Milliman finishes marathon trifecta

by MICHAEL DASHIELL

Sequim Gazette

The crazy thing is, Chuck Milliman said, stepping down from the treadmill, is that this doesn't hurt.

"I didn't hit a wall at all," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Hit the jackpot, more like it.

Milliman made good on a promise he made earlier this year, completing three marathons in three days - 78.6 miles in all - with the final leg coming Monday.

The running gauntlet was partly to celebrate Milliman's 78th birthday and partly to raise funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula.

Milliman said donations have totaled about $1,400 for the club, which he has asked to be used to buy shoes, gloves, hats and coats for club youths at both Sequim and Port Angeles units.

He capped the final few miles at Anytime Fitness to cheers and encouragement from friends.

The icing on the cake? For Chuck it was cake, with plenty of icing.

Milliman completed his first marathon on Saturday in six hours and 33 minutes, then finished a second faster on Sunday. By Monday, he had slowed to a six-hour, 53-minute finish.

"I'm amazed; I thought I'd be walking half of it," Milliman said. "I walked the first two minutes but thought, 'This is too slow.' (But) your body knows what to do."

Milliman trained well - running about 200 miles since the end of August - to prepare for the three marathons.

On Monday afternoon, well-wishers packed Anytime Fitness to offer their cheers and thank him for the inspiration.

"I didn't expect that," Milliman said.

Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.