Michigan Runner, January / February 2010 by Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc.

Photo by Victah Sailer / photorun.net

Goethals’ Foot Locker Title Makes Michigan History

On her way to the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship, Megan Goethals captured her second Foot Locker Midwest title in 17:24. By Scott Sullivan SAN DIEGO, CALIF. (12/12/09) — What did 2009 Michigan High School Runner of the Year Megan Goethals do for an encore her senior season? How about win Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals? Goethals, a Rochester High School senior, came from far back in the rain at Balboa Park to edge South region queen Chelsey Sveinsson at the finish line, 17:06.9 to 17:07.1. She became the first Michigan girls champ in Foot Locker’s 30-year history. Four state boys have claimed U.S. titles: Brian Grosso in 1988, Abdul Alzindani in 1995, Dathan Ritzenhein in 1999 and 2000, and

Tim Moore in 2001. Sveinsson—who with fellow regional winners Goethals (Midwest), Aisling Cuffe (Northeast) and Molly Grabill (West) was a pre-race favorite—seemed to have it won when she opened a big lead on the downhill in the third mile. “I though she was gone,” said Goethals. “But I could see her, so I bore down and tried as hard as I could. “Crossing the line was the best feeling ever,” the winner said. Goethals, a two-time Division 1 state champ and top returnee from last year’s nationals, where she finished third, shared the lead for most of the first two miles on a sloppy morning.

Sveinnson’s late move appeared decisive, but Goethals had one more gear left. “I don’t know how I got her at the end,” she said. Call it heart, speed or magic. Whatever it is, it worked. The girls race saw two other Michigan runners, Waterford Mott junior Shannon Osika and Livonia Churchill senior Sara Kroll, finish 30th in 18:28.3 and 35th in 18:35.2, respectively. Lukas Verzbicas of Illinois become Foot Locker’s first male sophomore champion, finishing almost 15 seconds ahead of runner-up Matthew McElroy in 15:07.8. Michigan’s lone male representative, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior Nathan Karr, placed 39th in 16:34.2. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

In This Issue January / February 2010

Vol. 31, No. 6

Calendar January - April 2010

p. 29-37

Features & Departments Goethals’ Foot Locker Title Makes Michigan History By Scott Sullivan Editor’s Notes: Stoic By Scott Sullivan Michigan Runner of the Year: Nicholas Stanko By Charles Douglas McEwen Female Runner of the Year: Sarah Plaxton By Daniel G. Kelsey Female Masters Runner of the Year: Marybeth Reader By Ron Marinucci Male Master Runner of the Year: Eric Green By Charles Douglas McEwen Male Senior Runner of the Year: Kevin Deyo By Daniel G. Kelsey Senior Female Runner of the Year: Monica Joyce By Ron Marinucci Beyond the Chip: The Towell By Ian Forsyth Contributor of the Year: Jeff Crumbauch By Charles Douglas McEwen The Dream By Bob Shaffer Monumental Efforts at Monumental Marathon By Hank Risley Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard Matt Bedford: First of the Michigan Mohicans By Ron Marinucci Becoming a Runner By Tyrin Johnson Introducing Runyaking By Riley McClincha Mt. Pleasant Striders: 26 Years and Going Strong By Ron Marinucci Running Like a Dog By Sheryl Lozicki Running with Tom Henderson

p. 1 p. 3 p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 p. 8 p. 9 p. 10 p. 11 p. 13 p. 14 p. 16 p. 19 p. 25 p. 26 p. 27 p. 28 p. 38

At the Races Record Freep Marathon Field Meets Triumph, Tears By Charles Douglas McEwen Detroit Turkey Trot Sets Another Turnout Mark By Charles Douglas McEwen ‘Go-Go’ Goethals Runs Into History at State Meet By Scott Sullivan Women Lead Way as GR Smashes Turnout Mark Again By Grant Lofdahl ‘Newbies’ Exuberant after finish GR Race By Daniel G. Kelsey Big Bird Rises into Fourth Decade, Going Strong By Scott Sullivan Big Bird Run Soars to Heights By William Kalmar Ann Arbor Turkey Trot ‘On the Grow’ By Tracey Cohen

p. p. p. p. p. p. p. p.

12 18 20 22 23 24 25 28

Michigan Runner of the Year Nick Stanko poses with his Haslett Cross Country team: top row from left: Grant Wortley, John Roehr, Ian Hancke, Nick Stanko, Alex VanCamp, Travis Stirewatt, Dan Alchin; middle row: Logan Kukulis, Ryan Beyea, Ian James; front row: Cassie Wagner, Jordan Strickler, Ellen Corder, Emma Claucherty Photo by Pete Draugalis / draugalisphotography.com 2

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Editor’s Notes Stoic

By Scott Sullivan

unners are tough. Pain doesn’t hurt us, nor does hurt cause us pain. When I hyperextended my left knee, I asked, “Would Bill Rodgers keep going?” Roger! Would Frank Shorter stop short?

No way! On I went, compensating the hitch in my stride until my right ankle rankled. This stoked my competitive fires further. Which side would give way first? If the knee, I could hop home on my triumphant right leg till the ankle went. If the ankle, vice-versa. Then what? I’m like Bobby Fischer, the chess great who thought so many steps ahead he went crazy. I would run home on my hands! So what if I’d never walked on my hands? Necessity is the mother of circumvention. If my palms blistered, I would wear my shoes on my hands. This would make quite the sight in my neighborhood, where people already shake their heads when they see me run in all kinds of weather. Assuming they do so from admiration, I wondered why stoicism so long ago fell from favor. In the good old days, Zeno of Citium, Epictetus and Seneca opined upon how a

wise man was indifferent to pain or pleasure, free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief. A stoic, believed Epictetus, would amend his will to suit the world and be, “sick yet happy, in peril yet happy, dying yet happy, in exile yet happy, in disgrace yet happy.” I’ve got down the “sick” and “disgrace” parts. “Happy” I’m still working on. Anything to save me from becoming the opposite of a stoic: an epicurean “fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits.” I can’t afford to be epicurean. Worse, imagine a hardcore runner walking home on his hands in the snow — suffering yet happy, close to death yet happy — to a feast with nymphs peeling grapes for him. My reputation in the neighborhood would be shot. Stoic Marcus Aurelius said, “A man should be upright, not be kept upright.” It follows runners too should rely on our own resources. Crutches? Never! Even shoes are suspect. “Get rid of the judgment; get rid of the ‘I am hurt’ and you get rid of the hurt itself,” said Aurelius. Pain is all in the mind; indeed having a mind is painful. Things are better since I lost mine, thanks to running. Now if we can only bring back the stoics. One of them, Diogenes, so favored living simply that he resided in a clay tub, ate raw meat and masturbated in public to show off his independence. Kids today lack role models, but that wasn’t the case back then. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Nicholas Stanko: Michigan Runner of the Year

By Charles Douglas McEwen

Stanko would like get back on the track a little more next year. “I like to be competitive in everything from 800 meters to the marathon,” he said. “I don’t want to pigeonhole myself as just a marathoner or 10Ker.”

icholas Stanko pretty much had the 2009 Michigan Runner of the Year award wrapped up with his victory at the Kensington Challenge 15K in September. But just for good measure he won the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in October.

He and his wife, Theresa, teach and coach cross country at Haslett High School. Their four-year-old daughter also keeps them busy.

Stanko, 28, of Haslett amassed 180 points in the Michigan Runner Race Series. He was also Michigan Runner of the Year in 2005.

“Theresa and I are still in the early stages of developing the Haslett program to where we want it to be,” he said. “The runners are starting to see how important consistency is ... and running for most of the year.

Stanko started the series winning the St. Patrick’s Day 8K in Bay City in 24:41, then added runner-up finishes at Running Fit’s Meteor 10K in Dearborn (30:25) and the Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K in Cutlerville (14:34).

The former University of Michigan track and cross-country standout describes 2009 as a good year. “I set a couple personal records, but I really wanted to run 2:19 in the marathon.” That time would have qualified him for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon. Stanko came nearest his goal at the P.F. Chang Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January. There he finished eighth overall and first among Americans with a 2:19:37 PR. That beat his previous-best 2:20:29 run at Detroit in 2004. He knew 2:19:00 was out of reach by the 20th mile of this year’s Freep marathon. At that point he shared the race leadership with Chad Johnson, who runs for the Hansons-Brooks Development Project in Rochester Hills. “On Belle Isle, a little after 20 miles, Chad upped the pace to see if he could break open the race,” said Stanko. “He put a few seconds on me, but I closed the gap before he increased it further. “Going into 22 miles, it was my turn to lead. I was familiar with Chad’s credentials and knew if I left it up to the last mile, I’d be in trouble. I figured the boardwalk, with its turns and limited spectators, would be a good spot to try to open a gap on Chad. “Once we hit the boardwalk, I upped the pace and put a few seconds on him. From then on I red-lined it to the finish, worrying 4

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

He finished third among state runners at the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K in Grand Rapids (1:17:36) and the Crim 10-miler in Flint (49:48). Then came wins at Kensington (47:51) and Free Press marathon (2:20:22).

“Coaching high school runners who are devoted to the sport is an honor. To be successful at running, one must have an intrinsic desire to succeed. As coaches, we try to give the runners as many useful tools as possible so they can get the most out of themselves. “The 4H’s — being humble, healthy, hungry and happy — are something I teach consistently. If they’re not being met, not much else matters.

Nick Stanko ran the Crim 10 Mile in 49:47. about getting caught. My hamstrings cramped every now and then, forcing me to back off a few seconds. I was able to get back at it after they calmed down.” The winner, who ended up beating Johnson by 31 seconds, said Hansons-Brooks runners inspire him. “They’re going to give you a good race whenever they’re out there,” said Stanko, who is also sponsored by Brooks. He became the first American man to win the Freep since Fred Kieser of Ohio did it in 1999, and the first Michigan man to win it since Doug Kurtis in 1992. Still, Stanko thought his 1:17:36 PR at the River Bank 25K was his best race of the year. “They changed the course this year because of the Grand River flooding,” he said. “It seemed much more difficult than in the past. And it was a really competitive race.”

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

“I try to teach the kids how to be in control of their running, both in races and in training. A major piece of that puzzle is having the kids run a good amount of hard aerobic running. Not intervals, not easy recovery runs, but going out and doing a progression run of 6 to 12 miles, with each mile getting faster and harder, but always in control,” he said. Many of Stanko’s Haslett runners came out to cheer him on at the Free Press marathon, which he appreciated greatly. As to his own efforts, “My strength as a runner seems to be my intrinsic need to improve,” he said. “I feel I have gotten the most out of myself, both in workouts and in races. “This sometimes is a double-edged sword and comes back to bite me, because when I go into a workout I always want to run allout. I am getting better at keeping things in check. When I find a happy medium and run most of my harder workouts a little more controlled, I have better races. “I grew up doing a lot of hard manual labor jobs for my dad. This instilled early on my perspective of what hard work really is. “But there comes a point in running when too much hard work can be a negative thing,” Stanko said. MR

Female Runner of the Year: Sarah Plaxton

By Daniel G. Kelsey

much of the marathon, not catching her first glimpse of any of them until mile 18.

hrough injuries, through a shifting focus on education and life and family, through 52 marathons to date, Sarah Plaxton has kept her joy in running. She had it as a teenager and she has it still, almost three decades later, as a dynamo in the masters division.

She began picking them off. With four-tenths of a mile to go she finished her comeback.

That joy took on another dimension in 2009 as she earned, for the second time in five seasons, the title of Michigan Runner magazine’s Female Runner of the Year.

“I could see the lead runner as I turned the last corner,” Plaxton said. “Yes, at that point I did know I was going into first place.”

“It’s almost a surprise because I run for fun; it’s my passion,” Plaxton said. “The last year or so I’m not even thinking about winning and placing.

For Plaxton, 41, of Highland Township (nearer to Brighton than to Pontiac), her best is well under seven minutes a mile for a marathon. For that matter, even her “all right” is under seven minutes a mile. In 2009 she ran the Bayshore Marathon in 2:54:06 — winning the event for maybe the eighth or ninth time, she’s lost track — and the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in an “all right,” as she put it, 2:57:09.

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

“You can always feel good in a race when you feel like you did the best you could.”

She didn’t — she couldn’t — know she was seizing the title of Runner of the Year. That was icing on the cake. In a sense, it was an unintended perk of her recent approach to training ... more distance and less speed work in order to reduce injuries.

Sarah Plaxton wins the Detroit Free Press / Flagstar Marathon.

“I’ve always liked long distances,” she said. “That’s pretty much my thing. I focus on the marathon training. That’s about all I need, with my family.” The mother of three was born and raised in Michigan, graduating from Midland Bullock Creek High School. She ran crosscountry and track at Central Michigan University for two and a half years before concentrating on studies in French and secondary education. “I really took a break from competition after college,” Plaxton said, “after being frustrated with some injuries. But I’ve always

“What I’ve learned is to work with my body,” she said. “I’m listening to my body more than I used to.”

loved running.” That doesn’t mean she could have stayed away indefinitely from mixing it up. She decided to get in shape in 1995, which in turn led that year to the Free Press, her first marathon. Which in turn led in 2002 to her PR of 2:46:27 at Philadelphia. Which in turn led in 2005 to her first go-round as Runner of the Year. This past October, the women’s title was up for grabs as Plaxton ran Detroit, the final race in the MR series. A pair of HansonsBrooks runners led in points for the season. Plaxton ran behind three other women for

She’s listening to her life as well. At the beginning of the 2009 season she looked at the MR race series and decided it wouldn’t fit with her commitment to family. Obviously, as it turned out, if she thought she’d have to wait until a later date to make another run at a title, and this time in the masters, she was happily mistaken. “I’ve had a great year,” Plaxton said. “I wanted one really good year with the masters division.” Oh, the joy of it all; she picked off the competition without hardly trying. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Female Masters Runner of the Year: Marybeth Reader

By Ron Marinucci

She ran Boston last April, despite having suffered a stress fracture two months earlier, finishing under three hours.

xcited and surprised — those were Marybeth Reader’s first reactions to being named Female Masters Runner of the Year.

Reader started running “about 12 years ago,” after the births of her daughters, Olivia and Charlotte. “In the beginning it was for fitness, then as an outlet for stress,” she remembered. “It was nice to get out for fresh air.”

“Wow! Really? I didn’t expect that!” said Reader, despite the fact she is no stranger to such honors. She was Michigan Runner’s Female Runner of the Year.

Her first race was the West Bloomfield 5K. “I ran it with my brother-in-law,” said Reader. “I credit him for getting me into racing.

Reader scored 60 points in the 2009 MR Race Series, 10 more than runner-up Lisa Veneziano.

“I didn’t realize I was a competitive person,” she continued. “I compete with myself and the others around me.”

“It wasn’t the year I had hoped for,” Reader said, explaining her surprise. “It was kind of a rough year with injuries. I was running injury-free for 10 years, then ...”

To add insult to, well, injury, during treatment Reader discovered “one leg is longer than the other.” Rest, orthotics, chiropractic and leg-strengthening exercises (“those helped a lot”) got her through 2009 — not exactly as planned, but well enough to earn ROY honors. Reader was the first masters woman (other than overall champion Monica Joyce) at the Meteor 10K in Dearborn in 39:48 (a 6:24-mile pace). Her 1:40:46 was good for second master at the Fifth Third Bank River Bank 25K run in Grand Rapids. She ran 18:50 to grab the top masters spot at the Brian Diemer 5K in Cutlerville. She placed fourth in her age group, second master from Michigan, at the Crim 10-miler in Flint, running 1:03:31 (a 6:21-mile pace). “One of my favorites is the River Bank; it’s a beautiful run,” she said. “I like the long, rolling hills and the natural setting. And they (the race directors) were great! They provided a hotel. I felt like a celebrity. “I enjoy the Diemer race too, how competitive it is. But it’s not my distance. The 5K is torture for me,” she said. Reader’s other favorites include the Great 6

With two daughters and a work schedule as a nurse at Beaumont Hospital, Reader’s time to train is at a premium. “I like getting it done in the morning,” she said, although also admitting, “I like doing two-a-day workouts.”

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

“Then” was 2008, when her string of injuries began, continuing to hamper her in 2009. Reader’s litany reads like an encyclopedia of running injuries: stress fractures, piriformis syndrome, plantar fasciitis, Achilles problems ... “One would get better, then something else would strike,” she said.

Reader is coached by national masters standout and friend Paul Aufdemberge. “Paul was reluctant, but I talked him into coaching me. He’s a tremendous coach,” she said.

She meets Aufdemberge and training partner Andrea Pomaranski (“She’s one to watch!”) at a local high school track at 6 a.m. She and Aufdemberge favor longer tempo runs. “For example,” said Reader, “we’ll do three miles hard, 600 meters rest, two miles hard, 600 rest, a mile and a half hard ... We’ll also do three times two miles or two times three miles after warm-ups.

Marybeth Reader nears the Crim 10 Mile finish line. Lakes Relay. “The team part is best,” she said. “I like the Bayshore (Marathon) too. I’ve always done well there. It’s beautiful up north, but it’s a low-key race.” One of Reader’s bugaboos has been her inability to post a B qualifying time for the women’s Olympic marathon trials. She has missed by just a few minutes twice. She hit the standard at Bayshore last spring ... a couple weeks too late. “I was never athletic in high school or college,” she said. “I never dreamed that I’d ever run the Boston Marathon or be accepted as an elite athlete.”

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

“Right now I’m in the 90s (miles) per week. I was doing 100 to 105 before,” she said. Reader’s favorite distance “is definitely the marathon. The longer distances are for me. I have the endurance. I have to warm up the first four or five miles of a race,” she said. “Sometimes I use running as a stress outlet to a fault,” she went on. “I have learned that running too much, while stressed, can lead to injuries. So I’ve been trying to balance things.” One of the things she likes best about running is the friends she meets. Reader has been known to bake post-workout goodies for training partners. And she really appreciates the support she receives from her Beaumont co-workers, who have run the

Male Masters Runner of the Year:

Eric Green By Charles Douglas McEwen

— 800, 1600 and 3200 meters — and found his niche.

is accomplishments include achieving Division II All-American status indoors for 800 meters at Northwest Missouri State University, setting two national 35-39 age-group records (since broken), winning the Julie Run 10K for six straight years from 2003 to 2008, and finishing top state master in the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon the past two years. Yet, Eric Green, 41, of Pontiac calls winning Masters Runner of the Year “the highlight of my running career so far.”

“As skinny eighth-grader growing up in Pontiac, I quickly realized that I would have to run longer distances if I wanted to stay on the track team,” he remembered. Green still tries to mix in some races on the track, usually during winters, along with his road races. “I’ve always been a track guy,” he declared. He briefly held 35-39 national age-group records of 4:26 for the mile and 9:00 for the 3K. Of course, he also enjoys longer races. One in particular stands out.

Green had looked forward to becoming a masters runner like a kid looks forward to Christmas. When he finally did turn 40, he took advantage.

To do so, Green upped his training miles. “I’ve been doing 80 miles a week, which is more than I’ve done in the past,” he said. “It’s all long, slow distance. The only speed work I do is the races I run. The extra mileage allows me to recover quickly after my races.” All the miles have paid off. “I made close to $1,500, which was more than what I spent on entry fees,” Green said. “Previously, I hadn’t won much money at all.” In the Michigan Runner Race Series, Green was first master at Running Fit’s Meteor 10K in April (33:57), Steve’s Run 10K in July (35:15), the Kensington Challenge 15K in September (51:53) and the Free Press marathon in October (2:41:44). He was second master at the Bay City St. Patrick’s Day 8K in March (27:13) and Fifth

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

In his first race as a master on July 4, 2008, Green finished age-group champion at the Volkslaufe 20K in Frankenmuth, nearly setting a PR in the process. He was the top masters runner at several other road races that year, but he really made the most of his status in 2009.

“The first marathon I ever ran was the Free Press in 2000,” Green said. “I’ve done it every year since. It’s one of my personal favorites.” He ran extremely well at Detroit this year, finishing seventh overall, second master and first state master. “It’s the first time I’ve made the top 10 there,” Green said. He and his wife, Julia, have three children. During the weekdays, Green works three jobs at Oakland Community College: assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country teams, physical education building manager and athletic coordinator for the school. Green often runs with his OCC team. He also has competed for the Frontline Racing Team for many years and is currently its vice president.

