The Roadrunner - June 2018

THE ROADRUNNER A Publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club www. memphisrunners. com

June 2018 • Vol. 38, No. 5

It's time to commit Women Run/Walk Memphis 2018

Read all about it on page 7.

Kids Run Memphis Summer Running Camp Ages 8-11 June 4 - 8 8:30 - 11:30am June 9 at 8:30am Graduation Run $100 Visit www.fleetfeetmemphis.com for more information.

THE ROADRUNNER

In This Issue From the Editor’s Desk

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Message from the President (by John Payne)

Nutrition on the Run (by Ashley Holloway) A publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club June 2018 Vol. 38, No. 5

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For women only (men allowed as coaches) Eyes on the Orion 5K prize (by Joe Birch)

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Kid runners: high energy, lots of fun (by Brent Manley) What we did in Boston (by a cast of local characters) A Boston special (by Charles Hurst)

Welcome New Members

What Runners need to know (by Joel Lyons)

Women Run/Walk Memphis 2018 See page 8.

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Marathon results (compiled by Sherilyn Huey)

Race Calendar

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My St. Jude Marathon (by Rome Delasalas)

Group runs

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Who knew? Beautiful Jersey (by Rob Rayder)

On the cover

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Advertisements Start2Finish Event Management Sprouts Farmers Market Nationwide Orion 5K

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M-Town Race Series Blair Parker Design

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Kids Run Memphis Running Camp Navy Ten Nautical Miler

Inside Front Cover Inside Back Cover

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Brent Manley Roadrunner Editor brentmanley@yahoo.com 901-246-6477 The Roadrunner is published monthly except January/February and July/August, which are combined issues.

You can join the MRTC or renew your membership online at www.memphisrunners.com.

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For more information about guidelines for submitting articles to the Roadrunner, contact the editor.

MRTC Board of Directors 2018 OFFICERS President/ Special Projects/Results John Payne 901-494-8266 johncharlespayne@comcast.net

Past President/Special Projects/Legal Matters George F. Higgs 901-528-1111 ghiggs@stonehiggsdrexler.com

Vice President / Sponsorship Director Steve Spakes stevemrtc@gmail.com

Volunteer Director Beverly Pickens 901-277-8950 pickensbg@aol.com

Treasurer Lorrie Williams brianbwilliamsmrtc@gmail.com

Finish Line Director/ Equipment Lane Purser 901-483-8929 lpurser350@aol.com

Secretary/ Club Photographer Jessica Suzore 901-409-9570 jessuzore@comcast.net

DIRECTORS Past President/ Roadrunner Editor Brent Manley 901-383-8782 brentmanley@yahoo.com Past President/ Course Measurement Rob Hunter 901-246-1565 robhunter33@comcast.net Past President/ New Race Coordinator Wain Rubenstein 901-278-1792 wrubenstei@aol.com

Timing/Results Rich Tutko 901-481-0498 rtutko@hotmail.com Women Run/Walk Memphis Director Allison Andrassy 901-409-6620 allison.mrtc@gmail.com Director Kent Smith kent824@bellsouth.net Director Suzie Hicks-Hurt 901-496-1377 s_hickshurt@bellsouth.net Director Nancy Brewton volunteeringwithnancy@ gmail.com 901-237-4758

For information about MRTC or running in the Memphis area, contact any board member or visit www.memphisrunners.com Administrative Secretary/Scheduler April Flanigan 901-574-8908 aflanigan@memphisrunners.com Magazine Services Printing and mailing services provided by Paulsen Printing 901-363-5988

From the Editor’s Desk Brent Manley I’m sure if mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.

— E.M. Forster

A happy day

I’m writing this column on Mother’s Day 2018 and reflecting on all the mothers I’ve been privileged to meet through running in nearly 35 years of enjoying the sport.

Just a week ago, I met several mothers for the first time at the club’s Spring Quarterly Meeting at Rhodes College.

There was Cami Fields, accompanied by her lovely daughter. Margo was there to take part in the MRTC Kids! run on the track at the school.

It is wonderful to see parents encouraging their children to become active outdoors, where the sun is too bright for the kids to fixate on video games or their mobile phones.

Susan Schwartz had two young soccer players in tow at Rhodes, both of them ready to circle the track.

I have been a coach in MRTC’s Women Run/ Walk Memphis program for eight years or so, giving me a chance to meet lots of mothers, sometimes accompanied by their daughters, all of them looking for a way to improve their health and fitness. It is gratifying to see them hook up with potential running buddies and, later in the year, to show their excitement at completing the “graduation” 5K. When I look around at races these days, I see a lot more women showing up ready to run than when I shuffled through my first 5K more than three decades ago. Information from people who keep track of such data indicates that more and more women are getting serious about running, tackling marathons and half marathons in droves.

For example, an organization called Running USA reported last year that in 2016, more than half a million people completed 26.2 miles. Of that number,

44% were women. The half marathon, now one of the most popular races in the country, had nearly 2 million finishers in 2016 despite an overall drop in marathon and half marathon participation. Significantly, 60% of the half marathon finishers in 2016 were women.

There are no stats on how many female marathon and half marathon finishers are mothers, but I would bet that a lot of them are. In MRTC’s women’s program, a large number of the participants are women who have sacrificed their time to care for their families and, as empty nesters, are jumping at the chance to do something social that will help them become healthier and more fit. As a coach for the beginning runners, I see a lot of them giving running a try for the first time. Many of the women who serve the program as coaches are also mothers, some of them relatively recent graduates of the program.

I’m proud to be involved in helping the beginners I coach to become invested in a sport that has so many benefits — health, fitness, friendship and, perhaps most important, sharing.

In the article about this year’s WRWM program (see page 7), one of the coaches, Rebecca Wade, talks about the uncertainty she felt when she joined the program for the first time, returning for a second try the following year. She became a really good runner and is now sharing what she learned and working to instill confidence in the runners she is coaching.

My mother is not a runner, but she did bless me, as far as I can tell, with excellent genes. My Mom, Helen, is 98 years old and still perking along. I’m hoping to still be around when I’m that old. I don’t know how well — or even if — I will be running at that age, but if I am, I’ll stop every now and then to look skyward and say a thank you to the woman who brought me into the world, cared for me and encouraged me to love the outdoors and to be active. Down the road, I hope she’s keeping track and is proud of me for being a good son and a good person if not a particularly good runner.

Thanks, Mom, and Happy Mother’s Day.

... a large number of participants are women ...

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JUNE 2018 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

For more information please visit www.s2fevents.com 2

A Message from the President

By John Payne Well, the weather has finally changed and it seems summer will be nearly upon us by the time you read this. No complaining from me. I always look forward to nice warm weather. This June, I will be wrapping up the first year of my second time around as president. I share the same sentiments I did in my first time: This job is made easy by our dedicated board members and volunteers. I can’t say thanks enough for all the hard work that they put in week after week.

We just wrapped up a very successful MRTC Kids! program on May 6. After a change of location and then a change of the date and back to the original location, we had fantastic weather and a huge group of kids who came out to run their various distances on the track at Rhodes College (see page 12).

Thanks to Dayna Lytle for her incredibly hard work to make the program so successful this year, and a big thanks as well to the coaches who helped teach the kids all about running. Coinciding with the kids run was the club’s Spring Quarterly Meeting, so we had hotdogs, burgers, chips, and cookies as well as a timed mile and 800 on the track. Thanks to everyone who helped cook and serve the food.

As we run into the summer, the E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series kicks off in July. If you have never run in the series, you have missed out. It is one of the best bargains in the city — well, probably anywhere — for road racing. If you are an MRTC member, the series entry is only $65 for 10 races. If you’re not a member, consider joining MRTC to save $25 on the registration fee. The races are two of each distance every other week starting with a 5K and building up to a half marathon. The entry fee for members gets you 10 races, a series T-shirt and entry into our holiday party in January. If you run one of each distance or six total races, you will get a finisher garment or other item. The finisher award changes

every year and could be anything from a gear bag to a hooded sweatshirt.

If you are up to the challenge, running all 10 races will earn you a coveted Road Warrior trophy. For more information, visit memphisrunners.com.

Also in July, we kick off our Women Run/Walk Memphis program (see page 7). This program is a fun way to get started or just to improve and a good way to find other women interested in running who could become your running buddies. The program kicks off with an expo on June 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the FedEx Events Center at Shelby Farms Park.

