"Biking Marathon Man" The Republic. November 21, 1999; pg. D1-2.

12-hour rides no problem for local
endurance cyclist 
By Dan Courtney 
The Republic 
The burning throat. The cramping legs. The back strain. 
The stiff neck. The burning legs. 
  Despite the pains, Steve Marshall was "thrilled" when 
he completed his first 12-hour bike challenge in Springfield, 
Ohio, last May. 
  'The first six to seven hours, I was OK," Marshall said. 
'The last five or six were pretty rough." 
  In those 12-straight hours, the 30-year-old completed 242 
miles and finished second in his age group and third overall 
out of 90 riders. Included in the course was a 50-mile loop 
and a 7-mile loop. 
  "You tried to complete as many 50-mile loops as you could 
before you switched to the seven-mile loops. If you were in 
the middle of a 50-mile loop or 7-mile and didn't complete 
it, those miles didn't count," the 1992 Ball State University 
graduate said. 
  It took him four to five days to fully recover. 
  Marshall recently completed another 12-hour race, the Crane 
Strain at the Crane Naval Base in southern Indiana. On his 
LeMond bike, he completed 222.6 miles and finished first in his                
age group.                                                                                                            
  "The up-and-down course was much tougher, but I was in better                              
shape," the 1988 Whiteland High School graduate said.  "It was                                
a huge sense of accomplishment."                    

Steve Marshall poses astride his racing ride.
Photo by Joe Harpring

  Marshall said his training regimen for the 12-hour races                                          
included between 1 1/2 to two hours daily during the week for                                    
speed work. Then he pedaled between 80 to 100 miles on Saturdays                       
and 40 to 50 miles on Sundays.                                                                                        
  "On the weekends I rode at a slower pace, but built the 
endurance," Marshall said. 

The non-athlete 
  Marshall admitted that when he was younger, he was that kid 
always picked last for teams. He finally found the right energy 
outlet with cycling. 
  "I always liked bikes," Marshall said. "My first bike was a 
Huffy 12-speed." 
  At age 16, Marshall competed in the Fort Wayne Criterium. 
He was eighth out of 25 riders on his Nishiki bike.
 He eventually hooked up with the Speedway Wheelmen, a group of 
riders based in Indianapolis. However, he learned he'd fit better 
in the endurance races than the sprints. 
  That's when Bloomington's Dave Tanner entered the picture. 
Tanner is an ultra-marathon cyclist, including competing in the 
Race Across America.  He covered 2,911 miles in 10 days. 
  "Steve and I rode in the Honeysuckle 100 in Columbus and then 
he accompanied me part of the way back to Bloomington," Tanner 
said. "He is a really strong rider. He does well on hills.' 


Steve Marshall cruises a county road in western 
Bartholomew County during an off season ride. 
Most spring and summer weekends find the
ultra-marathon cyclist competing in 12-hour 
races, covering at least 200 miles each.
Photo by Joe Harpring
                                                   
The Marshall plan                                                   
  If the pain of riding 12 straight hours isn't enough, Marshall's                                     
plan for 2000 is 24 hours without dismounting.                                                              
  "Actually, there's one in Michigan and another in Iowa. That                                       
Means more (training) miles on the weekends,' Marshall said.                                         
  "In a 24-hour race you can't have make it without serious eating,"                                        
Tanner pointed out. "About 12,000 calories are needed. Anything from                            
Ensure to Boost."                                                                                                               
  Marshall also wants to break the record of 240 miles covered at the 
Crane Strain and set the record for the 300-mile north to south 
crossing of Indiana. 
  "Steve's enthusiasm for racing is contagious," Tanner said.