Rick Niersbach describes his situation as humbling. The 55-year-old Richmond man is about to fulfill a dream: He's a few days from running in his first Boston Marathon. But, his most important work has been done behind the scenes. It's not the long, grueling days of physical training. It's not the mental preparation needed to compete in the 26.2-mile event. It's the money he's raised along the way, more than $5,000 to benefit Achieva Resources, Inc., out of Richmond. "It's very humbling to know you're doing this not only for yourself, but to support such a great cause," Niersbach said. "It really does motivate you." Traditionally, Boston Marathoners earn a slot by running a qualifying time. Or, there are a certain number open for charity teams. Niersbach coordinated with the Disability Law Center in Boston to run for Achieva, which provides programs to support children and adults with disabilities. The groundwork for the fundraiser was laid in December. "I was talking to Dan Stewart at Achieva one day and I mentioned to him it was a possibility," Niersbach said. "He got excited. That got me excited and I was going to do it." Monday's marathon will be his second. He ran in October's Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. That whetted the appetite of the former runner. "It was fantastic," he said. "Big events like that are a lot of fun. It's highly motivating to be a part of that type of event." It's also a lot of work. Niersbach's training routine consists of building a base of miles by running so many times a week. His peak? A little over 50 miles about two weeks ago. Since then, he's tapered back to about 22 miles this week. "You work on fitness. You work on endurance. You work on building speed," he said. "Then you show up the day of the race and hope everything comes your way. "Until you're there, you just don't know." Niersbach won't be in Boston alone. He's one of a base of area competitors in the legendary event. They include Todd Barker, Maggie Cox, John Dils, Mike Elleman, Cecil Franke, Kory George, Chuck Harrison, Monique Smith and Terry Yandl. Niersbach is traveling with a group of six to Boston. "We all support each other," he said. "It's really been a great experience being a part of this group. "I'm not nearly as fast as these guys. I just work as hard as they do." Franke, Niersbach said, is the one to watch. Franke finished 16th at last year's marathon and competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Dublin man also won Columbus and Cincinnati marathons. Franke said a competitive nature has fostered a strong base of area runners. "They keep raising the bar for themselves," he said. "This is not one guy going from Wayne County. This is a group. It's quite a group. Everybody is very competitive and always looking to get better." That includes Niersbach. "Running a marathon is one of those things that is easy to talk about but hard to do," he said. "It's very satisfying when you achieve and pull it off." |