At the expo, you can register, meet your coaches, ask questions, purchase technical gear, learn from local running stores about proper running shoes and apparel and visit with vendors and sponsors.

Training begins on July 9 at 6:30 p.m. at various locations, depending on your group (walkers and beginning, intermediate or advanced runners). Training takes place every Monday night through July and August. The program wraps up with the Graduation 5K at Cancer Survivors Park (east side of Audubon Park) on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8:00 a.m. If you are new to running or just looking to improve your times, sign up for the WRWM program. Go to memphisrunners.com for more information and to sign up.

As you might expect, these MRTC activities require a large number of volunteers. With the RRS, there is a job for just about anyone. If you have never helped out at a race, this is a great way to get into volunteering. If you are interested in volunteering for the RRS, email mrtc.rrs.volunteers@gmail.com and Julianne Tutko will get you signed up. We also need coaches for the women’s program. If you are interested, please email Allison Andrassy (allison. mrtc@gmail.com).

One last important note: our Summer Quarterly Meeting is set for June 24 at 2:30 p.m. at Shelby Farms (Continued on page 4)

... MRTC activities require a large number of volunteers.

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Thanks to Sprouts for supporting the 2018 Road Race Series and the 2019 Winter Off-Road Series

A Message from the President (Continued from page 3)

Park Shelter 7, near the amphitheater. At this meeting we have our annual elections for the board. We have an open spot on the board this year, so we will be looking for a qualified candidate to step up. If you are interested, email johncharlespayne@gmail.com and I will be happy to talk to you about what it means to be on the board. Even if you’re not interested in joining 4

the board, you are welcome at the meeting. Bring the family and enjoy the day with some burgers, hot dogs, drinks, chips and cookies. Everything is free, including the chance to meet other MRTC members. Here’s hoping you are having fun this spring and that your running is going well and that we will see you soon at a race — as a runner or volunteer.

Ashley Holloway, MS, RD, LDN Five common nutrition misunderstandings

intake, think even leaner, go for extra lean ground beef, which is only about 33% fat.

3: Thinking that you need to detox. Detox diets are touted as a way to flush toxins out of your system.

The specifics of detox diets can vary — but usually a period of fasting is followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables, fruit, fruit juices and water. Some detox diets also advocate using herbs and other supplements along with colon cleansing through enemas or colonics to further empty the intestines.

1: Thinking that you are eating fewer calories than you are actually consuming. If you think that the bowl of ice cream you’re eating has only 150 calories or that the bowl of cereal you had for breakfast was only 120 calories, you may be sorely mistaken.

The calories listed on the nutrition facts panel are for only one serving. The question is, how much did you pour into your bowl? Are you actually eating only one serving, or are you eating two or even three?

You may lose a little bit of weight from a detox diet, but it is usually temporary from a combination of being on a very low-calorie diet, losing water weight and from having empty intestines. Plus, you’re likely to lose weight and then gain it right back when you go off of any extreme diet.

There is a difference between a portion (the amount you consume) and a serving (the amount on the food label). There is nothing wrong with having more than one serving, but if you didn’t happen to measure how much you put in your bowl or on your plate, you could be consuming a lot more calories than you think.

2: Thinking that lean ground meat means low fat. According to the USDA, lean ground meat is defined as containing no more than 10% fat, which means that it is 90% lean, right? Yes, but there is a catch: the percentage refers to product weight, not the percentage of calories from fat.

Four ounces of lean ground beef contains 199 calories and 11 grams of fat, but since each fat gram is 9 calories, this means that 99 of the 199 calories are from fat, or in other words this ground beef is 50% fat! So if you are looking to reduce your fat

There is little evidence that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body. Nor do you need to help your body “detoxify.” Your organs and immune system handle these duties, no matter what you eat. Your kidneys and liver are quite effective at filtering and eliminating most ingested toxins.

Some say that they feel better on a detox diet, but the reason they temporarily feel better may actually come from the fact that they are avoiding highly processed foods, extra sugar and fat. These benefits may come at a cost. Detox diets that severely limit protein or that require fasting can result in fatigue, muscle aches and irritability.

Long-term fasting can 5

result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Colon cleansing through enemas and colonics can cause cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting. Even dehydration can be a concern. If the detox diet recommends pills, herbs or supplements, note that these items are not backed by the FDA and can interact with different medications and can cause issues on their own.

meet your needs, even if your needs are increased by extensive exercise.

More often than not, we take in more protein than our bodies need. Once you consume more protein than your body can use, your body typically excretes the excess protein through your urine, but if these drinks are providing more calories than you need, the excess calories will be stored as excess weight … usually not a plus!

4: Thinking that certain types of foods help boost your metabolism. The whole idea of metabolismboosting foods is generally a myth perpetuated by hype and the excellent marketing teams of different diet products and services.

Your metabolic rate is determined by your gender, height, weight, body composition and age. There are a few foods — notably hot peppers and cold water — that may very temporarily increase your calorie burn, but these effects are so small that they should be secondary — not primary — weight-loss strategies. The best way to increase your calorie burn is through exercise.

5: Thinking that you need to drink a protein shake after your workout. The types of protein shakes I’m referring to are those you can find at grocery and health-food stores and contain whey, casein, soy, egg albumin, goat or cow’s milk, wheat, beef, pea, hemp or brown rice proteins. They can come in ready-to-drink formulations or in powder form.

If you are a healthy active adult, with a pretty healthy diet, these types of protein drinks are completely unnecessary.

It is not at all difficult to meet your protein needs without supplementation from protein drinks, shakes, bars and powders. If you include foods such as eggs, beef, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, nuts and legumes in your diet, you can easily take in enough protein to

However, if you are skipping meals, recovering from illness or surgery or are not taking in enough protein through your regular diet, protein shakes may be beneficial. If you are concerned that you are not taking in enough protein, be sure to check with your friendly Registered Dietitian!

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Who? What? When?

Where? … and WHY??

By Terri Clarke Memphis Runners Track Club (MRTC) is proud to support women and running by hosting the 2018 Women Run/Walk Memphis training program (Selected

by RRCA in 2010 as the country’s top Beginning Runner’s Program). There are groups for Walkers, Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Runners, ending with the Graduation 5K for participants only on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 at 8 a.m.

Your loved ones deserve to see the example you will set for them as you proudly achieve your fitness and health goals!

WHAT?

This Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) award-winning program was designed specifically to aid ladies of all ages in their goals for fitness. Each running group features its own Head Coach and Assistant Coaches, most of whom have participated in one or more WRWM training programs themselves and many of whom are also RRCA-certified running coaches. Specific training programs are designed for each group and your coaches will complete each workout with your group. If you are unsure, check out each group’s training plan, which can be found at our website on each specific group’s page.

WHEN?

Training programs have been written by the WRWM coaches with the training goals for each WRWM group foremost in consideration. Coaches are available before, during, and after training to answer your questions and offer support.

WHO?

YOU! Any young lady from ages 10 to 100+.

The WRWM training program includes six choices of training groups: • Walkers • Beginning, three Intermediate options, and an Advanced Runners group Beginning, Intermediates and Advanced all do a program of varied walk and/or run paces to account for your current training level. Each group has trained coaches to walk and/or run with your group, offering support and advice as you advance through training.

Registration is currently open — visit www.womenrunwalkmemphis.racesonline.com WRWM Expo is Monday, June 25 at the Shelby Farms FedEx Events Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Training begins Monday July 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Shelby Farms area.

WRWM Graduation 5K Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, 8 a.m.

Participants are free to register for whichever group they feel best suits their current physical abilities and goals, and are free to switch groups during the course of training if desired.

All participants will receive a WRWM tech shirt for training and to wear at the Graduation 5K. The Graduation 5K is limited to participants of the WRWM program. Awards include all Running age groups and Walker age groups.

WHERE?

The running (run/walk) groups train in areas in or near Shelby Farms.

Walkers train at Hope Church on Walnut Grove Road.

WHY?

Because you deserve it.

You deserve a few hours per week to focus on your fitness and health.

You deserve to benefit yourself and your loved ones with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

You deserve to grow fit and healthy.

And you get all this for ONLY $35 through midnight June 25, 2018; $40 June 26–July 23.

Please Note: Registration closes midnight July 23, 2018!

