Michigan Runner, July / August 2012 by Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc.

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July / August 2012

Publisher and Chief Executive Officer

Art McCafferty artmccaf@glsp.com Scott Sullivan scott@glsp.com Editor

Jennie McCafferty jennie@glsp.com Associate Publisher

Charles D. McEwen Gary Morgan Jim Neff Bob Schwartz Bob Seif Bob Shaffer Rachael Steil Tamara Steil Nick Stanko Anthony Targan Cregg Weinmann Amanda Weaver Michael Zuidema Jamie Fallon Composer

Dave Foley Mike Duff

Editors Emeritus

Pat Davies Peter Draugalis Jackie Gomez Don Kern Larry Maas Gary Morgan RunMichigan.com Greg Sadler Victah Sailer Flannery Sullivan Photo / Video

Carter Sherline

Senior Photographer

Paul Aufdemberge Desiree Davila Ian Forsyth Tom Henderson Scott Hubbard Herb Lindsay Laurel Park Robin Sarris Hallop Columnists

Tracey Cohen Brianne Feldpausch Heather Dyc Hanks Michael Heberling Jeff Hollobaugh Dean Johnson Bill Kahn William Kalmar Dr. Edward H. Kozloff Doug Kurtis Grant Lofdahl Ron Marinucci Riley McLincha

Cheryl Clark

2012 Event Calendar July / August 2012 Featured Future Events

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Features and Departments Editor’s Notes: Chinese Dogs By Scott Sullivan Letter to the Editor 2012 Michigan Runner Race Series The Right Stuff By Dave Foley Beyond the Chip: The Mentl Comeback vs. the Monkey Mind By Robin Sarris-Hallop Embracing Brace Restores Active Life By Ron Marinucci Tom Rademacher: 35 River Bank Runs and Countin By Bob Seif Back to the Future By Bob Seif Running the River: Lessons Never End By Michael Zuidema Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard Does Lightning Strike Twice? By Bob Shaffer The Necessity of Struggles By Brianne Feldpausch Much Ado About Something By Bob Schwartz Runner/ Author Still ‘Nuts’ After All These Years 400 Marathons for Carter Sherline By Heather Dyc Hanks Farah Book is Window on Running, Life By Tracey Cohen Book Review: Murder on the Outer Banks By Ron Marinucci Minimalist Shoes Summer 2012 Review By Cregg Weinmann Book Review: Running on Empty By Ron Marinucci Running with Tom Henderson

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At the Races

Chief Financial Officer

Contributors

Williams Wallops Record in Hometown Dexter-Ann Arbor Run By C.D. McEwen Campbell, Kimbough Claim 10K Masters Crowns By Charles Douglas. McEwen

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MHSAA Track & Field LP Finals Photos by Pete Draugalis, Jackie Gomez, Scott Sullivan

and Carter Sherline Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc. 4007 Carpenter Rd, #366 Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734)507-0241 (734)434-4765 FAX info@glsp.com

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Michigan Runner © is published six times yearly for $17.00 per year by Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc., 4007 Carpenter Rd., #366, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Third Class Postage paid at Dearborn, MI and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send Address changes to Michigan Runner,4007 Carpenter Rd., #366, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. All contents of this publication are copyrighted all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. All unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addressed envelope, bearing sufficient postage; publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. The views and opinions of the writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect endorsement and/or views of the Michigan Runner. Address all editorial correspondence, subscriptions, and race information to: Michigan Runner, 4007 Carpenter Rd., #366, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, (734) 5070241, FAX (734) 434-4765, info@glsp.com, www.glsp.com. Subscription rates: Continental U.S. $17.00 per year: Payable in U.S. funds. Single issue $3.00, back issues $5.00. Change of address: Send your magazine label and your new address to Michigan Runner, 4007 Carpenter Rd., #366, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.

Vol. 34, No. 3

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

MHSAA Track & Field UP Finals, Divisions 1- 3 Meet Records ‘Old School’ Fit 5K Boasts New Twists By Ron Marinucci ‘Hot Stuff’ as Two-City Qualifier Debuts By Scott Sullivan Teens Have Way at Dodge Park Run By Charles Douglas McEwen A Sunny Day Greets Grosse Ile Runners Photos by Carter Sherline River Bank Records Fall on (Near) Rainless Day By Scott Sullivan Rainbow of Son’s Sins, Fun and Robots Grace Diemer Run By Scott Sullivan Boyle Bests Boys, Ties Women’s Record at Hartland Run By C.D. McEwen Town Crier Runs Become Family Affair By Scott Sullivan Hogg, Weisbrodt Run Away with New Running Fit 50K By C.D. McEwen Basweti, Duclos Attack Martian Invation Marathon By C.D. McEwen Meteor 10K Showers Wins on Bethke, McMahan By C.D. McEwen Gillette, Clement Rule Borgess / Kalamazoo Marathon By C.D. McEwen Michigan Runner TV: An Interview with Coach Red Simmons Let’s Move Festival of Races Photos by Carter Sherline Group Hug: Running Groups Boos Bayshore Marathoners By Anthony Targan Big House Big Heart Makes Big Splash By Anthony Targan Literacy Run Draws World-wide Crowd Brother, Sister Win 5K: Husband, Wife 10K at Race for Life By C.D. McEwen Grand Prix Cars and People Return to Detroit Photos by Carter Sherline Families Come Out for Fruitport Runs Photos by Carter Sherline

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Cover: Brian Mazur (bib 3051) of Jackson, Michigan, Patient Endurance Racing; Cassandra Henkiel (bib 3032) of Austin Texas, Team Rogue South Texas; and Greg Wilson (bib 3090) of Chula Vista, California, Florida Track Club West, compete in the USA Masters 10K Championship in Ann Arbor. Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios.

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Editor’s Notes

Chinese Dogs

Letter to the Editor

By Scott Sullivan

here are lies, damned lies and people who tell you you’re “Looking good” as you finish marathons. I’ve found honesty now I run shorter and stress-free. “He’s cute! I like him!” I hear groups of girls say as I plod by them. At age 57, it’s been a while since I heard such comments. The last time was never. “Look at his cute tail! Can I pet him?”

Running with Lev is a revelation. First, he’s so crazy to go he stops me from getting dressed; he sticks his big, grinning head in my way as if to say. “Don’t forget me!”

I corralled him, apologized to the pug’s owners and we went on our merry way, while they chose to go the opposite. Lev, having saved the world for democracy, wasn’t finished; it was time to contribute to trailside greenery. With his deposits, you’d think the world was his ATM. My wife, who years ago ran through suburbs with an immense dogo argentino, was ticketed by police one time for “promiscuous defecation” — on the dog’s part, I’m assuming.

It began to sink in: they were talking about my dog.

Once he slipped his collar as we passed a pug and did what he always does when he plays with small dogs: put its head in his mouth. The pug freaked, thinking Lev had mistaken her for another Chinese dog, say chow.

I’ve run more than I take Lev on the Lev, the scourge of Chinese dogs. 1,000 miles with this trails for the sake of tail-wagging idiot since chastity, plus knowing we adopted him. My only old men riding one run without him came when my wife took him bikes patrol them. “Sic him!” I’d say if one pulled us to obedience class, which occurred just once: he was over and Lev would lick him to death. either expelled or she realized it was hopeless. But he always thinks I’ll forget him. If these retirees in day-glow vests truly want to be useful as trail Gestapo, they would hone in on the real Then he never wants me to put on his choke collar, menace. They could even use Lev as their police dog. which I have to because, without it, he would pull my arm from its socket chasing down Chinese dogs. Girls would gasp at how cute they were as Lev bounded along with the latest Pekingese in his chopPeople fret about China taking over our econpers, restoring the sanctity of our land. omy when the real threat is from their dogs. I can’t run a trail that’s not full of Shih Tzus, Shar Peis and Looking good, indeed. so on. Levy, like some latter-day Cold Warrior, goes ballistic when he sees them. - MR -

Remembering Kermit: Setting the Record Straight To the editor, I enjoyed reading all the articles about Kermit Ambrose in the May/June Michigan Runner. To be a bit picky, I will point out some minor inaccuracies. First, the articles said he took a job at Seaholm High School. Actually, he took a job at Birminham High School, from which I graduated. At my graduation ceremony in 1959, they announced that because another high school in town was nearing completion, they were renaming our school to Seaholm. People hissed. I never learned who Seaholm was. Second, Kermit was not hired as a crosscountry coach. He was hired as a teacher. We had no full-time coaches. I owe my parallel parking skills to the driver training instruction I got from Kermit. Kermit was a big guy. I remember a time when two big brutes were having a fistfight in the school parking lot. Kermit ripped them apart. When one of them took a swing at him, he yanked him off the ground and shook him. Fight over. R. Bruce Laidlaw Ann Arbor

2012 Michigan Runner Race Series Corktown Race, 5K, Detroit - March 11 Martian Invasion Meteor 10K, Dearborn - April 14 Borgess Half Marathon, Kalamazoo - May 6

Plymouth YMCA Father's Day 1 Mile, Plymouth - June 17 National Cherry Festival 15K, Traverse City - July 14 Steve's Run 10K, Dowagiac - July 28

Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, Grand Rapids - May 12 Dexter Ann Arbor 10K, Ann Arbor - June 3 Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K, Cutlerville - June 9

Crim Festival of Races, 10 Mile, Flint - August 25 Ringside Fitness Marquette Marathon - September 1 Mackinac Island 8 Mile Road Race - September 8 Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon - October 21

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Dexter Ann Arbor Run

Williams Wallops Record in Hometown Dexter-Ann Arbor Run By Charles Douglas McEwen

He had Alex Ralston, Clint Verran 23, accompanying him for the first mile. “We went out super fast,” Williams said. “I think we went through the mile in 4:08.”

“It’s pretty cool to say I hold the record at my hometown road race,” said Williams, who grew up in Dexter.

Making the most of near-perfect weather Williams blazed a 14:34 time, besting Joshua Mourer’s 14:58 mark set in 1998.

ANN ARBOR (6/3/12) — Lex Williams, 25, of Ann Arbor entered the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run determined to break the course 5K record — and did just that.

Danielle Salisbury

Lex Williams, bib no. 7241 and Alex Ralston run side by side and Josiah Swanson follows close behind in the 5K.

Jill Johnson

“I ran 17:10 two weeks ago,” Larsen said. “So I really thought I could be under 17 here. But that’s OK.”

“I just tried to stay controlled and run within myself,” said Williams. “My legs felt a little tired going up that last hill. But that’s what it’s there for — to make it fun at the end!” Ralston settled for second in 15:14. Josiah Swanson, 19, of Fond Du Lac, Wisc., claimed third in 15:22. Suzanne Larsen, 34, of Fenton also had a good day at Dexter-Ann Arbor, winning the women’s 5K for the fourth time. ”It’s been a while, though,” said Larsen, who also triumphed in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Her victory ended Erin Webster’s three-year win streak. Larsem didn’t feel spectacular, though. “It was rough out there,” she said. “I went out hard the first mile. Then I died the last mile.” She placed first nonetheless in 17:22. Next came Webster, 26, of Dearborn in 18:08 and Canadian Yasmine White, 22, in 20:28.

In the half marathon, Clint Verran, 37, of Lake Orion won for the second time in the last five years and Danielle Salisbury, 30, of Hillsdale triumphed for the second year in a row. Verran started out leading the race with his Hansons-Brooks Distance Project teammate Stephen Muturi, 36, of Rochester, at his side. “I dictated the pace,” Verran said. “He knew I was feeling strong, so he just tucked in behind me.” He gapped Muturi about midway through the race, then played beat the clock. “I was dead-on at 10 (miles) for 1:07 flat, and still dead-on at 12,” Verran said. “But I lost it going up that final hill (to the finish line).” He finished in 1:07:19, followed by Muturi in 1:09:19 and Ryan Rau, 31, of Brighton in 1:11:45. Salisbury paced the women in 1:18:39. Next came two-time winner Rachel Kinsman, 30, of Archibold, Ohio (1:19:23) and Erin O’Mara, 28, of Ypsilanti (1:23:17).

In the 10K, Donnie Warner, 29, of Cincinnati took first in 32:40, followed by Matthew Michigan Runner TV Hammersmith, 24, of http://michiganrunner.tv/2012dexter_annarbor Ypsilanti (33:06) and Andrew Porinsky, 27, of 6

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

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Ralston dropped off the pace as Williams kept pushing it.

Matthew Hammersmith, wearing military bib no. 3268, and Donnie Warner, bib no. 5031, battle for the 10K lead. Dexter (35:01). For the women, Jill Johnson, 28, of Ann Arbor won in 40:18, followed by Kristi Matuszewski, 40, of Brighton (41:14) and Jessica Shehab, 36, of Northville (42:19). Dexter-Ann Arbor had 5,772 entrants this year. For complete results, go to http://www.dxa2.com. - MR -

USA Masters 10K Championships, Ann Arbor

Campbell, Kimbrough Claim 10K Masters Crowns

Malcolm Campbell

Chris Kimbrough

ANN ARBOR (6/3/12) — They made it look it easy. Leading from the start, outclassing the rest of the ultra-competitive field and gliding up the last hill to the finish line, Malcolm Campbell and Chris Kimbrough won the USATF Masters National 10K Championship at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run. “The national title is awesome,” said Campbell, 41, of Marietta, Ga. “But I’m training for the marathon. I really want to hit a good marathon time this year.”

Doug Goodhue

By Charles Douglas McEwen

Ruth Thelen led the Playmakers Elite/ New Balance team to the Women’s 60+ title.

Kimbrough, 42, a mother of five from Austin, Tex., came to Ann Arbor fresh from defending her USATF Masters 8K Title in Williamburg, Va., May 19. She timed 35:41 here..

The winner felt energized by the out-and-back course. “The crowds coming back were really motivating,” Kimbrough said. “They were screaming at me. I loved it.”

Bill Rodgers, bib no. 3073, ran with Mitch Garner, bib no. 3826, president of the host Ann Arbor Track Club. have the mark certified.) The field also included four-time Boston and four-time New York City marathon champ Bill Rodgers, 64, of Foxborough, Mass., a special guest of the race. “Bill’s been phenomenal,” Goodhue said. “He’s so cordial and takes time to talk to people. He spent four hours signing autographs yesterday.”

The Scotland native set a masters course record of 31:08, eclipsing the 31:30 run by Mbarak Hussein last year.

Kimbrough beat her Team Rogue Elite teammate Cassandra Henkiel, 42, also of Austin, Tex., who was runner-up for the second-straight year in 37:21. Cate Fenster, 40, of Ashland, Ohio, was third in 37:34.

Rodgers, who estimates he has 165,000 “hard” miles on his body, finished the 10K in 46:13, running much of it with Ann Arbor Track Club president Mitchell Garner, 62, who finished in 46:43.

Campbell stayed on a 5:01 pace each mile. “I want to be consistent,” he said, “because that’s what the marathon is about. If I went out fast and died today, I’d be concerned, even if I still were to run the same time.”

Laurel Park, 49, of Ann Arbor led the Michigan women, timing 38:17, just ahead of Lisa Veneziano, 47, of Fenton (38:48).

“It’s an excellent course,” said Rodgers. “It has a little cross country feel to it — and some hills! You have to think about what’s coming up. It forces you to pace yourself.

Kimbrough praised race director Gary Morgan, 10K director Doug Goodhue and the Ann Arbor Track Club.

“With the national masters championship being here, there’s great competition,” Rodgers said.

He never allowed himself to ease up. “I knew Fred (Kieser) and Mark (Andrews) were right behind me. You can never take them for granted,” Campbell said. Kieser, 41, of Cleveland captured second in 32:00. Andrews, 41, of Rochester, N.Y., finished third in 32:48. John Dood, 47, of Grand Rapids, was the first Michigan runner and sixth overall in 33:26. Eric Green, 43, of Pontiac, claimed 11th in 34:58.

“Doug is an amazing guy,” Kimbrough said. “He puts together a great race — and runs a good race too.” Indeed. Goodhue, 70, of Milford, set a national record for the 7074 category, timing 40:22. (He still must

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For complete results, go to www.dxa2.com. - MR -

Michigan Runner TV http://michiganrunner.tv/2012dexter_annarbor

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Michigan’s Greatest High School Mile Race By Dr. Ed Kozloff

Dick Sharkey had been the premier high school distance runner in the state since 1960, first coming into prominence as a sophomore during the 1959 cross-country season as he finished ninth in the Detroit City Cross-Country Championship. His Redford High School team, coached by Bruce Waha, won the team title for the second straight year; Redford went on to win five consecutive years and take two state titles until 1963, when Detroit high school “minor sports,” including cross-country, were eliminated for a year because of the failure of a tax millage vote. This surely cost the Redford team another city and state title. During this era the Detroit School System had not participated in state athletic competition since 1930. It only returned to it in the fall of 1961, when Redford took its first of two state cross-country titles. With 20 Class A high schools in Detroit, some of them numbering more than 4,000 students, the school system had many of the fine track and field athletes in the state. Before Detroit schools returned to state competition in 1961, the fastest winning time for the halfmile in the state finals was a 1:58.9 set in 1956. Most of the winning times were slightly above 2:00 flat. The Detroit record was 1:56.6 set in 1939. The record for the fastest mile in state competition was 4:21.8 set in 1958, however most winning times were 4:30 or slower. The Detroit record was 4:17.7. Back in 1940, Britton Lux of Cooley High clocked 4:26.6, a scant 5.4 seconds slower than the national high school record at the time. At the 1960 Detroit Track Championship, Sharkey finished third in the mile. On the advice of his coach, he spent the summer running two to five miles daily on a sandy beach near his family’s summer home in Oscoda. Then, as a 5’6”, 110-pound junior, he won the 1960 Public School League Cross-Country Championship. In doing so he set a course record in the West Side Championship a week prior to the city race. His time was 10:06.6 for the Palmer Park course that had a disputed distance between 2 and 2 1/8 miles. During the 1961 track season, Sharkey, along with everyone else, was overshadowed by future Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Carr of Northwestern High. During the season Carr had the fastest 100-, 220- and 440-yard times ever run in the state, plus the second-best long jump distance. His 100yard time tied the national record held by the immortal Jesse Owens; in that same meet, Carr covered the 220 in 20 seconds flat, equaling the world’s

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Photo by Detroit Free Press from the collection of Dr. Ed Kozloff

ifty years ago, in June 1962, the greatest mile race in Michigan high school history took place in the Detroit Public School Track and Field Championship. The winner stopped the clock with a time of 4:13.2, the second fastest by a high school runner in the U.S. at the time that year and close to the national record of 4:11. The secondplace time in that historic race was 4:13.4.

In June 1962, Dick Sharkey (left) and Lou Scott ran the best competitive high school mile race ever run up to that time. record. Unfortunately there was no wind gage and, therefore no record. In the city championship mile race, Sharkey led the field in 4:20.2. He was followed by Tony Mifsud of Cody High, who in the previous fall had finished fourth in the cross-country championship. Lou Scott of Eastern High had won the East Side qualifying race in 4:38.9 and finished third in the race. They were to be the top three distance runners in the state for two years. In fall 1961, after a 31-year absence, Detroit returned to state competition. Sharkey, now 17, set records on the new city course at Rouge Park. At the City Championship he ran 9:20.3 for the two-mile distance. Mifsud finished third in this race and Scott, despite being 5’6” and weighing 125 pounds, did not run because he was on the Eastern High football team. At the state meet a week later, Sharkey and Redford took top honors and Mifsud improved on his city finish by placing second. As the 1962 track season progressed, Sharkey continued to dominate the competition. Going into

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the state meet in late May at Ann Arbor, he had the top state time of 4:20.4. He was followed by Mifsud in 4:21.5 and a vastly-improved Scott, who had knocked more than 10 seconds of his previous year’s best. He now was ranked third in the state with a time of 4:23.1. In the state meet mile, Sharkey, who had 21 straight victories in track and cross-country races, led the field for more than three laps of the four-lap race. In the last lap Scott flashed past him and Sharkey could not respond. At the finish, Scott’s time of 4:17.4 set a new state record and was also faster than the Detroit mark of 4:17.7. Sharkey finished five yards back, with Mifsud the fifth-place finisher. The stage was now set for the Detroit City Track and Field Championship 10 days later. Ready for the challenge were Scott, Sharkey and Mifsud with the three fastest mile times in the state. The meet was held on Redford’s well-cared-for cinder track. The largest crowd ever at a public school meet, 3,000 spectators, were present.

Sharkey’s strategy was to take the sting out of Scott’s finishing sprint with 2:06/2:07 half-mile splits that would yield a time faster than Scott’s state record. Sharkey established a strong lead from the gun, hitting the quarter-mile point in 60 seconds flat. Scott was five yards back and Mifsud right behind him. At halfway Sharkey’s time was 2:05.8, right on pace and about 15 yards ahead of Scott. During the third lap Scott began closing the distance between them and at the end of the third quarter led by a step. Sharkey did not give up and, with 200 yards to go, pulled even with Scott and challenged to the finish. At the tape it was Scott in 4:13.2 and Sharkey less than a foot back in 4:13.4. Track officials, some of whom had overseen races for more than 30 years, called this the finest high school mile they had ever seen. It was, perhaps, the best competitive high school mile race ever run up to that time. Scott’s last half-mile was 2:04. Scott had trained the previous year by running distance races on the Michigan Road Runners Club (now Motor City Striders) summer schedule. For this performance he was named the Michigan Track Athlete of the Year.

During the 1963 track season, Scott varied the distances he raced between the half-mile (880 yards) and mile. When he ran the half, he could also run on the school’s mile relay team, which gave him a great opportunity to work on his speed. The State Championship, held on the MSU track, was before the city event this year. Going into it, Scott’s best mile time for the year was 4:20.8. At state he ran 1963’s fastest time in the country to that date, as he hit the finish line in 4:13.2, an identical time to the previous year’s epic city race. This time broke his own state record of 4:17.4, also set in his junior year.

mile relay team. He won the half in 1:54.3, which set another record. The relay finished second, which placed Eastern second in the meet. Later in the summer, Scott ran the mile at the Winnipeg International Festival, placing second in 4:11.3. For the season, he was named Michigan’s Track and Field Athlete of the year for the second straight time. At the urging of Carr, Michigan’s track athlete of the year in 1961, Scott attended Arizona State University. He attained best times of 4:04.9 for the mile, 8:35.2 for two miles. 13:12 for three miles and 13:46.4 for 5K. At the 1967 Pan American Games, he placed second in the 5,000-meter run and was a member of the 1968 Olympic Team at that distance.

The city meet was Scott’s last official prep race. In order to help Eastern’s chance for the team title, heThunderbird was entered Inn in the 880 and page was a vertical member 6/16/12 of the 7:56 PM Page 1 2012_half

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This was Sharkey’s and Mifsud’s (who finished third in this race) last high school race. Mifsud’s best time of 4:21.5 would have won every Michigan High School Championship until this year of 1962. In the fall he attended Spring Arbor College and was the National Junior College Cross-Country Champion. Later at Eastern Michigan University he led the school to its first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics title in any sport.

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Sharkey went on to Michigan State University and captained the team to the Big 10 conference title in 1963. At the NCAA Cross-Country Championship he was an All-American, placing 10th in the meet. He had top finishes in other races as well. Knee surgery in his sophomore year temporarily sidelined him. He ended his career with best times of 4:05.1 for the mile, 8:51 in the two-mile and 13:58 for a three-mile race that he was timed in after racing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

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Scott still had a year of high school left. In fall 1962 he ran cross country for the first time, having left a football team for which he’d seen little game time. The coaches wisely advised him to run crosscountry. In early-season races, Scott’s best on the twomile Rouge Park course was 9:21, just off of Sharkey’s record of 9:20.3. He won the City Championship in 9:20.8, a time that disappointed him as it was five-tenths of a second slower than Sharkey’s record. Going out too fast, a first mile in 4:26, left him with little stamina at the end. Redford took its fifth straight team championship. Just three days later was the State Championship at the Washtenaw Country Club. Running a better-paced race, Scott finished in 9:48.4, breaking the 9:50.9 record set in 1960. Redford captured the team title for the second straight year.

Contact Info 146 Old US 31 Mackinaw City, MI 49701 800-633-1515 231-436-5433 info@thunderbirdinnmackinaw.com thunderbirdinnmackinaw.com michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

The Right Stuff By Dave Foley

he 1983 movie “The Right Stuff ” mythologized early astronauts as adventurers whose physical and mental attributes made them uniquely qualified to pilot spacecraft to places no man had ever visited. There are also runners who have the right stuff: individuals determined to reach the pinnacle of race performance. These are your overachievers, often at the front of major races. Others are farther back; although not gifted athletes, they, through perseverance and hard work, try to run as fast as possible. Runners with the right stuff make their training and racing priority number one. If there is a blizzard raging and they’re supposed to run a 20-miler, the weather is not an issue; they will complete the long run. Each day the question is not “if ” they will run, but “when.” Thoughts about running, for these individuals, occur almost every waking hour. Each workout has a definite plan, which is part of a larger program designed to put them on the starting line ready to run the best race of their lives. If you want to train with them, you’ll have to comply with the day’s plan; if you can’t run the pace or distance they want, they will leave you behind. A year in advance they know where they will be competing on any given weekend. Some schedule changes might happen among lower-priority races, but the dates of their marathons are certain. If they have a 26.2-miler coming up in October, they will be running 20-milers in July. Months of weekly hill training sessions will precede a serious competition on rolling terrain. When races go well they rejoice. If they fail to achieve their goal they brood, analyzing and rerunning the race mentally until they can pinpoint the cause of their failure. Then they rework their training plan to overcome their weakness or correct their fault. The subject becomes an obsession; their minds return constantly to running. This is not to say it interferes with their lives. For most, the actual time spent running doesn’t average more than an hour and a half a day. These individuals hold full-time jobs, are good parents and spouses, and do many non-running leisure activities. Most talk little about their sport, having discovered that running talk bores most people. While they may not say much, invariably they read a lot, giving special attention to books and articles offering ideas for improvement. Proper diet and ideal weight become issues. The junk food exits and formerly-shunned edibles become table fare. Whereas taste once dictated the menu, now the needs of a running body become the prime concern.

