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04/15/2007Nothing like Boston18 area runners in 'the' marathon
TRAVERSE CITY — Monday's weather forecast for eastern Massachusetts doesn't exactly put a smile on Cindy Diver's face. The opportunity to run in the Boston Marathon does, however. Wind, rain and temperatures in the low 40s are expected Monday morning, which should drop the wind chill factor to about 26 degrees. Those aren't exactly perfect running conditions, but as Diver is quick to point out, "it's still Boston.” "I'm ready,” said Diver, one of 18 northwest Michigan runners entered in the 111th annual event. "I'm excited and nervous at the same time.” The race will be the 42-year-old Diver's third 26.2-mile marathon and her first in Boston. A former high school runner who quit the sport "when I had my kids,” Diver competed in Chicago in 2004 and Grand Rapids in 2005. Her time of 3 hours, 47 minutes at Grand Rapids beat the Boston qualifying time for her age group by three minutes. A stress fracture forced Diver to skip last year's race, so she's been waiting for over a year to experience the Patriot's Day race. "Finishing — that'll be the most exciting part for me,” she said. "I think once I get to Heartbreak Hill (at about the 21-mile mark), I'll be OK.” Diver's husband, Dave, will be competing in his 16th marathon, his fifth consecutive at Boston. He said he and his wife trained together for the first time over the winter, but he doesn't expect to see much of her on Monday. The field was capped at 22,500 and the Divers will be in different waves at the starting line in Hopkinton. "I'll see her at the finish,” Dave said. A total of seven Traverse City runners will compete at Boston — the Divers, Rob Britton, 51; Sandy Demarsh, 55; Mark Fiegel, 41; Amy Marschell, 24; and Julie Sarya, 32. They will be joined by Williamsburg's Don Fedrigon, 49; the Petoskey trio of Rod Anderson, 40, Mary Hayes, 43, and Kathy Mack, 47; Harbor Springs' Jack Deegan, 37, and James Simpson, 41; Charlevoix's Ruth Skop, 41; East Jordan's Micah Middaugh, 25; Grayling's Abigail Porter, 28; Cadillac's Victor Sztenegl, 66; and McBain's Tasha O'Malley, 38. Many of them, including Britton, Sarya and Cindy Diver, are first-time Boston competitors. Jeff Gaft, manager of Running Fit on South Airport Road in TC, said he has tried to give those runners as much advice as possible. "Let's just say I offer it,” Gaft said with a laugh. "That doesn't mean they ask for it.” They should. The 51-year-old Gaft has competed in more than 85 marathons and 85 ultra-marathons, which are typically 50 miles in length but can be longer. Gaft's resume includes a dozen Boston Marathons. His first came in 1981, when there were 6,881 runners in the field. "It's quite a thing — so historic, so many great things to look at,” Gaft said. "About halfway through, the students at Wellesley College — an all-women's college — all come out and cheer you on. You can hear the noise a mile before you get there. It gives you goose bumps. "And just after Heartbreak Hill, you can see the Citgo sign at Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox). "That last half mile, you'll never run past a crowd that's louder.” Gaft's best advice to first-timer competitors? Beware of the downhills. "Most people train for hills, but they're concerned about the uphills,” he said. "Boston actually has more downhills than uphills. If you look at an elevation chart, you can see it. "If you aren't ready for a lot of downhills, your quads (muscles) are going to be sore.” Julie Sarya, who is competing in her third marathon, received that warning a little later than she would have liked. "I'm intimidated by the downhills,” she admitted. "I trained on a treadmill so I could raise the elevation and get used to the hills. But I didn't train for the downhills. "I've been reading a lot and hearing a lot about the race lately, and that's what everyone says — the downhills are tough. So that should be interesting.” Dave Diver said that's part of the attraction of Boston. "For me, it's the history and the course,” he said. "It's the oldest continuous marathon in the world. And the course is all uphills and downhills — no flats. "It's a challenging course,” said Diver, 47, who posted his best marathon time of 3:09 in 2002 at Chicago. "The first 16 miles are all downhill. It plays havoc on your thighs. "A good rule is, if you think you're going too slow at the start, go slower,” he joked. Rob Britton, a Traverse City Parks and Recreation supervisor, said he has heard opposing opinions about the course. "I talked to three different people. One said, 'Don't go for a PR (personal record); it's not the course for that.' The other two said they set PRs at Boston,” Britton said. "I'll shoot for 3:30 if I'm feeling good. We'll see how my heels hold up. "Heartbreak Hill may be tougher than I think.” Boston will be Britton's third marathon. He qualified with a 3:27 in the Bayshore in Traverse City last May. Britton said former TC St. Francis athlete Jasmine Swaney, an ex-employee of his, helped him prepare for his first marathon. And he has also received plenty of support from his daughter Emily, who will be in Boston to cheer her on her dad. "I used to look at marathoners and think, 'That's ridiculous,' ” said Britton, who didn't get the urge to run his first one until he turned 50. "But after you've done one, it's not as big of a task. "They say you get hooked on 'em,” he said. "They're right. I am.” Sandy Demarsh can relate to Britton. She didn't begin running marathons until about three years ago. On Monday, she'll run in her fifth — her second in Boston. "It's a fabulous experience,” she said. "There are people everywhere cheering you on, people in costumes, bands playing, people out on their lawns providing ice or whatever you need. "(The 2005 Boston Marathon) was one of the best experiences of my life,” said Demarsh, whose personal-best time is 4:01:21. "I've never been the center of attention before, but I felt like I was there.” Dave Diver said the lure of Boston is one that every marathoner experiences. Boston isn't the biggest marathon in the country — Chicago and New York are both larger. But runners have to qualify to get in, which adds prestige, Diver said. "It's the granddaddy,” he said. "It's what everyone shoots for. "If you qualify and get in, it's a no brainer. You run it.” Even if it's wet and cold.
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