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To register or for more information please visit our website, www.womenrunwalkmemphis.com and join

us on Facebook at Women Run/ Walk Memphis.

Memphis Runners Track Club (MRTC) is proud to support women and running by hosting the 2018 Women Run/Walk Memphis training program (2010 RRCA Beginning Runner’s Program Winner) with groups for Walkers, Beginning, Intermediate Coach and Advanced Runners, ending Melissa Powers. with the Graduation 5K for participants only on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.

Coach Rebecca Wade.

Committed coaches

One of aspects of the WRWM program that impresses the runners and walkers is the way the coaches interact with them. Asked about the program and whether they benefited from it, just about every participant replied in the affirmative and mentioned how important the coaches’ encouragement was to their success.

Many of the coaches started running in the program, returning later eager to share what they learned. One of the coaches in the 2017 program was Rebecca Wade. She got her start in the beginner group, going back for another try the following year. “The Karli Masker, top WRWM Runners Bobbie Perkins second time,” she said, “it stuck.” Before she saw the runner 2017. and Catherine Tankersley. light, Wade said, she wondered, “How can someone run a whole mile without stopping?”

Wade is now an accomplished runner with 15 of the year and joined marathon finishes under her belt. She coaches, she said, the WRWM program to because “I see the value in investing in the running keep going after losing 48 community.” Her personal experience as a new runner pounds from January to also taught her a valuable lesson. “I realized,” she said, the start of the WRWM “that you can do a lot more than you think you can if program. someone believes in you.”

“The weight is Last year, Melissa Powers was in her third year coming off easier since as a coach — helping walkers and beginning runners.

I started running,” she In a post-race interview, Powers said, “I see me when said. The program, she I first started in these ladies. I tell them different added, “is awesome. I’m things that helped me. Some of them think they can’t so grateful to the coaches do it.” who encouraged us.”

Powers recognizes the responsibility of her position.

Perkins’ running “When you are a coach,” she said, “you have to be there buddy, Catherine because people are counting on you. I love it.”

Tankersley, gained so much from the women’s New runner endorsements program that she Bobbie Perkins was part of the beginning runners immediately set her sights group last year. After finishing the 2017 5K, she said Pauletta Brown, top WRWM on a half marathon in she had started trying to lose weight at the beginning walker 2017.

2018.

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WRWM Fun 2017

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unners and walkers of all abilities are invited to participate in the inaugural Orion 5K for St. Patrick Community Outreach, Inc. For runners with recordbreaking speed, Saturday evening, June 9 could be a nice payday.

I’m a certified slow poke with a PR 5K time of 22:20 years ago, so it boggles the mind that a human being can run the same distance 7, 8 or even 9 minutes faster.

Our charity race has attracted some of the fastest people in the Mid-South for 21 consecutive years.

Orion Federal Credit Union generously has picked up the sponsorship baton for the race formerly known as the Gibson Guitar 5K and is offering a serious incentive for those among us with a the talent for a breakneck pace.

For example, the Orion 5K will award $1,000 to a woman who can break Kacey Nobert’s 2017 Gibson 5K record time of 18:07. The Orion 5K will award $1,000 to a male runner who can better Kyle Lewis’s record-setting 2009 Gibson 5K time of 15:18. But wait, there’s more!

You might lack the rocket fuel to win the Orion 5K Champions Belt, but the first 2,000 people to cross the finish line are guaranteed to take home hardware: an attractive medal worthy of your collection. Plus, you’ll receive a commemorative Orion 5K T-shirt and a cordial invitation to our “off the chain” post-race block party! Marcella and Her Lovers will bring the jam and headline our celebration that’ll feature great food, ice cold beer, other beverages and a familyfriendly Kids’ Zone.

We’ll give Marcella and Her Lovers a break about 8:45 p.m. to present our first-, second- and thirdplace Orion 5K age group awards as well as honors to the fastest Mother-Daughter, Mother-Son, FatherDaughter and Father-Son combos!

But here’s the best reason to join us Downtown across from FedEx Forum on Saturday night, June 9: you’ll advance the mission of our 501 c3 nonprofit, St. Patrick Community Outreach, Inc. Our non-profit sells fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods at cost in Memphis food deserts via our Green Machine Mobile Food Market, a MATA bus refashioned as a rolling farmer’s market.

Be sure to have a look through the Green Machine at the post-race party. The nonprofit operates Memphis’ largest Emergency Food Pantry in concert with the Mid-South Food Bank and MIFA. In addition to that good work, the ministry feeds the hungry at our Sunday soup kitchen all 52 Sundays of the year.

So make haste to register for the Orion 5K at www. orion5k.racesonline.com and go like lightning for the generous prize money or shake a leg to get your finisher’s medal and a party worthy of your Saturday night for a great cause on June 9.

Orion 5K offers major moola for record-breaking speedsters

By Joe Birch For those who can beat the U.S. 5K record, the Orion 5K will award a check for $5,000. The current Male American Road 5K record is 13:20.

The female American 5K Road record is 14:50!

It’s blinding speed for those of us whose best races are way back in the rearview mirror. This reporter became the grandfather of a beautiful set of twins this past April (a boy, Mason and a girl, Charlotte) so I’m lucky to walk a mile in 13:20, never mind finish a 5K! In addition to these significant financial incentives, the overall male and female champions of the inaugural Orion 5K will receive an award sure to become the envy of many a trophy case. The speedsters will receive the inaugural Orion 5K Champion’s Belt, a one-of-akind award that will be featured on WMC Action News 5 during race week, June 3-9.

Joe Birch marked 40 years of service to WMC, Tennessee’s first television station, on May 20, 2018.

The “off the chain” party at the Orion 5K will be the newsman’s official celebration of this special anniversary and the “fun factor” will be high!

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Some of the 40+ coaches in the 2018 MRTC Kids! program

Photos by Steve Spakes

Youth is served at Rhodes

By Brent Manley

When it comes to creating a program to encourage young people to run, it helps to have committed people in charge and as helpers. MRTC Kids! has plenty of both, and the program continues to grow as the little ones and their parents discover the benefits of our favorite sport.

The program is available for kids in the spring and the fall. Both training programs culminate with a kids run at one of MRTC’s AJ Parron and 3-year-old Adric. quarterly meetings.

If you could harness the energy on display at these

events, you might never have to pay another utility bill.

On May 6 at Rhodes College, while volunteers loaded ice chests with drinks, and grill masters did their best work with hamburgers and hot dogs, Dayna Lytle, who is in charge of the kids program, prepared for a record turnout on the track.

Lytle, in her second year as head coach, said the 2018 spring training schedule attracted a record 234 young runners, a 60% increase over the previous year.

Assisted by more than 40 volunteer coaches, Lytle stayed busy managing five Cami Fields with daughter age groups for the Margo. kids. Four of those 12

Dayna Lytle, MRTC Kids! head coach. groups had 50 young runners in training at Agricenter International, where a new challenge for the kids — hurdles — was introduced this year.

“The Agricenter people are greater partners for us,” Lytle says.

Always thinking of ways to make the running experience better for the kids, Lytle appointed head coaches for each age group during the training period and kept parents more engaged with weekly emails about what was happening with their children.

The young runners learned about hydration, healthy eating and safety.

“Kids,” Lytle says, Fabian Granados with his wife, Leticia “need to be and son Fabian Jr. outside and to exercise. They will be better adults.

Cami Fields arrived at Rhodes with her 4-year-old daughter, Margo. Both have enjoyed the program and were looking forward to the Sunday run at Rhodes. “It’s wonderful,” said Fields. “We’ve had so much fun.”

Asked why she likes running, Margo said, “Because it makes me happy.” Added her mom: It’s something fun

we can do together.”

Gretchen Deatherage has helped out as a coach with MRTC Kids! this year. “Dayna said she was shorthanded, “ said Deatherage. “How could you say no?”

Deatherage, who has also coached in the Women Run/ Walk Memphis program, worked with the kids four and younger this spring. “I had forgotten how much fun young kids can be,” she said.

Fabian and Leticia Granados arrived at Rhodes with their son, 4-year-old Fabian Jr., for the second kids run on the track. “He likes to run,” said Leticia.

