 
of 5:03:54.

Congratulations to two first-time 
marathoners:  Oliver Chapman, 50, 
finished in 4:40:13……and Donna 
Johnson, 67, (and wearing bib #67) had 
a 4:57:04 race.

Eighteen years after running my first 
Skagit Flats Marathon, I enjoyed the 
latest one and look forward to 
returning in September of 2009.

Written by Bob Dolphin
			         
Edited, Typed and Distributed by 
Lenore Dolphin			
	

PARTIAL RESULTS – Skagit Flats 
Marathon…..Sept. 7, 2008

2:47:33  Peter Oviatt, 38, OVERALL 
WINNER
2:50:51  Matt Krier, 26, SECOND OVERALL
2:56:08  Russ Tkjebuchava, 27, THIRD 
OVERALL
3:08:48  Cliff Richards, 47, Marathon 
Maniac (MM)
3:17:26  Catie Rodeheffer, 42, FIRST 
FEMALE FINISHER
3:17:33  Ruben Contreras, 54, MM
3:18:35  Steve Walters, 28, MM
3:18:43  Jenny Horstmann, 30, SECOND 
FEMALE FINISHER
3:19:44  Bob Martin, 52, MM
3:19:56  Mary Hanna, 47, THIRD FEMALE 
FINISHER, MM
3:20:48  Gregg Walchli, 46, MM
3:20:53  Jon Burg, 30, MM
3:21:18  Tony Covarrubias, 47, MM
3:23:03  David Spooner, 40, MM
3:25:55  Ginger Gruber, 38, MM
3:28:43  Chris Warren, 41, MM
3:29:04  Bryan Robertson, 33, MM
3:29:12  Bob Hearn, 42, MM
3:30:01  Rick Cooney, 50, MM
3:33:14  Sherry Mahoney, 44, MM
3:35:52  Bob O’Brien, 50, MM
3:36:03  Jon Mahoney, 56, MM
3:40:27  Robert Lopez, 42, MM
3:43:47  Guy Yogi, 54, MM
3:44:25  May Cheng, 43, MM
3:45:25  Al Harman, 47, MM
3:51:13  Ashley Kuhlmann, 22, MM
3:52:56  David Stout, 54, MM
3:53:23  David Jones, 62, MM
3:58:17  Andrew Fritz, 42, MM
3:58:18  Van Phan, 37, MM
3:58:42  Janet Green, 54
3:59:18  Faye Britt, 33, MM
3:59:20  Lorelei Sadowski, 45, MM
3:59:39  Tom Rogers, 63, MM
4:00:15  Clark Gilbert, 54
4:03:45  Gary Marr, 57, MM
4:06:04  Linda Rowl-O’Neal, 53, MM
4:09:21  Mark Dahlby, 44, MM
4:11:26  Ron Fowler, 61
4:15:11  Herb Allen, 66, MM
4:17:21  Jim Kunz, 59
4:18:35  Piper Peterson, 61
4:26:58  Unha Lee, 58
4:30:00  Jill Hudson, 46, MM
4:33:07  Michael Kuhlmann, 58, MM
4:35:00  Leslie Miller, 28, MM
4:40:13  Oliver Chapman, 50
4:42:57  Sharon Reese, 45, MM
4:44:11  Cheri Pompeo, 56, MM
4:46:40  David England, 53, MM
4:47:30  Monte Pascual, 48, MM
4:52:29  Paul Gentry, 49, MM
4:53:59  Marilyn Pyke, 47, MM
4:54:33  Corrine Austerman, 45, MM
4:57:09  Donna Johnson, 67
4:57:44  Kimberly Kuhlmann, 29, MM
5:03:54  Rodolfo Lucena, 51, MM
5:15:20  Spencer Albin, 50, MM
5:19:23  Evan Fagan, 71
5:21:00  Brian Starkey, 42, MM
5:21:58  Paul Piplani, 61
5:41:20  Raymond Shaw, 50 , MM
5:46:42  Rich Menzel, 65, MM
5:57:12  Yau-Ming Chien, 65
5:57:16  Bob Dolphin, 78, MM
5:59:39  Jeanette Quintana, 31, MM
6:33:56  Carol Dellinger, 46, MM
6:35:55  Rick Haase, 63, MM
6:50:32 Stan Nakashima, 56, MM
6:50:33  Jon Nevitt, 69

09/13/08


Good Morning Pacers
 
It is that time of year again, and we 
still have some open slots for the 
Marathon of the Palm Beaches(W. Palm 
Beach), ING Miami, Sarasota, and A1A
(Ft Lauderdale) Pace Teams.
Listed below are the dates, # of 
slots, distance options(Full only or 
Half & Full), and perks for each event.
Please respond ASAP with the event(s) 
and pace time range you are interested 
in.  If you have already touched base
(as many of you have verbally), please 
do so again via email, so I have 
everything in front of me.
Feel free to recommend other qualified 
friends/pacers.
Eric Teets is going to assist in 
organizing the 4 Pace Teams this year.
Thank you in advance.
I am looking forward to seeing you 
again.
 
Go to your Happy Pace,
 
Josh
 
Marathon of the Palm Beaches
Dec 7th
12 slots,  1 Pacer/goal time, Full 
Pacers Only
Perks:
Free Entry 
1 shared hotel room, Marriott-Host 
Hotel, reserved for out of town/state 
pacers, priority given to faster pace 
times(hardest times to recruit) 
Brooks sneakers and apparel 
Hospitality Tent
Responsibilities/Pace Times:
Same course for Half and Full:  3:00-
F/1:30-H, 3:10/1:35, 3:20/1:40, 
3:30/1:45, 3:40/1:50, 3:50/1:55, 
4:00/2:00, 4:15, 4:30/2:15, 4:45, 
5:00/2:30, 5:30 
1 Expo Shift:  Fri noon-3:30, 3:30-7  
Sat 8:45-noon, noon to 3, 3 to 6:15
ING Miami Marathon
January 25th
24 slots, 2 Pacers/goal time, Full 
Pacers Only
Free Entry 
Uniform(last year we received New 
Balance sneakers, jacket, pants, 
singlet, shorts, etc.) 
ING VIP hospitality tent 
Sat 5K Entry 
Hotel Transportation comped(based on 
hotel)
Responsibilities/Pace Times:
Same course for Half and Full:  3:00-
F/1:30-H, 3:10/1:35, 3:20/1:40, 
3:30/1:45, 3:40/1:50, 3:50/1:55, 
4:00/2:00, 4:15, 4:30/2:15, 4:45, 
5:00/2:30, 5:30 
1 Expo Shift:  Fri noon-4, 4-8  Sat 
8:45-noon, noon to 3, 3 to 6
 
Sarasota Marathon
February 15th
18 slots, Half and Full Pace Times
Free Entry 
Uniform 
Hospitality Tent 
Sat night Dinner
Responsibilities/Pace Times:
Full Times:  3:00, 3:10, 3:20, 3:30, 
3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 
5:00, 5:30 
Half Times:  1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 
2:15, 2:30 
1 Expo Shift:  Fri 12-3, 3-6, 6-9,  
Sat 9-12, 12-3, 3-6
 
A1A/Ft Lauderdale Marathon
February 22nd
18 slots, Half and Full Pace Times
Free Entry 
Uniform(last year we received Brooks 
sneakers) 
Hospitality Tent
Responsibilities/Pace Times:
Full Times:  3:00, 3:10, 3:20, 3:30, 
3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 
5:00, 5:30 
Half Times:  1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 
2:15, 2:30 
1 Expo Shift:  Fri times TBA,  Sat 
times TBA
 
 
 

09/15/08


Dane E. Rauschenberg
Extreme Runner - Motivational Speaker
danerunsalot.blogspot.com
www.fiddy2.org
703.203.7007

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Little Grand Canyon Marathon 
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 3; 13th 
Edition
261.6 miles raced in 2008
Race: Little Grand Canyon Marathon
Place: Huntington, UT
Miles from home: 139 miles 
Weather: Sunny and 50s 

I had high expectations for this race. 
It did not disappoint.

I had been in touch with the Little 
Grand Canyon Marathon race director 
for months. He wished to have me speak 
at the race, but wisely realized that 
in its first year, the race needed to 
concentrate on other issues before 
they added a speaker. However, we 
worked together and decided to have 
me "speak" in a much more informal 
way -- by talking to as many runners 
on the buses to and from the race, at 
the race awards after the race and 
everywhere else. But I am getting a 
little ahead of myself.

Upon hearing about this race months 
back, some fellow Utah friends told me 
that they wished they could run it. 
Apparently where the race took place 
was a gorgeous part of Utah. If you 
read my previous blog, I show a few of 
the pictures of the race course and 
you can definitely tell they weren't 
lying. So, a beautiful race, where I 
can establish a relationship with a 
budding new marathon, just about 2 
hours away from my house? SOLD!

The race had a starting line in Price, 
UT (which is actually a nice little 
town and home to Playboy's Playmate of 
the Month for February 2006. Thought 
that was quite interesting). Well, 
that is where the packet pickup was. 
The actual staring point was in 
Huntington, UT about 20 miles south of 
Price. OK, OK, the ACTUAL starting 
line was a few miles out of 
Huntington, and after meeting with 
buses which would take runners a few 
miles from the park in the city center 
of Huntington to the start, runners 
then would ride those same buses back 
to the beginning of the race. Seem a 
little confusing? Well, to some it 
might have been but it wasn't all that 
bad.

Race morning started with almost ideal 
temperatures, in the high 40s or low 
50s. There was a projected clear sky 
for the whole day so I knew the 
weather would heat up and even if it 
didn't, the direct sunlight would be a 
little draining. While we got on the 
buses and made it to the start around 
the time we were supposed to begin, we 
knew there would be a little delay. 
Rumor has it some runners were late in 
picking up their packets and the race 
was kind enough to wait for them. This 
didn't sit poorly with anyone. On the 
ride out to the start (in chartered 
buses, which were extremely 
comfortable and so much better than 
school buses) runners chatted and 
exchanged stories. I ran into some old 
friends who introduced me around and 
soon there was a very informal meet-
and-greet in my bus with me dispensing 
all sorts of advice on how to run, how 
to recover and how to enjoy a 
marathon. None of us minded at all 
that we were a few minutes off 
schedule.

At the start, I had a feeling I had a 
pretty good chance at placing in this 
race. While we waited for the starting 
siren, one of the RDs mentioned that 
this race is marked a little 
differently than other marathons. Its 
mile markers counted down rather than 
up. So after 385 yards of running the 
first sign runners saw was "26 miles 
to go". To be honest, I thought this 
was not the best idea in the world at 
first. One of the best tricks we can 
do to our minds in a marathon is to 
not think of how many more miles are 
left. However, I decided to reserve 
judgment until later in the race.

This race is part of a three race 
series run by the same group of 
running aficionados. There is the Bear 
Lake Marathon (Attention 50 staters: 
It begins in Idaho and ends in Utah. 
You get your choice of which state you 
want to use!), this race (Little Grand 
Canyon Marathon) and the brand-new 
Grand Junction Marathon to be held in 
May of next year.



When asked by the RD if anyone had run 
the Bear Lake Marathon a few people 
raised their hands. Apparently they 
use the same countdown mile marker 
system at that race and people thought 
it was great. The RD said: "You know 
how hard that last .2 is at the end of 
the marathon? Well, we get it out of 
the way first!" I like his thinking!

My buddy Mike Mills found me at the 
start of the race and showed me the 
camera he was going to be carrying the 
whole way. I told him that even its 
small size was more weight than I 
would want to add to my load. I 
introduced him to my friend Jonathan 
(who I had met at the Des News 
Marathon and who himself was in the 
middle of like 4 marathons in 6 weeks 
or something else equally as 
challenging) and Bryan (a marathoner 
who I immediately liked as he was 
wearing a Penn State sweatshirt). It 
ends up that Bryan and Mike would run 
the next 23 miles or so together.


