We recently asked club members what their greatest running accomplishments of 2021 were.  Here's what our club members accomplished this past year:

Susan Brooks:  "​My greatest running achievement is every day that I lace up my shoes and get out the door. This year has been particularly challenging as I’m coming to terms with ever-slowing runs and races and the need for more time to recover. After fifty (50!) plus years of running I’m learning to cross train with a goal of more rounded fitness that will keep me healthy and injury free as I run on into each decade. It’s still one run at a time and each is an achievement.  I did finish 3rd in my age group at the Millinocket Half (290/939 overall)"

Thanks to all of the Striders who sent us their running achievements from this past year.  And thanks to all of the Central Maine Striders members, both in this article and not, for making 2021 another great year for the club.  We're looking forward to running into the new year with all of you!

Hi, my name is Deb Violette and I am Board Secretary and member of Central Maine Striders.  I am not your typical member as I do not run.  You are probably thinking, “How did you become a Board Secretary and Member?”  Here is a bit of my story and how I came to Central Maine Strider’s annual social December 2018.
I started a foundation called Free ME from Lung Cancer in 2012 to help researchers find a cure for lung cancer, help Maine high risk patients get access to early lung cancer screening and low income home owners get access to radon air abatement systems. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.  In fact the Environmental Protection Agency states that one in every three homes has radon high enough to warrant mitigation. 

I started Free ME from Lung Cancer because I am a  22 year lung cancer survivor.  I was given a 10% chance of living two years.  During my treatment I knew that I wanted to help others diagnosed with this disease.  A disease that often leaves the patient isolated, shamed and blamed for their disease because so often it is linked to smoking.  Through research we now know that this is not the case at all.  If you have lungs you can get lung cancer. 

I host two events annually. A themed auction and a "Save Your Breath" 5k.  You may have seen my post on the 5k [on the Central Maine Striders facebook group].  In December 2018 I saw a post about Central Maine Strider’s annual social.  I asked if anyone could come to the social and I was told yes.  So I joined the group that night with the intentions of introduce myself and talk a bit about my foundation, my passion to improve the lives of lung cancer patients and make a donation to the club.  The club members was so very gracious to let me post my event on their FaceBook page and never once complained about my obsession in doing so. The group introduced themselves and then allowed me a few minutes to talk.  

As the evening unfolded the group began their year end election of officers.  They didn’t have a social media/webmaster lined up so I volunteered to take the social media piece for them.  I was a social media director for another nonprofit plus my own and thought, “What’s one more FaceBook page to support?”  I paid my dues for the upcoming year and returned home.  A few days later my phone rings and it was [Club President] Ryan Goebel.  Ryan asked if I  would mind holding the Secretary’s position.  He wasn’t able to find anyone to hold that seat. I said any way that I can help was fine with me and that is how a non runner became a Board Secretary and member for the oldest active running club in the State of Maine.

If you are reading this and not a member yet I encourage you to come to one of our meetings on ZOOM.  I have enjoyed serving as Board Secretary these last several months.  The members are really fun, creative and friendly. I know you will enjoy the group as much as I have.

If you are interested in learning more about Free ME from Lung Cancer  and our upcoming virtual Save Your Breath and virtual online auction please visit us at freemefromlungcancer.org or call me at 207-215-9035.  I hope to see you at our next board meeting scheduled for November 10th at 7pm.

Deb Violette, Board Secretary for Central Maine Striders

My running story is a little bit different from the other Central Maine Striders members I have read. I never actually set out intentionally to run in the first place.

​My story begins 2 and half years ago when I turned 35. I was overweight, had been for about 15 years, and was generally unhappy with my body and health. I always felt tired and never put much thought into exercising and changing my lifestyle habits. The one week a year I felt my best was when I took my family to Florida to visit my parents who spend their winters there. It was coming back from the trip of my 35th birthday that changed me. Without realizing it, I had managed to lose 15 lbs. just in that week! Wow, I thought that’s incredible, how can I keep this momentum going? ​

Well I've always been a very competitive person (for better or for worse) and the key for me was to find a weight loss competition. My wife had done a "chub club" group on facebook in the past and really found inspiration from other peoples' journey's and friendly competition. Lucky for me there were some friends of ours who were also feeling the pressure of growing older and wanting to make a change. My wife set up a new "chub club" and sent out the invitations. One by one friends from all over the country started joining and before I knew it we were up to almost 50 participants! The only catch was that on the first day everybody had to post a picture of themselves standing on a scale for the group to see, THE HORROR! I really didn’t want my friends to see how much weight I had packed on since high school, but in the end I knew that would only make the payoff that much sweeter! Did it ever, I started by just changing my diet, no more fast food runs for lunch and extra sugary coffee and donuts every morning.