Nick Dykes came with his daughter, Ava, a first-timer in the kids program but with some experience as a Nick Dykes with daughter Ava. runner. “It’s pretty cool,” said Ava, a student at Riverdale Elementary School. “I really like it. I just enjoy running, and I’ve definitely made some progress. I’m probably going to try out for track.” Ava, 11, ran with the group doing two miles on the Rhodes track.

Balakrishnan Ramachandran and family — wife Anitha, daughter Amrita, 11 and son Bhavesh, 5 — are in their fourth year of the kids program. Balakrishnan likes running as a way to relieve stress. His wife helps 13

Gretchen Deatherage.

Susan Schwartz with sons Lennox, left, and Paxton.

Balakrishnan Ramachandran with son Bhavesh, daughter Amrita and wife Anitha.

coach the children. “The team asked me to coach,” she said, “and I got motivated because of that. I like the way they treat us.”

Octavia Marshall of Arlington showed up with her daughter, 10-year-old Nytajah and 6-year-old son Quinshawn. It’s the first time the family has been involved with the kids program. “They’re active,” she said. “They need to be running.” Quinshawn said he enjoys running because “it helps me get energy.”

Susan Schwartz signed up sons Lennox and Paxton this year for the first time. Both boys play soccer.

“Lennox,” she said. “wanted to run.” Schwartz gives the program good grades. “It’s been good other than the

weather. We were super pleased.”

AJ Parron said his son Adric has been involved with running since he was six months old, first as a passenger in a stroller while his dad was running and now as a budding runner at age 3. “He loves it,” Parron Octavia Marshall with daughter Nytajah and said. “He loves coming son Quinshawn. to the finish line.”

14

PRESENTED BY

ZOOM THROUGH THE ZOO

MAY 24, 2018 JUNE 1, 2018

HARBORTOWN 3 MILE

BENEFITTING THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

JUNE 9, 2018

ORION 5K

BENEFITTING SAINT PATRICK COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INC.

JULY 3, 2018

MEMPHIS STARS AND STRIPES

BENEFITTING THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

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Members of the Germantown Greenway Gazelles and Geezers running group who have qualified for and run the Boston Marathon: Glen Stewart, Margaret Stewart, John Hazen, Gerald Holbrook, Jan Jensen, Barbara Tatge,Vic Thayer, Kathleen Thayer and Judy Thomas.

Memories of Boston The first Boston Marathon was organized in 1897 and has been run on Patriot’s Day (the third Monday in April) in Massachusetts ever since. The marathon is an iconic event, one that attracts runners from all over the world. Memphis, with many fine runners, is represented regularly in Boston.

What follows are the Boston Marathon stories of some of the members of a group calling themselves the Germantown Greenway Gazelles and Geezers, founded

by Gerald Holbrook. They meet regularly at the Chickfil-A in Germantown. Half of the members of the small group have qualified for and run the world’s most famous marathon.

Gerald Holbrook

At age 51 and feeling I was 30 pounds overweight, I began walking one hour per day. Out there, I noticed runners and observed many were my age or even older. So after several months of walking, I added a short run at the end of the walk. This was in February.

I was quickly hooked and ran my first 10K race in August of the same year.

At age 53, 22 months after my first run, I ran the Memphis Express Marathon in 3:58. I loved it and ran Memphis one year later, then Twin Cities in 1988.

Now, “Boston” had become my goal.

My second try for Boston qualification was in 1990 at age 59. I needed to finish in 3:35 or better, and I made the cut at 3:33:02. I was immediate past President of MRTC. Bobby Hall, a great runner, and sports writer for the Commercial Appeal, asked me for comment. I was so exhausted I could only get out one word: “BOSTON.’’ My wife and daughter took me into the lobby of First Tennessee Bank, marathon 16

sponsor for 11 years, laid me out on the floor, covered me for warmth, where I just smiled.

Four months later, on April 15, 1991 with my wife and son, I was ready for the big event. As an older runner with more modest qualifying time, I was in a distant corral on a narrow two-lane road. This was prior to advent of chips, and it took me five minutes after the gun to get to the starting line, and I was just tip-toeing for much of the first mile. Then I could open up and just run my best. I finished in 3:40 gun time, and because of the slow start, I was given five minutes toward qualifying for the next year.

I had achieved my big goal of running Boston, so I never returned, running 11 more marathons before knee surgery made me cut back on mileage. These included Marine Corps, Houston, New York, Blue Angel, Grandma’s, two more Twin Cities, and four more in Memphis.

Achieving Boston qualifying and running it was a wonderful experience. I am proud and very happy I did it, and I enjoy our annual recognition of Boston in a running group I founded. We probably average around 20 runners regularly, and about half of them have completed Boston. We also have one deceased member of our Boston group — John Thomas, who we still miss. The late John Thomas.

qualified, I decided to sign up.

Five months later (1999) I found myself in Boston. Conditions on race day were far from ideal.

It was cold and windy. I ran a solid race considering conditions and crossed the finish line with a chip time of 3:59:23.

Having been successful in qualifying and running a sub-four-hour Boston was gratifying but not something I had a desire to do again. If you’ve run Boston once, you’ve run Boston.

Kathleen Thayer, retired from Shelby County government, is a member of Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.

Vic Thayer

Kathleen Thayer

My first marathon was in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1997. I enjoyed the experience and decided I would train a little harder for a second marathon.

In December of 1998 I competed in South Carolina in the Kiawah Island Marathon. This marathon, as I learned, was a Boston qualifier. The conditions at the start were okay, but in the second half I had to battle a strong headwind.

I stayed on pace and my effort paid off. I took first in my age group, (45-49) and finished in a Boston qualifying time. The award ceremony was held in the Kiawah Island Resort Center the evening of the race.

This was elaborate dinner where the winners were called to the stage to be recognized. The presenter of awards was Cedric Jaggers, a member of the South Carolina Road Runners Hall of Fame and longtime writer for the Running Journal Magazine.

Running Boston was never a goal, but since I had

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At age 65, three years after quadruple bypass surgery, my wife Kathleen, a 1999 Boston finisher, (3:59:23) suggested I give Boston a go because in 26 years of racing I had never run a marathon. I said, “Why not,” and signed up for the 2007 St. Jude Memphis Marathon. I ran the race, finished second in my age group and qualified for Boston by 25 minutes.

I ran Boston April 21, 2008. I stayed in Braintree and had to get a shuttle from my hotel to the subway, then transfer to a second subway. I arrived in Boston, where I had to wait for a period of time before boarding a yellow school bus to take runners to Hopkinton, where the race started.

It was very chilly that morning. The line of buses stretched for as far as the eye could see and was moving very slowly. I made it to Hopkinton and as usual never enough porta-johns. Saw a large cedar tree so I decided to use it. First thing I knew a woman ran up beside me and said “Sir, I’m sorry, I can’t wait” my response was, “No problem!”

Runners waited for what seemed like hours before, the race got underway, barely moving at least for the first quarter to half a mile. I finally got into a reasonable pace but was high-fiving kids along the way until the light came on and I realized that if I wanted a respectable time I had better focus on pace, which I did.

As I made my way, I noticed runners just jumping onto the course. I was doing pretty good until I got to Wellsley College, where the female students were holding Kiss Me signs. The young male runners were cutting across and stopping in front of those behind them. Once I got past this, at about mile 19 my left quad started to cramp up and the farther I ran, the more pain I felt. It was, however, not the dreaded “Wall.” I managed to complete the race and was glad I had run a re-qualifying time. I got my warmups

and had to sit on a curb to get my left leg in. It was screaming. I heard some people say at least 60 runners had to be taken to area hospitals.

Having finished, I had to make my way to the subway for the return trip to my hotel. While waiting in line to board, which was underground, I was told the Red Sox game had just concluded, hence the increased number of people attempting to get on the subway.

While I waited in line in the tight quarters, a man up ahead — there were 20 or 30 people between us ­— had a heart attack. The EMTs had a difficult time getting him out of the tunnel. About a minute later, there was another commotion as a young purse snatcher came running in the opposite direction with transit security in hot on his heels.

I finally made it back to my hotel and shared my experience with my wife. I told her about the problem I had with my left quad and she immediately pointed out that I had a baseball-size bruise. I had forgotten I had struck my quad on our chain link gate lock on Thursday before leaving for Boston. Could I have run better? Maybe, but I was satisfied with my time, having re-qualified. Would I want to do it again? The answer is NO! I am proud that Kathleen and I have both run Boston. Whether you run it once or 20+ times, you can lay claim to being a Boston qualifier — and finisher!