Eric Green runs at the Brooksie Way Half Marathon. Third River Bank 25K Run in May (1:32:09). Altogether, he accumulated 125 Michigan Runner Race Series points. Green started out more than 25 years ago as a sprinter at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Pontiac, but found himself muscled out of the starting lineup by faster, stronger runners. So he gravitated to longer distances

“I have to run every day,” Green said. “When I get my run out of the way, life is good for the rest of the day. It makes all the stress go away.” He looks forward to next year’s Michigan Runner Race Series. “It really was a motivator,” he said. “I started scoring points in the series and I wanted to score more and more.” MR

Reader continues Race for the Cure and Brooksie Way 5K with her. “My husband, Bill, is a huge supporter,” she said. “I thank him for helping me get through my injuries and these other stressful things. He is always there when I need him.”

Reader hopes 2010 will be “what I hoped for in 2009” — without the injuries. She also wants to get the B standard for the Olympic trials. “I want to be there with Andrea (Pomaranski),” she said. “And I want my daughters to see this happen.

“Things don’t always come in the timeframe you want. But if you work hard ... There is a lesson there,” Reader said. Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Male Senior Runner of the Year: Kevin Deyo

By Daniel G. Kelsey

Cherry Festival 15K in Traverse City on a hot day, for a cool July. Another masters title and a time of 58:13 didn’t make up for the wear and tear of running in the heat.

or a man who’s become an advocate for another sport, Kevin Deyo can still make a statement with his size-13 feet in running shoes.

“After that I took a couple months off from racing,” he said. “I felt kind of burned out and stale.”

But then, even in Michigan an athlete can’t go snowshoeing all year round, so he has to keep in shape in the off-season.

Deyo, of Traverse City by address, of Suttons Bay by proximity, changed his training regimen after his first title as Runner of the Year. He said he’s pretty much given up the track. His shortest intervals are about 1K on trails; more typically he does mile repeats. He’s upped his mileage from the 40 a week of two years ago.

Deyo was speedy enough over the snow-free months to reign as 2009 Michigan Runner Senior Runner of the Year. Maybe his name rings a bell; he’s the same athlete who took home honors as 2007 MR Masters Runner of the Year.

“I’m usually over 50 every week,” he said. “If I’m serious about an upcoming race, I get up over 60 miles.”

He’s the same athlete … only with changing interests in competitive sports and new ways of staying fresh and fast at 50 years old.

He got points in the race series as first senior at the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K in May with a time of 1:35:50. He said a big loop in the course, altered due to flooding along the Grand River, allowed him see what his rivals were doing. The cool weather allowed him to finish stronger than he ever had in the River Bank Run. “It was a steady downpour for the first five miles,” Deyo said. “We all looked like drowned rats by the time it was done.” Later he got points as second open, first master and first senior in the Metro Health Grand Rapids Half Marathon in October with a time of 1:18:56. He chalked up his high placing to weather conditions — clear skies, no wind and 30 degrees. “I was surprised to get second overall,” he said. “I prefer running in the cold rather than the heat any day of the week.” Maybe that’s why his running highlights for the season came before the end of May and after the first of September. Number one on his list was the Irish Jig 8

Photo by Joe Baldwin / RunMichigan.com

“I was able to stay healthy this year,” Deyo said. “The senior thing just kind of came up. It wasn’t even on my radar screen.”

He’s a devotee of cross-training now even more than he was in 2007. “I do biking,” he said. “In the winter I do cross-country skiing. That keeps me fresh.” Then there’s the snowshoeing, which raises his fitness to yet another level. “It takes a lot out of me,” he said. “I use the snowshoeing as my hard days and my running as easy days.”

Kevin Deyo finished second overall at the Metro Health Grand Rapids Half Marathon.

5K in East Grand Rapids in March. He ran a 17:01, taking eight seconds off the former age-group record set by Scott Liversedge. In May he won the masters division in the Bayshore 10K with a time of 35:31. In September he took second overall for the second year in a row in the Harvest Stompede, a grueling seven-miler over hilly terrain on the Leelanau Peninsula within a couple of miles of his home. Deyo’s low point came in the National

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Deyo started racing in the snow about five years ago. Last winter he competed on his 22-inch-long snowshoes twice. In January at Traverse City in the Bigfoot Boogie, a regional qualifier for nationals, he placed first overall in the 5K with a time of 29:29.8, winning a waist-high trophy in the shape of a Sasquatch walking. He stayed home from the 2009 snowshoe nationals at Mt. Hood in Oregon. But if he qualifies in the 50 and over division at Traverse City Jan. 23, he won’t stay home from the 2010 nationals in upper New York State. “It’s become my favorite sport,” he said. “I fell in love with it. I actually like it more than running.” Well, don’t say there’s no accounting for taste. Deyo’s just one of those athletes who’d rather come in from the heat and go out in the cold. MR

Senior Female Runner of the Year: Monica Joyce

By Ron Marinucci

third woman overall and first U.S. master. She closed out the year that Thanksgiving with a 35:23 at the Detroit Turkey Trot 10K.

t’s not often a person wins Runner of the Year while entering just one event in the Michigan Runner race series. But Monica Joyce, 51, of Ann Arbor achieved just that.

Although Joyce didn’t race much in Michigan last year, she produced remarkable times elsewhere. At the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Fla., during March, she broke the old 15K senior women’s record by almost two minutes, running 52:38. A month later, at the Mt. SAC Relays in California, she ran 16:19 in the 5K, smashing a 12-year-old 50-54 agegroup record by 58 seconds.

Joyce was named Senior Female Runner of the Year despite running only the Meteor 10K April 4 in Dearborn. She tallied 48 points in the one event, placing her eight points ahead of runner-up Rebecca Price. Her achievement was anything but a fluke. Joyce, an elite runner internationally, trailed only Colleen DeReuck in the 2008 Running USA rankings of U.S. female masters runners. And Joyce was leaving the masters rankings that year for the seniors.

The Meteor 10K took place on a blustery day with temperatures in the 30s. No matter. Joyce, then 50, ran 34:51.8, a 5:37-mile pace. She finished 20th overall and the first female of any age. Her time agegraded to 30:38, a standard of 99.5 percent. Joyce has run at an elite level for almost four decades. “I began running at age 11,” she recalled. “I joined our local running club in England.” She came to the U.S. in 1980 to attend San Diego State University and became a citizen in 2000.

Joyce lives and trains in Ann Arbor. “I do a lot of distance and tempo runs,” she said. “I have no favorite, or least-favorite, workout. It’s a process.”

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

The Meteor 10K was the only state race she ran in 2009. “I really didn’t road race last year,” she said. “In the summer I ran on the track. I developed tendonitis and had to regroup for the fall.”

“I never set out to run age (group) records,” Joyce said. “I was not aware of most of these records until someone mentioned them. But I wasn’t surprised by them. My fitness would indicate that I would run faster than the records.”

Matt Holappa is her coach, husband and training partner. Holappa is one of the state’s top masters himself, with PRs of 33:11 (10K) and 52:05 (15K). At the Meteor, wife edged husband by a mere second.

Monica Joyce runs a few steps in front of Matt Holappa, her coach, husband and training partner.

Competing for Ireland in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Joyce ran 8:54.34 for 3000 meters. She posted her 8:49.51 PR for the distance that same year. “By the time I became a master, my times had slowed due to training and time off,” she said. Not that drastically: Joyce, a Michigan runner since 1998, was MR’s Female Masters Runner of the Year in 2000 and 2001.

“My fitness has improved over the last 10 years,” she noted. “Gradually my times have improved as well.” Joyce set several world and American age-group records (pending) in 2008 and 2009 on the roads and track, at distances from 5K to 15K. At a 2008 Boston track meet, she clocked 16:01.7 for 5000 meters. “That one excited me most,” she said. At the 2008 women’s 8K championships in Akron, Ohio, Joyce ran 28:04. At the Crim 10miler in Flint, she posted a 1:02:58, good for

They have a running team through Tortoise and Hare, the Ann Arbor running store he owns. Members can be seen running, in their T&H singlets, at state and Midwest races. Joyce’s first goal for 2010 is to “stay healthy!” she said. She would also like to qualify for the U.S. Championships. She plans to return to the Carlsbad (N.M.) 5000 and Mt. SAC Relays. Look for her more at state races too. “I’m going to get back on the track,” Joyce said. “I plan to do a couple indoor races in Michigan.” It would be no surprise to hear more about senior runner Monica Joyce in 2010. Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Beyond the Chip By Ian Forsyth

The Towel

You stole my bike so I broke your nose. You said your mom was better looking than my mom; who knows? – Jordy Birch-Pure

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

liding unsheathed feet through blanched Superior sand, my spinning-HD mind ejects the majestic UP and shifts to dusty VHS. As my girls explore this iciest of lakes, my overwrought guilty conscience discards me on the shores of the Great Lake Huron of my past.

Ian Forsyth

Jim and I became instant friends, stumbling upon each other the summer before grade five. Both being the sole male in makeshift homes of sisters and mother, it seemed a natural alignment; I was soon welcome as family in his house and he in mine. Through this binding, I often climbed aboard his family’s day ventures to The Pinery Provincial Park, to devour his mom’s exquisitely-simple gourmet and romp through beautifully-blown dunes.

Ellen, Jim’s older sister, was often loath to endure our inane nuisance; teasing and bothering have long been my pestering partners, as even now my wife and daughters are grudgingly subjected to undue needling and nudging. This particular lake excursion became lastingly lodged in regretville, as my antics tipped into the untold depths of no return.

As sun started to succumb to the lake’s gentle bidding, my satisfaction was sure to be dramatically realized. Only a single unforeseen glitch skewed the situation: I couldn’t find the towel. A few years ago, at a mutual high school friend’s pre-wedding fest, Jim’s mom called to say he couldn’t make it; he was in the hospital, he couldn’t feel his legs and could only sit up to excruciating head pain. This struck an especially-extreme chord as Jim’s health certainly bettered all attending. Having recently run a number of fierce marathons, he looked to be rocketing forward. Later he related that he had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome; his immune system was revolting against his nervous system. He had been told he might never run again. After regaining command over what was normally innately granted, he appropriately punished his body’s disobedience by adding yet another tally to his stellar marathon résumé. Not to be too darkly overshadowed, shortly thereafter I stirred my own taste of mayhem to our co-history. A dissident blood clot mysteriously settled in my shoulder, spurning blood flow out of my arm, prompting it to fill and bulge to Popeye proportions until it all but burst. Sixteen debilitating hospital days of human experimentation and complication brought it to rest. Following a year of post-traumatic bodily dysfunction, I was also back ravaging the roads. There’s a classic scene in the movie “Fargo” where Carl Showalter desperately claws through frigid snow with bloody hands to conceal his murderous money for later retrieval. After frantically finishing, he marks the spot with a small windshield scraper and takes a moment to absorb the situation. Upon looking up, the camera pulls away to an expansive shot of nothing but shining snow as far as the viewer can imagine. This world of white reduces the scraper to ludicrously-little stature; that bag is not to be found.

In Charles Schulz’s world of retro animation, Charlie Brown’s best friend, Linus, relentlessly refuses to be detached from his loyal blanket appendage. Deceitfully aware of Ellen’s equally-fervent devotion to her untouchable beach towel, my fiendishness couldn’t resist its forbidden allure. Silently sliding this magical sand guardian from cautious shelter to my perilous delight, I boiled with possibilities.

That’s the sense I had returning to the beach to locate the towel that evening. Looking over eternal sand wispily renewing itself with every breath from its massive, gently-rolling lake, my enjoyment began to tighten. Digging at my remembered original spot was soon deemed fruitless and as Jim, his mom and two sisters watched, I awkwardly searched for familiarity. My dread intensified until I finally slunk back to the car, glaringly empty-handed. The silence clung oppressively as we departed my unspeakable deceit.

Years separated by a mere slice of sound-permeable drywall stirred an imperceptibly-osmotic knowledge of each other; from crudest depths to finest sophistication. Jim and I grew up as brothers in adjoining households. We inhaled sport and belched out fatigue. Not always on the same teams, we amassed independent circles of cronies, not always intersecting, and we poked a place in our world, together and alone.

Responding to my most-recent veiled fitness inquiry, quietly gauging if I could still hang, Jim revealed that his unwarranted symptoms had returned. Sporadic numbness and erratic, overwhelming fatigue had heightened his original diagnosis to multiple sclerosis.

After innocent beginnings, we were eventually engulfed in the hazy realization that we could run — and run well. Racing each other with a vengeance sporadically stressed, but never dented, our regard for the other. Ripping rivals, so intensely familiar, inevitably added some subtle mental chaos to the proceedings and rarely allowed both of us to succeed on the same day. Through elementary school, high school, college and beyond, whether teammate or adversary, our progress fired and sputtered upward, but was seldom parallel. Illicit treasure in hand, I turned to task. Stealthy sand burial was my instinctual mode of mischief. Timelessly, the towel ceased to flutter and disappeared to unknown stillness; Ellen’s patience was about to be gloriously strained. 10

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Rocked by the perceived severity of these words, I was greatly gratified to hear he had again overcome. Though his days remained frustratingly unpredictable, Jim had already snuck in enough turbulent training to pop a good race or two, mightily displacing enough turmoil within to retain himself. Although our notion of “us” is abstractly indescribable, Jim and I still know tangible connection after many years and miles of separation. Sometimes I feel his footsteps quickening behind me as I feverishly lift to the top of the final hill. Other times my thoughts relax, back to the beginning; inevitably returning to our day at the beach, digging for that towel one more time. –IF

Contributor of the Year: Jeff Crumbaugh

By Charles Douglas McEwen

so that no paper or Styrofoam cups are used. Race t-shirts are made from organic materials that are easily recyclable.

hen running on the wooded trails near his home in northeastern Wisconsin, Jeff Crumbaugh generally enjoys getting close to nature. But on one occasion nature got too close to him: Crumbaugh almost ran into a bear.

“In the pre-run packets we give out, you get a bib and a shirt,” he said. “After the runs you get food. And we compost all our food waste.” Crumbaugh emphasizes communing with nature over competition, but Endurance Series races do give memorable awards.

“We both stood there for a few seconds,” he said. “Then the bear went up a tree and I went the other way!” Participants in the trail runs that Crumbaugh coordinates for the Great Lakes Endurance Series don’t have to worry too much about bears. But they might catch a glimpse of an eagle soaring or a fawn with her mother (if they’re really quiet).

“We work with local artists, farmers and food producers to provide unique gifts, in the process supporting the area’s economy,” Crumbaugh said. Endurance Series trail runs have given out hand-made medallions and ceramic bowls, wild forest jams, honey, blocks of cheese and more.

The Endurance Series, which Crumbaugh founded, now consists of four challenging trail runs that delve deep into the woodlands of northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

For a decade, Crumbaugh also directed the Keweenaw Trail Running Festival on the U.P.’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The three-race series, praised by Runner’s World, Trail Runner and Michigan Runner magazines, was retired this year.

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

They include the Navarino Snowshoe Adventure Feb. 27 and Navarino Trail Run April 18 at the Navarino State Wildlife Area in Shiocton, Wisc. In Michigan, the Grand Island Trail Marathon takes place Aug. 1 near Munising and the Taqua Trail Run is Aug. 15 at Taquamenon Falls State Park.

Before he began directing trail runs, Crumbaugh ran cross country for Hope College in Holland. While competing in road races in the 1980s, he ran PRs of 16:06 for 5K, 32:48 for 10K and 2:36:12 for the marathon.

“It was a wonderful race,” Crumbaugh said. “But it was a long way away from where we live and a lot of work to get up there and put it on. Ten years seem like a good time to move on to something else. And we’re working on new events.” Crumbaugh generally limits race entries to a few hundred people. (He has gone as high as 500 at Grand Island.) “We keep our races small and try to find routes that are truly beautiful,” he said. “We want to create an experience for

While living in Ann Arbor, he developed a passion for trail running at the nearby Pinckney Recreation Area. He also spent happy hours on trails near Mammoth Falls, Calif., when he lived there. Crumbaugh now teaches chemistry and physics at Clintonville High School, where he is head coach of the cross country team and long-distance coach for track.

Jeff Crumbaugh is pictured at the 2009 Tahqua Trail Run.

runners that connects them with nature, and we want to do it in as ecologically-sensitive way as possible.” Runners can bring small cameras and take pictures. But Crumbaugh wants everyone to leave behind only footprints. He requires runners to bring their own water bottles, which are filled at aid stations

“I’m really honored by this,” he said of his MR Contributor of the Year award. “I grew up in Michigan. And I’ve been reading Michigan Runner since the 1970s, when I circled races on the calendar that I wanted to run.” What does he hope runners take away from an Endurance Series trail run? “I hope they have an inspiring experience in a natural environment,” Crumbaugh said. “I hope they have an opportunity to meet like-minded people in a positive social environment. And I want it to be a great experience for kids.” (The series offers kids races at all events.) MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Detroit Free Press / Flagstar Marathon, Detroit

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Record Freep Marathon Field Meets Triumph, Tears

A busy finish line depends on volunteers to provide medals, mylar blankets and smiles to Detroit Free Press / Flagstar Marathon runners and walkers. Diane Burns (bib no. 2275) of Valparaiso, Indiana, finished in 5:34:47 (chip time). Michael Wills (bib no. 6054) of Lasalle, Ontario, finished his first marathon in 5:36:45. By Charles Douglas McEwen DETROIT (10/18/09) — Nick Stanko of Haslett and Sarah Plaxton of Highland took different routes to victory at the 32nd annual Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. While Stanko, 28, seized control of the men’s race with four miles to go, Plaxton, 41, made her move with fewer than 400 meters left. Stanko, 28, outdueled Chad Johnson, 33, of Rochester Hills by 31 seconds. Plaxton edged Ariella Gottfried, 22, of Minneapolis by just nine seconds. Stanko, a former University of Michigan standout who now coaches at Haslett High School, and Johnson, who runs for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, took turns leading for the first 22 miles. “With about four miles to go, it was my 12

turn to lead,” said Stanko. “I pushed it as much as I could and opened a little gap. I wondered whether I had accelerated too soon, but I knew Chad has a very good kick. I didn’t want to have to outsprint him at the end.” Stanko timed 2:20:22, Johnson 2:20:53. Matt Fecht, 25, of Warren finished third in 2:27:46. Henry Scollard, 46, of Cambridge, Mass., topped the masters in 2:36:51. Eric Green, 41, of Pontiac was the first Michigan master in 2:41:44. Plaxton turned the final corner of the women’s race and saw Gottfried in front of her. “Then I pulled the string (and went by her),” Plaxton said. The winner, a mother of three who has run this race many times and finished second in 2002, was shocked to win overall. She had just hoped to win the masters. “I can’t believe

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

it!” Plaxton said of her victory. She finished in 2:57:09, Gottfried in 2:57:18. Another masters runner, Michelle Didion, 47, of Laporte, Ind., was third in 2:58:29. The marathon had a new course that started and finished on Fort Street, near the Free Press building. Among other highlights, it took runners through Mexicantown and gave them a spectacular view of the Detroit River toward the end of the race. “The course was awesome,” Stanko said. “I hope that Detroit can stick with this course. It’s one of the best I have ever run.” He and Plaxton were the first state tandem to win this race since the 1990s. Another Michigan native, Travis Peruski of Linden, won the handcycle marathon in 1:38:54. Grant Berthiaume of Tucson, Ariz., won the wheelchair race in 2:06:16.

