Michigan Running News, February 17, 2011

Volume 10, Number 22

Photo © Victah Sailer / photorun.net

February 17, 2011

Luke Humphrey runs in the lead pack at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon on his was to a 1:03:57 PB, 2nd place, in New Orleans.

In This Issue: __/

Quote of the Week

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Playmakers Celebrates Customer Appreciation Week, Feb. 20-27

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Michigan Runner Magazine, March / April 2011 - Online Now

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Michigan Runner Race Series 2011

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Michigan Runner Race Series Points

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RunPro.com: a Web Site for Distance Runners

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Ticket Packages 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field

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Running Network's Mr. Ubiquitous - TRAVERSE CITY & CLARKSTON

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Great Performances - Road Racing

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Race Calendar - February - March 2011

To subscribe, please visit http://lyris.dundee.net/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=michiganrunningnews Michigan Runner magazine Editor: Scott Sullivan Michigan Running News Editor: Jennie McCafferty

=============== Quote of the Week =============== "When I'm not running, I don't write as well."

-- Joyce Carol Oates, USA Today interview, Feb. 15, 2011, p. 2D. Award-winning novelist and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates runs 2 miles a day. =================================================== Playmakers Celebrates Customer Appreciation Week, Feb. 20-27 =================================================== Playmakers is celebrating 30 years in business and winning Running Specialty Store of the Year with Customer Appreciation Week. Each day has special events and deals are to be had throughout the week.

Monday, Feb. 21 Kick-off 5K Run, 8:30 am, sponsored by Merrell, Free Tuesday, Feb. 21 Lole Yoga Day, free yoga sessions 7:00 am and 8:30 pm Wed., Feb. 23 Saucony "MBC" Day, free bootcamp, 7:00 am Saucony Beer 4 Mile R/W, 6:00 pm Thurs., Feb. 24 Brooks "Night Life Day" Dan Langdon/ Brooks 5K, Hawk Hollow GC, 6:30 pm Friday, Feb. 25 New Balance Minimalist Day New Balance, Old Town 5K, 6 pm, Old Town Grande Cafe Saturday, Feb. 26 Keen "Children's Day" Impression 5's Grossology display, 11am-2:00pm Potters Park petting zoo, 11am-2pm All week: Additional 20% off all sale apparel, drawings, and deals All the details: http://playmakers.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=595 ================================================== Michigan Runner Magazine, March / April 2011 - Online Now ================================================== Great issue: Annual Event Calendar Races and triathlons from March to December to help you plan your season.

Running Network's Spring Shoe Review.

Cregg Weinmann reviews updates to old favorites along with introductions to some new ones. All shoes are wear-tested. So many shoes, so little space: Cregg's house has a new addition to accommodate all the shoes he keeps track of for reviews.

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Terrific columns by Editor Scott Sullivan Tom Henderson Scott Hubbard Rachel Steil Daniel Kelsey Paul Aufdemberge Race Reports: Chevron Houston Marathon & USA Half Marathon Championships Fifth Third Bank New Year's Eve Family Fun Run and Walk Super 5K Flint's Santa Run Run Like the Dickens Now online: http://issuu.com/michiganrunner/docs/mr0311 ============================ Michigan Runner Race Series 2011 ============================ St. Patrick's Day Races 8K, Bay City - March 20 Striders Saturday Classic, 10 Mile, Grandville - April 23 Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, Grand Rapids - May 14 Alma Highland Festival 8 Mile, Alma - May 28 Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon, Ann Arbor - June 5 Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K, Cutlerville/Grand Rapids - June 11 National Cherry Festival 15K, Traverse City - July 9 Steve's Run 10K, Dowagiac - July 30 Crim Festival of Races 10 Mile, Flint - August 27 Labor Day 30K, Milford - September 4 Mackinac Island 8 Mile Road Race, Mackinac Island - September 10 Detroit Free Press/ Flagstar Marathon, Detroit - October 16 ============================= Michigan Runner Race Series Points ============================= All races except Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, Crim 10 Mile and Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon: Open Men and Women 1st = 30 2nd = 20 3rd = 10 Masters Men and Women 1st = 15 2nd = 10 3rd = 5

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Senior Men and Women 1st = 3 2nd = 2 3rd = 1 Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, Crim 10 Mile and Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon: Open Men and Women 1st = 50 2nd = 25 3rd = 15 Masters Men and Women 1st = 30 2nd = 15 3rd = 10 Senior Men and Women 1st = 6 2nd = 4 3rd = 2 Open - all age groups Masters - 40+ Senior - 50+ - age-graded Ten best finishes count for Michigan Runner of the Year.

