RUNNING | 111th BOSTON MARATHON

Each Patriots Day in Boston, more than 23,000 hearty souls run 26.2 miles in rain, suffocating heat, humidity and bitter cold with an 800-pound gorilla on their backs and lungs ready to explode.

Today's World Series of distance running, with more than 55,000 spectators lining the historic course, features 35 Region hopefuls whose only wish is to finish standing up and not in the back of an ambulance.

The key is finding the right motivation -- and courage.

In the case of Crown Point's Deb Schiesser, both come from her love of family. Two of her four children, two of her five grandchildren, and sister-in-law Sally Cook are with her in Boston as a show of support.

"I'm not going to win first place. I'm just going to have a really good time, enjoy Boston, and run the race," said Schiesser, a 1973 Andrean grad. "I think it's quite an honor to be able to do that."

Make no mistake. This is one tough lady at age 51.

"If you set your goals realistically, anybody can do it," Schiesser said of conquering Boston. "If I'm supposed to run 80 minutes while training, I will run 80 minutes and not 79.

"You do what you're supposed to do and then you're OK on race day."

Schiesser's road to Boston has not been easy, although she would never admit it publicly. But three years ago, she donated a kidney to save the life of younger sister Caryn, a childhood diabetic who was losing the battle on dialysis.

The transplant was a success and enabled Caryn to undergo a second transplant, this time for a pancreas -- which eliminated the diabetic issue. Three months later, Deb Schiesser began running again.

"It took her months to even come close to a time that was half as good as she had before the operation," recalled her husband, Ed. "I would see her in tears at the end of some of her runs and races but she never looked back at the (kidney) donation as being a hindrance or setback.

"Deb will be one of many who deserve the applause when she crosses that line in Boston, but we who know her will forever applaud her love and devotion to family and friends."

Robert and Suzan Held of Flossmoor are tackling the narrow and hilly streets of Boston but won't be jogging at a casual pace, holding hands and taking in the sights.

"I'm actually racing," Robert said. "My goal time is 2 hours, 56 minutes and 22 seconds. I ran the last Chicago Marathon with Sue, but we normally run at different paces. We don't even start together."

Robert is 50, Suzan 43. This is their Boston debut.

"I think everybody has to play mind games. Otherwise you'll start walking when it gets too tough," Robert said. "If I do slow down, it represents much more than just losing a few seconds per mile. It represents my failure as a human being and I can't let that happen, so I have to keep running."

Said Suzan: "I won't run Boston to get a PR. I'm not a solo runner. If I had to run by myself, I'd probably quit.

"I'm always running with someone else, so you're thinking: 'If I stop, what's my partner gonna do?' If I stop, then I'm showing my partner how weak I am or I'm letting my partner down by not keeping up with them."

"It's kind of an adrenaline rush," Hebron's Brian Norrick said of race day. "The spectators are incredible. It's like being the center of the parade, almost."

This is Norrick's second Boston, having run 3:38 in 2003. He's also a veteran of five Chicago Marathons.

"Running Boston is wanting to be a part of history," said the 1975 Crown Point grad. "It's like getting to play a ballgame in Wrigley Field. I read about the Boston Marathon when I was running in high school and it's something I've always wanted to do.

"It took me about 30 years to get there."

Norrick competed for Bob Conard at C.P. and credits the legendary distance coach for his love of the sport.

"Bob could make you climb telephone poles if he told you it could get you to the state meet. A great coach. I was very fortunate to have him," Norrick said.

At 50, he uses any advantage possible and finds the crowds as uplifting as an ocean breeze.

"The crazy costumes during the race ... gosh, there were these two guys in super hero costumes," Norrick said. "One was named 'Captain Cramp' and the other was 'Major' something.

"They drew a lot of cheers and ran alongside me for a while."