I’m happy to have qualified and completed the Boston Marathon, but my experience in what I thought of as organized chaos convinced me that “one and done” was the way I should go.

Vic Thayer retired from the Memphis Police Department in 1992 with the rank of major. He and his wife, Kathleen, are members of the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.

Barbara Tatge

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I qualified for Boston at the 2014 Phoenix Rockn-Roll Marathon. I was pleased with my time of 3:56 for the obvious reason that it likely secured my spot​for Boston (it was 14 minutes under the time I needed for my age). I was also pleased with my time for two other reasons: It was a blistering 81 degrees when I crossed the finish line and a recent nagging injury did not rear its ugly head during my run.

Running Boston was by far my most memorable race, but not for the reason one might assume. I accepted a dare from my daughter and reversed the old tradition of kissing a woman at the half-way point (Wellesley) and instead kissed a male spectator. In an instant, I became thrown into a media firestorm ... even Ellen DeGeneres wanted me to come on her show after ABC World News Tonight aired the photo.

As it turned out, the stranger I kissed was married, and his wife was a great sport about the whole ordeal. Still, I was a bit embarrassed with the outcome and overwhelmed with the media attention. Little did I know at that time that the man of my dreams was already in my life, someone I knew from my running circle.

I’m blessed to have met David Butler, my “prince charming,” through running and will be leaving Memphis in the coming months to live out my life with him. Ironically, he entered my life when I decided to run my first marathon nine years ago at age 50. As luck would have it, David was the 4:45 pacer for the 2009 St. Jude Memphis Marathon, my first marathon (I finished in 4:44:39). We continued our friendship in the Cool Runnings group. I hosted his going-away party when he retired and moved to Destin FL seven years ago. Afterwards, I would see David once a year when I went with girlfriends to Destin on an annual girls’ trip.

I would call him and we would meet on the running path and part ways on the path after our run.

A little more than a year ago, he asked me to coffee after the run. While we were seated at Starbucks, something changed; the lights dimmed, the lens went blurry and the music in my head went “mushy.” I guess it was “our time” to be together and we’ve been together ever since. So as you can see, running has been great for my heart in more ways than one!

a shirt with “Memphis” on the front! When I got to the top of Heartbreak Hill at mile 21, I thought I had it made. Boy, was I wrong!! On the downhills, my quads hurt terribly, and I was hoping I could finish, which I did in 3:14.43.

In the following years we ran marathons in New York, Duluth, and Huntsville AL. In the 1989 Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, my time of 3:04.01 qualified me for the 1990 Boston Marathon, so I decided to run it again. Our daughter Kim went with me this time. We did some sightseeing, including stopping at the local bar which was the inspiration for the TV series “Cheers.” Qualifying standards had been lowered, so there were 7,900 runners. That year, I ran 3:12.24.

I thought my marathon running was over until Margaret decided she wanted to run Boston in 1995.

We trained together and ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth in June 1994. I had run it in 1988 and knew it was a mostly flat course. Her Boston qualifying goal was 3:55, and we ran 3:51.25. I had to run a faster qualifying time, so I had to run another marathon. I ran the 1994 First Tennessee Memphis Marathon in a Boston qualifying time of 3:08.31, which at the time was a Tennessee state record for 50-year-old men.

We went to Boston, did some more sightseeing, and ran a time of 3:52.08. That was good enough to qualify for the 1996 marathon, but Margaret said she felt pain she had never felt before and that she was finished running marathons.

We ran all marathons and never walked except to get water. The crowds were great the entire course, especially as we passed the all-girls Wellesley College near mile 13. Boston is the ultimate of all marathons.

If you can qualify for Boston, it’s like you’ve achieved your goal in running. I’m glad we were able to do that together.

Glen Stewart

Margaret started running a few years before I started in 1982. She had run a couple of races and talked me into running the Oak Hall 3-miler in May. After finishing, I didn’t think I could run any longer distances. By the end of the year we had run 15 races, including a 25K in the road race series. After running the series again the next two years, we decided to try running the 1984 Memphis Express Marathon. It was our first marathon, so we had no idea what pace to run.

When I got to mile 25.2, a volunteer said I had one minute to qualify for the Boston Marathon. So I sped up and finished in 3:09.52, 8 seconds under the qualifying time of 3:10. I had no plans of running Boston but thought it might be the only time I qualify, so I decided to run it.

Early on race-day morning, I rode the bus to the start. Runners had to wait in a big field a couple hours beforehand, then get in the corrals for the start. The number of participants was limited to 5,000, so it took 2½ minutes to get to the start. Margaret met me a couple times along the course to cheer for me, and then again at the finish. A couple times I heard someone shout, “Go Memphis.” I was surprised anyone knew I was from Memphis. After the third shout, I looked to the side and saw sports writer Bobby Hall running with

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My journey to Marathon No. 100

By Charles Hurst

Thomas Paine once said, “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection.”

also very accommodating after a message from me explaining what I was trying to do. I was elated.

Boston was next. With Boston’s reputation of being such an elite and “by-the-rules” organization, I assumed my bib number streak had ended at #99.

I knew I would always regret never asking, so I sent a message explaining my bib # request. I received a very kind and professional response from the Boston Athletic Association informing me that bib numbers are assigned based on the runner’s qualifying time. They would be unable to assign that bib number to me but wished me the best in my preparation for the race. As the old saying goes, timid sales people have skinny kids. It is always better in life to take the initiative to go for it.

I have been running for 15 years. My first marathon was in Tupelo in 2004. I had no idea at that time that running would allow me to meet so many amazing people in the running community, and take me on adventures that would have such an impact on my life leading up to my 100th marathon.

On April 1, 2017, my terrific running friends Kevin Jenkins, John Phillips and Bob Wilson helped push and pace me to my Boston qualifying race at the Andrew Jackson Marathon (the oldest marathon in the state of Tennessee) and my 95th marathon.

About a month later, I received my Boston Marathon Runner’s Passport, which contains final race instructions, as well as my race bib number At that point, I realized I had the for packet pickup. My bib opportunity for my 100th marathon number was 22682. The bib to be something very special to me. number assignments were also Already on my calendar were races for listed online, so out of curiosity, which I was scheduled to be on the pace I checked to see who had bib # team: the St. Jude Memphis Marathon 100. It was Dave McGillivray, in December, the Mississippi Blues A priceless keepsake for the author: the marathon race director. Dave in January 2018 and The Little Rock Boston Marathon Bib No. 100. is an amazing, accomplished Marathon in March 2018. That schedule runner, philanthropist, author would make the Boston Marathon my and Boston Marathon race director since 1988.

99th in April. I needed one additional marathon before Understanding the strict rules by which they operate, then to make Boston my 100th. I decided to go back I sent Dave a message, telling him about my journey to and run the Tupelo Marathon in September, which Boston and how excited I was to be participating in the would make the schedule work to have Boston be my race. He surprised me by replying, “Send me an email milestone marathon. and I will see about getting your bib number changed.”

An idea hit me leading up to Tupelo in I was shocked. I told him that was not the intention of September. Wouldn’t it be a fun memento to have race my message and appreciated the offer but that was not bib # 96 for my 96th marathon? I sent a message a few necessary. It was my first time to Boston, and the last months in advance to the race director explaining my thing I wanted to happen was to get to the expo and situation and requesting bib #96. They were very kind have a problem with my registration. and agreed. Because I was on the pace team for St. Jude Memphis, Mississippi Blues and Little Rock, they were Fast forward to the night before the race. A group 20

of us were walking back to our hotel from dinner, and I saw Dave walking by us. I spoke to him and told him I was the crazy guy who had messaged him about race bib 100 and he said, “ Send me a message after the race and I will send it to you.” Now this is the guy who has full responsibility for the premiere road race in the world, on the weekend which was the fifth anniversary of the Boston bombing, taking time to try to accommodate a single non-elite runner’s request. I was very impressed.

Race day was an adventure in itself. As reported in the news, it was one of the worst weather conditions in the 122-year history of the race. People lined up at the starting line dressed more like they were going to tour a chemical plant than run a marathon.

encouraging from the starting corrals to the finishing chutes where we received our medals.

