Around mile 23, I started to hit “the wall.” Each step felt like it required ten times the normal amount of effort, and I felt all my muscles ache with each strike of the ground. I actually remember feeling angry and wondering why I was running the race in the first place. My brother was so good at reminding me that this race was possible and that we were going to make it to the end. I was in so much pain, so my brother’s encouragement made a huge difference.

​Without a doubt, the final .2 miles of the race was the most agonizing, challenging part. I remember passing the 26th mile marker and thinking, “Wow! I’m done! We are at the finish line!” But the reality is that .2 miles is still .2 miles. It also didn’t help that there were still a few turns after mile 26, so I couldn’t even see the finish line until a minute or so after passing the final mile marker. When I eventually did see that finish line, though, I ran with everything I had.

“From Lakeville, Minnesota, we have Jordan and Spencer Castillo, about to finish their first Grandma’s Marathon!” The announcer was cheering us on, along with the hundreds of fans lining each side of the road. Those last few seconds of the race seemed to last an eternity, and I couldn’t believe that I was actually about to be done running those 26.2 miles. With a time of just under five hours, my brother and I crossed the finish line. My dad and brother were right there, and we grabbed each other with a sweaty, beautiful embrace. I felt a sudden rush of accomplishment, relief, pride, and overwhelming joy like I’d never felt before. At the age of 16, I had just finished my first marathon.

Amanda Russell wasn't listed as a member of the Striders, but in the March 1999 issue of The Interval she wrote this race report about the Boston Marathon (perhaps it was reprinted from another publication?). 

Ron Paquette & Donnajean Pohlman and Gene & Sarah Roy can never be thanked enough for their contributions to the Central Maine Striders.  That's just as true now as it was in 1999.

Many of the older issues of The Interval included a list of all the members.  We've been thinking about doing this for current members, but in the meantime, you'll just have to settle for seeing the list of 1999 Central Maine Striders.

In April, The Interval had the results, a quick writeup, and some photos from the 20th Annual Killarney's 10k.  The race director was none other than Tom McGuire.  Rumor has it that he's been working hard to give some other current Striders the chance to start a new Striders 10k race.

The results included Striders regulars Jim Moore and Ron Paquette, as well as a young guy named Pat Guerette.

Ron Paquette took the honor of filling the President's Page in the September 1999 newsletter:

Club Secretary Mardie Brown shared some news about the club's annual meeting, including plans to update the bylaws to conform to the 1999 structure of the club:

Some random race photos from the September issue.  It's unclear as to why Bob Strout is the only Strider in the first photo who gets named.

There was a photo of Gene Roy running Mount Washington to close out the September '99 Interval, and then the October '99 issue opened with his turn filling the President's Page, where he shared a good mix of wisdom, humor, and advice on winter running.

Jerry Allanach gave an update from Illinois in the October newsletter.  To this day, Jerry is still a proud member of the Striders, still lives in Illinois, and still occasionally turns up at a Maine race.  This past year, a few of us got to meet him at the Save Your Breath 5k in Augusta.

Although Mardie Brown was never the President of the Central Maine Striders, she still got the honor of writing the President's Page in the November 1999 issue of The Interval.

In 1999, tips for running safely included "carry coins for a phone call".  Other than the fact that carrying coins won't do much for you these days (unless you use them to throw at any potential attackers), these are still good tips for running safely.

David Benn took the reins back for the President's Page in the final Interval issue of 1999.  He made a plea for a couple volunteers to take over the Killarney's 10k and Gasping Gobbler 10k.  From what I can tell, 1999 was the last year that the Killarney's race was run.  The Gasping Gobbler seems to have taken the year 2000 off, but then returned in 2001, only to disappear again from 2002 through 2005.  In 2006, the Gasping Gobbler returned as a 5k at Cony High School in Augusta and continues to this day. 

The Striders never began a road race series, even though it seems to have been being explored at the end of 1999.  However, that "kid" Pat Guerette that showed up at a few races in 1999 came back to Maine and started the Quarry Road Trail Race series in 2013.

Amy at the start and then the finish of the recent Lamoine Half Marathon.

Over the past few years, I have bought far too many pairs of running shoes (about 20-25 pairs a year since 2012) - hoping or is that dreaming about the "right" shoes that will magically allow me to become the runner that I have always wanted to be.

A typical runner’s dream, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, as I have learned the expensive and hard way, there is no such thing as a pair of magical running shoes that are going to make you or I, a better runner. If you buy into that line of thinking you will spend a LOT of money searching for that magical shoe. 

