Medal Monday brings many stories of achievement for our members. Here are recent stories from the Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics, as told by you, as posted on the Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics Facebook pages.
Congratulations to all of our members who ran this past weekend!
Jolanta Thorburn (HF18464, DA3742, MM15959)– Today, I took part in the Stampede Road Race in Calgary, Alberta, which occurs during Stampede week with many cowboys in town! 🤠(I didn’t know Calgary was The Wild West of Canada!).
I really enjoyed this race! The temps were high, but the half marathon course, which was a loop that encircled the reservoir, followed the Elbow River, and passed through parks and a forest provided some shade. There were many rolling hills and some tough climbs, but nothing too bad.
This was my Canadian Province 2/10 – Alberta 🇨🇦 and Lifetime Half no. 67. Thank you Calgary! On our way to Jasper NP now to continue our road trip.
Half Fanatic runners at The Red, White and Blue Half Marathon Austin June 29, 2024
Karen Murray Anderson (MM8075, DA576, HF5492)-Missoula Marathon ✅ in the breathtaking state of Montana!
Glen and I split up this weekend to tackle our next marathon goal concluding in January — with him in Connecticut and me soaking up the beauty of Big Sky Country. Let’s just say I definitely feel like I got the better deal weather wise – clouds and cool breezes for me, while Glen battled the heat and humidity back east. It was great to hang with Jun all weekend!
But hey, at least Glen was able to hang out with his buddies Cade and Cory and witness some serious badassery with Cade finishing 100-miles on tough trails.
Cheers to running adventures and epic memories! 🏃♂️🏃♀️🌄 #MissoulaMarathon #MontanaMagic #RunningAdventures #BigSkyCountry
Marathon Maniacs at the Missoula Marathon
Penny Martin Wilbanks (MM15295, DA3642, HF18435) – Medal Monday! On Saturday I finally did it. 50th state ~Alaska DONE! ✅
While most people hunkered down over the pandemic I was able to fast track my 10 year goal of doing the 50 states into a 6 year finish! Due to great friends and cheap airfares I was able to find small races that were still going and knock out a lot more than I ever imagined. I never want to hear the phrase “all races were cancelled” because that simply was not true. I’m a testament to this. Thank you to Karen Murray Anderson for the sign, Hank OnThe Hillfor the graduation cap with the two quarters (50) hanging off for the tassel and to
Chelsie Thurman at Bodies Race company for the tutu to help make my finish spectacular. Thank you to everyone for all your friendships and support. I’m already 4 in for round 2….and 64 down for my goal of 100 marathons… so onward and upward.
Jun Ulama(MM12617) – Finished running the 50 US States, plus the District of Columbia, for the second time around. Tough and challenging, but when one has a goal, you just got to keep pushing!💪🏽
My gratitude goes out to all of my friends for the motivation and support, and to my forever running partner Eve and my kids for putting up with my crazy running hobby. Thank you!🙏🏼💙
Pelicano Monte Pascual(MM438, DA32, HF99) – Yippee! Today I completed day-4 of Lil’ Firecracker Quad half marathon put in by RD Kandi Lowry & Rob Lowry at Bradley Lake Park.(14 biggie loop and 2 small loop). Day-1 at Tehaleh Discovey Park by the Lowry and day-2 & day-3 by RD Jill Hudson. Thank you for the fun events.☀️☀️☀️☀️
- Lorinda Hagstrom (HF13328, DA1981, MM3865)
- Gina Forestieri(HF18136)
- Patti Randall Krebsbach (HF629, DA99, MM2584)
- Lisa Rice Seidel(HF6155, DA699, MM9014)
- Stephanie LaBoo(HF747, DA609, MM8370)
Love that I have adventurous friends! Patti and I (and there were others too) finished the L’il Firecracker Quadzuki this morning! Pure sunshine all 4 days made it tough but saw plenty of smiles, and even a little wildlife. Many thanks to Kandi & Rob for days 1 & 4, and Jill for the middle two – the organization, support, “woodals”, and treats were all fabulous!
