Paper: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Title: COASTLINE CRUISERS TRUST EXPERIENCE WILL BRING VICTORY IN HOOD TO COAST RACE
Date: August 20, 1989




The Coastline Cruisers, in hot pursuit of the title they lost a year ago, are counting on experience to play a key role this week in The Oregonian 1989 Hood to Coast Relay.


The first runners in the eighth annual event are scheduled to leave Timberline Lodge at 2 p.m. Friday and reach the finish 187.2 miles away in Seaside sometime Saturday afternoon or evening.The Cruisers have won the women's open division five of the last six years, but the Skeattlin' Seattleans broke the Cruisers' streak last year in had their streak broken last year when they finished second to the Skeattlin' Seattleans in the nation's largest road running relay.


The Seattleans covered the last year's 168.55-mile course in 18 hours, 40 minutes, 46 seconds, while the Cruisers crossed the finish line at Pacific City more than 45 minutes behind the winners.


``We really want to go out to win, and experience is going to be a factor,'' said Mary Peterson of Beaverton. ``This race is something you have to work at a few years before you get down what needs to be done. We know what our bodies will have to go through and that experience could make a difference.''


Peterson and three others from the original 1983 Cruisers -- Sandy Nevis of Beaverton, Mary Smith of Portland and Jan Ward of Boulder, Colo. -- will help make up this year's 12-member team that is expected to leave Timberline Lodge at approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday.


Others members on this year's team are Laura Clarke of Portland, Katie Garvie of Vancouver, Wash., Connie Macomber of Aloha, Kristain Morley of Boulder, Colo., Megan Reynolds of Beaverton, Gigi Sixour of Ridgefield, Wash., Wendy Vetterlein of Portland and Shauna Whitmer of Tigard.


``Every year, at least half of our team has been made up of returning members,'' said Smith, the team captain. ``I think we're going to do really well and our goal is to be real positive.''


Preparing for the Hood to Coast race takes more than simply finding runners. Someone must know what kinds and how much food to take, for instance, in addition to handling several small details. The Cruisers' experience should help them cover all the bases.


The team has two vans loaned by Damerow Beaverton Ford, two experienced drivers in Bart Peterson and Mark Weidkamp, a massage therapist, Nick Banks, and a timer, Carolyn Younger.


``My husband laughs at how much time we've put into this thing,'' Smith said. ``We're very serious and we want to make sure everything runs smoothly.''


>From a running standpoint, Smith said one key is to run a strong, steady pace. Each runner will run three five-mile legs, approximately six hours apart, and the goal is to go as hard as possible without burning out too early.


Another aspect of running that the Cruisers deem critical is supporting all of their competitors in the race.


``We've learned each year how to make the team more supportive of each other,'' Smith said. ``We stop every couple miles and cheer on our team members who are running. We don't just leave them out there to run their five miles.''


Macomber, Morely and Sixour will each be competing in their first Hood to Coast, but each has a strong running background.


``I've run some 10K races and done some triathlons, but never anything like this,'' Macomber said. ``It's pretty grueling from what I've heard.


``I'm excited about it and thrilled to be on this team. I'm really competitive myself and this team's serious about winning the race, yet, whatever happens, it will be fun.''