[May 03, 2009] Burning rubber Tweet May 03, 2009 (The Leader-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Madeline Duffy's favorite treadmill is No. 21 in the Nautilus room of the Eau Claire YMCA. "It's the closest to the window," she said. Duffy knows the machine intimately. She used it -- along with several other Y treadmills -- to train for the Boston Marathon. The UW-Eau Claire senior finished the prestigious race April 20, placing in the top 5 percent for women. She prepared largely by running in place. In the months leading up to the marathon, Duffy logged more than 100 miles weekly on YMCA treadmills. She exercised six days a week. "People were looking at me like I was crazy," she said. Because of the gym's time limit, Duffy couldn't finish her runs on the same treadmill. She switched machines every 40 minutes, scribbling her initials across the cardio sign-up sheet. "I'd just go down the list," she said. "I would just hop on the next treadmill and the next." The accidental runner Duffy participated in track and cross country at DePere High School. She also belonged to the state champion girls basketball team. She never planned to become a marathoner. In fact, Boston was her second 26.2-mile race. She entered her first marathon, the Fox Cities, in September to raise money for the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, where she is an intern. "My goal was just to finish," said Duffy, who collected $1,100 for the clinic. "I knew I wanted to give back to the Eau Claire community." With a time of 3 hours and 37 minutes, she unintentionally qualified for the Boston Marathon. Few marathoners ever meet Boston's stingy time requirements. Seizing the rare opportunity, Duffy registered for Boston and began training. "I started running outside in December, and I had a fall," she said. "It wasn't bad -- just enough to scare me." She tried running outside again in February, but conditions were icy. She resolved to train indoors, getting the most out of her family's YMCA membership. "I think it's an amazing feat," said Ken Van Es, executive director of the Eau Claire YMCA. "I've trained for marathons, and I can't image running that amount on a treadmill." Boredom proved Duffy's greatest enemy. She loaded her mp3 player with fast songs, a different mix every month. Classic rock motivated her the most. Duffy challenged herself mile to mile. She watched the treadmill's monitor to maintain a 8-minute pace. She ran at an incline to simulate hills. "There's a lot more mental blocks on a treadmill," she said. "I'd imagine myself in different places. I'd imagine myself at the race." Duffy jogged outdoors for two weeks before the Boston Marathon. She felt sluggish, wondering if the treadmill was a waste of time. Friends, however, recognized Duffy's determination. "She's always been a very ambitious person," said Duffy's roommate Nora Beckstrand, a UW-Eau Claire senior. "Anything she wants to do, if she sets her mind to it, she does it. She's definitely an inspirational roommate." Race day Duffy flew to Boston with her sister, boyfriend and two roommates. She wasn't sure what to expect her first time in Bean Town. Race organizers showed a video of the course. "I was equal parts excited and equal parts terrified," she said. She gained confidence from fellow racers. Many were fulfilling lifelong goals by running in the 113th annual footrace. "I knew that I had to give it my all," Duffy said. "I thought to myself, Leave it all out there or you will do a disservice to everybody else's dreams." She caught the bus at 6:30 a.m. to be dropped off at the starting line 26.2 miles away. To savor the moment, she didn't wear a watch or GPS. Nevertheless, her split times were faster than expected. She wondered if her stamina would last. She battled a 17 mph headwind. She lost a toenail at Mile 21. After scaling Heartbreak Hill, she finished in 3:21:23. She placed in the top 5,000 overall and was the 542nd woman to cross the finish line. "I was so proud of her," said Beckstrand, who cheered her friend along the course. "I was definitely in shock. This is only her second marathon." Duffy isn't running in today's Eau Claire Marathon. However, she wants to race in the Boston Marathon in 2011. Duffy, a public communication and psychology major, will graduate May 16. She plans to take a year off before attending graduate school in Madison or Chicago. "I'm sure I'll find some treadmill there," she said. Espe, the Leader-Telegram entertainment editor, can be reached at 833-9206, 800-236-7077 or [email protected]. To see more of The Leader-Telegram or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.leadertelegram.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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