"Ultra pedal pumping" The Republic. June 9, 2002; pg. D1 & 3.

Bicyclists tackle endurance contests
By Kirk Johannesen
The Republic 
Sitting on a bicycle and riding for 12 consecutive hours and more than 200 miles - 
through heat, cold, wind and rain - might seem like torture. 

  To Columbus resident Steve Marshall it's a slice of heaven. 
  Marshall competes in ultramarathon cycling events - 
endurance cycling events that typically last 12 or 24 hours and 
cover hundreds of miles. 
  "For me it's the sense of accomplishment. Also, I'm a bit of a 
loner and I like the hours and hours to reflect and enjoy nature," 
said Marshall, 32. 
  Bloomington's Dave Tanner - who swam for Doc Counsilman 
at Indiana University - said ultra-marathon cycling fills a void in 
his life. 
  "As a younger athlete I was unfulfilled," said Tanner, 52. 
  But he's experienced extreme satisfaction in ultramarathon 
cycling, even completing the Race Across AMerica (RAAM) in 
1982. 
  "It's a common-man sport. In most sports you have to be 
talented to be successful. In ultramarathon cycling it's more 
persistence," Tanner said. 
  These days ultramarathon cyclists in the Midwest have to be 
persistent to get their fill of competition. Fewer races within a 
day's drive are available to them, as insurance concerns have 
caused events to be canceled and the hotbed of activity has 
shifted to central and southern California. 
  "It's very difficult to find races to compete in regularly 
unless you want to drive long distances or fly," Marshall said. 
               

Steve Marshall participates in ultra-
marathon cycling competitions which
often consist of races spanning 
200 or more miles.
Republic photo by Mike Dickbernd

 Growth and variety 
  Tanner, Bloomington North High School's boys swim coach, said that when pedal bicycles were invented 
in the mid-to-late 1800s it was fashionable for people to travel long distances on them. 
  The Paris-Brest-Paris race the oldest traditional cycling event - started in 1891 and covers 750 miles 
that must be completed within 90 hours.
  Tanner said long-distance bicycling experienced a resurgence in the early 1980s.  RAAM began in 1982 - 
then called the Great American Bike Race - when UltraMarathon Cycling Association founders John Marino, 
Michael Shermer and Lon Haldeman joined with Ironman triathlete John Howard to create a transcontinental event. 
  The event was renamed Race Across America in 1983. 
  This year it starts in Portland, Ore., on June 16 for solo riders (June 13 for teams) and ends June 24-28 at 
Gulf Breeze; Fla., covering 2,980 miles. 
  The UMCA race calendar includes a variety of events: 
·	12- and 24-hour races that are to similar to time trials, in which cyclists ride as many miles as possible 
           in the designated time period.
·	double century and quad races, in which cyclists ride 200- and 400- mile courses.  
·	RAAM qualifiers, in which cyclists cover distances of more than 500 miles.

Finding their niche                    
  Marshall, who grew up in Whiteland, had little success in traditional sports before starting cycling seriously at age 17.           
  He began with shorter sprint races but has had his greatest success since switching to ultramarathon cycling four
years ago.       
  He won the Mad Dog 200 at Louisville, Ky., May 24 in 11 hours, 10 minutes (averaging 18.12 mph). He won 
his age group in the Calvin's 12-hour Challenge at Springfield, Ohio, May 4 by covering 256 miles.         
  "I feel good at 12- and 24-hour events. My body is better for endurance instead of sprints," Marshall said. 
  His weekly training involves 15 to 20 hours of riding that covers 250 to 300 miles. 
  Marshall's character is perfect for the sport, too. 
  "The common thread I see (with other ultramarathon cyclists) is an inner calmness," Marshall said. "They tend 
to be laid back and patient people, maybe because they have to pace themselves and adjust to conditions over long
periods of time."
  Many ultramarathon cyclists start the sport in their 30s and reach their peak in their 40s. 
  "The mentality it tends to attract is riders in their late 30s, 40s and 50s, and they have a better sense of discipline 
and control," said John Hughes, executive director of UMCA. "Young riders don't have that same sense of persistence."
  Tanner had little biking experience before he did some touring in the summer of 1979. 
  "It was very thrilling to go from one place to another on my own power," Tanner said. 
  His first event was a ride across Missouri - 540 miles in 39 hours - in 1981. 
  But when he saw RAAM on TV he initially thought that was too difficult a challenge. 
  But competing in Ironman triathlons from 1984-86 fueled his desire to try. In 1989 he competed in RAAM and 
finished 14th. 
  Tanner suffered nerve damage in his hands and needed six weeks to recover from the physical, mental and 
emotional strain. 
  "Those, were the most satisfying 10 days of my life," Tanner said. 
  "I realized we are limited by our own perceptions. I think we set our limits too low. With the proper persistence 
we can achieve," he added. 
  Since then he's done Paris- Brest-Paris, tried to climb Mount McKinley twice, completed the Western States 
Endurance Run (100 miles in one day), did the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (28.5 miles) and competed in 
another Ironman.
 Tanner is the only person alive who has done the Ironman Triathlon, RAAM, Western States 100 and Manhattan 
Island Marathon Swim. 
  Tanner competed in Calvin's Challenge with Marshall this year and covered 213 miles in 12 hours. 


Where to race?
  Calvin's Challenge was easy for Marshall and Tanner to compete in 
because it was a day's drive. 
  However, fewer events within a day's drive are available for ultra-
marathon cyclists in the Midwest. 
  Of the 26 events on this year's UMCA calendar, six, are in the Midwest 
(two in Iowa and one in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Illinois).
  Tanner said he's seen a steady decline in the number of Midwestern 
events, although the ones that are held are well attended. 
  He said 24-hour races, in particular, have disappeared because of 
safety and insurance concerns. Two riders were killed during a 24- hour 
race in New York when automobiles struck them. 
  The Crane Strain at Crane Naval Base in southern Indiana changed 
from a 24- to 12-hour event and then ceased altogether. 
  "It is frustrating," Marshall said. "At the beginning of the season I look 
at the calendar and pick and choose two or three events I want to compete 
in and do well, and the others I can't do." 
  Tanner said California has become the hotbed of ultramarathon cycling
 because of the good cycling weather and large population base. Five 
events on the UMCA calendar are in California. 
  Marshall estimates he'll spend $1,000 this year for entry fees, hotels, 
meals and other expenses for the handful of races he'll compete in. 
  If he had to fly to races he said his expenses would double. 
  Except for RAAM, ultramarathon events do not award monetary prizes. 
  Marshall is hopeful, though, that more ultramarathon races will arise in the Midwest, giving him more opportunities to
fuel his passion. The Mad Dog 200 event in Louisville was held for the second consecutive year. 
  Tanner holds hope for Marshall and the sport, too, because he knows what it means to its enthusiasts. 
  "Ultramarathoners are happy, fun-loving people who enjoy what they're doing and want to do it all day and all night," 
Tanner said. "It's a pure love of your sport."