- Jun Ulama(MM12617) –
- Olivia Medina(MM7842)
- Gysel Parajon(MM8995)
- Karen Murray Anderson (MM8075, DA576, HF5492)–
Had a remarkable time running in Missoula this morning. I am consistently impressed by the Rock Star Maniacs I encounter during my runs. Some have completed over 300 marathon races, while others are on their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round of the 50 States. Your dedication and passion for running inspire me. I am honored to be part of this community. See you on the road.
Gysel Parajon(MM8995) – Yesterday was a fun, special, and tough day for me at the Missoula Marathon, my 17th state, 70th marathon, and 74th overall long distance race!!! I had the pleasure of seeing friends, and making new ones with fellow Maniacs and 50-Staters. I even kept pace with some amazing runners, Jun Ulama, Karen Murray Anderson, and Sherry Ricker, for most of the race, mile 15.5, until my body decided it really needed to slow down. Thank you! I think I would have slowed down earlier if I hadn’t been running with all of you!
During the race I couldn’t exactly figure out why I didn’t feel so good. But, after getting some rest and processing the day I realized that I had most likely overdone it on Saturday. I had gone on a few lengthy walks all over Missoula in the heat of the day, after a night of not sleeping well, which carried over into yesterday. And, although not a major factor the shoes that I took with me aren’t ones I normally race in. They were in fact too soft, which is something I never thought I would say!
This marathon completes my craziest month of 2024 thus far. I started June with a double marathon weekend, followed by three weekends of back-to-back races, a local half marathon in Tahoe, Grandma’s Marathon in MN, and the Missoula Marathon. And now I take a break, sort of, just from marathons until the fall, maybe…I am running the Tahoe Rim Trail 56 Mile Endurance Run in 3 weeks. 😁
Brian Reis(MM15613) – While it wasn’t a marathon, I did a pretty intense double header this past weekend: The Slacker Half Marathon on Saturday and the Mount Blue Sky Ascent on Sunday. Both are in the state of Colorado.
I’ll start with the harder of the two: The Mount Blue Sky Half. This was probably the hardest race I have ever run. You start at 10,600 feet, run roughly 14.5 miles, and end at 14,100 feet. At the finish, you only have 58% of the oxygen that you would have at sea level. It is almost all uphill. It is the highest paved road in North America. Because of the difficulty, it pretty much takes as long as a marathon would.
The way I would describe the sensation of this race is this: You’ve run the 20 miles at Boston to the base of Heartbreak Hill and you bonk. Now you have to climb that hill. Except it continues for 14.5 miles and you just have to push through that lead feeling in your legs. On top of that, it feels like you have to breathe through a narrow tube. This was a hard race for sure. Legs felt so heavy by the end and I could feel the altitude starting to bother my head. Finished in 2:22, which put me at 14th overall and 2nd in my age group. Really loved the community vibe of this race. There’s something about making it through shared misery that really forges bonds. They give out trophy rocks if you meet a certain time. For men, this is 2:40. So I did earn one of those. The views made it all worthwhile. The weather was well behaved – sunny, little wind, and crisp but not freezing. Mountain weather can be unpredictable so I was lucky.
This was my first time climbing a “14er” as they say in Colorado. I had never really done a race with major uphills like this, nor such a high altitude race. I was proud of myself for pushing my boundaries and doing something different from the usual road races.
The day prior to this, I ran the Slacker Half Marathon. This race starts at around 10,500 feet at Loveland Ski Area and finishes at around 8,500 feet In Georgetown, CO. So while it is net downhill, the air is very thin. It was cool at the start, but the sun was intense and it warmed quickly. The first mile or so of this race is hectic. Around 500 people all start together and proceed immediately onto a dirt road. It is a very uneven road with rocks and massive pits, so it felt like a crowded cross country race at first. You then transition onto a bike path that is surrounded by pine trees for the next 4 miles or so. This area is pleasant as it is a smooth, consistent downhill and lots of shade. Around mile 5 or so, you exit onto a road which is rolling. At this elevation, even the small uphills hurt a lot. The views improve a lot though as you can see the surrounding mountains. Around mile 10 or so you transition back onto a bike path. Stunning views of a canyon lined with trees. Then the last part is just going through dirt roads in Georgetown. That section is a struggle.
