Empire woman, 71, runs in the Boston Marathon

Janet Weiler of Empire isn't a typical grandmother.

The avid distance runner, bicyclist and swimmer is a Leelanau County fixture of fitness who reached the "big time" earlier this month while competing in the Boston Marathon.

Weiler, 71, placed fourth in the "over 70" age group in the marathon on April 16.

Janet Weiler enjoys bicycling,
swimming and running in marathons.

“I was surprised when they told me I finished fourth,” said Weiler, who began distance running in 2003. “I wasn’t exactly disappointed.”

The first-place runner in her age group finished the just-over 26-mile course in four hours, 38 minutes. Weiler crossed the finish line in 4:56, the fourth-fastest of the 16 women competing in her age class.

Weiler, a Texas native, said she’s always been active with her children in pursuits like hiking, swimming, biking, tennis … you name it. Her father and grandfather were star quarterbacks at the University of Washington, and her mother was a champion golfer. But she didn’t consider herself an athlete until four years ago when she became involved in distance running.

“My son was in law school and complained that he was out of shape … studying for the bar (exam),” Weiler explained.

That October she joined her sons Eaton and Thornton and daughter Kate in competing in the Chicago Marathon.

“My time was disgraceful — over six hours — I was happy just to finish,” Weiler said. “It was so much fun.”

Not one to give up easily, the Empire woman continued training. Four years after her first appearance in the Chicago Marathon, she won her age class last October in the Windy City, completing the course in 4:58.

“My son’s girlfriend Natalie helps set the pace and encourages me along the way,” Weiler explained. “I didn’t know until after the race that Eaton told her that if I made it in less than five hours, he’d pay for me to compete in Boston.”

Five hours is the Boston Marathon’s qualifying benchmark for those over 70.

“I was surprised (at the Boston time). I was faster than I was in Chicago, and it’s a much different course,” she said.

Chicago’s marathon course is flat. The last four miles of the Boston course is uphill, a feature that is known to tax even the youngest competitors.

“It’s very hard after 20 miles to go up Heartbreak Hill when you’re at your most tired,” she explained.

Her year-round training routine includes distance running, biking and swimming. The landscape of Leelanau County lends itself most often to the first two activities. During the winter, Weiler swims at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville and the Civic Center in Traverse City.

“I ran everyday all winter long despite the weather,” Weiler said. “No less than nine miles a day.”
The spunky grandma has received some unexpected attention during her winter training regimen. While running uphill on M-109, passing motorists did a double-take.

“I had one car with an older couple turn around, roll down their window and ask, ‘Are you all right?’” Weiler said.

“One day, it was the Glen Lake school bus that stopped. The kids were concerned that I might be stranded and need help.”

She’s also been the subject of concern from strangers who see her swimming the shoreline north of Empire Bluffs shortly after Memorial Day.

“People will go into Deering’s and say, ‘There’s someone in the water who needs help,’” Weiler explained. “About that time, Phil (Deering) will tell them, ‘Oh, that’s just Janet.’”

On Tuesday, less than 10 days after the international event in Boston, the grandmother of three had recovered from the grueling competition and was in training for the Wildflower Triathalon, scheduled for May 6 at Lake San Antonio in Monterey County, Calif. The event includes a 1-mile swim, 6.2-mile run and 26-mile bike ride.
She said the frigid waters of Lake Michigan, near her Empire home, served as therapy for her legs, which were inflamed after the marathon.

“It’s called cold water therapy. You just wade in to your hips and stay there as long as you can stand it,” she explained. “It really helps to bring down the inflammation.”

In preparation for the event, Weiler spent part of the afternoon Tuesday biking the estimated 20-mile loop around the Glen lakes.

“Your not supposed to do anything two weeks prior to competition,” she said, adding she doesn’t feel as old as the female photographers who seem to enjoy snapping pictures of her each time she crosses the finish line.. “Resting … that’s a joke.”