“I was third last year,” Peruski said. “This year I had the pace car in front of me the whole way. My goal was simply to stay ahead of everybody — and I did.” Overall the event, which included a half marathon, 5K, relay teams and walk, saw 19,326 runners register, up close to 1,000 over last year’s record. Sadly, it also saw three fatalities. Rick Brown, 65, of Marietta, Ohio, and Daniel Langdon, 36, of Laingsburg collapsed on the course near the end of the half marathon, while Jon Fenlon, 26, of Waterford passed away after completing the half marathon in 1:53:37. They were the first deaths in this race since 1994, when one runner died. The weather didn’t appear to be a problem. The temperature hovered around 29 degrees when the race began at 7:15 a.m., but rose into the 40s as the sun came up. Runners didn’t have to fight much wind, even on the notoriously-gusty Belle Isle. Many thrived in the cool conditions. With a 1:13:11, Ryan Piippo, 31, of Detroit set a personal record by almost a minute in winning the men’s half marathon. “I’ve been training a lot,” Piippo said, “It’s great to get my best time ever.” Matt Yacoub, 35, of Farmington led the race going into the second mile. “He (Piippo) passed me on the bridge,” Yacoub said, “and probably had 10 or 15 seconds on me all through Windsor. “Then, coming out of the tunnel, he really dropped me. From there, I just tried to focus on staying in second place.” Yacoub, head cross country coach at Southfield Christian High School, did so in 1:14:55. Jason Mahakian, 20, of Farmington Hills finished third in 1:15:51. Southfield Christian assistant coach Angela Matthews, 25, of Westland won the women’s half marathon in a personal-record 1:18:51. “Angela ran amazing,” Yacoub said. “She had a great 5K a week ago, so I knew she was in shape to pull something off today.” Mindy Fernando, 31, of Franklin took second in 1:26:28. Andrea Blake, 30, of Dearborn was third in 1:27:03. The top finishers in the half marathon walk were David Potter, 45, of Royal Oak (2:07:51) and Lori Lynn Short, 43, of Clio (2:22:40). In the 5K, Matthew Behrensmeyer, 26, of Albion (17:27) and Sara Gerhardt, 21, of Macomb (19:23) won. For complete race results, go to www.detroitmarathon.com. MR

The Dream By Bob Shaffer

ost people who have pinned bibs on singlets and double-knotted laces have wondered/ questioned/ aspired (before they respired), “What would it be like to win a race?” Except for the golden, speedy youth and “young” masters, the chances of doing so are so small that we store the idea in our drawers along with a few ribbons, finishers medals and age-group awards, if we’re fortunate or persistent. When I first started running in the 1970s, I didn’t know about road races. When I raced “competitively” in the ’80s, a 38-minute 10K would get you about 500th place in races that only gave prizes to the top three. In the ‘90s and “noughties” things looked up a bit, because I slowed just a tad less than my peers, some of whom ceased racing. It’s not so bad when there are three in your age group; you can phone it in and still medal. Still, other than masters wins (one) and age-group placings, I, like most entrants, never won a race overall. As my age pushed 60, with a full-time-plus demanding career and a lovely, if less-demanding, family, it didn’t look promising. In addition I have no talent, never won when I was young and have had insulindependent diabetes for going on 40 years. Winning overall? Fat chance. Two years ago I targeted one small race, but it had its issues. They promised two agegroup medals; of course I got second and no medal. Oh well, it was for charity. I heard of a new race the next year that sounded good, but it wasn’t for charity. So I decided to give the old race one last chance. It was for charity, you know. I got up early and found the road I take to the race was closed because of the nearby Reeds Lake Triathlon. I made up a detour on the spot and floored the accelerator — good for the adrenalin, if not blood pressure.

All the guys were there. We’re friends, competitors — and two in my age group were faster than I am. I think one of them, a spring chicken (with 100,000-plus miles on his running odometer) in his early-mid-50s, designed the course. And, yep, medals to two again. We took off, bold masters, behind young studs in cotton jerseys, with maybe 100-plus runners behind. On the first hill we were in a tidy group, with the cotton kids in front and old farts hanging in ready to overtake them. It turned out the fast coots were both nursing injuries and I wasn’t. There were just a few up in front and I took the lead just for fun, so I could tell disbelieving grandchildren (if they ever arrive), “Yeah, I led a race once, a long time ago ...” Surprisingly, it was getting a little lonely out there. I was following the cop car and smelling its exhaust. Now, you’d think if the car turned left and the straight was blocked by orange cones, you’d turn left too, right? The marshall was on his cell phone and didn’t point, the carbon monoxide was getting to me, I was going into oxygen debt and, of course, I’d never been in such a situation before. “Turn left, Bob,” said my friend behind me, and I was grateful. As in the movies, he caught me before the last hills, near the finish. Who’s got it? We both went, but I had it and he, with his injury, did not. I reached the finish line by a church. Divine intervention? Hardly, but a miracle as I see it. Got first. More than 100 runners, hilly course. Of course they spelled my name wrong — so who’s going to believe me? But I swear the dream came true.

The fog was like pea soup city. Was God trying to tell me something?

Postscript: If you win, you should always return the next year. As luck would have it, it was my turn to feel lameness (two hamstrings and a glute) and a virus. I got second in my age group, another miracle if you will, and I did get a medal with my name spelled correctly. It’s for charity.

I arrived just in time, but with little time to warm up. Good thing for those stress hormones and hypertension: they’ll get you through in a pinch.

Bob Shaffer, 57, is a Grand Rapids psychologist, runner and sometimes-exponent of the virtues of Newton shoes. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Monumental Efforts at Monumental Marathon I back it down to a 6:23 fourth and head into suburbia. Nice houses, a fair amount of spectators out to encourage us.

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

The sun is up and it’s warming quickly. I’ve already pitched the throw-away white tshirt that my 8-year-old daughter had so graciously markered with words of wisdom. I grudgingly pull off the homemade hat (cutoff sleeve from the plain-white T) that Madison had made into a piece of art. She’s drawn pictures of hamsters, in running shorts, start lines and finish banners on it. She’s been woken too many mornings to her dad spinning the “wheels” of the treadmill and in her mind likens me to a hamster. Hamster Hank isn’t ready to throw out the “hat” yet. It feeds me strength. I double wrap it on my wrist and continue. 6:27, 6:22, I am basically where I want to be. Feeling rested and well.

By Hank Risley

a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Leonard, Jackie, Pam and I settle in the car in an Indianapolis parking ramp. We’re preparing to run the Monumental Marathon. Temperatures are reasonable in the dark morning, although it’s forecast to warm later. A few minutes before the start I wriggle my way up to the Seed 2 corral. Behind the Kenyans and other elites I feel slow. I’m nervous. There are 5,700 runners going out this morning: 3,400 in the marathon and 2,300 in the half marathon. I make small talk with the guys around me. One, directly behind me, chimes in, “I’m getting engaged at the finish!” The mood lightens and we all high-five him. He’s staged a pal at mile 25 to give him the ring. His girlfriend, running the half, will be done and waiting for him when he crosses the line. We wish him luck and the gun goes off. The first couple miles are in central, downtown Indy; we pass the Lucas Oil Stadium twice and have fans lined along the course. The course is wide but congested. Too many runners are going out hard, pumped up on adrenalin from the crowds and buildup. 6:20 first mile, 6:21 second; I’m not getting any space and can’t settle in. I decide to pull away and get some room. 6:13 third mile and I’m free. 14

I jokingly tell a runner, “The best run for a distance runner is the first half of a marathon.” It’s true. Well-rested with a long taper. Loaded with carbs and energy. Running light in race shoes and gear. Not running so hard as to tax your system during the first 13. Spectators, fellow runners, it’s the best! The wind is starting to pick up, although the neighborhood homes give breaks from it. The forecast is for high winds, 20-30 mph. I’m hoping I am done long before they reach those levels. The course veers back and forth, but predominantly north for the first half, giving us a slight tailwind. I break into conversation with those around me. All guys, looking to run 2:45 to just under 3 hours. A couple gals, attracting a large group of male runners (typical!) are 30 yards up on us. Those of us out for the full 26.2 are still running side-by-side with the half-marathoners at this point. They veer off at mile 7. I decide it’s time to get a group together and try to work as a team. 6:27 mile, I pull up and encourage others to tuck in behind me. I chat a little with each and then tell them to “get on the bus!” Names are optional, we’re attracting “states” today. Two former high-school teammates from Indiana, a fast-looking 30ish from Tennessee, Ohio, Washington and New York. 6:28, 6:29, we pass the half-marathon turnoff and lose sight of the gals. It’s starting to get warm now. We’re all taking GU’s and

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

chuckling about the flavors and consistency differences. Aid stations come and go, we drink and splash our heads and faces with the cool water. “Max” joins us. He appears very young. I joke with him, tell him that my daughter’s dog is named Max (true). When I tell him the dog is a St. Bernard-Newfoundland mix and weighs 176 lbs., he smiles. We find that Max is an 18-year-old high school kid. He’s not lean like a Kenyan, but looks strong. His first marathon today, he reports to have “completed a tri-atholon.” We’re rolling at a sub-2:50 pace at this point. Those of us who have been around are concerned that he’s in pretty deep for a young kid. 6:28 and we roll past 10 miles. 64 and change on the watches. My GPS unit, and the two other runners with me, are registering our splits before the race mile markers. It’s getting warm, but I am encouraged as my digestive system feels OK and I am taking GU: two down and considering a third within a couple more miles. I am a little short on fluid intake, as the aid station volunteers are not always handing them to us and I refuse to stop at a table to get it myself. I’ve doused myself with red Powerade, unable to keep steady and drink it smoothly at race pace. 6:31 and I tell the pack I’ve got to step it up a bit. We’ve had one runner pull ahead at this point, Max and another have dropped off. I surge and run 6:21 and 6:23 for 12 and 13. Two runners stay with me and we cross the half at 1:24 and change. They both look strong, good form and no labored breathing. We’re into some hills now, up and down, up and down. More difficult is the fact that the sun has warmed the air, brought the wind up and we’ve turned the primary corner on the course and are heading south, into the wind and towards the city. I tell myself, this is where the race starts. Keep focused. This is where the body starts to fatigue. The course is coming into the hilly areas and will combine with the elements to make it harder. It’s a balance now. Mental strength must drive as the body burns through the remaining easy energy (glycogen stores). 6:27, 6:31, the three of us are working hard but helping each other. We’re hot now;

our communication has dropped to short bursts. Our mile splits on the GPS units continue to show a long course. We’re two tenths of a mile over now, wondering if we’ll “get it back” with a short mile later. Did we miss cutting a tangent somewhere? No, we’ve been in sight of others and running smart the entire race. Were we misdirected minimally? I can feel my feet acutely now. The warm weather and turning course has compounded the friction buildup and I can tell I am blistering. My heart is in the race and I know I’ve got some gas left in the tank. I’ve spent a lot of time training my body to be used to having to pick it up late in the run, to work hard when it’s hardest to do. I don’t look forward to it, but know I will. I concentrate on the fact that I have only 10 miles left. Miles 16-19 are the hilliest on the course: due south, into the wind. I tell myself, “These next three miles will make or break the race for me.” If I can hold pace through them, stay on target up the hills and not blow up, it will be a good race. I challenge my two partners. We tighten our strides, drop our heads a notch and drive up the hills, into the wind. 6:33, 6:36. 6:32. We come off of the major final hill, sun beating on our faces and still together. We’ve passed a dozen others in the last three miles, carnage from the hills and what Mother Nature is dealing us. Our GPS units continue to show the course long: .22 mile over at the mile markers now. A lone pedestrian stands at the top of the final hill. In a coach’s jacket, he looks lean and fit. We see him, eyeing our form as we climb. He calls to us “32, 33, 34. You guys look good and are reeling them in. Stay strong.” His encouragement and coming off of the final major hill charge me. I tell the other two, “I have to go, dig hard and work the last seven out.” 6:21 mile, I am on my own. I come upon an aid station, make eye contact with a volunteer and holler for water. She looks at me. I am wild-eyed, red-faced and moving fast. My white singlet is splashed with red Powerade. She stands still for a moment, but as I come towards her for a cup she pulls away with a nervous look on her face. Argh! I am making ground on others. My mind is frazzled, but I try to compute my position. I think I am in the mid to upper 20s now, maybe 27th or 28th. 6:25 for mile 20. The GPS is registering

20.27 at the race mile marker. I tell myself, “Only a 10K left and if the course is accurate I’ll find a ‘short mile’ in here somewhere.” I try to calculate my finish time based on the GPS time and distance remaining. My mental capacity is going down; I can’t do it. I am starting to come apart and I know it. I think back to last May, when I fell apart at mile 22 in the Bayshore Marathon and tell myself I can’t do that again. Not today. Not with the wind and hot sun; it just can’t happen. 6:30 on the dot for mile 21. I kiss the PowerAde-splashed and sweat-covered “hat” still wrapped around my wrist, and in my mind tell Madison that her “Hamster Dad” is going to keep spinning that wheel. Another aid station, this one stocked with M&Ms, Snickers, water and Powerade -- but only two volunteers working it and neither in front of the table. I know I can’t slow or stop; I won’t start again if I do. I roll past them, angry but focused. I have a chocolate GU tucked in my shorts. I pull it out, tear it open and squeeze the thick package of energy into my mouth. I am dehydrated and need water, but I know the sugar and caffeine in the GU will give me a quick hit. I look up at the sun, thank God that I can run and swear that I will pour every ounce of energy in my body into the next five miles. I surge and roll a 6:19 at mile 22. I am way out now. Marginally coherent, hot, dehydrated and thoroughly exhausted. My toes feel like someone played xylophone on them with a ball peen hammer. I am out in the danger zone now, not sure how long I can last. Mile 23 clocks off at a 6:20, but I am falling apart. It’s unbelievably harder to find energy in my body. I slow. am sluggish in my mind as I fight to keep my leg rotation up. The GPS shows the course over .27 now; I pray for a short mile. My effort increases, but I move slower. I see a runner, gray-haired guy, likely a fellow masters (over 40) division runner in front of me and I focus. I know I must pass him soundly, with some speed and good form. I overtake him and come through mile 24 at 6:35. Mile 25 is Monumental (No pun intended). I am kept moving by drive and the sight of a few other runners in front of me. Most are moving slow and I am gaining on them. “Carnage.” I tell myself that I cannot become that, not today. I roll past each one, recognizing one as the guy that burned by me and my pack at mile 14. Mile 25 passes at a 6:37. Mile 26, I see another gray-haired runner, running but slow. I am sure he is masters competitor and will myself to stay strong. I surge as I pass him, wanting to be sure he doesn’t

make an attempt to speed up himself and stay with me. There are more spectators now; we are nearing the finish. I draw energy from them and push the last of my energy into my legs. I am moving again now, spent, running on empty, but moving. I see more carnage from the heat and wind, runners barely moving as I pass them. I pass one walking and tell him to “stay strong and dig hard.” He lifts his low-hanging head and looks at me. As he does, a hint of a wicked smile flashes on his cheek and he starts to run. Run fast. He is 24 years old and lean, his form resembles that of a well-trained runner and he pushes forward like a champion. I will myself to match his tempo and stay with him. The GPS bleeps, we’ve knocked off a 6:09 mile for number 26! The crowd has grown, but no sign of the finish. I make peace with the fact that yes, the course is long and I try to hold onto the tiger I awoke in this young runner. He edges ahead of me as we climb the slight hill near the final turn of the race. The crowd is cheering as I make the turn on the final one eighth mile, red bricks on a short uphill. I pump my arms and run as though my life depends on it. The young runner does the same and gaps me further as I cross the finish five seconds behind him. The GPS clocked my last half-mile (the race was 26.5 miles) at 3:09. I stumble in the finish area, relieved but confused. I know I will get better, but fight to stay focused and on my feet. Bob Kennedy, former U.S. Olympian and the race director, holds me up and congratulates me. Someone hands me a water bottle. 2:50:13. Slower than I ran Bayshore this past spring. Two minutes off of my goal pace. Disappointed? No! The course was long, probably adding 1.5 to 2 minutes. The heat, inexperienced aid station volunteers and wind made for a challenging race. I thank God for my health and start to resume coherency. Someone cuts off my chip and hands me a banana. I look at my “hamster hat” splashed like a tie dye from all the red PowerAde that missed my mouth, covered in sweat and still wrapped around my wrist. I silently thank Madison for the help her creative artwork did to keep her hamster dad kept rolling on his wheel today and wander off to bask in the sun. I climbed from 34th at Mile 19 to 17th at the finish. Out of 3,400 marathon runners, first masters. Prize money ten-deep in the

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard Trivia: How many finishers were there in the 1969 Boston Marathon?

TURNING FORTY. In my September/October 2009 column, I mentioned my Ann Arbor Huron High crosscountry team won the 1969 Class A state championship. Former teammate Karl Tsigdinos, who now lives in Ireland, responded and I invited him to share his thoughts about that season of serendipity. Karl’s description is full of things I had long forgotten, refreshed other memories and I found my thoughts wandering to other happy moments from that season. It was a special team and remains Huron’s only state cross titlist. Here’s hoping you enjoy this trip down memory lane: “I remember the rain most of all,” wrote Karl. “It was bitterly cold and coming down in torrents. It would have been bad for a Michigan February, but for the first of November it was especially miserable. We were at the Washtenaw Country Club in Ypsilanti to run in the championships. “If there was a section below underdogs, that’s what we were. But it suited the seven misfits who made up the our team. (In those pre-running boom days, everyone crazy enough to run cross-country was a misfit. As one-time harrier Bill Cosby said, ‘No girl wants to watch a skinny kid run two miles and then throw up.’) “We’d had a mediocre season, losing our first three dual meets and only finished second in the South Central Conference to Adrian on their home course. I had run JV for the first few races, then joined the varsity, though I was never better than sixth or seventh man most of the season. “I moved up to fifth man as a result of finally getting spikes I’d ordered from Moe’s Sports Shop. They were a beautiful pair of adidas Tokyos which cost the princely sum of $27. Previously I’d raced in my $11 adidas

Monumental Marathon continues open division, with Kenyans picking up the first two positions. I didn’t expect to, but was pleasantly surprised to collect a little money for winning masters. I ran into Max at the awards ceremony. The 18-year-old, on track for a 2:50 at mile 10, finished in 3:10. With the seriousness and depth of understanding of one who has been to complete exhaustion and back, he looked 16

Roms, training shoes made of thick leather with rippled rubber soles and the flexibility of a mahogany plank. “We were so bad that midway through the season our coach, Des Ryan, promised to shave his head if we won the state championship. He was obviously quite confident in us! “We did, however, improve as went along and even pulled an upset by winning our regional at Cass Benton Park in Northville. We assumed that would be the high point of our season. Heck, Huron High was only 2-plus years old and had been in its brand-new building for just a few weeks. What right did we have to win anything? A regional title was pretty darn good. “On top of that, our best runner, Scott Hubbard, was nursing a hip injury, which pretty much put to rest any chances we might have entertained of greater glory — had we entertained any in the first place. We were thus very casual about an event where defending-champ Flint Kearsley and our SCC rival Adrian were favored to clash for the title. “I was a 15-year-old sophomore and this was my first state meet, so I had no idea what to expect. I think I was nervous, but less so than in previous races. I do recall us sitting in a car singing ‘Cupid’ before warming up.” (SH: Indeed we did and with gusto!) “After a short jog, we stopped in the woods near the start for a quick leak. As we emerged, we heard the starter calling the runners to the line. We hastily shed our warmups and got to the line just as the gun went off. “Starting at the very back of the pack had two advantages: One, there was no time to get tense; and two, we missed the crush as the field moved en masse up the slight hill toward the first corner. I remember hurdling a fallen runner, his legs bloody from spike wounds. “From there on the race was essentially a blur. I recall passing runners one after another and a sense of flying through a crowd reduced to a flurry of colors. At around the 1

at me and said, “Miles 22 through 26 were the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life.” It wasn’t my “best” marathon but a solid one and surely a monumental effort at the Monumental Marathon! Pam, Jackie, Leonard, Rick, Lynn and Cathy all ran well also. Laurel Dawson of

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

1/2-mile mark the pack began to thin, though I didn’t understand the significance of this;- I just worked harder to catch guys in front of me. I do recall passing two runners clad in the distinctive blue singlets of Adrian. “With a quarter mile to go I caught my first sight of a teammate, Eddie Fisher. Eddie had been our second man all year, but moved to lead man when he finished fourth place in regionals. As I pulled level with Eddie, we passed Coach Ryan, who roared ‘Go!’ at us. This had the desired effect, spurring us to run faster. Eddie and I booted it for the finish line. “We dropped into a dip, then hit a sharp turn up a short hill which took us onto the sloping straight to the finish. I don’t remember anything more until we were in the chute where I was handed a card with the number 13 on it. I had passed Eddie and one more runner in those last few yards and didn’t even realize it. I also had no idea I’d gotten so close to the front. “Our teammate Andy Campbell had a great gallop and was just behind us in 18th place. Adrian Newby and Martin Hueter also scored for us in 29th and 45th respectively. Scott limped home in 80th, with Martin’s brother Carl one place behind him.” (SH: I was definitely in a bad way and hadn’t run a step during the week between the regional and state meets). “We got out of the chute as quickly as we could and the team gathered, happy but calm. I couldn’t believe that I had finished 13th in the state over a distance that 10 weeks earlier I couldn’t even cover in a jog. That was the extent of our excitement. After all, we had 120 points and our No. 1 man had finished 80th. It was time to go home for hot showers and hot meals. “We were packing to leave when Des ran around telling us to stay. He’d been checking the other teams’ scores and reckoned we might have a chance for a medal. We thought he was nuts but waited nonetheless. “When they finally announced the

Muskegon won grand masters with an impressive time of 3:28. After some food, shower and R&R, a group of us met for a little fun that evening before dropping into blissful sleep … wrapping up a memorable trip to Indianapolis! Hank Risley was Michigan Runner of the Year in 2008. MR

“Doug Brown of Harper Woods Notre Dame won the team race, with Adrian’s Dave Eddy in second. Mike Parrett of emerging distance power St Joseph’s took third. Another fine SCC runner, Mike Goodwin of Jackson Parkside, won the individual race crown. “There was some celebrating at the course, but I don’t know if any of us really understood what had happened — I certainly didn’t. The photos which Andy’s mother took show us looking dazed and bemused. “The full impact of the win didn’t sink in for a few days. We were briefly heroes in school; partly because they held an assembly for us, but mainly because they gave everyone the afternoon off in our honor. “Later that week Coach Ryan came to us in something of a panic, offering a lame excuse why he couldn’t shave his head. We just laughed and let him off the hook. Nature has since done to Des what he failed to do that November day long ago and his head is finally shiny. “Though I can’t vouch for my former teammates, I’m considerably less aerodynamic than I was in ‘69. It’s been two decades since I’ve been able to run competitively. My last running days were ironically spent as a member of the Donore Harriers here in Dublin, the club Des had belonged to before he came to Ann Arbor to run for the University of Michigan and then to coach at Huron. “Having lived in Ireland for some three decades and with both my parents dead, I’ve had little reason to return to Ann Arbor for a while. Thus it’s been close to three decades since I’ve seen the Hueters and longer since I’ve seen Scott, Eddie, Andy or Adrian. I can’t believe November 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of that cold, wet, miserable day when a group of misfits won a championship which nobody, including their coach or those misfits themselves, thought they would win. “Although winning the title is a pleasant memory, it’s the friendships with my teammates and the running itself which I cherish most. Even now, on a cold, crisp autumn day, when my legs ache for a fast 11-miler, those are the things I truly miss. “I’m especially proud to have been part of that generation of Michigan distance runners. They were tough kids. It was the quantity of great runners which strikes me now as I look over old clippings from those days. “In addition to future Olympian Doug

Photo courtesy of Scott Hubbard

results, it transpired we had won! Kearsley finished second with 142 points and Adrian was a distant fifth with 174. Pontiac Northern and Harper Woods Notre Dame split the two challengers with 154 and 162 points each.