First 15 miles

When we did begin, I surged to the 
front of the pack. I wanted to see who 
would follow and who would be in the 
leaders. No one followed me at first, 
or at least no one ran right beside 
me. After a first mile of 5:50, I 
wondered who, if anyone, would make 
this an easy or hard day. I did not 
wonder for too long for after the 
rather relaxing first mile, we turned 
the corner off of the only paved 
section of the course and I could see 
one guy not too far behind me. 
Inexplicably dressed in a sweatshirt 
and wool knitcap, I figured this guy 
did not have the foggiest idea how to 
run a marathon and would soon be left 
behind. With the first 5 miles of the 
course containing the only real uphill 
section, I figured a quick burst of 
speed here at over 5600 feet would 
eliminate this guy from contention for 
anything.



But a 6:58, 7:13, 6:35, and 7:17 had 
this guy still just about 30 seconds 
behind me.

With aid stations every odd mile 
marker, I would use the vocals of the 
aid station volunteers to tell me 
where the runner behind me was (rather 
than turning around to look and let 
him know he was on his mind). I did 
this at mile 3, mile 5, mile 7 and 
mile 9. In between there were a few 
places where there were cattle guards 
(little sections of graded road with 
slots to keep cattle from crossing) 
where a plank had been placed to 
assist runners in crossing. When I 
passed over this board it made quite a 
racket. Fortunately, it did the same 
with the runner behind me. Using this 
noise, I would again gauge where he 
was, again without looking behind me.

Around mile 11, the chap behind me (I 
would later learn his name was Bronson 
Dameron) had shed his sweatshirt and 
hat and was still roughly 35 seconds 
behind me. We then hit a very flat and 
very straight section of the course. 
Here, with almost nothing around to 
pinpoint pace, I would make a surge 
every telephone pole and then back off 
for two telephone poles. I hoped the 
surge would be unnoticed by the runner 
behind me and before he knew it I 
would have put a few more seconds 
between us. However, at the next right 
angle, he had gained ground! Well, 
crap!

After the halfway point passed and we 
neared mile 15, I could still not 
shake Bronson. Leading a marathon for 
the first 15 miles puts many thoughts 
into your head. Going into the race, I 
wanted to win it. Flat-out. I did not 
want to set a PR and I did not care 
what my time was. I only wanted to 
win. With Grandparent's Day last 
weekend, this race's victory was 
supposed to be an homage to my 
grandparents (who have all passed and 
who were integral in my marathon 
running; more details about this in my 
book which is scheduled to come out 
next month. The exact title and time 
of release will be revealed here when 
I know for sure.). So when a side 
stitch appeared in my right side, and 
this pesky runner was behind me with 
just 11 miles to go, I wasn't sure 
what was going to happen.

Miles 15-17:

Each step I took exacerbated the 
stitch. I rarely get stitches and am 
unsure where this one came from. Soon 
Bronson was RIGHT behind me. I decided 
to hold him off until mile 17 and then 
make a reassessment of what was 
happening. Hopefully, I would be able 
to run behind him to the finish, like 
he had done to me for the first 15 
miles. It appeared I had 
underestimated his marathon experience.


Miles 17-20:

Right on cue, we hit mile 17, I slowed 
down and before I knew it Bronson had 
put a sizeable distance of 5-10 
seconds between us. However, I noticed 
that at the aid station he stopped and 
walked through the whole area and did 
not seem to have a fluid strategy for 
drinking and running. Suspicions I had 
that he was a newbie runner again 
cropped into my head. However, as the 
next mile unfolded, his amateur status 
did not seem to matter. Bronson added 
a few more seconds to his lead and I 
wondered how long it would be until he 
disappeared from sight.

It is this section of the race that 
the RD had told me was the most 
breathtaking. And he was 100% right. 
Unfortunately, during the race I 
barely noticed it. I had my eyes 
locked on Bronson. As we began to 
descend some hills, I noticed I 
quickly made up some time. My stitch 
relieved itself some and I was soon 
just 10 seconds behind him. At the 
mile 19 aid station, he once again 
stopped to drink and I glided through. 
Almost instantly, I was no more than 3 
seconds behind him.

After averaging ~6:45 minute miles for 
the first 19 miles of this race, our 
next mile was a pedestrian 7:30. 
During that mile I had crept up to 
darn near run in his shadow and was 
feeling great. My stitch was gone, I 
felt rejuvenated and I figured this 
race would be a battle to the end. But 
with my new energy I was ready for it.

Miles 20-23:

Right after we passed the mile 20 
marker (or more accurately, the "6 
miles to go" marker), I noticed 
Bronson look labored. In fact, he 
looked like I felt 5 miles earlier. I 
figured I would surge and see if he 
followed. I was passed him in a flash 
and soon had no idea if he was behind 
me or not. As the race weekend 
included a half-marathon, which 
started at the halfway mark of the 
marathon, here was the point where we 
began to join the half-marathon 
runners who started an hour after the 
marathon did. As such, I could not 
discern whether the footsteps I heard 
were runners I just passed, or the guy 
right behind me keeping up.

At mile 21, I almost ran smack dab 
into some half-marathoners who came to 
a dead stop at the aid station. In 
their defense, I do not think they 
expected me to be behind them (they 
most assuredly did not hear me; which 
is reason #476 why I dislike people 
running with earphones in.) but that 
did not stop me from having to almost 
pirouette around them. Too preoccupied 
with not falling and also getting 
fluid in me, I did not have the 
ability to swing around and check on 
Bronson. However, a few more downhills 
ahead told me I could make him work 
for everything that was left.

As mile 23 approached, I had a feeling 
I was in for a dogfight. To fully gain 
as much as I could from the aid 
station, I decided to stop and walk 
through, drinking both the Gatorade 
and the water. While the temperatures 
had stayed cool, and there was plenty 
of shade in the canyons we were 
running in, I was still rather 
parched. I grabbed both liquids from 
the volunteers and quickly looked 
behind me. With a long straight away 
behind me (one of the first such 
sections in miles) I could probably 
see about 90 seconds of running time. 
What did I see? Nothing. My pursuer 
was gone!

23-Finish:

Swallowing both glasses, I got on my 
giddy-up. It appeared there could be 
no way I would be caught. Whoever was 
behind me had to run at least 30 
seconds faster than me per mile for 
the last three simply to catch me. 
With some downhill ahead, my 
grandparents smiling above, and my own 
desire shining through, I was not 
going to let this happen.

That said, my head was on a swivel 
every few minutes. I would look back 
to make sure some maniac wasn't 
sprinting with everything he had to 
beat me. But each look back produced 
nothing but empty space or just-passed 
half-marathoners. Around mile 25.5, my 
friend David, who was running the half 
and was out on a cool-down greeted me 
with: "Is that Dane?!" Finding out 
that he had set a new half PR and that 
the finish was just around the corner 
gave me new strength. I picked it up, 
turned the corner, passed over one 
more cattle grate and had the finish 
line ahead of me. The only question 
now was: "Am I going to run ANOTHER 
3:05 or am I going to run my first 
3:04?"

Crossing first in 3:05:28, I felt the 
joy of breaking the metaphorical tape. 
(There was no such tape for me to 
break at the finish. Even though I 
repeated running a 3:05 (something I 
hate doing) this could not have been 
sweeter. In my 81st marathon ever I 
was able to get my 2nd overall win. A 
smattering of applause from finished 
half-marathoners (most who had no idea 
I was the marathon winner) fell on 
deaf ears. All I wanted was a bottle 
of water and a second alone with my 
thoughts. I did wave a thanks to those 
around me with what energy I had left 
but I was definitely in my own mind. 
Even here now the realization has not 
fully set in. After feeling the 
marathon win was a shoe-in for 15 
miles, I had the despair of knowing I 
left it slip away, to only then 
reclaim it for good with a 5k to go. 
Today was a good day.

I eventually saw Bronson come in, 4th 
place overall with a time of 3:14. I 
learned this was indeed his first 
marathon and that is one HECK of a 
time for a newbie. Good work Bronson. 
Hope you did not mind the sweaty 
hug. :) After seeing David he gave me 
congrats again, I was back on the bus 
heading to Huntington.

Now, with regards to the marathon, I 
really must sing its praises.

* Like I mentioned about the Run with 
the Horses Marathon last month, 
scenery during a race rarely impresses 
me. However, if I had not been so 
locked in to the battle I was in, I 
would have assuredly noticed the sheer 
magnificence of the last 10 miles of 
the race. While the first 16 were 
quite pretty as well, running in what 
truly looked like a miniature Grand 
Canyon for miles and miles is a great 
way to spend a Saturday morning.

* While I never used a one, I lost 
count of the portapotties on the 
course. I am pretty sure there was one 
at every aid-station. If an emergency 
had called for its use, it was a treat 
to know they were there.

* The volunteers, while a little green 
(which until recently used to mean 
they were newbies, not eco-friendly) 
and showed a little hesitancy to 
bother the runners in the race unless 
you made direct eye contact, were 
quick to give you whatever you needed 
if you simply asked.

* For a very-low price, runners 
received a very nice technical T-
shirt, rides in comfy chartered buses 
and plenty of post-race water, fruit 
and bread.

* The finisher's medal was very nice, 
depicting the Little Grand Canyon. 
Everyone gets one of those. But the 
overall winner awards were redrock 
slabs, with a Kokopeli figurine carved 
into the side (pictures as soon as I 
can). Absolutely one of the coolest 
things I have ever won (not to mention 
the gift packet from the local College 
of Eastern Utah!)

Overall, it is really hard to get more 
bang for your buck than at this race. 
I was really impressed with how this 
first-year race was run. Kudos to all 
involved with is preparation and 
execution.

After the race, at a Hawaiian luau, I 
again met up with Mike, Bryan, and 
Jonathan. A flatlander, Mike 
impressively ran a 3:24 and finished 
6th overall. Carrying a camera and 
take a few stops to take pictures, 
this would be an impressive time even 
if it had not been done at elevation. 
Nice work, Mike! Bryan, (Let's go 
State!) finished one minute behind him 
for tenth overall and Jonathan 
finished a very respectable 19th 
overall in 3:43. I also had the 
pleasure of meeting the women's 
overall winner, and an acquaintance of 
Mike's, Miriam Schumann. after 
chatting with a few other runners, 
including first time half marathon 
runner Maria Baker and her husband 
(who ran an excellent 2:15), I packed 
up my stuff and got back on the road.

This one is for you, Grandpa and 
Gramma. I hope you had a nice golfing 
day in heaven.

09/16/08


Monday, September 15, 2008
  
TR -Bhutan- Part 2
TRIP REPORT
BHUTAN
8/31 –9/11/08
Part 2

Now where were we? Oh yes – we had 
arrived in Thimphu and were eager to 
meet the other groups of ’guest’ 
runners. After checking into the hotel 
and enjoying a morning tea break 
Khandu informed us that the rest of 
the day was free until we joined up 
with the other guests at 3 pm for a 
bus tour of the marathon course. He 
asked if he could drive us anywhere. 
We all agreed that we would like a 
short drive/tour around Thimphu to get 
the layout of the city.

As we started our drive around the 
city Khandu suggested that we drive 
out to the Motithang Takin Preserve to 
see Bhutan’s national animal – the 
Takin that is a cross between a goat 
and a cow. This became a 
contentious/sore point for me. One of 
my chief complaints with the tour and 
tour agency was the lack of a formal 
itinerary and lack of information. 
Because I was expecting a short tour 
of the city I did not bring my camera. 
Thankfully Corinna brought her camera 
and promised to send me some photos of 
the Takins! After seeing the Takins we 
drove back into the city and went to 
the only Italian restaurant in Bhutan 
for lunch. I ordered a pizza with lots 
of pepperoni and meat – my 2nd best 
meal in Bhutan! Thimphu is very small 
and compact so the tour was short and 
I decided to go shopping for 
souvenirs. I had seen a unique 
Bhutanese musical instrument in the 
shops in Paro but decided to wait till 
Thimphu where I expected there would 
be better selections and prices. Much 
to my surprise and chagrin I could not 
find the instruments in Thimphu? I 
returned to the hotel to meet the 
other guest runners including an old 
running friend and fellow Country Club 
member, Andy Kotulski, who was running 
his 76th country. Andy and I had just 
met recently when we ran the Estes 
Park Marathon - ’the Highest Paved 
Marathon in the World’. We were 
curious how this marathon course would 
compare to Estes Park?