Points count for the top ten of the twelve events in the series.

If someone runs eleven events, the event with the fewest points earned is dropped. ===================================== RunPro.com: a Web Site for Distance Runners ===================================== INDIANAPOLIS - A new web site at http://www.RunPro.com has been launched to assist promising distance runners make the transition from collegiate to professional athletes. The site was created and developed by Team USA Minnesota with the support of a 2010 Excellence Challenge Grant from USA Track & Field.

Work on the site began last fall with design and content put together by Team USA Minnesota athletes and board members. A companion four-day camp for selected recent graduates will be held in Minneapolis in the summer of 2011.

"Our intent is to provide promising collegiate distance runners with a comprehensive overview of what it takes and what is involved in becoming a professional runner," said Pat Goodwin, president and founder of Team USA Minnesota, a distance training center created in 2001 and based in the Twin Cities.

"If we can attract more talented runners to the sport - from the 800 meters up through the marathon the U.S. will continue its re-emergence toward competitive excellence in long distance running both nationally and internationally."

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Sections on the site include information about training centers, representation (agents), competitions (track, cross country and the roads), the camp, financial and health support, anti-doping, and USATF, among other topics. There will also be frequent interviews posted with runners and others in the distance running field, as well as news and announcements.

The target audience for the web site and camp is collegiate distance runners, coaches and parents/families with secondary audiences of training centers, current athletes, future runners (high school), elite recruiters, agents and anyone else interested in the sport of distance running.

-- USATF News Releasse Web: http://runpro.com/ ======================================================================== Ticket Packages on Sale May 6, 2011 for 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field ======================================================================== I can promise a fabulous vacation: combine the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field with side trips to Mt. St. Helens and the Oregon coast. Eugene, Oregon has scenic trails for runners and plenty of movies, shopping, art galleries and other things for families.

"Eugene, Ore. – (Feb. 14, 2011) –– Preparations are well underway in Track Town, USA for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field. This awe-inspiring event is expected to sell-out, so there are important dates for track fans across the nation to mark on their calendars.

The meet – which is being marketed as “TrackTown12” – will be hosted by the Oregon Track Club at Historic Hayward Field June 22 to July 1, 2012, in Eugene, Ore. All-session ticket packages for the eight-day competition will be available for general public purchase beginning May 6, 2011.

Hayward Field is the perfect venue for selecting Team USA and showcasing America’s best athletes as they prepare for outstanding performances at the London Olympic Games,” said Vin Lananna, co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee and Associate Athletic Director at the University of Oregon. “We are excited to welcome fans from across the country to Track Town, USA and invite everyone to join us in a celebration of the world’s #1 track and field team.”

According to Lananna, the community is hard at work to ensure that TrackTown12 is the best track and field event ever. He expects it to surpass Eugene08 – which not only drew faithful fans from as across the nation, but also set the bar for green sporting events by winning the IOC's first-ever Sport and Environment Award. A ticket to Eugene08 was a hot commodity, and all-session packages sold out several months in advance. Tickets to TrackTown12 are also expected to sell quickly and a limited number of individual-day tickets will go on sale in April of 2012.

Track Town Plaza, a festival just outside of the stadium, will once again be hosted by Portland-based sports marketing company SportsOne. It will feature entertainment, athlete appearances, a multitude of partner tents, Nike merchandise, concessions, and the ever-popular Starting Block—an interactive track and field-oriented youth zone. Inside Historic Hayward Field, the members of Team USA will be selected in eight days of exhilarating competition.

So put May 6 on your calendar and visit http://tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com/ for further information and regular updates.

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Photo courtesy of Gary Morgan

============================================================================ Running Network's Mr. Ubiquitous - TRAVERSE CITY (Feb 12); CLARKSTON (Feb. 13, 2011) The Vasa and Independence Oaks Park ============================================================================ Mr. Ubiquitous, aka Gary Morgan, reports: "Friday morning I get up and wax my cross country skis as I was getting ready for the Vasa ski race. It took me a couple of hours to wax them since it had been a long time since I did it. Once I started I remembered how it was done and it was fun to do it and to see how smooth the skis get with wax on them. That's what makes them fast as they glide over the snow.

Friday evening I attended a Thank-you dinner hosted by Jack Riley, Fifth Third Bank Marketing Director, and Doug Kurtis, Fifth Third Turkey Trot Race Director. The dinner at the Tapestry Restaurant in Southfield was for all the captains who put in a lot of hours to make the Turkey Trot the great event it has become. Doug and Jack are hands-on people. On Thanksgiving morning at 5 am, Doug and I were trying to put up inflatable props for the race in a fierce rainstorm. I saw Jack working on something else out there also. Jack and Doug love Gary Morgan is ready for the Vasa trails. that race and all the volunteers who help to make it special.