Michigan\'92s 1969 high school Class A cross country champions were (from left) Adrian Newby, Karl Tsigdinos, Andy Campbell, Eddie Fisher, Scott Hubbard, coach Des Ryan (with his daughter Michelle), Carl Hueter and Martin Hueter} Brown, our era featured great runners from Adrian and St Joseph’s, as well as several individuals who were always dueling for the top spots including Doug Kurtis of Livonia Stevenson, Southgate’s Dave Burkhart, Bob Hunt of Bay City Central and Don Anderson of Garden City West. “The following year, 1970, a certain Greg Meyer finished fifth in the Class B race, leading Grand Rapids West Catholic to the team title. Mike Gilleran of Birmingham Seaholm beat Dave Baker of Kearsley and myself that year for the title. “Meyer went on to win the Class A crown in ‘71, the Class B title in ’72 and, like, Doug Brown, even greater things. Reed City’s Herb Lindsay won Class B and C titles in ‘71 and ‘72, and became the top-ranked road racer in the world in ‘79 and ‘80.”

THREE MEN. It took me more than weeks to compose my thoughts and send a note to Detroit Free Press Marathon race director Pat Ball after this year’s Oct. 18 running. This was the heart of my message to her: “It was a long day and, for the most part, a good long day. Being physically central to so much that happened, I couldn’t help feeling pulled in many directions. “I first heard about a medical problem on the course via radio chatter. Minutes later, a runner collapsed about 10 yards behind me in the finish area. It wasn’t until I got home that I heard about a third medical problem and that all three runners involved had died: Rick Brown, Jon Fenlon and Daniel Langdon.

“Over the next three to four days, reports of the deaths were very much in the news. I took them all in and tried my best to put things in perspective. “I thought about the friends and families of the three men. I thought about those who witnessed and helped the fallen men. I thought about you, the other runners and walkers. “I listened to the reactions of medical experts, pundits and non-runners. Looking at the big picture helped me distill what happened and find some calm in the tragedy. “My thoughts went first to the families and friends of the dead men. How awful it must have been to learn their loved ones had passed away. “I felt torn, unsettled and distracted for a week after race day thinking about those who had lost a husband, father, son or friend. I lost a friend to running 23 years ago and it still hurts to think about it. “Next I thought about the running community and how they’d respond. All sent prayers and condolences. It was a terrible thing to happen — and rare too. “It asks the question, ‘What’s next?’ What’s next is each runner will assimilate news of the deaths as they will and likely continue running. They know the exercise is doing them good and odds of prosperity very much outweigh the downside.” Answer: 1,152. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Fifth Third Turkey Trot, Detroit

Photo by Jennie McCafferty

Detroit Turkey Trot Sets Another Turnout Mark

The costume contest brought out chefs, santas, trees, tin soldiers, and the Big Bad Wolf chasing Little Red Riding Hood. By Charles Douglas McEwen

DETROIT (11/26/09) — In her first race since giving birth to a daughter last May, Dot McMahan, 33, romped to victory in the 27th annual Fifth Third Bank Detroit Turkey Trot 10K, a race she seems to win every two years. McMahan, who runs for the HansonsBrooks Development Project, also triumphed in 2005 (with a time of 37:41) and 2007 (34:43). She timed 35:38 this year. “I was hoping to run faster than 36 minutes,” she said. “Because of my pregnancy, it’s been more than a year since I last raced and it’s taken a long time to get back into race shape. But I’m right where I want to be now. “My next race will probably be a marathon, so I’m going to work hard to get ready for that,” she said. McMahan didn’t mind the cold, windy weather. “It’s always windy here,” she said. “I did this in a blizzard four years ago.” The runner-up woman, 30 seconds back, was Sarah Price, 23, a Minnesota native and recent Michigan State University graduate. After traveling from East Lansing, Price discovered she had forgotten her running-

shoes. No worries. She borrowed a pair from her boyfriend’s mother and finished in 36:18, comfortably ahead of third-place finisher Jessica Graf, 28, of Holton (36:42). “I’ve never run a road 10K before, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Price said. “I was shooting for a six-minute pace per mile and I got that.” Another Hansons-Brooks runner, Sage Canaday, 24, won the men’s race in 31:11. “There was a guy with me for the first four miles or so. We kind of worked together,” said Canaday. “Then I put in a little surge and brought it in from there. “I was running by myself (in the lead) for the last couple miles. But there were always a lot of spectators, especially along the parade route,” the winner said. The Turkey Trot enjoyed more than great spectator support; it also set a turnout record with more than 14,600 runners and walkers, close to 4,000 more than last year. Jon Rock, 20, took second behind Canaday in 31:27. Aaron Metler, 25, of St. George, Utah, finished third in 32:31.

Michigan Runner TV http://michiganrunner.tv/2009_53turkeytrot/ 18

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

The 5K leaders took a wrong

turn around the two-mile mark and ended up running an extra half-mile — making their race closer to 6K. Scott Setzke, 28, of Wyandotte (19:51) edged Tim Horst, 22, of Trenton (19:53) and Mike Gibbons, 19, of Livonia (19:55) for the victory. “I don’t know if I would have finished in the top three if it had not been extended beyond 5K,” Horst said. “Everybody sort of bunched up; then, when we figured out the way to finish line, everyone sprinted.” Denisa Costescu, 33, of Commerce joined the lead men running an extra half-mile. She still edged defending women’s champ Maya Stovall, 27, of Birmingham, 20:25 to 20:28. Nicole Kowalchick, 13, of Rochester took third in 20:30. The Turkey Trot always precedes the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year’s run, which also included a Mashed Potato Mile, was presented by The Parade Company, Fifth Third Bank and New Balance. Race director Doug Kurtis was blown away by the turnout. “My goal was to hit 12,000,” he said, “based on the way it has been growing. “To hit 14,000 is phenomenal!” Kurtis said. Complete results can be found at www.gaultracemanagement.com. MR

Matt Bedford: First of the Michigan Mohicans

By Ron Marinucci

11,400 feet of total climb.

“I’d never run it before, so I went down three weeks early for practice runs on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning,” he recalled. “I wanted to see the waterfalls and try out hand-over-hand.”

att Bedford’s first racing interest was with motorcycles. “I ran on and off my whole life,” he shrugged, “but only because I lived in a rural area and, to visit a friend, I pretty much had to run there.” Bedford discovered competitive running a bit later. This past summer, for the third time since 2006, the 48-year-old was the first Michigan finisher at the Mohican 100-Mile Trail Race in Ohio, finishing fourth overall out of 70 entries. The next state runner was 22nd. Motorcycles to ultra running? “I didn’t embrace running until 17 or18 years ago,” Bedford admitted. “Julie and I got married and we were broke. Running was cheap.” He first talked Julie into running. She was an aerobics instructor who “traded one addiction,” smoking, “for another,” running. She’s become a pretty good marathoner, ultra runner and triathlete. “After Julie ran her first marathon, I ran one in ’93 or ’94,” Bedford remembered. Soon afterward, they did Dances with Dirt as “a family team.” There, he saw the legendary Dick West running the 100K. “I asked myself, ‘How do they do that?’ It piqued my interest,” Bedford said. He ran the 50K at DWD in 1998 and 1999, thinking that “was the biggest thing I’d ever do in my lifetime.” Then he learned about the Leadville 100, one of the granddaddies of American ultra racing. “I said, ‘This is even crazier than Dances with Dirt,’” he recalled. “But in the back of my mind ...” After finishing the DWD 50-miler a couple years later, Bedford decided “to step up with the big boys. I was thinking Leadville, but I found Mohican.” The Mohican, near Loudonville, Ohio, is a beautiful but very challenging ultra. It starts at 5 a.m. on a Saturday and runners are timed until 11 a.m. on Sunday. Running through the night, participants carry flashlights, wear headlamps or have some other source of illumination. Although there is some pavement and dirt-road surface, much of the course is singletrack trail. There are waterfalls and sections that have to be traversed “hand-over-hand,” said Bedford. From start to finish, there are

forward to. You do it twice and the first time is not too bad.

While there he met other “Mohicans,” runners who took him out on the course. “I met some great people and families,” said Bedford. “It’s the friendliest race I’ve ever run.” One of those guides was Regis Shivers, Sr., a 1,000-Mile Buckle Holder (meaning a 10-time Mohican finisher) who also wears a pacemaker.

“The second time you sort of go numb,” he said. Julie said her husband usually trains for ultras with mere 15-mile long runs. He himself likened preparation to “training for a tough marathon, trying for a PR.” Often, he trains on the Torn Shirt Trail at Brighton State Recreation Area: a 6-mile loop with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. “It’s as close to simulating the Mohican as we get around here,” he said.

“He’s my inspiration,” Bedford said. “I gained more knowledge from him in one night than ever since.”

He still runs trails during winters, ice, snow and all. “It toughens the leg muscles,” Bedford said, “and you become more coordinated. I seldom trip and fall (on the trails).”

Bedford runs with Shivers’ son, Regis, Jr., now. One of their goals is to earn their own 1,000-Mile Buckles together.

He mostly trains by himself. “I don’t know a lot of people who like to go out in the woods and run like I do,” he said.

During the Mohican, Bedford uses a flashlight — “a green one,” he said. “I prefer it (over a headlamp). I can point it in different directions. It helps with my peripheral vision.

Bedford sees “a bit of a lull in Michigan ultra runners,” noting there aren’t many Dick Wests out there. But, he looks “for state runners to step it up a bit. There’s really only one 100-mile race in Michigan.”

“A Mexican woman recommended using a blue or green flashlight,” he continued. “It doesn’t mess with your night vision. Red isn’t bright enough. And I’m one of the few guys with a green light, so my crew can see me coming.” Bedford’s crew helps with fluids and nutrition on the course. He practices to determine the balance of foods and drinks he needs. “Balance leads to a positive attitude. I can keep rolling long. A bad attitude is why some people bonk,” he said.

And he sees “more and more people from Michigan at the Mohican. I’m losing my little secret down in the woods of Ohio,” he laughed. For more information about the Mohican, including history and results, visit http://www.mohican100.org. Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net. MR

There are aid stations every five miles, “a smorgasbord of stuff.” Runners can get sports and energy drinks, plus anything from “a chunk of hamburger to a piece of turkey. There’s even a bowl of table salt,” Bedford said. “I follow my cravings, but my staple is peanut butter and jelly,” he continued. “Race veterans tell me Coca-Cola and chicken soup will cure any bonk. So 15 to 20 hours into it, I look for soup. “There is always pizza at mile 95,” he added. “I was really looking forward to it at mile 75 this year. But by 95 miles I didn’t want it.” Mile 80 begins a particularly tough stretch. “It’s a climb for more than 20 minutes,” said Bedford. “It’s something you don’t

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Michigan State High School Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals, Brooklyn

‘Go-Go’ Goethals Runs into History at State Meet

By Scott Sullivan

How good was Goethals? The top returnee from last year’s Foot Locker Nationals would have finished 11th in this year’s Division 4 state boys race and 25th, also good for all-state honors, among D3 males.

Megan Goethals (bib no. 314) leads the D1 Girls race at the start.

Temperatures rising by mid-afternoon to the mid-60s proved ideal for spectators but not runners, who for weeks had trained in more-seasonal cool conditions. Add homestretch headwinds gusting to 30 mph and most athletes labored to slower times than run last year.

Déjà Vu Again The day opened with Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart senior Bridget Bennett doing her best Goethals imitation, crushing the D4 girls field for the second-straight year with an 18:35.9 time.

Not Goethals, whose frame is as slender but strong as rails. Mile splits of 5:27 and 5:26 set her up to bore into the finishing winds alone. Pumping her arms high where lesser runners had crashed and burned, “GoGo” reached her goal, obliterating the the 17:10.1 state record she set last year.

Harbor Springs and Manton placed 1-2 in the team race, same as they did in 2008.

John Three-Peats Allendale senior Devan John made her own claim on history, winning her thirdstraight D3 girls crown. John, so light-footed that the grass doesn’t feel her passing, finished in 18:30.6, besting Lansing Catholic junior Megan Heeder (19:05.3).

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Goethals’ effort, even more dominant, served as bookend for a remarkable 10-year stretch.

Their entire team returns next year.

North Muskegon junior Lindsay Neal, state champion as a freshman, finished runner-up in 19:18.2.

In 2000 Dathan Ritzenhein launched the decade posting a jaw-dropping 14:10.4 at MIS. No boy has come within 40 seconds of that time since then.

Bridget Bennett, D4 Girls Champion

Hanover-Horton registered the lowest team score, 63 points, of the day’s eight races, with its top five runners claiming top30 all-state honors. So dominant were the Comets that their sixth girl, 35th in a 250runner field, had her score thrown out.

Rejoice, We Concord Phidippides, dispatched to run from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens to report on his army’s victory, covered the 26 (or so) mile distance, cried “Rejoice, we conquer!” and promptly died. Concord High fared better at the Division 4 boys finals, claiming the team title over Bridgman thanks to the 1-2 finishes of senior Kyle Stacks (15:54.8) and sophomore Spencer Nousain (16:09.7).

Photo by Peter Draugalis / dragaulisphotography

The Rochester senior broke 17 minutes — the first time a prep girl has ever done that on the state meet’s 5K layout — and destroyed her Division 1 competitors, clocking a 16:54.8 that was more than 1 minute, 15 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

BROOKLYN (11/7/09) — Megan “Go-Go” Goethals blew through headwinds into history at the Michigan HIgh School Athletic Association Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway this sunny day.

Devan John, D3 Girls Champion

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Lindsey Chinavare’s effort helped Hanover Horton win D3 Girls

Durand senior David Madrigal finished individual champ in 15:42.3, outkicking Harrison’s Blake Allison (15:45.9) and Albion’s Paul Lewis (15:49.8) during the wind-tunnel closing stretch.

Pioneers, Pogue Prevail Winning state championships is nothing new for the Pioneers of East Grand Rapids. The girls claimed their second-straight D2 crown, and fourth since 2003, edging Hamilton, which climbed all the way from 10th place last season. Goodrich senior Taylor Pogue bolted hard through a door left open when Jordan Tomecek was unable to defend her individual crown due to injury. Pogue’s 5:38 first mile gave her a 12-second lead over a small chase pack. EGR senior Lauren Grunewald closed in the final mile but spent herself doing so; the Martian star surged again to prevail in 18:11.0. Grunewald collapsed upon finishing second in 18:18.7, but recovered to celebrate a shared title with her team.

Saline’s Supreme If Goethals left little doubt who the best D1 girl was, there was ample suspense over who’d claim the team title. No. 2-ranked Saline, led by seniors Alex Leptich (fifth overall) and Kate Carter (10th), bested topranked Rockford, 141 points to 192.

Ionia, which had owned D2 boys foes until a late-season flu bug grounded it, rose to recovery. The Bulldogs, whose top six finished between 16:22.7 and 16:59.4, outscored runner-up Dexter, 92 to 184.

Photo by Peter Draugalis

Grandville Calvin Christian improved from sixth in D3 to boys runner-up this fall despite losing three of its top four runners from last year’s team.

Rise in Fall

The Dreadnaughts, state champions from 2002 to 2006, pulled off their own resurrection, having not even qualified for the state meet last year. Pontiac Notre Dame senior Christopher Burns (15:47.8) outsprinted Linden senior Jake Hord (15:50.2) for first among individuals.

From 2 to 1 Troy senior Mike Atchoo, second in the 2008 D1 boys race, used his 4:07-mile speed to run down last year’s D2 champion, Kenowa Hills senior Reed Kamyszek, in the day’s final competition. Kamyszek, whose school changed divisions, went out hard and led through the final mile, then was passed by seven runners in the home stretch. Atchoo crossed in in 15:28.5. Swartz Creek junior Jeremy Dickie (15:50.2) edged Detroit Catholic Central senior Richard Galindo (15:51.2) for second. Galindo’s Shamrocks, ranked No. 2 behind defending champ Ann Arbor Pioneer, had the day’s last laugh, seeing its top five runners finish in 16:24 or better to tally 68 team points to Pioneer’s 96. It was coach Anthony Magni’s fifth title with DCC since 1983.

David Madrigal, D3 Boys Champion

Photo by C. Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Benzie Central, which won eight state titles under coach Eldon “Pete” Moss, has lost little since Asa and Traci Kelly took over last fall as coaches. The Huskies were D3 girls champs last year and boys kings this year.

Hartland freshman Avery Evenson (18:10.3) ran down Livonia Churchill senior Sarah Kroll (18:10.7) at the finish to post the day’s second-fastest girls time.

Taylor Pogue, D2 Girls Champion Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

No Moss on B.C.

Christopher Burns, D2 Boys Champion

It was hard for teams crossing Michigan to and from the meet not to notice cars flying “S” (for Michigan State) and “M” (University of Michigan) flags, bound to and from home football games that day. Some, perhaps noting smugly that “Our sport (running) is yours (football’s) punishment,” might have reflected on the effort that went into qualifying for the cross finals. Runners’ own “S&M” flags may be just the thing next year. MR

Kyle Stacks, D4 Boys Champion

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Post-Partum

Michael Atchoo, D1 Boys Champion

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon, Grand Rapids

By Grant Lofdahl

Women Lead Way as GR Smashes Turnout Mark Again

Norton passed Kim Fleet late in the race and went on to win in a women’s course-record time. It was the first year on the new course, but Norton’s 2:58:51 was the secondfastest ever in the six-year history of the marathon. She became just the third woman to break the three-hour barrier in Grand Rapids. Fleet, of London, Ont., became the fourth in 2:59:23. “My strategy was to stick to my pace — a pace that was slightly uncomfortable,” said Norton, who averaged just under 6:50 per mile. “Not where you’re going to die and not slow either. Just a steady pace that would get me under three hours. “I ran Grand Rapids last year and really like the course,” she added. “It’s flat and beautiful. I love running through the parks and the wooded areas. It’s just a gorgeous, gorgeous course.” It was the most competitive GR ‘Thon ever on the women’s side, especially in the 25-29 age bracket. The top three overall finishers, also including Emily Weinmann of Washington, D.C., were 27 years old. Jessica Sowles, 28, of Muskegon placed fourth. Ann Arbor’s Melissa Sundermann, 39, was fifth.