I have.

Besides, just like everyone else my body changes a little each year and what would have worked for me as a younger person, doesn’t work for me now. Those Asics Excalibur GT’s that I loved in the ‘80s would kill my feet now and so many other shoes that I have loved over the years would not work at all for me in the body that I have now.

This is something I think that we tend to overlook when we look at running shoes, how much our bodies do change as we get older. The reality is that it really doesn’t matter what our age is, our bodies are always changing whether we 25, 43, 62 or 75 and the type/style of running shoes we need constantly change as well. 

What have I learned

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So think twice and then think again about what you are reading, watching or being told.

Over the years, I have learned that there are no magical running shoes (although some claim otherwise as the current controversy over the Nike Vapor Fly line shows) and that the best ways to improve as a runner are to focus more on:

1. Running consistently - the more uninjured miles run - the better, in other words, training smarter, is more important to being a better runner, than what running shoes I am wearing.
2. Lose weight/eat better - getting rid of the extra 5-10-15 or more extra pounds of flubber and looking at what we eat, are far more important to running better, than how much different shoes weigh.
3. Be aware of the BS factor - When it comes to running shoes, we have to wade through the ever-present marketing hype, discussions, bluster, believe it or not maybe even a few facts -- in magazines, ezines, blogs, forums and yes even on Twitter or Facebook, along with our ever-present running buddies about running shoes over the past few years.  So much so that most of us runners do not really know what works versus what is hype most of the time. 
4. Have an open mind -  we need to figure some things out for ourselves by doing the research, actually thinking about what we are seeing or doing and even be willing to go beyond our usual authors, friends, coaches, websites or brands for information related to running. It might even mean - heaven forbid, that we need to think outside of the box from time-to-time and look at brands or ideas we have not used in the past. I know that I have been surprised by what works and does not work several times.
5. Don't jump on the next great bandwagon shoe or shoe style. Just because it is a certain design, style or the next best thing since whatever, it doesn't mean that it will work the same for you or that it is even the right thing for you and the way you run. The minimal, maximal, carbon plate bandwagons come to mind pretty quickly. All have led to mixed results and caused more or different injuries than have been reported or talked about.
6. That all the major brands have at least one running shoe style that we can or could run in - Not really what we want to believe, after all, such and such a brand couldn’t possibly work for me. While it is true that I run better in certain styles of running shoes and I tend to stay with the brands that have those styles. 
7. BE COMFORTABLE - this is the most important thing, find a shoe that you run comfortably in - one that you put on and forget about. Get beyond brand marketing, the salesperson's prejudices or preconceptions, the running store's limited selection and find the pair of running shoes that feel comfortable to you when you are running. 

Although I gotta admit that the wrong running shoes really do screw things up royally from time-to-time! The litany of injuries I have had over the years are a testament to bad shoe choices, training mistakes and just being stoopid.

Then you have the fun issue of when the brands update that style/model that you love and the new version is a different shoe than the one you loved. It sucks big time and happens all too often. Then we have to go out and start looking for a new running shoe all over again - it has happened to almost all of us who have been running for a while and yeah, it does suck.

The reality is that...

All runners are different, we have different likes, needs and wants from our running shoes and in today's world, most brands have a shoe that will satisfy that need.

The primary purpose of running shoes, in my opinion, is to protect our feet from the ground, tar, concrete, trail or whatever you are running on, which in turn allows us to run more safely or comfortably than without them (no I do not believe in running barefoot other than for drills - it doesn't work for most of us, especially in Maine in the Wintah).

While I believe that proper running shoes can make a difference (good or bad) for a runner, at the same time I strongly believe that I (and other runners) put too much emphasis on the importance of their running shoes and how much of a difference they actually make.

The biggest lesson I have learned over the past few years is that my running shoes are a lot less important to my running than what I am doing as a runner, but even so, I am ever hopeful that someday, I will find that running shoe that works for me and hope against hope that its updates continue to work for me.

Hmmm let me see what Running Warehouse has on sale this week. :-) 

Yeah, I know I am an incorrigible running shoe geek. Hehehee

Our March club meeting included discussion about the following:
     - Starting a new Striders-sponsored 10k race in the fall
     - Updating the club bylaws
     - Selection of the Mount Washington Road Race team
     - Our new Instagram account
     - 10% discount for all Striders members at Running Warehouse
     - Organizing group runs for slower runners
     - Preliminary planning for an early summer club social
     - And more!

