Summer is over and it’s Va. Ten-Miler time again. Best of luck to all of those that will be running the race on Saturday, 25 September. Don’t forget that start time is 8:30 a.m. this year. If you ar not running the race, please lend your support as a volunteer, contact Chris Ellis, or come on out and cheer the runners. This is Chris’ last year as race director. He has done a fine job re-energizing the race since he took over in 1995. Thank you Chris for all the hard work and best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Looking ahead to some upcoming races, we have Mary An Craven’s John Stephenson Memorial Youth Run on Saturday, 2 October. Mary Ann does a fine job with the race. Please contact Mary Ann to help with this fine Youth Run. The Watkins-Abbit 10K run will be held on 9 October this year. For those that remember, this is the old Joe Sweeney 10K course in Appomattox - a challenging and enjoyable 10K run.

My term of office as well as other club officer’s terms will conclude at the end of this year. We will need to nominate new club officers in the upcoming months. If this interests you or if you know someone that is interested, please contact me or come on out to our upcoming meetings.

Finally, we have a number of long sleeve club running shirts ($12) and hooded sweat shirts ($18) left. If you would like to purchase one, they will be sold at upcoming meetings. These are great looking shirts most appropriate to the Fall and Winter running season.

Check the club Hotline number for upcoming meetings, events and races.

Keep on running!

Pat Draney

President Pat Draney

Vice President Susan Walton

Secretary Mary Ann Craven

Treasurer Dick Smith

Membership Craig Schwartz

Equipment Larry Haak

Publicity Chris Ellis

Newsletter Vic Galan

The guest speaker for the September meeting is not yet scheduled. Call the Hot-Line near the meeting date for information on the guest speaker.

The October meeting will be held at the Monte Carlo Restaurant on 12 Oct. 1999.

The August meeting of the Lynchburg Roadrunners was held on Tuesday 17 August 1999 at the Monte Carlo Restaurant on Old Forest Road. The pizza buffet was served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 7:00 p.m. with Club President Pat Draney presiding.

Gary Adkins, runner, active member of the Star City Striders, Race Director of the Virginia Western 5K, and professor at Virginia Western Community College, was guest speaker for the evening. Gary grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. His main sorts in high school and college were flat-water kayaking and wrestling. Gary said that he ran those years to stay in shape. In the early 1980’s he started running and racing regularly. Group running is very important to his running program. Younger runners run the group runs, especially in summer, and are trained and ready when school starts. Group running keeps him motivated and training faster. Gary also spoke of course certification and how exact it has to be to certify the course. A device is placed on a bike wheel and the distance is checked at least three times. This is followed by some math and a lot of paper work.

Looking for another runner who runs in the LC / Lakeside Dr. area from four to six miles distance at 9 1/2 to 10 min. per mile pace. Time of day is flexible.

Call Eunice Paulett at 385-8768.

Sept.11, Lynchburg - Odyssey Off-Road Triathlon, 1 mi. swim, 25 mi bike, 8 mi run. Info: (750) 425-2445.

Sept.11, Charlottesville - Pepsi 10K Race 8:00am. Info: Roger Flint (804) 978-2140.

Sept. 11, Danville - River City 5K Run/Walk, 9:00am. Info: Danville Running & Fitness (804) 793-3409.

Sept. 12, Lynchburg - Lynch’s Landing 3-miler, Info: Gary Taylor (804) 239-4560.

Sept. 18, Roanoke - Marine 5K Mud Run, 9:00am. Team 11:30 am; $15 by 9/15, $25 race day. Info: Jeff Baker, Marine Corps, POB 204, Fincastle, Va. 24090; (540) 473-1716, www.mudrun.com.

Sept. 18, Lynchburg - Izaak Walton Triathlon, 8:00am. 500m swim, 10 mi bike, 5K run. At Izaak Walton Park. Info: (804) 845-6010.

Sept.18, Roanoke - 17th Annual Star City Striders 5K, Women’s Distance Festival, Registration forms at CMT & Courtside, Lynchburg.

Sept. 25, Lynchburg - Virginia 10 & 4-Miler, 8:30am. Info: Chris Ellis, (800)732-5821 or (804) 845-5966.

