Jackie Van Allen

It is early morning, and a group of men in brightly colored jerseys gather on their trusted bicycles ready to ride their way around the Hangman Valley loop. They begin at 30th and Pittsburg, winding their way south to 42nd, east to Crestline, south to 63rd and then 65th, south on Regal to the Palouse Highway, west on Baltimore Road to Hangman Valley Road, up Hatch Road and finish on High Drive at 29th. Today, many riders are wearing their Morning Ride jerseys, bright yellow and blue with a map of their Hangman course. The ride is about 23 miles. And the competition never ends for these cyclists who meet every weekday morning to ride. I am riding on a tandem bike where trust in the captain, the front person, is essential. My captain is John Bozo.

She will probably lose seven toenails. But for Spokane's Lisa Bliss, it was worth it.

Terry Abrams turns 47 today. Two years ago this Liberty Lake ultra-marathoner was in Mazama at the base of the North Cascades Highway ready to run 75 miles. It was 5 p.m. and 93 degrees. Abrams and her husband Brian, also 47, are cross country skiers who frequently ski in the Methow Valley. One day she said to Brian "I want to run this. I think I can do it."

Try, try again worked for Kent Breckenridge at this year's Ironman USA Coeur d'Alene. Breckenridge, 47, has started four Ironmans. He has finished three.

Mary Beth Murphy knows many parts of Saturday's 24-hour mountain bike race course. Particularly the technical section she rode July 1, 2000, when she broke her pelvis.