The pounds disappear until their mothers look at them in dismay, but the runner knows that extra heft only wastes energy that could be used to propel legs faster. A look at the lead pack of a major marathon confirms that world-class runners carry no extra weight. When injuries happen, their world tumbles down around them. They can’t imagine not running. Their standard response is a plaintive wail of, “Why me?” They first try to tough it out, bite the bullet and run through the pain. Unfortunately over-training is probably the cause of their problem. The injury’s persistence raises their anxiety and they become students of their ailment, talking with anyone who they think can help and reading every scrap of information written about their condition. At the same time they make appointments with orthopedic doctors, podiatrists, physical therapists, chiropractors, kinesiologists — whoever they think can heal them. They don’t see all these specialists at the same time, but they’re not ready, unless their injury is dramatic, to stop running for weeks to allow for natural healing. So they try one after another until they see improvement. Deprived of their daily run and seeing their future in racing evaporating before their eyes, they become morose, prone to whining to anyone who will give them an ear. Only fellow runners and loving family members offer genuine sympathy and even that has limits. Most of the world cannot see what the big deal is about not being able to run for a few weeks. When he or she is healthy again, the runner is giddily happy and begins training for that next big race. Few individuals are willing to do what it takes to discover the ultimate limits of their running ability. Succeeding in this pursuit is less dependent on being born with physical abilities than being able to summon the daily determination to get out the door and run what you need to run. It’s not a lifestyle one can sustain forever. Age, injuries and changing interests finally dim the desire or render the body inadequate to the task.

Dave Foley says much of what he writes here is autobiographical. From 1978 to 1984 he made running his number-one priority. During that time won a couple dozen races and ran seven marathons in the 2:20s. He also discovered his limits as an athlete and gained a lifelong appreciation of what it meant to be in pursuit of the right stuff

- MR -.

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

MHSAA Track & Field LP Finals, Division 1, East Kentwood, June 2, 2012

National and State Records Fall Photos by Pete Draugalis, Draugalis Photography

Lead off: Kelsie Schwartz

2nd leg: Ersula Farrow

3rd leg: Haley Meier

Anchor: Hannah Meier

In the 4 x 800 meter relay, Kelsie Schwartz, Ersula Farrow, Haley Meier, and Hannah Meier not only set a New All Division/Class and L.P. Division 1 Final Meet Record, but their 8:48.29 set a new National Federation Track & Field Record of 8:48.29. That was just the beginning. The Meier twins and Ersula Farrow swept the first three places in the 1600 with Schwartz taking 6th. Then the Meier twins and Ersula Farrow took three of the top four places in the 800 and Schwartz scored for her team with a 7th in the 3200. In the last race of the day, the Meier twins and Farrow, joined by Caitlin Moore, won the 4 x 400 meter relay and the team title.

Cindy Ofili, Ann Arbor Huron, claimed titles in the 100 (11.97), 100m hurdles (13.78), 300m hurdles (45.02) and anchored the winning 4x200 relay.

Drake Johnson, Ann Arbor Pioneer, won the 110m high hurdles in 14.24. 12

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Kyra Jefferson, Detroit Cass Tech, won the 200 in 23.83 and anchored the 3rd place 4 x 200 relay. |

Austin Sanders, Ypsilanti, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose a race all season and won both the 100 (10.92) and the 200 (21.94).

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Maya Long, Ann Arbor Huron, won the 400 in 54.80, ran in 1st place 4 x 200 relay, was 2nd in the 200, and anchored 5th place 4 x 400 relay.

Erin Finn, West Bloomfield set a new All Div/Class record of 10:17.86 in winning the 3200.

MHSAA Track & Field LP Finals, Division 3, Comstock Park, June 2, 2012

3 Records, 4 Titles for Sami Michell Photo by Jackie Gomez, RunMichigan.com

From official results, L.P. Division 3: "ADVISORY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sami Michell of Reed City becomes only the second person to win four individual event titles at the Lower Peninsula MHSAA Girls Track & Field Finals. The first person to win four individual event titles was Maria Shoup of Mason County Eastern, who won the 100-Meter Low Hurdles, 200-Meter Low Hurdles, 800-Meter Run and Long Jump at the Class D Finals in 1979." Michellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s titles and records: Long jump, 18-6.50 (New L.P. Div. 3 Finals Meet Record) 100m hurdles, 13.84 (New L.P. Div. 3 Finals Meet Record) 300m hurdles, 42.23 (New All-Class/Div. & L.P. Division 3 Final Meet Records) 200 meter dash, 25.28

MHSAA Track & Field UP Finals, Div. 1-3, Kingsford, June 2, 2012

U.P. Final Meet Records Division 1 Long jump, Adeline Grier-Welch, Houghton, 17-3.50 100, Chelsea Jacques, Calumet, 12.55 300m hurdles, Kenner Broullire, Manistique, 39.74 Division 2 Discus, Hunter Perry, Rudyard, 122-10.25 High jump, Nicole Vanderlin, Norway, 5-4 (Ties MR) 200, Dani Gagne, Norway, 26.42 High jump, James Sutton, Newberry, 6-3.50

Division 3 Long jump, Olivia Soumis, Ontonagon, 16-7.50 200, Jamie Dompier, Chassell, 26.36 Discus, Brett Branstrom, Rock Mid-Peninsula, 154-8 4 x 400m relay, Crystal Falls Forest Park, 3:36.32 (Alex Takala, Mark Hallmann, Jake Divine, Derek Aberly)

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

MHSAA Track & Field LP Finals, Division 2, Houseman Track, June 2, 2012

Girls Set Meet and D2 Records Photos by Scott Sullivan

Connor Mora of Cedar Springs wins the boys 800 in 1:56.41. Mora “doubled,” also winning the 1600 in 4:13.97. Chelsea’s Bryce Bradley, who went on to win the 3200, was second in the 1600 in 4:15.28

Allendale’s Ali Wiersma finishes second, despite topping state D2 record. Winner Sara Barron (center) of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and runner-up Ali Wiersema (left) both broke the old D2 state meet record of 4:54.07 for the 1600, set by Jamie Krzyminski of Corunna in 2000, running 4:51.67 and 4:53.01 respectively. Rachele Shulist of Zeeland West took third in 4:56.29. 14

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

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Chelsea’s Bryce Bradley wins the 3200 in 9:24.21. Second was Mason’s Tanner Hinkle in 9:27.30

Allendale senior Ali Wiersma “redeems” herself in the girls 3200, run in meet-ending rain, edging Grand Rapids Christian’s Julia Bos in a new D2 state–record 10:40.22. Bos timed 10:40.95.

MHSAA Track & Field LP Finals, Division 4, Jenison, June 2, 2012

Patrick Sets Record, Dantuma Doubles Photos by Cartrer Sherline, Frog Prince Studios

Jacob Patrick (center) of Litchfield, set a new L.P. Division 4 Final Meet Record in the discus with a throw of 190-0. The old record of 170-1 was set by Andrew Kemp, Maple City Glen Lake, 2004.

Sean Kelly, Saugatuck, won the 3200 meter title in 9:40.51

Shaley Albaugh, Hillsdale Academy wins the 800 (2:17.09)

Alex Lodes (left) of Climax-Scotts wins the 100 meter dash in a photo-finish 11.14; John Waller (center) of Muskegon Western Michigan Christian takes second in 11.14 while Saul Williams of Flint Hamady (right) takes fifth in 11.46.6.

Albion boys won all four relays to take the team title.

David Dantuma, Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, won both the 1600 (4:25.92) and the 800 (1:59.91)

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Nicole Zeinstra, Holland Black River, won the 1600 (4:59.91) Kirsten Olling, was second.

Kirsten Olling, Breckenridge, easily won the 3200 (11:00.67). Nicole Zeinstra took second.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Photo courtesy of Robin Sarris-Hallop

Beyond the Chip

The Mental Comeback vs. the Monkey Mind Even the beauty of Mackinac Island proved no match for the intrusion of the "monkey mind". By Robin Sarris-Hallop

hether you are working to recover from an injury that has sidelined you, a postcollegiate runner adjusting to a full-time work schedule, returning to running after years away from the sport or working to improve your times in the twilight of your masters career — you may have fought against the “monkey mind.” Buddhists use this term to describe mental chatter; I use it here to refer to that little voice inside your head trying to discourage you, tempting you to slow down, telling you that you no longer can or want to push yourself as hard as you used to. Sometimes the mental comeback from time away or a slow period is harder than the physical recovery or the training and the “monkey mind” contributes to that challenge. My experiences with it have gone on for several years. I have worked against slowing down over the last decade and fought the temptation to stop racing altogether because I can’t compete with my former self. I have a hard time fighting against the voice that tells me the racing discomfort is no longer worth it when “I can’t even run a mile at the pace I used to run for the marathon.” I particularly hear this voice at the mile marks in races and work hard to shut it out. I don’t want to meet the fate of many of my former runner pals who no longer race or even run at all, when it is something I have enjoyed for so much of my life. I had an epiphany about the “monkey mind”

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

last September at the Mackinac Island Eight-Mile Race. It was a beautiful sunny fall day on an extraordinarily scenic course.

and try to stay focused on the present throughout your race. You will have more fun and feel a lot better about your performance.

Yet I was miserable. By Mile 6, my mind was filled with failed expectations for the race based on comparisons to my former running self. The voice in my head told me I was not having fun, didn’t want to finish and was done racing for the day and forever.

Harness self-talk to your advantage by driving out the negative messages with positive encouragement. What you say to yourself is powerful and if you consciously create an encouraging message there is no room left for the “monkey mind” to creep in.

I was oblivious to the privilege of being in that stunning location on a gorgeous day, not recognizing the good fortune of being healthy enough to run eight miles, and missing the opportunity to enjoy a great experience.

Be gracious to those who now finish ahead of you. I remember the graciousness of some of my running role models as I was up-and-coming and they were beginning to slow down. I can only hope to be as generous and supportive to others as they were to me and to model their behavior, which I can appreciate even more with hindsight than I did at the time. Model the behavior and good sportsmanship you have admired in others.

Recognizing that I had allowed the “monkey mind” to get the better of me, I vowed to begin working on a mental comeback to fight against this affliction before it took all the pleasure out of running for me. Some of the steps I have found helpful might also apply to injury recovery or return after a layoff from training, as well as to others who have run long enough to recognize that they are likely on the other side of personal records and lifelong fastest times. If you must focus on running faster, compare yourself only to your times for this year, or, even better, only your most recent efforts. There are all kinds of reasons you may not be running the same times you have in the past. Be realistic about what you are capable of now

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Run on new courses, different terrain and in unusual locations. Not having to compare your times or splits to past races on the same courses helps keep the “monkey mind” at bay. Different terrain makes it harder to attach meaning to the splits, and different locations may mean that you will be racing against different competitors without any past history. The anonymity can be very freeing. Try to relax and enjoy yourself! Whether you have been a serious competitor or just race against yourself, letting go of expectations and remembering that for just about all of us racing and running are things we do for personal enjoyment. Sometimes in

Fit 5K, Novi

‘Old-School’ Fit 5K Boasts New Twists By Ron Marinucci NOVI (5/2/12) – It appeared a few hours before the Fit 5K that the remarkable string (forever?) of good weather for this evening race might end.

little hills. The concrete (road) is tough on the knees.” Still, he pulled away early and triumphed by 48 seconds.

Forecast showers did not materialize, however, and the 317 runners enjoyed warm but pleasant conditions. Temperatures were in the low 80s at race start and it was humid, but the sun was out.

Noting race proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Krzyanowski added, “I have a close friend who has leukemia. He’s in his eighth or ninth round (of chemotherapy) and has had a bone marrow transplant. It’s a good cause and good group of people who put it on.”

Fit 5K entries have exceeded 300 for the past three years. In 2006, by contrast, fewer than half that many walked and ran this “old-school” event. Helping boost recent figures have been Novi Meadows Middle School Math Boot Campers. In camp, students polish their math skills and train for the Fit 5K a couple of days outside class. Teacher and drill instructor Tom Michalski said more than 100 were running this year, including students, teachers and administrators. Even the district superintendent participated. A number of campers won age-group awards, several finishing in the top 10 percent. Running Fit stores owner Randy Step guessed this was “the 21st” Fit 5K. The first one was held “to get rid of leftover stuff ” from the Trail Ends races held a week earlier. “Eleven Mile Road was just dirt back then,” Step said. John Tarkowski reckoned he’s run most of the Fit 5Ks, adding, “It’s a tough little course that has sneaky hills.” He nonetheless managed 6:18 miles to win his 55-59 age-group in 19:31.

“I like Running Fit events,” echoed women’s champ Melanie Peters, who had run the Trail’s End Marathon in 3:28 on the Sunday before this race “I just moved from Florida and must have brought the weather with me. “I liked the course, but didn’t know it had a second hairpin turn. I thought if I could run in the low 18’s …” Peters did that, finishing in 18:19. Next up for her in the next 10 days were a Cinco de Mayo race and the Ice Age 50-Mile in Wisconsin.

Jacob Weaver, 14, broke the masters stranglehold on top finishes. A number of racers were Running Fit class students: Running 101 for beginners and 501 for those training for marathons and half marathons. Jillian Peck from the 501 class was coming off a half marathon finish April 22 in Toledo. “It was warm!” she said of her first Fit 5K. “And I started too fast. I was trying to keep up with my teammate and she just took off.” Peck took off, too, earning age-group hardware for her effort. Awards were handed out soon after the last runners finished. Age-group winners, five deep, received maroon Fit 5K coffee mugs. It was interesting to see results from this self-described “old school” event displayed on a flat-screen television, not to mention the race being scored with bib chips.

In addition to Krzyzanowski and Tarkowski (ninth overall), seven of the top nine finishers were Complete results can be found at http://runmasters. Runner-up Rich Power, 48, ran 17:59 fit5K.com. - MR (15:59 age-graded). Only Peters and fourth-place third square template_third square 6/14/12 12:45 PM Page 1

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Overall winner Roman Krzyzanowski, 41, was running “my fifth or sixth” Fit 5K. His time this year (17:11, age-graded 16:07) was more than 20 seconds faster than five years ago. “It was hot,” Krzyanowski acknowledged afterward. “And the course is deceiving. There are a lot of

Beyond the Chip, continued the heat of the moment it is difficult to keep in mind that it’s really about having fun. To the observer, running appears to be a purely physical sport, but in fact it is also the disciplined mental aspects of distance running that draws so many of us into it. Mental training, conditioning and control are important to staying successful and committed. It is easier to harness the chatter when you remember it is just part of the challenge of a deceptively complex sport. Robin Sarris-Hallop has been running for 30 years without missing a season. She was the 1999 Michigan Runner magazine Women Runner of the Year, 1998 and 2002 Masters Runner of the Year and 2006 Senior Runner of the Year. She now considers herself retired from serious competition. When not running, she is the Administrative Director in the Literature, Science and the Arts Department Dean’s Office at the University of Michigan and enjoys making art quilts, playing mandolin and banjo, reading history, gardening and traveling. - MR -

Saturday, September 15, 2012 15K & 5K Mile RunsͶUSATF Certified Kensington Metro Park,

www.aatrackclub.org Email: douggoodhue@comcast.net

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

The Qualifier, Midland - Bay City

‘Hot Stuff’ as Two-City Qualifier Debuts By Scott Sullivan

Here, the show went on. Kenyan Edward Korir, 33, ran solo from the start, aiming for the $5,000 bonus offered for a sub-2:20 finish. He worked hard for the money, staying on pace through halfway, but the sun kept rising, with eastbound competitors headed into it. “(Korir) was all over the course for the last couple miles. The heat really got to him,” race director Ann Gasta said. Korir staggered home, to awaiting medical staff and fluids, in 2:35:21, still two miles ahead of runner-up Rob McConnell, 38, of Mt. Pleasant (2:47:57). “It was hard running solo,” Korir said on recovering. “I’m used to running in packs. It was hot and I needed to take more water. “But I’m happy to win,” he said. Rob McConnell’s wife, Tori McConnell, 37, did the incredible: running negative splits to blaze by the women’s leaders and triumph in 3:08:44. “This was my second marathon but first finish,” the women’s champ said. “I just wanted to pace myself and get through it.”

The half marathon, first scheduled for a 10 a.m. start, was moved up by organizers due to the heat to 8:45. “We tried to inform everyone (of the 569 who registered) of the change by mass email, posting it on our Web page, Facebook, by word mouth …” Gasta said. “But we couldn’t assume everyone would hear it. “So we used a ‘rolling start’ for the half. Anyone who showed up after 8:45 could start, and still get an accurate chip time, till our first scheduled start at 10.” Recent Oakland University runner Kenny Wall, 22, of Flushing won his first 13.1-miler handily in 1:15:59, passing Korir in the final mile as the courses ran parallel to the finish.

Rich Power, Bib 342, Cory Steuben, Bib 413, and Leo Foley, Bib 535, reach the top of a hill about mile 8.

Kenny Wall “I could see he was laboring,” said Wall of Korir. “But it psyched me to finish hard going by him.” Ruben Henderson, 50, of Grand Rapids, was runner-up, first master and first grand master in 1:22:57.

“She (McConnell) had the fire of a tank at the end,” said Lisa Altman, 37, of St. Joseph, who settled for second in 3:09:44. “She passed me around mile 25,

Abigail O’Farrell, 29, of West Branch, running her first race after giving birth to a son, Jacob, led the women in 1:30:02. Tammy Taylor, 43, of Midland finished second Michigan Runner TV and masters queen in http://michiganrunner.tv/2012qualifier/ 1:39:10.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

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Photo by Scott Sullivan

Hot stuff? Perhaps too much. Dawn brought relentless sunshine and temperatures climbing to near 90 degrees. A marathon the same day in Green Bay was stopped due to these conditions.

The marathon drew about 550 registrants, of whom 420 finished.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

The Crim Fitness Foundation, responsible for the spectacular Crim Festival of Races in nearby Flint, had brought in Boston Marathon legends Bill Rodgers and Greg Meyer to inspire entrants beforehand and hand out medals afterward.

Michael Ermantrout, 44, of Midland was third overall and the men’s masters champ in 2:49:42. Kellie Silwinski, 44, of Marietta, Ga., paced the over40 women in 3:33:37.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

The first-ever races paid perverse honor to her memory. So named because the marathon’s point-topoint course from Midland to Bay City was flat with a standard prevailing tailwind on a May day with typically pleasant temperatures, it was meant to optimize runners’ chances to post times qualifying them to run in the Boston Marathon.

I got back in the lead, then she just took off.”

Photo by Scott Sullivan

MIDLAND-BAY CITY (5/20/12) — Disco Diva Donna Summer, who died three days before the first Qualifier, sang about how she desired “Hot Stuff.”

Edward Korir

Tori McConnell

The Qualifier runs drew entrants from 23 states to spend the weekend “with economic benefits flowing from there,” said Gasta. It also raised funds for the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance, which is working to connect close to 100 miles of non-motorized trails in Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties. “We could have used cooler weather,” Gasta said. “But I’m thrilled with the way things went.” For complete results and more information, visit http://thequalifier.org. - MR -

Dodge Park 5K Run, Sterling Heights

Teens Have Way at Dodge Park Run By Charles Douglas McEwen STERLING HEIGHTS (6/2/12) — Teens less than half the age of the race itself tore up the the muddy Clinton River Trail at the 36th annual Dodge Park 5K Run, presented by Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation.

30 seconds ahead of runner-up Kayla Sudlow, 21, of Sterling Heights.

Running his first race ever outside of school, Matt Lentine, 14, of Fraser timed 18:15 to edge Christopher Burley, 16, of Sterling Heights (18:21).

Sudlow fended Kristina off Denysenko, 28, of Sterling Heights for second place.

“Having him in front of me helped me pace myself, because I’ve never done a 5K before,” Lentine said. Recent Sterling Heights Stevenson High School graduate Sam Leone, 18, finished third in 18:27. “The course was pretty good — a little hilly, sometimes a little swampy,” Leone said. On the women’s side, Gibbings, 16, of Macomb had more breathing room, winning in 21:39,

“At the end she caught up to me,” Sudlow said. “I thought, ‘there is no way she is beating me in the kick’ and went into an a full-out sprint.”

Photo by Charles Douglas McEwen

Lentine followed Burely for the first mile. Midway through the second, he surged ahead.

“I love this course,” Gibbings said. “This is the third time I’ve run this 5K. I’ll come back every year.”

Sudlow finished 11 seconds ahead of Denysenko, who took third in 22:20. Among masters runners, Don Knisley, 43, of Berkley (19:37) and Sharon Mulligan-Cooke, 46, of Sterling Heights (22:30) led the way. About 200 participants competed in the 5K, while another 75 did the one-mile fun run.

Christopher Burely leads eventual winner Matt Lentine at the Dodge Park 5K.

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For complete results, go to http://runnersedgeracetiming.com. - MR -

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Embracing Brace Restores Active Life By Ron Marinucci

eather Turkopp has been a Michigan runner for a dozen years. “I started running to get the biggest bang for my buck timewise,” she said. “I had two teenage boys at the time who required a lot from me … as teenagers do.”

“I sit a lot all day in a room without windows, so I really feel the need to get outside in the fresh air after work. It makes me feel so alive and healthy. I love to feel my heart pumping, the sweat running down my back, my lungs filling with air and my mind becoming clearer.”

Deloria, a veteran marathoner with Chicago and Boston on her résumé, had developed foot drop — a neurological and muscular condition marked by an inability to lift the forefoot. She thought her running days were over until she discovered Allard USA and the Toe OFF.

Photo courtesy of Heather Turkopp

With time at a premium, running and biking allowed her to do “the two activities I love to do,” she continued.

“Right away, I contacted the woman, Beth Deloria, for tips in returning to running with the brace.”

Now, Deloria and Allard USA have teamed. She hopes to run 20 half marathons in 2012, all in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, as well as other races to encourage the thousands of people with foot drop to reclaim their lives.

Since 2000, Turkopp has ridden four Michigan Bike Tours, finished six half marathons and a number of 10Ks. Perhaps, then, there was more than a bit of wistfulness as she explained all this. For the past two years, Turkopp has battled “a condition, for lack of a better word,” that has gradually robbed her of these physical activities she loves. The symptoms of this condition first appeared in spring 2010. They didn’t hinder her running for a while, but did affect her biking. “I couldn’t keep my left foot on the pedal,” she recounted. “I could only ride with my foot pointed down (in plantar flexion). Running and walking were perfectly normal.” By summer, matters worsened. “I could not walk in heels, but flat shoes and running were still normal,” she said. In the fall, even walking in flat shoes was a problem. “Walking became increasingly difficult. I had to walk very slowly and concentrate on what my left foot was doing at all times,” Turkopp said. Finally her running suffered. “I completely stopped running in November 2011 because it was so much effort and I was afraid I would trip and fall,” she said. “Basically, my left foot has lost its coordination for automatic activities such as walking, running and biking.” That was particularly frustrating for someone who is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist for the Beaumont Health Center in Royal Oak. With three decades of experience, Turkopp has “a pretty good understanding of how the body and brain work. Still, my condition baffles me.” Doctors were baffled too. “All the doctors I have seen thus far have never seen or heard of anything like this, so I have no official diagnosis,” Turkopp said. She underwent a battery of tests, including MRIs, EMGs (electromyographies), NCVs (nerve conduction velocity), blood work and lots of neuro-

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Chris & Heather Turkopp logical exams. Doctors tried to measure the electrical impulses to her muscles, to detect nerve injuries. Nothing specific was discovered. “All they can tell me is that it is something in the central nervous system,” Turkopp said. The symptoms did not abate. And it wasn’t just her physical activities that were eroding. So was her mood. “When I could no longer bike, I was somewhat depressed,” she said, “but I still had running to keep me sane. When running was also taken from me, I became very depressed. “Christmas shopping last year was a huge chore because even walking into a store was an effort.” Her neurologist and physiatrist sent her to an orthotist in January. Turkopp wanted “some sort of brace that would at least enable me to walk and bike.” She obtained a prescription for a brace and subsequent insurance approval, leading her to Becker Orthopedics in Berkley and orthotist Santiago Munoz. “He was awesome,” Turkopp said. Munoz knew of a woman who is running full marathons with a brace made by Allard USA called the Toe OFF. The brace is made from thin, lightweight carbon fiber. “It straps on to my lower leg and a strut runs down the outside of my foot into my shoe,” Turkopp said. “It supports the entire underneath of my foot.” The brace permits her to run and walk, striking first with her heel and rolling off her toe. “It feels totally normal for walking,” Turkopp said. “The day Santiago first told me about this brace and the marathon runner, I sat in my car for about 10 minutes crying before I could drive home,” she remembered. “I never thought I would be able to run again, but he gave me hope. |

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“Just knowing that there was someone out there running with the brace was inspirational to me,” said Turkopp. “I thought, ‘If she can do it, so can I.’” The two have corresponded by phone and email. Even though Deloria’s “disability is different than mine, she has been a huge help,” Turkopp said. One of Deloria’s scheduled races was a half marathon in DeWitt May 12. Turkopp was there, too, to run the 10K and at last meet her fellow brace user face-to-face. Turkopp received her brace on Valentine’s Day. “I took a walk around the block,” she said. “I can’t tell you how great it felt to walk normally! “After a few days I did a two-mile run/walk. Two days later I ran two miles.” The entire episode “has been a learning experience for both my orthotist and me,” she said. Turkopp broke her first brace after a month and then tried a different model, the Blue Rocker, also from Allard USA. It provided firmer support, “but it felt much too rigid for me. “We then went back to the Toe OFF, but added custom orthotics and small heel lifts in my shoes to lessen the stress on the brace. So far, so good.” Turkopp wears the brace all day, even on the job. “With the brace, I never think about how far of a walk it is to go anywhere, ”she said. “I just go. “I can’t tell you what it means to me to be able to run again. I feel like myself in mind, body and spirit. “I am still not able to bike, but I plan to work on that next. I’ll need some other sort of brace for that. But for now, running is enough. “I am meeting someone tomorrow who just got the Toe OFF and wants to start running with it,” she added. “I am so excited to pass on the inspiration to someone else!” - MR -

Memorial Day 8K and 5K, Grosse Ile

A Sunny Day Greets Grosse Ile Runners

Shane Logan won the 8K in 28:25.