There were 15 guest runners –13 
running the marathon and 2 running the 
Half and 3 spouses who were not 
running. We loaded onto a bus and 
began our tour of the course.
Again I didn’t bring a camera because 
I believed it to be strictly a 
drive/tour of the course? The course 
started in downtown Thimphu near the 
National Stadium (elev. 2320m/7650ft) 
and climbed gently along the right 
bank of the Wang Chhu (river). At 7 Km 
it crossed the Dechencholing Bridge to 
the left bank (2384m/7867ft) and at 
7.9Km the two courses (marathon & 
Half) diverged. The marathon course 
began to climb the 1st BAH (Bad Ass 
Hill) to 2508m/8276ft past some water 
towers where it turned north and 
entered a pine forest where there were 
a series of short BAHs until it 
reached the Begana Bridge 
(2510m/8283ft) at 15Km. The course 
then climbed another BAH through oak 
forests to a turnaround point near the 
Cheri Goemba (monastery) at 17.9Km and 
2583m/8524ft. We stopped at the 
monastery for a photo op – except for 
Maddog who had no camera! The course 
then looped back over the Begana 
Bridge and past a large gold-painted 
petroglyph of Chenrisig on a rock 
beside the road (again no camera for a 
photo!).
The course continued to retrace the 
route back to the BAH at the water 
tower and down to the bridge at 
Dechencholing where it rejoined the 
Half marathon course. It then turned 
into an army base and passed the Queen 
Mother’s Palace as it climbed up into 
the mountains overlooking Thimphu from 
the west. At 32Km the course climbed 
the final BAH – 5Km long and reached 
an elevation of 2480m/8200ft before 
descending back into the city and the 
finish line. As the bus 
chugged/strained up that final BAH I 
commented to the group that “this hill 
will be an ‘absolute bitch’ tomorrow”! 
Andy and I and agreed that the course 
looked much tougher than Estes Park 
because of the number of BAHs. I 
finished Estes Park in 4:13 but felt I 
was in much better shape for this race 
so my target remained 4 hrs but I 
expected to finish between 4:00 and 
4:15?

The itinerary called for a pasta 
dinner and party that evening but 
again there was a serious lack of 
information. I had learned my lesson 
and carried a camera but they 
neglected to advise us that the party 
would be held outside? It was cold at 
7pm and most runners had not dressed 
properly so it was difficult to enjoy 
the wonderful dancers and singers who 
entertained us with traditional songs 
and dances. Luckily we moved inside 
for the pre-race dinner and another 
nasty surprise! The pasta and rice 
were served COLD! Now I do admit that 
I am set/rigid in my pre-race diet 
requirements. I always-always- eat HOT 
spaghetti bolognaise and will not 
deviate from this proven routine! I 
hate COLD food so I refused to eat any 
of the pasta dinner. I wanted to leave 
and go back to the Italian restaurant 
for ‘real’ food but didn’t want to be 
rude. So instead I returned to the 
hotel hungry and ate a power bar for 
my pre-race dinner and hoped that the 
huge pizza I ate for lunch would carry 
me through the race?

Since I was not in a good mood at that 
point I informed my roommate that if 
he woke me up (again) in the middle of 
the night (3am) chomping or nibbling 
on a power bar I would change his 
nickname from ‘MadMonk’ to ‘Chipmunk’! 
Either he got the message or ran out 
of power bars and I got a full night’s 
sleep before the race!

The races started at 6:30am but Khandu 
drove us to the start line at 5:30 so 
we could enjoy the opening ceremony – 
a traditional Marchhang ceremony to 
invoke the deities for the protection 
and good luck of all runners. Khandu 
became our ‘de facto’ Sports Manager 
and promised to follow us around the 
course so I gave him my back-up camera 
to take photos along the course. In 
addition to the 15 ‘guest’ runners 
there were more than 100 local 
runners. The races were treated as two 
separate events. There was no doubt 
that the locals would kick our butts. 
The locals did not pay an entry fee 
(most would not enter if they had to 
pay) and were eligible for cash awards 
equivalent to two months salary (paid 
from the $300 entry fee charged to the 
guest runners). There were no awards 
for guests! All we got for our $300 
was a race T-shirt and a finisher’s 
medal and certificate! And the results 
were kept separate.

The weather was nice at the start- 
cloudy and temps in the low 50sF. The 
race started on time and the locals 
took off like rockets. Also one guest 
runner took off very fast – a young 
male runner from Norway? I let him go 
figuring that the hills and elevation 
would soon slow him down? I ran with 
some local and guest runners for the 
first 7Km. After I crossed the 
Dechencholing Bridge a young German 
runner passed me and I decided to let 
him go also but to keep him in sight. 
As we started climbing the 1st BAH I 
was determined to run the entire hill. 
However as we approached the top of 
the BAH near the water towers my legs 
were churning madly but they felt like 
they were moving in ’slow motion’? I 
figured I could power walk faster and 
easier than I was supposedly running!
I was correct but I was also concerned 
that I was setting a bad precedent 
very early in the race? We turned on 
to the side road and entered the pine 
forest. As I crossed the Benang Bridge 
over the Wang Chhu at 15Km I met the 
three local leaders of the race. That 
meant they had a 6Km lead on me at 
that point and I knew I would not see 
them again! I started the climb up the 
BAH to the turnaround point at Cheri 
Goemba and was disappointed that I had 
to start power walking again? As I 
approached the turn point I met the 
young Norwegian and then the German 
runner and timed my split to the turn 
point. I calculated that the Norwegian 
had a 6 min lead and the German about 
4 minutes. I remembered the distance 
at that point (17.9Km/11m) and was not 
concerned because I figured/hoped the 
hills and elevation would slow them 
down? The return leg down the BAH and 
back to the bridge was easy and I was 
able to haul ass! However once I 
crossed the bridge I was faced again 
with the series of short BAHs. The 
gold – painted petroglyph took my mind 
off the BAHs and pain for a few 
minutes and soon I reached a water 
station – the only station that knew 
what the distance was – 23.3Km. I 
looked at my watch – 2:05! A sub 4-hr 
finish was not looking good because 
the 2nd Half had a lot of BAHs and 
elevation change? But I kept on 
pushing the pace. A few minutes later 
I heard a loud noise/commotion and a 
tribe of 20/30 monkeys clamored out of 
the forest and crossed the road in 
front of me. I didn’t want to threaten 
their territory so I stopped 
immediately and retreated while they 
crossed the road. A few minutes later 
I met the MadMonk coming in the 
opposite direction and hoped that he 
would have an opportunity to see the 
monkeys. (He did).

Soon I reached the main road and the 
top of the BAH at the water towers. I 
was looking forward to that BAH this 
time – a 2Km steep descent! I hauled 
ass hoping that I might close within 
sight of the youngsters ahead of me. 
However when I reached the water 
station where the course rejoined the 
Half (26.9Km) there was no sign of the 
youngsters. I realized I would not 
catch them unless they crashed on the 
final BAH? I began the climb in to the 
mountains west of the city and enjoyed 
some nice views of Thimphu (when I 
wasn’t grimacing with pain). And 
finally I reached the section of the 
course I was dreading – the final BAH 
that climbed steeply/relentlessly for 
5km! It did not take long for my 
prediction to come true! After 1 Km of 
climbing/running my legs again felt 
like they were moving in super slow 
motion? That BAH was an ‘Absolute 
Bitch”! I developed a strategy to walk 
30 secs/run 2 min and managed to 
maintain that cycle except for a few 
very steep sections where it became 
walk 30 secs/run 30 secs! I was 
becoming concerned that I might not 
finish under 4:30 with all the walking 
that I had to do?

I reached a water station near the top 
of the BAH. No water! That didn’t 
upset me as much as the fact that the 
volunteer had no idea what the 
distance was or how far it was to the 
finish line! I needed to know how far 
it was to the finish line so I could 
determine how hard I needed to push 
the pace? I decided to push the pace 
to the top of that BAH/Absolute Bitch! 
When I finally crested that BAH a 
support car came by and gave me a 
bottle of water. I asked “How far to 
the finish line”? The answer was 
useless – “30 minutes”! 30 minutes for 
whom? I looked at my watch – it was 
just under 4 hours! If he was correct 
I would be lucky to finish under 4:30? 
Maddog screamed at me “That is not 
acceptable”! I agreed and we decided 
that I had to push the pace – all out- 
to the finish line. If I crashed at 
least I would go down in flames 
trying! I figured it was 4 or 5Km to 
the finish line – and all downhill. I 
hauled ass and soon was pleasantly 
surprised/rewarded when I made a sharp 
turn at a large Stupa. I remembered 
that Stupa was approximately 1 mile 
from the finish line. I looked at my 
watch – about 4:05! I was then 
confident that I could finish under 
4:15 and qualify for Boston. That 
final mile was a very steep downhill 
so I stretched out my stride and used 
gravity to fly down that hill. I 
reached the bottom of that BAH and 
downtown Thimphu at 4:10 and could see 
the finish line on the other side of 
the Wang Chhu! I looked at the bridge. 
The sidewalk was crowded with 
pedestrians that would impede my 
path/speed and there was no traffic 
control on the bridge. I decided to 
take a chance and charged down the 
middle of the traffic lane forcing and 
trusting cars to avoid me? I made it 
across the bridge safely and begged 
the old bod to give me one final jolt 
of adrenalin so I could sprint up the 
final, short/steep hill to cross the 
finish line in 4:13:23!

The youngsters were waiting at the 
finish line. The Norwegian had 
finished in 4:01 and the German in 
4:08. I was not disappointed – they 
were half my age and I had finished in 
3rd place (among the guest runners). 
And it turned out that I was the only 
runner (including the locals) who 
finished that tough course with a BQ 
time! I was pleased! I waited at the 
finish line for the first guest female 
to finish (from Hong Kong) in 4:33. 
Then I decided I might as well walk 
back to the hotel for a long hot 
shower since the MM would not finish 
for another two hours. After a much-
needed shower I met several of my 
fellow runners in the hotel lobby. 
Everyone agreed with my course 
assessment – it was tough and that 
last BAH was an ’Absolute Bitch’. Andy 
and I agreed that it was much tougher 
than Estes Park but the strange 
coincidence was that I finished in the 
exact same time as Estes Park and Andy 
finished exactly one hour behind me – 
the same as Estes Park?

Most runners were going to lunch at 
the hotel but I can’t eat after a race 
so I walked back to the finish line to 
wait for the MadMonk. The race 
director had assigned two teenagers to 
accompany the MM through the 2nd half 
and he was in constant contact with 
the volunteers. When the MM reached 
the Stupa near the finish I walked 
backwards on the course to escort him 
to the finish line. He finished in 
6:53:26. He was a very tired puppy – 
but he had survived! He was the last 
guest to finish but NOT the last 
runner. A local couple, Japanese 
expats living in Bhutan, finished 5 
minutes later. The race director, 
Penjo, called all guests to reassemble 
at the finish area for the awards 
ceremony. The cash awards were 
presented to the local winners and all 
the guests received a finisher’s medal 
and certificate.

Everyone returned to the hotel. While 
MM enjoyed a hot shower Penjo asked 
Andy and I to meet with him to provide 
feedback and comments to improve the 
race. We were glad to do so over a few 
well-deserved beers. Penjo indicated 
that he planned to hold two marathons 
next year. One in the Spring in the 
Punakha Valley where the elevation is 
lower and the course would be flatter 
and then probably repeat the same 
marathon and course that we ran in the 
Fall? By that time I was starving 
since I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hrs. I 
asked Penjo to perform a miracle and 
find me a Yak steak. He tried 
valiantly and called more than a dozen 
restaurants in Thimphu – but alas no 
Yak steaks to be had? So he drove me 
to the Italian restaurant where the 
owner/chef cooked us a BIG pork chop 
with potatoes. The BEST meal I ate in 
Bhutan!