Photo by Joe Baldwin / RunMichigan.com

GRAND RAPIDS (10/18/09) — For Union City’s Hannah Norton, the plan going into the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon was simple: stick to her goal pace and hopefully break three hours. She ended up doing that — and a lot more.

Monica Huff (bib no. 267) of Athens, Georgia, and her sister Kris Huff (bib no. 266) of Cordova, Tennessee, finish their second marathon of the weekend. Both ran the Community Health Indianapolis Marathon the day before, with Kris winning in 3:08:06. See MRTV's interview with Kris: http://michiganrunner.tv/2009indianapolis/

For the front-running Fleet (who came over to congratulate the winner during a post-race interview) and the steady Norton, it was a battle until the end. “I was behind for most of the race,” said Norton, who was competing in just her third marathon. “It wasn’t until the last few miles that I passed (Fleet). She was very strong and fast. I told myself she had a target on her back.

“My first goal was to be under three hours. Last year’s winning time was just over that, so I thought if I hit my goal I would be right

up there. When I got toward the end, I thought, ‘I can really win!’” Nancy Agrillo, 41, of Grand Rapids claimed the women’s master’s title in 3:16:42. Peggy Zeeb, 51, of Colon won the grand master’s title in 3:18:17 — the best age-graded effort of the day and good for 14th overall.

The event’s growing popularity was evident in the men’s marathon, where three of the top five finishers came from out of state. Jeff Scovill, 35, of Minneapolis won in 2:31:14, giving him a comfortable cushion over Christopher Bain, 32, of Rockville, Md., who crossed in 2:37:12.

Michigan Runner TV Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon michiganrunner.tv/2009grandrapids/

Community Health Indianapolis Marathon michiganrunner.tv/2009indianapolis/ 22

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Photo by Joe Baldwin / RunMichigan.com

‘Newbies’ Exuberant after Finishing GR Race

Gerry Myers (l), Crim Fitness Foundation, CEO, finishes the marathon in 3:37:55. Ann Gasta, a member of the Crim Board of Directors, celebrates with Gerry. Earlier, Ann finished the half in 1:44:44.

David Mart, 20, of Zeeland, was the top state runner with time of 2:38:38. Another young marathoner, Tyler Bishoff, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was fourth, followed by Zeeland’s David VanderMeer, 31. That gave one Michigan’s last towns alphabetically its top two finishers for the day. Scot Ursum, 41, of Grandville was the masters champion in 2:48:42. Brian Watson, 50, of Lucan, Ont., led the grand masters in 2:58:07.

The marathon attracted 1,559 finishers, while the halfmarathon added another 1,444. The 3,003 total was up more than 400 from the old record set last year, and nearly quadrupled the number who ran the first 2004 event. Women were impressive in the half marathon as well, with winner Kylen Cieslak, 21, of Livonia third overall in 1:20:33, and runner-up Jessica Graf, 28, of Fremont fifth overall in 1:21:24. Both broke Graf’s year-old race record. Laurie Swaney, 47, Kalamazoo led the masters in 1:26:23. Ryan Hackett, 23, of Shepherd won the men’s race in 1:17:31. Traverse City’s remarkable Kevin Deyo, 50, grabbed second-place overall, plus masters and grand masters titles with a 1:18:50 time. Henry Hofman, 45, of Grandville, was no slouch either, placing third among men (and just behind Cieslak) in 1:21:20. It was Norton’s effort that ruled the day though, as the neophyte marathoner showed that late bloomers can do extraordinary things in distance running. “I played basketball in high school and would run like a mile here or there,” she remembered. “I went to a really small school that didn’t have track or cross country programs. Gradually I got into some 10Ks and then more into running.” Her running growth mirrors that of this sixth-year marathon. For more information about this growing Grand Rapids favorite, visit www.grandrapidsmarathon.com. MR

By Daniel G. Kelsey GRAND RAPIDS (10/18/09) — About when Lauren Skorupski, running her first marathon, crossed a footbridge over the Grand River midway through the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon, she crossed into another realm. Her two halfmarathons earlier in the year had been the longest races of her life. Every step past 13.1 miles took her into new racing territory. Skorupski, an exuberant 25-year-old from Caledonia only three years into her running life, said the previous Friday she was thrilled at the coming adventure at distance. She said Grand Rapids Running Club friends helped her figure out a lot of stuff in advance. “I’m excited to put my body to work and see what it’ll do,” Skorupski said. “I’m such a newbie at this. I never ran in high school or college. I’m trying to go in there with no expectations.” Her only qualm in the run-up to the run was a knee that had been acting up in training. During the race, when she twice passed through a gathering of spectators between mile markers 17 and 18, her personality bubbled over. “I’m hanging in there. I’m feeling great,” she said. “At mile two my knee started to give out, but now it feels pretty good.”

Mark competed in cross-country in high school and in 5K and 10K races as an adult, until he was sidelined by a foot injury. “I might have to get back into it now that she’s running,” he said. Another first-time marathoner was Lindsey Jacobs, 25, of Caledonia. A friend of hers from college, working a booth near the aid station at the spectator area, said she’d talked to Jacobs a couple of days earlier. “She said she was super-excited, but nervous,” the friend said. Jacobs came past the booth in roughly the same time frame as Skorupski. About when Skorupski re-crossed the footbridge going the other way, she crossed into still another realm. Her longest distances in training were 22 miles on Sept. 5 and 20 miles on Sept. 26. Every step past 22 miles took her into new running territory. “I wasn’t worried going in,” she said the day after the race. “Even after the 22- and 20-milers, I didn’t have fatigue. I just had that little issue with my knee.” She said it helped that a friend stepped in and ran the last three miles with her. “When I hit mile 23, I hit a wall,” she said. “I was never winded. But my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds each.”

Judging by the way Molly Cybowski, 51, of Lowell, running her first race of any kind, greeted her husband, Mark in the 18th mile, she felt great as well.

All of these three first-timers finished the marathon. Skorupski posted a time of 4:20:02, Jacobs 4:24:13 and Cybowski 5:24:47.

Mark said she was walking the course as well as running. He spoke as if she’d gotten the marathon bug after she’d progressed from walking for exercise to running.

Skorupski came out of it as exuberant as ever in spite of a stiff leg. Before the Sunday of the race was over, she’d Googled for anything she could find out about the Grand Rapids Marathon for 2010.

“Once Molly did the training, she really got into it,” he said. “She keeps running more and more.”

“I think I’m going to do it again next year,” she said. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Big Bird Run, Roseville

Big Bird Rises into Fourth Decade, Going Strong

By Ron Marinucci

ROSEVILLE (11/8/09) — The Good Lord could have created a more perfect day for running, but I’m not sure He ever did! The 31st annual Big Bird took place in glorious sunshine and low-50s temperatures, with only the slightest wisp of breezes. Before the 1-mile mile, 4K and 10K races, runners congregated outside the Roseville recreation building. Normally they mill around inside, sheltered from the more-typical cold and windy Michigan November morning.

given the conditions. He entered both the mile and 10K. “I’m here,” Sherwood reasoned. “I might as well enjoy both runs.” He finished runner-up in the mile, posting a 5:51 to Joel Kozlowski’s 5:40. Captain American then turned in a 47:41 10K. “I’m a bit tired from raking leaves all day yesterday,” Sherwood noted. I wondered if running “close to 70 races this year” also had him tuckered out.

Willis (35:20). That’s a 5:30 pace. Kelly Morgan also bested the old mark by 32 seconds, but had to settle for runner-up. Last year’s 10K winner Nick Krus repeated in 33:27. Second-place Jake Dialesandro was only five seconds back. Fourth overall was masters winner Kraig Schmottlac, 43 (36:18). Sonja Hanson, 40, was the first masters woman (41:52). The seniors were led by Tim Emmett, 54 (38:43) and Joan McDonald, 56 (50:08). Also noteworthy were the oldest finishers.

The course has changed little through the years. Except for an out-and-back pedestrian overpass across I-696, it is flat. There are lots of turns, but the many marshals and police officers make certain runners find their way. Darrell McKee and Russ LaBarge were also there again. Each has run all 31 Big Birds. LaBarge, 65, finished in 1:08:01 and McKee, 75, less than five minutes behind. “I think LaBarge trained for this one,” McKee joked afterward. “But I was real proud of myself: I finished ahead of two people.” (Of course, that wasn’t true.) David Rau, 63, was also grinning after the race. He finished his eighth Big Bird and was third in his age group. “It was the best weather in a long time,” Rau remarked. “I like to run in this warm stuff. My goal was around 42 (minutes).” He just about hit it, finishing in 42:59. With that time and only third place, he shrugged and said, “There are a lot of good runners here” in the age group. I was chagrined that my time was good for just seventh in the same age group. When I lamented how fast these “old guys” were on this day, Markie smiled and consoled me, “I guess you’ll have to wait ‘em out.”

“Captain America” Kevin Sherwood has done 27 consecutive Big Birds. Twelve-year-old Shanleigh Conlan was third overall in the mile while leading the females in 6:12. The seldom-raced 4K was won by Paul Schultz, 19, in 13:16 (a 5:18-mile pace), with Vincent Jesudowich, 52, runner-up and masters winner in 13:22. Mike Cudlip, 52, paced the seniors (14:32). Kelsie Schwartz, 13, won the women’s 4K in 15:35. Sue Slayton, 41, led the masters (18:14). Many-time 10K and 4K champ Ella Willis, 52, was the second woman and first senior in 15:42.

The 10K was dominated by Hansons“Captain America” Kevin Sherwood has Brooks runners. Third overall in the race was done 27 consecutive Big Birds. His biggest women’s winner Desiree Davila. Her 34:06 problem was what patriotic outfit to wear, 24 Michigan Runner - January / Februaryshattered 2010 the decades-old 10K record held by

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Twenty-time entrant Mike Markie, who lives near the course, noted streets were so crowded he had to move his car into his driveway. He finished his 10K in 46:29 and enjoyed traditions including the Roseville High band performing, clowns giving away balloons, post-race raffles of two dozen turkeys (real big birds) and other prizes.

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Race director Tony Lipinski enthused about both the weather and 863 runners. “Maybe we can top 900 next year,” he said.

Desiree Davila’s 34:06 shattered the decades-old 10K record held by Ella Willis (35:20). Fred Hagen, 80, ran 1:08:27. Jessica Manha, 76, ran 1:01:25, which age-grades to 39:18. Doug Goodhue, 67, was a little disappointed in not breaking 40 minutes (40:11). “I could feel (the good weather) dragging me a bit,” he joked afterward. His time age-graded to a remarkable 30:49. Recognized as Big Bird’s first Roseville finishers were Amanda McCutcheon, 31 (47:51) and Michael Fisher, 19 (37:30). “Our volunteers, especially in registration, did an awesome job,” said Lipinski. “We hope to make good-size donations to all the community-service organizations that

Becoming a Runner

Big Bird Run Soars to Heights By William Kalmar

he 31st annual Roseville Big Bird Run Nov. 8 emulated its namesake (the bird) and rose to the occasion once

again.

Participants in this unique event know that the 10K course traverses the I-696 pedestrian overpass, which is exhilarating, exciting and sometimes excruciating (don’t you just love alliteration?). But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me return to the starting line. Big Bird began it as a double threemile loop in the 11 Mile-Gratiot area of the Roseville Recreation Center. As years went on, the route was expanded. At one time it went straight down Gratiot past the pungent smells of the White Castle Restaurant. Back then it took dedicated runners not to stop and down a couple of sliders. Now we dedicated slider aficionados reserve that gastronomical outing until after the race. I have participated in the Big Bird 10K almost every year since its inception. In past years runners were greeted with sounds of live turkeys wallowing in cages, perhaps cognizant of the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. There were always three or four pilgrims with blunderbusses in hand to signal the start of the sundry races. When I asked about the absence of the turkeys for this year’s event, I was told several years ago one escaped, creating a bit of a havoc along the streets and thus ending a tradition. Now a picture of a fleeing turkey on racers’ shirts suffices. As you are putting together your 2010 running calendar, make sure the Roseville Big Bird Run is penned in. You will not be disappointed, especially when you soar to the top of the pedestrian crossway; the view is spectacular. While up there, maybe you will be able to spot the missing turkey from years ago! MR

helped this year, so they can in turn use those funds to help families and students in need.” Full results can be found at www.gaultracemanagement.com. MR

By Tyrin Johnson, Age 10

our house. He really loves running on dirt trails, and now I do too.

i, my name is Tyrin, I live in Plymouth (near Detroit), I’m 10 years old and I’m becoming a run-

ner.

My dad has been a runner for about 30 years, and after watching some of his races I asked him if I could be in one. Since I was only 8 at the time, he said he would look for a one-mile race that my sisters and I could run in. He found the Roadrunner Classic, put on in July by the Northville Roadrunners at Maybury State Park, not far from our house. I didn’t train for it, but I run a lot at soccer practice and in recess at school. The mile race was out and back on a park road, sort of hilly, pretty hot but very shaded, and my time was 8:57. Then we got free drinks and snacks! Two weeks later I ran the mile at the Falcon 5K in Dearborn and improved my time to 8:42. I asked my dad if I could run a 5K and he said no, he thought I was too young. We decided that I would wait until I was 10 to run my first 5K. So I ran a few more mile races. My fastest was last summer on a Wednesday night at an informal race in Huntington Woods, put on by the Motor City Striders. I ran 7:31 and my dad only beat me by a minute, even though I was only 9 at the time. My dad says that there will come a day when I finally beat him, but he will try to stay in shape to make that day as far away as possible. He says he thinks that maybe when I’m 14 I may catch him. When I turned 10 last March we began to keep our eyes open for a good first 5K for me. My younger sister, Charissa, 8, signed up for something called Girls on the Run, where they train to run a 5K. The race they train for around here is the Plymouth Father’s Day Run in June, so we decided that our whole family would run it. This is the first time I did any actual training, as my dad took me running on the trails at the Holliday Nature Preserve near

The Father’s Day race was a big race with lots of people! We got little orange tags with computer chips in them to attach to our shoes. This is how they time how fast you run. My dad ran with me. We started slow and I only walked at the water stop to get a drink. We passed people the whole way, I sprinted at the end and finished my first 5K in 28:29. It was lots of fun and I wasn’t even that tired. I ran a bit more on trails with my dad over the summer, but still not that much. He says he doesn’t want me to do too much or to put any pressure on me. My secondever 5K was the Livonia Turkey Trot, where I was happy to finish in 26:11. Then just yesterday (Nov. 21, 2009) I ran my third 5K, the Schrauger Memorial 5K in Lake Orion. It’s named after a family I actually met at the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp where my family goes every summer. The Schraugers had two boys who ran on the Lake Orion High School cross country team, who were both killed in a car crash two years ago. The Schraugers also had a son in the army in Afghanistan, and about the same time their house burnt down! The first race was to raise money for them, but now the money goes to a ministry that helps the poor. My dad wanted to take me to that race because we know the family and it’s for a good cause. But he said that since the race is held on the very hilly Lake Orion crosscountry course, I should not care about my time because it would be slow. So we were both pretty surprised when I set a PR and got 57th place in 25:09. My dad got 25th in 22:12, but he beat me by less than three minutes, and I’m still only 10. I’m looking forward to running more races, but not too many. That way I still have time for soccer and to read and play with my friends and just have fun. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Introducing Runyaking

By Riley McClincha

The H2H Expedition began April 27, 2009, when I filled a small bottle with water from Horseshoe Lake and began paddling. Someday I hope to pour that bottle of water into Niagara Falls. It’s an adventure of more than 650 miles and I don’t care how many years. In the pursuit, last year I paddled more than 200 miles and ran 180 miles.

retired in 2004 and began a new career, or so it’s beginning to seem. I make no money in it but the pay is great. It involves some running, kayaking, cycling, writing and photography, but mostly adventure is my payment. In the past five years, with a kayak, I’ve explored the four main rivers — the Cass, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee and Flint — of the Saginaw Valley, our state’s largest watershed. You could call me the Saginaw Valley Man, for nobody has explored the watershed to the degree that I have.

No sooner had I paddled out of Horseshoe Lake into the South Branch Flint River — a trickling stream — than I had to exit Swiftee and haul him over fallen trees. Nothing new about that: I’d done the same the previous four years. I’ve become quite efficient at what I call “guerrilla kayaking,” where terrain is junglelike and I travel covertly. I try to stay in the channel as much as possible, so I can’t be accused of trespassing.

I find where the rivers begin, which in most cases is a trickling stream leading out from a small lake or pond. I follow that trickle as it grows into a stream and eventually a river. I keep following it all the way to the Saginaw Bay. I’ve documented every inch of my travels with photos and journals.

After that four-year explorer apprenticeship, I’ve stepped it up a couple notches. In April 2009 I began the adventure of my lifetime. In my beat-up little boat, I plan to paddle rivers from Horseshoe Lake near Oxford to the Saginaw Bay, then keep going by means of the Great Lakes to the Horseshoe Falls of Niagara — and run back. I’m calling it the Horseshoe-to-Horseshoe Expedition. When I say “run back,” I mean that at the end of each kayak leg, point B, I will run back to point A. In the prior four years I would kayak 4- to 14-mile segments, then bike, run, or when with fellow kayakers, car pool back to the starting point. In the Horseshoe-to-Horseshoe Expedition, no wheels will be allowed and I’m doing it entirely solo. Last year every segment was a day trip. Sometime this year, I hope to be following the shoreline of Lake Erie in Canada. Day trips will likely be out of the equation. Some of the logistics I haven’t thought through yet; I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Running more than paddling will dictate each segment’s length. That will be even truer when day trips are out of the picture. I can always spend a few nights camping after kayaking, but how many back-to-back days can I run 10 miles or more?

Photo courtesy of Riley McClincha

The one constant of my travels is my sidekick, Swiftee, a kayak that is only 9.5-feet long and fits perfectly inside my minivan.

Michigan waterway rights are not clearcut and often contested in courts. For example, there is a thing called “recreational trespassing” but only if the waterway is deemed “navigable.” So I just try to avoid being seen altogether. It helps that I only explore on weekdays; I rarely see riparian homeowners and they don’t see me. Also by runyaking only Monday through Friday, I avoid most other recreational watercraft when on main streams.

Riley McClincha with his kayak, Swiftee

I do enjoy kayaking with friends but observe more nature going solo. Obviously, without human voices, more wildlife will be seen, but also when alone I stop more often to look at plants, mosses, fungi and other realms of wildlife. Time is not as big a factor when traveling alone.

One could say I like introducing new forms of recreational running. My first attempt, drubbling (running while dribbling three basketballs), doesn’t seem, after 15 years of promoting, to be taking off. So now I’m here to introduce and promote runyaking.

There is one more reason I decided to go solo: the running restriction as the only means of getting back to point A would probably go out the window if I invited fellow travelers. I don’t need the temptation of a vehicle waiting for me at the end of segments.

I realize that in the running world there are duathons and triathlons that involve kayaking. My style, runyaking, is different in that there is no racing. It fits better in the recreational category of hiking.

Although I will always consider myself a runner first, the running legs lack the excitement of paddling legs. In my lifetime of running I’ve never seen a bald eagle fly by clutching a squirrel in its talons, or a bale of snapping turtles devouring a deer.

Paddling a waterway is comparable to hiking a trail, but using your arms. In runyaking, legs get their turn when running back to point A. With that said, I do perform my share of hiking in a watershed’s headwaters, where I must blaze my own trail. My backpack when runyaking is Swiftee, stocked with necessities. I drag my 50-pound “backpack” through the swampy floodplains and over fallen trees.