Lillian Hergott took the 8K title in 35:24

Photos by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studio

Eventual 5K winner, Daniel Garza, lead a strung-out pack up a hill.

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michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Fifth Third River Bank Run, Grand Rapids

River Bank Records Fall on (Near) Rainless Day

Janet CherobonBawcom

Robert Letting

GRAND RAPIDS (5/12/12) — A Kenyan and naturalized Kenyans reigned at the near-rainless 35th annual Fifth Third River Bank Run, which drew a record 21,713 participants to tackle 25K, 10K and 5K courses starting and ending at downtown plazas. It was less a shock that African runners ruled than that only sprinkles, not the near-deluges of recent years, hydrated close to 7,000 entrants in the marquee event, the U.S.A. Track & Field 25K men’s and women’s championship races, won overall by Kenyan Robert Letting (1:14:55) and fellow nativesturned-U.S.-citizens Joseph Chirlee (1:15:10) and Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (1:24:35). The relatively-dry 64° morning proved perfect conditions for Cherobon-Bawcom, 33, who placed fifth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston Jan. 19, to break the 1:24:43 U.S. women’s 25K record set here by Joan Benoit-Samuelson in 1986. It was also her first 25K ever. “From miles four to eight, it was a little rough,” said Cherobon-Bawcom, citing stomach issues. “I didn’t drink the water because I knew it might go right through me. I used the ice. It worked out well.” She earned $5,000 as women’s open winner and $7,000 as U.S. champion. Next came Lindsay Scherf, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C. (1:25.13) and top 22

By Scott Sullivan

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Christopher Landry

Women’s lead pack at 25K includes Wendy Thomas (26), Melissa Johnson-White (17), Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz (77), Emily Harrison (53), and Dot McMahon (80).

Michigan runners Melissa White-Johnson, 31 (1:26:22) and Dot McMahan, 35 (1:26:29), both members of the Rochester Hills-based HansonsBrooks Distance Project.

were Kris Koster, 30, of Holland (1:22:04) and newlyturned-40 master Ian Forsyth of Ann Arbor (1:22:38).

“I set a personal record by more than two minutes,” said McMahan, second here overall last year in 1:28:38. “But more women were faster on this day in these conditions. “Melissa and I worked as teammates. She just had more than me at the end.” Letting, 27, ran with Chirlee, 32, in front of a chase pack from three miles on as the field left town, crossed the Grand River, rolled through wooded hills, then returned to flat streets inside the city. He outfinished Chrirlee from 14 miles on. “We helped each other and pushed each other,” said Letting, who earned $5,000 as open men’s winner. Chirlee, who runs for the U.S. Army, collected $3,000 for second overall and another $7,000 as the USATF male champion. Christopher Landry, 26, of Ann Arbor was third overall and the top state runner in 1:15:47. The next Michiganians |

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Former Central Michigan University runner Danielle Salisbury, now an mLive reporter in Jackson, won the women’s 5K in 16:59, then came back to place third in the 10K behind Sarah Boyle, 25, of Brighton (35:15) and Suzanne Larsen, 34, of Fenton (35:17). Recent Grand Valley State runner Tyler Emmorey, 23, of Cedar Springs claimed the men’s 5K in 14:41. Kenyan Julius Kiptoo, 35, who now lives in Toledo, Ohio, captured the 10K in 30:54. Another runner of note in the 10K: one Bill Rodgers, winner of the inaugural River Bank Run in 1978 and now 64. The four-time Boston Marathon champ finished seventh of 48 in his men’s 60-64 age group in 51:11. “Rodgers? He can’t have a future as a runner,” we teased on seeing the genial legend. “No, but I had a past,” Rodgers said. - MR -

Michigan Runner TV Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K: http://youtube.com/watch?v=D1hBm-DcUW4

Tom Rademacher: 35 River Bank Runs and Countin By Bob Seif “I want to thank all the volunteers and fans who have lined up each year regardless of the weather. Some of those years were not fit for a duck.

The Rademachers, their four daughters and 16 grandchildren celebrated Tom’s 35th consecutive at Flanagan’s Irish Pub in downtown Grand Rapids. We’ll see him next May for his 36th in a row!

“My knees are bothersome, but I’ll keep doing the River Bank Run as long as it’s fun,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Bob Seif

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- MR -

12th Anniversary

Sally and Tom Rademacher

om Rademacher ran his first Old Kent River Bank Run when he was 31 years old. He’s now retired and snowbirds in Venice, Fla., when he’s not living near Ludington. I interviewed Tom at the Grand Rapids Fifth Third Bank building during a May 10 reception for the 15 men who had completed every River Bank Run since the race’s inception in 1978. You could see the proud look on Tom’s face. His wife Sally was by his side. “I ran with a friend,” he recalled of his first RBR, “and had no idea about pacing. I had only done an eight-mile run (before then), but after 12 miles I just took off and broke two hours. I couldn’t believe it. I was hooked “In 1979 I finished, but felt terrible as the finish line backed up due to running under the Calder structure. I thought, ‘I’m never going to do this stupid race again.’ “My best River Bank Run was in 1981. I’d had a great Boston Marathon that year and cruised in with a 1:33 for the 25K in Grand Rapids. “After that, all the years seem to blend together. I graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School, so running my hometown race was a special treat. While Sally and I were winding up our stay in Florida, I’d start itching to drive north to renew my association with the city and the race.

Labor Day 10K & 30K Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012 Something for Everyone • Runners, Walkers, Joggers, Cyclists & Kids

New! 30-30 Challenge 30K Bike + 30K Run 30K Run, 10K Run, 10K Fun Walk, 30K Cycle-Cross or Mountain Bike, 1/2 mile Kids Fun Run

• • • •

30K and 10K are USATF and RRCA Certified Pre & Post-Race Sports Massage Post Race Party with Entertainment at Baker’s of Milford Free chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers or hamburgers and a beer after the race Come out for the challenge and stay for the fun.

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Back to the Future: A River Bank Run Return By Bob Seif

I was 33 years old, teaching in Bloomfield Hills and had completed a few road races. Why not go to Grand Rapids, bring a few running buddies and stay with my parents? I continued this trip for the next 27 years, the last nine while living in Boston. I recall that first year. We had 1,200 runners, a light rain and “Boston” Billy Rodgers took first place. In those early years we ran a counter-clockwise course. Going out Lake Michigan Drive we passed the Parkway Tropics nightclub, where in college we watched go-go girls dance in cages. We passed the John Ball Park Zoo at the two-mile mark, made the halfway turn at Johnson Park where I’d gone sledding in the 1950s, then headed back into town. The oldest downtown pub, The Cottage Bar on LaGrave Avenue, was at the 14.5-mile marker, where we’d have our post-run celebrations. I went to high school and junior college in Grand Rapids and peddled the Grand Rapids Press, so I know the city well. There was no Amway Grand Hotel, VanAndel Arena or J.W. Marriott then. Those would come later and help to revive downtown. America’s largest 25K has grown up well. I recruited more of my running friends from Motown to come to “my” race and experience the “big” west Michigan city. They did and loved it. We now had too many runners to stay with my folks, so we booked hotels. Fast forward from 2004 to 2012. I had moved to Sarasota, Fla., am now on Medicare and collecting Social Security, and missed doing “my” race. I stayed connected by listening to race coverage on WOOD-AM radio and checking stories on the Internet.

Photo courtesy of Bob Seif

n 1978 gas was 63 cents a gallon and Jimmy Carter was president. The Bee Gees sang “Stayin’ Alive,” we watched the TV show “Happy Days,” went to the movie “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and the Old Kent River Bank Run was born.

By Michael Zuidema

hile most people seem to use Facebook to wax blandly about their job or their kids or the weather, I strive to avoid posting thoughts that can be construed as either remotely benign or overtly personal.

Al Owens (left) with author Bob Seif ing I had to come “home,” I signed up, contacted Michigan Runner publisher Art McCafferty and asked if I could cover the race. “Go for it,” he said. Thanks to Allegiant Airline, I flew nonstop from Clearwater, Fla., to Grand Rapids. Thursday night I attended a race reception for the 15 runners who had done them all. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Seeing race historian Al Owens for the first time in 20 years made me smile. Bill Rodgers and Greg Meyer posed for pictures. Friday brought one of the best expos at the DeVos Place. The runners checked in with much anticipation. Some doubted they had enough miles “in the bank,” no pun intended. Saturday dawned with cloudy skies, 64° and a comfortable 40 dew point. I lined up for the first heat of the 5K at 7 a.m., finished in top 40 percent of my 65-69 age group, hustled back to the Marriott, changed clothes and jumped on the press truck to shoot video and take photos. Owens barked out the signals on the truck as we traveled the 15.5 miles. My dream was fulfilled. After the race, the gang met at The Cottage Bar. Owner Dan Verhill gave out champagne and my journey “Back to the Future” was complete. I can’t wait for the 40th annual!

I saw an email this February indicating this would be the 35th annual River Bank Run. Know-

- MR -

Michigan Runner TV: Bob Seif at Fifth Third River Bank Run: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1JuFHMv78PY

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Running the River: Lessons Never End

michiganrunner.tv

That included my training for the Fifth Third River Bank Run — until the week before the May 12 event. While it’s hard to believe anyone cares about an individual’s six-mile tempo runs or 12-mile hill courses, I did post daily tips for the impending race, including such bon mots as “Some random old dude who looks like he can barely stand will pass you late and finish with a better time; accept it now,” and “Protect the nipples.” (Hey, these are things all runners have to contend with.) Hopefully they provided a few fleeting moments of amusement, but really I wanted a handful of mental notes to help me with another year on the 25K course. I was 26 the first time I ran the River Bank Run in 2004. I had been running for about two years and outwardly I claimed to just want to finish, but internally was shooting for a sub-two-hour time. Despite the usual rookie mistakes, painful blisters on both feet and mild cramps, I miraculously managed to cross the mat in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 48 seconds. In the subsequent seven years, I continued to dance around that time — sometimes slower, sometimes faster – but always remained in the River Bank Run’s not-at-allexclusive “Two-Hour Club.” (It basically entitles runners to a private gear check and starting spot right behind the elite runners, which guarantees escaping the inevitable cattle stampede that begins when the horn sounds. It’s not as swanky as it sounds.) Since consistency hadn’t become an issue yet, I figured a ninth straight sub-120-minute time would be an easy job. My training was solid, I was healthy and now considered myself a veteran runner. What could go wrong? Well, for starters, apparently I can’t even follow my own advice. When the event kicked off at its usual 8:20 a.m. time on a warm, overcast and slightly breezy morn-

ing, I took off at a genial pace. Or so I thought, until I passed the Mile 1 marker and saw my time was 6:04. At that pace, I would finish with a time in the 1:34 range. I may be many things, but a top-50 runner at an event that regularly recruits a solid elite field is not one of them. Not even close.

ine years later, I know exactly how I like to prepare for this event, from what to eat for breakfast — English muffin, hard-boiled egg, small piece of candy — to the right shoes — Adidas Supernova, size 11 and no, I don’t need to try them on first.

This year, I finished with a time I had hoped for — 1:53:21, for those wondering — but I hope that nine years from now I’m not still trying to figure out the elusive magic formula that allows me to shave minutes off my time, ditch the lingering fatigue and somehow look good with my shirt off.

It’s disconcerting to know that you’re already in trouble with more than 14 miles looming, so I made sure to dial it back a bit. Unfortunately, I didn’t cut back nearly enough, so by the time I hit Millennium Park and the Mile 9 checkpoint, I had a superb time (for me) of 60 minutes flat – and no gas left in the tank.

Along the way, though, my expectations have changed. Instead of gawking at the scores of people, I’m focused on running my own race. Instead of hoping for a sub-two-hour time, I now expect it. When people ask me about running, I can now speak about it semi-competently, using the experience of good old trial and error. I’m sure there are others who feel the same way — although they probably aren’t struggling with stairs two days later.

The River Bank Run and I were both born in 1978. Maybe when I’m 43 and it’s 44, I’ll be able to enjoy the atmosphere, soak in the moment and finally enjoy a post-race beer, something that’s never appealed to me before.

It was at that moment that I thought back to the noob who took his first crack at the race the same year that George W. Bush was elected president again, the Detroit Pistons won the NBA championship and Martha Stewart went to jail. Like an idiot, I ran in basic white gym socks that turned the bottoms of my feet to hamburger. It didn’t even dawn on me to worry about chafing, a cruel reality that set in once the hot water from the shower hit my chest. Worst of all, my longest training run was maybe five miles, a testament to youthful cockiness and ignorance. Somehow, though, I managed to persevere through pain and fatigue to finish. And appropriately paid the price for at least a week afterward.

Then again, hopefully I’m still able to run by then. - MR -

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Steve’s Run - Fire Up!

tart and finish will be in downtown Dowagiac. The races will be run in the memory of Steven Briegel, an SMC honors graduate who died of cancer after a very courageous and determined fight.

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ourse presents a lot of variety to the runner and walker, including a golf course, a wildlife refuge, forest trails, quiet country roads and even a cemetery. Finish in the park with good and plentiful refreshments, great music and lots of “good times”.

ustom-stained glass awards to over 200 finishers in the 10K and 5K (including the walk) based on a participation formula. Custom-designed T-shirts to all finishers in the 10K and 5K race

ledges: All funds raised in Steve’s Run, including 100% of the pledge money, will be donated to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research and Steven Briegel Scholarship Awards. For further information, to make a pledge, or to buy a “Fire Up” sign contact:

Steve Briegel

The Original Road and Trail Race 10K • 5K Competive 5K Walk 1K Fun Run and Walk

Ron Gunn Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac, MI 49047 800-456-8675

swmich.edu/fireup/stevesrun

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

July 28, 2012

Dowagiac, Michigan 9:00 am

Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard Also tucked into the front flap is a page of highlights from the log which mentions my first 100mile week, about 10 days before turning 19 in October 1971. I don’t recall setting out to run that many miles; they just came normally and I realized at week’s end I only needed a short run to reach 100. I set off around a nearby Ann Arbor golf course (now soccer and softball fields) for 30 minutes. Higher mileage was just coming into vogue and the training concept was spread by the very few sources of info and word of mouth. My highlights say I averaged 50 miles a week in 1971. What would 1972 yield? There’d be lots of two-a-day running. The log:

Scott Hubbard

TRIVIA:Where were the Summer Olympic Games held in 1976?

DEAR DIARY. Among the stacks and boxes of running-related papers and magazines in my back room closet and 130-plus books on running on shelves in my living room is a 3x6-inch day planner turned training log. It chronicles my running from Dec. 6, 1971, to Dec. 31, 1972, and is the only detailed look I own of my running until I started keeping annual logs in 1983. It covers most of my sophomore year and half of my junior year at Eastern Michigan University. Although it doesn’t cover my most prosperous college years, it zooms me back to a time of growth, higher mileage, a rich mix of experiences and a few challenging moments. Here’s looking at “what was” from 40 years ago and a sport on the verge of seismic change (women in sports, the explosion of running in popularity, etc.). Tucked inside the front flap is a Connecticut AAU card I had to purchase to run in the ‘71 Manchester, Conn., Thanksgiving Day road race. I’d traveled there with EMU teammate Tom Hollanderm, who was from Hamden, because he talked me and another teammate, Brian Williams, into running the popular race. I’d never even seen a road race or field of runners as big as Tom described and Manchester promised both. It snowed overnight, keeping numbers down to about 200, including only about 10 women. Amby Burfoot won, I placed about seventh and chose a clock radio from the merchandise awards. Our EMU team had finished third a week earlier in the NCAA College Division National Cross Country Meet in Wheaton, Ill. I still have an individual team award from the meet.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Dec. 6-12, 1971: Monday through Friday was 8 miles in the morning, 7 1/2 in the afternoon. Week total: 105.

March 13-19: Good week with 125 miles. March 20-26: Another good week with 126 miles, a 9:23 2-mile, good for third place in a dual meet with Central Michigan University. Don ran a 1:56.8 half-mile. March 27-April 2: At least 10 miles each morning, biggest week ever with 141 miles. On Friday, bowled a 224 game. April 3-9: Not good enough to travel with the team to a big spring meet, I put in 120 miles. April 10-16: Prepared for my first 3000-meter steeplechase Thursday with 6 x 440 yards over the barriers. On Saturday, I ran a 9:56 debut steeple. I recall thinking, “I like this event!” 20-mile run the next day. Total week: 120 miles.

Dec. 13-19: A week marked by an intrasquad 2-mile in 9:21 and flight with my brothers, Don and Marshall, to visit my father in Delaware. (I learned May 11 this year that my father had died Feb. 13 at age 81.)

April 17-23: On Wednesday did 10 x 440 yards over the barriers. My second steeple was at the Ohio State Relays Saturday. Time was 9:27, which qualified me for the NCAA College Division Nationals. I had no idea what the qualifying standard was before the race. Total week: 117 miles.

Dec. 20-26: One day off, bowled a 193 and ran 14 miles on Christmas Day.

April 24-30: Standard-issue week of 120 miles. No meet.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 1972: Was bit by a dog while running along Huron River Drive on Dec. 29, run cut short. Week total: 119.

May 1-7: Ran 31:30 to win a low-key 6-mile at Wayne State University. It was my first track 6-mile and only college race on cinders. Wind was a howler at one end of the track. Total week: 109 miles.

Jan. 3-9: Bad weather all week, still got in 112 miles. Jan. 10-16: Friday, slick roads, 1° Saturday, -8° in morn, 4:24 1-mile race and -6° on evening run. Sunday, -17° wind chill. Week total: 121 miles. Jan. 17-23: Friday, 4:22 1-mile race. Saturday, fell on ice. Week total: 118 miles. Jan. 24-30: Monday, ran three times (would only do this a few more times). Wednesday, fell badly on ice, doing splits which I’m not capable of. Subsequent damage to leg and only able to run on/off until Feb 6. Feb. 7-13: Monday, -2°, Wednesday, 2°. Maybe too many miles right after an injury with 109 for the week. By Friday of the next week I was sick with a cold, which lasted through Feb 25. Feb. 28-March 5: Got new Tiger (now Asics) Cortez and Boston shoes from Dick Pond Sports in Illinois via mail order (pre specialty stores). There are a few DPS stores in Chicagoland now. Total week: 105 miles. March 6-12: My brother, Don, a sophomore at Ann Arbor Huron High School, ran a 4:19 mile on a relay. (Clearly, the boy could run and his prep career was extraordinary.) Week total: 115 miles.

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May 8-14: On Monday, ran a 14:32 3-mile in a dual meet with CMU. On Saturday, Don ran a 4:16 mile in his regional. Geesh, he was faster than me and three years younger! May 15-21: 2-mile race Friday in 9:21. Don took third in the state meet mile in a sophomore class record 4:16.1 (which would stand until Dathan Ritzenhein broke it in the mid-1990s). Total week: 103 miles. May 22-28: Rested on Tuesday, hip sore. Drove to Ashland, Ohio, Thursday for the NCAA College Division National T&F meet. Spent all day Friday outside on a hot, sunny day. Train-wreck steeple race on Saturday where I felt ill after 1/2 mile and finished toward the back. Dang. Puked on the way home from heat stress. May 29-July 2: Easy runs with weeks between 47 and 60 miles. July 3-9: Started running a bit more and began as a counselor at Clear Lake Camp in Jackson County. July 10-Aug. 6.: Had to run at 6:30 each morning to get back in time to muck out horse stalls. Got in 60 to 65 miles a week on back country dirt roads (deer flies and all).

Aug. 7-13: Started to amp up miles in anticipation of cross country season. On Thursday two old Ann Arbor Huron teammates, Martin and Carl Hueter, surprised me by showing up at the camp to run with me! Aug. 14-20: Standard-issue week of 76 miles. Aug. 21-27: Camp ended Saturday and I ran a 20:57 4-mile cross country time trial at EMU. Saw for the first time the large and formidable group of new freshmen! They’d help ensure EMU success into the mid-‘70s. Aug. 28-Sept. 3: On Saturday, ran a 26:50 5mile time trial on the EMU cross country course behind the fieldhouse. Now there’s a pond, big buildings, sidewalks and fences where we ran. Later that day, America’s Dave Wottle from Bowling Green State University won the Munich Olympic 800 meters with a steady, stellar finish. EMU had just joined BGSU in the Mid-American Conference. Sept. 4-10: Momentum-changing week in the sport. On Friday, Jim Ryun fell in his Olympic 1500-meter heat and failed to make the final. On Saturday, I sat at home and watched Yale grad Frank Shorter win the Olympic marathon in 2:12:19! In between Wottle’s and Shorter’s wins, Palestinian Black September terrorists killed Israeli athletes and coaches in the Olympic Village. Demands were made to free political prisoners, then terrorists and kidnapped Israeli athletes were killed at the airport in an ill-advised rescue attempt. The Games were stopped on Sept 6 for a day of mourning and memorial service, then resumed. Many were surprised the Games weren’t canceled.

Oct. 30-Nov. 5: Legs fekt tired heading into the MAC Meet at Toledo. EMU took third in its first MAC Champs and I ran 30:55, good for 19th place in the six miles. Recall being disappointed because I failed to do better on a course I liked.

sore hip. Total miles for the year: 5,070.

Nov. 6-12: Felt much better and our team qualified for the NCAA Nationals at our district meet at BGSU. I ran a decent 31:24 on the very wet (many standing ponds), muddy course. Week total: 115 miles.

In 2004 I rode my bike 5,092 miles and was impressed at the time, thinking it was a considerable amount, one that required significant time and effort. Running that many miles would take more than twice as long as on a bike, plus winter weather didn’t deter me as it does as a cyclist. But I had the time, ambition and desire in college, requisite for that much running. The mounting mileage seemed more a means to an end than anything else. In other words, the miles came naturally enough, I didn’t force myself to run them.

Nov. 13-19: Snow on Monday and Tuesday. Cut back on workouts for the NCAA meet. Flew to Houston Sunday. Week total: 103 miles. Nov. 20-26: Monday, in the deepest, fastest race I’d ever been in, I ran badly in the mud and heat, taking 149th place in 30:33 for six miles. The team was 13th. Learned after finishing my mother had been hospitalized in Ann Arbor. Nov. 21-Dec. 10: Piled on the miles with cross country over, running 145 to 150 per week. Dec. 11-17: Winter weather but got in 130 miles.

Today it seems somebody else must have run all those miles. I know I ran them, but the memory is fading.

During that first year of higher mileage, I only had a few races that reflected hoped-for gains. I improved, to be sure, but the rate was slow. Over my final 1 1/2 years at EMU, the difference was clear on a consistent basis. Point being: it takes time to see improvement and better results will come with an extended period of graduated hard work. Patience, good health and maintaining a love for the exercise and sport can take you places, some that’ll be unexpected and indelibly satisfying.

Dec. 18-24: Ran a 9:19 2-mile in the intrasquad meet Thursday. Week total: 145 miles. ANSWER: Montreal. Dec. 25-31: 23 miles on Christmas Day! Then 25 more Thursday, which led to Sunday off due to a

- MR -

Sept. 11-17: Getting into cross country workouts. Decent race on Saturday. Week total: 115 miles. Sept. 18-24: Average effort in a dual meet with BGSU Friday in 20:51 for 4 miles. Very flat course with one big manmade hill. Week total: 106 miles. Sept. 25-Oct. 1: Good 5 x 1-mile workout Thursday (5:00 or faster). A 26:20 race Saturday as we beat CMU and Western Michigan University. Week total: 122 miles. Oct. 2-8: Feeling fitter, ran 31:02 for third place over six miles in a dual meet with Kent State University. Their entire team was in front of our entire team at the 1-mile mark. We killed them. Week total: 131 miles. Oct. 9-15: A solid 24:28 5-mile race at Notre Dame. I always loved running there! Week total: 118 miles. Oct. 16-22: Team won the Michigan State University Invitational and I ran 31:24 for six miles. Where we ran was the site of the NCAA Cross Country National Meet for its first 30-plus years. Sunday off for sore tendon. Oct. 23-29: Recovering from sore tendon, ran 64 miles during week, including 12 miles on the 27th, my 20th birthday.

