Women On The Run -- State's Best Seek Balance Of Sport, Personal Fulfillment

-------- BEST BET -------- -- Saturday - Washington Women Lawyers Trial, an 8K run or walk not limited to women, starts at 9 a.m. at south Seward Park. ----------------------------------------------------------- Seeing 35,000 women run in a 10-kilometer race in Helsinki, Finland, stunned Laurel James, a Seattle running-store proprietor. But she wasn't overwhelmed for long.

James says whatever Finland can do, Washington can do better.

She wants to build a women's-only run that is "beyond gigantic," an event that would attract world-class athletes to run against Washington's best and mix with thousands of recreational runners.

"We need competition," said James, owner of Super Jock 'n Jill, a Green Lake running shop. Too many of Washington's top professional distance runners must leave the state to compete, she said. This year, many have earned headlines in Toronto, New York, Berlin, Boston and beyond.

And next year, many may leave all at once. Several have legitimate chances to compete at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Jim Whiting, editor of Northwest Runner, said the Northwest's dominance is a bit puzzling. "What's interesting is that we have such a strong contingent of women runners, because each woman comes from a such different background."

The key, he said, is that Washington has "several very strong-minded women who have successfully balanced competitive demands in their lives."

Relocated runners say they moved to Seattle because of its mild climate and active lifestyle. Seattle natives say their hometown is the ideal place to train and raise a family.

Several of them gathered at a Green Lake coffee shop this week and told of their life on the run.

-- LISA WEIDENBACH: Weidenbach, 30, has been active in competitive athletics for 25 years, since the days in her native Battle Creek, Mich., when she spent so much time training as an age-group swimmer that she got stars-and-stripes tan lines through her bathing suit.

One of America's premier distance runners, Weidenbach said sports have taught her that goals can be realized.

"There's a lot of little boys out there playing catch with their fathers and dreaming of the big leagues," Weidenbach said. "Well, we've got to get the little girls out there, too, dreaming of the big leagues, whatever their sport.

"Sports creates a more well-rounded person. You're more enlightened. You learn so much from travel, and you learn more about yourself."

Weidenbach won the 1989 Chicago Marathon and set the U.S. record in the 15K (48:28) at the 1989 Cascade Runoff.

-- REGINA BONNEY: Before she married former University of Washington running coach Alan Bonney, Regina Joyce represented her native Ireland in the 1984 Olympic marathon. Now, working on her "comeback" after having two children, Bonney, 34, said she is "on target" to gain a spot on the Irish team in the 10,000 meters. Ten days ago, she placed second in the Toronto Marathon.

She said she finds the Seattle running community helps her keep her competitive edge.

"It's kind of nice to get together with the other women and do some training runs. Having somebody different to run with is really refreshing."

In her 11 years in Seattle, Bonney hasn't missed a day of running because of weather. "In Ireland and England it rains quite a bit more," she said, chuckling. "I'm not afraid to get wet."

-- GAIL KINGMA: In the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials in Olympia, Gail Volk was the fastest-qualifying Washington woman. Now a mother with an 18-month-old daughter, Kingma helps coach Blanchet High School's cross-country team. She recently teamed with Bonney to talk to women new to running who have entered Saturday's Washington Women Lawyers Trial Run.

Since having a child, Kingma, 30, said she has noticed a difference in her outlook on running.

"I've learned more than just being disciplined," she said. "I'm not turning the world on fire, but I'm still running. If you choose to be a competitive runner, that doesn't mean you can't have a family."

-- GAIL HALL: Hall, 31, has learned to balance sports with caring for her year-old son. "Running is a very personal thing," she said. "If running is important to you, it becomes more important to you" as the years go by. That's why she keeps her vow to train 1 1/2 hours a day.

"Every woman needs to have something for themselves, or they go out of their minds as a mother," said Hall, who set a course record last month in the Sister Cities half-marathon (1:15:55).

-- KIM JONES: After a workout on her treadmill yesterday, Jones recalled the outcome of her first run, 1983 Bloomsday. "I couldn't walk for a week," she said, now able to laugh about it. Jones, a Port Townsend native, had decided to try running after having a baby.

"I was always a very athletic child," said Jones, 33, runner-up in the Berlin Marathon last month. "But not until my mid-20s did I start my marathon career. It's really neat to see how you continue to get stronger and you don't go downhill after 30. You can always improve."

-------------- PERSONAL BESTS -------------- -- Fastest times of several Washington women marathon runners, compared with Norwegian world-record holder Ingrid Kristiansen, whose time in 1985 was 2:21:06. Best mark in 1991: Poland's Wanda Panfil at 2:24:18.

Name, residence Time Year

Kim Jones, Spokane 2:26:40 # 1991 . Lisa Weidenbach, Issaquah 2:28:15 1990 . Regina Bonney, Lynnwood 2:32:57 1982 . Gail Kingma, Seattle 2:34:08 1985 . Gail Hall, Bothell 2:41:25 1989 .

# Third fastest in world this year