After that great meal I visited 
several more handicraft shops in the 
hopes of finding my musical 
instruments but no luck. I wasn’t 
concerned since we would return to 
Paro and I could buy them there. I did 
find all the other souvenirs I needed 
so most of my shopping was done. Later 
that evening Andy’s group invited us 
to go to the Italian restaurant for 
dinner. I thought that was a great 
idea but the rest of my group wanted 
to go to a small local restaurant 
for ‘typical’ Bhutanese food- 
read “veggie’. I don’t know why I 
agreed because I refused to eat any 
veggie crap and ordered a dish of 
chicken with chili peppers. It was 
spicy but tasty but I really wished I 
had gone back to the Italian 
restaurant for ‘real’ food!

The following day most of the groups 
parted ways and continued on their 
different tours. We were scheduled to 
drive to the Punakha Valley. Although 
it was only 76 Km it was a 4 –hr drive 
because it was necessary to drive over 
a pass at Docha Lu (3140m/10,362ft) 
and then descend to Punakha 
(1250m/4125ft). We made a short stop 
at Simtokha to take photos of the 
Simtokha Dzong built in 1629. Then we 
began the long drive that was tough on 
Khandu and scary for his guests! The 
road is paved but is a narrow, single 
lane and it can be a scary challenge 
when you meet another vehicle! Both 
cars must swerve on to the shoulder 
and there are no guardrails to prevent 
a car from plummeting 3000+feet off 
the sides of the mountains! However in 
a few hours we safely reached Docha Lu 
where there was a large array of 
prayer flags and a collection of 108 
chortens built in 2005 to commemorate 
the loss of life caused by the 
flushing out of Assamese militants in 
Southern Bhutan. As usual the chortens 
were shrouded in rain clouds. A few 
hours later we had descended safely to 
Punakha valley and checked into a 
hotel in Wangdue. Due to the low 
elevation of Punakha Valley and the 
warm climate the valley is very 
fertile and provides two crops of rice 
and tropical fruit such as oranges and 
bananas. The scenery was spectacular 
with terraced rice fields climbing up 
the sides of the mountains.

After a short rest and lunch we drove 
up the valley to visit the Punakha 
Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most impressive 
dzongs. It sits at the confluence of 
the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho 
Chhu (Father River). Punakha was the 
capital of Bhutan for more than 300 
years so the dzong was the seat of 
government power. After visiting the 
dzong we were scheduled to visit a 
monastery that required a short hike. 
However Corinna was suffering from a 
sprained ankle and could barely walk 
and the MM was still exhausted from 
the marathon so we rebelled and told 
Khandu that we would take photos from 
the road! We decided to head back to 
the hotel to rest, use the Internet 
and drink beer!

The following morning MD and MM wanted 
to do a short run so we left the hotel 
at 6am and headed south on the 
highway. About 2 Km from the hotel we 
reached a police checkpoint. MD 
stopped and explained that he was 
jogging and wanted to run another 5 km 
past the checkpoint? The guard looked 
at him like he was crazy and 
said, ”OK, have a good day sir”! After 
turning around I met many kids walking 
to school. They were very friendly and 
curious wanting to know where I was 
from, etc. I really enjoyed talking to 
the kids! After breakfast we were 
scheduled to visit our last dzong – 
the Wangdue Phrodrang Dzong on the 
edge of Wangdue at the confluence of 
the Punak Tsang Chhu and the Dang 
Chhu. But first we asked Khandu to 
drive us to the Wangdue Elementary 
School where we would donate our final 
school supplies. We arrived as the 
morning assembly was being dismissed 
and got to talk to a lot of the 
students. Then we found the principal 
who gladly accepted our gifts. 
Needless to say we felt quite 
pleased/happy with ourselves when we 
left the school. Then it was on to the 
dzong. The Wangdue Dzong was built in 
1638 and was the most authentic dzong 
we visited. Most of the architecture 
and buildings were original. Also we 
arrived at an opportune time. There 
were many local Buddhist laymen 
practicing dances for an upcoming 
festival in the courtyard and we were 
invited into a building to watch 
Bhutanese women rehearsing songs and 
dances for the festival. And then we 
were invited into the temple to watch 
some student Monks performing a 
ceremony and lastly invited into a 
classroom where students were being 
taught.

That was the best visit of a dzong – 
either because of the above activities 
or maybe because it was the LAST? By 
then we were completely dzong’d and 
temple’d out!
So we headed back to Thimpu and the 
long scary ride over Docha Lu pass. We 
arrived in Thimphu in time for lunch – 
you guessed it – another veggie lunch! 
However by then I had resolved that I 
did not want to see or eat any more 
rice or green veggies for at least 3 
months! I refused to eat any more 
veggies! Instead I ordered a big plate 
of French Fries – hot, greasy chips 
made from scratch with fresh potatoes. 
They were wonderful! The 3rd best meal 
I ate in Bhutan!

We then continued our drive/journey 
back to Paro. When we reached Paro I 
insisted that Khandu drive us to a few 
handicraft shops so I could buy my 
musical instruments. I can’t tell you 
what they were because they are Xmas 
gifts for our kids and they 
(hopefully) read these reports. But 
they will make a great addition to 
their collection of unique musical 
instruments from around the world. I 
also insisted on one more stop – to 
buy a birthday cake! After we checked 
into the same hotel Corinna enjoyed a 
hot stone bath while MD and MM enjoyed 
a Thai massage before dinner. Then I 
went to the bar to gorge myself on 
peanuts and Bhutanese beer knowing 
that it would be unlikely that I 
could/would eat any (veggie) dinner! 
But I did enjoy the birthday cake 
after we sung Happy Birthday to 
celebrate Khandu’s 28th birthday!

The next morning I believe Khandu was 
happy to be finished with his 
babysitting duties as he dropped us 
off at the Paro airport for our 
flights to Bangkok. Since MD and MM 
had an early flight home the next day 
we booked a hotel near the airport. 
Unfortunately it was located in a 
local/industrial area and the only 
decent restaurant was at the hotel- a 
Seafood restaurant. I was really 
looking forward to a BIG beefsteak but 
had to enjoy a nice seafood dinner 
instead. The following morning we 
started our 32-hr journey home. I 
arrived in a snowstorm late Thu night! 
Didn’t sleep much because of jetlag 
but when I did get up I realized that 
winter is on its way to the High 
Country! The Aspens are turning golden 
and the mountaintops have a fresh 
dusting of snow – both are signs that 
it is time to leave Colorado!

We will stay for one more week to 
close up the house and pack for the 
long drive to Florida. We must be back 
in FL by the end of Sept because I 
plan to leave from FL for my next 
marathon/adventure in Nicaragua in 
early Oct!

09/16/08


Sunday, September 14, 2008
  
TR - Bhutan - Part 1
TRIP REPORT
BHUTAN
8/31 – 9/11/08
Part 1

Race Results
Bhutan International Marathon
Thimphu, Bhutan
Sun, Sept 7/08
Marathon #308 – Country #93
4:13:23 – 3 OA – 1 AG


Country #93 – THREE down – SEVEN to go!

The next question is “Where is 
Bhutan”? It is a landlocked country in 
the Himalayan Mountains bordered on 
the north by China/Tibet and on all 
other sides by India.
Bhutan’s early history is steeped in 
Buddhist folklore and Buddhism is 
still the main religion and cultural 
influence. The Kingdom is ruled by a 
King who decided to move the country 
from an absolute monarchy to a 
democratic constitutional monarchy in 
2008 that is committed to improving 
the GNH (Gross National Happiness) of 
the country and its citizens. The 
small population (about 700,000) is 
friendly and sincere.

I had first considered running a 
marathon in Bhutan in 2001 when the 
first and only other marathon was 
held. But the country is very 
difficult and expensive to visit. The 
number of tourists is restricted (less 
than 20,000 per year) and all ‘guests’ 
(except those from India) must be 
invited and escorted by a Bhutanese 
travel agency at all times. There is a 
tourist tax of $250/day included in 
the tour package that can only be 
purchased from a Bhutanese agency! 
Bottom line – it is not cheap to visit 
Bhutan! However in my quest to run 100 
countries I felt that now was the 
time - I had better visit Bhutan when 
I had the chance because there may not 
be another marathon? And I am not 
getting any younger!

When I mentioned my trip to some other 
runners/friends only one – my good 
friend Frank (aka – the MadMonk) from 
Sarasota expressed interest and 
actually booked the trip - and agreed 
to share a room with me. There is only 
one airport in the country – in Paro – 
and only the National airline – Druk 
Airways – is allowed to fly into the 
country. We decided to connect to Druk 
in Bangkok and arrived in Bangkok a 
few days early to allow time to 
recover from the expected jet lag 
before traveling on to Bhutan. As 
expected when Maddog and MadMonk 
arrived in Bangkok in mid-afternoon 
after 32 hours of travel time we were 
totally wiped out from jet lag. We 
forced ourselves to stay awake as long 
as possible. MM succumbed before 
dinner and crashed at 5 pm. MD managed 
to eat a light dinner and crashed at 7 
pm. We both slept 12 hours and felt 
much better the next day.

Our families sent us frantic emails 
warning us that the PM of Thailand had 
declared a state of emergency the day 
we arrived! We had heard the same news 
on the BBC news channel but our hotel 
was located on the outskirts of the 
city and we had not noticed any 
turmoil or problems in the streets? We 
booked a city and temple tour for the 
afternoon and decided to visit the 
Grand Palace on our own during the 
morning. We didn’t see any 
turmoil/problems when we arrived in 
the old section of Bangkok but there 
were lots of police and military armed 
with machine guns? We had foolishly 
dressed in shorts because of the 
hot/humid weather. I knew that it was 
forbidden to visit temples without 
trousers but I didn’t think the same 
rule applied to the Palace? As we 
approached the entrance to the Palace 
a smart local entrepreneur reminded us 
that we could not enter the Palace 
and ‘rented’ us a pair of trousers. 
Actually they looked more like Thai 
pajamas? We agreed that we would never 
tell anybody or let anybody see the 
photos of the biggest/silliest-looking 
dorks in the world visiting the Grand 
Palace in PJs – but then I 
figured “how can we laugh at others if 
we can’t laugh at ourselves”? So enjoy 
your laughs! (see photos).

In spite of many laughs and snickers 
from other tourists we enjoyed our 
visit of the Grand Palace and the Wat 
Phra Kaew with its revered Emerald 
Buddha. MM wanted to take a tuk-tuk 
back to the hotel which turned out to 
be a bad choice as we sucked up (too 
many) exhaust fumes in the 5-mile 
drive! Later that day - and after a 
wise change into trousers – we toured 
the old city of Bangkok and visited 
(too) many Buddhist temples. Again we 
did not see any political protests or 
problems? But most of the protests 
seemed to occur at night and we were 
in bed by 8pm! Since we had a (ugly) 
4:30 am departure for Bhutan the next 
day we enjoyed a great seafood dinner 
and were in bed by 8 pm. Five hours 
later we had to get up and head to the 
airport! Out Druk Air flight connected 
via Calcutta, India and arrived in 
Paro about 8 am on Sept 4. We were 
finally in Bhutan!

A tour guide from the travel agency 
that had organized the marathon and 
trip met us at the airport. We soon 
learned that Khandu would be our 
dedicated guide (and babysitter) for 
our entire stay in Bhutan. There was 
one other runner in our group – a 
lovely young lady from Germany. 
Corinna had only decided in the past 
few weeks to run the marathon. We were 
amazed to learn that a tour guide was 
dedicated to each group or individual 
guest that arrived at different dates 
or had a different length of stay? 
Khandu checked us into a hotel in Paro 
and I watched in amusement as MM let 
some young Bhutanese ladies carry his 
luggage to our room? After breakfast 
and checking out the grounds of the 
Hotel Gangtey Palace – an old palace 
that had been converted to a hotel – 
the MD and MM decided to do a run. 
Paro is the 2nd largest city in Bhutan 
with a population of 9,000 (no error 
in the zeroes). The town and 
surrounding area was very rural which 
was perfect. We couldn’t run in 
Bangkok because of the traffic and 
pollution and we needed to run! We ran 
down the mountain and through the 
town. The roads were very narrow with 
no shoulder but there was very little 
traffic. The biggest problem was dogs –
 hundreds of stray dogs – lying around 
the streets/roads in town and outside 
the town? Fortunately they were not 
mean or aggressive – they just lie in 
the middle of the roads and force cars 
and people to go around them? I 
couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t 
move for cars? They would be dead in 
minutes in the US? After our much-
needed run and endorphin kick we 
enjoyed a nice (vegetarian) lunch at 
the hotel.