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Diemer Amerikam 5K, Cutlerville

Rainbow of Son’s Sins, Fun and Robots Grace Diemer Run By Scott Sullivan

“This year we had Dad wear a helmet, earmuffs and turn a hand-crank that made an awful noise to start the race,” said Brian Diemer of sins he visited on his father, Everett, at the 23rd annual Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K road race. “One year Brian had me play a sheep’s horn,” recalled Diemer, Sr. “Another year I started up our old tractor (a 1948 Farm-All) and blew a can off its smokestack. I never know what he’ll spring on me.” “Dad will turn 80 this Christmas Day,” Brian said. “We’ll have to come up with something extra special next year.” “They have the race right before Father’s Day each year. See what I get?” Everett Diemer said. The record 1,670 entrants in this year’s races enjoyed a rainbow of treats. For the fleet, there was more than $7,000 in prize money to chase on a flat, fast course near the Diemers’ longtime homes southeast of Grand Rapids. There were wheelchair and handcycle competitions, a mile run for kids ages seven through 12, junior jogs for the littler ones, a post-race parade (paced by the old Farm-All) and Cutlerville Days festivities. Let’s not forget, on this morning where temperatures climbed to near 80°, an open fire hydrant near the finish, whose spray caught sunshine and

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

made a rainbow through which to scamper.

women’s masters winner in 18:25.

D-Day was more than Diemer Day for the race’s namesake. The 1984 Olympic steeplechase bronze medalist — now 50 but still running, like the Farm-All — offers a donut each year to anyone who can beat him.

The open and masters champs received tractor trophies as well as money. As unique as the trophies was Nicholas MacDonald, 15, of Lowell, who ran on this hot day with a box — painted with a robot’s face, tin-can ears and and nose hole cut for seeing — atop his shoulders.

Diemer held donut damages to 79 with his 18:54 time, grabbed a drink, then returned to greet fellow finishers.

Why? “Beep-beep,” Mr. Roboto said.

Kenyans — led by defending champ Sammy Malakewen, 34, of Two Harbors, Minn., in 14:19, ran 1-4 to claim top men’s prize money. Sixth overall was masters champ Ian Forsyth, 40, of Ann Arbor in 14:56. Journalist Danielle Salisbury, 30, of Hillsdale — fresh from winning the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon six days earlier — claimed the $600 first prize for women’s champion, finishing in 17:02. Next came Suzanne Larson, 34, of Fenton (17:18); Angela Matthews, 27, of Westand (17:35) and Denisa Costescu, 36, of Walled Lake (17:47). Amy Wing, 42, of Grand Rapids was the

For complete results, go to http://classicrace.com. - MR -

Photo by Scott Sullivan

CUTLERVILLE (6/9/12) — What greater test of a father’s love than to endure fresh humiliations at his son’s hands in front of growing crowds every year?

Brian Diemer greets Tyler Diemer, age 12, who finished in 23:41.

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Does Lightning Strike Twice? By Bob Shaffer

entle and patient readers may recall an article from the foggy past recounting the single overall win of this correspondent. I’m reluctant to fill these hallowed pages with my personal exploits, doing so only because some are so typical of the old-fart experience. Then again, some are not.

We were off, a hardy group of mixed-age athletes, on a course I didn’t know from Adam. Somehow I found myself in the lead again. I always start too fast, or maybe I’d missed a turn. Luckily, someone passed me and I knew I was on course. He finished first, but the officials inexplicably held up the finishing tape for me. “I didn’t win; I’m second,” I said and ducked under the tape. The officials explained that because the true winner was a student, he couldn’t officially win.

The earlier story reviewed the odd experience of winning a “real” race when aged in my late 50s. I knew that such circumstances would never repeat themselves, and in fact the race did not return after a year. (Did I doom it?)

Research was in order. I went to my local park/cross country venue to test the fastest footwear. A time trial had to be conducted comparing decent trail shoes, semi-decent spikeless footwear and twosizes-too-big-but-long-ago-on-sale spikes. The spikes won hands down. Thus a trip to the local running emporium for a half-size-too-small sale spikes. (At least they are lighter when too small.) The race took place two years to the day after my lone victory. It was a first-time deal, so I didn’t know who would show. I didn’t see any known friendly competition, but as I’ve learned to my bitter sorrow, those young 55-year-olds sneak into your age group, covertly. In this case, it would be those fresh-faced 50-year-olds; organizers of this race had 10-year age groups, curse them. I must have looked the part, though, spikes and all, as some moppet asked, “Are you a pro?” without apparent sarcasm. The town mayor sent us off into the foggy dew, with four of us taking the lead. One was a young teen in cotton, so I knew he wouldn’t last. Cotton never runs very far. Of greater interest was a fit and fast young woman of about my ability, and her boyfriend, even fitter and faster. I gathered he was there to support her around the course, while she and I chatted a little and went for it. Soon the cotton fellow disappeared and, more surprisingly, so did she. Most surprising of all, I was leading for more than two miles, two years to the day after the last time I led a race. Does lightning strike twice? Well, I led until the last 400 yards, when Mr. Escort easily passed me as he could have at any time. I had dared to wonder, dared to hope (at least a little), but for nought. Afterwards, my young lady friend — a college-level 800-meter runner — remonstrated her wayward, albeit victorious boyfriend for leaving her at the end. “You passed my girlfriend,” he told me, “so I got mad.” Indeed. At least there was the age-group medal.

Two years and a week, a really big honking trophy and a free dinner for my wife and me. “Crash!” went the lightning, I thought.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Luckily, another new charity sufferfest placed itself on my racing calendar that same weekend. It was gloriously cross country! All the way!

The real lightning hit the next week when I tore my hamstring (at least one of them) and earned the fourth-place lead (as in the metal, not “leader”) medal. See you at the races. - MR -

Author Shaffer, bib no. 1564, runs the Diemer 5K with Gary Milligan, bib no. 1344, and boxhead, Nicholas MacDonald, bib no. 434.

sixth vertical template_sixth vertical 6/14/12 1:05 PM Pag

The next weekend dawned dark and dreary. Actually it was pouring, and nobody in their right mind would go outdoors. Lightning was striking! But as an official old fart, I knew the rain could stop and half the field would have aborted. A golden chance! If it rained it’d be cool, and I’d have bragging rights over my neighbors for running in such nonsense. This was another new race for me at a local college, evidently homecoming. It was still cold and raining when I arrived. With lightning. The trouble was, my competitors were college kids: basketball, football, volleyball and maybe track runners, and would not be denied.0712 ƒ_Running Waters 1-12 6/12/12 10:43 AM Page 1 Running Waters

Running Waters Waters, Michigan September 2, 2012 5K Run/Walk

8:30 am new shirt prizes

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

The Necessity of Struggles By Brianne Feldpausch

Photo courtesy of Michigan State Athletic Communications

It was the third time during my Fowler High School freshman cross country season that I’d collapsed in a race, but the only time that I couldn’t finish. I was so competitive that I refused to give up the lead until I fell from exhaustion. The first time this happened, I had fallen many times out of weakness and gotten back up. Upon finishing, I lay on the line until someone picked me up and administered oxygen. Afraid I was dying, I asked for prayers from the crowd surrounding me. The second time, I wove all over the course for the last 100 yards and crawled across the finish line. A couple weeks after collapsing at the state meet, I discovered the pain in my foot was a stress fracture. This would be the first of six such breaks that forced me to learn the necessity of struggles. For this fracture, I had to wear a small, sandallike boot. Boys at school intentionally kicked my foot because they did not believe I was injured.

Brianne Feldpausch

anting from having run two and a half miles of the 5K cross country state championship race, I entered the racetrack at Michigan International Speedway in third place. My vision was clouded with blackness, making it hard to focus. I could barely feel the pain that had grown in my foot for the past month. More and more people passed me as I unknowingly slowed down. I became aware that a golf cart filled with emergency staff was following me. Less than a quarter-mile from the finish, my legs gave out and I began to crawl. Barely conscious, I heard voices ask if I wanted help. Glancing up from all fours, I could see the banner with bold letters spelling “Finish.” “No,” I gasped, “I can make it.” Though I’d gone anaerobic, I thought I could recover and keep going. Dozens of girls had passed me, but I hoped I could still make it to the finish in the top 30 to win all-state honors. After a couple minutes of not moving, I completely collapsed. I’d made it to a spot that tracked the chips in our shoes 0.1 mile from the finish; it beeped every time a girl passed me. The rescue team finally put me on a hard, flat surface, strapped me down and hauled me away. I regained consciousness with my family surrounding me. After being pumped full of fluids, I realized what had happened and broke down sobbing, unable to believe I hadn’t finished the most important race of the season.

Many people don’t understand stress fractures are breaks on the inside of a bone and too much stress can make the bone break altogether. They don’t take the injury seriously. The winter of my freshman year was difficult. Not only had I failed to achieve my goals, but the thing I loved most had been taken. Running is my passion and my high. To me, there is no better feeling than putting on spandex and lacing up my shoes to head out the door. I didn’t know what to do without it. I went through physical therapy for the first time and started running again. I was pumped for track season to start, but nervous because I felt pressure from expectations after my eighth-grade season. I made it about two weeks through my freshman year in track before feeling pain in my right shin. My mom, who was also the track coach, made a doctor’s appointment, but I kept running because I believed it was impossible to re-injure myself so soon. By the next week, I had raced two meets and my other shin started hurting. This actually made my mom and I more optimistic about the bone scan since the pain was becoming equal in both legs. Soon after the bone scan, we had our third meet. I geared up in my blue-and-white uniform that I wore with pride and laced up my shoes, excited for another race. I have long had a thirst to prove myself; the anticipation to get on the start line and hear the gun go off was killing me. When I was about to board the bus for the meet, Mom pulled me aside and told me I had three new stress fractures: one in my left leg and two in my right. I broke down crying. How was this possible? So many people on my team hated running. Why did I, the one who loves running more than anything, have to be injured again? The summer and fall of my sophomore year fol-

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

lowed the same pattern: physical therapy, running, then a stress reaction. Unwilling to give up, I put in winter mileage once I’d healed and track season arrived. One set of my grandparents no longer came to meets since I wasn’t performing as hoped, and the bandwagon was less full. It had grown hard for my dad to watch me race without crying because he knew what I was going through. He had found a sharp 2x1-inch wood chip at one of my races and started tucking it in his shoe, so he could understand my pain and stay strong before me. After a few more weeks, I felt that familiar pain in my right shin but ignored it, refusing to succumb. Mom could tell by the way I was running something was wrong and requested another bone scan. While I lay on the table with the machine above me, tears rolled down my face as I watched the black screen I was now able to read myself. The white speckles that popped up in the shape of the bone were normal calcium deposits. What was not normal was the big, bright, white spot in the middle of my leg. More tears dripped off my nose and I tasted salt as I asked the tech, “Is that what I was afraid of?” She said that she was not authorized to say, but I knew that she knew what I knew. Because the season only had a few weeks left and I was on such a talented two-mile relay team, the doctor allowed me to run just the relay and bike on nonrace days to stay in shape. My split times kept getting slower, but the rest of my team ran faster splits to make up for it. I wore compression sleeves on my calves to keep my leg from shaking side-to-side, so the injury would not worsen. After receiving the baton on the day of the state championship, wind whipped through my hair as I smelled the hot, black tar and passed two girls. My out-of-shape legs burned and started to lock up as I struggled in the last 100 yards. I spotted my teammate, slapped the baton in her hand and stumbled off the track, panting. She passed more girls and handed off to our anchor, who hauled through her two laps and finished first, setting a school record. Our entire team finished state runner-up and I was happy, but unable to run again. Having been to so many different doctors, I was finally referred to a specialist who focused on the mechanics of my running. He studied my style and performed mechanical tests to discover my left leg was shorter than my right. After he gave me a lift for my shoe, I prayed he had found the answer. From that day, I had a year and a half of injury-free running, set an individual school track record, made all-state, helped the team become state runner-up for the second year and was recruited by Michigan State University to run. I was

beyond happy, hoping to finish my high school career strong. Coming back from a mission trip in the summer of my senior year, I felt tired. I assumed that it was from the work and ignored it. The fatigue persisted to a point I could not even run two miles without stopping. The doctor did blood work and discovered that I had mono. My cross country season did not go as well as I’d hoped as a consequence, but I expected a healthy winter to train for track. Then I learned I had Epstein-Bar virus, a cousin of mono. So much for winter training. My first few track times were much slower than the previous year, but I remained optimistic I could get back. A few weeks before track regionals, I started to have pain in my right hip. I went to the chiropractor three times a week, but nothing was helping. Assuming it was impossible to have a stress fracture in my hip, I kept running with it, but my mom became concerned when I was unable to finish workouts. With help from Advil, I ran at regionals and qualified for state with a time only five seconds shy of my junior record. I was told my running form had changed into an old woman’s because I was hobbling so much from pain. Dad, who had kept the wood chip, was once again using it at my races. An MRI revealed a stress fracture in the upper shaft of my femur, the strongest bone in the body.

Run Thru Hell 2012_Run Thru Hell 08 2/14/12 12:16 AM Page 1

The doctor said normally she would not allow a runner to continue with a stress fracture there, but since it was my senior year I could bike and run only essential races. If this bone broke through, she added, I would need major surgery and might never run again.

As I wore that shirt, I reflected on my past four years. I don’t think anyone — not even my parents — can understand what I went through. It can only be lived. Though the struggles were difficult, I feel they were needed to make me the woman I am today.

At the second biggest meet of the year, I was unable to run my favorite race, the mile relay. We were ranked eighth and Mom told me it wasn’t worth it, so I allowed a talented freshman to take my place. That relay took five seconds off our previous best time and finished in first place.

People ask why I run when my body keeps saying not to. I have a love for the sport only runners can understand. Even if you are expected to be great, no path is set in stone. No one has it made.

Jealousy raged through me as those girls stood on the top podium where I had never stood. With blue ribbons around their necks, they hugged me as I wore my fake smile and congratulated them. I truly was proud of them but jealous I could never be healthy and carefree like they were. At the state meet I ran three events, unable to do nearly as well as I wanted, and placed in two. Mom showed me the points racking up on her clipboard, comparing them to the other teams. As we listened to the announcer’s booming voice reveal the score, we heard, “And the 2011 state championship team? Fowler!”

Still, if I find one door closed, I look for another one to open. With each run I am able to complete, I praise God for giving me the opportunity to do so. My struggles also revealed my calling in life: a doctor in sports medicine. Struggles are vital and shape us into who we are meant to be. They define our limits and show us how far we can be pushed. They bring us together or set us apart. At Michigan State I have met an amazing team and compassionate coaches who believe they can help me become injury-free. This past fall, during my first season on the cross country team, we won the Big 10 championship. Words cannot express how fortunate I feel to be on this team.

We went crazy with joy, screaming and jumping into each other’s arms. It was one of the happiest moAs I hear the echo of that beeping from my first ments of my life. Two of the other seniors and I put state cross country meet, I’m reminded of how far I’ve on shirts for the colleges we would compete for the come and how struggles have paved the way. following year. Mine was that beautiful shade of green and white with block letters declaring “Michigan - MR State University.” quarter page template_quarter page template 6/14/12 12:37 PM Page 1

RUN THRU HELL 4.8

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10 MILE

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Saturday, August 11, 2012 - 8:00 am Sponsored By: Pinckney Running Club Entry Fee: $20 Pre-Registration - received by August 4, 2012. $30.00 Late Registration. Pre-Registration Fee Waived for all Runners 70 years of age or older - Excludes On Line Sign-up.

Awards: Trophy to overall Male and Female, overall Master Male and Female, overall Grandmaster Male and Female, overall Senior Male and Female, and first 7 places in each age group. Awards will not be mailed or delivered.

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CAUTION: Be aware there will be vehicle traffic on the roads at all times. ATTENTION RUNNERS: Please do not park on Patterson Lake Road. Come early and use the parking lots (3).

Please use the Porta Johns; do not use the race course or the neighborhood. Please be considerate of the neighbors.

MACKINAW FALL COLORS BRIDGE RUN

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Photos: Frog Prince Studios

Entry Fee: $40, if you register before September 1, 2012, $45 after September 1, 2012 & $50 onsite registration October 5, 2012 (includes breakfast, official race ±shirt, medal & transportation to starting area) T-shirts can not be guaranteed if registering after September 15, 2012 Bus transportation schedule staring times: 7:00 am-last bus 8:30 am. RACE LIMITED TO 1400 entries.

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michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Much Ado About Something By Bob Schwartz ith much anticipation and excitement I finished my run, went inside and took off my shoes. The latter I’d done innumerable times before, but this time was different. This was the day of reckoning. After a month of my personal experiment, the results were about to be revealed.

but, then again, what about many elite runners who ran fast despite quirks in their form? Such as Paula Radcliffe running like a bobblehead, or Alberto Salazar’s shuffling stride, Kara Goucher’s or Meb Keflezighi’s heel striking or Bill Rodgers’ arm motion crossing his body. I then concluded that was all irrelevant because, guess what, I wasn’t elite.

I grabbed the tops of my shoes and took a deep breath. As the suspense heightened I glanced towards my wife and requested, “Drum roll, please.”

So I read a lot about running form (upper body aligned, tall and relaxed, shoulders loose with forward lean, shorter stride/quick leg turnover, land lightly with mid-foot strike, etc.) and decided I’d try

Before revealing the results and what happened next, let me start at the beginning to provide some background.

The good news was I wasn’t injured but, then again, the bad news was I wasn’t injured (if that was the form I was exhibiting when healthy). Of course I quickly dismissed her recount, which led me to the only reasonable conclusion: his wife’s vision must lean to the left. When I ran I felt graceful, fluid and nimble. Leading and leaning to the left? Really? All I kept hearing was Beyonce’s song “Irreplaceable” (“To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left”). I then realized that after 40 years of running I’d never actually seen myself run, minus an occasional reflection in a storefront glass window. Sure I’d seen race photos, etc., but never any actual ongoing examination of my running form. I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to how I ran, only that I ran. Maybe my form could and should be tweaked

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

It provided information of things below my knee but way over my head, with terminology like my Q angle (I was feeling more obtuse than Q) and ankle equinus (limited upward bending of the ankle joint).

Early on in the process, I sensed my belief that I was a gracefully efficient runner was about to be shattered. Perhaps I was overly sensitive, but when the professionals performing the exam began raising their eyebrows, whispering to each other and shaking their heads, I was getting a clue to their opinion.

I recognized that form was significant for those activities and recalled honing my shot with a continuous recitation of “square your body, elbow in, bend your wrist, fingertip release and follow through.”

After the analysis was completed, I was advised I had flexibility and strength imbalances, excessive shoulder and hip lateral rotation, pressed too hard on the ball of my right foot, had a contralateral hip drop and internal thigh rotation due to hip weakness, tight lower back and hip flexors as well as overpronation, overstriding and right arm overswinging. After they were over with my “overs,” I couldn’t help but ask, “Other than that, it’s all good, right?”

Illustration by B.K. Taylor

But then something happened. One of my running buddies told me his wife had seen me running and asked him if I was combating an injury, as it appeared that I was leading and leaning with the left side of my body and a bit choppy with my stride.

The analysis was designed to address biomechanical abnormalities that should be corrected to improve performance and efficiency, and involved a clinical exam and a treadmill run examining the angulations, strength and flexibility in my hips, knees, ankles, etc.

The video also examined hip hiking (hitchhiking I knew, but I learned the former was the lifting of one’s hip/pelvis on one side).

When the focus on running form became more prevalent, I didn’t think much about it. My motto was if it works, don’t fix it. It was running for gosh sakes; this wasn’t a golf swing, tennis stroke or even a basketball jump shot.

But running? The only cadence in my head was one foot forward, body to follow. Oh sure, I had my share of injuries over the years, but instead of attributing them to form I blamed violation of one or more of the “too” principles: as in, too many miles, too much speed work, too many fast long runs or the all too common double whammy of too much, too soon. All of which were too bad.

I’d get to the bottom of this lean-to-the-left thing.

One of them then added, “Oh, plus you lead with your left.” Great.

to implement things for a month. Most importantly, I’d concentrate on avoiding my usual heel-striking foot landing (inefficient braking effect and also producing more stress/impact) and aim for the mid-foot landing. Hence my experiment. The proof would be in the pudding or, rather, the substantiation would be in the sole. After 30 days of concentrating on my foot landing, I examined my soles to see how the mid-foot strike had changed my usual shoe wear pattern on the heels. Back to “Drum roll, please.” I turned my shoes over and all I could say was, “What the heck?” I was crushed. My wear pattern was pretty much the same as always! Apparently, given my limited attention span, my powers of form concentration were not lasting longer than the first 600 yards of my runs. I then took the next step, literally, and went for a video gait analysis at a local sports medicine clinic.

michiganrunner.tv

Eventually, I walked away with some exercises, stretches, running drills, etc. Over the next few months I implemented everything and was confident that concentrating on my running form had helped with my speed, efficiency and leg discomforts. Shortly thereafter, I was cross training on an elliptical at the fitness center when my wife came by. She looked at me quizzically as I pounded away, feeling smooth and graceful. Me and the machine in harmony. “Do you know you lead with your left?” she said. Oy! I wonder if there is video elliptical gait analysis?

Michigan runner Bob Schwartz of Huntington Woods is the author of “I Run, Therefore I Am – NUTS!,” whose sequel is coming out in October. Check out http://runninglaughsblog.com. - MR -

Hartland Memorial Day Run, Hartland

Runner / Author Still â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nutsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; After All These Years

unners are nuts, says runner/writer Bob Schwartz of Huntington Woods. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a different breed.

Boyle Bests Boys, Ties Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Record at Hartland Run By Charles Douglas McEwen HARTLAND (5/28/12) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sarah Boyle, 26, of Brighton earned $200 for 17 minutes and 26 seconds of rigorous work on a sizzling, sweltering morning at the seventh annual Hartland Memorial Day Run, presented by Hartland Insurance Co.

could win the race. But it was tough.

Boyle, a former Michigan State University runner, took home $100 for winning the 5K and another $100 for matching the 17:26 course record set in 2010 by Dot McMahan. But she really wanted to break the record.

Partridge won in 34:41. Next came Porinsky in 35:26 andÂ John Paul Zebrowski, 19, of Brighton in 37:56. Â

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I should have kicked harder at the end,â&#x20AC;? Boyle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wear black toenails as medals of distinction, use more Vaseline in a week than quintuplets with diaper rash and chapped lips, and try to convince ourselves that a horrifically painful muscle pull that prevents us from even walking is really nothing more than a temporary cramp,â&#x20AC;? he says.

said.

Schwartz, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Run, Therefore I Am â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nuts!â&#x20AC;? in 2001, shares more evidence of the phenomenon in â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Run, Therefore I Am â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Still Nuts!,â&#x20AC;? scheduled for release by Human Kinetics in October. MR shares its first preview/excerpt in this edition.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I caught up to the leader (Doggett) around two mile,â&#x20AC;? Boyle said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were together for a while, then I pulled away.â&#x20AC;?

Schwartz is the author of five books and a freelance writer whose articles have been published in more than 200 magazines. His humorous essays on running have appeared in more than 40 national, international and regional running magazines. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still Nutsâ&#x20AC;? he makes light of runnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; peculiarities and the strange situations they encounter. Since â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nutsâ&#x20AC;? he has continued running and gathered a multitude of subjects along the way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still Nutsâ&#x20AC;? includes 43 new essays paired with comical illustrations by B.K. Taylor that capture the comedy, craziness and folly of the running life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve continued to enjoy the pleasures of running and the sometimes humbling nature of it as well,â&#x20AC;? Schwartz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can now share those laughs with you from topics that include what occurs when your favorite training shoe is abruptly discontinued, the inability to admit that an injury is truly a big one, the issue of competition and aging, the inherent simplicity of running, running alone versus with others, the concept of schadenfreude, running logs, runnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high, excuses, barefoot running and the many peculiar talents runners possess.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still Nutsâ&#x20AC;? brings out the humor in situations all runners can relate to. For more information, visit www.HumanKinetics.com or call 800-747-4457.Â - MR -

She not only beat all the women, but all the men. The top male, Jayson Doggett, 33, of Fenton ended up 43 seconds behind her, even though he led for much of the race.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;On a scale of one to 10, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d give this course a seven for difficulty,â&#x20AC;? he continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the hardest course Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve run, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sure not the easiest.â&#x20AC;?

The event also included a 3K walk won by Crystal Ihrke, 42, of Hartland (28:31) and Mason Paul, 15, of Highland (28:53). Race director Jason Reck was happy with the 429 participants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like grow the race next year,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of a whole day of festivities in Hartland that includes a parade.â&#x20AC;? Event proceeds went to Hartland High School athletic programs. For complete results, go to www.hartlandrun.com.

sixth vertical template_sixth vertical 6/14/12 12:25 PM Pa - MR -

Doggett claimed $100 as the first male finisher. Next came Matt Gutteridge, 31, of Fenton in 19:22 andÂ Michael Walker, 26, of Milwaukee in 19:59. Fornari, 14, of Clarkston was the second woman in 21:10, followed by Emma Winn, 19, of Brighton in 23:02. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sarah did a great job,â&#x20AC;? said Klare Essad, 21, of West Bloomfield, Boyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ex-MSU teammate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sarahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great racer, especially in road races.â&#x20AC;?