Saturday Morning I got up at 4 am to do the North I-75 drive to Traverse City for the North American Vasa cross country ski race. This was the 35th edition of this race. Twice the race was cancelled because of the lack of snow so it really is the 33rd time they have held this race. The Vasa is a Traverse City tradition as is any long-standing event. The community loves it and skiers from around the USA and the world have come to this race.

When I get to the West Branch area, I drive into a blizzard-white-out snow storm. The next 45 miles took over an hour to drive. I was thinking I may not make the race. The snow storm cleared up by Grayling and it was clear sailing after that. I pull into the Timber Ridge lodge at 8:35 and the race started at 9. I take my skis, poles, and boots to the lodge and quickly register for the 50k event knowing I was sticking my neck out after doing a long race last weekend. Coming back with another one in seven days is a stretch.

I throw everything in my drop bag and drop it off, then put on the skis and get to the start line; two minutes later the gun goes off for my wave to start. Luckily my wave 4 didn't start until 9:12. All the skiers take off as I'm just trying to get going. I'm behind everyone for a while. I catchup with some skiers so I have someone to hang with. Then skiers from other distances catch up and pass me as I try to hang on to them. Same as last week the scenery in Northern Michigan is awesome with freshly fallen snow. The Vasa trail is a masterpiece winding through the forest. Lot's of hills, but the trail has soft snow on it so it's not as fast as last weeks race and a lot harder to make time on it. I felt good for 18k then I started to get tired and at 22k I was cooked. My hip flexers were shot and I couldn't lift my legs any more to ski. When I get tired on skis I call it the hike-skate technique. That's what I did for the next 5k and called it a day at 27k. That was the turnoff point to finish the shorter race of 27k or ski for 50k.

There was another separate loop for the 50k skiers. Like half marathon cutoffs, the marathon route can get to be a long day when things aren't going right and that's when you can call it a day early.

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Photo by Gary Morgan

I headed back to my car and rested for about an hour and my body recovered a little. I got my camera out and videotaped the kids race, which was a 1k loop for kids 12 and under. Then I was watching the skiers who were coming in after 4 hours, which is where I would have finished if my legs hadn't died. It was great filming them come in with smiles on their faces after a grueling long race. The after-race food was fantastic: homemade chicken noodle and tomato basil soup, plus granola bars and fruit. It was a fantastic day for the race as it was around 20 degrees at the start and 32 degrees and sunny by 1pm.

Went to the awards ceremony at Grand Traverse Resort. It was great to see local Michigan men and women skiers win the 27k and 50k races. Newspaper articles on past races were up so people could see all the different things that have happened over the years at this race. Then they gave special awards to key volunteers who have helped make this race a tradition in Traverse City. I'm so glad I came back and ski these races after an 8 year absence from cross country skiing. Skiing through the forest really makes you appreciate nature and how beautiful Northern Michigan really is, especially in the winter. A few more races are left and some are in the Upper Peninsula before the ski season ends around March 20th or when the snow disappears. If you want to try something unique and fun, go skiing, cross country style.

I get back home in Clarkston Sunday morning and a friend calls me and wants to go cross country skiing. I told her lets meet out at Independence Oaks Oakland Country park which is north of Clarkston. This is probley the best cross country ski place in southeast Michigan. There are close to 15 miles of trails groomed for skate and classic technique. It's where I do all my skiing when I'm home (which isn't often). My friend rented some skis there and skied 10k around the park. There's lots of snow up this way even when there's not much around the rest of metro Detroit. If you don't want to drive up north you can come to Independence Oaks and go skiing. This is also a fantastic park to run in and running races are held here during the summer.

Since that wasn't enough we went over to Indian Springs Metro Park in White Lake Township, about 10 miles from Independence Oaks. We ran-walked the 8 mile bike hike trail through the park.

This is a super place to run and walk. It's marked every kilometer and mile. I racewalked thousands of miles on that trail. It's plowed all winter long; it's useable every day of the year. I love that park; as you see, I'm a park nut. The trail starts and ends on top of a hill so you can see the sunsets every evening.

I've traveled all over the world and nowhere else has more places to do all outdoor sports at maintained parks than Michigan. We truly are blessed with such diversity of parklands and I believe these parks are why we continue to have such great athletes in this state.

Keep on enjoying all that Michigan has to offer.

