TI he CI ac I< amas P rìnt
O'Brien and Stones dash off to Boston Marathon
as a way of “staying active” and soon found himself
entering into 5 and 10K races. His first marathon was
in Seattle in 1995. “That was an interesting experi
ence “ he says, as his original intent was nothing more
How do you spend your Mondays? College faculty
than to finish the event, “just to say I had run a mara
members Dick Stones and Tim O’Brien spent a Monday
thon.”
in April with 11,498 others, running 26 miles in Boston.
Once the race was underway, however, he found the
The Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of running, sort
going a lot easier than he’d anticipated and finished in art f
of the Mt. Everest for marathoners worldwide. It’s the
*****
impressive time of 3 1/2 hours. O’Brien quickly realized
world’s oldest annual marathon, and qualifying to enter
that his time was only twenty minutes above that
the race can be more of a challenge than the 26.2-mile
Talk about karma; as Dick Stones was crossing the needed for Boston. So, with confidence flowing, “I gave
run itself. For men aged 18 to 34 this means proof that
they’ve run a certified marathon in under 3 hours, 10 finish line in Boston, Tim O’Brien was about to do the myself the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon
minutes during the preceding year. Women in the same same. O’Brien is completing his first year at the col during the following year,” he says.
His determi
age group must post times of three hours, 40 minutes in lege. He teaches
nation paid off.
order to qualify. For each increasing five years of age horticulture and is
O’Brien’s next
entrants are allowed the luxury of an additional five rumored to be the
marathon was a
youngest instruc
minutes of time.
year later, again in
Dick Stones has been a German and English instruc tor on campus.
Seattle. “It was a
Stones,
tor at the college for nine years. He began running Like
nerve-wracking
O’Brien spent a
twenty-five years ago while living in Salt Lake City.
last few miles,” he
“I’d always been active in sports but never really com Monday in April
recalls, as he was
his
mitted to anything,” he says. That is, until he was “en fulfilling
keeping a close eye
couraged by some people to enter a race”. The experi dream as well.
on the time he
The spectators
ence of that 10K event seemed to whet his appetite for
needed to cross the
competitive running and he hasn’t stopped since. Bos play a major role in
finish line during
ton was Stones’ 48th marathon and his third this year. O’Brien’s memo
the race. He quali
His first marathon, in Salt Lake City, was memorable ries of the mara
fied for Boston with
for the pain, but he professes that the more marathons thon. He says he
nine seconds to
he does, the easier they become.
was completely “in
spare. An injury
“The more I run, the faster I recover,” he says.
awe” as he was
kept him from run
Not content with a mere 26 miles of agony, Stones running the final
ning in the 1997
has also competed in five ultra marathons, ranging from one-half mile.
contest; fortunately
“You can see the
SOK to 50 miles. But the Boston Marathon was special.
JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print
the Boston officials
“The whole city and more turns out for this event,” finish line as you Horticulture Instructor Tim O'Brien (left) and German Instructor
effuses Stones, who was overwhelmed by the more than are running past Dick Stones display proudly their medals signifying completion of allowed him to
bleachers packed the Boston Marathon, the world's oldest annual event of its kind. postpone his entry
one million spectators lining the route.
until this year.
Stones was impressed with the management of the with people, cheer
O’Brien’s next running goal is to complete a mara
marathon and seemed especially intrigued by the mod ing you on,” he said. Like many others, O’Brien views
ern timing methods. Prior to the start of the race each a this marathon as “the race that separates the recreational thon in under three hours. With his track record this looks
computer chip was placed in each entrant’s shoe, which runners from the serious runners.” Like Stones, he re a fait accompli. In the meantime he can be found in
vealed that a big part of the mystique of Boston lies in the volved in more leisurely pursuits including big-wall rock
provided accurate times over the course.
climbing and canoeing.
Now that he’s surpassed this long-time goal, what does challenge of qualifying.