RUN WALK

Essad runs pretty fast herself. She and Josh Partridge, 19, of Brighton collected $100 each as womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10K winners. Like Boyle, Essad led the women from the start and tried to set a course record. Â Â Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I kind of died,â&#x20AC;? said Essad, whose 38:59 was 14 seconds shy of Melanie Petersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mark set last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I ran a race on Saturday and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much chance to recover. But it was challenging and fun. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can use the $100. I just graduated and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a summer job,â&#x20AC;? Essad said.. Deb Deren, 52, of Union Lake was second among the women in 44:49, followed by Danielle Majors, 38, of Howell in 47:36 Partridge came from behind to win the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race. Andrew Porinsky, 27, of Dexter jetted out to a big lead early. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I saw him slowing down on the dirt road right after mile three,â&#x20AC;? said Partridge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was sunny and uphill; I thought if I could beat him to the top, I michiganrunner.net

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Town Crier, Saugatuck

Town Crier Runs Become Family Affair

Photo by Scott Sullivan

By Scott Sullivan

Art Talsma rings the bell to start the Town Crier 5K. SAUGATUCK (4/19/12) — Father and son Jim and Clayton Springer sprang to wins in their hometown Town Crier 10K and 5K runs respectively.

Race director Rick Bauer was OK with the Kelly and Braschler “banditing.” He in fact coaches the SHS boys track team.

Emma Walker, age 9, finished the 5K in 29:53 47:06; and Angel, 7, in 53:05.

Sheri Camp, 30, of Holland, was the women’s 10K winner, tucking under 45 minutes by four hundredths of a second.

What’s a mere 6.2 miles for the young Mendozas? “Doubling” by running the 5K as well were Luis and Julie, both in 23:28; Pedro in 25:20, Alejandro in 28:08; and Angel in 28:17.

Nicole Zeinstra, 17, of Holland claimed the women’s 5K title in 19:19.

Christian Mendoza, 9, finished the 5K in 24:39; Angie Mendoza, 15, in 25:20.

Who could top the Springers as a family affair? The Mendozas of Fennville made a run at it. Luis, 18, finished third in the 10K in 39:02, followed by Alejandro, 20, in 43:30; Pedro, 16, in 45:34; Mary, 14, in 45:45; Julie, 10, in 46:56; Jessica, also 10, in

Matt Britten, 67, of Rothbury, was another who doubled — and took special pleasure in avenging his first-race loss to the littlest Mendoza, Angel, in the 5K.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

“What did you do, Matt? Give her a hard elbow?” we suggested. |

michiganrunner.tv

Clayton Springer won the 5K in 17:33 “She’s only up to my knees,” he said.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Clayton, 16, actually followed two more teammates across the line in the 5K. But because Sean Kelly and Galib Braschler ran unregistered, the younger Springer’s 17:33 was best among 167 entrants at the shorter distance.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

That was 18 seconds faster than his son’s Saugatuck High School teammate Zach Kerr, 16, who cruised the 6.2 miles in recovery mode following an injury.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Jim, 46, bested all 127 10K entrants on a perfect spring day for running — windless and 54 degrees — by churning home in 38:21.

Angel Mendoza,

The ninth annual age 7, ran the 10K Town Crier races raised and 5K double. money for their sponsor, the Saugatuck-Douglas Area Business Association, school track and cross country teams, and Tri-Community Recreation programs. Coral Gables restaurant hosted post-race refreshments and awards. For complete results, visit http://michianatiming.

- MR -

Running Fit Trail Marathon, Pinckney

Hogg, Weisbrodt Run Away with New Running Fit 50K By Charles Douglas McEwen PINCKNEY (4/29/12) — After winning the Running Fit Trail Marathon in 2010 and finishing second last year, Peter Hogg, 29, of Livonia looked even more comfortable running 50K on the Potowatami Trail at Pinckney Recreation Area.

Both were pleased with their performances nonetheless.

Race director Randy Step did some rearranging this year, moving the Trail Half Marathon to Saturday and installing the marathon, Road Kill 5-Mile and new 50K in Sunday’s time slot.

“It was an easier course (terrain-wise) than I thought it would be,” said Peters. “Some people made the course out to be a monster that was going to eat me for breakfast. That didn’t happen.”

All of that suited Hogg just fine. Running the first 26.2 miles (which consisted of two laps, more or less, around the park) with the marathoners, he led the entire field by several minutes. He then finished up with a 4.8-mile loop and completed the 50K in 3:42:56.

Philip Stead, 30, of Ann Arbor won the Road Kill 5-Mile in 33:02. Jacqueline Bauters, 30, of Granger, Ind., was the women’s winner in 39:26.

“I only run 45 miles a week, so I’m happy with my time,” said Lafreniere.

“This is one of the nicest trails in Michigan,” Stead said. “I regularly do 15-mile runs here during the week, but I’ve never raced here. I would definitely do it again.”

“I was a little tired at the start,” Hogg said. “But I felt better as it went on.”

Anna Weisbrodt, 28, of Lansing became the firstever winner of the women’s 50K. “I feel pretty good,” she said. “But I can’t wait to put my feet in the water.” (The finish line is on the shore of Silver Lake.) Weisbrodt, who timed 5:00:52, was followed by Amanda McCutcheon, 33, of Roseville in 5:15:34. Jordan Lafreniere, 29, of Ludington won the men’s marathon in 3:11:28. Melanie Peters, 28, of White Lake led the women in 3:28:31. Runners-up were Ben VanHoose, 30, of Greenville (3:12:06) and Laura Howell, 38, of Grandville (3:53:45).

Bauters, the head cross country coach at St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Ind., brought 11 women from her team with her to the race. She ran with three of them for much of race.

He had glitch midway through the distance. “I fell around 19 miles and it knocked the wind out of me,” Hogg said. But he still finished nearly 20 minutes ahead of runner-up Jonathan Marsh, 26, who timed 4:02:50.

“I made them do all the work,” she said. With a kick at the end, Bauters snatched the victory from one of her student athletes, finishing a split second ahead of Joanne Almond, 22. “If they’re mad at me for stealing the victory, I’m the one driving home,” Bauters said. Matthew Newman, 26, of Ann Arbor finished men’s runner-up among in 33:46. For complete results, go to http://trailmarathon.com. - MR -

sixth horizontal template_sixth horizontal 6/14/12 12:50 PM Page 1

Peter Hogg

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 HOLLAND, MI³8:30 START FLAT & FAST COURSE

“It’s a tough course,” Lafreniere said. “The last six miles kind of kicked my butt. I had a couple spills where I slipped on rocks. “I thought at one point I just had a running nose, but it turned out I had a bloody nose. So I had to deal with that for a few minutes.” Peters didn’t have any major crashes, but she did make a time-consuming mistake. “I made a wrong turn, went down to a lake, then had to come back,” she said. “I think I ended up doing 27.2 miles instead of 26.2.”

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Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Martian Invasion of Races, Dearborn

Basweti, Duclos Attack Martian Invasion Marathon By Charles Douglas McEwen

Kenyan-born Kynocel Basweti, 25, came to Dearborn from Hebron, Ky., while Kim Duclos, 29, traveled from Terre Haute, Ind. Both found the trip worthwhile, as they won the men’s and women’s Martian Marathon.

Leah Scharl

It was Basweti’s third marathon victory in a month. After claiming the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia March 18 in 2:22:57 and the Convenant Health Knoxville Marathon in Tennessee April 1 in 2:29:24, he wasn’t thrilled with his time of MRSub0311_Sixth Vertical 2/6/11 9:52 PM Page 1 2:25:36, though.

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Basweti, who has a 2:14:02 PR, said he prefers warmer weather. “It was very chilly today,” he said. Leo Foley, 30, of South Lyon, runner-up in 2:33:57, thrived in the cool conditions.

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“It was my best marathon in four years and second best ever,” Foley said. Daniel Snyder, 34, finished third overall in 2:38:27. Shintaro Takei, 40, of Livonia topped the masters in 2:57:45. Duclos, who describes herself as “a marathon freak,” said she had struggled lately with distance. “I haven’t been able to finish a marathon in two years,” said the women’s winner, who finished in 2:56:39. “I’m not anywhere near my 2:38 PR, but I’m happy.”

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Simmons timed 1:17:23. Next came masters winner Hank Risely, 44, of Cedar Springs (1:17:54) and Matt Tulpa, 23, of Rochester Hills (1:18:26).

Andrew Simmons

Scharl led the women in 1:22:39, substantially faster than her former PR of 1:24:16. “I was stronger than I thought I would be,” she said. Emily Sandula, 22, of Saginaw took second in 1:27:09 and Margaret Lavasseur, 18, of Gross Pointe Park third in 1:34:11. Terri Pomfret, 52, of Farmington Hills led the the masters in 1:35:04.

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Kynocel Basweti

“Rob told me, ‘Just go out and make your legs work,’” said the winner. “‘If your legs get tight, back off. But if you’re in a good spot, then push for it!’ So I did. But I didn’t expect to be up front the entire race.”

Kim Duclos

The runners too also travel distances to Ford Field, where races begin and end.

They secretly observe, take notes and disappear as if they had never been there.

DEARBORN (4/14/12) — The folks in Roswell, N.M., must envy Dearborn. Every April, Martians travel millions of miles to watch runners compete in the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids fun run at the Martian Invasion of Races.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Next came Angela Hamblin, 26, of Livonia in 3:08:08 and Gianna Guerino, 32, of Farrell, Pa., in 3:08:22. Katherine Bolt, 42, of Rockford was the top masters woman in 3:29:48.

Claiming the Meteor 5K were Glenn Collins, 27, of Dearborn (15:28) and Tammy Nowik, 38, of Clarkston (18:22).

Andrew Simmons, 24, of Kalamazoo and Leah Scharl, 35, of Clarkston set PRs en route to half marathon triumphs.

said.

“This is my second time being an overall winner,” said Simmons, who is coached by Rob Lilie in Kalamazoo. “My first was earlier this year. |

michiganrunner.tv

“I was just hoping to break 19 minutes,” Nowik

More than 1,500 children took part in the kids fun run. For complete results, go to http://martianmararthon.com. - MR -

Meteor 10K, Dearborn

Meteor 10K Showers Wins on Bethke, McMahan By Charles Douglas McEwen DEARBORN (4/14/12) — After battling a starstudded field for much of the race, Brendan Bethke, 25, of Ann Arbor and Dot McMahan, 35, of Rochester Hills streaked to victory in the Meteor 10K, part of Running Fit’s Martian Invasion of Races, which started and finished at Ford Field.

$150 and $100 respectively.

Bethke, who runs for The Running Institute/Michigan Rehabilitation Specialists in Ann Arbor, had to come from behind to win.

Byelovol was the first masters woman, followed by Laurel Park, 49, of Ann Arbor (36:49) and Erin Larusso, 42, of Ypsilanti (40:00).

“I was probably 10 seconds behind two other guys at 5K,” he said. “I caught up to them a little after four miles, then made a break for it at the end.”

Doug Goodhue, 70, of Milford ran 40:27, breaking Alfred Funk’s American ages 70-74 record of 41:09, set in 1984. Goodhue’s record still needs to be officially certified.

Bethke finished in 30:22, followed by Gaynor in 30:29. Next came Matt Thull, 37, of Milwaukee in 30:50; Clint Verran, 36, of Lake Orion in 31:00; and Nicholas Katsefaras, 24, of East Lansing in 31:43. McMahan, a Hansons-Brooks Distance Project runner, fought off Lilian Mariita, 24, a Kenyan who currently lives in Hebron, Ky. “I was with another woman (Mariita) for the first four miles,” said McMahan. “We went back and forth. She put in a surge, then I did. It was good competition.” McMahan took control of the race at the fourmile mark. “I had to try to pull away as much as I could at that point,” she said. Both champions enjoyed the course. “It started raining halfway through,” Bethke said. “It was a nice course with a lot of scenery. It wound a lot through the suburbs.”

“At that point I threw it down,” Bethke said. “I sprinted all out and got the win.”

Bethke had Evan Gaynor, 23, of Wauseon, Ohio, on his heels until the last 200 yards.

Maxim Zobov, 42, of Hebron, Ky., won the men’s masters title in 32:49. Next came John Trojansek, 42, of Windsor, Ontario (33:07) and Sergey Kostylev, 42, of Hebron, Ky. (34:03).

Dot McMahan

For complete results, go to http://martianmarathon.com. - MR -

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Brendan Bethke

The Meteor 10K awarded more than $4,000 in prize money, with the overall men’s and women’s winners claiming $500 each. Second through fifth places were good for $400, $300, $200 and $100 respectively. The race gave $100 to the men’s and women’s midway leaders. The top three masters earned $200,

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It was McMahan’s first race since she finished ninth in the U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials in January. “I delayed racing because sometimes you don’t feel good after running a marathon,” she said. “It was good to use this race as a rust-buster.” McMahan busted more than rust. Her 33:24 shattered her road 10K personal record by 41 seconds. Next came Mariita in 33:45; Tatyana Byelovol, 42, of Hebron, Ky., in 35:15; Danielle Salisbury, 30, of Hillsdale in 35:25; and Angela Matthews, 27, of Westland in 35:33. michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Kalamazoo Marathon, Borgess Run for the Health of It, Kalamazoo

Gillette, Clement Rule Borgess/Kalamazoo Marathon By Charles Douglas McEwen KALAMAZOO (5/6/12) — Justin Gillette, 29, of Goshen, Ind., and Nicole Clement, 22, of Kalamazoo made short work of the longest, newest race at the Borgess Run for the Health of It.

Gillette, who owns a farm in Niles, crossed the finish line in 2:28:02, almost 30 minutes ahead of runner-up Zach Wegner, 30, of Portage, who clocked 2:57:59. “My goal was to get close to 2:30,” said Gillette, coming back after winning 12 marathons in 2011. “I just started feeling good, so I said to myself, ‘Let’s see what we can do.”’ Jack Cherewatti, 25, of Amherst, Mass., finished third for the men in 2:58:12. Erik Hilaski, 42, of Atlanta, Ga., topped the masters in 3:00:13. Kalamazoo was Gillette’s 97th marathon. He couldn’t train much last winter due to illness and injury, but hopes to reach number 100 quickly. “I’m doing seven marathons in the next eight weekends,” the winner said. Clement ran her first marathon here last year, finishing in 3:18:36. Even though she was still feeling the effects of this year’s Boston Marathon, she didn’t want to miss her hometown event. “I live in Kalamazoo and go to Western (Michigan University), so this is my race,” she said. Of her future marathon ambitions, “you’ve got to reach for the stars!” she said. Clement, a WMU senior, ran a personal record of 3:04:54, more than 10 minutes ahead of runnerup Michelle Neel, 37, of Kalamazoo, who finished in 3:15:43. Next came Larissa Binkley, 32, of Coatesville, Pa., in 3:15:57. Megan James, 41, of Portage was the masters winner in 3:20:52. Also reaching for the stars were Borgess Half Marathon winners Galen Burrell, 32, of Mill Valley, Calif., and Melissa Mantel, 21, of Chelsea. Burrell, a former Kalamazoo resident who finished second in the marathon here last year, timed 1:15:50 running half the distance. “I felt better and better as the race went on,” 38

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Both set course records and finished more than a mile ahead of their closest rivals in the second-year Kalamazoo Marathon.

Brian Dekock of Grand Rapids and the 1:45 half marathon pace team run through downtown Kalamazoo. Dekock’s 1:47:22 was close to that goal time. Burrell said. “Confidence is an amazing thing. Once you build it, it carries you all the way through.”

31, of Toronto stayed with the winner until the sixmile mark, when Mantel broke the race open.

Runner-up Kyle Somerfield, 24, of Willowbrook, Ill., led for most of the race.

“I went out way too fast,” said Wallace, who finished eighth. “It was so fun running with the leader. I just started daydreaming, I guess.” She still set a PR of 1:33:05.

“It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” said Somerfield. “I opened a gap at eight miles, but I got passed by the winner (Burrell) at 11.” Following Somerfield (1:16:44) was Alex Poulsen, 22, of Kalamazoo (1:17:57). Hank Risely, 44, of Cedar Springs was the masters champ in 1:18:43. Mantel set a 1:27:47 PR in her winning effort. “I’m running this race for my friend’s sister, who has cancer,” said Mantel, who had written the words “Team Tammy” on her orange singlet. Next came Courtney Clancy, 20, of Richland (1:29:21), Melissa Broyles, 34, of Milford (1:31:30) and masters champ Peggy Zeeb, 53, of Colon (1:31:37). Christine Wallace, |

michiganrunner.tv

Claiming Priority 5K wins were Kyle Mena, 26, of Portage (15:28) and Chelsie Fuller, 21, of Detroit (18:50). More than 6,400 runners competed in the marathon, half marathon and 5K run/walk. The fun also included a Motivational Mile and a Meijer Kids Run. For complete results, go to www.borgessrun.com. - MR -

Michigan Runner TV http://michiganrunner.tv/2012kalamazoo

400 Marathons and Every One’s a Photo Finish for Carter Sherline

ometimes nice guys finish last on purpose.

I first met Carter Sherline at the 2010 Howell Melon Run; I was a frightened first-time reporter and Carter a smiling, professional photographer. He gracefully moved around the start line of the race, snapping pictures, laughing and talking to anyone he knew, which seemed to be everyone. He calmed my nerves with stories and pointed out the race winners plus others I should interview. I found comfort in the presence of such a wellknown and respected figure in the running community. Now, two years later, I rode a bus to the start of the Kalamazoo Marathon, seated among nervous, chatty runners, probably executing last-minute strategies. I met almost immediately with Carter, who looked fresh and spry, hardly like someone who had done this 399 times before. After a quick interview, I wished him luck and he was off. During the race, Carter took approximately 100 pictures and finished around 7 hours and 14 minutes. His goal was simple. “I just wanted to finish it before everyone went home.” He ran with three women for much of the later miles in the race, helping them through to the finish, as he has done for the majority of his marathons. Carter’s objective as a runner is to motivate as many people as possible into becoming runners. Sometimes he finished races last on purpose, to help others around him in. He recalls being upset that he passed the lastplace finisher while she was in the bushes one year at a 50-mile race in Harrisburg, Va. He has traveled all night for a race, driving up to 10 hours, only to arrive, jump out of his car and run. His fuel of choice? “I usually prefer beer when I’m running a marathon, but coffee is good.” Why run so many marathons? Carter admits to playing mind games with himself, whether he’s running fast or slow. “I think a lot about the history and details of where I’m running.” With a background in science and math, he uses calculus terms to distract himself, focusing on the partial differentials of the course, which includes the slopes in three dimensions. “When I’m having a bad marathon,” he says, “sometimes I start singing, especially ‘Hail to the Victors.’ I start getting a little psychotic, besides I am thinking about lunch.” Another secret he uses that Running 101 doesn’t teach you? “I find a really nice butt and follow it,” he says.

In 1994 Carter ran into a surprise at the Marine Corps Marathon: Oprah Winfrey. He looked for the media mogul during the race; when he found her at mile eight he told her she had the nicest butt, so she better not stop. At mile 24, when Oprah stopped and took off her hat, Carter ran into the back of her. “I copped a feel on Oprah and I got a picture of it,” he remembers. Oprah laughed, admitting that he did warn her not to stop.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

By Heather Dyc Hanks

Carter Sherline is taking photographs at the 2012 Fifth Third River Bank Run, a week after his 400th marathon.

Running so many marathons has given Carter knowledge few others have; he knows every pothole and manhole of many courses. He has run New York seven times and recalls the same drunk near Fifth Avenue who insists on passing out liquor to runners in “probably the same bottle of Mad Dog,” Carter says. He has done four marathons in nine days, finishing in 4:27, 5:27, 3:27 and 3:59, respectively; and attempted the Ice Age 50-Miler in La Grange, Wisc., nine times, finishing seven. He can trace back the details of about 200 marathons. The remaining 200 are merely numbers written down on a sticky note as a yearly total. Carter, then a weightlifter, did not run in high school. He was 24 when he ran his first marathon in Detroit, encouraged by a boarder in his fraternity house after a chemistry class accident nearly blew Carter himself up.

inspired Carter to continue, completing as many as 21 marathons and 10 ultras in one year. Carter does not use heart rate monitors or GPS, keeping running “as primitive as possible.” He wears as little as possible — “a little too little sometimes,” he says. He has worn minimalist shoes “before anyone knew what they were,” he continiues. He ran trail ultra races in Waffle Racers before Nike added rubber to the instep. Lately, he has worn Nike Frees for their lightweight fit. “I would run barefoot, but if there were one piece of glass on the course, I would step on it,” Carter says. His training is erratic. At his peak he ran up to 165 miles a week, including several races. He used to do interval work with the Ann Arbor Track Club on Tuesday nights, but “now when I’m running, I just put one foot in front of the other.”

He recalls stopping at mile 20 to use a handicapped porta-john, where his legs cramped up. It took him 20 minutes to use the railing inside the john to pull himself up and finish the race, which he did in 4:09.

Today you can usually find him running with a camera, combining his two passions. He’s been a professional photographer for 20 years and runs his business, Frog Prince Studios, out of his Ann Arbor home. His goals are to create a blog of his experiences to include photos and non-running related topics, such as politics, golf and dining.

After that, Carter was hooked. A few years later, just before the Sunburst marathon, he met Sy Mah, a University of Toledo physical education professor then thought to hold the world record for most marathons run. Carter told Mah that he wanted to break three hours.

He enjoys telling stories, whether they are about him or not, and, of course, loves to run. You can visit his Web site at Fotoview.net and find him on Facebook by searching for Frog Prince Studios.

Afterwards, when Carter ran a 3:30, Mah found his phone number and called him to ask what happened. Mah’s interest in his running michiganrunner.net

- MR -

Michigan Runner TV Carter Sherline’s 400th Marathon: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RpWMWAo_JZI

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Michigan Runner TV: An Interview with Coach Red Simmons, 1910 - 2012 Michigan running as lost another legend this spring. Coach Kenneth "Red" Simmons passed away Friday, April 13, 2012. He was 102 years old. Coach Simmons formed the Michigammes women's track and field club in the 1960's. He then convinced Michigan Athletic Director Don Canham to allow women to compete for the University of Michigan. During the Michigammes reunion in February 2005 Marybeth Dillon Butler interviewed Coach Simmons and athletes Francie Kraker Goodridge, Karen McKeachie, Carol Frederick Poenisch, and Ann Forshee Crane. We also hear many of the Michigammes talk about Coach Simmons and their experiences competing.

ÂŠ Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

http://michiganrunner.tv/2006redsimmons/

Coach Ron Warhurst chats with Coach Red Simmons in 2002.

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

Book Review

Farah Book is Window on Running, Life By Tracey Cohen pecially runners,” Angerman goes on.

“Let’s Pick it up a Bit” by John Farah and Nelson Williams. 2012. $14.95. Available at Nicola Books in Ann Arbor or http://http://letspickitupabit.com.

“The story of John’s youth left me wanting to know more about life growing up in such a rich mix of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures.”

orn in West Jerusalem, John Farah, a 30-year runner and author of “Let’s Pick It Up a Bit,” made Michigan his home in 1962 when he moved to the United States fresh out of high school.

“It was hard moving to Florida,” Farah, now 69, recalls in his new book. “Running felt like one of the few things in my life that still connected me to my home in Michigan.” He wrote the memoir to share his experiences and inspire others to “pick it up a bit” in running and life.

“My running pretty much mirrors John’s,” says Running Fit co-owner Randy Step. “For me, reading the book is a great recap of that life.

Photo courtesy of John Farah

Farah earned advanced degrees at the University of Michigan. Since moving to the U.S., he has always lived in Michigan save for a brief stint when held a teaching and research position at the University of Florida’s dental school.

Other readers who have run around the block a few times will enjoy Farah’s portrayals of favored races, Michigan’s beloved Potowatomi Trail (or “Poto”), training triumphs and faux pas.

“John captures the feelings we all experience in our daily training runs better than I’ve ever seen put to print,” Step continues. “John talks about setting a personal best on one of his regular eight-mile training loops, an experience we can relate to, but tells us in a way that reminds us that these personal records are the most precious — more so than in races because they are so personal that they can’t be explained. But he does.

John Farah

“I like living life to its fullest,” Farah says, “and I love to have people do that as well.” The husband, father and dentist with his own practice has completed more 120 marathons and countless other races. “People ask me how I do it,” he says — “it” being what his son, Mike, calls “The Lifestyle.”

He and co-author/running buddy Nelson Williams offer specific training tips, schedules, illustrated stretching regimens and more at the end of each chapter. “Although I have known John for many years, our relationship was limited to small talk at the store or at our races,” says Running Fit stores co-owner Steve Angerman.

“The established runner can look back and the new runner can get excited about what running can do to shape a life,” Step says. If, like Angerman, you are left wanting more, stay tuned. “The wheels are already turning,” Farah says, for another book focusing more on his heritage — running, an integral part of his life, included.

Readers will be pressed not to find inspiration, For more information and where to purchase, comfort, enjoyment and humor in Farah’s words as visit http://letspickitupabit.com. he breaks “It” down into nine sections, sharing not “I enjoyed his book because I like to know how Runhis Like the Wind 2012_twelfth 6/11/12 12:36 PM Pagetemplate_sixth 1 sixth horizontal horizontal 6/14/12 12:43 PM Page 1 only achievements but hardships template too. - MR people got to be who and where they are in life. Es-

14th Annual

Run Like e Wind Labor Day Weekend - 9:30 am

Saturday, September 1, 2012 10K Run & 5K Run/Walk

Westland, Nankin Mills Picnic Area, Hines Park

Michigan Running Foundation runningfoundation.com • blockc@lcc.edu All proceeds support Youth Running in Michigan

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Let’s Move Festival of Races, Macomb County

Steuben, Alatorre Win Half Marathon

Photos by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studio

The lengendary Ella Willis won her age group in 1:37:00.

Veronica Alatorre of Grosse Pointe finished first in 1:31:10.

Michigan Runner TV http://michiganrunner.tv/2012lets_move/

Cory Steuben of Royal Oak won the Half Marathon in 1:15:29.

