| |
|
MEDIA Go The Distance The Providence Journal 2/2005 | 
|
||
|
Martin will enter the Guinness Book of World Records by breaking the mark for miles run on a treadmill in 24 hours. To be perfectly honest, Martin Tighe isn't a big fan of treadmills. Englishman Martin Tighe trains in a Nordic Track store at the Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro for his April 29 run at the world 24-hour treadmill record. He'd much prefer to be ascending the Appalachian Mountains or traversing the lowlands of the Dudkosi River in Nepal to staring at a blank wall while essentially going nowhere fast. But as an ultrarunner living in New England, Tighe has come to learn that a treadmill can be a valuable training tool. Because snow, ice and cold weather can make outdoor running both unsafe and unpleasant for three or four months out of the year, the Englishman, who now makes his home with his wife and two daughters in Providence, has come to rely heavily on exercise equipment to keep his mileage on track. And now, the treadmill has become the focal point of his next "adventure." The 46-year-old has set a new goal: To enter the Guinness Book of World Records by breaking the mark for miles run on a treadmill in 24 hours. New Yorker Christopher Bergland holds the record of 153.76 miles, which he set April 29-30 of last year, running on a treadmill in the storefront window of a pharmacy in Greenwich Village. Because the record must be attempted in a place where the general public can witness it, Tighe will run in the lobby of Principal Jackie Proulx's office at Attleboro High School, where Tighe is an adjustment counselor with the school's Network Program. He will step onto a treadmill, which has been provided by NordicTrack, at 12 p.m. noon on April 29, and he will have until 12 p.m. noon on April 30 to run as many miles as he can. He can get on and off the treadmill at any point, but the time will continue to run. "I was brainstorming for ideas about future benefits for the alternative school, and I had this in my mind," he said. "I sort of said, 'No, don't take it there.' But then I thought, 'Maybe I could do that.' " This isn't the first ambitious project Tighe has undertaken. Two years ago, he not only ran, but won the first North Pole Marathon, a feat made all the more amazing by the fact that he runs with 15 pins and two plates in his feet after breaking both ankles in a climbing accident several years ago. Tighe, who works with teenagers who have had difficulty operating in a traditional classroom and are at risk of dropping out of school, turned that run into a class project with Network Coordinator Dr. Kathy Vespia and her teachers integrating some of the major issues confronting the Arctic region into the curriculum. "The response from the students was great," said Tighe, whose goal is to show the kids that "you may have had a hard time or a tough history, but we can overcome this. "They totally could make the connection about setting goals for yourself, and from it, a lot of our kids ended up getting jobs over the summer." In some ways, Tighe's relationship to the treadmill is similar to the way some of his students view school in that they sometimes feel that they are just spinning their wheels. So he is preparing for his latest quest under the theme, "Go the Distance," hoping to create community awareness about the importance of completing high school. "There's been a huge increase in the drop-out rate," said Tighe, citing the Children's Defense Fund, which says that one U.S. high school student drops out every nine seconds. "But basically, by dropping out of school, the lifestyle that these young adults have is so much less than they could have if they hung in there and graduated. Sometimes high school may feel like not going anywhere fast; it's a matter of jumping through hoops sometimes. However, the benefits of doing that are huge." The Network teachers are once again integrating Tighe's run into the class work. The Network Parent Teachers' Organization has been actively involved in the planning of the event, as have the students, who will be helping to authenticate Tighe's record, which must be performed under strict requirements. It must be documented with two cameras, the treadmill must be calibrated and then certified by two sports referees to ensure it records accurately and a running log of every kilometer and every mile must be kept. Those tabulations must then be sent to London, where the Guinness Book of World Records has its headquarters. While Tighe is pounding out the miles, a number of other events will be going on in the Principals' Lobby. There will be team challenges in which groups of five runners will compete on other treadmills provided by NordicTrack to see who can run the farthest in one hour. The Attleboro police and fire department and the city council are expected to participate. Various educational booths will be set up, and during the 24 hours, there is going to be a pasta dinner, a poetry slam and entertainment provided by Attleboro teacher Tim Richmond and his band -- all things that Tighe says will help keep him motivated -- and awake. Massage therapist Bob Buteau also will be on hand, donating his time should Tighe's muscles start to tighten up. As incredibly challenging as the North Pole Marathon was for him, Tighe predicts that the 24-hour treadmill run will be even more difficult. "The North Pole was quite dangerous because of the terrain and the cold -- oh yeah, and the polar bears," he said. "But I think this will be more psychologically challenging." Nevertheless, Tighe is confident he can break the record. "My target is 160 miles," he said. Running "155 would be awesome, but I would like to make it a little more difficult for the next person to do it." The Network Program students are in the process of collecting pledges for
each mile Tighe completes. Anyone interested in providing sponsorship or in
participating in the related team challenge events can contact either Tighe
or Vespia by phone at (508) 223-1549
|
|