Rick Hermelin Rick Hermelin, 65, was up to two-and-a-half to three packs a day when he suddenly decided to quit smoking almost 35 years ago.

"One morning I was about to light a cigarette after partying all night, and I realized I didn't want it," said Hermelin, a Thousand Oaks resident. "It was something I had thought about, and I had tried (to quit) unsuccessfully a couple times because my heart wasn't in it. But that day I wanted it and it was very easy to stop cold turkey."

Perhaps Hermelin quit smoking with such ease because he replaced the addiction with a more positive obsession: exercise.

"It started just as a means of warming up before lifting weights, but I got to enjoy it more and more and more," Hermelin said. "Before I knew it, I was running marathons. Now, it's just a part of my lifestyle. To me it's as important as eating and sleeping."

Hermelin's first 26.2-mile race was in Palos Verdes in 1977. Now, almost 30 years later, Hermelin is about to complete his 100th, the Borax Marathon in Death Valley Dec. 2, which he said will be the last.

Because of his experience, each race has been followed by a shorter recovery, Hermelin said. "They are taking me longer (to finish) because I don't run as fast as I used to, but it's easier," Hermelin said. "After an event, I feel better. I feel like myself. And the next day, there is no soreness, no stiffness. There are no aches, no pains.

"I've learned how to take better care of myself, and I'm probably in better condition now than I used to be."

Five times a week, Hermelin bikes two-and-a-half miles to his gym on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. He does an hour or so of additional cardio and sometimes, lifts weights before biking back home.

Hermelin said he also "eats right, rests well and thinks well." After a career in electronic engineering, he became a professional massage therapist 17 years ago, helping him to lead "a pretty much stress-free lifestyle."

Keeping healthy has been a priority since he set down that last cigarette when he was 28 years old. His family's troubling medical history has also been an influence.

Hermelin's four older brothers were all diagnosed with cardiovascular disease; three died in their 40s. Since, Hermelin has been committed to supporting the American Heart Association.

"I endorse the American Heart Association primarily because they put a lot of emphasis on prevention," Hermelin said. "To me, that's where it should be concentrated.

Coming up with a cure is great, but if you prevent it in the first place, you won't need a cure."

Hermelin also fundraised for multiple sclerosis in the Boston Marathon and, in a 75mile ultra-marathon race, raised money for the March of Dimes.

For his final marathon, Hermelin has chosen to support a musician he enjoys, Eric Lowen, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in March 2004.

"Eric is a very good musician who I have enjoyed," Hermelin said. "When I found out about Eric's condition, I thought that this would be a way that I would be able to help."

Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro have been performing together as Lowen & Navarro for more than 20 years. Hermelin has seen the pair perform four or five times at local house concerts.

Despite his retirement from the marathon circuit, Hermelin said he has more goals to reach.

"Now, I'll do 100 halfmarathons," Hermelin said, matterof-factly. "I have 55 more of those and I'd like to do them in the next five years. That's about 11 each year. And I'll do 15 more 10Ks because I want 100 of those, too."

And who knows what will follow, Hermelin said.

"Then, I'll find other goals," Hermelin said. "It helps keep me active on a consistent basis to have significant goals for myself. Well, maybe they aren't significant, but they are meaningful to me."

Donations to The Eric Lowen Trust are being accepted via PayPal on the website ericlowentrust@lownav.com or you can mail a check or money order to: The Eric Lowen Trust, 2554 Lincoln Blvd., Ste. 255, Venice, CA, 90291.