Book Review

Murder on the Outer Banks By Ron Marinucci “Murder on the Outer Banks” by Joe C. Ellis. 2012. 282 pp. $15.95 paper (available at Amazon.com $10.74 and on Kindle $6.99). Upper Ohio Valley Books (Distributed by John F. Blair, Publisher, 1406 Plaza Dr. Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103).

oc Hopkins entered the local Dare County, N.C., 5K race on the Outer Banks for the first time in a couple years. At 63, he ran an impressive 19:30. The next year, taking the lead at the two-mile mark in 11:20, he won the race to the surprise of everyone but himself. He did so in remarkable fashion too, separating from the rest of the pack, including the local high school hotshot, easily. He never faded, finishing in 17:35, 15 seconds ahead of the prep runner. For his 65-69 age group, it was a world-class if not world-record time. Hopkins hadn’t run that fast in 30 years. While the runner-up, almost 50 years his junior, required help at the finish, Hopkins cruised in, smile on his face, recovering by merely resting his hands on his knees. Within moments, he was chatting with other runners and admirers. “You ran like a house on fire!” he was told. At the awards presentation, Hopkins made a 42

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

few long-winded comments, which included his plan to run six miles on his 100th birthday. His race time and pronouncements attracted not only local attention, but the interest of unsavory characters. Twenty-four hours later Hopkins was dead. He’d been shot in the head and his home laboratory had been ransacked by someone obviously searching for something. That something was eternal youth or, rather, the promise of it that his race time proved existed. The doctor, a secretive sort, had been conducting research and experiments in his laboratory, a converted three-car garage behind his home on the Outer Banks. He had discovered an elixir, complete with the formula to produce it, that stopped and even reversed the aging process; hence his increasingly youthful-looking skin, darkening and thickening hair, and jaw-dropping 17:35 5K. Someone else found out about Hopkins’ discovery and wanted it, badly enough to murder the doctor and any others who got in the way. The 5K is a creative lead-in to this mystery novel, one filled with twists, turns and interesting characters, some likable and some not. This link to running will attract runners and keep their interest with intriguing questions. |

michiganrunner.tv

Author Joe C. Ellis, is a runner. Competing in distances from the 5K to half marathon, he still can churn out 6:30 miles — not quite in Doc Hopkins’ league, but still pretty fast. Hopkins’ discovery raises some thoughtful questions. “Would I use the eternal youth elixir if I could run the times I did decades ago? If it were available, should I use it?” The novel’s characters face these questions for us. “Who will have access to the elixir and formula? For whom will they be made available? Should there be eternal youth? What happens when nobody dies any more?” Complicating matters are the characters’ personal situations. The main characters are Dare County Sheriff Dugan Walton, a runner himself, and his newlyhired deputy Marla Easton. They are old schoolmates, friends with whom a romantic interest has been kindled, at least in Walton’s mind. They are investigators, targets and keepers of the elixir and formula all rolled into one. Their constant wrestling with the questions the situation raises keeps readers wrestling with them too. Easton’s son Gabe seems like a typical youngster until called upon to exhibit great courage. Other

Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon

Group Hug: Running Groups Boost Bayshore Marathoners By Anthony Targan TRAVERSE CITY (5/26/12) — As its name implies, the Bayshore Marathon features a picturesque panorama along the shore of the Grand Traverse Bay. The out-and-back full marathon course is ideal for running groups and racing teams to spot and support fellow members along the way. The half-marathon course starts near the marathon turnaround point, so those running 13.1 miles also share the experience of passing oncoming runners almost the entire way. For a course where spectators are sparse, the psychic benefit of this collective “group hug” provided by the running community is not to be underestimated. With temps in the mid-50s at the start and a partly cloudy sky, the weather was ideal for Bayshore’s 30th edition. While many marathons advertise gentle rolling hills, these truly were. In the full marathon, Jesse Davis set a blistering 5:14 pace in the first half, and with the net downhill in the second half, kept the pedal to the metal to finish in 2:20:12, a full two minutes ahead of Jon Gries (2:22:18). Nicholas Katsefaras was third overall in 2:32:01. Patrick Benedict (ninth overall in 2:45:19) was the male masters winner. In the women’s marathon, hometown favorite Caitlin Smith (2:48:33) outdistanced Kelly Gries

(2:54:04) and Nicole Clement (2:57:25). Lori Buratto (2:59:05) was the masters winner. “I was through the half-marathon mark in just under 1:20 and feeling absolutely awesome,” Smith stated on her blog, “but I had lost my buddies … who were now slightly behind me. It was a lonely next five miles and that’s probably where things started to go awry.” Despite having to walk repeatedly the last few miles, she held to win by more than five minutes. In the half-marathon, Tasha O’Malley of McBain was both the female open and masters winner in 1:21:36, beating Theresa Martin and Lauren MacVicar. In the men’s half, Ryan Holm of Grand Rapids ran away from the field, finishing in 1:08:41 (a 5:15 pace), beating both Kyle Baker and masters winner Dave Bussard by more than six minutes. The 10K men’s race saw Zachary Ripley of Grand Rapids tear it up in 31:47, followed by Glenn Collins and Shane Logan. The women’s 10K was the closest race as Andrea Ripley, 22, of Grand Rapids (38:56) held off Laura Cooper, 50, of Kent City, who was just 16 seconds back in 39:12. A common theme for many was how runner and crowd support made the difference in their race. Steve Menovcik founded Patient Endurance Racing, an official Michigan U.S.A. Track & Field Association team of masters runners from all over the state. PER members placed first or second master in every Bayshore race (other than a female in the half marathon).

Murder, continued. characters range from a crime syndicate and Russian thug to whom murder is part of daily business, to the FBI and several crooked agents. Even the President is dragged into it, although his involvement is a stretch. The plot to find and control the fountain of youth races from the Outer Banks to Washington, D.C. The hunt for it is punctuated by murders, betrayals and a budding potential romance, but also by kidnappings and a hurricane, vividly described. “Murder” is fast-paced, easy to read and entices one to read Ellis’s other novels. It keeps this question on a reader’s mind, “If I could run the same race times as I did 20 years ago …?” - MR -

“The fact that we had team members in every event allowed us to support each other,” said Hank Risley. “On the course, those running the half cheered with those running the marathon as we crossed paths. After completing the shorter races some of us went out to ‘run in’ our partners in the marathon.” Risley, second male master in the half, describes his finish: “Dodging the 10K walkers actually became somewhat invigorating in the final miles. Most moved over as I came by; all cheered me on. “My mother was at the finish area,” he continued. “She’s just under five feet tall but has the strength of a superhero and motivates me to do the best that I can. As I made that step over the curb and onto the track, I heard that familiar voice cheer-

michiganrunner.net

ing for me. Instinctively I shifted gears, throttled out and drove at a full sprint towards the finish line. That last mile was a low 5:40, my fastest of the day, thanks to support from Mom.” Similarly, Norman Fredericks describes how the informal “Team Chrysler” came together to compete at Bayshore: “The group was 25-plus people of all ages, abilities and race experience. What started out as a simple way to motivate each other to run turned out to be the most enjoyable training experience of my life.” Post long run parties soon became the highlight of Team Chrysler’s week. Maria Patch recalls that, “We got to the point where we weren’t sure if we were a running group who liked to party or a party group who liked to run.” For Fredericks, the group “made all the difference. The night before the race, about 50 people gathered to share one last meal. This was the real meaning of winning — not the race itself, not the finishers medal, but the friendships that will last long after the race is over.” West Bloomfield’s Running Fit group had more than 25 runners at Bayshore, among them Katherine Frank, who was determined to run the halfmarathon despite being six months pregnant on race day. In a “thank you” to the running group, Frank wrote, “The encouragement and inspiration from all of you was amazing, and I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish my goal without you. Seeing friends during the race kept me going, as did strangers encouraging me to continue. ‘Only two miles left, you can do it,’ were the best ‘two miles left’ I ever heard. Yes, we (the baby and I) can do it. We can finish this race, and do so running! “It was a great race,” Frank went on. “I am lucky to have such a wonderful group of people to run with. With your help, our mission was accomplished: A medal for the baby. We just completed our first half marathon! Thank you all for your support. We are ready for the next race!”

Anthony Targan, a regular contributor to Michigan Runner magazine, ran a personal best of 3:22:43 in the Bayshore Marathon. - MR -

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Run for Literacy, Detroit

Big House Big Heart, Ann Arbor

Big House Big Heart Makes Big Splash By Anthony Targan

Literacy Run Draws Worldwide Crowd

Sherrie Teeple

Todd Snyder

ANN ARBOR (4/15/12) — Despite rain and thunder that threatened the start, the Big House Big Heart races made a big splash in their switch to the spring racing season. The highlight is the finish inside the “Big House” — the University of Michigan football stadium, with the largest seating capacity (109,901) of any such facility in the country.

Milliken State Park, the Rivard Plaza and Dequindre Cut provided a unique course for the Motor City Striders-run event.

DETROIT (4/22/12) – Detroit Central City Community Mental Health Inc.’s first Run for Literacy 5K drew close to 150 runners and walkers to the riverfront on a blustery but dry day.

Dean Huffer

FOX2 reporter Ronnie Dahl, Detroit Lions mascot Roary and NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney mingled with participants, adding to the fun. Attendees could have a blood pressure check or a body-fat measurement, view a schizophrenia simulator and learn about disk golf.

Kristina Olsen

Kristina Olsen of Jackson won the women’s 5K in 18:38.3 (6:01 pace), holding off Angie Sullivan of Ann Arbor by seven seconds. “I’m happy with how I did for the shape I’m in and the conditions,” Olsen said. “Angie was ahead of me at the start and I caught her on the first big hill. She gained on me for a while, but I passed her for good three-fourths of a mile in. She hung on gave me a good run.”

The 10K was contested in a constant downpour, but that didn’t deter 1,667 runners from completing the beautiful two-loop course through the U-M campus. Todd Snyder of Whitmore Lake won in 30:48.6, a 4:58-per-mile pace, followed by Charlie Mouch of Ann Arbor and Andrew Eheart of Champaign, Ill.

The Big House Big Heart races raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. Local resident Jody Burton spoke to the community spirit embodied by this event: “One month ago today my house in Dexter was hit by a tornado. So despite not being in a normal routine and unable to work out until now, it just felt like an inspiring way to jumpstart myself back into normal life.

Sherrie Teeple, 39, of Grand Blanc held off two runners whose combined ages equaled her own: Peyton Boughton, 15, of Sturgis and Emma Steppe, 24, of Ann Arbor, winning the women’s 10K in 38:55.8.

“Running through that tunnel (into the stadium), I got chills,” Burton went on. “It was like, ‘OK, I can tackle this, I can tackle a tornado … Bring it on!’

By the time the 5K started, the rain had stopped and more than 4,100 runners took to the streets. Australian Dean Huffer won in 15:44.9 (5:04 pace) despite being unfamiliar with the course, saying, “I was bit unsure where to go. I had Josh Perrin stay with me for 2-1/2 miles just so I didn’t take a wrong turn.” Huffer, who is staying in Ann Arbor with his brother and training with the Running Institute, beat locals Lindsay LaLonde and Perrin.

“It was a great opportunity to donate back to the community that was so supportive of us in our time of need.”

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Anthony Targan, a regular MR contributor, completed the 10K in 40:30. - MR |

michiganrunner.tv

Haven Hoop Dance brought an aerial show and hula-hoop spectacular, offering a blend of acrobatics and healthy lifestyle workouts as entrants were staged for the starting gun. After the 9:30 a.m. kids’ run, starter and grand marshal Barney fired his pistol at 10 and off 5K entrants went, old and young, large and small, smiling and waving. Among the 38 men and 57 women finishing were David Blanco and Raul Payri from Spain (in town to attend the SAE show), making the 5K a world event. Men’s and women’s winners Brian Palomba, 26, of Romeo (19:54) and Claire Aubrey, 24, of Bloomfield Hills (20:03) each won two tickets to Lions games. The men’s runners-ups were Shawn Wehrly, 42, of Royal Oak (19:56) and Mike Mansfield, 45, of Northville (20:02). The second- and thirdplace women were Veronica Alatorre, 44, of Grosse Pointe Woods (20:35) and Lori Kluck, 33, of Detroit (21:17). The event raised funds and awareness for the DCC Literacy Program and made friends along the way. - MR -

AAA Pregnancy Resource Center Race for Life, Westland

Brother, Sister Win 5K; Husband, Wife 10K at Race for Life By Charles Douglas McEwen

Steve Trahey, 34, of Canton won the men’s 10K in 43:13. His wife, Rosie, 33, was second across the finish line and the first-place woman in 43:33.

Event Directors 0311_Third Square 2/6/11 10:39 PM Page 1

Lance Allen

“We wanted to support AAA and run together as a family,” Stacia Allen said.

Stacia Allen, who just completed her freshman year at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, led the women in 25:11. Next came Abigail Pelon, 15, of South Lyon (25:29) and Ashley Brock, 24, of Farmington (26:22).

The Allens, Westland residents, pretty much dominated the 5K. Lance, 15, a Plymouth Christian Academy ninth-grader, and his father, Richard, 48, led much of the way. At the end, Lance outkicked his dad and finished with a PR of 21:21. Richard took second in 21:32 and brother/son Lucas Allen, 17, timed 24:17.

WESTLAND (5/19/12) — Siblings Lance and Stacia Allen won the 5K and husband/wife Steve and Rosie Trahey the 10K at the first AAA Pregnancy Resource Center Race for Life. Runs started and ended at Nankin Mills Recreation Area and took place on Hines Park Drive

Steve Trahey

Stacia Allen

Rose Trahey

Race Directors: and

Steve led pretty much from the start. Rosie, on the other hand, had competition.

International - Searchable Online Calendar

“One lady (Lisa Lochrie) pushed me the whole way. I thought she was going to beat me,” Rosie said. Lochrie, 47, of Farmington was the third runner across the finish line in 43:41. Next came Tara Haddad, 33, of Dearborn (44:39) and Jennifer Datilio, 30, of Plymouth (44:48). Placing sixth and seventh overall, Plymouth residents Chris Cooley, 49 (45:18) and David Prange, 54 (47:40) took second and third among the men. The 5K and 10K had 118 registrants. A Walk for Life was held afterward. The AAA center offers care and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies. For complete race results, go to www.epicracetiming.com.

List your event online with a user-friendly form:

http://tiny.cc/z5giu

runningnetwork.com/RNW/index.php/national-calendar then follow link in the right column: “Click here” Michigan Runner or Running Network staff will upload your listing Calendar links to 27 regional & specialty running publications: michiganrunner.net • runningnetwork.com For print listing only, Email, FAX or mail the following: Event Date:________________________ Contact Name:_____________________ Event Name:_______________________ Phone:__________________________ Event City:________________________ Email:___________________________ Starting Time:______________________ Mailing Address:___________________ Starting Location:___________________ City:____________________________ Distances:________________________ State/Province-Zip:__________________ Website:_________________________ Michigan Runner 4007 Carpenter Road, #366 Ypsilanti, MI 48197

jennie@glsp.com (734) 507-0251 (734) 434-4765 FAX

- MR -

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Grand Prix Shakedown 5K, Belle Isle, Detroit

Grand Prix Cars and People Return to Detroit

Photos by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studio

John Trojansek of Windsor won in 16:35.

Runners try out the course on the Tuesday night before the cars took over.

Kristie Slowke of Shelby Township was 1st (19:53).

Fruitport Old Fashioned Days Run, Fruitport

Families Come Out for Fruitport Runs

Photos by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studio

Green shirts dominate pack in the 10K and 5K race. 48

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

Book Review

Running on Empty By Ron Marinucci “Running on Empty” by Marshall Ulrich. $16, paperback. 304 pages. Avery.

wo questions were on my mind, almost page by page, as I read “Running on Empty.” How and why does he do it? Those questions make this a compelling story. Author Marshall Ulrich is a legendary ultramarathoner and extreme athlete. He’s scaled the highest peaks, including Mt. Everest, on each of the seven continents. He’s run, won and set records at some of the most famous and grueling ultras, including the Leadville 100, Western States 100 and Badwater, whose course crosses the Death Valley desert and begins climbing Mt. Whitney, at 14,497 feet the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 states. Ulrich once did a “Badwater Quad,” running four times, almost 600 miles, across the desert. Another time, to challenge himself and “the course, both the desert and mountain,” he packed his water and other sustenance on a hotdog cart to run the course all by himself. He completed the Pike’s Peak Marathon, 13.1 miles up and 13.1 miles down, and Leadville, all 100 miles of it, on the same weekend.

drivers, one of whom nearly sandwiched him with another vehicle by passing on a gravel shoulder. He was also met on the route by friends and family members, some of whom ran with him. In Colorado, fruit pickers rushed to the road to offer him pears and apples. While nearing the last miles in Nebraska, he was greeted by an online friend who brought along his newborn daughter. Sidebars add other glimpses of the trans-America run: on “The Loneliest Road in America,” Highway 50 in Nevada; the Topaz Japanese-American Relocation Camp from World War II; the American entrepreneurial spirit in the form of a Colorado taco stand; in New Jersey, a nun from Religious Teachers Filippino, who walked with him for a short distance; and early “pedestrians,” 19th-century walkers who also attempted to cross America. Ulrich tries to convey answers to my “how” and “why” questions. But often these attempts compound and confound my lack of understanding. “It took longer, some months, before my body stopped hurting all the time. Not until a year later could I get back to my normal routine of running …”

“How?” and, especially, “Why?” Of course, his “Run Across America” raised funds for charities, a big incentive for him. He also explains his psychological tricks, such as transference and dissociation, some learned while studying with psychologists. Mottos and mantras, such as “Never take yourself off the course” and “As far as I can, as fast as I can,” work for him. They get him through moments of doubt, such as one in Utah when, with “flaming” plantar fasciitis, he “harbored secret hopes than the doctor would say that I was done.” Still, the sacrifices he made went beyond the physical and included mental anguish and emotional loneliness. Ulrich also concedes his obsession with extreme activities that allowed him to run away from personal pains, also took heavy tolls on his family life — multiple marriages and early alienation from his children. “How?” and “Why?” Ulrich’s sense of singular purpose, of self-centered drive, is what makes “Empty” such a compelling book to read. - MR -

third square template_third square 6/17/12 4:20 PM Page 1

Although “Empty” relates snippets of these and other extreme doings, its focus is Ulrich’s “Run Across America: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting 3,063 Miles, 52 Days, 57 Years Old.” It’s no surprise Ulrich found this transcontinental run in 2008 his most grueling, yet gratifying challenge yet. The logistics of the run, of which we are constantly reminded, are mind-boggling. It began at San Francisco City Hall and ended more than 3,000 miles later at the city hall in New York. Each state’s entry is noted with a photograph, complete with miles run and miles to go. Ulrich averaged the equivalent of two marathons, plus a 10K, each day for 52 straight days. The author ate four meals a day, plus snacks, consuming between 8,000 and 10,000 calories: enough food for four men. What he ate is surprising. Even more so was his minimal weight loss and that he drank no water. Other liquids, yes, but no simple water. We learn the story of his dedicated crew, which included his wife Heather. Members led the way at night, often well past midnight; fed and massaged him, even while he slept; did his laundry and tended to his many injuries, aches and pains. A rival, at first friendly, one who helped set up a film documentary deal, becomes petty, a less-than-flattering character as portrayed by Ulrich. The tour of the United States was complete with extremes of geography and climate, mountains and elevation, streams and heat, rain and snow. Ulrich was confronted by dogs, a farmer with a rifle and crazy

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Sun, 7/1/12

Pickerel Run

(248) 840-9711

pickerelrun.com

Sun, 7/1/12

Howell Independence Aquathlon & Open Water Swim 2KR/ 750m S/ 2KR Howell

10KR, 5KR/W

Algonac

(517) 546-0693

howellrecreation.org

Sun, 7/1/12

UP Northwoods Triathlon

(906) 774-4076

Sun, 7/1/12

U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field - Day 10 110mh, 200m, 20kRaceW, jt, lj, 400mh, 1500mR, 200m

Sun, 7/1/12

USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day 6

Arlington, TX

Sun, 7/1/12

Happy Soles

5KR/W

Taylor

triathlon & kids triathlon

Iron Mountain

Eugene, OR

ddymca.com/Triathlon.html usatf.org usatf.org

mbjjake@wowway.com

Sun, 7/1/12

Rock the World 5K Obstacle Race

5K obstacle

Grand Ledge

Sun, 7/1/12

KAR Summer Track Series - July date tbd

track meet: 100m - 2MR

Kalamazoo

(269) 369-6957

kalamazooarearunners.org

rocktheworldrace.com

Tue, 7/3/12

Hanson Speed Session -Tuesdays

training

Sterling Heights

(586) 323-9683

hansons-running.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Firecracker 5K

5KR

Wed, 7/4/12

Indy 5K Race

5KR

Beulah (231) 930-4222 crystallakecommunitybusinessassoc.com Kentwood

(616) 656-5274

signmeup.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Greatest 4th in the North

10KR, 5KR/W, FR

Lake City

(231) 839-2280

www.lakecityschools.net

Wed, 7/4/12

Volkslaufe

20KR, 10KR, 5KR/W, 2KFR-kids run Frankenmuth

(989) 860-3388

www.volkslaufe.org

Wed, 7/4/12

Ann Arbor Firecracker 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Ann Arbor

(734) 213-1033

a2firecracker5k.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Black Bear Run

12KR, 6KR/W

Engadine

(906) 477-9019

newberrytourism.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Dorks Brothers Independence Day Run

5KR, 1MR

Alpena

(989) 354-5634

thunderbaytrails.org

Wed, 7/4/12

Hanover Firecracker Run/Walk

5 MR, 5KW, kids run

Hanover

(517) 563-2125

hh4thofjuly.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Horse Tail Scramble

10KR, 5KW

Hancock

(906) 482-6827

keweenaw.info harborps.org

Wed, 7/4/12

Paul Revere 3 & 10 Mile Run

10MR, 3MFR

Harbor Springs

(231) 526-2059

Wed, 7/4/12

West Branch 2 Mile Fun Run Walk

2 MR/W

West Branch

(989) 345-1498

westbranchrunning.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3 Mile Run

3MR

Oak Park

(248) 691-7555

www.oakpark-mi.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Dorr 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W

Dorr

(616) 656-5274

signmeup.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Sunday Lake Run

2.8MR

Wakefield

(906) 364-4410

www.uprrc.orgWed,

7/4/12

Hungry Duck Run

13.1MR, 5KR, kids fun run

Brighton

(810) 844-0180

hungryduckrun.com

Wed, 7/4/12

T-Rex Trail 10-Miler

10MR, 8KR

Lowell

(616) 260-2669

www.trextenmiler.8k.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Ryan Shay Midsummer Night Run

10KR, 5KR, 1MFR

Central Lake

(231) 544-2815

ryanshay.org

Wed, 7/4/12

Pace for Poverty Run

10KR, 5KR, FW

Richland

(269) 207-4988

active.com

Wed, 7/4/12

Firecracker 5K

5KR/W, 1MFR

Corunna

(989) 666-3810

corunna4th.org

Wed, 7/4/12

Hadley Run

5KR/W

Hadley

(248) 622-1738

hadleytownship.org

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Wed, 7/4/12

Reeds Lake Trail Blazer

4.5MR/W

East Grand Rapids

(616) 949-2110

Wed, 7/4/12

Evart Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July 5K

5KR/W

Evart

(574) 312-0913 evartchamberofcommerce.com

egrcf.org/trailblazer

Wed, 7/4/12

Firecracker 5K Race

5KR

Ishpeming

(906) 486-8080

Thu, 7/5/12

Hansons Group Run - Thursdays

training

Royal Oak

(248) 616-9665

hansons-running.com

Fri, 7/6/12

Hansons 3 Mile Cross-Country Race

3 MR

Shelby Twp.