After my trip to Nepal to run the 
Everest Marathon I expected to eat a 
lot of vegetarian meals but it did 
become a problem before the end of the 
trip. Our little group was very 
compatible except for one thing – 
Corinna was a ‘Vegan’ and Maddog was 
a ‘Carnivore’.
Corinna asked/demanded that all the 
veggies be prepared w/o butter or 
dairy products, etc and MD demanded 
meat – BIG pieces of meat – NOT the 
tiny bits of meat that were served in 
a typical Asian stir-fry. I had 
expected that I could always buy a Yak 
steak but there was none to be found?

After lunch Khandu took us on a guided 
tour of the National Museum in Paro. 
The Museum used to be a watchtower for 
the Paro Dzong (fortress) but was 
renovated in 1968 to house the 
National Museum. At the end of an 
interesting tour MD and MM asked 
Khandu to drop us off in town to 
explore the town and do some shopping. 
Khandu was hesitant/concerned about 
leaving us alone because he was 
supposed to baby-sit us 24 x 7 but he 
soon realized that wasn’t going to 
happen. We walked back to the hotel in 
time for dinner (veggie of course)! 
Since the hotel had no TV, telephone 
or Internet we went to bed early to 
prepare for a tough hike the next day!

The next morning MD and MM walked down 
the hill from the hotel to the Taju 
Elementary School after breakfast 
before starting the day’s activities. 
We had brought school supplies that we 
wanted to give to local Bhutanese kids 
and we figured what better way than to 
donate them to a school? We arrived at 
a very opportune time – the kids were 
assembled in the schoolyard for 
morning assembly. We watched as the 
kids stood quietly at attention in 
their school uniforms while a few 
classmates read short essays and then 
everyone sang the national anthem. 
After the assembly was dismissed many 
of the kids approached us politely to 
ask who we were and where we were 
from? I thought “I sure wish we could 
send our kids from the USA (and insert 
the name of your country here) to 
Bhutan for a few years to learn a 
lesson in humility and discipline”? We 
found the principal and explained that 
we wanted to donate some school 
supplies to the kids. He gladly 
accepted our gifts and explained that 
he would use them as prizes/rewards 
for good grades. Our good deed done we 
returned to the hotel to prepare for 
the day’s activities.

The itinerary called for a long/tough 
hike up to Taktshang Goemba – the most 
famous of Bhutan’s monasteries, 
miraculously perched on the side of a 
sheer cliff 900m/3000ft above the 
floor of the Paro valley. The name 
means ‘Tiger’s Nest’ – it is said that 
Guru Rinpoche flew to the site of the 
monastery on the back of a tigress, a 
manifestation of his consort Yeshe 
Tsogyal, to subdue the local demon, 
Singey Samdrup. He then meditated in a 
cave for three months. The only way up 
to the Tiger’s Nest is to walk, ride a 
horse or fly on the back of the magic 
tiger! I was concerned about the MM 
and his poor back but Khandu assured 
us that although the trail was steep 
it was soft dirt up to the top of a 
chasm where it became necessary to 
climb many steps built into the side 
of the cliffs to get to the monastery. 
MM decided he could make it to that 
point. Because of my excellent 
training on 14ers I forged ahead on 
the steep trail and left the group. 
Khandu was no fool – he stayed with 
the lovely young lady and MM trailed 
behind. I waited at several points for 
Khandu and Corinna to catch up and 
take photos. MM caught up to us at a 
cafeteria located at 2940m/9700ft 
while we were enjoying a tea break. We 
continued to the top of the chasm at 
3140m/10,362ft where there was a small 
temple and you are eyeball to eyeball 
with the monastery – except it is on 
the opposite side of a chasm. The only 
way to get to the monastery is to 
descend about 200m on stone steps 
built into the sides of the sheer 
cliffs to a waterfall that drops 
900m/3000ft to the valley floor and 
then ascend about 100m on more stone 
steps on the opposite cliffs to the 
monastery. I went into the temple and 
lit a butter lamp and said a prayer 
(you can easily guess what my prayer 
was). MM refused to go any further 
because of his delicate back and 
severe acrophobia so I forged ahead. 
My recent terrifying experience on the 
stone steps of the Inca Trail prepared 
me well for this pilgrimage. I didn’t 
find the steps or the sheer 3,000ft 
drop that terrifying and I quickly 
made it to the monastery. Maybe I 
should run the Inca Trail again next 
year – Nah! – NOT a Chance in Hell!

There were four temples carved/built 
into the side of the cliff. We were 
permitted to visit three of them 
including the cave where Guru Rinopche 
meditated. I made a donation and wish 
at the sacred cave that was never 
fulfilled so I am not converting to 
Buddhism! No photos were allowed 
inside the monastery so you will have 
to make the visit and wish on your 
own. We had agreed with the MM that we 
would all meet back at the cafeteria 
for lunch so I hustled back there 
(while Khandu and Corinna meditated) 
to join him. When I arrived – no MM. 
When Khandu finally arrived he 
informed me that one of his fellow 
tour guides had found the MM (alone) 
at the car and called Khandu. The MM 
had broken two important rules: 1) 
when you are on a mountain you always-
always stay at the agreed-upon meeting 
place until your group joins you - and 
2) in Bhutan you do not go off on your 
own without your tour guide – 
especially in unknown/risky 
situations! Thankfully Khandu had 
arranged for his friend to drive the 
MM to a restaurant while we enjoyed a 
(veggie) lunch at the cafeteria. When 
we finally picked the MM up at the 
restaurant I was really pissed off and 
told him bluntly/emphatically how 
foolish he had been. By the time I 
finished my tirade he understood that 
he had screwed up!

It had been a long/tough hike so we 
returned to the hotel in Paro for a 
short rest before Khandu took us to 
the Paro Dzong for a guided tour. The 
Rinchen Pung Dzong was built in 1644 
to defend the Paro valley from 
invasions from Tibet. Like all dzongs 
it was built to house government 
offices at one end and a Buddhist 
temple at the other. Inside the 
entrance to the dzong was a very 
colorful painting of a ‘Wheel of Life’ 
depicting the six stages of life that 
humans go through as they progress to 
either Heaven or Hell! Khandu tried to 
explain the various stages and 
meanings but unless you have a basic 
knowledge of Buddhism it is difficult 
to grasp? We soon realized as we 
visited many more dzongs and temples 
that a basic knowledge of Buddhism 
would be very helpful when visiting 
Bhutan since so much of their life and 
culture is derived from that religion.
At the end of the dzong tour MD and MM 
once again asked Khandu to drop us off 
in town so that I could take photos of 
the town and locals to share with my 
readers.

The next day we departed early for the 
capital, Thimpu, to join up with the 
other runners/guests who would be 
running the marathon. On the outskirts 
of Paro we stopped at the Tamchhog 
Lhakhang, a 600-year old temple owned 
by the descendants of the Tibetan 
bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo. The 
traditional iron bridge at the temple 
was built using some of the original 
iron chains forged by Thangtong. We 
continued on to Chhuzom known as 
the ‘confluence’ at the juncture of 
the Paro Chhu (river) and the Wang 
Chhu where there were three chortens 
built in a different style –Bhutanese, 
Tibetan and Nepali. There was also a 
police checkpoint at Chhuzom. I asked 
Khandu why? He explained that the road 
to Thimphu was treacherous and often 
cars did not make it the far end and 
the police could look for them. I was 
sorry I asked!
However we did make it to Thimphu – 
the capital of Bhutan and the biggest 
city in the country with a population 
of 90,000. They are proud of the fact 
that it is the only capital city in 
the world without a traffic light – 
but there is one traffic cop at the 
main roundabout in the center of the 
city. We checked into a modern hotel 
in the city center where we were 
supposed to meet up with the rest of 
the runners.

And this is a convenient point to end 
Part 1 of this report so that you can 
take a break before continuing the 
story.

Stay tuned!

09/17/08


FROM Dane E. Rauschenberg

RBC Wealth Management Charity Chaser 
Named
As many of you know, last year I 
participated as a Charity Chaser for 
the Frederick Marathon. If you are 
unfamiliar with the concept, 
basically, I would start as the 
absolute last person to cross the 
start line and for every runner who I 
beat to the finish, Ferris Baker Watts 
would not only give a donation to the 
United Way of Frederick but also to my 
own charity, LʼArche Mobile.

I ended up passing 704 of the 721 
marathoners including one just inches 
in front of the finishline!


Well, I have partnered up with FBW 
again to rehash my charity chasing 
role at the Baltimore Marathon on 
October 11th! 


(READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE).

RBC Wealth Management Charity Chaser 
Named
Dane Rauschenberg To Serve as This 
Year’s RBC Wealth Management Charity 
Chaser

Baltimore, MD – Corrigan Sports 
Enterprises announced on Tuesday, 
September 16 that Dane Rauschenberg 
will be this year’s RBC Wealth 
Management Charity Chaser at the Under 
Armour Baltimore Marathon on Saturday, 
October 11th.

The Charity Chaser was created three 
years cooperatively between Corrigan 
Sports and Ferris, Baker Watts in an 
effort to raise money for the United 
Way of Central Maryland. RBC Wealth 
Management who acquired Ferris, Baker 
Watts earlier this year is pleased to 
carry on the tradition. One runner 
starts dead last and tries to pass as 
many runners as possible. In the 
inaugural year, Chris Dean passed 
2,086 runners collecting $6,258 for 
the United Way of Central 
Maryland.Last year, FBW employee Greg 
Manara ran by 4,001 runners to 
accumulate $8,002.
Rauschenberg, 32, is an amateur 
athlete who, in 2006, successively ran 
a certified marathon every weekend to 
benefit the Mobile, Alabama chapter of 
L'Arche Internationale as part of an 
effort titled "Fiddy2", raising over 
$44,000 to date for L’Arche Mobile. He 
was one of 2006 MarathonGuide.com’s 
Outstanding USA Marathoners of the 
Year as well as the co-Male Runner of 
the Year by the Washington Running 
Club.This will be Rauschenberg’s 
second stint as a Charity Chaser. He 
served in the same capacity at the 
2007 Frederick Marathon, passing 705 
of a possible 721 runners.

The eighth annual Under Armour 
Baltimore Running Festival will take 
place on Saturday, October 11th 
beginning at 8 a.m.The day includes 
the aforementioned marathon, CareFirst 
Blue Cross BlueShield Half-marathon 
and Legg Mason Four-Person Team Relay 
as well as the United Way 5K and Kids’ 
Fun Run. The event, now in its eighth 
year, has generated over 75 million 
dollars in revenue for the city and 
over 4 million dollars for local 
charities.

With close to 3,000 marathoners alone 
(not counting the marathon relay 
runners) I hope to run a sub-3 hour 
marathon as I chase runners all over 
the Charm City, picking them off one 
by one! 

I am honored to be selected to do this 
wonderful racing experience and hope 
to see all of you out there. Good 
morning, Baltimore! 
 
Dane E. Rauschenberg
Extreme Runner - Motivational Speaker
danerunsalot.blogspot.com
www.fiddy2.org
703.203.7007 

09/18/08


Marathon needs volunteers!

Well, if you want to help out with the 
marathon experience the last weekend 
of this month, the Road Runner Akron 
Marathon needs volunteers!

Tell them Dane sent you!

 
Dane E. Rauschenberg
Extreme Runner - Motivational Speaker
danerunsalot.blogspot.com
www.fiddy2.org
703.203.7007

09/23/08


Want Dane At Your Next Event?

