Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Running

Veteran marathoner shows no signs of slowing down

By LARRY BUGG
Published April 1, 2005

The average 55-year-old male or female may want to make a few preparations for running a marathon.

They may want to make sure their will is complete and check on life insurance. Oh, and the potential marathoner may want to run a lot to train for the 26-plus mile race.

For Ernie Chatman, though, a marathon practically is another day at the office.

For instance, the Brooksville resident ran the Springfield, Mo., marathon Dec. 4 in 3 hours, 15 minutes, 40 seconds. It was his 47th race and the 42nd state in which he's competed.

Chatman will be at a marathon in Yakima, Wash., on Saturday, and Lecanto High School girls coach Dan Epstein will run with him.

If anyone has earned the title, Chatman should qualify as the marathon man.

Most marathoners may run two such races per year. Chatman plans to compete in eight this season.

In a way, running practically is his business. He teaches physical education and coaches the boys cross-country and track and field teams at Hernando High.

Considering Chatman has so many marathons under his belt, it's hard to imagine one of his athletes ever questioning his authority.

Chatman started competing in marathons 10 years ago at age 45. The first was at Disney Wide World of Sports in 1995 when he compiled 3:29.59.

The most difficult course was in Laramie, Wyo.

"We started at 8,100 feet elevation," Chatman said. "Then we ran down 1,000 feet. We climbed over 1,000 feet on they way back. That was the hardest."

He doesn't like sweating out a run.

"The ones that left me feeling worse for wear were those with heat and high humidity," Chatman said.

"At Virginia Beach, Sue Murphy, Karen Lukas and I all ran. It was 90 degrees, and it was miserable," he said. "That was the worst I have ever felt. I went to the medical tent to lay down. It was full of people."

Chatman loves the classic run.

"I think Boston is the most entertaining," he said. "There is so much enthusiasm. The roads are lined. I thought that was pretty nice. I ran that with Chuck Boldt (Red Mule Runners Club president)."

The marathon man is not slowing up.

"Last year I did nine, and that was the most I have done in one year," Chatman said.

So what makes Chatman run?

"I guess I enjoy running them," he said. "I have been truly lucky in that I have never been seriously injured. I have had a strained Achilles. I was able to recover and keep on ticking."

Not surprisingly, marathons run in the Chatman family.

"We have fun with it," he said.

"Bret (his 18-year-old son and a Hernando High runner) and Erin (Chatman's oldest daughter and the Hernando girls cross-country coach) have run with me. Erin and Addison Sullivan (her husband) ran marathons in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Dallas. Bret ran a couple of half marathons."

Chatman recalls a special run. Leopards cross-country member Zak Lukas passed on tragically after a boating accident.

"Bret and I and about 50 local people ran in the (Tampa) Hops Marathon in 2003 in memory of Zak," Chatman said.

He has run when the thermometer read 26 degrees - and liked it.

"We think of 40 degrees as cold," Chatman said. "It's not that cold. I like running in the 40s to low 50s. When it starts to get up into the 60s, it's a little warm."

Some athletes finish their first marathon and are just grateful they're breathing. Chatman has had that feeling but not often.

"The first time I ran it, I thought I was going to do a little better than I did," he said. "I ran very poorly. I finished, and I was hurting."

Chatman has standards he wants to meet.

"I am usually pretty happy if I run in the 3:20 range. That's a pretty good marathon."

He has been a Hernando High teacher for 33 years. He has taught P.E. at Hernando middle and high schools. He also has coached softball, boys basketball and baseball.

Chatman runs every day, 35-50 miles per week. He said many of his fellow runners are CEOs, have masters degrees and are successful. He delights in sharing his love of the sport with others.

"I think a lot of us are ambassadors for distance running," Chatman said. "We all feel like we want to encourage others to be involved."

- Larry Bugg can be reached at larrybugg@msn.com

[Last modified April 1, 2005, 00:36:19]