(586) 323-9683

hansons-running.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Mark Mellon Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlon

Gaylord

(757) 724-7224

markmellontri.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Run & Walk for Funds

10KR, 5KR, 2 MR/W

Northport

(231) 386-5188

Sat, 7/7/12

Coach Kelly Races

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR

St. Louis

(989) 330-2430

racingactivities.org

Sat, 7/7/12

Lakeshore Miracle Run

10KR

Holland

(616) 392-2282

runningfoundation.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Tawas Kiwanis Run by the Bay

5KR/W

East Tawas

(989) 362-4412

tawas.kiwanisone.org

Sat, 7/7/12

Kenya Dig It? 5K & 10K and 2 Mile Walk

10KR, 5KR, 2MW

Tecumseh

(517) 423-3676

kenyadigit.org

Sat, 7/7/12

Run Posey Lake 4 Mile

4MR/W

Hudson

(517) 403-8666

runningwithes.com runningfoundation.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Duo at the Ledge

13.1MR, 5KR/W

Grand Ledge

(517) 627-2735

Sat, 7/7/12

Grand Haven Kids Triathlon

100meterS/ 2.5MB/ 1.25MR

Grand Haven

(616) 566-7870

www.grandhaventri.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Mio Baseball 5K

5KR/W

Mio

(260) 802-1091

race-mrm.com

Sat, 7/7/12

Gull Lake Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlon

Augusta

(269) 978-2437

gulllaketriathlon.com

Sat, 7/7/12

L.A.S.S.I 5K Loop

5KR

Pentwater

(231) 869-4730

Sun, 7/8/12

Chesaning Showboat River Run

5KR/W, Kids’ Fun Run

Chesaning

(800) 255-3055

Sun, 7/8/12

Island City 5K

5KR/W

Eaton Rapids

(517) 410-8277

Sun, 7/8/12

Run Your Bass Off

10KR, 3.6MR, 2MW

Crystal Falls

(906) 267-2800

crystalfallsmi.com

Sun, 7/8/12

Inter-Rockin Tri, Du,Sprint Tri

triathlon, duathlon

Interlochen

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

chesaningchamber.org

Sun, 7/8/12

Ann Arbor Triathlon / Duathlon

Triathlon / Duiathlon

Pinckney

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

Sun, 7/8/12

Mt. Olivet Cemetery 4-Mile Sunrise Run

10KR, 5KR/W, 1.5MW

Detroit

(734) 417-1032

mtelliot.com

Sun, 7/8/12

The Sparkler 5K

5KR/W

Luna Pier

(734) 770-8951

runningfoundation.com

Sun, 7/8/12

Grand HavenTriathlon & Duathlon

triathlon, duathlon

Grand Haven

(616) 843-1808

www.grandhaventri.com

Tue, 7/10/12

Richmond Park Cross Country

5KR, 1.5MR, kids run

Grand Rapids

(616) 785-4943

grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wed, 7/11/12

Grand Ledge Summer Recreation Track and Field

track meet-all comers

Grand Ledge

(517) 627-9076

Wed, 7/11/12

Doozie’s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series

5MR, 3MR, 1MR

Mt. Pleasant

(989) 772-0323

edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Thu, 7/12/12

Auburn Cornstalk 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W

Auburn

(989) 686-0246

race-mrm.com

Thu, 7/12/12

Huckleberry Hustle 5k Trail Run

5KR/W, kids run

Flint

(810) 249-3855

Fri, 7/13/12

Great Lakes Relay

270 M Relay

Eastpointe

(313) 885-3256

greatlakesrelay.com

Fri, 7/13/12

Moonlit Miles for Marrow

15KR, 5KR

Greenville

(616) 855-1982

moonlitformarrow.com

Fri, 7/13/12

Wells Fargo Advisors YMCA Kids Triathlon

triathlon

Portage

(269) 324-9622

kzooymca.org

Fri, 7/13/12

Hansons 3 Mile Cross-Country Race

3 MR

Sterling Heights

(586) 323-9683

hansons-running.com

Sat, 7/14/12

Port Austin Runs

8KR, 2 MR/W

Port Austin

(989) 738-8772

www.parun.org

Sat, 7/14/12

National Cherry Festival 15K & 5K

15KR, 5KR/W\

Traverse City

(800) 968-3380

cherryfestival.org

playmakers.com

Sat, 7/14/12

Port City Run

5KR/W, 1M

Frankfort (231) 352-7698 frankfort.k12.mi.us/PortCityRun/

Sat, 7/14/12

Run Thru Sparta

5KR/W, kid’s run

Sparta

(616) 887-1116

theclubfitness.net

Sat, 7/14/12

Run the Keweenaw, a Festival of Trails

6KR,12KR, kids’ run

Copper Harbor

(906) 482-2500

keweenawtrails.com/run

Sat, 7/14/12

Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Arts

5KR/W, kids run

Parchment

(269) 569-5996

kindleberger.org

Sat, 7/14/12

Bastille Days 5K Run/Walk and 15KR

15KR, 5KR/W

Fenton

(810) 603-1366

Sat, 7/14/12

Rockford Area Kids Triathlon

triathlon

Rockford

(616) 866-6665

michiganrunner.net

www.rocktri.com

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Sat, 7/14/12

Anchor Bay Triathlon

1/2MS/ 17.7KB/ 4.8i3K

New Baltimore

(586) 725-0291

Sat, 7/14/12

Bear Lake Days 5K

5KR/W

Bear Lake

(231) 590-5457

Sat, 7/14/12

Dances with Dirt - Devil’s Lake

50M, 50K, 26.2M, 13.1M, relay Baraboo, WI

Sat, 7/14/12

Muddy Watters, Bump & Run Trail Series

5.5MR

Sat, 7/14/12

Hopkins 5K Run & Walk

5KR/W

Sat, 7/14/12

cityofnewbaltimore.com

(734) 929-9027

danceswithdirt.com

Rochester Hills

(248) 320-5705

www.jeffwatters.com

Hopkins

(269) 720-3446 hopkins5krun.webstarts.com/

Escape to Belle Isle The Spirit of Detroit Challenge 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run

Detroit

(810) 333-1740

escapetobelleisle.com

Sat, 7/14/12

Golden Mile

1MR

Traverse City

(213) 649-0843

cherryfestival.org

Sat, 7/14/12

Poker Fun Run

13.1MR, 2.5MR

Clinton Township0

(586) 532-1300

lifetimerun.com

Sat, 7/14/12

Ulli Szych Memorial 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Haslett

(517) 416-5237

Sat, 7/14/12

Portofino’s Run for Art 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Wyandotte

(734) 282-1101

Sat, 7/14/12

Clear Lake Adventure Weekend

Tri: .8M Kayak/ 5KMB/ 1.6MR Shingleton

(906) 250-4900

clearlakeinfo.org

Sat, 7/14/12

Saline Celtic Festival Jim Keezer 5K Walk Run

5KR/W

Saline

(734) 944-2810

salineceltic.org

Sat, 7/14/12

Splash and Dash Youth Triathlon

triathlon

Adrian

(517) 264-4872

Sat, 7/14/12

Strut for Strays 5K Fun Run/Walk

5KR/W

Battle Creek

Sat, 7/14/12

Waugoshance Trail Marathon

26.2MR, 13.1MR, 5KR, 2KR Carp Lake

Sat, 7/14/12

Christian AdventureRace

Rodney

Sat, 7/14/12

Big Brothers Big Sisters Pioneer Days Fun Run/Walk 10KR, 2MR

Negaunee

Sun, 7/15/12

Clark Lake Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlon, duathlon

Sun, 7/15/12

IC Perch Run

Sun, 7/15/12

Run the Keweenaw, a Festival of Trails

Sun, 7/15/12

Fight Hunger 5K

(269) 963-1796

everalracemgt.com

hs-scm.org/strut.htm

(715) 701-0360 greatlakesendurance.com (866) 796-4453

cranhillranch.com/

Clark Lake

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

4 MR, 1MFR/W

Ira Twp.

(586) 405-2282

www.icperchfestival.com/

25KR

Copper Harbor

(715) 460-0426

keweenawtrails.com/run/

5KR/W

Okemos

(517) 899-5211

runwalkjog.com/meridian/

bbbsmqt.org

Sun, 7/15/12

Tri 4 Life Triathlon

triathlon, duathlon

Otter Lake

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sun, 7/15/12

Sauk Valley Jazz Running Camp

camp

Brooklyn

(734) 474-0584

jazzrunning.com

Sun, 7/15/12

Aid Lansing 5K

5KR/W

Lansing

Sun, 7/15/12

Metro Way 5K

5KR/W

Wyoming

(616) 855-1982

Sun, 7/15/12

Little Traverse Triathlon

triathlon

Harbor Springs

(231) 487-1713

littletraversetri.com

Sun, 7/15/12

SheRox Detroit Triathlon

All women’s trithlon

Detroit

(734) 845-7559

sheroxtri.com

Sun, 7/15/12

Clear Lake Adventure Weekend

Tri: 3K kayak/ 15KMB/ 5KR

Shingleton

(906) 250-4900

clearlakeinfo.org

Sun, 7/15/12

Beatles on the Bay

tri: olympic, sprint, du

Caseville

Wed, 7/18/12 Pterodactyl Triathlon & Kids’ Clinic

Tri: 1/2MS/ 12.4 MB/ 5KR

Brighton

(734) 929-9027

runtrextri.com

Thu, 7/19/12

PIgeon Sunset Classic

5KR/W

Pigeon

(989) 453-4478

scheurer.org

Sat, 7/21/12

Farmington Founders Festival 4 Mile

4 MR

Farmington

(248) 473-1800

runningfoundation.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Alpenfest Run

10KR/W, 5KR/W, 1MR/W

Gaylord

(989) 732-6333

gaylordalpenfest.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Indian River Summerfest Kiwanis 10K/ 5K Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Indian River

(231) 238-8564

www.irchamber.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Festival Ironwood Walk, Run & Roll

5MR, 2MFR/W

Ironwood

(906) 432-0668

ironwoodmi.org

Sat, 7/21/12

Orthopaedic Rehab Rose Run

10KR, 5KR, 5MR, relay

Jackson

(517) 937-6521 fitnesscouncil.org/runjackson/

Sat, 7/21/12

Life Walk 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Run/Walk

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MW

Detroit

(313) 393-2446

www.motteplifewalk.org

Sat, 7/21/12

Republic Bank Canal Run/Walk

10MR/W, 5MR/W

Hancock

(906) 483-1153

hancockcanalrun.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Road Runner Classic

8KR/W

Northville

(734) 748-2555

northvilleroadrunners.org

Sat, 7/21/12

Bear River Crawl

10KR, 5KR

Petoskey

Sat, 7/21/12

Gazelle Sports Tri del Sol

triathlon, duathlon

Middleville

Sat, 7/21/12

NBFF Chris Cook Memorial Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Fremont

Sat, 7/21/12

Teal Lake Triathlon

Tri: 1/4MS/ 20KB/ 5KR, kids tri Negaunee

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

runningfoundation.com metroway5k.com

tritofinish.com

(231) 547-0380, northernmichigansportsmed.com (616) 855-1972

tridelsol.com www.fremontxc.com

(906) 227-9622

mattoonmultisport.com

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Sat, 7/21/12

The G-Town Runaround

5KR/W

Gladwin

(517) 589-8483

Sat, 7/21/12

Sister Lakes Triathlons

triathlons

Sister Lakes

(231) 546-2229

race-mrm.com 3disciplines.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Tri-City Kids Triathlon

triathlon: distances varyh by age

Midland

(989) 600-9671

trikidstry.com

werunthistown.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Atwood Stadium Run/Walk

10KR/W 5KR/W, kids run

Flint

(810) 238-5981

Sat, 7/21/12

Shores-Pointes Adventure Triathlon

triathlon, duathlon or run

Saint Clair Shores

(313) 732-1305

Sat, 7/21/12

Steeple Chase 5K Cross Country

5KR

Dexter

Sat, 7/21/12

Classic Car Show and Festival

5KR/W

Birch Run

(989) 746-0528

myartsandcrafts.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Fish Feast 5K Run/ Walk

5KR/W

St. Ignace

(906) 643-8676

littlebeararena.com/

Sat, 7/21/12

Manistique Triathlon

Tri: 1/4MS/ 15MB/ 5KR

Manistique

manistiquerecreation@live.com

shorespointestri.com active.com

Sat, 7/21/12

501 Running Club Art Fair Run

training run up to 16M

Ann Arbor

(734) 657-0214

runningit501.com

Sat, 7/21/12

Lake Orion Rotary Duathlon

du: 3.1MR/ 20KB/ 3.1MR

Lake Orion

(248) 652-5882

active.com

Sun, 7/22/12

Mackinaw Multi-Sport Mix

triathlon, duathlon, run

Mackinaw City

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sun, 7/22/12

Ele’s Place 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Okemos

(517) 482-1315

www.elesplace.org

Sun, 7/22/12

He Tried / She Tried Triathlon

tri: .olympic or sprint

Grass Lake

(734) 678-5045

epicraces.com.com

Sun, 7/22/12

Crosstown Kids Triathlon

triathlon

Howell

(517) 546-0693

howellrecreation.org

Sun, 7/22/12

Tri to Finish Saginaw Triathlon /Duathlon

tri:800mS/ 11MB/ 3.1MR, du

Saginaw

Mon, 7/23/12

Hansons Middle/High School Day Camp

4 days camp

Shelby Township

Mon, 7/23/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 1

Baltimore, MD

Tue, 7/24/12

Aman Park Trail Run

5.5MR, kids run/bike/run

Grand Rapids

(616) 742-0384,

Tue, 7/24/12

Running Bear 5K Run/Walk & 1/2 Mile Kids Run

5KR, kids run

Glen Arbor

(231) 334-7363

Tue, 7/24/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 2

Baltimore, MD

Wed, 7/25/12

Run the Mountain

Mt. Pleasant

Wed, 7/25/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 3

Baltimore, MD

usatf.org

Thu, 7/26/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 4

Baltimore, MD

usatf.org

Fri, 7/27/12

Hansons 3 Mile Cross-Country Race

3MR

Shelby Township

(586) 323-9683

Fri, 7/27/12

Southgate Heritage Half Eight

4MR, 1MW

Southgate

(734) 258-7770

Fri, 7/27/12

Hansons 3 Mile Cross-Country Race

3 MR

Shelby Twp.

(586) 323-9683

hansons-running.com

Fri, 7/27/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 5

Baltimore, MD

Sat, 7/28/12

Alden Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Alden

(231) 377-7319

www.aldenrun.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Hudson Booster 5k

5KR

Hudson

(517) 286-6931

www.hudson.k12.mi.us

Sat, 7/28/12

Steve’s Run

10KR, 5KR/W, 1 MFR/W

Dowagiac

(269) 782-1210

swmich.edu/fireup/steves-

Sat, 7/28/12

Tri Cities Family Coast Guard Festival 5K & 10 K

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MR

Grand Haven

(616) 842-7051, x20 www.tcfymca.org

Sat, 7/28/12

Venetian Festival Jeff Drenth Memorial Foot Races

10KR, 5KR, 1MFR

Charlevoix

(231) 547-3407

venetianraces.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Yale Bologna Run

5KR, 1MR/W

Yale

(810) 387-2225

yalechamber.com

5KR

tritofinish.com (586) 323-9682

hansons-running.com usatf.org grandrapidsrunningclub.org runningbearrun.com usatf.org

(989) 772-0323

edzone.net/~mphsstr/

hansons-running.com

usatf.org

run/

Sat, 7/28/12

Grand Island Trail Marathon & 10K

26.2 MR, 13.1MR

Munising

Sat, 7/28/12

Tigertown 5000 Road Race

5KR/W

Liberty Center, OH

(419) 533-5838

tigertown5000.com/

Sat, 7/28/12

Ryan Shay Mile

1MR - invitational

Charlevoix

(231) 547-3407

venetianraces.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Lumberman Triathlon

triathlons, duathlon

Cadillac

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Friends of Fishtown 5K

5KR

Leland

(231) 256-8878

Sat, 7/28/12

Run for Their Lives

5MR/W

Boyne City

(231) 582-9196

Sat, 7/28/12

USA 100 Mile Trail Championships - Day 1

100MR

Cleveland, OH

Sat, 7/28/12

Gale’s Gym Summer Series Race Two

5KR

Edmore

michiganrunner.net

(715) 701-0360 greatlakesendurance.com

usatf.org (989) 427-4348

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Sat, 7/28/12

MCYF Fabulous 5K and Fun in the Sun Kids Run

5KR, kids run

Fruitport

(616) 899-5482

muskegonfairgrounds.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Dare Devil Dash Extreme 5K Run

adventure run: 5KR, 1MR

Brown City

(810) 886-1654

daredevildash.com

Sat, 7/28/12

Michigan Warrior Dash

3.25 MR/ bstacle course

Genessee Township

warriordash.com/register2012_michigan.php

Sat, 7/28/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 6

Baltimore, MD

Sat, 7/28/12

Wolf Lake 5K

5KR/W

Muskegon

Sat, 7/28/12

Transplant Games of America 5K

5KR

Grand Rapids,

Sun, 7/29/12

Rudyard Lions Summerfest Triathlon & 5K

triathlon, 5KR

Rudyard

Sun, 7/29/12

Running from Cancer

13.1MR, 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run Tecumseh, ON

(519) 945.3786

www.runningfactory.com

Sun, 7/29/12

Village Tri & Du

triathlon, duathlon

Clarkston

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sylvania, OH

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

usatf.org (231) 788-1026 (616) 233-3575

goracego.com transplantgamesofamerica.org

(906) 478-5244

rudyardlionstriathlon.com

Sun, 7/29/12

Women’s Only Triathlon & Dri-Tri

triathlon, duathlon

Sun, 7/29/12

Island Lake of Novi Triathlon & Open Water Swim

tri: .5MS/ 12MB/ 3MR or 1.5MS Novi

Sun, 7/29/12

Hansons Group Run

training

Lake Orion

(248) 693-9900

hansons-running.com

Sun, 7/29/12

Hall of Fame Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Lansing

(517) 483-1624

runningfoundation.com

Sun, 7/29/12

Portland Relay for Life Half Marathon and 5K

13.1MR, 5KR

Portland

Sun, 7/29/12

The Naked Foot 5K

5KR, 1MR, kids run

Grand Rapids

Sun, 7/29/12

USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships - Day 7

Baltimore, MD

Sun, 7/29/12

USA 100 Mile Trail Championships - Day 2

100MR

Cleveland, OH

Mon, 7/30/12

Hills & Dales Races

8KR, 5KR/W

Cass City

Wed, 8/1/12

KAR Summer Track Series - August date tbd

track meet: 100m - 2MR

Thu, 8/2/12

Hansons Group Run - Thursdays

Thu, 8/2/12

Stony Creek Distance Run

Thu, 8/2/12

USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day 1

Lisle, IL

usatf.org

Fri, 8/3/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 1

London, England

london2012.com

Fri, 8/3/12

USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day 2

Lisle, IL

usatf.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Allen Park Street Art Fair 5K

10KR, 5KR, 1MR, kids run

Allen Park

(734) 377-0122

Sat, 8/4/12

Lake Antoine Classic

15KR, 5MR/W, 2MR/W

Iron Mountain

(906) 776-5918

lakeantoineclassic.com

Sat, 8/4/12

NorthReach Waterfront Run

10KR, 5KR

Menominee

(715) 735-4200

active.com

Sat, 8/4/12

The Legend 5M, 10M, 13.1M Trail Run

13.1MR, 10MR, 5MR

Laingsburg

(734) 929-9027

www.runlegend.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Labadie Pig-Gig Catholic Federal Credit Union 5K 5KR/W, kids run

Bay City

(989) 4684-0452

Sat, 8/4/12

Aspirus Keweenaw Copperman Triathlon

tri: 0.5MS/ 23MB/ 5MR

Copper Harbor

(906) 337-7000

keweenawcopperman.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Shermanator Triathlon & 5K Run

triathlon, 5KR, kids run

Augusta

(269) 731-3004

shermanatortri.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Mint City 10 Miler, 5K & Family Fun Walk

10MR, 5KR

St. Johns

(989) 224-3316

Sat, 8/4/12

Streets of Fire 8K

8KR/W

Grand Rapids

(616) 742-0384

Sat, 8/4/12

Kayla O’Mara Memorial Run

10KR, 5K, 1MFR,10K handcycle Goodrich

(810) 429-3991

kaylarun.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Coloma Glad-Peach Run/ Walk/ Bike

10KR/B, 5KR/W/B, FR

Coloma

(269) 468-6606

ColomaPeachFest.com

Sat, 8/4/12

AdvoKate Run

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MW

Rochester

(248) 709-7673

www.advokaterun.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 2

heptathlon, 10,000mR, 100m, 20KraceW

London, England

london2012.com

Sat, 8/4/12

a-Round Green Lake Association Walk/Run

5KR/W

Caledonia

(616) 536-2068

greenlake.us

Sat, 8/4/12

Bethany Race for Home 5K

5KR/W

Troy

(248) 414-4080

bethany.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Port Oneida Barn to Barn Trail Run/Walk

5KR/Walk, kids run

Glen Arbor

(231) 334-6103

phsb.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Come to the River 5K

5KR/W

Lansing

(517) 482-1346

runningfoundation.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Moving Towards a Cure Brain Tumor 5K

5KR/W, 1MFR

Grand Rapids

(727) 781-4673

BrainTumorEvents.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Grass Lake Traffic Jam’In 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W

Grass Lake

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

5KR, 1MFR

sp, 10,000mR, heptathlon

michiganrunner.tv

www.swimfasttrifast.com

runwalkjog.com/portland/ (720) 352-3638 usatf.org usatf.org (989) 872-2084

race-mrm.com

Kalamazoo

(269) 369-6957

kalamazooarearunners.org

Royal Oak

(248) 616-9665

hansons-running.com

Shelby Twp

(248) 804-5382

stoneycreekrunningclub.org

downriverrunners.org

mintcity10miler.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

grasslakechamber.org

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Sat, 8/4/12

Rock the Bay 5K, 10K & 1 Mile

Sat, 8/4/12

USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day 3

6MR, 3MR, 1MR/W

St. Ignace Lisle, IL

(906) 643-8676

littlebeararena.com usatf.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Olympic Games - Triathlon - Day 1

women’s triathlon

London, England

london2012.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Cran-Hill Triathlon

1/4MS/ 7MB/ 2.5MR

Rodney

(866) 796-7669

cranhillranch.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Eagle Lake Triathlon

triathlons

Edwardsburg

(574) 293-1683

eaglelaketri.com

Sat, 8/4/12

Lifetime Fitness Kid’s Tri

triathlon

Rochester

(248) 267-6610

Sat, 8/4/12

Curtis Triathlon

Tri, 5KR

Curtis

sgarrod@hnjh.org

Sat, 8/4/12

Marquette Firefighters 5K Charity Run

5KR

Marquette

(248) 640-2352

Sun, 8/5/12

Eastpointe Lions Club Ox Roast Run

5R/1MFR/W

Eastpointe

(586) 393-6292

www.eplcoxrun.org

Sun, 8/5/12

Lansing Legislator Tri, Du, Sprint

triathlons, duathlon

Laingsburg

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sun, 8/5/12

Run Through the Hills

8KR, 5KR/W

Vassar

(989) 823-7574

elitefeetrunning.com

Sun, 8/5/12

Fired Up for Kids

13.1MR, 5KR/W, 1MR/W

Petoskey

(231) 330-1376

firedupforkids.com

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

Sun, 8/5/12

Trek Women Triathlon Series

tri: 1/4MS/ 12MB/ 3MR

Howell

Sun, 8/5/12

Tri to Finish Stony Creek Triathlon/Duathlon

tri: 1500mS/ 24.9MB/ 6.2MR

Shelby Township

tritofinish.com

Sun, 8/5/12

USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day 4

Lisle, IL

usatf.org

Sun, 8/5/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 3

100m, sc, hammer, 400m, tj, women’s marathon

Sun, 8/5/12

Spartan Sprint Triathlon

Tri: 750mS/ 20KB/ 5KR

Haslett

Mon, 8/6/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 4

400m, 400mh, sc, pv, sp

London, England

Tue, 8/7/12

Hanson Speed Session -Tuesdays

training

Sterling Heights

Tue, 8/7/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 5

1500mR, j, dt, 100mh,

London, England

london2012.com

Tue, 8/7/12

Olympic Games - Triathlon - Day 2

men’s triathlon

London, England

london2012.com

Wed, 8/8/12

Road Racing at Lake St. Clair Metro Beach

5KR

Harrison Twp

(248) 627-6619

Wed, 8/8/12

Red Carpet Run 5K

5KR,

West Bloomfield

(734) 929-9027

redcarpetrun.com

Wed, 8/8/12

Doozie’s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series

5MR, 3MR, 1MR

Mt. Pleasant

(989) 772-0323

edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Wed, 8/8/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 6

decathlon, 110mh, 200m, 400mh, lj

Thu, 8/9/12

Great Pizza Challenge

5KR/W, kids run

Flint

(810) 487-0954

riverbendstriders.com

Thu, 8/9/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 7

decathlon, 200m, 800m, tj, jt

London, England Comstock Park

London, England

london2012.com

(231) 715-1406

enduranceevolution.com london2012.com

(586) 323-9683

London, England

hansons-running.com

london2012.com london2012.com

Fri, 8/10/12

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail 200 Relay

200M relay - 36 legs

Fri, 8/10/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 8

4x400 relay, pv, 1500mR, 5000mR, 4x100m relay, ht London, England

Sat, 8/11/12

Crystal Lake Team Marathon

26.2 M Relay

Sat, 8/11/12

Kids Get Active Triathlon

tri: distances vary with age

Portage

Sat, 8/11/12

Run Thru Hell

10 MR, 4.8 MR

Pinckney

Sat, 8/11/12

National Blueberry Festival 5K

5KR

South Haven

Sat, 8/11/12

West Michigan Kids Triathlon

triathlon - varies by age

Fremont

(231) 924-2100

Sat, 8/11/12

Sylvania SuperKids Triathlon / Duathlon

varies by age group

Sylvania, OH

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Steve’s “Raider Stomp”

10KR, 5KR/W

Decatur

(269) 423-5081

www.stevesraiderstomp.org

Sat, 8/11/12

Tahqua Trail Run

25KR, 10KR, 2KR

Paradise

Sat, 8/11/12

Sanford and Sun Triathlon

Triathlons or Duathlon

Sanford

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sat, 8/11/12

West Michigan I Tri 4 Fun Triathlon

200 Meter S / 10 MB/ 5KR

Fremont

(231) 924-2100

westmichigantri.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Wood Duck Dash

10KR, 5KR/W

Brownstown

(734) 507-1789

www.woodduckdash.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Board of Water and Light Hometown Power 5K

5KR/W

Lansing

(517) 702-6185

runningfoundation.com

Beulah

michiganrunner.net

(231) 930-4222

fredmeijerwhitepinetrail200.com london2012.com

crystallakecommunitybusinessassoc.com (269) 978-2437

(734) 878-6640 (269) 639-2805

(715) 701-0360

spiritracing.us

runningfoundation.com shch.org

greatlakesendurance.com

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

Sat, 8/11/12

Millennium Triathlon

triathlon, kids tri

Grand Rapids

(616) 540-9071

millenniumtriathlon.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Saline’s Summerfest 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W