I gradually developed a blister on my right heel during the Slacker Half. By the end it was hurting pretty badly. It covered the entirety of my heel. The biggest blister I’ve seen on myself. My quads were pretty fried too, so it was a struggle toward the end. I was having a bit of a hard time walking because of this massive blister, so that made the Mount Blue Sky Ascent even more of a challenge.
Sorry for posting so many photos – I actually took a lot more and it was so hard to narrow it down even to these. Just a spectacularly scenic weekend.
Gina Forestieri(HF18136)
Half 83, Cherry Bomb in Bothell, WA. Even Washington was hot today, but SO MUCH better than az. Easy run along the Sammamish River Trail out and back… and I’ve run it before because the start was 2.72 miles from gabi’s apartment!! Got to run with Lorinda (who was gone in a flash) and Patti who also left me in the dust. My time was almost 15 min better than yesterdays but it was hotter! Patti and Lorinda have 2 more days of racing to do to complete the quad, but i fly back🔥 first thing in the morning.. I’d much rather run 2 more races, not sure what i was thinking🤣
Amy Seagroves (HF18410, DA3652, MM15648) –Today I finished half #138 Sour Apple Half in RI which is a repeat state. This is produced by Ocean State Multisport. It’s a low cost half marathon at only $45 but as a result is pretty bare bones (on open road, only water at aid station, cotton T-shirt for swag, etc.). It was a hot and humid day but luckily a lot of the course is shaded. It was a pretty course but quite hilly. Most of the roads were pretty quiet so it wasn’t a big deal to have to run with traffic. Other than being relatively bare bones the only production issue is someone apparently stole water so one of the aid stations was out of water and there was no water at the finish line. While overall the race was fine there was one great thing about the race and that was the 4 hour time limit (with option for early start if you are a walker so it is really up to 5 hours). While this wasn’t necessarily the best race I’ve done in RI, it was definitely the most back of the pack friendly. If you are an under 3:15 half marathoner there are better RI options but this (or another race with Ocean State Multisport) is one of the best options for those over 3:15. This is also a good option for locals looking to check off another race without breaking the bank
Michael Hall (MM14514, DA3242, HF16228) – A race a day keeps the Doctor at bay. Heartland Series day 2 Niles Michigan for YTD #28 looking for Mt Everest. #
Tricia Davis (HF18538) & Aubrey Davis (HF18587) –It’s #medalmonday! Aubrey Davis and I completed the Missoula Montana Half Marathon on Sunday, hand in hand just like we’ve been for the last 54 years! My knee buckled before I finished the first mile. 😔 Friendly runners near me kept me from falling, and I’m forever grateful to a lady named Shannon who ran about 2 miles ahead and sent the medical support team to assist me. Ice packs, Tylenol, Alleve, and God’s grace and mercy kept me moving for the next 12+ miles. Shannon also found Aubrey on the course around mile 4, and my sweet honey husband called to check on me, waited for me, and walked the rest of the race with me, often holding my hand and letting me lean on him just like I’ve always been able to do. We were the last Half Marathoners to cross the finish line! The race announcer called our names and let everyone know that Aubrey and I are celebrating our 52nd wedding anniversary this year. We loved the race! The gorgeous views, great weather, excellent medical and bike support, wonderful volunteers, friendly neighbors, cheering spectators, delicious post race food, Coca-Cola, our terrific friends, Alison Desir, author of “Running While Black” who I met at the Expo and then she was waiting at the finish line to place that beautiful medal around my neck! I’m always so humbled by the encouragement that I receive from the marathoners who pass me and shout “Great job! You got this! Keep on moving!” I love our running community! State #28 is done! Yahweh’s Good! Praise the Lord! Thank you Aubrey. Thankful and grateful for airport wheelchairs and attendants! Thankful for the Prayers for Runners and the blessing we received from the priests during Mass on Friday night. Thankful for spending time with fellow Half Fanatics Yilda Garrido-Adams in Missoula this past weekend. Romans 12:12-13
HF18538 #HF18587 #DavisJoy❤️❤️
Paula Jamieson(HF6154) – Happy Medal Monday: VR Glacier Natl Park 1/2 was a great place to finish my 100 half marathons.. the course was rather challenging but spectacular views, great support along the course and the weather was perfect. I would highly recommend this race.