Gary Morgan" ============================ Great Performances - Road Racing ============================ -- Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon, Sunday, Feb. 13 2nd) Luke Humphrey, 1:03:57 PB $500 (Marathon Trials Qualifying time) 3rd) Tim Young, 1:04:21 $250 (Marathon Trials Qualifying time) F E B R U A R Y 17, 2 0 1 1 - M I C H I G A N R U N N I N G

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5th) Sage Canaday, 1:04:32 PB (Marathon Trials Qualifying time) 2nd) Molly Pritz, 1:11:05 PB $500 (Marathon Trials Qualifying time) 4th) Melissa White, 1:13:53 (Marathon Trials Qualifying time) ================================ Race Calendar - February - March 2011 ================================ Friday, February 18, 2011

* Great Lakes Indoor Series, Mt. Pleasant, 5:00 pm, Central Michigan University, track & field meet, http://freewebs.com/greatlakesindoorseries * Michigan Indoor Track Series, Warren, 4:30 pm, Macomb Community College, hs track & field, http://mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp Saturday, February 19, 2011

* Michigan Indoor Track Series, Allendale, 10:30 am, Grand Valley State University, hs track & field, http://mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp * Michigan Indoor Track Series, Saginaw, Saginaw Valley State University, hs track & field, http://mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp Sunday, February 20, 2011

* Tahquamenon Snowshoe Race, Paradise, Upper Tahquamenon Falls, 20K, 10K, 5K, kids snowshoe, http://greatlakesendurance.com Friday, February 25, 2011

* Mid American Conference Indoor Championships, Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green University, track & field meet, http://mac-sports.com Saturday, February 26, 2011

* Big Ten Indoor Championships - Men, Champaign, IL, University of Illinois, track & field meet, http://bigten.cstv.com * Big Ten Indoor Championships - Women, West Lafayette, IN, Purdue University, track & field meet, http://bigten.cstv.com * Michigan Indoor Track Series - State Championship, Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University, hs track & field, http://mitstrack.org/Schedule.asp * USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Albuquerque, NM, track & field meet http://www.usatf.org/calendars/ Sunday, February 27, 2011

* Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, Lake Buena Vista, FL, 6:00 am, Walt Disney World Epcot Center, 13.1MR, 5KR, kids runs, http://rundisney.com Friday, March 11, 2011 - Saturday, March 12, 2011

* NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, College Station, TX, Texas A & M, http://ncaasports.com/track-and-field/schedules * NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, Albuquerque, NM, Albuquerque Convention Center, http://ncaasports.com/track-and-field/schedules

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

* Shillelagh Four Mile, Flushing, Noon, Early Childhood Center, 409 Chamberlain St., 4 MR/W, kids run http://riverbendstriders.com Sunday, March 13, 2011

* Shamrocks and Shenanigans, Ann Arbor, 10:45 am, Conor O'Neill's, downtown Ann Arbor, 5KR/W, kids’ run http://runshamrocks.com * St. Patrick's Parade Corktown Race, Detroit, 12:00 pm, Train Station at Michigan Ave. & Vernor, 5KR/W http://www.corktownrace.com/ Thursday, March 17, 2011

* St. Patrick's Day Pot O'Gold Shuffle, Flint, 5:30 pm, Masonic Temple, 755 South Saginaw, 4 MR/W, kids run, Curtis Thompson, (810) 233-8851, http://thecompleterunner.com Sunday, March 20, 2011

* St. Patrick's Day Races, Bay City, 12:00 pm, Downtown Bay City, 8KR, 5KR/W, Ann Gasta, (989) 415-5593, stpatsinfo@gmail.com, http://barc-mi.com * USATF Michigan Open/ Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships, Ypsilanti, 11:00 am tentative, Eastern Michigan University Bowen Fieldhouse, 5000m race walk, 3000m, 60m hurdles, 60m, 800m, 200m, mile run, 400m http://michigan.usatf.org Saturday, March 26, 2011

* Bill Roney Memorial 5K, Utica, 10:00 am, Flickinger Elementary School, 5KR, 1M kids run, http://hansons-running.com ******* Calendar entries are a value-added service for Michigan Runner clients. Please contact Art McCafferty (artmccaf@sbcglobal.net) if you're interested.

--------------------------------------------------------*Michigan Running News is published weekly. Please feel free to pass this email on to anyone you think might be interested. * To reply, please send email to jennie@glsp.com. * To unsubscribe, please send email to leave-23206900-64315194G@lyris.dundee.net Jennie McCafferty, Online Editor, Michigan Runner Michigan Runner Archives: Michigan Running News - http://michiganrunner.net/news/ Michigan Runner Magazine - http://michiganrunner.com/#pastissues Michigan Runner Television - http://michiganrunner.tv/archives.

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