A Service of The Arrow           Friday February 4, 2000 11:34 AM

FHS teacher Richard Hildner falls short of the Boston Marathon, but finds solace in helping his wife train.

By: Jessie Ford

ARROW STAFF

Flathead High School teacher Richard Hildner had lots of reasons to run the Boston Marathon — 1,700 of them, in fact. That is how many miles Hildner ran last year training to complete a marathon fast enough qualify for Boston. Unfortunately, Hildner didn't achieve his goal, though his wife, Suzanne, did.

“But then there's always 2001!” Hildner laughs.

Hildner has a long history of running. He completed his first 26.2-mile marathon, the Portland Marathon, in 1978, and in the following four years he ran four more. Although he didn't stop running, it wasn't until the spring of 1998 that he began training specifically for marathons again.

“I wanted to see if I still had the discipline,” Hildner said.

He began to incorporate strength training and plyometrics into his pre-race conditioning, but that was “just to get the time down. I compete against myself.”

For Hildner, running is personal, an undertaking that has allowed him to be fit and be surrounded with people of the same ideal.

“It's really exciting to run a marathon, because you're with people who've made a commitment to be physically fit and to accomplish a goal,” says Hildner. “I'm inspired by the variety of people, especially those who go the distance in their wheelchairs.”

Hildner's favorite training partner is his wife, who also has a long connection with running and marathons. When Suzanne was growing up, her father followed the Boston Marathon very closely, making it a family issue.

“I grew up steeped in Boston Marathon lore. My sister, my dad, all my various uncles, have always run Boston. It was kind of a tradition,” Suzanne said of the importance of the race to her family. “The Boston Marathon is the Kentucky Derby of distance running. I didn't ever think I'd run it because I was always too slow.”

Hildner had twice in the last year attempted to qualify for the marathon in Boston, but was unsuccessful due to sickness.

It was during this time that Hildner and his wife discovered, almost by accident, that she had qualified. A time she had run in 1998 carried over when she aged up into the next bracket, rendering her eligible. “Wow, I've got a Boston qualifying time!” she recalls thinking. “I never thought this would happen!”

Though Hildner will not be competing, he now has the pleasure of helping his wife train. The two run together on weekends, and talk for two and a half hours “non-stop. We'll just have a wonderful time doing it.”

His wife adds: “As a couple, it's a fabulous way to spend time together.”

Having run together since early in their relationship, the companionship provided on these outings is an indespensible key to their relationship. It provides quality discussion time, in which they discuss anything from current events to ethical dilemmas to problems that need solving at home or at work, to telling stories about the times from before their marriage.

“I think regular physical exercise, not only running, is a healthy, positive addiction that sets a good example for adults and young people,” Hildner said. “Running convinces me that I can do just about anything I set my mind to.”

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