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Runners on the Way Up
Maria Spinnler: Competing at the Top and Staying Focused
By George BankerSeptember/October 2003
For the Washington Running Report
Maria Spinnler, right, stands with Lee DiPietro at the 2002 Georgetown 10K. Photo by Bob Mallet.
"I say, 'when you have opportunities, take them.' Dedicate yourself to being the best runner you can be. As you get older it still can be very important but your life will probably get more complicated and you don't want to have any regrets. I feel pretty good about the effort I put into my running career earlier in my life. I have a lot of wonderful memories because of some of my accomplishments and have made many great friendships because of the places I have been able to go to as a runner."
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)
Ranked #5 in the outdoor 5000m (37:23.0)
Member of 4 Ohio Valley Conference XC Championships
Member of the EKU school record 4 x 1600m relay team (20:07.2)
Ohio Valley Conference Women's Outdoor T&F Championships:
1500m (4:45.7) 1982; 3000m (10:26.8) 1982; 3000m (10:20.9) 1983
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).
3rd Master (37:22) 20th Sallie Mae 10K (5/03).
1st Master & 4th (18:32) 5th GW Parkway Classic 5K (4/03).
1st Master & 7th (18:58) Plaza America Family 5K (4/03).
4th Master (28:54) Shamrock Sportsfest (3/03).
2nd Master (38:36) Georgetown Classic 10K (10/02).
1st Master (1:07:06) BB&T Virginia 10 Miler (9/02).
1st Master (29:35) Tom Ausherman 5 Miler (8/02).
1st (4:48.9) Master Record - Main Street Mile - Westminster.
1st Master (18:46 - Record) Metro Run & Walk 5K for Women (5/02).
1st Master & 4th (37:14) Sallie Mae 10K (4/02).
1st Master & 2nd (18:19) George Washington Parkway Classic 5K (4/02).
1st Master (30:27-5th) Ava's Friends 5 Miler (4/02).
4th (29:41) Shamrock 8K (3/02).
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?