We are sad to announce that a former member of the Central Maine Striders and inductee to the Maine Running Hall of Fame, Leona Clapper passed away earlier this summer.

From her obituary in the Bangor Daily News (Jul 5, 2020):

Leona E. Clapper
March 11, 1930 - June 28, 2020

BUCKSPORT - Leona E. Clapper, 90, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2020, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on March 11, 1930 in North Haven, Maine, to Clarence and Lena Stone. She spent most of her adult life in Bucksport, where she raised her twelve children with her husband of 67 years, Charles. She had a strong love for her family and friends. She was always smiling and ready to give a hug to all.

Leona was a competitive runner in the local community for many years. She completed a number of marathons. She was well known and admired among runners. In 1992, she was inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame.

Besides running, Leona also loved playing bridge and knitting. She and her husband frequently played in bridge groups. She knit numerous items for family and friends, and also donated many to her church's craft fair. She was a long time parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Bucksport.

In addition to her parents, Leona was predeceased by her sister Harriet Pendleton and her husband Danny Pendleton, by her sister Eleanor Jackson, by her daughter Barbara Thompson, and by her sons-in-law Richard Stevens, Richard Leach, and Richard Schroeder.

Leona is survived by her husband Charles, her sister Marjorie Pendleton and her husband James Pendleton, her brother-in-law Paul Jackson, her son Charles and his wife Alta, her daughter Leona Stevens, her daughter Catherine Leach, her daughter Theresa Clapper, her son Thomas Clapper, her son-in-law Thomas Thompson, her son Gerard Clapper and his wife Caskie, her son Joseph Clapper and his wife Renee, her daughter Margaret Jones and her husband Christopher, her daughter Mary Buck and her husband Bryan, her daughter Patricia Craig and her husband John, and her son Michael Clapper and his wife Regina. She is also survived by dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

There will be a private service for family only later in the summer.

There will be a celebration of life for family and friends at a later date.

Arrangements by Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home and cremation Services Bucksport.

​I believe the last time I wrote in the Club newsletter was in 2013 after running in the Boston Marathon.  That was the race where the terrible bombing happened at the finish line.  I had reached the 25 1/2 mile mark with less than a mile to go when the throngs of runners were stopped in their tracks and could not complete the race.  It was a heartbreaking moment for me and I’m sure for thousands of other runners to not complete something we had aspired to and trained for, for months and even years.
   
However, I found a way I could mend the brokenness I felt over what happened.  In the spring of 2014, my son Adam, who was flying home to Maine from Seattle where he lives, met me in Boston and together we ran the last mile of the marathon.  It wasn’t quite the same as it would have been on race day – we had to dodge people on the sidewalks – but it did heal my heart somewhat and brought some closure to an event that started out so joyfully and ended so tragically.
 
As a longtime member of the Central Maine Striders (it was the Maine Road Ramblers back in the 70’s), I was asked to provide an update on my running life now.  Unfortunately I had to stop running in 2016 due to arthritis in my second toe.  With bone on bone, it caused quite a bit of pain.  I believe the injury was caused by dropping a can on my toe years ago or by a horse that stepped on my foot a long time ago.  Surely running wouldn’t have caused it!  My second toe was the only joint affected.  In 2017, I had an implant inserted into the toe joint which helped decrease the pain but not enough for me to feel safe stressing it by running.  I miss running very much.  It was part of my life for 45 years, and wasn’t something I ever thought I would stop doing.  In the beginning after the surgery, whenever I saw a runner on the road, I’d feel a stabbing sensation in my heart because I wanted to be that runner in the worst way.
 
It’s been 3 years since the surgery, and I can look back on the years and races with happiness and pride.  I had run in countless races and completed 9 marathons, including 6 miles of the Boston Marathon while 8 months pregnant in 1984.  The Club was a source of unity for runners like me.  The joy of running united all of us, and because of that, we were all friends.
 
I have found other ways to exercise that are just as satisfying (well almost) as running – walking, bicycling, and backpacking.  I am a section-hiker of the Appalachian Trail and have back-packed from Georgia to Vermont – over 1,600 miles – over 15 years.  My husband and I have about 600 miles to go over some of the toughest sections of the entire Trail.  I consider it an adventure of a lifetime which will take the rest of my lifetime to complete.
 
I look forward to reading the stories of other Club members, especially the friends I had back in the early days.
 
Joanie Rhoda 

"Meet Our Members" is where we get to know a little more about our fellow Striders -- who they are, why they run, and why they're part of the Central Maine Striders.
​
Alicia Wilcox is a mother of 13-year-old twins and an associate professor at Thomas College.  She teaches forensic science and criminal justice classes.  She also has a forensic consulting company and likes to garden, travel, and hike.  