Saline

(724) 429-4494

salinechamber.org

Sat, 8/11/12

The Arc Stroll, Roll & 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W

Midland

(989) 631-4439

race-mrm.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Summer in the City 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Run

5KR,1MFR

Battle Creek

(269) 788-4498

summerinthecity5k.com

Sat, 8/11/12

Fragile X 5K Run & Walk

5KR/W

Clarkston

(248) 674-2147

fxam.org

Sat, 8/11/12

Cheeseburger 5K Run and Walk

5KR/W

Caseville

(989) 453-4478

scheurer.org

(734) 213-1033

Sat, 8/11/12

Heart of Detroit

10KR, 5KR, 1MFFR

Detroit

Sat, 8/11/12

Trojan Trail 5K Run

5KR

East Lansing

(517) 896-3180

champsforcharity.com trojantrail5k.org

Sat, 8/11/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 9

5000mR, 4x100m relay, jt, 800mR, 4x400m relay, hj, 50KraceW, 20KraceW

london2012.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Sylvania Triathlon/Duathlon

triathlons, duathlon

Sylvania, OH

(419) 829-2398

eliteendeavors.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Milford Memories Fun Run

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR

Milford

(248) 320-8167

milfordmemories.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Petoskey Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlons, duathlon

Petoskey

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Camino of St. James

8KR, 5KR

Mason

(517) 676-9111

caminostjames.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Kuparisaari Triathlon

triathlon

Lac La Belle

Sun, 8/12/12

Swim to the Moon

10KS, 5KS, 1.2MS, 1/2MS

Gregory

(734) 678-5045

epicraces.com

Sun, 8/12/12

Tri to Finish Holly Recreation Triathlon/ Duathlon tri: olympic, sprint; du

Holly

Sun, 8/12/12

Olympic Games - Athletics - Day 10

men’s marathon

London, England

Tue, 8/14/12

Riverside Park Co-Ed Relay

X-C relay, 4 alternating .5mile laps Grand Rapids

Tue, 8/14/12

Siren Chase 5K

kuparitri.com

tritofinish.com london2012.com (616) 884-0088

grandrapidsrunningclub.org

5KR/W

East Grand Rapids

(616) 855-1982

sirenchase.com

Wed, 8/15/12 T-Rex Tri & Kids’ Tri

Tri: 1/2MS/ 12.4 MB/ 5KR

Brighton

(734) 929-9027

runtrextri.com

Wed, 8/15/12

Tarahumara Trail Relay

3 person, 3 loops, 2.5 M

Mt. Pleasant

(989) 772-0323

edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Thu, 8/16/12 Fri, 8/17/12

Bauman’s Charity 5K Howell Melon Run

(810) 238-5981 (517) 546-0693

riverbendstriders.com howellrecreation.org

Sat, 8/18/12

Mitchell’s Run Through Rockford

(616) 863-9168

mitchellsrun.org

5KR/W, kids runs Flint 10KR, 5KR, 1MR/W, kids’ run, melon roll Howell 5KR/W, kids run

Rockford

Sat, 8/18/12

Three Rivers Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlons, duathlon

Three Rivers

(269) 278-2075

aquamantri.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Grand Woods 5K

5KR/W

Lansing

(517) 702-0226

runningfoundation.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Bath City Run

4MR, 2MW, kids run

Mount Clemens

(586) 469-4168 downtownmountclemens.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Petoskey Festival on the Bay Wellness Walk & Run

5KR/W, kids run

Petoskey

(231) 347-4150

Sat, 8/18/12

Churchill Classic

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MR

Cheboygan

(231) 627-7111

cnbismybank.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Somerset Stampede

13.1MR, 5KR/W

Somerset Center

(517) 914-3181

somerset-run.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Old Farts Marathon, 13.1 and 5K

26.2MR, 13.1MR, 5KR

Lowell

(616) 260-2669

fallsburghalf.8k.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Portland Riverfest Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Portland

Sat, 8/18/12

Stony Creek Relay

40 Mile Relay, 5 person teams

Shelby Township

(586) 822-3608

www.hansons-running.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Muddy Watters, Bump & Run Trail Series

4MR

Rochester Hills

(248) 320-5705

www.jeffwatters.com

Sat, 8/18/12

Orthopedic Associates Fun Run

10KR, 5KR, 1MFR/W

Port Huron

(810) 985-4900, x143

Sat, 8/18/12

Farmington Run for the Hills

10KR, 5KR/W, 1KFR, Teams Farmington

Sat, 8/18/12

Freeland Lamplighter 5K Run/Walk

5KR/W, kids runs

Freeland

Sat, 8/18/12

Happy Heart Run

5KR/W, 1MFR

Coldwater

Sat, 8/18/12

Tri at the Tavern

tri: sprint, mini sprint

Sat, 8/18/12

Kettunen Center 5K Trail Run/Walk

Sat, 8/18/12

Tri to Finish Charlevoix Triathlon / Duathlon

Sat, 8/18/12

(517) 647-7985

petoskeyfestival.com

portlandrunningclub.homestead.com

www.oaph.com

(248) 880-3852 farmingtonrunforthehills.com (989) 695-6584

signmeup.com/69764

Pinckney

(734) 678-5045

epicraces.com

5KR/W

Tustin

(231) 829-3421

kettunencenter.org

tri: 1500mS/ 24.9MB/ 6.2MR

Charlevoix

tritofinish.com

USA Masters Throws Championships - Day 1

jt, ht, dt, sp

Seattle, WA

usatf.org

Cruise in Shoes 5K

5KR/W, Kids Run

Royal Oak

cruiseinshoes.com

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

runningfoundation.com-

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Sat, 8/18/12

Mentor A Youth Circuit Run

5KR/W, 2MR, 1MR

Iron Mountain

(906)-789-0060

Sat, 8/18/12

Running for a Reason

5KR, kids run

Ishpeming

(906) 485-1719

bbbsbayarea.org

Sat, 8/18/12

White Run With a Splash of Rainbow

4KR

Douglas

Sat, 8/18/12

Run Some Mora

10KR, 5KR, 1MR

Ann Arbor

(734) 223-9162

Sun, 8/19/12

Running the Rails

10KR, 5KR/W

Ypsilanti

(937) 763-1089

runsignup.comSun,

8/19/12

Montrose Blueberry Festival

8KR/W, 5KR/W

Montrose

(810) 449-8340

blueberryrace.com

Sun, 8/19/12

Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathlon

triathlon

Benton Harbor

(773) 404-2372

steelheadtriathlon.com

Sun, 8/19/12

Ludington Lighthouse Triathlon & Duathlon

triathlon, duathlon

Ludington

(810) 714-5768

3disciplines.com

Sun, 8/19/12

Strides for Health

5KR/W

Allegan

(269) 673-5431, ext. 3003

Sun, 8/19/12

Battle of Waterloo

10 stage adventure triathlon

Grass Lake

(734) 678-5045

epicraces.com

Sun, 8/19/12

Traverse City Triathlon

triathlons

Traverse City

(231) 715-1406

enduranceevolution.com

Sun, 8/19/12

Island Lake Triathlon - Summer

triathlons

Brighton

(734) 845-7559

elementevents.com

Sun, 8/19/12

USA Masters Throws Championships - Day 2

jt, ht, dt, sp

Seattle, WA

Sun, 8/19/12

Total Health Fitness Challenge 3 Mile

3M adventure

Lansing

(517) 321-8568

Wed, 8/22/12

Road Racing at Lake St. Clair Metro Beach

2MR

Harrison Twp

(248) 627-6619

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MR, kids run

Quincy

(517) 283-1726

qtown5k.com

Flint

(810) 235.3396

crim.org

(616) 283-6441 facebook.com/events/307629075998417/

aghosp.org

usatf.org

Fri, 8/24/12

Q-Town 5K & 10K

Sat, 8/25/12

Crim Festival of Races

10 MR/W, 8KR/W, 5KR/W, 1 MR/W, kids

Sat, 8/25/12

Hastings Summerfest Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Hastings

(269) 945-1212, x 1475

Sat, 8/25/12

North Country Trail Run

50MR, 26.2MR, 13.1 MR

Wellston

northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com

Sat, 8/25/12

Run Thru the Fair 5K / Run for the Rolls 1 Mile

1MR/W

Chelsea

(734) 475-0843

runforthe rolls.com

Sat, 8/25/12

Brainy Day 5K

5KR/W

Nunica

(616) 837-6242

www.STARS-kids.org

Sat, 8/25/12

Lawton Euro-Trail 5K Challenge

5KR

Lawton

(269) 624-6643

www.lawtoncs.org

Sat, 8/25/12

Promice Race 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Laingsburg

(517) 582-1112

active.com

Sat, 8/25/12

Girl’s Best Friend Triathlon

triathlons or duathlon

Vicksburg

(231) 546-2229

3disciplines.com

Sat, 8/25/12

Causeway Bay Hotel and Convention Center 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Lansing

(517) 694-8123

runningfoundation.com

Sat, 8/25/12

USA 10 km Trail Championships

10KR

Laurel Springs, NC

Sat, 8/25/12

Tator Trot Summer Series Race Three

5KR/W, kids run

Edmore

signmeup.com

usatf.org (989) 427-4348

Sat, 8/25/12

Traffic Stop 5K

5KR/W

Grand Rapids

(616) 826-5397

www.traffickstop5k.com

Sat, 8/25/12

ARMC Aliferis NEST Marathon

26.2MR, team relay

Alpena

(989) 354-7314

thunderbaytrails.org

Sat, 8/25/12 Playmakers Classic Triathlon somerset12_twelfth 4/9/12 2:54 PM Page 1

tri:S/ 13MB/ 4MB Holt (517) 349.3803 sixth horizontal template_sixth horizontal 6/14/12 12:55 PM Page 1

playmakersclassictri.com

The Brooksie Way Fitness Expo Friday, September 28 & Saturday, September 29 Oakland University Recreation Center

Now accepting vendor registration Half Marathon Ȉ 5k Race Ȉ 1 Mile

Sunday, September 30 | Oakland University | Rochester, Michigan

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012 take the road less traveled... somerset-run.com

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

July - August 2012 Event Calendar Sat, 8/25/12

Run and Play for Ariana Mae

5KR/W, kids run

Grand Ledge

(517) 242-1327

Sat, 8/25/12

Child & Family SVC of SWMI 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Stevensville

(269) 925-1725

Sun, 8/26/12

Autumn Colors Triathlon and Duathlon

triathlons

Holly

(231) 546-2229

arianasrun.com 3disciplines.com

Sun, 8/26/12

Hansons Group Run

training

Lake Orion

(248) 616-9665

hansons-running.com

Sun, 8/26/12

Summer’s End Trail Run

5KR, 1.5M kids’ run, 1.5MW

Saginaw

(989) 513-5195

barc-mi.com

Sun, 8/26/12

Joseph Caimi Memorial 5K Trail Run/Walk

5KR/W

Goodells

(810) 364-5477

.sccresa.org

Sun, 8/26/12

MI IRON

Tri: iron, 3/4 Iron

Grand Rapids

(616) 437-3199

michiganiron.com

Sun, 8/26/12

Tri Goddess Triathlon

Tri: half-iron, olympic

Grass Lake

(734) 678-5045

epicraces.com

Sun, 8/26/12

Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series

Milford

(818) 707-8866

downanddirtymudrun.com

10KR/W, 5KR/W

Tue, 8/28/12

Johnson Park Cross Country 5K

5KR

Grandville

Thu, 8/30/12

Michigan Peach Festival 5 & 10K Run

10KR, 5KR

Romeo

(616) 538-2367 (586) 752-6115

grandrapidsrunningclub.org peachfestromeo.com

Featured Future Events Sat, 9/1/12

Labor Day 30K

30K, 10K, kids run, 30KB Milford

(248) 685-7580 laborday30k.com

Sat, 9/1/12

Run Like The Wind

10KR, 5KR/W

Westland

(517) 702-0226 runningfoundation.com

Sun, 9/2/12

Running Waters 5K

5KR/W, kids run

Gaylord

(989) 732-4038

Fri, 9/7/12

Run Woodstock - Day 1

100MR, 100KR

Pinckney

Fri, 9/7/12

Mt. Baldhead Little Feet, Big Feat

kids run

Douglas,

(616) 990-2371

mtbaldheadchallenge.com

Sat, 9/8/12

Mt. Baldhead Challenge

15KR, 5KR/W

Douglas

(616) 990-2371

mtbaldheadchallenge.com

Sat, 9/8/12

Run Woodstock - Day 2

50M, 50K, 26.2, 13.1, 5MR Pinckney

(734) 929-9027 runwoodstock.com

Fri, 9/14/12

Spartan Invitational

college and high school x-c

East Lansing

Sat, 9/15/12

Kensington Challenge

15KR, 5KR/W

Milford

(248) 685-0043 www.aatrackclub.org

Sat, 9/15/12

Grosse Pointe Run

10KR, 5KR/W

Grosse Pte Farms (800) 299-5007 active.com

Sun, 9/16/12

Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo

10KR, 5KR, FW

Royal Oak

Sat, 9/22/12

Dances with Dirt - Hell

50MR, 50KR, 100 K Relay Pinckney

(734) 929-9027 danceswithdirt.com

Sat, 9/22/12

Park 2 Park Half Marathon and 5K

13.1MR, 5KR

(616) 399-9190 park2parkrace.com

Sat, 9/22/12

Sault Area Chamber Chase

26.2MR, 13.1MR, 10KR Sault Ste. Marie, MI (906) 632-3301 saultstemarie.org

Sat, 9/22/12

Fight for Air Run/Walk

5KR/W, 1MW

Sat, 9/29/12

Helluva Run 2012

5KR/W

Pinckney

(734) 730-7053 .runningfoundation.com

Sun, 9/30/12

Playmakers Autumn Classic 8K

8KR/W, 1MFR, 1/2 M FR

Haslett

(517) 349.3803 playmakers.com

Sun, 9/30/12

Brooksie Way Half Marathon

13.1MR, 5KR/W

Rochester Hills (810) 235-3397 thebrooksieway.com

Sat, 9/29/12

Run Vasa

25KR, 10KR, 5KR

Williamsburg (231) 932-5401 runvasa.com

Sat, 10/6/12

Red October Run

10KR, 5KR/W, kid’s run

Wayne

Sat, 10/6/12

Fall Colors Bridge Race

5.4MR/W

Mackinaw City (231) 436-5664 mackinawcity.com

Sat, 10/6/12

Bruckelaufe

13.1MR, 5KR

Frankenmuth (800) 386-8696 www.bruckelaufe.org

Sun, 10/7/12

Fall Fest Frolic

10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR

New Boston

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

michiganrunner.tv

(734) 929-9027 runwoodstock.com

Holland Detroit

(517) 432-5510

(248) 336-5735 detroitzoo.org/runwild/

(248) 784-2000 FightForAirDetroit.org

(313) 586-5486 oakwood.org/redoctoberrun/

(734) 282-1101 everalracemgt.com

Featured Future Events Sun, 10/7/12

Betsie Valley Run

13.1MR, 10K, 5K, kids run Thompsonville (231) 378-2000 betsievalleyrun.com

Sun, 10/14/12 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 26.2, 13.1, 5K

Toronto, ON

torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

Sun, 10/14/12 Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis

5KR/W, 1/4M kids run

Portage

(248) 649-2891

Sun, 10/14/12 Wild Life Marathon

26.2, 13.1, 5K, kids run

Concord

(517) 392-8250 wildlifemarathon.org

Sat, 10/27/12

Headless Horseman 5K

10KR, 5KR

Howell

(517) 546-0693 howellrecreation.org

Sat, 11/10/12

Walt Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

Lake Buena Vista, FL

disneywinedinerun.com

Sun, 11/11/12 Roseville Big Bird Run

10KR, 1MR/W, 4KR

Sat, 11/17/12

10KR, 5KR, 1/4M kids run Bloomfield Hills (248) 269-2895

Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis

Roseville

arthritis.org

(586) 445-5480 roseville-mi.gov arthritis.org

Thu, 11/22/12 5/3 Bank Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run

Detroit

(313) 247-4149 detroitturkeytrot.org

Thu, 11/22/12 Smoke the Turkey 5K

5KR

Sylvania, OH

(419) 841-5597 eliteendeavors.com

Sat, 12/1/12

Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis

5KRW, 1/4M kids run

Northville

(248) 269-2895 arthritis.org

Sat, 12/1/12

Holiday Hustle

5KR, 1MR

Dexter

(734) 929-9027 www.runholiday5k.com

Sat, 12/8/12

Run Like The Dickens

10K, 5K, Tiny Tim Trot

Holly

(248) 328-3200 runlikethedickens.com

Detroit

(313) 886-5560 belleislefunrun.com/

Mon, 12/31/12 5/3 New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve Family Fun R/W 5KR/W, 1MR/W half page horizontal template_half page horizontal 6/14/12 12:53 PM Page 1

Sunday, Sunday, September 16, 2012 at the Detroit Zoo

5K, 10K and Fun Walk Walk Register at www www.detroitzoo.org/runwild .detroitzoo.org/runwild Registration includes a Run Wild Wild T-shirt, T-shirt, admission to the Detroit Zoo for the day, day, plus food, beverages and entertainment at the Post-Race Party. Party. Supported by:

Proceeds benefit the Detroit Zoological Society and veterinary care for the animals.

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

By Tom Henderson

elle Isle, the beautiful park in the middle of the Detroit River, is one of my favorite places to run. The first time I saw a road race was on the island, about 1976 or so, I was playing shortstop for the Detroit Free Press softball team. We were in a tournament one Saturday morning on the island when, suddenly, to my surprise, a bunch of Tom Henderson skinny folks went running past the ball field, with numbers affixed to their chests. “Weird thing to do on a nice summer morning,” I thought. Next time I saw a race on the island, I was in it. It was 1981 and I was in my very first race, running for the very first time with other people, in the Free Press Marathon. I’d had a weird couple years. Quit my job as a sportswriter in 1979 to get over a divorce, got hooked on beer and cocaine and late nights in the Anchor Bar in

downtown Detroit, spent all my money, needed to show folks I was off drugs before they’d hire me and decided to run a marathon by way of proving I was clean.

the Chauncey Longwhite 10-miler. Probably 20 New Year’s Eve runs. Runs for Shelter and runs for this, that and the other.

Having run out of money, I’d started cutting lawns for a lawn service company owned by a buddy of mine from high school. Ten hours a day, $5 an hour under the table. Would come home dead tired, look at the training chart taped to the fridge, then head out for however many miles was called for.

In the 1980s and 1990s, when my running buddies and I were hardcore, we’d meet on the island every Thursday night for some serious workouts, followed by serious beer drinking. For three or four years in the early 2000s, I coached the marathon fund-raising team for the American Diabetes Association. Part of the deal was, those newbies would agree to raise a certain amount of money and they’d get a trip to some great destination marathon and coaching advice and running partners as they trained.

Pushing a mower for 10 hours a day and running after got me in great shape, and I ended up running a 3:28 at that Freep. But what a gruesome, sadistic finish. The race ended at the casino at the western end of the island, with music blaring and people screaming, but before it was music for you or screaming for you, you had to go past the casino, loop back, run past it a second time, then do a long second loop that finally got you to the end. Thank God Ed Kozloff listened to reason and eventually let us in later years finish at the casino the first time we saw it, not the third. Over the years, I’ve run too many races on the island to remember — long defunct but legendary runs like the 10K Dietetic run, the Sibley Shoes 10K and

third square template_third square 8/11/11 10:21 AM Page 1

We’d do group runs on Sunday at a metro park, and a group run every Thursday night at Belle Isle. Getting what was always a suburban crowd to agree to meet at a metro park was easy. Getting them to drive into the city and onto the island wasn’t an easy sell at first. They pictured mayhem, raping and pillaging. They didn’t picture finding themselves in a gorgeous wooded setting surrounded by the deep blue water of the Detroit River. Invariably, the suburbanites would become huge fans of Belle Isle. I work downtown now for Crain’s Detroit Business, a weekly publication. When we hire a reporter or editor, first thing I find out is if he or she is a runner. If they are, I take them to Belle Isle for a lunch-hour run, part of my proselytizing for the island. Usually they’re here for a good media job, but fearful of the city, and the island is a revelation to them. Jack Riley is vice president of marketing for Fifth Third Bank in Michigan. I cover banking at Crain’s. Six years ago or so we had a lunch to introduce ourselves to each other and found out we were both runners. He said he wanted to expand his bank’s support of the running community, had just started sponsoring the Turkey Trot and was looking for other races. Did I have any suggestions? Did I! I raved about Belle Isle and the New Year’s Eve run and put him in contact with race director Jeannie Bocci. Jack loved her and the event and the bank has been a sponsor ever since. A few years ago, Jack and I were chatting after the New Year’s Eve race. He told me how much he loved the island. I asked him if he’d ever run out there in the summer. Nope, he hadn’t. “Jack, next summer, I’m gonna get you out here for a lunch-time run, and not only am I gonna get you here for a run, we’re gonna jump in the river when we’re done.” The look on his face was priceless. Swim in a big city river? In Detroit? Was I crazy?

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

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The following June, on a sweltering day, Jack met me and one of my colleagues, a transplant from St. Louis I’d got into running on the island, for a four-mile run. Near the end, we stopped at a secret little beach you can’t see from the perimeter road, past the lighthouse at the eastern end of the island, and went for a swim. Earlier, I’d bought two bottles of Evian bottled water. I emptied one of them and refilled it with Detroit River water. I then had Jack hold up both bottles. Nate took a photo. You can’t tell in the photo which was Evian water, which was Detroit water. If you held both bottles right up to your eyeballs, you couldn’t tell which was which, such was the clarity of what was flowing past us. Two or three days a week, my lab mix, Maddie, and I run on the island on my lunch hour. Spring, summer and fall, she goes for a swim, too. Summers I join her. This May, I was pumped up about the return of the Grand Prix auto race to Belle Isle after an absence of three years. Not pumped up for that race, actually, but for the 5K run the Downtown Runners were putting on as a fund-raiser for charity the Tuesday night beforehand. The coolest part? The run would be entirely on the Grand Prix course. So I got off work early, drove to the island, changed into my gear, grabbed a check and headed to the registration table, Maddie delirious as she always is at the site of runners in bib numbers, which tells her that her favorite thing in the world, racing, is at hand. “I’m sorry,” said one volunteer. “You can’t run on the course with your dog.” The volunteer was a friend from the Downtown Runners. I politely expressed my disappointment and turned to leave. A woman stopped me, someone connected to the auto race, not the running club. “Wait. We can get someone to be a dog-sitter for you while you run.” There were actually a fair number of dogs near us. None there to run, apparently, but being held by volunteers or spectators. So it was all right to have dogs here? Yep. It wasn’t an insurance issue? Nope. You’ll trust my dog, whom you don’t know, to be held by a stranger? Yep. “So if she can stand here or walk here, why can’t she stand or run on the course?”

So I put my check back into my checkbook, drove to the eastern end of the island and went for a run and a swim. I was happy to pay to run a place I run for free all the time. Good event. Good cause. Oh, well. ~~

ollowing a theme from past columns, here’s another thing I don’t get: Why there’s such a homogenization of race distances these days. For more than 30 years, the New Year’s Eve run on Belle Isle was a four-miler. I never heard a single complaint about it being too long. This year, it went to 5K. Just what the world needed, one more 5K. For years, the Corktown race the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day offered a four-mile run and a 2.5-mile walk. No more. Four miles too much for you? Relax, you only have to do 5K now. I used to love going over to Windsor for the races put on by WRACE, the Walkers and Runners Around the County of Essex. They took a special pride in offering unique race distances. The put on 4Ks, 6Ks, 7Ks, 9Ks. When I started racing in 1981, the 10K distance was ubiquitous, with the occasional 8K or 5-miler. Trying to get more entrants, race directors started going more and more to the 5K. Fine, I understand that. I love broadening the sport’s appeal. But every race? Even the classics that have been around for decades and carved out a loyal niche despite not being 3.1 miles? I don’t get it. ~~

know, I’m belaboring the issue, I’ve written about it before, I sound like the typical geezer bemoaning the good ol’ days and so forth, but I can’t help myself. What’s happened to running fast? When did it disappear, and why? The Saturday before Memorial Day was a perfect day for a 10K, cool and overcast, and the Bayshore course in Traverse City was the perfect course for running fast — not quite flat as a pancake but close enough.

“We spent a lot of money getting the course in shape, and we can’t take a chance on your dog causing any damage,” she said.

Of the 109 women in the 20-24 age group, none broke 40 minutes; of the 172 in 25-29, zilch again; same for the 210 in 30-34, the 197 in 35-39 and the 143 in 40-44. No sub-40-minute runners of the 832 in those age groups.

The course was a blacktop road surrounded by chain-link fencing atop concrete carriers. Built to hold in and withstand collisions by cars going 200 mph. And they were worried my 70-pound dog would ruin the course?

Of the 94 men aged 30-34, two broke 40. None of the 95 men 35-39 could manage it, and just two of 84 in 40-44. Things got a bit better as the groupings got older. Four of 55 in 45-49 broke 40, and four of 60 in 50-54 managed it.

“Thanks for the offer, but running races is my dog’s favorite thing in the world. I can’t go running off without her.”

Forty is the new 36. Twenty years ago, 36 minutes was the time that used to separate the elite in the 10K from the merely good. Forty seems to be the magic number, now.

michiganrunner.net

Michigan Runner - July / August 2012

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