For Dick Stones and Tim O’Brien, Mondays will never
While Stones had 47 marathons under his belt before
the future hold for Stones’ running career? “Foreign coun
tries,” he said, hoping to use marathons as an excuse to tackling Heartbreak Hill in Boston, O’Brien had just be the same. The 103rd Boston Marathon will be held third
see more of the world. He also spoke of completing the two. He started running when he was an undergraduate Monday in April in 1999. What will you be doing?
LYNN ELSEY
Staff Writer
stultifying Death Valley-to-Mt. Whitney run, which takes
place in the sizzling heat of the California summer.
Why does he run? “The more I run, the better I feel
both mentally and physically,” he explains. He then adds
a confession: “Each race gets easier.” Which could be
words of encouragement to the potential marathoners
among us—or fear to those he’s competing against.
Diverse wildflowers enliven the Native Garden
usually above looks very similar in structure to that of the Oregon
3000 feet in el Iris, but the Del Norte Iris colors itself a livid orange
evation. But, be that immediately distinguishes it from the light purple
cause of our un Oregon Iris. Although you cannot braid steel-cable
seasonably warm strong rope out of this iris’ leaves, it does have some
weather and low unique qualities.
For instance, the Del Norte Iris derives its common name
elevation, we get
the opportunity to from a small county in northern California (Del Norte
see them bloom County), where it is native. This plant is another example
ing all in one of the interesting and divergent flora that occurs in the
southwest Oregon / northwest California corridor.
early flush.
Del Norte Iris grows naturally only within this isolated
In the center
of the rock garden area of the planet, and it also has the uncommon tendency
the Oregon Iris, to change its flower color from plant to plant. Some plants
Iris tenax, ap produce a light blue bloom, and some a tiger-orange dis
pears at first play, as we see here in the Native Garden. It is the tiger
glance to be boil orange that is the more commonly occurring, but the odd
ing out of the ball-blue ones do occur, and they confused and confounded
brick wall that early botanists for many years.
In the wooded area, between the Pauling Center and the
sits behind it. Or
egon Iris has a Barlow parking lot, there is a wonderful flush of White
palm-sized light Fawn Lilies, Erythronium oregonum. Take a walk back
purple flower there and look for the clusters of nodding white flowers
TIMOTHY BELL / Clackamas Print
with three petals, about eight to twelve inches off of the ground. These flow
Del Norte Iris flowers open their tiger-striped petals in greeting. They are but
and an assort ers are extremely delicate, both in appearance and in
one of many Iris varieties that make the Native Garden their home.
ment of petal-like impactibility, so please be careful to stay on the edge of
reproductive parts the patches and not walk through the center of the area in
inserted in its center. Its petals come decorated with a bloom. The name Fawn Lily comes from the plants’ oval
SLADE SAPORA
shaped leaves, which are mottled in color, like the mark
white patch lined with thin black stripes.
Contributing Writer
Oregon Iris leaves were recognized by Native Ameri ings of a young fawn.
Fawn Lilies have six white petals that bend and curve
cans as an extremely strong source of fiber, and small ropes
As spring swings into high gear, it becomes difficult to were braided from these leaves. It is reported that a rope backwards, ending in pointed tips. The flowers are soli
keep track of all its many minions, mainly the wildflowers. the size of your little finger would be strong enough to use tary and seem to be dozing off as they tend to nod over
As you stroll through the Native Garden you can’t help but in an Elk snare. This lends to its Latin name Iris tenax, and face the ground at the end of their slender stalks. All
notice the rock garden vibrantly blooming in a diverse as tenax meaning strong, or “tenacious.” The name “iris” is of this makes them an easily recognized and appreciated
derived from the Greek goddess who flashed her messages native wildflower; one that we are fortunate to have in
sortment of shapes and colors.
such proliferation.
Located directly below the windows of the chemistry across the skies in the form of rainbows.
I hope you take the time to stop and smell the Native
Another interesting Iris located in the rock garden, is the
lab, the rock garden hosts some of our most unique and
spectacular native plants. Many of these plants would be Del Norte Iris, Iris innominata. Look to the very north Garden this week. It is quickly waking up from its long
,
seen blooming later in the year in their natural habitats, end of the rock garden for its tiger-like bloom. Its flower winter sleep. Enjoy.
Wednesday, May 6, 1998