Monday, September 22, 2008
Boulder Marathon Recap 
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 3; 14th 
Edition
287.8 miles raced in 2008
Race: Boulder Marathon
Place: Boulder, CO
Miles from home: 532 miles 
Weather: Sunny and 50s-60s; mostly 
overcast 

In the week leading up the Boulder 
Marathon, it did not feel like I had a 
race that weekend. There were no 
jitters, no excitement brewing or any 
of my usual feelings. In fact, I just 
felt tired. Not like my legs were 
tired or my body was tired but rather 
an overall tired. I just wanted to 
sleep. I couldn't figure it out and I 
did not feel sick. Therefore, I just 
chalked it up to the fact that in 82 
marathons, one will have a few bad 
days. I thought about it some more and 
thought perhaps that is what happens 
when you win a marathon - there is an 
inevitable let-down, especially just 
one week later.

I have a plethora of friends in the 
greater Denver area. Unfortunately, 
most were either sick, out of town or 
had plans that meant I would not be 
able to meet them. However, one who I 
was most assuredly hoping to meet was 
available: Ross Kinney. I have written 
about Ross before (HERE) but we had 
never had the pleasure of meeting. 
However, Ross made the trip from 
Denver up to Boulder and he did not 
come alone. He brought TWELVE pairs of 
shoes with him to donate to One World 
Running! Thanks so much, Ross!

We shot the breeze a little bit but 
then duty called as I need to work 
with the race in my speaking capacity. 
Before he left however, I got a 
picture from Ross who was kind enough 
to send it to me.

After a low-key speaking engagement 
(the main course would be after the 
race on Sunday after the awards 
ceremony), Race Director Jeff Mason, 
suggested I simply go back to the 
hotel, which he graciously provided 
for me and relax. Given the tired 
state I mentioned before, I decided 
that would be good. However, on the 
way to the hotel, I drove through 
downtown Boulder, which either had 
some sort of a festival going on or 
was always like this on weekends. 
Either way, I was not going to miss 
it. Checking into my hotel, I went out 
and people-watched for a few hours. It 
was quite a spectacle as there were 
all sorts of shops and stores in this 
tree-lined section of Pearl Street 
which is permanently blocked to car 
traffic.

Soon, my bed called and I decided to 
get a good night's sleep for a change. 
When morning broke, I had slept 
soundly and felt better than I had in 
days. Not great but "better". A quick 
trip over to the Boulder Reservoir 
where the race started was done in my 
rental minivan (don't ask me why THAT 
was the cheapest car!) and before I 
knew it, the race was underway.

First 8 miles:
Almost immediately, a group of four or 
five runners took off. As a marathon 
relay was also starting along with the 
runners doing the full (the half would 
start an hour later) and I hoped that 
a few of those ahead were doing said 
relay. About a mile or two into the 
race, a second similar-sized back 
broke away from me. The race started 
uphill so my slower than usual miles 
did not frighten me. In fact, as I was 
feeling far from stellar, I decided to 
try and be conservative with my first 
half and see what could be done in the 
second half.

By mile 5, I was just plain beat. 
Mentally, I was not really in the mood 
to run for another 2 plus hours. I 
tried to put it out of my mind and 
just run on. I knew there were a 
couple of sections ahead which would 
provide me some downhill running 
relief and simply tried to focus on 
them.

In the meantime, a few other runners 
passed me, I passed a few other 
runners and we passed through the 
relay exchange section. I now 
basically had no idea what place I was 
in. I guessed 15th.

Miles 8-16:

Around mile 7, I could hear breath and 
footsteps behind me. As we neared mile 
8, I could tell from the sound of the 
breathing that the runner was female. 
I hoped it was a relay runner, but as 
the runner passed me I could see it 
was a Japanese (originally or of 
descent I don't know) woman running 
with a Japanese man. I hoped to keep 
them in site and maybe give them a run 
near the end. Luckily for me, right 
there, we both hit the downhill and I 
felt a surge. My miles went from being 
over 7 (7:10 or so in a few of the 
miles) to mid 6s (6:36 or so).

After about 2-3 miles of this, my 
miles returned to "normal". Soon 
thereafter, one runner passed me at 
the mile 11 aid station and another 
passed me around 12. With no "relay" 
sign on their back or another marking, 
I could not tell what race they were 
running.

Around mile 14 there was a section of 
the relay exchange. I knew from the 
course map that we had a 3 mile out-
and-back section and therefore told a 
bunch of the runners standing by that 
I wanted them to trip as many 
returning runners as possible. I got a 
good laugh and the reaction fed me for 
a mile or so.

Around mile 16 or so, the lead runner 
came flying by. As the altitude of 
this race (well over 5500 feet) was 
definitely taking its toll on me I 
marveled at his speed. I offered him a 
high-five and he graciously accepted. 
After I hit the turnaround point, I 
spent the better part of the next two 
miles passing out "Way to go!"s 
and "Nice run!" to every runner who I 
passed in the opposite direction. 
While it definitely took a little 
energy to do this for every runner, 
the smiles I got from those in return 
more than made up for it. A fair 
amount of this race is run on dirt 
roads (with some rather hard-packed) 
but you could tell it was beginning to 
be a little bit of strain on some of 
the runners. Obviously there are many 
runners who run better on trail or 
dirt roads but I am guessing most of 
them are not those who were going to 
be finishing in the 3:30-4:30 range 
today.

I had received an email earlier in the 
week from a runner I had met at the 
Run for the Ranch Marathon, my final 
marathon of Fiddy2. Jacob Wells was 
his name and seeing him around mile 
18.5 was nice surprise indeed. If I 
had not yelled out his name, he would 
have missed me as when I was passing 
him, he was looking at his shoes to 
see if his chip was still attached (An 
interesting side note: one of the 
runners in the front of the pack had, 
at one point, lost his chip. I saw it 
at mile 5 and yelled ahead to the two 
runners ahead of me to check their 
shoes. Neither was missing one and I 
could not think of another thing to do 
so I left the chip on the ground. I 
know Jeff worked with the timing guys 
to figure out the situation somehow 
but what they did is beyond me right 
now.) Jacob let out a yell and 
continued running. He and his friend 
are the only reason I have any 
pictures of the final Fiddy2 marathon 
and for that I am eternally grateful.

Around mile 21, I saw the runner who 
had passed me close to 10 miles later 
was wavering. In fact, I had been 
tracking him for many miles, inching 
closer and closer. Having passed 
another runner around mile 18 or so, I 
now had no idea whatsoever what place 
I was in. Anytime there was a long 
stretch, I could see the lead female 
not too far ahead but did not have the 
energy to do anything about it. 
However, I did pass him here, which 
rejuvenated me for a mile or so.

Here is where the half-marathoners 
joined the full course and I spent the 
remaining 5 miles dodging and weaving. 
On a skinny dirt road this is not easy 
and I did my best to stick to the 
tangents of the road to minimize the 
distance run, while at the same time 
trying to avoid as many halfers as 
possible. I have always maintained 
that the race course is just as much 
theirs as it is the marathoners, but I 
do wish that they would not run six 
abreast.

At mile 24, with the red arch and expo 
tent in the distance, I knew there was 
a fairly decent downhill left followed 
by a cruel uphill at both mile 25 and 
then again around mile 26. Pushing the 
hills out of my mind, I concentrated 
on my form. I knew I was going to be 
close to a 3:08 or so (I ran the first 
half around 1:32) and just wanted to 
make sure I qualified for Boston.

24- Finish:

Going down the big hill, then back up 
and then down again, I heard some 
footsteps. With so many other half 
marathoners around me, I did not know 
if the person on my tail was someone I 
passed or a runner chasing me down. As 
we began to take on the last uphill, 
the runner I passed at 18.5, passed 
me. But just like last week, he most 
assuredly did not do so with any such 
authority. I had a feeling he made his 
move too soon.

As we began the final stretch of the 
race we were passing half-marathoners 
left and right. In its first year 
ending at this Reservoir, the RD was 
not quite expecting the final crush of 
runners to be this big (there were 
nearly 500 marathoners running, not 
counting relay runners and probably 
triple that for half-marathoners). I 
fell right into the hip pocket of the 
runner who passed me. Determined to 
crush his hopes about 10 yards before 
the finish, we drew closer to the red 
arch signifying the end of our journey.

I have always been pretty good at 
picking my way through obstacles, be 
they humans or rocks, on a downhill 
trail course. Two or three times, the 
runner in front of me took a route 
that was questionable to me but I 
followed. When a slot opened to our 
left and he went right, I figured I 
had enough of the cat and mouse game. 
I burst through the hole and began the 
last bit of sprinting about 190 yards 
before I wanted to do.

Cutting close to the final curve and 
almost decapitating a curious 
spectator who strained their neck out 
to hear why people were suddenly 
cheering so loudly (the spectators saw 
our battle unfolding and were really 
getting into it), I heard someone 
scream my name and shout out to me. 
Girl in pink, whoever you are, thank 
you so much and please identify 
yourself! (Addendum: Thanks for coming 
out, Christina!)

The final push was worth it as I 
crossed not only in BQ time of 3:09:15 
but finished tenth male overall.

Knowing I had to check out of my hotel 
room and make the hour plus drive to 
Denver's airport, I quickly hopped in 
the car to grab a shower before 
checking out. Back by 13:30 and ready 
for my speech, I was treated to a 
beautiful day of sunshine and Rocky 
Mountains. For most of the course, 
clouds (ugly ones at that, which never 
broke into rain) covered the sun. It 
was more or less a perfect day for 
running on a challenging course. (So 
yes, Jacob, your 3:34 was easily 10 
minutes faster on an easier course and 
you can tell all your friends I said 
so.)

After the awards were given out, I was 
given the microphone and gave a 
shorter than usual version of my 
longer speech. The runners still 
attending were quite receptive and I 
thoroughly enjoyed interacting with 
them. All in all, the race was fairly 
well run. Aid stations were decently 
plentiful (although on a warmer day 
there would need to be one or two more 
near the end), the volunteers were 
friendly and the scenery was very 
Boulder-esque. The swag in the goody 
bag was extremely plentiful and all 
well-made. Runners received a 
veritable smorgasbord of things to 
take home. In fact, about the only 
complaint was the place where the 
courses joined together near the end 
and the runners became too plentiful 
for the small dirt road. This is an 
issue which I am sure will be 
addressed next year. This runner hopes 
that does not involve a move from the 
Reservoir, as the cool water just a 
few hundred yards away from the finish 
was a wonderful place for runners to 
soak their weary legs.

Now I am just 6 short days away from 
the Akron Road Runner Marathon. Stay 
tuned for full details on that race 
sometime mid-week.

09/29/08


The following message was sent to 
previous runners of the Glass City 
Marathon.  If you haven’t run this 
excellent race, 2009 is the year!

Thank you for running in the Glass 
City Marathon in Toledo, OH.   
Registration is now open for the 33rd 
annual running and we are very excited 
about this year’s event, which is 
bringing many new additions to 
highlight the Toledo Roadrunners’ 
Glass City Marathon weekend.  

For those who ran in 2008, we are 
counting on better weather this year 
by backing up the date to Sunday, 
April 26, 2009.

We feel we have created a weekend 
event that the whole family can 
participate in and enjoy.  In addition 
to the marathon and traditional 5-
person relay, we offer a 5K, Kids’ 
runs of 1/2 mile and 1 mile, and we 
have added a new half-marathon.  

10 Exciting reasons to do the Glass 
City
*Fast, scenic USATF Certified Course
*Awesome Short Sleeve Technical Shirt
*Custom Finishers Medal and 
traditional Glass Mug
*16 Water stops along the marathon 
course *Aid stations with Power Gel 
and fruit
*Great post race food and live band
*Grand Masters relay-team
*Wonderful Wellness Expo at the packet 
pick up.
*Entertainment and great music along 
the course.
*Chip timed event

Register online at 
http://www.glasscitymarathon.org by 
12/31/08 for early-bird special 
pricing.  We look forward to seeing 
you on Sunday, April 26, 2009, and 
wish you the best of luck with your 
training!

Sincerely,

Clint McCormick
Race Director -- Glass City Marathon
http://www.glasscitymarathon.org

09/29/08


CONGRATULATIONS

Al Kohli from Wisconsin for 
finished 100th Marathon. Al finish his 
100th Marathon at the Fox Cities 
Marathon in Appleton, WI on 09/21/08.
Great job Al!!!!!