On the famous stretch of Boylston Street to the finish line, even cold, soaked by rain and fighting the headwind, I was able to soak in the moment. I had tears in my eyes as I approached the finish line knowing that my running journey had led this 60-year-old runner to this special place.

The author’s shoes for the 2018 Boston My official finish time, Marathon with the names of his grandchildren. which was slower that I had hoped because of the weather conditions, was 4:16:05. Coincidently, 4/16 was the day of the race and it was the 5th anniversary of the 2013 bombing.

It was very appropriate that, like running a marathon, the last stretch to get me to my 100th marathon finish was difficult. Bad weather or disappointing race results are not nearly as important or rewarding as surrounding yourself with the right types of people who support, encourage and push you to achieve your goals.

Having not forgotten my conversation with Dave, Wednesday night after I Runners were was back home, I sent him a message doing and wearing thanking him and his team for the everything possible outstanding race under those conditions. to protect from the On Thursday morning at about 4:30 a.m. cold, windy, rainy as I was running to the gym, I received a The author with Boston Marathon Race conditions. The message from Dave, that he had put the Director Dave McGillivray. course volunteers bib #100 in the mail to me. and spectators were incredible under those That bib and my medal will be on the wall of my miserable conditions. They were enthusiastic and room in the nursing home one day.

Help Wanted The MRTC has need for a volunteer to research and report on marathon finishers from the Memphis area for publication in the Roadrunner.

If you are interested, contact the editor (brentmanley@yahoo.com) or phone 901-246-6477.

The person who volunteers will receive instructions on the procedure for gathering the information.

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Running on the Jersey Shores

By Robert “the Lone Runner” Rayder

I’m interested in glorifying something that we in the world would say doesn’t deserve being glorified. Something that’s forgotten, focused on as though it were some sort of sacred object.

picturing whole cities filled with larger than life “wise-guys” from the Sopranos. I knew there had to be more to the place than those simple stereotypes, and running a marathon was the perfect excuse to fill in a little of that missing picture.

My wife, Christina, was a harder sale. “You want to go where?” she asked incredulously when I told her of my plans. “What’s in New Jersey?”

I told her I didn’t know, which was kind of the point. She is used to my making oddball ideas for marathons because long ago we agreed she would

— Artist Edward Ruscha

There are some places in this world that get lost in the shadows. These are places of great beauty and rich culture that have the misfortune to be located near wonders of such renown and splendor that they get overlooked in the glare. People’s eyes usually pass right over them, their attention drawn to brighter spots on the map.

Such is the case with New Jersey, a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeastern United States. It is a peninsula, bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on the southwest by the Delaware Bay and Delaware.

New Jersey has become a symbol of a forgotten America, home of the pedestrian middle and working classes. This is the America of Bruce Springsteen songs, filled with a cast of characters who never realized the fortunes of Wall Street or the sparkle of Hollywood. This is a place of mobsters and shipyard workers and families bound to the booms and busts of an industrial economy.

At least in American folklore, New Jersey is a symbol for the plight of the average man, a figure of working-class sensibilities, making his way one day at a time in a wider world over which he has precious little control.

Such were my thoughts when I signed up for the New Jersey Marathon. New Jersey was a blank slate in my mind. I had never been there, so I had only the vaguest idea about what the place was really like. It was hard to imagine New Jersey without conjuring images of the “reality” series The Jersey Shore, or

The author and his wife on the boardwalk in Long Branch NJ. have veto power over any of my marathon plans.

If things were left to me, we would spend all our time and money going from one marathon to the next. My wife is there to counterbalance my overdeveloped sense of adventure.

I could tell that this particular request, however, intrigued her. A lot of times it’s a definite “no” from the beginning (like my repeated requests to run in the Antarctic Marathon.) This time, she had more questions that reflected some internal conflict.

On the one side was her curiosity about a corner 22

We drove around Long Branch, having to stop where streets on the 5K course were blocked off. Finally, a police officer pointed us in the right direction. We managed to find a parking place near some apartment complexes. We drove down a tiny street and, with luck on our side, squeezed into an available stretch of curb just as the race was getting underway.

From there, we rushed to the empty starting line on the far side of a green space that was surely the Great Lawn. Volunteers waved us onto the broad planks of a boardwalk and over the still-active timing mat. It was a close call, but somehow, just barely, we made the race.

The course was a big circle that started and ended in the commercial heart of the Long Branch Boardwalk. Along the way we passed many beachside condos and a quaint, grassy green space mysteriously named Seven Presidents Park (don’t ask) before running the last half a mile directly on the boardwalk while taking in spectacular views of the Atlantic coastline known as the Jersey Shores.

If there is one defining feature of the Jersey Shores for me, it has to be the ubiquitous boardwalks.

These are not mere planks of wood suspended on wooden pilings, as is the case in so many other parts of the country. These are vast, open, wood-clad spaces, suspended above huge stretches of sand and sea grass. Shops, restaurants, bike rental places, ice cream parlors and even tiny amusement parks vie for customers all along the decorative, windswept boards.

Perhaps most remarkable of all is that this sea of wood planks goes on for mile after mile. One city’s boardwalk flows seamlessly into the next one and the next one. Some ocean inlets introduce a small break in the action, but immediately on the far side of the watery intrusion another boardwalk springs to life.

Taken together, they form a literal wooden line in the sand between the world of man and the vast sandy beaches and deep blue ocean waters of the Atlantic.

They make all the other boardwalks I’ve been to seem anemic in comparison.

The beaches are surprising. Large and sandy, they stood in stark contrast to the rocky coastline farther north in New England and the marshy coastal swamps found farther to the south. Here were beaches on which people could build sandcastles, search for seashells along the tidal line or soak in the sun after taking a dip in the sea. These were scenic sandy shores more typical of places like Florida and California.

The author’s wife nearing the finish of the New Jersey Marathon’s 5K in Long Branch, NJ. of the country we had not seen. On the other side was a sentiment that boiled down to, “We’re talking about New Jersey!” It did help that the airlines were having massive sales to nearby Philadelphia, and a new nonstop route from Memphis owned by a low-cost carrier had just opened up.

Thus it was decided. My wife and I flew into Philadelphia and rented a car. We left the “City of Brotherly Love” behind us, vowing to explore it on another day, and we made our way northeast along the bucolic Garden State Turnpike to the city of Oceanport on the famed Jersey Shore, the start line for the marathon.

Runners picked up packets at a horse race track, complete with gambling and a handful of race enthusiasts who busied themselves with wagers on horses broadcast on closed-circuit television from other venues. Live, “in person,” racing was still a week away.

It seemed a most unlikely venue to host a marathon, but I’ve found that such quirky landmarks make places unique and memorable. So the runners just rolled with things as they picked up bibs and shirts, while the gamblers focused on what they were watching. Both sides would occasionally glance over at the other, wondering what the heck they were doing there. It was an uneasy alliance, but things seemed to work themselves out.

The next morning marked the start of the New Jersey Marathon’s 5K, at a place called “The Great Lawn” in nearby Long Branch. There was little information about where this “Great Lawn” was, so the 5K was clearly a local event.

23

My mind strained to reconcile these two vastly different worlds so near to each other.

It didn’t seem possible.

After the 5K, we returned to our hotel in the upscale resort community of Spring Lake to explore the freshly renovated Cape Cod-style homes and the quaint downtown shops. We rented a twoperson bike and cruised the much smaller boardwalk located right across from our hotel. It was very different from the buzzing commercial center we ran along in Long Branch. Here there were runners and bikers and families out to enjoy the glorious seaside vistas of one of New Jersey’s quieter places.

On the day of the marathon, we fought traffic on our return to the horse race track. Once there, we saw no gamblers, but the place was alive with thousands of runners and spectators. The running journey was about to start along the shoreline.

The scene made me miss the St. Jude Memphis Marathon experience. Traffic into downtown Memphis can be challenging on race day, but compared to this place, it is a stroll through a park.

The author and his wife in front of an access point from the boardwalk to the beach in Long Branch NJ. It was difficult not to feel a little disoriented running along the boardwalk and looking out over the sand and into the foamy ocean waves. I found it hard to believe that we were fewer than 50 miles from the shiny skyscrapers and hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

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For the second time in as many days, the race began before we could even reach the start line. We watched helplessly as the first few waves of runners ran past us at breakneck speed. All we could do was jog back toward those still waiting at the official start.