"I started running in the summer of 2014 at age 36. I was in the middle of my PhD program and expressed my feelings of stress to a friend. She was training with another woman for the Maine 1/2 marathon. They intended running a long run of 8 miles that weekend. I said I would join them for two or three miles. I ended up running the 8 miles with them and felt great. A few weeks later I applied for a cancellation spot in the 1/2 marathon and got in. I completed that 1/2 in under 2 hours with very little training.

I was hooked and running helped me through the stress of my PhD. I have since completed 16 half marathons, my most recent was the Shipyard Maine Coast Half, which was virtual, meaning, I ran by myself!

The women I used to run with don't run anymore. So this year I decided to join the Central Maine Striders to make new running friends. I participated in the January Thaw and ran with a small group one Sunday morning before the pandemic struck. I look forward to meeting new striders in the future. At the moment I am running the quarry road series and a 312K series Baxter to Baxter (from the state park to Baxter Brewing, in Lewiston). 

I love the simplicity of running, all you need is a good pair of sneakers and some happy music."

Alicia, we're glad you're a Strider and hope to see you and get to know you at more Strider events in the future, whenever we're able to hold in-person events again.

​Did you manage to reach that Boston qualifying goal?
I have not been able to hit that BQ objective - YET!  Although my PB at the half is pretty decent for my age at 1 hr 41 min, I've had a hard time translating that to the marathon distance.  I've always seemed to show up at the starting line completely ready to go.  However, I struggle to hold back on first half of the distance.  As a consequence, I tend to hit that wall pretty hard.  During the Maine Marathon in October, my mile splits were all sub-9 minutes, and even a couple of sub-8, through mile 20.  The last 6 were barely sub-12!!  Clearly, I need to find more patience for the first half!

Was there anyone who inspired you to start running (a friend, a family members, or a professional athlete)?  I've never really thought about that, but I guess my favorite uncle first piqued my interest in running, when I saw him compete in a marathon in Austin, TX, way back in the late 70's.  But that was just one of many crazy and adventurous things he's done in his life.  I suppose I kinda follow in that same frame of mind.  There are definitely a ton of other people that have inspired me along the way.  Stories of real people doing really incredible stuff... running-related or not, surviving against insurmountable odds, or overcoming an impossible obstacle... give me strength and determination to push forward, even when I don't want to.  I also try remember to be grateful for everything I have - that there are countless humans who suffer, but are still genuinely thankful for the very little blessings they do have - those people inspire me more than any.

Of the three marathons you ran in 2019, which was your favorite and why?
Of the three marathons I ran in 2019, each offered something very special for me, and all were definite favorites for very different reasons.  Sugarloaf was special because it was my first and it was an absolute blast.  The support from the organizers, to the participants, to the wacky crowds was super cool, and made the event a ton of fun.  What wasn't fun was the cold, rainy weather!  The Maine Marathon was epic for the dedicated supporters on the sidelines - the live bands, the hilarious signs, folks cheering you on by name - awesome.  Pretty nice scenery too.  Millinocket....what can I say about Millinocket?  It is beyond words really.  In my mind, that event is all about giving back and helping that little town come alive.  It's less about running.  However!  The run is definitely part of the incredible experience, from Fireball shot stations, delicious soup, hot Gatorade, and so much more makes for a memorable experience with a huge desire to do it again.  I should mention I learned that the speedy shoes can be left at home.  This event is more like a slow, long run than a PR opportunity.  Of the three marathons, if I could only choose one to run again, for now it would have to be Sugarloaf - just to prove to myself that I can beat the 4-hour mark!!!  With assistance from gravity of course!

How did you find out about the Central Maine Striders and why did you join us?  I first stumbled across Central Maine Striders on Facebook I think, and then again on Strava.  Years ago, in Providence RI, I belonged to a corporate running group, as well as a local running club.  I remember the camaraderie, support and energy that we all benefited from, just by training and participating in events.  It was a big sense of community, and actually pushed me to train harder and more consistently that I probably would've otherwise done on my own.  I decided to join Central Maine Striders one, because the group is relatively close to where I live, and two, because I want to be more active in the running community in general.  I find running can be a pretty lonely endeavor - which isn't always bad and often times the one place where I can find peace in an otherwise chaotic world - but I miss sharing the joy of running with others.  Non-runners just don't get it, do they?  Lol.

What do you do when you're not running?
When I'm not running, I keep myself occupied with work and outdoor stuff.  Backpacking in the back-country with my family is my all-time favorite recreational activity.  Life is meant to be lived to the fullest with as many rich experiences as possible, in my opinion.  Work is just a means to an end.  Thankfully, my employer, Sebasticook Valley Federal Credit Union, gives me plenty of opportunity to do the things I enjoy the most.