09/29/08


CONGRATULATIONS

Holly Koestor from Ohio for 
finished the 50 and DC Marathon 
circuit. Holly finish her Marathon at 
the Frank Mier Marathon in 
Juneau, AK on 08/02/08. Holley is our 
first Wheelchair racer to do this in a 
push rim chair.
Great job Holly!!!!!

09/29/08


The 2008 Grand Canyon Marathon 
Registration is Underway
 
The first-ever Grand Canyon Marathon 
will be on Saturday, Nov. 15. This 
unique event takes participants from 
the South Rim of the Grand Canyon 
through 26.2 miles of majestic and 
natural scenery and into the town of 
Tusayan just outside the entrance to 
the park. The Marathon starts at an 
elevation of just under 7,000 feet at 
the first Trail View Overlook. The 
first half of the race follows the 
newly renovated Hermit Road, which 
overlooks the Grand Canyon and 
provides unmatched views. The second 
half of the race brings runners out of 
the park along back roads of 
KaibabNational Forest and into 
Tusayan, a community just outside the 
South Entrance of the national park. 
The NationalGeographicVisitorCenter in 
Tusayan marks the end of the Marathon 
and the location for the awards 
ceremony.
 
The Grand Canyon Marathon has been 
organized to provide a one-of-a-kind 
and enjoyable experience to all 
participants. The course is 
consistently just under 7,000 feet in 
elevation. Runners are taken along 
prime Canyon viewing points that have 
been closed off to the public since 
the spring of this year. Aid stations 
are provided consistently throughout 
the race. An orientation and a pre-
race dinner for runners has been 
organized. After the race, an awards 
ceremony will be held at the 
NationalGeographicVisitorCenter to 
recognize overall and age/sex 
placements. All runners receive a 
shirt, Teva flip flops and pin for 
their participation. If successful, 
this event could add Grand Canyon to 
the list of national parks that host 
annual marathons, including 
RockyMountain, Death Valley and Crater 
LakeNational Parks.
 
Registration for the Marathon is 
already underway and will end Oct. 15. 
Hurry and register now as registration 
is limited to 300 participants. There 
is a registration fee of $80. Proceeds 
from this event benefit the Grand 
CanyonCommunityRecreationCenter and 
their programs, including a collegial 
athletic scholarship program. 
Registration does not cover the 
entrance fee required to visit Grand 
CanyonNational Park. Registration also 
does not cover accommodations, 
however, with the cooperation of many 
local businesses registered 
participants in the Marathon are 
welcome to ask for a runners discount 
when making their arrangements.
 
The event has been organized by the 
Grand CanyonCommunityRecreationCenter 
with the cooperation and sponsorship 
of many local and national businesses 
and organizations.
 
Go to www.grandcanyonmarathon.com for 
more information on the Marathon or to 
register for the race. Anyone 
interested can also contact the 
Marathon via e-mail at 
info@grandcanyonmarathon.com. The 
Grand Canyon Marathon is a Grand 
Canyon Community Recreation Center 
Event. No federal or state endorsement 
of this event is intended.

09/29/08


Max Calderan is Redifining Extreme 
Concept

LOOK AT
www.maxcalderan.com  

This was not a race but 
4th FIRST MONDIAL ATTEMPT EVER  for 
MAX CALDERAN
- extreme desert explorer -
29 jul – 01 aug 2008

CRISS CROSS SHARKIYA desert 223miles 
(360 km) 

Oman - Arabic Peninsula

The only one man in the world able 
to survive in summer desert (56 
Celsius - 132.8 Fahrenheit) after  75 
hours 223 miles (360 km) non stop 
running totally alone!!!

No other man is able to crossing 
unexplored desert in this way:
- without external assistance
- self food sufficiency
- without medical assistance
- without pharmaceutical supplies
- totally alone

- 5-7 minutes naps sleeping every 3 
hours
-  gps orientation
Other goals 

Qatar  2006      126 miles (202 km)   
38 hour
Oman 2007     272 miles (437 km )  90 
hour
Oman 2007     123 miles (198 km )  49 
hour
Oman 2008     223 miles (360 km)  75 
hour

Max Calderan is preparing the end of 
earth exploration 870 miles non stop 
totally alone in desert. 

press office-management
mrs. Krista Corso 
info@maxcalderan.com 

www.maxcalderan.com  motivational 
speaking - video conference - extreme 
exclusive training - soul training - 
sponsoring

09/29/08


CONGRATULATIONS

Jim Patton from Florida for 
finished the 50 and DC Marathon 
circuit. Jim finish his Marathon at 
the Omaha Marathon in Omaha, NE on 
09/29/08.
Great job Jim!!!!!

09/29/08


2009 Covenant Health Marathon Team

We are still accepting applications 
for persons who wish to be considered 
for the 2009 Covenant Health Marathon 
Team.  We are looking for first timers 
to train for the marathon, half 
marathon, relay, and 5k.  The judging 
committee seeks outgoing personalities 
from all walks of life.  Team members 
are marathon ambassadors and are 
required to make public and television 
appearances. 

Applications for the team are 
available on the website, or click 
here to download a printable 
application. The deadlline for getting 
in your application is September 30th, 
2008, so don't delay!

Online Registration
The 2009 Covenant Health Knoxville 
Marathon is set for Sunday, March 29.  
Register before November 30th and take 
advantage of our early bird 
registration discounted rates.  Click 
here for online registration for the 
marathon, half-marathon, 4 person 
relay, or 5K.

Anniversary Sale at Runners Market!
Join the folks at the Runners Market 
this Saturday, October 4th, for their 
13th Anniversary Extravaganza.  Both 
Knoxvillle stores will have door 
prizes, free pair of socks with each 
purchase, and discounts galore!  Free 
Goodies from Gourmet's Market will 
also be available.  For store hours, 
locations, or more information about 
the sale, visit their website.
   
www.knoxvillemarathon.com 865-684-4294 
info@knoxvillemarathon.com

09/29/08


Dane E. Rauschenberg
Extreme Runner - Motivational Speaker
danerunsalot.blogspot.com
www.fiddy2.org
703.203.7007


Sunday, September 28, 2008
Akron Road Runner Marathon Recap 
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 3; 15th 
Edition
314 miles raced in 2008
Race: Akron Road Runner Marathon
Place: Akron, OH
Miles from home: 1746 miles 
Weather: Sunny and 60s; mostly 
overcast; slightly humid

Some events in your life live up to 
your expectations. Most, for whatever 
reason, fall short. Even less more 
than exceed them. The Akron Marathon 
falls into that last, select group. As 
I had made reference to in a previous 
posting, the Akron Marathon has been 
on my list of races to do for quite 
some time. However, I could not have 
expected all the enjoyable intangibles 
that went with the entire weekend’s 
events.

First of all, this was a speaking 
engagement in which I knew I would be 
quite busy. With three scheduled 
appearances during the expo, I also 
knew I would be working the pacing 
group’s booth and also splitting time 
working the entire expo floor. To 
begin, let me state the Akron Marathon 
expo is top notch. Plenty to see, more 
to receive in free stuff, and much to 
do, it is also spacious and expansive 
while feeling homey and tight-knit. 
Without a doubt, this is a trickle-
down effect from the race director 
himself, Jim Barnett.

Jim and I have corresponded on and off 
for the past few years and if ever 
there is a close friend you have never 
met, it is Jim. From personally 
sending out a welcome email to every 
registered participant (yep, that is 
not a form email you received, Akron 
runners) to the handshake he gives 
EVERY single finisher of the race at 
the end, the race has Jim’s stamp on 
it. A barker showman’s voice, bright 
vibrant eyes, and a spirit which men 
half his age aspire to maintaining, 
Jim made me feel like a celebrity from 
the very beginning of my stay in the 
rubber capitol of the world.

As my first speech ended (which I felt 
was my worst, almost one I should have 
done in front of the mirror in the 
hotel room) and the second was ready 
to commence, I took the time to 
introduce myself to my booth mate for 
the day, Kathrine Switzer. Echoing the 
sentiments I had penned earlier, she 
gave me a heartfelt thanks and we 
spoke for a great length. After a much 
better second speaking engagement, I 
had the pleasure to see Kathrine 
interview Katie McGregor, Amy Rudolph 
and Elva Dryer- three women who were 
participating in the 8k championship 
the next day, just another part of the 
race’s wonderful weekend activities.

About 3 feet from these fast women, 
all Olympians, I could not help but 
think a few things.

1. Wow. I am right next to Katie 
McGregor, Amy Rudolph and Elva Dryer.
2. They all seem so nice and fun.
3. Holy crap are these girls tiny!

(Katie would end up 2nd overall to 
Sara Slattery with Amy Rudolph taking 
third!)

By my third speech, the entire seating 
area was packed and there were a good 
dozen other people milling around. 
Good friend Cowboy Jeff was making his 
first appearance at the Akron Marathon 
and we caught up with each other, 
realizing it had been nearly two years 
since we had seen each other in 
person, shaking our heads at the 
unbelievable nature of that fact. 
(Jeff would go on to finish his race 
in yet another stellar time of 3:41. 
Please note Jeff is 58 years old. 
What's your excuse?)

With my third and final speech ending 
at 4:30, and not needing to head over 
to be the featured speaker at the 
pasta dinner for a few hours, I was 
curious how to kill the time. I then 
overheard a few people talking to each 
other about whether they had missed 
the guy who ran 52 marathons in 52 
weekends. As I was standing no less 
than two feet away from not only this 
woman but also the big poster board of 
myself, I could not help but smile. I 
leaned over to the woman and said: "I 
think they said something about him 
speaking again at 5." She smiled and 
said, "Good! I will go get my t-shirt 
and hopefully make it back in time". 
As soon as he left, I whipped out a 
magic marker and added "5 PM" to the 
times when I was speaking.

When 5 pm rolled around and I again 
grabbed the stage to another full 
seating arrangement, the woman I spoke 
to was front and center. The look on 
her face when she realized it was me 
that had been speaking to was pretty 
funny. More pleasantly surprising was 
when I mentioned how I grew up in 
Titusville, PA and a loud cheer 
erupted from 4 or 5 women in the back 
of the crowd. Looking around my age, I 
assumed I knew them but could not 
place any of their faces. As it so 
happens, while I had met one the 
ladies previously, the others just 
happened to be Titusvillians making 
the trip to Akron to run the race. 
Small world indeed. I thank Time 
Warner Cable for this great 
opportunity.

I then scuttled over to the pasta 
dinner and helped myself to a 
wonderful ziti and spaghetti mix. In 
between bites of food I met many of 
the members of the Summit Athletic 
Running Club.

Also extremely pleasant people, I was 
happy to spend a few minutes getting 
to know all of them. But I had really 
been looking forward to meeting an old 
friend of mine. Erin Johnson (formerly 
Martin) is her name and when I saw her 
in the pasta feed line, I immediately 
recognized her, even though it had 
been every bit of 20 years since we 
had last seen each other. After an 
introduction to her husband and cute 
little baby, we marveled at the fact 
that we were even old enough to have 
friends we had not even seen in 20 
years. I thanked Erin for showing up 
and supporting both me and the SARC 
as, even though she was now living in 
the area, she had no intentions on 
running any of the races the next day.

If things had gone well at the expo, 
they went spectacular at the pasta 
dinner. I saw many smiles and laughs 
and think I did a fine job of keeping 
all in attendance pleased for a little 
while at least. I got to see my friend 
Holly Koester and embarrass her by 
mentioning how she was the first 
wheelchair athlete to race a marathon 
in every single state. Her bright 
smile made my evening. After a quick 
Q&A, I released the runners to the 
night and went to say goodbye to Erin. 
She seemed to be in a little bit of 
hurry in saying our goodbyes and she 
explained why. “You got me so pumped 
up to run that I need to head over to 
the expo to sign up for the marathon.” 
Now Erin is an accomplished athlete 
but with no specific training for this 
particular race, she shocked me with 
her statement. If that isn’t a ringing 
endorsement for motivation, I do not 
know what is!