Fortunately, we were seeded in the slower corrals near the back of the pack, which meant that Christina and I started our races more or less on time despite our late arrival. Whew!

Race day was mostly clear but the temperatures were waffling between warm and cold depending on the direction of the wind. I alternately felt overdressed and underdressed throughout the race.

The weather took a toll on me practically from the beginning and I knew I was in for a long day. I settled into a slow, methodical pace. I was determined to take in the sights.

We ran through many different neighborhoods, ranging from working class to multi-million-dollar estates.

It was a study in the dichotomy of the place, rich vacation playground on the one side, and an industrial blue-collar hamlet on the other. I was surprised at how well those two opposing worlds existed together. Two different versions of America crammed practically on top of each other. It was easy to see how this place inspired socially minded artists like Bruce Springsteen. The contrast was often stark.

Then there were the beaches and boardwalks.

Running on a boardwalk is fun. It is perfectly flat, and the wooden boards offer a little more give than asphalt or concrete. The price for all that comes from the lack of protection from the elements. There is nothing to dim the sun’s blinding rays or to buffer the cold ocean

winds. Nature reigns supreme on the boardwalk, and the arbitrary weather conditions sapped my strength.

By the time I made my way toward the finish line located at the same “Great Lawn” site from the day before, I was spent. I walked and jogged the last few miles, fighting back nausea, but I did finish. I took a moment to savor the scene before I gave in to my exhaustion. I found a nice quiet spot to collapse, and fell sprawled across the boardwalk.

It was not my finest finish, as concerned paramedics came rushing over to check on me. I waved them off and forced myself to stand, more out of a sense of embarrassment than anything else. I staggered forward and made myself eat and drink a little before making my way toward the spot where Christina and I had agreed to meet.

Thus ended my time on the Jersey Shore. To those who dismiss New Jersey, I can tell you I have learned a new respect for the place. It is surprising and different, nothing like what I expected. Beaches and boardwalks and friendly people surround you. It is more than just the butt of jokes or a place to drive through on your way to someplace else. It is a place worth visiting in its own right.

That said, I did meet a lot of guys named Tony, all of whom spoke with that “wise guy” accent, not to mention the fact that they did have great red table wine and Italian food.

I’m just saying that next time you’re in the Garden State, it might not be a bad idea to show some respect to anyone involved in the “Waste Management Consultant” industry. Capiche?

Then there were the beaches and boardwalks.

Sonya Armstrong Tommy Bennett Jamie Byrd, Richard Galiata, Arthur Byrd, Jr. Erich Damm Chris, Marie & Bennett Ford Rachel Harmon Shelley Hunt Kathryn, Brett, Braden, Ella, Abbey & Dylan Jones 25

Ashley King Mark Mastin Samantha Morgan Mandy, Andrew, Mason, Amelia & Marshall Patrick Jennifer Rich Courtney Sievers Jennifer Skinner Tara Todd Griselda Trevino Jennifer Webb Wren Womack

The St. Jude Marathon – It’s personal

By Rome Delasalas

Reasons

I’ve supported St. Jude with Coach Kevin Leathers (St. Jude Heroes National Coach) for a few years. I told myself that I would never run it because I had too much fun supporting other runners from the sidelines. However, I had time, I completed the 2017 Boston Marathon in April and the New York Marathon would be in November 2018.

I had a year and a half to put a marathon somewhere in the schedule.

I remembered the St. Jude kids fighting cancer and St. Jude supporting them and their families. I signed up as a Bronze member. I was all business about my preparation and fundraising efforts. By the end, I didn’t know what was harder, the training or the fundraising. However, I found The author, center in red, with the 3:10 pace team in the 2017 St. Jude Memphis Marathon. both were possible as long as you remembered you weren’t alone and kept trying.

Training and Fundraising

to the “Beast” (RRS 10-miler) and the RRS Half, I felt like I could be on that course longer than most people.

My fundraising wasn’t as great. I was very sluggish. My training seemed so much easier than the fundraising. But, like my training, I followed simple principles such as, “Just Ask, Just Try.” A “No” is fine but a “Yes” is even better. Just like my training, I didn’t go into it alone. My training partner, Scott Rauls, was not just a good runner. He taught me how to be more efficient and successful. It was about the kids. Not just the fundraising, but also the running. Running is not as hard as what those kids have to go through.

A week prior to race day, I found myself down from my goal when I received a message from my Father in the Philippines. He had been an admirer of

The beginning was slow. I started on hills to get my wind back. I also built a stronger chassis by concentrating on my diet, yoga, and strength training.

The road race series brought new challenges and more competitors up to the task of racing faster. I was trying to build speed, but thought endurance was going to push me through at St. Jude.

I concentrated on running long daily and amassed more than 400 miles a month (nearly 500 in October). I wanted to know I could be on a course forever and that time was irrelevant. Speed would take care of itself when scheduled hard workouts came. I wanted the mindset that “I could do this all day.” I perform well in individual road race series events, but when it came 26

Danny Thomas in the 1960s, not only as an entertainer, but as a humanitarian. I would learn that like my father, Mr. Thomas was a devout Catholic and member of the Knights of Columbus dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. I humbly accepted my father’s donation putting me $9.50 above goal. I was ready physically, mentally, and most of all, spiritually.

button after crossing the line and covered it with a sweat band. I would not look or touch it again until the finish.

I stayed on Anthony’s tail, a quick look back and noticed there were 25-30 people in the group. I was surprised that the pace didn’t seem too fast, rather manageable and easy. However, that’s the trick of the marathon. It feels really good at the start because you’re pumped up and want to fly, but to reach your Race weekend goal you need discipline (and faith).

I got my bib (#30340) in the St. Jude Heroes Discipline would be put to the test with a right turn section. I felt very proud of that distinction. It also going into the St. Jude campus. I heard how emotional got me into the Heroes Pasta Dinner. Kevin Leathers and lifting it was to pass all the kids who were fighting spoke for a few moments and gave some profound for their own survival. Previous runners have had advice that I would take into the race. First, “When emotional experiences that caused them to run too fast it gets hard, especially towards the end, how are you or slow, losing track of pace. I intended to look right going to end your story?” Second, “Don’t think, just at Anthony’s back and not pay attention. However, execute.” Armed with those two thoughts, I was ready Anthony started doing “High-Fives” with the kids and for Saturday.

I caught a glimpse of a bald little boy with his brother in a University of Washington garment (my Alma The strategy was simple. Run with the 3:10 pacers.

Mater) cheering us. I got emotional for a moment Simple, right? Well, it would be if, my personal record and refocused on the road (PR) was close, but it was ahead. “I’ll celebrate when actually 3:17:26. To do it, it’s time. This is for you, I’d have to run 7:15 per Kid!” mile for the entire course, which was 17 seconds faster The streets were so than my best marathon familiar; I had run them pace. With faith from Coach with MRTC buddies many Leathers and the St. Jude times. I would see friends Pacers (Anthony and Paxton near Breakaway and from Iowa), I told myself it familiar faces on Poplar was possible and affirmed a and McLean. Seeing belief. all these people I knew strengthened my resolve.

The line was much These people knew me different from Boston. and I was not going to There are no waves but a give them a poor marathon lot of corrals (10 or more). story.

I set myself up behind the Pacer Anthony and his 3:10 The 3:10 pack was very sign in corral 2. I took a still very strong heading look back at the corrals down Madison Street. behind me. With more than However, I knew the Half 12,000 marathoners and half Marathoners would be marathoners, it looked like going left while I went a flock of birds heading out right on Cleveland (mile for migration. Corral 1 (the 11). A quick “Good Luck” elites) took off. Corral 2 from the Pacers and threewould start 60 seconds later. quarters of the pack was gone. There would be six I said my prayer as the of us flying the rest of the Maroon-colored electronic The author finishes the 2017 St. Jude Memphis Marathon 15 miles. board counted down. Go in 3:09:29 time NOW. I hit my start Paxton called out the 27

half way point time, “1:35:02!” I jokingly yelled back, “Dude, you’re letting us down!” The six laughed.

Paxton and Anthony would do everything to get us through. We grooved to my 80’s music playing on my smart phone. I set the playlist for 3:11:50 seconds and all songs were as close to 180 BPM to keep cadence.

Luckily, all six of us were old enough to know each song. One of my goals was to beat my soundtrack (47 Songs).