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

I’ve been accosted by dogs when running and kayaking, but only while kayaking have I been attacked by a feral pig! Moving quietly down a river, I’ve had many close encounters with muskrats, beaver, raccoon, deer, carp and trout. We scare the begeezus out of each other; they take off in one direction and I paddle the other. s

Paddling through the larger cities of Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, I’ve run back to point A through parks, downtown and residential streets, sidewalks and bike trails. I’ve paddled though hamlets most people have never heard of: Thornville, Russellville, Morseville and Weale. There, I’ve run back to my van on trails, paved and unpaved roads, some washed-out and muddy. Since leaving the rivers seven runyaking segments back, I’ve been in the Saginaw Bay. Following the Great Lakes shoreline is nothing like paddling a river, and definitely should not be done in a vessel as small as Swiftee. A wiser, practical person would have switched to a kayak better equipped to take on waves. Being more hardheaded than practical, and in the spirit of Kon-Tiki, I won’t give up my ship! Swiftee and I are an inseparable team. In the running segments of runyaking I’ve lost my bearings at times, but even without a map I’ve figured out the way back to point A. But, while kayaking there have been times I’ve gotten lost — even with a map in front of me. Recently, I even got lost on Saginaw Bay. I thought that was only possible in the marshy river headwaters; figuring when I got to the Bay that would never happen. But there I was, heading from Sebewaing to Bay Port, when I paddled into a marshy area. To paddle around the marsh would have taken hours. Instead, I paddled into the wetland and soon had that agonizing lost feeling. Having a GPS I knew the direction I had to go, but cattails blocked the way. So I continued in the right direction, through the cattails. Eventually I had to exit Swiftee and use him as a wedge to plow through the cattails. I was in muck above my calves and stuck at times. Disturbing the muck had another ill effect. Swamp gas, particularly H2S, was being released and all I could smell was rotten eggs. I should hush up about the not-sodelightful runyaking occurrences if I’m trying to promote it. Leave it to say, following a waterway week after week with a finish line on a far horizon can be a great adventure, even when including the less-exciting running leg of runyaking.

Adventurous runners interested in runyaking should read Riley’s photo/journal, to be found at the Flint River Watershed Coalition’s blogsite: http://frwc.livejournal.com. The writer may be contacted at magic11@juno.com or his Web site www.McLincha.com. MR

Mt. Pleasant Striders: 26 Years and Going Strong By Ron Marinucci

he Mt. Pleasant Striders may not be the biggest running club in Michigan. But in terms of enthusiasm and activities, members take a back seat to no one. Club historian Harry Plouff, involved in the Striders’ birth 26 years ago, recalled how, “at an early Mt. Pleasant race, too many people showed up.” Not “too many” as in bad and the race went off, but the outcome left much to be desired. “Some of us realized we needed some kind of structure,” said Plouff. “About eight of us met at my home. We talked about forming a running club, but we didn’t want to compete with big races around the state.” To gauge interest, they held a public meeting at the local junior high school. “More than a hundred people showed up,” Plouff said. MPS now has about 180 active members. “Those are just household heads,” he said. “Including whole families, we have close to 300 members.” The Strider Web site lists 18 club events. Its recent Run the Mt. 5K attracted more than 200 people. “We wanted a family-oriented group,” Plouff said. Although Strider fun runs are competitive, each race has an accompanying walk. For instance, the annual Christmas Dickens Run includes a Candy Cane Crawl. On the second Wednesday of every warm month, Striders host the Doozy Ice Cream series. “It’s free for members and a buck for nonmembers. Everyone gets a ‘Doozy buck’ for ice cream. It’s low-key,” Plouff said, “but there’s serious racing, too.” Many fun runs are simply timed with a big clock at the finish. After a race, “we sit around for hours and talk. It’s a social activity,” Plouff said.

he Striders organize group runs too. Sunday long runs, from six to 12 miles, will attract a dozen or more people. Once a week, Monday or Wednesday, members will show up at 7:30 a.m. for a “Max and Emily Run,” the local coffee shop serving as the post-run gathering spot. To encourage members to run in midMichigan winters, there is the “300 Mile Club.” Striders who run 300 miles from December through February get special recognition at the spring banquet. There is also a winter running series at Max and Emily’s, where, club president Tracy Collins noted, members find “running fellowship, great coffee, and piping-hot scones.”

“We have a neat relationship with CMU (Central Michigan University) and the (Chippewa) tribe,” Plouff noted. CMU representative Kennen White serves on the Strider advisory team. The tribe also has a representative, Walt Kennedy. “We work with them to put on two races a year,” Plouff said. One is the Human Race, the other the Run on the Reservation. The latter includes 1-mile and 5K races, “then a huge meal afterward. A tribe member makes awards in the shape of a huge feather; he carves them by hand,” Plouff said. The Striders have fun but are committed to running too. “Early this summer, a core of us ran half-miles at the local high school track in 92-degree heat,” Plouff said. The next morning, some of them met to get in a trail run. Some club sponsorship comes from The Runner’s Store, known locally as “Runners.” Members wear its shirts at different races, often running as a team at the Great Lakes Relay, Dances with Dirt and other state events. “We used to run the Randy Step races, Port Huron to Mackinaw and Novi to Mackinaw,” Plouff remembered. “We’d take kids’ teams from Mt. Pleasant High School. We still do Dances with Dirt and the Great Lakes Relay.” With the age handicap at Dances, “one year we finished second overall, out of more than 300 teams,” he said. “Twenty or 30 of us do a lot of marathons,” Plouff continued. As of June, he’d done six this year. Several Striders are aiming at two elite marathoning groups: 50-state and seven-continent clubs. Stan Curtiss, 72, Brian Doty and Plouff, both 61, and Plouff’s son, Ben, are now working toward 50 states. “We’re fortunate to be able to travel a lot,” Plouff said. “We went to China and Africa together (for the continents club). We’re in this together. It’s nice, especially with my son.” Plouff recently returned from the Inca Trail Marathon in South America, which finishes at the ruins of Machu Picchu. “It was grueling,” he remembered, “starting at 8,000 feet elevation along a river. Within the first six miles, we went up to 14,000 feet. The winner, from New Zealand, finished in 6 hours and 3 minutes.” “I’m on the waiting list for Antarctica. I still have it and Australia to go,” he said. Strider information, including events, can be found at www.edzpme/met~mphsstr or by Googling Mt. Pleasant Striders. Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net. MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Running Like a Dog

By Sheryl Lozicki

nyone who has ever run with their dog has experienced the bond that extends beyond the length of the leash.

I began running with our lab from the moment the vet said it was safe to do so. Ziggy was my running companion for ten long years. He was an effortless runner. I often pondered what a faster runner I’d become if I ran like a dog; at the very least I’d make it out the door a lot quicker! While I fumbled in the sock drawer for the right pair based on the conditions; high, low, thick or thin, and laced up my shoes, Zig just ran bare-pawed. While I consulted The Weather Channel to determine what layers were needed and the type of weather protection, Zig was ready to shake any sleet, snow or rain my way if conditions warranted. I slicked my hair back into a ponytail and secured bangs while Zig just ran full-coat. I never wore my Walkman when I ran with my dog; there was no need to. We had far too much to talk about. He would point out squirrels, birds and deer along the route and I would tell him “Heel” far more often than a disciplined retriever should have to be told. His favorite running path was the trail by our house. He always stopped to introduce himself to everyone along the course, whether he knew them or not. I met quite a few people that way and learned there was more to running than making it out and back within a certain time. I never feared getting lost in new woods with Zig because he marked so many trees, he could surely find our way out. I would describe Ziggy’s running as passionate. From the moment I laced up my shoes, he was 100 percent in the zone. His best running attributes were: • Power. His four legs beat my two any day. • Enthusiasm. He approached each run with tail-wagging and tongue-out zeal, blocking the door in case I tried to make a getaway without him. • Agile. His gazelle-like leaps over logs were graceful to watch yet hazardous to follow. He approached each obstacle without hesitation and full speed, regardless of whether they were at the start of the run or near the end. • Baggage free. He never searched for a clean water bottle; any puddle, stream or snow pile would do. • Champion of hill workouts. He bounded up hills, often faster than he went down them. • Uncomplicated. He relieved himself frequently on the sides of trees, grassy patches,

fire hydrants or wherever, but it never impaired his running time. • Consistency. Zig approached every run with the same zest, from beginning to end. • In the moment. He didn’t worry about his appearance, ears flapping, tongue lapping and hair collecting burrs, twigs and snow. It was strictly about being outdoors, breathing fresh air, taking in the sights and smells and appreciating the invitation to join me on my run. As Ziggy became older he was forced to run on leash again. He began to experience senior moments that would cause him to forget what we were doing mid-run or, worse, lie down and roll in some unmentionable. As an older adult, he never gained weight, his muscles remained solid and coat thick. He did have to go on an expensive dog food for sensitive stomachs, but I suspect it had more to do with one too many nose plunges into unsecured trick-or-treat bags. There was also the time he ate 24 Valentine’s Day cards with suckers, sticks and all that had taken my kindergartner three days to hand write. I have a new running partner these days. He’s younger, faster and still running on a leash. Ziggy and I obviously slowed down over ten years, because this new guy, Chuck, has me running at a much quicker pace. I’m also developing biceps as I rein him in when he spies woodland creatures that Ziggy no longer cared to chase. Chuck constantly banks around trees the wrong way, making navigation more challenging in the woods. Our first few times back on the trail he would spy a golden lab from afar and tug hard, hoping for it to be Zig, but it never was. We’ve had a two-dog household for the last few years because my hunter husband claims it’s important to have a starter dog as the older one slows down. I just hope he doesn’t feel the same way about his wife! While I will never run on all fours, condition myself to run free of water bottles and porta-potties or skip the shower afterwards, I can run like a dog in other ways. As winter training wears on, I will remember that running is more than a check mark on my task list; it’s a creative outlet that gets my heart beating and has the ability to engage all my senses if I let it. Thanks for making me a better runner, Zig! Sheryl Lozicki, a registered dietitian, runner and freelance writer, contributes nutrition advice to MR’s online Michigan Running News MR

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Turkey Trot, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor Turkey Trot ‘On the Grow’

By Tracey Cohen

ANN ARBOR (11/26/09) — The mood was festive as nearly 1,200 athletes ages 4 to 78 turned up for the fourth annual Ann Arbor Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot. Since its inception, the race has grown each year by nearly 400 runners. The day’s rain held off while runners ambled through the serene streets of the University of Michigan’s North Campus under mostly-cloudy skies, temperatures in the high 30s. The race began with a long downhill, giving everyone’s “motors” a jump start as they wound their way around campus and back up to the finish. Lindsay Matthews, who didn’t want to miss out on the fun, found the course especially challenging as she was in her fifth month of pregnancy. Matthews glowed as she voiced her enjoyment of the family-friendly atmosphere “with all of the kids and dogs.” Kate Cecil — who has run the race for the past three years with friends Becky, Jeff and Jennifer —described the race as “great fun” with a feeling of community. She also liked seeing costumed people, herself included, “run with turkeys on their heads.” The race has become a Thanksgiving tradition for the quartet. Competitive spirit was also evident. Bobby Aprill, 19, of Ann Arbor commanded the field in 15:38, while Erin Webster, 24, of Dearborn flew to the finish in 16:57. ChronoTrack D-tags, provided by Race Services Co., were used for timing, with mats at the start and finish. Thus no one needed to worry about starting further back in the pack. Instant results were available after the race. Faster athletes could make their way inside the U-M Recreation Center and find their results on monitors simply by entering their bib numbers. Awards were plentiful and began with the youngest age divisions, then went up. Special recognition was given in categories such as “first dog” and “first stroller.” There were raffle prizes to be won too. No one left hungry, as post-race refreshment tables were filled with trail mix, pretzels, cookies and hot beverages to ward off the post-race chill. Santa was also on hand, right next to a tree under which entrants donated food, shoes and clothing to benefit the New Life Community Church, the Salvation Army and Active Faith of South Lyon. Little ones were greeted with a candy cane, warm lap and open ear as Tony Saputo, who has “played Santa for 40 years,” listened to their hopes and dreams. For complete results and information on next year’s race, visit www.goodboyevents.com. MR

January - April 2010 Event Calendar January Friday, January 1 Aloha Run

Dowagiac 10:30 am St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 7 MR/W, 3.2 MR/W, 1 MR/W, no frills Ron Gunn (269) 782-1210 rgunn@swmich.edu

Gazelle Sports’ John Daley Memorial One One Run

Kalamazoo 1:00 pm 4.4MR/W, 2.2MR/W Spring Valley Park (269) 342-5996 slillie@gazellesports.com

New Year’s Resolution Run Lake Orion 10:00 am Downtown Lake Orion 5KR/W, 1MFR (248) 693-9742 events@ downtownlakeorion.org

Sergeant Preston, Yukon King Run

Muskegon 11:00 am Muskegon State Park Winter Sports Complex 6MR, 5KR/FW (231) 206-5571 gordonosborn@yahoo.com GoRaceGo.com

Cross Country Ski

Sat., January 2 Reese Winter Road Race Series Reese 10:00 am 10KR, 5KR/W Reese High School (989) 529-7904 admin@barc-mi.com www.barc-mi.com

Resolution Run

Alpena 9:00 am Thunder Bay Rec Center 5KR Joe Gentry (989) 354-7314 jgentry@first-federal.com

Winter Series Resolution Run

Mt. Pleasant 9:00 am Max & Emily’s 5MR, 1/2 MFR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Sunday, January 3 Boyne Highlands Classic

Harbor Springs 10:00 am Boyne Valley Lodge, Walloon Lake 5K/ 11K classic XC ski (231) 526-3029 www.boynehighlands.com Michigan Cup Race

Tuesday, January 5 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Grand Rapids 6:30 pm Cornerstone University track & field, shot, HJ, PV only

mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Thurs., January 7 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Hillsdale 6:00 pm Hillsdale College track track & field 616-895-3042 mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Hansons Tempo Run Royal Oak 6:30 pm (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, January 8 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ann Arbor 6:30 pm University of Michigan track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series - tentative

Warren 5:30 pm Macomb CC track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Great Lakes Indoor Series

Allendale 5:00 pm Central Michigan Univ. track & field meet (810) 449-5683 mmtrackclub@aol.com freewebs.com/greatlakesind oorseries/

Sat., January 9 Hiawatha Invitational - Classic

Sault Ste. Marie, ON 10 am Hiawatha Highlands 1,2,5,7.5,10,15K XC Ski (705) 759-0626 bmihell@shaw.ca www.soofinnishnordic.com

IDADARUN

Linden 6:30 pm 8MR, 8M relay Linden Community Ed. (810) 701-8625 dskinner@jackcooper.com

Michigan Cup Training Day Team Time Trials

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm 3930 28th Street dbostian@live.com www.rungazelle.com

SISU Ski Festival

Ironwood 10:00 am ABR Trails 42K/ 21K/ 12K xc ski classic & skate www.nordicskiracer.com

Valley Spur Ski Bash

Munising 9:30 am Valley Spur Ski Lodge 24K, 12K, classic and skate XC ski (906) 387-4918 valleyspur@ xcskiandbikevalleyspur.com

Grayling 10:00 am Hanson Hills 5K Time Trial / 3 person teams - freestyle or classic (989)348-9266 hansonhills@hotmail.com hansonhills.org

Walt Disney World® Half Marathon

Allendale 1:00 pm Grand Valley State University track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

West Catholic High School Race

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Run Frosty Run!

Watervliet 10:00 am Watervliet Fire Dept., 217 Pleasant St. 5KR/W (269) 277-7230 bugsrunny@hotmail.com www.watervliet.biz/node/30

Rungazelle Training Program Kickoff

Orlando 6:30 am 13.1 MR Jon Hughes /disneyworldsports.disney.go.com

Grand Rapids 10:00 am West Catholic High School 6MR, 3MR, 1.5MR (616) 453-8600 / (616) 450-8088 dscully@ mapesinsurance.com

Sunday, January 10 Dave’s 10 Mile Shoe Run Delta 2:00 pm Delta High School

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

10 MR (419) 882-8524 toledoroadrunners.org

GRNST Langlauf

Grayling 10:00 am Hanson Hills 15K/ 7.5K/ 5K XC Ski Freestyle (231) 882-9200 infor@championhill.com championhill.com Michigan Cup Race

Hiawatha Invitational - Freestyle

Sault Ste. Marie, ON 10 am Hiawatha Highlands 5,7.5,10,15K, 20K XC Ski (705) 759-0626 contactus@ soofinnishnordic.com www.soofinnishnordic.com

Walt Disney World® Marathon

Orlando 6:00 am 13.1MR Jon Hughes disneyworldsports.disney.go.com

Thurs., January 14 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ypsilanti 6:00 pm Eastern Michigan track & field, M. Jurasek (616)895-3042 mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Friday, January 15 Michigan Indoor Track Series - tentative

Warren 5:30 pm Macomb CC track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Sat., January 16 Freeze Your Fanny 5K Run/Walk Bay City 10:00 am 5KR/W Bay County Community Center (989) 832.2267 jmetevia@yahoo.com www.barc-mi.com

Frigid Five K

Niles 9:00 am 5KR/W Keri Pawielski (269) 684-2000 keri@cycleandfitness.com www.cycleandfitness.net

Frosty 15K Freestyle Cross Country Ski Race

Brighton 10:30 am 15K X-C Ski; 5K X-C Ski Huron Meadows Metropark (248) 535-9351 mike.muha@ nordicskiracer.com www.nordicskiracer.com

Jackrabbit Time Trial #1 Sault Ste. Marie, ON 11:30 am Hiawatha Highlands XC ski classic nordicskiracer.com

Lake State Classic Track and Field Meet

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 11am indoor track Norris Center (906) 635-2765 track@lssu.edu www.lssulakers.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Allendale 1:00 pm Grand Valley State Univ. track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Portland Winter Run

Portland 10:00 am Portland High School 5KR/W (517) 526-2210 DRSandborn@yahoo.com www.active.com Preregistration only

Snowflake Run and Walk

Flushing 10:00 am Flushing Central ES 5K R/W, 10KR (810) 659-6493 JohnCGault2@aol.com RiverbendStriders.com

Talvitohinat Winter Scramble Houghton 12:30 pm Michigan Tech Trails 11K, 4K XC ski Keweenaw Convention & Visitor Center (906) 370-1997 cts@xmatic.com www.keweenawtrails.com or www.talviskijor.com

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Sunday, January 17

Wed., January 20

Potto Raid Back Country Nordic Ski Race

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Pinckney 10:00 am Potawatomi Trail 17M XC ski (734) 433-9174 nordicskiracer.com

Chevron Houston Marathon

Houston 7:45 am 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 5K, kids run (713) 957-3453 chevronhoustonmarathon.com USA Half Marathon Championship

P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona

Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe 26.2MR, 13.1 MR (800) 311-1255 rnraz@competitorgroup.com www.rnraz.com

Copper Island Classic Chassell 1:00 pm Chassell Ski Trails 10K, 5K, 2K XC Ski classic (906) 523-4884 tervoj@cts.k12.mi.us keweenawtrails.com/ events/chassell

Mon., January 18 Michigan Indoor Track Series

East Lansing time tba Michigan State University track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Tues., January 19 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Grand Rapids 6:30 pm Cornerstone track & field, Shot, HJ, PV only M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Mt. Pleasant 6:00 pm Central Michigan University track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Saginaw 5:00 pm Saginaw Valley State Univ. track & field, girls only (616) 895-3042 mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Thurs., January 21 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store 248-616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ann Arbor 6:30 pm University of Michigan track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Sat., January 23

Bigfoot Boogie 5 & 10K Snowshoe Race

Traverse City 9 am 10K, 5K snowshoe Timber Ridge Resort Daniel Siderman (231) 932-5401 events@runningfit.com runsnow.com

qualifier for U.S. National Snowshoe Championships Borgess Run Camp

Kalamazoo 7:30 am Borgess Health and Fitness Center Training for Borgess 5K & half marathon - 13 weeks (269) 552-2348 blaineL@LamCreative.com borgessrun.com

Garland Gripper Classic XC Ski Race

Lewiston 11:00 am Garland Resort 10K, 5K XC Ski classic (989) 786-2211, ext. 1311 garlandusa.com Michigan Cup Race

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Albion 10:00 am Albion College track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Allendale 1:00 pm Grand Valley track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Ohio Nordic Flurry Classic and Freestyle Kirtland, OH 8:00 am Pine Lodge Ski Center 5K classic xc ski, 10K/ 2K freestyle xc ski (440) 256-3810 nordicskiracer.com

Paint Creek 50K

Rochester 8:00 am Duck Pond, Rochester Park 50KR, 25KR (248) 391-1559 iliveinabarn@yahoo.com

Winter Wolf Run

Omer 6:30 pm Old Courthouse 15MR, 2 person relay (989) 846-6018 hilyards@m33access.com www.witchywolfrun.com

Sunday, January 24 Garland Glide Freestyle XC Ski Race

Lewiston 10:00 am 16K/ 8K XC ski, freestyle Garland Resort (989) 786-2211, ext. 1313 garlandusa.com Michigan Cup Race