Click here to download and read the full minutes:

The year started off with newsletters consisting of just a few pieces of paper stapled together and the title simply saying "Central Maine Striders", but keep reading to see how the newsletter evolved later in the year.

In the first issue of the year, President David Baird asked for submissions from other members:

Gene Roy shared some news about the opening of the New Balance Factory Outlet in Skowhegan.  That store still exists and has some great deals, especially during their end-of-summer tent sale, but I'm not sure when the last time anyone found a $5 pair of running shoes!

It seems that Mother Nature forgot about the "thaw" part of the January Thaw that year.  BRRR!  However, it seems that everyone survived the cold and celebrated with a post-race party.  What's that about a Runners World Magazine article about the race?!?  I'm not sure if anyone has some old issues of the New England Edition of Runners World from 1982, but it would be great to see some coverage of the Central Maine Striders in a major publication!

In the February-March edition of the newsletter, it was announced that founding member Rick Krause wrote a history of the Central Maine Striders.  This is probably another old publication that's been lost to time, but it would be cool to see if any of our longtime members still have it.

The Killarney's 10k was another Waterville race that the Striders seem to have put on for many years, but sadly no longer exists (nor does the restaurant/bar that gave the race its name).  Thirty-one Striders completed the race in 1982, including current member Sarah Roy who set a new PR.

Some programs and clinics were organized by current member Dean Rasmussen.  Keep in mind that this was long before the internet came along and made it easy to research training programs and methods.

History was made in in the April-May 1982 issue, when the name "The Interval" was first used for the club newsletter.  A nice new masthead was introduced to showcase the new newsletter's new name, along with the club's memberships in the RRCA and TAC organizations.

Also, there was a plea from the president for more contributions from other members.  Yes, it seems that all club presidents have to do this, both then and now (hint, hint... anyone have any submissions for the next newsletter?).

That issue included some news about the Central Maine Strider members that ran the Boston Marathon in 1982.  We definitely had some powerhouse marathoners that year!  Four club members finished in 2:50 or faster.  Wow!

News from that issue also included results from a couple local runs.  Runners mentioned that are still members to this day included Donnajean Pohlman, Dean Rassmussen, Sam Mitchell, Jim Moore, and Sarah Roy.  

By the time of the June 1982 edition of the newsletter, it looks like President David Baird finally got a little bit of assistance for the newsletter, which he calls "the single largest job that the president has to attend to" (I think I know what he means!).  Anyway, the person that came forward to help was the previous year's president, Gene Roy.  Still trying to coerce some new blood to provide material for the newsletter, David still makes a request to the general membership for more newsletter material.

Several familiar names performed well at the 1982 Embden 10k.

Although less names were mentioned, the Striders supposedly recorded several PR's at the Rocky Coast 10k in Boothbay.  Alton Stevens, an attorney who's currently (still) are club Clerk, ran it in 35:33.  For those of you without a calculator, that's 5:43/mile pace, also know as "fast"!

There were some plans that didn't pan out to get a team together for a race up a big hill:

However, one Strider did run it.  From the July 1982 issue of The Interval, it looks like Gene Roy started a Strider tradition of running up that one hill.  As he noted, the race is pretty much just an average 8-mile uphill run.  Somehow, his description was enough to motivate more Striders to run the race the next year, which is when Ron Paquette and Dean Rasmussen's streaks that are still going today began.  But, we'll save that story for another issue.

July 1982 saw the birth of organized track workouts for the Striders.  We still do these every summer, except we meaure our laps in 400's now instead of 440's and use Colby's track instead of the High School's.

It's always good to hear about how the "iron women" in the club perform:

A regular feature in Interval newsletter has always been introductions of new members.  It looks like Geoff Hill, famous for securing so many wonderful prizes for the club to giveaway at January Thaw races, made his Striders debut in 1982.  [Note:  We'd love to hear from any of our current new members (and old members too) about who you are and why you run.]

By the time the September issue rolled around, Geoff Hill ran a 10k PR.  This pretty much proves that being a Central Maine Strider makes you a better runner.

As the club continued to grow and become "a force to be reckoned with" that year, the president once again had to ask for help from the members outside of the "core" regulars.  Speaking of that, do we have any members out there that want to get more involved?  We could always use more help on newsletters, administrative duties, and volunteering at races.  Contact run@centralmainestriders.com for more info.