Oct. 2, Lynchburg - Dr. John A. Stephenson Memorial Youth Run, 9:00am, Riverside Park, Toddlers to 13 years old. Info: Mary Ann Craven, (804) 239-1095.

Oct. 9, Appomattox - Watkins Abbit Sr. Memorial 10K & 5K Fitness Walk, 8:00am. Info: Brett Thompson (h) (804) 352-5217 or (w) 352-4795.

Oct. 16, Lynchburg - Mountain Masochist 50 Mi. Trail Run. 6:30am. Info: David Horton (804)239-1324(h), 582-2386(w). www. davidhorton.simplenet.com

Oct. 30, Charlottesville - Outdoors Trail 10K, 9:00am. Info: (804) 295-1645.

Oct. 30, Roanoke - Goblin Gallop 5K, 9:00a.m. Info: Chris Miller (540) 982-1657.

Nov. 13, Richmond - Richmond Marathon & 5-Miler, Info: (804)673-RACE, or www.rrrc.org

Nov. 25, Atlanta - Atlanta Marathon 7:30am, Info: (404)231-9064 (ext. 24), or www.atlantatrackclub.org

Dec. 11, Kiawah Island, SC - Kiawah Island Marathon, Half-Marathon, & 5K, 8:00am. Info: Lori Lacy (843)768-2780.

David Horton did it again, a new record, in June this year. The new speed record for the 271 mile Long Trail is 4 days, 22 hours, and 54 minutes. Congratulations, Dave.

Steve Bozeman, broke his own world record for the most double Ironman-distance races by completing his 11th double Iron triathlon. He has the distinction of being the only person on record to have completed 11 double ironman events within the allotted time limits.

Steve, a former Marine and Vietnam vet, completed the race in his traditional fashion with a parade of friends, family and support carrying American, Marine, Navy, Air Force and POW flags on his final lap - a patriotic signature finish for an athlete who is referred to as the "Father of the Double Iron".

Walter Rawle also took the weekend of the 28th and 29th August at Colonial Beach, Virginia to complete this gruelling endurance test. You could choose your water torture this year. Steve decided to swim 5 miles, but didn’t count on the strong tidal current in the Potomic river from the nearby bay. It was five hours of fighting current and sting rays. Wisely, Walter choose the 15 mile kyak course.

The bike portion of the race had them peddle 225 miles. This was followed by two marathon runs, that’s 2 X 26.2 miles. According to Steve, you can drink, eat, sleep, party all you want. Just be finished within 36 hours of the start time. Steve’s first marathon was completed in 5:17, followed by 7:30 for the second. He finished in 8th place male with a time of 35 hours and 34 minutes.

Walter completed the course in 34 hours, 14 minutes.

You can read Steve’s account of the insanity, below.

Aug. 21, Parkersburg, West Virginia - Half Marathon

Hot & humid, but plenty of water on the course and a great crowd at the finish.

Ronnie Wright - 1:43

Vic Galan - 2:25

Lynchburg Road Runners Club (LRRC) an The Marine Corps League (MCL) of Lynchburg are in agreement that the time has come to end this race. We appreciate the League's financial support over the last 3 years, but based on the lack of response to requests for help in both The League’s and the LRRC’s newsletters ...it's time to end it.

The race will be cancelled for the reasons noted below:

1) No big increase in participation over the years.

2) No one person directing and taking ownership.

3) Lack of interest.

4) The Marine Reserves has gladly provided us the facility and support in pass years, but this year they don't want the race on the same date as there "open house."

5) Flyers weren’t made on time to circulate early on at other races to inform the locals and out of towners.

6) We haven't "made money" to "donate" to the LRRC.

7) The course is tough and even if we shorten it to a 8K or 5 mile (or even a 5K) will it attract more participants?

8) The kids 1 mile has only had a minimum turnout.

Think about this and let's talk at the next meeting about a race to replace it. a cross country race in Peaks View Park has been suggested.

"Sometimes people say to me, 'Oprah's got it easy because she has a personal chef and a personal trainer.' But that's baloney. No one can run for you. She was on the track every morning. She worked herself as hard as any athlete I've seen. She deserved the results she achieved."

-Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, after she finished the Marine Corps

Marathon

Remember, "If at first you don't succeed, you're like most people."

"Don't let failure get you down...Babe Ruth struck out 1300 times."

Well, it's now history and in the record books. How many times can a human get stung by jelly fish and live to tell about it? Well, I'm here to tell you, 200 plus and I'm still alive! That was almost as fun as doing one of Pinks hash trails! Seriously, yours truly has retained the world title having completed (35:34) the most Double Ironman Triathlons than any other fools in the world. Walter Rawle (34:14) has joined the ranks of the world's elite as a finisher and the other three 7H4 hashers who have claimed that title, welcomes him aboard. They are (of course me) with eleven finishes, Andrew Wlds with two and Greg Meacham who has also finished two.

Elmer Fudd helped out last weekend and there was some discussion that maybe he might wish to be #5 7H4 Hasher to claim the title. But, as usual, he was "in love" (again) with this tall, blond woman from Florida, who was crewing for this other girl in the Double and we think he was just trying to impress her with typical 7H4 bravado. Mark Sloman (who wants desperately to become a 7H4) also was there to help me and witness this insane sport (or like Elmer Fudd, to witness other beautiful, scantily clad women in bathing suits sitting on their little bitty bicycle seats peddling away!). Of course, Walter and I were to

brain dead from the heat to notice. Wilds was his usual upbeat and full of piss and vinegar, (because he wasn't doing the Double this year), but just doing a documentary video of us fools. However, he sort of said, "I'll do this next year" and I replied that I would video him instead of doing it.

In the news press release of the Double Ironman results, the writer refers to the "paddling option" as a way to incorporate an element of "adventure" into the sport. Well, I'm here to tell you, I had all the "adventure" I wanted by swimming with thousands of jelly fish and getting stung more than a human could endure for 4 hours and 45 minutes. Oh yea, did I forget to mention the 2 knot current I had to swim against! Elmer Fudd who kayaked next to me in the swim will attest that, yes you can cuss very loudly under water. And the next hash I attend, I will gladly do down-downs for "whinnying" during this event.

Official photos will be circulated of me in true 7H4 fashion, laying on an army cot under a tree at the finish line with IV's going in the right arm and a cold beer in the left hand doing down-downs. Thanks to Dr. George Whorley from Lynchburg for the IV's.

Not only was Drew Wilds doing a professional video of this event, but Discover Channel was also there filming this event and will air sometime in Oct.

Well, enough of my rambling, hope everyone is getting ready for the Virginia 10-miler and hope to see you there.

The following businesses offer discounts for your patronage. Stop by and see the good folks at:

Bikes Unlimited - 10% on everything

Dr. Frank Villa - 10% on all eye glasses and exams. (Does not include disposable contacts)

Outdoor Trails - 10% on everything

CMT Sporting Goods - 10% on all running related apparel and shoes.

20% on Orthotics

1919 Thomson Dr.

(804) 846-1803

10% on everything

9 Elliewood Ave.

Charlottesville, Va. 22903

(804) 293-3367

Virginia Amateur Sports (VAS) announced that Louise Martin of Appomattox and Dakota Huffman of Bridgewater have been named the 1999 Commonwealth Gamed of Virginia Athletes of the Year. Both will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico this month to be recognized at the Annual Meeting of the National Congress of State Games.

At 82, most people would have hung up their running shoes, but not Louise Martin. Martin, a retired school teacher and coach from Appomattox County Schools, is an inspiration to all athletes. She started running at the age of 55 because she didn’t want to "grow old gracefully." She now runs 5 to 6 moles a day, and competes in various races ranging from 200 meters to half marathons. In her 27 years of running competitively, Louise has acquired more Gold and Silver medals than most people do in a lifetime. Out of the 10 year existence of the Commonwealth Games of Virginia, she has received 8 Gold medals in her age division for the 5 mile run, and she held the fastest age group time for the Charlottesville 10 miler from 1984 - 1993.

In a recent article, she stated "Runners never need to quit as they grow older and slower. They can always feel young again within a few years by graduating into a new age group."

Next Mr. Steve