Robert Manon(HF3646, DA431, MM6700)- 558th and 559th lifetime half marathons.
Running with the Devil Half in Nevada and Alien Run Half in California.
Yilda Garrido-Adams(HF14934) – Completed life time Half Marathon #51 today at the Missoula Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. Montana is state #43 on my 50 states chase. Saw a couple of Fanatics on the course and took a selfie with them, sorry don’t know their names!
Sloan Dinkelkamp Taylor(HF3348, DA3346, MM14791)-Late on my Medal Monday since I was traveling all day. My HM#116 was at the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon & Half Marathon presented by ConocoPhillips on Saturday.
Ran into one of my favorite Half Fanatics Tina Torun at the airport near 1 am
Dailyn Valdez(HF18660, DA3732, MM15916)- Another hot epic race 🙌🏼Thank you Angela Casavant & AMPT Running Co helping the Warrior Dog Foundation 💕Kind of a crazy morning when I misplaced my keys at 5:30 am. So let’s drive my son’s car instead. lol . I got there, the tent & computer had already been shut down. Yikes ! They were so nice and found me and grabbed a bib:) I was on my way even if I was 15 minutes after 6:30 AM start. I held back because I knew it was already going to hard running in our Texas heat. “Ain’t nobody got time” for injuries or heat exhaustion 🤪 Great course, lots of kind volunteers, plenty of Runner support with hydration & motivation. Always good to see my Camp Gladiator Denton peeps😍Now I’m very eager to finish. Haha to my surprise, I got third in my age group.l🎶🥉😅Congrats to all who participated #medalmonday #halfmarathontraining #halffanatics #DoubleAgent #marathonmaniacs #halfmarathonclub. Now Let’s go play in the fountains.
Sue Stevens(HF8593, DA2452, MM12891) – On Sunday I ran my first race in Canada at the Vancouver Half Marathon, a Christmas gift from my husband (along with overnight stay and him driving). With nearly 3,800 runners this was by far the biggest race I’ve done in a couple of years. The race started at the UBC campus, running out 5k past Pacific Spirit Park and back, continuing by the sea wall past Spanish Banks and through residential neighborhoods to the Museum of Vancouver at Kitsilano. Fabulous energy on the course with some great entertainment which included a drummer and bagpipers, and lots of volunteer and spectator encouragement. Plenty of post-race snacks and free printed photo. I loved it!
Sameer Khurana(MM13642, DA2835, HF15807) –Mare Island Half Marathon at Vallejo, CA! Overall 91st Half Marathon and 12th of 2024 with repeat state.
There was no chip time at the start. The course included a hilly section between 3 to 4 miles, followed by another challenging stretch on a gravel trail from 5 to 11 miles. The temperature soared to 77 degrees during the final miles, making it quite hot. Achieving my first sub-2-hour time after recovering from a hip injury felt incredibly rewarding, especially since I placed in the top 50 overall. Finish time 1:56:52 and placed 46/171.
Marathon Maniacs at the Mad Marathon
Gilberto Sosa (MM7904, DA1598, HF12046)- Someday I won’t be able to run….today it wasn’t that day!!!! Missoula Marathon Completed!!!!!
Photo and Post Credit Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics Facebook Pages
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