Back in those days, it seems that the president and former president wrote most of the newsletter's content, another member typed it (yes, that means on a typewriter), and another person mailed them out.  Although technology has changed things for us a bit, most of the work on the newsletter is now done by the current president, who wouldn't complain if someone out there in Striderland came forward to provide assistance.  I promise that it won't involve typewriters or stamps.

Karen McCann is a Strider that gets mentioned a lot in the old issue of The Interval.  I'm not sure what she's up to these days, but she seemed to be a pretty formidable in 1982.  Amongst many other accomplishments, she placed fifth in the Benjamins 10k,  a race that Maine's favorite runner Joan Benoit also ran in.  If that race were still around today, I'd hope that the slogan would be "It's all about the Benjamins".

All of you Colby folk will probably be proud to know that Karen coached the women's cross-country team there.

We had a 14-year-old Strider member who ran a 35:08 at the Kingfield 10k that September.  Regardless of age, that's fast!  Doug MacDonald also happened to break records on EVERY course he ran during that year's junior high school cross-country season.  No word on how Doug MacDonald fared in his running career after the age of 14.

The Striders were doing their best to have influence over all the area's youth by coaching as many teams as possible.  Besides the aforementioned Colby women's cross-country coach, Central Maine Strider members were also coachs of Winslow High School, Messalonskee High School, Waterville Junior High, Madison High School, and Maine Central Institute.  I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few of our current members were coached by these guys.

Gene Roy must have been enjoying running up hills that year.  Besides being the only Strider to run the Mount Washington Road Race, he also ran the Sugarloaf Hill Climb.  He placed 7th overall in race up that much smaller hill.  Ron Paquette was also there, possibly training for a 38-year streak of running up Mount Washington.

More news about the Benjamins 10k.  Some familiar names, like Alton Stevens, Dave Baird, and Geoff Hill represented the Striders. 

Several newsletters in 1982 talked of a planned Striders yard sale to raise some funds for the club.  I'll spare you the details, but it eventually the year ended and the yard sale was postponed until spring 1983.

That's all for 1982!  It seemed to be a year in which the Striders were finding their stride.  The club was growing, the organization was being figured out, the newsletter got a name, and PR's were being set.

For the next issue of Running Backwards, we'll jump forward in time.  Possible destinations include 1987, 1988, 1990, 1996, 1999, and 2009.  I've skimmed through and seen exciting moments in these years, and Intervals started having photos!

Runners are widely known for their questionable idea of fun. For example, running 6 miles up an old logging road in the winter, looping around for an even 13.1, and possibly even doing the whole thing again might seem crazy to some. But with a creative race director, such an event lured 2,000+ runners up to Millinocket, Maine in December!

2019 marked the 5th running of the Millinocket Marathon and Half, the brainchild of Gary Allen, who also directs the Mount Desert Island Marathon and the Down East Sunrise Trail Relay. The race philosophy is simple: “Don’t run Millinocket for what you get; run Millinocket for what you give.” There is no entry fee; instead runners are expected to somehow contribute to the local economy, such as by staying at a local motel, shopping at the artisan fair, and/or eating at the spaghetti supper or pancake breakfast.

My first trip to Maine’s Biggest Small Town was back in 2017, when I was bold enough to register for the full marathon. I attribute this error in judgment to not really grasping the significance of the elevation profile up the Golden Road, which didn’t look like much on paper. Despite the balmy temperature (30 degrees) and clear roads, I quickly learned to respect the course and was relieved to finish both loops before the season’s first snowstorm arrived. Club members Pat and Tracey Cote both ran strong races that day, with Tracey even setting an age-group record that still stands.

Although she lives in Vermont now, Rebecca Roy is a proud member of the Central Maine Striders.  As the daughter of Gene Roy, she was basically raised into the Strider family.  Although she's been battling an injury lately, she's hoping to get back to running soon.  As part of our ongoing series to get to know more about our members, we recently asked Rebecca a series of questions over email.  Here's what she had to say.

Thank you so much for thinking of me for this. I am very honored and it means so much to me because I grew up with the Striders, all the old timers are family to me. I feel far away but by being a member of CMS I feel connected which means a great deal. 

What do you do when you’re not running? I manage educational programs for Vermont State Parks professionally. I love Nordic skiing, camping, and trout fishing. I am also an avid deer hunter. I have also gotten into mountain biking since I've been injured. I love being in the woods no matter what I am doing.

Why are you a member of the Central Maine Striders? CMS is the best running club out there, the club played a huge important role in my childhood, and want to stay connected. It will be fun to run races in Vermont with my CMS gear!