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Show PL Grove woman qualifies for Olympic trials By MARCELLA WALKER As soon as Debbie Hanson saw her time of completion in the St. George Marathon last weekend she knew she had qualified for the Olympic trials. The time to beat was 2 hours and 50 minutes. Debbie clocked in at 2:48:37. She was second in her age group and the fifth woman overall to finish the race. Debbie, a petite and attractive 33-year-old mother of two, began running five years ago. At that time she had reached a point in her life, she said, where she needed something to work toward.. She had just been told she could not have children and she had had a hysterectomy. She and her husband, Ron, have since adopted two children. She began running then and has kept it up, with this St. George Marathon being her best time thus far. This is the fourth time she has run the St. George Marathon. She also ran the Las Vegas Marathon last February. This is the first time she has done two marathons in one year. Debbie said she runs with Jeanie Groves, also of Pleasant Grove, who placed seventh in her age group in the St. George Marathon with a time of 3 : 14 : 09 . They run every day but on Saturdays they run for longer distances, going about 21 to 24 miles. Frequently they run to Wils Pit Stop on the canyon road in Provo and back. That is 21 miles. Debbie said they prefer this route because there is more places to get water to drink on the way. About two months before a marathon they start to build up to about 70 to 90 miles per week. The rest of the time they run about 60 miles per week. During the St. George marathon, Debbie said she took water as often as she could. She said the race of ficials begin to have first aid stations and water at about the three mile mark in the race. "I ran the second half of this race , stronger this year than I did before," Debbie noted. She added that the first time she ran this marathon she was undertrained and it was extremely difficult. Other than a "stitch" in her side which she felt probably slowed her down some, Debbie felt good throughout the race and her legs held up well. It was hard to walk down stairs the next day, though, she explained. In the days before a race she eats food high in carbohydrates, such as doughnuts, potatoes and pastas. She especially likes spaghetti. The morning of the race she eats lightly, a doughnut or piece of raisin bread and juice. ; "I admire the people who were on the course for four to five hours and finished," Debbie stated. There were about 1,600 to 1,700 participants in the race and for about 700 of them it was their first marathon. The Olympic trials will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa. in April. She is looking forward to that. Debbie, who was somewhat athletic while she was young, said she would like to participate in the Boston or New York marathons some time. She said she was pleased at the number of runners from the Pleasant Grove area who competed in the St. George Marathon. In addition to herself and Jeanie Groves, Debbie said that other participants were Kevin D. Dickerson, 3:59:48; Richard and Sherri Glazier, newlyweds, who finished together at 4:19:07; a father and son, Calvin and Floyd Ostler, finished at 3:04:20" and 3:48:13,-respectively; 3:48:13,-respectively; Tom Kitchen, 4:34:21; Darwin Cottle, 4:24:57; and Joan Penrod, 4:45:45. |