Wed., January 27 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ypsilanti 6:00 pm Eastern Michigan Univ. track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Thurs., January 28 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, January 29

Junior Noque

Marquette 4:00 pm Forestville Trailhead 51K, 25K XC Ski (888) 578-6489 cfuisher@marquette.org www.noquemanon.com

January - April 2010 Event Calendar

Great Lakes Indoor Series

Saginaw 5:00 pm Saginaw Valley State Univ. track & field meet (810) 449-5683 mmtrackclub@aol.com freewebs.com/greatlakesind oorseries

Sat., January 30 MGH Noquemanon Ski Marathon Ishpeming 8:45 am 51K, 25K XC Ski Noquemanon Trail Ishpenming to Marquettte (888) 578-6489 cfuisher@marquette.org www.noquemanon.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Albion 10:00 pm Albion College track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Allendale 1:00 pm Grand Valley State Univ. track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Montrose Frozen Blueberry

Montrose 10:00 am 5KR/W Montrose Carter Elementary School (810) 449-8340 mandy@bluberryrace.com blueberryrace.com

Pigeon Creek Biathlon

West Olive 8:30 am Pigeon Creek County Park 2MR, 5K XC Ski, teams (616) 607-9338 rtiles@immersi.com

February Wed., February 3 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Saginaw 10:00 am Saginaw Valley State Univ. track & field - boys only mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Thurs., February 4 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ann Arbor 6:30 pm University of Michigan track and field - boys only mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Hillsdale 6:00 pm Hillsdale College track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, February 5 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ann Arbor 6:30 pm University of Michigan track and field, girls only mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Sunday, January 31

Warren 5:30 pm Macomb CC track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Hansons Group Run

Sat., February 6

Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop training (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Dragon GAP Charity Winter MTB Race and Cross Country Run

Lake Orion 11:00 am Lake Orion HS 3.1MR / 3.1MB (248) 512-1387 skinl19@comcast.net www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us/ lohs/gap/

The Frostbite

Fremont 10:00 am Fremont High School 10KR, 5KR (231) 924-6045 csomers@fremont.net www.fremontxc.com

Hour of Power

Alpena 7:00 am Northern Lights Indoor Arena Indoor Track 60 minute time trial Joe Gentry, (989) 354-7314 or (989) 356-1878 jgentry@first-federal.com same event also 2/7/10

Maple Syrup Stampede

St. Joseph Island, ON 10:30 am Jocelyn Township Trails 20K XC Ski-skating; 7K XC Ski-classic (705) 759-0626 www.soofinnishnordic.com

Reese Winter Road Race Series Reese 10:00 am 10KR, 5KR/W Reese High School (989) 529-7904 admin@barc-mi.com www.barc-mi.com

Winterlaufe

Frankenmuth 10:00 am Heritage Park 8KR/W (989) 860-3388 or (800) fun-town info@volkslaufe.org www.volkslaufe.org

Sunday, February 7 Citizens Bank Groundhog Gallop

Jackson 12:00 PM Parkside Fieldhouse 5KR/W, Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Run (517) 784-3950 centerforfamilyhealth.org/ gallop/5krun.htm

Hour of Power

Alpena 7:00 am Northern Lights Indoor Arena Indoor Track 60 minute time trial Joe Gentry, (989) 354-7314 or (989) 356-1878 jgentry@first-federal.com same event also 2/6/10

Jackrabbit Time Trial #2 Sault Ste. Marie, ON 11:30 am Hiawatha Highlands XC ski classic soofinnishnordic.com

Kahtoola Michigan Mountain Run

Clarkston 8:30 am Pine Knob Ski Area 8KR, 4KR (231) 233-4736 zac@infiterrasports.com infiterrasports.com

Michigan Cup Sprints

Grayling 10:00 am Hanson Hills 12K xc ski, 6K jr xc ski (989)348-9266 hansonhills@hotmail.com hansonhills.org

Super 5K

Novi 9:00 am 5KR Novi Town Center Running Fit

Snow Melt Shuffle 5K Run / Walk Holland 8:00 am Holland Civic Center 5KR, 1MW (616) 396-7100 lerlandson@ evergreencomons.org

White Pine Stampede

Mancelona 9:00 am 10K / 20K / 50K ski classic & freestyle Mancelona HS / Shanty Creek (231) 587-8812 wps@torchlake.com whitepinestampede.org

Winter Witchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hat Run South Lyon 9:00 am South Lyon HS 5KR/W, 1 MFR Scott Smith (248) 207-5135 smiths@sics.us www.slxc.com/witch

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

(734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com runsuperbowl.com Super Bowl 5K

Okemos 10:00 am 5KR Kinawa Middle School, 1900 Kinawa Dr. (517) 702-0226 cblock@lcc.edu runningfoundation.com

Women’s Winter Tour

Thompsonville Crystal Mountain 15K, 5K, 3K XC ski tour (800) 968-7686 sara@womenswintertour.com

womenswintertour.com 3 day event

Tues., February 9 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Grand Rapids 6:30 pm Cornerstone Univ. track & field, shot, HJ, PV mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Wed., February 10 Bumper Run

Shelby Twp. 6:15 pm

Stony Creek Metro Park, Boat Launch 6.2 MR Donald C. Richmond (248) 628-4036 don.richmond@juno.com

Thurs., February 11 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248)616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, February 12

Midwest Telefest

Ontonagon Mt. Bohmia & Porcupine Mountain State Park XC ski clinic, races (906) 226-7112 www.downwindsports.com 2/12/10 to 2/14/10

Sat., February 13 Bon Soo Lantern Ski Sault St. Marie, MI 5 pm Lookout Trail ski tour (705) 759-0626 contactus@ soofinnishnordic.com www.soofinnishnordic.com

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Dances with Dirt - Green Swamp

Dade City, FL 50MR, 50KR, 100K relay Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com danceswithdirt.com Frosty Five Trail Run

Adrian 8:30 am Heritage Park, 3241 N. Adrian Hwy. 5MR Running with E’s (517) 266-6344 runningwithes@tc3net.com runningwithes.com

Get Luckey 5K

Luckey, OH 10:00 am 335 Park Street 5KR (419) 360-3709 diannaw2ns@hotmail.com toledoroadrunners.org

Gladstone Snowshoe 5K Run/Walk

Gladstone 10:00 am EST Gladstone Community Center, Irish Oaks Golf Course 5KR//W (906) 428-4457

dpaul@gmail.com uprrc.org

Michigan indoor Track Series

Albion 10:00 am Albion College track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

North American VASA

Traverse City 8:30 am 50K ski, 27K ski, 12K ski, freestyle & classic, 3K and 12K tour, 1K, 3K kids Timber Ridge Resort (231) 938-4400 vasainfo@vasa.org www.vasa.org

Sweetheart 10K Run, 5K Run/Walk & Team Competition

Flushing 10:00 am Flushing Central ES 10KR, 5KR/W, Couple Teams (810) 238-5981 www.riverbendStriders.com

USA Cross Country Championships

Spokane, WA 9:00 am 6KR, 8KR, 12KR Plantes Ferry Rec. Park

usatf.org/events/2010/USA XCChampionships/ World X-C Team Trials

Sun., February 14 Frosty 5K

Acme 9:00 am Grand Traverse Resort 5KR JC Bediker JBediker@gtresort.com

Riverview Winterfest Breakfast and 4 Mile Run

Riverview 10:00 am Seitz Jr. High School 4 MR, 4x1M relay Mark Kerr (734) 377-0122 marathonmark@ hotmail.com www.downriverrunners.org

Howell Splash n’ Dash Indoor Tri

Howell 9:00 am Howell Area Aquatic Center triathlon: 20 minS/ 20 minB/ 20 minR (517) 540-8355 mpowers@ howellrecreation.org www.howellrecreation.org

January - April 2010 Event Calendar

Hagerty Insurance Gran Travers Cross Country Classic

Traverse City 9:00 am Timber Ridge Resort 16K / 6K XC Ski (231) 938-4400 vanguard@gtii.com nordicskiracer.com a Michigan Cup Race

Tues., February 16 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Grand Rapids 6:30 pm Cornerstone University track & field, shot, HJ, PV only mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Mt. Pleasant St. 6:00 pm Central Michigan Univ. track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Wed., February 17 Michigan Indoor Track Series

Saginaw 5:00 pm Saginaw Valley State Univ. track and field, girls only mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Thurs., Feb. 18 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Ann Arbor 6:30 pm University of Michigan track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Friday, February 19 Cote Dame Marie Loppet Kids Race

Grayling 7:00 pm Hanson Hills Ski Trails kids XC races (989) 348-9266 hansonshills@hotmail.com www.hansonhills.org

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Warren 5:30 pm Macomb CC track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Great Lakes Indoor Series

Mt. Pleasant 5:00 pm Central Michigan Univ. track & field meet (810) 449-5683 mmtrackclub@aol.com freewebs.com/ greatlakesindoorseries 2/13/09 - 2/14/09

Sat., February 20 Chilly Willy Indoor Triathlon

Marquette 8:00 am individual/ 1:00 pm team PEIF Building - Rec Center tri: 30minuteS/ 30minuteB/ 30minuteR (906) 227-2421 ktheut@nmu.edu www.nmu.edu/recreation

Cote Dame Marie Loppet 15/ 30K

Grayling 10:00 am Hanson Hills 30K/15K/ XC Ski skate (989) 348-9266 hansonhills@hotmail.com hansonhills.org

Heart & Sole

East Grand Rapids 9 am East Grand Rapids HS 5KR/W Joe Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien (616) 458-7888 joe@classicrace.com classicrace.com

Michigan High School Championships - Classic Sprint

Marquette tbd 1.2KF sprints nordicskiracer.com Michigan Cup Race

Michigan Indoor Track Series

Allendale Noon Grand Valley State Univ. track & field, M. Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

NCAA Central Region Championships

Training Center www.ncaa.com/sports/ 2/20/10 - 2/21/10

Spirit of Winter 5K Run/Walk

Bay City 10:00 am 5KR/W Bay County Community Center (989) 832.2267 jmetevia@yahoo.com barc-mi.com

Winter Blast 5K

Grandville 10:00 am Calvin Christian HS 5KR/W Laurens TenKate (616) 293-1862 tenkategrmi@sbcglobal.net

Sun., February 21 Michigan High School Championships - Pursuit

Marquette 4x4, 5x5 pursuit nordicskiracer.com Michigan Cup Race

Hanson Hills Classic

Mid American Conference Indoor Championships

Mt. Pleasant Central Michigan Univ. track & field meet mac-sports.com 2/26/10 - 2/27/10

Indoor Triathlon

Battle Creek evening 182 Capital Ave NE Triathlon: 15 minute S, 15 minute bike, 15 minute run (269) 963-9622 ymcabattlecreek.org 2/27/09 - 2/28/09

Sat., February 27 American Birkebeiner

Hayward, WI 8:20 am 57K, 23 K XC Ski Cable to Hayward (715) 634-5025 birkie@birkie.com www.birkie.com

Big Ten Indoor Championships - Men Minneapolis, MN University of Minnesota track & field meet bigten.cstv.com 2/27/10 - 2/28/10

Big Ten Indoor Championships Women

State College, PA Penn State University track & field meet bigten.cstv.com 2/27/10 - 2/28/10

C-Ville Chill 5K

Coopersville 10:00 am 5KR/W Church Central Family Worship, 247 Church St. (616) 889-8626 nancy_pratt@charter.net www.runbroncos.com

Jackrabbit Time Trial #3 Sault Ste. Marie, ON 11:30 am Hiawatha Highlands

Grayling 10:00 am Hanson Hills 12K, 6K XC Ski (989) 348-9266 hansonhills@hotmail.com hansonhills.org

Thurs., Feb. 25 Birkie Elite Sprints

Hayward, WI 2:30 pm xc ski sprints (715) 634-5025 birkie@birkie.com www.birkie.com

Thurs., Feb. 25 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, February 26 Junior Birkie

Hayward, WI 9:00 am Telemark Resort xc ski sprints (715) 634-5025 birkie@birkie.com www.birkie.com

Houghton Michigan Tech Nordic

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

XC ski freestyle soofinnishnordic.com

Michigan Indoor Track Series State Championship

Ypsilanti time tba Eastern Michigan Univ. track and field Mike Jurasek mjurasek@albion.k12.mi.us mitstrack.org

Navarino Snowshoe Adventure

Shiocton, WI 10 am CST Navarino Wildlife Refuge 10K, 5K snowshoe, 5K snowshoe tour, kids snowshoe Jeff Crumbaugh (715) 460-0426 info@ greatlakesendurance.com greatlakesendurance.com

Race Director Training Detroit Livonia 8:30 am Livonia Family YMCA, 14255 Stark Rd. (847) 675-8413 info@racedirector.org racedirector.org

USA Indoor Track & Field Championships

Albuquerque, NM track & field meet www.usatf.org/calendars/ 2/27/10 - 2/18/10

Sun., February 28 Fight for Air Climb Detroit

Detroit 10:00 am Renaissance Center 70 or 40 floors, kids race (248) 784-2023 Midland@ohiolung.org

Hansons Group Run Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Junior Muffin Race Skiathlon Classic / Freestyle

Higgins Lake 11:00 am XC Ski Headquarters xc ski, classic & freestyle, distances tbd www.nordicskiracer.com Michigan Junior Cup Race

USA Indoor Track & Field Championships

www.usatf.org/calendars/ 2/27/10 - 2/18/10

March Thursday, March 4 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248)616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, March 6 Black Mountain Nordic 30K Classic

Onaway 10:00 am 30K XC Ski, classic, 10K XC Ski tour (888) 854-9700 pictinfo@freeway.net www.nordicskiracer.com

Black River Public School Rat Race 5K Run/Walk

Holland 10:00 am Black River Public Schools Holland 5KR/W, kids race (616) 355-0055, x 119 donnellyj@brpsk12.org

Hospice Holiday 5K Run/Walk & Kids Sprint Brooklyn 10:00 am 8500 Jefferson Rd. 5KR/W, kids run (517) 592-3030 krisbeyer2@yahoo.com

Infiterra Sports March Madness Waterford 10:00 am Pontiac Lake Rec. Area 6 hour sprint adventure race, 2 person co-ed (231) 233-4736 www.infiterrasports.com

Reese Winter Road Race Series Reese 10:00 am Reese High School 10KR, 5KR/W (989) 529-7904 admin@barc-mi.com www.barc-mi.com

Strider Training Run

Mt. Pleasant 8:00 am Max & Emily’s 10MR, 5MR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Albuquerque, NM track & field meet

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Sunday, March 7 Arnold 5K Pump & Run Columbus, OH 9:30 am 5KR, Weight Lifting Matt McGowan (740) 587-0376 runohio@ee.net arnoldsportsfestival.com

USATF Michigan Open/ Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships Ypsilanti 11:00 am - tentative Eastern Michigan Univ. track & field meet Jan Birch (231) 768-4535 mitcajan@hotmail.com michigan.usatf.org

Wabos Wilderness Loppet

Goulais River, ON Stokely Creek Lodge 26K XC ski (866) 786-5359 info@stokelycreek.com www.stokelycreek.com

Tuesday, March 9 Gazoom 5K Training Program Holland 5:30 pm Gazelle Sports 10KR, 5KR (616) 391-2282 gazellesports.com

Thursday, March 11 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, March 12 Junior Bear Chase

Houghton 5:00 pm Michigan Tech Trails 2.1K, 1K, 1/2K XC ski kids - classic & freestyle (906) 482-1308 www.bearchase.org

NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships Fayetteville, AK University of Arkansas track and field (800) 982-4647 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 3/12/10 - 3/13/10

NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships

St. Patrick’s Day Charity Run

NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships

St. Urho 2.5 Mile Run

Albuquerque, NM track and field ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 3/12/10 - 3/13/10

Greencastle, IN DePauw University track and field (507) 646-3749 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 3/12/10 - 3/13/10

St. Patty’s Pacer 5K Holland 5:30 pm Centennial Park 5KR/W (616) 392-3203 vkavanaugh@ gazellesports.com

Saturday, March 13 Boyne Highlands 10K Classic

Harbor Springs 10:00 am Boyne Highlands 10K, classic XC ski (231) 526-3029 www.boynehighlands.com Michigan Cup Race

Fight for Air Climb Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids 8:30 am River House at Bridgewater Place 23 flights, kids race (616) 252-5028 Midland@ohiolung.org

Great Bear Chase

Calumet 9:00 am Swedetown Ski Trails 50K freestyle, 26K freestyle/ classic XC Ski (906) 337-4520 info@bearchase.orgwww.be archase.org

Shillelagh Four Mile

Flushing Noon Early Childhood Center 4 MR/W, kids run John Gault (810) 487-0954 JohnCGault2@aol.com gaultracemanagement.com Snowman Triathlon CANCELLED for 2010 Munising

Clare 9:00 am Doherty Hotel 10KR, 5KR, 1/4 M kids run (989) 205-4133 northern@ glccomputers.com

Alpena 9:00 am Thunder Bay Jr. High 2MR Joe Gentry (989) 354-7314 jgentry@first-federal.com

Sunday, March 14 Boyne Highlands 15K Freestyle

Harbor Springs 10:00 am Boyne Highlands 15K/5K freestyle XC ski (231) 526-3029 nordicskiracer.com Michigan Cup Race

St. Patrick’s Corktown Races Detroit 12:00 pm Train Station at Michigan Ave. & Vernor 5KR Doug Kurtis (248) 354-1177 dkurtis@earthlink.net downto.hostme.com/ corktownraces.htm

Shamrocks and Shenanigans

Ann Arbor 1:00 pm Conor O’Neill’s, downtown Ann Arbor 5KR/W, kids’ run Running Fit Events (734) 969-9027 events@runningfit.com runshamrocks.com Gazoom 10K & 5K Training Programs

Grand Rapids 5:30 pm 10KR, 5KR (616) 940-9888 mstaal@gazellesports.com gazellesports.com Training begins 3/15/10 at East Grand Rapids Library

Wearin’ of the Green 4 Mile Prediction Run

Oregon, OH 9:15 am Maumee Bay State park 7KR, 1KR, kid’s run (419) 360-3709 wearinthegreen17@aol.com toledoroadrunners.org

January - April 2010 Event Calendar Wed., March 17

St. Patrick’s Day Pot O’ Gold Shuffle Flint 5:30 pm Masonic Temple, 755 South Saginaw 4 MR/W, kids run Curtis Thompson (810) 233-8851 shuffle@ raceservices.com thecompleterunner.com

Thurs., March 18 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, March 20 Boyne Highlands Krazy Daze

freestyle (800) 832-2663 skibones@aol.com www.skicrosscountry.org Michigan Cup Relay

Bill Roney Memorial 5K Utica 10:00 am Flickinger ES 5KR, 1M kids run Sonja Hanson (586) 822-8606 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Fitness Expo

Bay City 9:00 am Bay County Community Center Ann Gasta (989) 415-5593 stpatsinfo@gmail.com www.active.com

St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Races Bay City 2:00 pm Bay County

Community Center kids runs Ann Gasta (989) 415-5593 stpatsinfo@gmail.com www.active.com

Sunday, March 21 Churchill’s Half Marathon

Monclova, OH 1:00 pm Shops at Fallen Timbers 13.1 MR, 6KR (419) 360-3709 glassmarathon@aol.com toledoroadrunners.org

MSU Law 5K

East Lansing 10:00 am MSU Campus 5KR/W (218) 590-5915 mcdon320@msu.edu playmakers.com

Sam Costa Half Marathon & Quarter Marathon Carmel, IN 9:00 am 13.1MR, 6.55MR

(317) 697-3054 racedirector40@yahoo.com samcosta.com

(703) 481-3530 www.usatf.org 3/26/10 - 3/28/10

St. Patrick’s Day Races

Saturday, March 27

Bay City 12:00 pm Downtown Bay City 8KR, 5KR/W Ann Gasta (989) 415-5593 stpatsinfo@gmail.com www.active.com

Thurs., March 25 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store 248-616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Friday, March 26 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships

Eagle 10K

Hudsonville 9:00 am Hudsonville HS 10KR (616) 893-5830 dwight.sneden@ hudsonvilletrailer.com www.eagle10k.com

Kent City Ridge Run

Kent City 9:30 am Kent City HS 15KR, 5KR/W (616) 678-4210, ext. 1501 eversj@kent-city.k12.mi.us runnersedgeracetiming.com

