 |
|  Competing at the Top and Staying Focused ... Maria Spinnler By George Banker September/October 2003 For the Washington Running Report
Maria (Pazarentzos) Spinnler (41) lives in Hagerstown, MD, is
the mother of two boys, and is married to Mike Spinnler. She is
a Counselor/Academic Advisor for low-income teen parents and
single parents at Hagerstown Community College. She also serves
as a Night Intake Officer for the Department of Juvenile
Justice. The life of this female runner has many sides: athletics, her
career, and family. It could be simple to balance but when
desire and competition enter, so do complications. It takes
years to perfecct the skill to reach a level of performance
that is acceptable. The age of a runner is a validation of
lifelong training. At the age of 12, Spinnler joined a predominately
African-American track club, the Springfield Striders, where
she ran
hurdles and sprints during the summer. She played a variety of
sports in high school, and was the state champion at 800 meters
(2:15.4). She received a track scholarship to Eastern Kentucky
University. "I came from a small Catholic school and ran the fastest time
of the day even though I came out of the small class race. I'm
proud of that! I had a great coach," said Spinnler. While attending Eastern Kentucky University (1979-1983),
Spinnler set the following marks: Ranked #4 in the indoor mile (4:51.17) Turing the clock back, as an open athlete, her string of
performances reflects consistency and determination. Each race
was approached with a realistic goal of winning and being
competitive. Some highlights: 1st (56:01) Great Allegany Run 15K (10/99).
7th (1:38:30) 27th Charleston Distance 15 Miler (9/99).
1st (39:03) 20th Run Through History 10K (6/99) 4th win.
1st (18:36) 11th Iron Furnace Run 5K (6/99).
1st (36:57) Apple Blossom 10K (5/99).
3rd (27:58) Tom Ausherman Memorial 5 Miler (8/97).
2nd (17:00) Spirit of Gettysburg 5K (7/97).
3rd (28:40) Bon Ton / York Newspaper 5 Miler (7/97).
1st (18:11) 9th Iron Furnace Run 5K (6/97).
2nd (38:15) Apple Blossom 10K (5/97).
1st (17:18) Spirit of Gettysburg 5K (7/94).
1st (28:49) Washington RunHers Mother's Day 8K (5/94).
3rd (36:18) 12th Georgetown Classic 10K (10/91).
2nd (36:05) 11th Georgetown 10K (10/90).
Stadium Record George Mason University (1990) 10000m Run
(34:20.27).
Qualified for the 1988 Olympic Trials for 10000m (Penn Relays).
1st (4:32.9-CR) Main Street Mile Westminster (4/87). During the year there are highs and lows in any training
schedule. As Spinnler moved into the masters divisions, her
training regimen had to shift along with her expectations. Time
constraints are a major factor, and her family is now the
center of her attention. It's hard for her to work the type of
job she has and train, too. Her training consists, on average,
of 35 miles per week, which is all that she can handle
physically with the other aspects of her life, but she tries to
keep all things in perspective. "I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be. I continued to stay on
the track after college and have been able to run some personal
bests. I have accepted the fact that my body is older, my life
is not as simple, and I cannot realistically expect myself to
run the same times at 41 that I did in my late teens and
twenties," Spinnler stated. Spinnler has been making her mark in the masters division at a
number of events, which supports the concept of quality over
quantity in miles of training: 1st Master & 6th (39:01) 13th Lawyers Have Heart 10K (6/03). What does all of the training and racing add up to? Spinnler
says, "It adds stress to my life sometimes because I have a
busy schedule with my two young boys and I don't want to take
anything away from them. Sometimes I won't go out for a run
because I'd rather spend time taking them to some fun activity
in the community. It's my choice." When Spinnler steps up to the start line, "I have a goal of
winning the masters division and I have to look around since I
race often. I can't run back-to-back races all out. It doesn't
make sense for me to do that since I'm racing primarily for
monetary reasons at this stage in my career." Her goals are simple: to continue to stay healthy enough to
race and be competitive with the top women's masters runners in
the country. Spinnler enjoys running along the C&O Canal for her long runs
and, if motivation is needed, she likes to run on the track.
The track gives her a sense of accomplishment after she has
pushed herself. The mornings are the best times to run because
by evening it's easier to find an excuse not to run. A key part of her training is to a take a month off during the
year to rejuvenate, but she stays active through other sports.
The breaks are beneficial both mentally and physically. The
recovery time after a race varies, and can be up to a couple of
days depending upon the level of difficulty, but it's much
longer now than when she was in her twenties. If you see Spinnler playing tennis, she is relaxing! Tennis is
her second love. Is it your serve?
About This Site | About Running Network | Privacy Policy | (c) 2001 All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise With Us | Help | Site Map
|
|