After a long past few days, I was more 
than ready for bed. I had been on my 
feet all day and definitely needed 
rest. The next day’s event called for 
me not to be racing but rather pacing, 
and pacing the 3:10 group, to be more 
exact. While I have run a 3:10 or 
better in nearly 1/3 of all my 
marathons, there is something quite 
taxing about being the pace group 
leader. With a group of people more or 
less depending on you to set the pace, 
even if that pace is much slower than 
your normal pace, there is definitely 
pressure on you to perform. So my bed 
called and I answered.

Race Day

With a prediction of rain forecasted, 
and the ever-present possibility of 
heat and humidity in Ohio in 
September, all runners were quite 
pleased to wake to a slight nip in the 
air and cloud cover that threatened no 
rain whatsoever. Creigh Kelly, 
announcer extraordinaire, lined up the 
runners for the start of the race and 
I, with my 3:10 pace group sign 
attached to a three foot dowel rod, 
spoke to my charges. Telling them my 
plan to run as close as possible to a 
7:14 mile and help them in anyway, I 
can to get them to qualify for Boston 
there was a palatable anticipation in 
the area. The gun sounded and we 
shuffled forward. Positioning myself a 
little ways back in the pack where the 
3:10 runners should be, it took a few 
seconds at least to get to the start. 
I knew the race started with a very 
nice downhill and even though I wanted 
to run even splits every mile, I could 
tell from the energy of this group 
that unless I reined them in from the 
start, they would be flying along. So 
with a first mile about 10-15 seconds 
slower than our goal pace (and I 
informed them all that I would do that 
to keep them in check), I was later 
justified by about 5 or 6 runners who 
said it was that first mile that 
allowed them to stay with the group as 
long as they did.

By mile 5 we were right on pace and 
clipping along in a huge group. I told 
little anecdotes and offered advice as 
we climbed and then went back down 
Akron’s many hills. Now, let me 
quantify that statement, lest someone 
be turned away from the course because 
of it supposed difficulty. The Akron 
Marathon is not easy. However, it most 
assuredly is not difficult. But one 
must respect this course (like any 
26.2 miler) and know what lies ahead. 
Preparation is the key and luckily, 
well, I am me and had not only 
researched the course as usual but 
knew where and when the hills 
occurred. As such, I provided as much 
information to my runners as I could, 
especially when one commented “Are 
there any flat stretches on this 
course?!”

With a marathon relay occurring at the 
same time as the marathon itself, we 
were quite pleased that the relayers 
had demarcation on their backs 
indicating that they were doing that 
part of the race. Even a group running 
together can be pulled apart by one 
stray guy or girl who takes off. While 
crowd support in most places was a 
little spotty (but loud where it was), 
the relay exchange points were packed 
with people who were both boisterous 
and excited for all runners as they 
passed through. A twirling 3:10 sign 
held aloft doesn’t hurt to bring in 
the cheers either.

After 11 miles of traversing the 
streets of Akron, we headed onto the 
towpath area right along the Cuyahoga 
River. Every time I turned around I 
saw I still had a pack of 15 guys 
running with me. I told them how proud 
of them I was and could say so without 
a single touch of condescension. 
Running a 7:14 minute mile for 11 
miles is no small feat. While the sun 
had stayed away so far and the tree-
lined coolness of this forest was 
helping keep the runners cool, there 
was a definite humidity in the air. We 
passed through the half way point at 
1:34:30, almost perfectly on point to 
nail a 3:10.

Second Half
A few more miles along the towpath 
included three more near-perfect mile 
splits for my runners: 7:15; 7:13; and 
7:16. However, I knew the toughest 
test was to come. For about 3 miles, 
we faced, more or less a continuous 
uphill climb. Nothing too steep, the 
hill’s cruelty lay in its placement so 
late in the course. As we hit mile 17, 
18 and 19, my pack behind me dwindled.

I tried to will each runner to simply 
stay with me and hold on as we powered 
through the hills. Every set of 
footsteps that faded into the distance 
behind me was small failure on my 
part. A death of a thousand cuts, each 
runner lost actually sapped a little 
of my energy.

By the time the hills had more or less 
ended, I was running with maybe one or 
two runners. With a flat section of a 
mile or so, I kept hoping that perhaps 
the runners behind me had saved their 
legs for this stretch and would be 
catching up. A few glimpses behind me 
showed there were a few stragglers, so 
I slowed my pace just a few seconds 
hoping to catch them in my wake and 
bring them along. Mile 20 became 21 
and then 22 and my efforts to slow 
were to no avail. Serendipitous fate 
intervened here as I happened to look 
down at my shoe the exact minute it 
became untied. In my 83 marathons, I 
can count on one hand with fingers 
left over the number of times this has 
happened. Unfortunately, when my shoe 
became untied, my chip came falling 
off. Shaped like a small band of 
paper, the “chip” acted like 
tumbleweed in the wind and rumbled 
away.

Stopping my forward pursuit I chased 
down the errant timing device and 
grabbed it in my hand. I then spent 
the next few seconds debating what to 
do. I could not run the remaining 
miles with my shoelace untied. 
However, I could tell I was rather 
dehydrated having foregone liquids at 
many aid stations when stepping over 
would have gotten in the way of many 
runners pacing with me. (This is one 
of the only drawbacks of having such a 
tight-knit group. There is almost 
always someone on your shoulder and 
the whole group moves as one wherever 
I go, making it difficult to saddle 
over to an aid station). The dilemma 
was between possibly tripping over my 
shoelace or bending over to retie it 
and having my legs cramp up 
uncontrollably. Throw in the 
uncertainty of trying to figure out 
what to do with my chip, and let’s 
just say I was happy for the first and 
only time that I had no other runners 
depending on me. Finally, I made the 
executive decision that my shoe needed 
tying.

Bending over as quickly as I could, I 
knotted my shoelace as fast as 
possible, not bothering to double tie 
it. I did indeed cramp which is what 
shot me up from my stance without 
making sure it was tight. Losing about 
20 seconds or so was worth it to keep 
my shoe on my foot. However, the pain 
in my legs was nowhere near the pain 
in my heart as I passed runner after 
runner who was wearing a 3:10 on their 
back in hopes of qualifying for Boston 
but could not hold on. Everyone gave a 
valiant effort and held on for about 
100 yards until the strain of pushing 
through so late in the race when the 
energy simply was not there became too 
great and they faded behind me.

I passed Connie Gardner, a local Ohio 
running legend and the female winner 
of Ultracentric (the 24 hour race I 
took part in last year). I said hello 
to her and would have introduced 
myself but had not to energy for much 
more than the “Hi Connie” I gave her. 
A nice downhill section of a mile or 
two just set me up for a particular 
nasty (albeit short) uphill before the 
final push towards the end.

(I felt better having beaten her to 
the finish until I heard she was doing 
the Quad Cities Marathon the next day!)

Down a straight flat section, runners 
made one final right turn and then 
erupted into the Akron Aeros minor 
league baseball stadium. With a crowd 
of thousands cheering each runner on, 
and Jim to shake their hands, I 
unfortunately entered the stadium with 
not a single 3:10 guy with me. I saw 
Jim smiling broadly at me and stepping 
forward to congratulate me before I 
even finished. I waved the 3:10 sign 
to the crowd, crossed the finish line 
and shook Jim’s hand. His eyes went to 
my shoe which had come untied again. 
It was then I remembered my chip, 
which I was holding in my hand. I told 
him “My chip came off!” He told me “Go 
over to the timing guy to see what he 
can do.” By this time, a larger crowd 
of relay runners, half-marathoners and 
some marathon runners were streaming 
into the finish line. Trying my best 
to not interrupt the gentleman who was 
making note of every runner I told 
him “I have a problem.” He looks at me 
and says:” You didn’t have a chip did 
you?” When I told him it had fallen 
off and showed it to him in my hand he 
mentioned I should have passed it over 
the finish line down low when I had 
crossed. I tried to let him know I was 
not exactly with it when I had crossed 
the finish line and he nodded 
knowingly. He told me to get in touch 
with them later and hopefully we can 
resolve the problem as running the 
chip over now was definitely going to 
add a large amount of time to my 
finishing time.

However, completely out of habit, I 
had stopped my own watch when I 
crossed the line and was able to at 
least see I had met my goal by running 
in 3:10:52. (And fix it they did. So 
to go with the irony of finishing in a 
number that ended in 52, I was also 
52nd place. Weird.)

After a brief interview with Creigh 
Kelly again, which I would have 
enjoyed having gone on much longer 
than it did but my energy was wavering 
by the second and I think Creigh could 
tell even through my sunglasses, I 
escaped the infield to the bleachers 
to get some sustenance. The race had 
absolutely sapped me. Or more 
accurately, 3 marathons in 13 days, 
two at elevation and one with the 
difficult, but enjoyable burden of 
pacing, had sapped me. I sat down in 
the seats and gingerly ate potato 
chips and drank water. I had a feeling 
that one of the runners who had stayed 
with me through the hills, and had 
pulled away when my chip fell off had 
also qualified for Boston. I so wanted 
to find him and give him the pace 
group sign. However, he was nowhere to 
be found and I did not have the energy 
to search him out.

Finally, I was able to gather my wits 
and begin the walk to my car. I needed 
a shower and food. Another wonderful 
experience of running one more 
marathon was in the books. Besides the 
feeling of disappointment over not 
having more of my runners meet their 
goals, I can say the weekend was an 
absolute success. I cannot wait to 
work with the wonderful people of 
Akron again and would recommend this 
race to anyone who wants a fine race 
on a great course.

And, if you disagree with me on the 
course and the people, finish this 
race under 6 hours and you get a free 
pair of Brooks shoes (of your choice!) 
Beat that.

Erin emailed me later and said I 
wasn't that motivating - it was the 
shoes. And in case you are curious, I 
got the Brooks Defyance.

10/08/08


Want Dane At Your Next Event?

 Sunday, October 5, 2008
Brooksie Way Half Marathon - My Run 
With Boston Billy 
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 3; 16th 
Edition
327.1 miles raced in 2008
Race: Brooksie Way Half Marathon
Place: Rochester, MI
Miles from home: 1679 miles 
Weather: 40s; sunny

I wrote about this race earlier in the 
week, an inaugural event put on by the 
same wonderful people who run the Crim 
Festival of Races HERE. I was eager to 
both speak at the expo and run the 
race. Nothing about the weekend 
disappointed.

In giving three speeches at the expo I 
made many new friends and once again 
realized how small the racing world 
is. One example is that one woman 
heard me speak at Akron last weekend 
was running this race this weekend. 
While she was unable to stay around to 
hear my speech this time she let me 
know how much she had enjoyed my talk 
in Akron. Hearing things like are the 
reasons why I travel this country to 
spread my love of running.

Another reason is the subtitle of this 
blog. While taking some time to help 
educate people on the wonderful 
product The Stick, I noticed that 
right next to their booth, Bill 
Rodgers was signing books. Yep, that 
Bill Rodgers. Four-time winner of both 
the NYC Marathon and the Boston 
Marathons. Owner of a 2:09:27 marathon 
personal-best. The man who, in 1977 
won the Fukoka Marathon making him the 
only runner ever to hold the 
championship of all three major 
marathons at the same time. Boston 
Billy. Any runner who is a runner 
would be happy to meet him.



I was lucky enough to meet Bill at the 
Dallas White Rock Marathon in 2006. 
The man must meaning 10,000 beaming 
fans a year. I knew there was no way 
he would remember and I was not 
expecting him to do so. Therefore, 
when I got in line, purchased his "The 
Complete Idiot's Guide to Jogging and 
Running" for signature, I only 
introduced myself as "Dane 
Rauschenberg". Bill's eyes showed a 
look of recongnition and he said "The 
speaker who did 52 marathons in one 
year?"

Needless to say my jaw dropped. I 
picked it off the ground and affirmed 
what he had said. We then spoke at 
length on a number of topics before I 
realized I was holding up the line. He 
then asked me if I was running the 
next day in the half and I said I was. 
We talked a bit more about pacing for 
the race and it ended up he planned to 
run what I was running unofficially 
for the Running Gear store: 1:35. Bill 
then said "Care to run together?" A 
phrase that was akin to what a bear 
does in the woods almost came out of 
my mouth but I think I just nodded 
like an idiot. Next thing I know, this 
cloud with the number "9" on it slid 
under my feet and carried me to my 
next speaking engage