Bill Agresta Scholarship Hustle

Hemlock 10:00 am Hemlock HS 4MR/W (989) 642-5287 www.hemlockbash.com

Boston, MA

Harbor Springs 10:00 am Boyne Highlands xc, downhill ski races (800) GO-BOYNE boynehighlands.com 3/20/10 - 3/21/10

St. Patrick’s Day Blue Lake Fire Department 5K Blue Lake Twp. 10:00 am 5KR/W (231) 894-9693 debbietherrian@aol.com

No Frills, All Thrills, Trail Run

Brighton 10:00 am Huron Meadows Metro Park 5 MR (734) 834-0939 nofrillsallthrillsrace.com

Melt the Ice 5K

Fremont, OH 10:00 am Fremont Community Recreation Complex 5KR/W (419) 334-5906 mdglotz@fremontohio.org fremontrunningandfitness.com

Michigan Cup Relays at Cross Country Ski Headquarters Roscommon 10:30 am XC Ski Headquarters 3 x 7K XC Ski, classical/

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Flushing Township 1/2 Marathon & 5k Run/Walk

Flushing 9:30 am Flushing HS 13.1 MR, 5KR/W (810) 487-0954 GRaceMgt@aol.com gaultracemanagement.com

Walker Pump & Run

Walker 9:00 am Walker Ice & Fitness Center 5KR (616) 735-6286 mbozek@ walkericeandfitness.com

Passion for Life 5K

Walled Lake 9:00 am Walled Lake Central HS 5KR/W, 1MFR (248) 882-4206 NStojkovic@wicsd.org www.passion5k.com

Ronald McDonald Run for the House Lansing 10:00 am Hawk Island County Park 5KR/W, kids run (517) 485-9303 rmhmm@hotmail.com

April Thursday, April 1 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, April 3 Strider Training Run

Mt Pleasant 8:00 am Max & Emily’s 10MR, 5MR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr

Ringing in Spring

Valparaiso, IN 9:00 am YMCA, 55 Chicago St. 5KR/W, Kids Run (219) 462-4189 michel.jones16@comcast.net www.ringinginspring.com

Sunday, April 4

Kal-Haven Trail Run

April Fools’ 5K

Sunday, March 28

Thursday, April 8

Kalamazoo 9:00 am Kal-Haven Trailhead 33.6 MR , relays (269) 375-5316 tkhutchins@chartermi.net kalamazooarearunners.com

Around the Bay 30K

Hamilton, ON 9:30 am Hamilton, Ontario 30KR, 5K, relays (905) 574-8982 info@bayrace.com aroundthebayroadrace.com

Mountain Man Trail Run and Hike Lake Orion 10:00 am Bald Mountain Rec. Area 5.6MR, 2.1MW (248) 320-9102 karl.stayintheshade@ gmail.com

Hansons 16 Mile Marathon Training Run Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop 4-16 MR (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Clarkston 9:00 am Clarkston Community Church 5KR/W (248) 891-6571 kimcross07@comcast.net www.clarkstoncchurch.com

Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, April 10 Great Lakes Loons Pennant Race

Midland 11:00 am Dow Diamond, Downtown 5KR/W, 1MFR, kids run (989) 835-8059 dlmadill@chartermi.net

Martian Marathon and Half Marathon

Dearborn 7:00 am Ford Field 26.2MR, 13.1MR Running Fit Events (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com martianmarathon.com

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Meteor 5 & 10K & Kids Mini Marathon

Dearborn Heights 9 am Henry Ford Dearborn Heights Center 10KR, 5KR, kids run Running Fit Events (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com martianmarathon.com Orthopaedic Rehab 8K/5K Run and 5K Walk

Jackson 8:00 am 2136 Robinson Road 8KR, 5KR/W (517) 782-2071 rtgilmore@comcast.net

Run for Reading

Lansing 9:00 am Delta Township District Library, 4538 Elizabeth Rd. 5KR/W, kids run (517) 490-2578 delta5k@dtldl.org

Sarett Spring Stampede Benton Harbor 8:30 am 5KR/W, 5K bird walk, 1M kids run (269) 927-4832 mikem@sarett.com sarett.com

Town Crier 5K & 10K

Saugatuck 9:00 am Corner of Butler and Main 10KR, 5KR/W, kids’ run (616) 848-9313 rbauer@saugatuckps.com saugatuckdouglas.com/ towncrier/

Sunday, April 11 Ohio River Road Runners Club Marathon and Half Marathon Dayton, OH 8:00 am 26.2 MR,13.1 MR, relay (937) 269-1992 marathon@orrrc.org

Thursday, April 15 Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, April 17 Clarkston Riverdawgs Spring Training 5K

Clarkston 10:00 am Clintonwood Park 5KR/W (248) 625-2258 JKuz22@comcast.net www.RiverdawgRun.org

Lake Michigan College Spring Training Benton Harbor 9:00 am Lake Michigan College Napier Campus 10KR, 5KR/W (269) 927-8100, x5101 cowan@ lakemichigancollege.edu

Norway Spring Classic Norway 10:30 am 10KR, 2 MR (906) 774-8071 saadams@localnet.com uprrc.oreg

Snowbird Spring Scamper

Gaylord 10:00 am Treetops 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR riversdeb@hotmail.com snowbirdspringscamper.com

Striders Saturday Classic

Grandville 8:00 am Covenant Christian HS 10 MR (616) 261-9706 s.webster@stridersrun.com www.stridersrun.com

Tax Trot

Flushing 10:00 am Flushing High School 15KR, 10KR, 5KR/W (810) 659-6493 johncgault2@aol.com riverbendstriders.com

TGIS Spring 5K Run

Gaylord 11:00 am Downtown Gaylord, Pavilion 5KR (989) 370-0934 kalemberj@ gaylord.k12.mi.us gaylordxc.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 18

Dooby Du Bikesport Duathlon

Toledo/ Berkey, OH 8:30 am Secor Metropark 2MR, 6.5MB, 2MR,6.5MR,2MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@sev.org eliteendeavors.com

MSUFCU Race for the Place 5K

East Lansing 1:00 pm Jenison Fieldhouse, MSU Campus 5KR/W (517) 333-2254 aclobes@msufcu.org msufcu.org/p_safeplace.html

Navarino Trail Run

Shiocton, WI 10:00 am Navarino Nature Center 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 6KR/W, kid’s run Jeff Crumbaugh (715) 460-0426 info@ greatlakesendurance.com greatlakesendurance.com

Yellow Jacket Challenge 5K

Greenville 2:00 pm Greenville HS 5KR, 1MR/W, kids runs (616) 754-3686 carcook@charter.net yellowjacketchallenge.com

Thursday, April 22 Hillsdale “Gina” Relays

Hillsdale 10:00 am track meet Bill Lundberg (517) 607-3171 bill.lundberg@hillsdale.edu www.hillsdale.edu/athletics/ mens_track/ginarelays.asp 4/22/10 - 4/24/10

Hansons Tempo Run

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, April 24 Borgess Run for the Health of It

Kalamazoo 8:15 am 13.1MR, 5KR/W, 5K Judged RaceW, 1 MFR, kids run (877) 255-2447 blainel@lamcreative.com www.borgessrun.com

Calvin Spring Classic

Grand Rapids 8:30 am Calvin College Field House 5KR/W, 1KFR (616) 526-6142 5K@calvin.edu

Interact 5K Run/Walk

Howell 10:00 am Howell HS 5K R/W (517) 230-3172 bowen.swann@sbcglobal.net www.howellrotary.org

January - April 2010 Event Calendar Road Ends 5 Mile

Pinckney 9:00 am Silver Lake, Pinckney Recreation Area 5 MR Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com trailmarathon.com Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival 5K

Running Fit Trail Marathon and Half Marathon

Pinckney 7:30 am Silver Lake, Pinckney Recreation Area 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR (734) 929-9027

events@runningfit.com trailmarathon.com Steelcase Grand Duathlon

Kentwood 10:00 am 5KR/ 30 KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Wed., April 28

Thursday, April 29

Run Fit 5K

Hansons Tempo Run

Novi 6:30 pm Novi Town Center 5KR, 1MR, kids run (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com www.runfit5K.com

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Royal Oak Store Sonja Hanson (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

- MR -

Shepherd 8:00 am Shepherd HS 5KR/W, 1/2MFR (989) 828-6601 shepherdmaplesyrupfestival.org

WYLD Bill 5K

Hillsdale 10:00 am Hillsdale College track 5KR/W Bill Lundberg (517) 607-3171 bill.lundberg@hillsdale.edu www.hillsdale.edu/chargers/ mens/track

Cabin Fever 5K

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 9 am Lake Superior State Univ. 5KR (906) 635.2765 track@lssu.edu

Sunday, April 25 Glass City Marathon & Team Relay

Toledo, OH 8:00 am Park Inn 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 5 person relay, 5KR (419) 360-3709 wearinthgreen17@aol.com or glassmarathon@aol.com www.glasscitymarathon.org

Hansons Group Run Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop training (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Mid-Michigan Race for the Cure速

Lansing 1:00 p.m. Lansing State Capitol 5KR/W (517) 886-4901 info@KomenGreaterLansin g.org komengreaterlansing.org

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Running with Tom Henderson

Notes on the Run: Dogs

By Tom Henderson

should ignore what his minions were telling me, fly to New York, look up Fred at the race expo, tell him Emily and Herb sent me and he’d get me in. No problem.

y boss at Crain’s Detroit Business, Andy Chapelle, who was one of the early editors at Michigan Runner magazine and a marathon runner, had the bad news for me when I got back to work on Dec. 7 after two weeks of running on the beach in the Florida Panhandle: Did I know Dave Hinz? He died in a car accident while I was gone.

So I got a plane out on Friday and went to the expo Friday night. Fred was already gone for the day, I was told, but to look for him at noon Saturday. I found Fred as expected and told him what wonderful friends I was with his wonderful friends and how I wanted to run the New York Marathon and they said it was no problem.

I didn’t know Dave well. I was new to running, and brand new to writing about running when he was a force on the national running scene in the early 1980s. I only interviewed him a time or two, but was saddened to hear of his death on Nov. 27.

Hinz, a noted conservative blogger and one-time nationally-ranked duathlete as well, was 56. Hearing of his death, and reading his age, are reminders at my age, 61, of how time flies, and of mortality. I ran my first marathon in 1981. I was going to do one, just one, to show former colleagues I was no longer tooting cocaine night and day and was once again suitable for gainful employment. The Detroit Free Press marathon that fall was the first time I ever ran with another human being, and the field of 4,000 was up till that point, and for many years, the largest field in the event’s history. I ran 3:28 and, to my surprise, found out I’d traded one addiction for another. That was 40 marathons and 1,200 races ago. I did an article for the Free Press on Michigan Runner in 1982 and, if memory serves, started writing a column for MR in 1983. Hinz won the Free Press in 1982, a race I’ll never forget for other reasons. A total numbskull with no understanding of training techniques or race strategy, I figured I could easily hit 3:10 that year and, to do so, I’d better put some time in the bank. I thought it was good news, not bad, that I hit the one-mile split in a PR of 5:55. I ran like a banshee through five and was toast by ten. I suffered somehow to the finish, 38

Photo by Victah Sailer / photorun.net

Hinz, a driver for FedEx, was driving to work on I-94 when his car hit a patch of black ice and careened into another car that had hit the same patch and collided with a guardrail. Luckily for the woman who had driven that car, she was out of it and walking along the shoulder of the freeway when Hinz’s car hit hers. She was unhurt.

Lebow exploded. Emily and Herb are idiots, he said, and so was I. He had people flying in from Sweden and France offering him bribes to get in and he’d laughed in their faces, so why should he help me? It was preposterous. It was out of the question. I was worse than an idiot.

Dave Hinz is pictured competing at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. whipped, dipped and demoralized. I forget my time. Seemed like days. Wanting to climb back on the horse soon as possible after a fall, I looked for another fall marathon to run. Joe LaPointe, a Free Press sportswriter back in the day when the paper sent staffers to events like the Boston and New York marathons, told me I could crash with him at his hotel in New York if I could get into that race. The race was filled. I tried to pull rank, promising race officials a first-person article in the Free Press if they’d let me in, but they were less than impressed. Those were the days of the giant Emily Gail 10Ks in downtown Detroit which drew crowds of 20,000, and Emily was a friend of mine and member of the New York Road Runners. She said she and her boyfriend, Herb Squires, were great friends with marathon cofounder and legend Fred Lebow. She said I

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

But, he said, if you come back at 6, when the expo is closing, maybe I’ll change my mind. Yee-HAH!! I was back at 5:30. Didn’t see Fred. Asked around. He’d left for the day. Long ago. Is incommunicado. No way to contact him. Bye. I stood there in a daze. It was 6:30 now, hardly anyone around, a few people cleaning up. A woman came over. “Can I help you?” she asked. “I don’t think so.” “You look sad. What happened?” I told her my tale. “Herb and Emily? Aren’t they great? I love them!” she said. “Come here.” She led me to the end of the huge hall and through a screened-off area. She asked me for my name and age, told a guy to get me a number and within seconds an official race number had been printed out and was in my proud possession. “Don’t tell anyone how you got this,” she said. I ran 3:38 on Sunday and had the time of my life. Earlier that year, in the spring, LaPointe had put me up in his hotel room in Boston, where we watched the first half of the marathon on TV, then ran down to the finish

line. Doug Kurtis, whom I would come to know well, ran with the leaders in the early going that day, an unknown from Michigan the TV guys knew nothing about. He would wilt in the late going from the heat. “I couldn’t believe how easy the early pace felt,” he’d say later. “After that, I realized it was a hot day, and I was in over my head.” Kurtis would go on to fame of his own in the sport with a world record of 75 sub-2:20 marathons. A couple blocks before the finish line, I saw a ladder leaning against a theater marquee with photographers up on it taking pictures. I’d finagled a press pass and climbed the ladder, showed the photogs my pass, and had a bird’s-eye view next to them of the best finish in the race’s history — Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley flying underneath me in a mad dash for glory, Salazar winning by two seconds in 2:08:52, the first time ever two men had broken 2:09 in the same event. The next year, the Boston TV announcers had another unknown from Michigan to be flummoxed over, Hinz this time. He ended up finishing 11th in 2:12 and later that year ran on the U.S. team in the Pan-Am Games. The winner of the 1983 Boston marathon? Greg Meyer, a University of Michigan All-American and another former Free Press winner who flirted with a world record before fading in the late going.

the last time in my 10K career. Heck, it was the last time I broke 40 minutes. Jeff finished first and I finished second in a small field. I introduced myself to him later and he told me if I liked running in the U.P., he had this crazy two-day, three-race series he was launching the next year called the Keweenaw Running Trail Festival. Crazy? Oh my! Insane. Insanely tough. Insanely beautiful. Words are not adequate, though I’ve used a lot of them to try to capture the essence of the event. I even sold Runner’s World magazine a long profile of the event a few years ago. (Boy, was Amby Burfoot at RW surprised to get my invoice for mileage: 1,200 miles for the round trip from Detroit to Eagle Harbor.) Crumbaugh has since greatly expanded his race offerings. Want to see another crazytough, crazy-beautiful course? Do the Tahqua 10K at Tahquamenon Falls next August. Crumbaugh was green too, before it was popular. Everything in his events is green, from the organic cotton t-shirts to biodegradable cups. A man ahead of his time. And out of his mind. MR

Meyer’s thunder was muted, to some extent, by a breakthrough run by Joan Benoit, who demolished the women’s world record in 2:22:43, winning the race by nearly seven minutes. It was a wonderful time. The running boom was in full bloom. Michigan runners were kicking ass and taking names, and I was enthralled to find myself part of such a cool sport by such a back-door route. We were all so young with the best years of our lives ahead of us. ~~ Kudos to Jeff Crumbaugh, lovingly referred to as Evil Jeff, or Evil Bastard Jeff, by those of us who have run his wonderful and wonderfully-tough trails runs in the Upper Peninsula. Crumbaugh is MR’s 2009 Contributor of the Year and you can read about him in more depth elsewhere in this issue. I met Jeff in 1999 at the Popeye 10K in Eagle Harbor on the Fourth of July. It was a wonderful small-town race on a quirky, downhill course, the downhill nature the reason why I was able to break 39 minutes for Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Book Review

“Marathon: A Novel” by Hal Higdon By Ron Marinucci

f you have chores planned for a few days, don’t read this book yet. You won’t put it down until the last page — and will still yearn for more. Those chores won’t get done. Author Hal Higdon is famed and popular, having written almost three dozen books — many about training — and countless articles, especially in Runner’s World.

The world’s most-recognized fashion model is running her first marathon. She has a purpose and serves as a temporary cover for another entrant, McDonald’s “Celebrity X.” You’ll likely figure out who Celebrity X is within a few pages, but that won’t detract from the intrigue with the possibility. There

One marathoner worries, as we all have, about the impending weather “thwarting the months of training that had gotten him into the best shape of his life.” And at the expo, attire is the familiar “traditional runner’s garb: jeans, T-shirt and running shoes.”

During the television broadcast of the Lake City Marathon, one commentator notes with no little amazement, “So many story lines.” Indeed, there are so many subplots to the book, with twists and turns, that it’s difficult to determine which is most compelling. Fortunately, Higdon provides a list of characters and skillfully weaves their stories into an exciting, dramatic conclusion.

Higdon also documents the ins and outs of directing a marathon of this size. McDonald and his staff must handle countless matters, often unseen and unknown, more than just having enough water and bagels, chip-timing, etc. City police must be secured, directed and paid, especially with the presence of Celebrity X. For the world-record attempts, “rabbits” must be found and paid (with whom McDonald later exhibits his nobility). Media coverage must be catered and coordinated.

Peter McDonald is the race director. Under his guidance, Lake City has become one of the premier marathons in the world, rivaling Boston, London, New York City and the rest. But this year’s running promises to be the best, most-intriguing one yet.

McDonald is increasingly concerned about the forecast for weather not conducive to running a marathon, much less worldrecord attempts as planned. He is forced to devise contingency strategies, just in case. What transpires with the marathon-day weather is a complete surprise. The runners themselves run the gamut — well-developed characters all. The returning champion has a surprise announcement at the pre-race press conference. And he is being challenged by an up-and-coming countryman, one filled with resentment, intensity and confidence. The world’s top woman marathoner comes to set a new world record. She, too, has a pre-race announcement, although one of a very different nature. 40

Many of the events and characters are thinly disguised: Starburst Coffee Shop? Burton Ambrose, editor of Running Magazine? Lake City itself? But all of that adds to the enjoyment. As expected, Higdon captures the essence of the mega-marathon. Veterans will recognize and even chuckle over what they read. “Theirs was the God of Fitness, one to whom human sweat was Holy Water.”

This is his second book entitled “Marathon”: the first being a training guide for the distance. This, a novel, is centered on the 72 hours leading up to a mega-marathon (50,000 plus runners) and on the race itself.

Despite its success, Lake City is in financial purgatory. The major sponsor, a bank, has been bought out and the new owner, from Ireland, doesn’t seem enthralled with continuing support. McDonald and the race must win them over.

There are still more characters, most immensely likable. A couple are less pleasing, even unctuous, although they are softened somewhat by the marathon and participants.

are several wonderful and humorous quotations surrounding Celebrity X, but I hesitate to use them lest giving away the identity. The final mile of the marathon with Celebrity X is spectacular. In addition, there’s the “Mystery Girl.” “Who are you?” people continually ask her as she runs near the front of the race. A seeming non-elite, a podiatrist who sells running shoes at a local specialty store, she makes a serious challenge to win. “Who are you?” As compelling as any of the multitudinous (yes, that word is in the book) subplots is the growing romantic interest between McDonald and a newly-hired television reporter assigned to cover the marathon and its festivities. Its climax is as intense as that of the marathon itself.

Michigan Runner - January / February 2010

Much, much more is required to ensure that the Lake City Marathon experience is pleasing and memorable to the mid- and backpackers as much as to the well-paid elites. (And where would McDonald be without his cell phone?) Nonrunners will also get a taste of the marathon’s appeal. One character, certainly not a runner, “could not understand the fascination with running 26 miles and 385 yards ... He just did not get it. Did it not hurt?” He’d learn and become, if not a convert, a fan. “Marathon” is an entertaining, informative and compelling book. We can hope that Higdon has another such novel in his pen. But be forewarned: if you start reading it, the chores won’t get done for a while. Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net. MR