Into the neighborhoods after Southern Avenue, the first inclination of discomfort started. Again, I didn’t want to think too much. I told myself, “Hey, I’m on mile 19 and I’m only just feeling the discomfort. I’m doing really well.” I would continually take inventory of my status. I would tell myself, “I’m doing really good” often. I would see runners ahead of our pack start dropping or slowing. At least I thought they were slowing, or maybe we were speeding up. Paxton would yell to them to get on board our pace machine and roll with us.

I found exhilaration at Peabody and MLK. I knew that it was going to roll downhill and that there was only five miles left. Now more runners were fading while we were still running strong but had unfortunately dropped two in the flock.

We were inspired by one runner who flew on his own, a magnificent sight.

I was still behind Anthony as things got harder. The dreaded right hamstring started its typical tremor. I reflected on advice from Matt Fitzgerald’s books, “How Bad Do You Want It” and “Brain Training for Runners” — specifically, when it gets hard to focus and disassociate the pain. It will be there, but deal with it. My disassociation was looking at Anthony’s back and the words Pacer on his shirt. I lasered on the “C” on his back when it got hard. That would be my central point and anchor.

Right turn on Danny Thomas, I had practiced the “Paperclip Route” seven times in November. Here I was when it counted, and I was on time! My wife planted herself on the Union Street overpass, I yelled at her, “I’m still here, Baby!” Then, I yelled at Coach Kevin at the Monroe Street overpass, “This is my Gosh Darn Story!” Right turn on Adams Street. I started to slow. Anthony was the only one with me.

Paxton was trying to save the other two pack members who were fading fast. Anthony assured me we were still on pace.

Up Jefferson overpass, the trembling in the hamstring worked its way to the gluteus. I didn’t call on a negative thought, instead I called to Anthony, “Right ham and glute!” He said, “Shorten the stride going up but keep the cadence. Breathe it out nice and slow. Follow and we’ll get there!”

Paxton rejoined us for the last mile. I had the Anthony/Paxton convoy and they were going to get me in. I hit it hard with a right on Beale, then right to AutoZone Park. At the 26-mile marker, Paxton yelled at me in an angry voice, “Rome! Get your butt moving! Run!” On a scale of 1-100 of pain, I was at 99. But that 1% left over was exhilaration. If I’m ahead of my pacers, I’m ahead of my goal. “Fast Feet,” I thought.

Left turn into the park and 25 yards to the line. I raised my hands into a double fist pumps and gave an Eagle’s Cry. I crossed and hit my watch. I had beaten 3:10. Paxton said we made it to 3:09:29 and laughed that I had beaten my marathon’s soundtrack.

More amazingly, I was the last man standing.

A year prior, a good friend (Paul Dinus) ran 3:09:14 accompanied by these same men.

He sent me a photo of him and the 3:10 flag and told me it was one of his prized marathon possessions. Moments after my race, Anthony would hand the 3:10 flag to me as my own keepsake. I’d find out later that I had placed 35th overall of 2897 marathon participants and that I would receive the second-place award in the 45-49 age group.

I hit it hard with a right on Beale, then right to AutoZone Park.

Final thoughts

St. Jude is more than a race. The love I have for it as a volunteer became more intense when I participated. Not just because of the run, but because of the community and the cause.

From my father halfway around the world donating retirement money and friends across the country giving what they could, to local runners and coaches in this great city pushing each other to run better, fundraise more and support each other as human beings with the spirit to save children and our souls.

Preparing, running and fundraising for this race, I was never alone. I couldn’t have asked for a better time to race my best.

28

MARATHON RESULTS

Kirsten Scheel Katharine Calandruccio Zhong Ouyang Brittney Tucker Charles Poole Nathan Berry Neel Gammill Joseph Carney Kevin Jenkins Wade Norris Randy Bogits Richard Carrasco Karl Studtmann Alan Haguewood Colleen Fischman Cybil Huntzinger Jessica Ferguson Nicole Dodson Danny Crossett Craig Covic Sarah Harris Gina Weathersby Jennie Silk Bailey Bell Lisa Hill Colleen Shallow Nikki Simmons Charles Hurst Bob Wilson Tom Bandler Donald Nickelson Troy Tabor Alex Antonian Chris Clothier Scott Stader David Loges

FOR MEMPHIS-AREA RUNNERS Compiled by Sherilyn Huey

Andrew Jackson Marathon Jackson, TN April 7, 2018 Felio Perez Kelly Jo Graves Elizabeth Wilson Gisele Goldstein Tracy Chism Jeremy Parayos George Hernandez Julianne Purdy

Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Germantown, TN Collierville, TN Cordova, TN Germantown, TN Germantown, TN

3:34:09 3:34:36 3:34:48 3:58:54 4:27:03 4:40:41 4:49:54 4:58:15

Boston Marathon Boston, MA April 16, 2018 Matt Weickert Adam Higham James Doan Bret Beauchamp David Huntzinger

Memphis, TN Collierville, TN Collierville, TN Oxford, MS Memphis, TN

Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Cordova, TN Memphis, TN Collierville, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Jackson, TN Germantown, TN Germantown, TN Jackson, TN Germantown, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Hernando, MS Bartlett, TN Jackson, TN Cordova, TN Bartlett, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Jackson, TN Arlington, TN Germantown, TN Olive Branch, MS Germantown, TN Memphis, TN Collierville, TN Memphis, TN Collierville, TN Southaven, MS Germantown, TN Collierville, TN Memphis, TN

3:18:21 3:20:16 3:22:01 3:23:28 3:23:49 3:32:20 3:34:38 3:36:16 3:39:02 3:43:11 3:43:43 3:44:23 3:44:27 3:48:30 3:49:26 3:49:56 3:53:20 3:55:13 3:58:20 3:58:45 4:00:46 4:01:05 4:05:24 4:06:43 4:07:18 4:12:07 4:13:13 4:16:05 4:23:33 4:31:01 4:31:09 4:51:11 4:53:55 5:07:38 5:15:37 5:43:01

Spring Chance BQ.2 Marathon Geneva, IL April 21, 2018

2:36:55 3:10:37 3:11:08 3:12:22 3:12:19

Donny Scallions Danny Scallions

Coldwater, MS Coldwater, MS

Time to renew your MRTC membership?

You can do it at www.memphisrunners.com 29

3:25:33 3:25:33

By Joel Lyons, PT, OCS Knee Health

Leg extensions

I am often asked, “What the best exercise to strengthen the knee?” A better question would be: “What is the best way to keep the knee healthy?” The knee is a joint that really can’t be strengthened. The muscles surrounding the knee can be strengthened, but this is only one part of keeping it healthy.

Other factors go into this process and should not be ignored. Things like flexibility, body weight, appropriate running mileage, appropriate running intensity, correct running shoes and proper rest. In this article I will highlight strengthening exercises that affect the knee and what you should remember when doing them.

This is one of the most commonly used machines in the weight room. It typically can be very helpful even though some professionals debate it because of patellar joint forces. I believe it can be used safely if done properly. I recommend being conservative with how much you bend your knee when performing this exercise. When you sit on a machine to perform knee extensions, don’t start with your knees bent to 90 degrees. Start with them a little straighter. You could start as high 45 degrees which is half way up.

From there begin lifting the weight until your knee is completely straight. Then take three seconds to lower back to the same position you started. Do not use too much weight.

This is one exercise where I believe favoring lighter weight and higher reps is a great idea. Do one leg at a time.

Squats

An exercise that doesn’t require a lot of equipment and is super for the muscles surrounding the knee is squats. It challenges the quads and glutes the most, but also affects the hamstrings and calves. It also helps with stabilization.

Many are fearful of doing squats because of pain behind the kneecap. Proper form cannot be stressed enough when doing them. In the down position the knee must stay behind the toes during a squat. If you look down and can’t see your toes when doing this exercise, you are doing it wrong. The easiest way to train yourself is to simply stand with a chair behind you and sit down in a controlled manner. If you do it slowly you will feel the burn in the quads. Try to stand from that chair and don’t use your hands to help you up.

Later as you get stronger you can hold dumbbells or a kettle bell. If you have crunching in your knee when doing these, try to limit the distance you squat from the standing position. If you continue to have pain, just stop doing this exercise until you get professional help.

Hamstring curls

This is one of the most often forgotten exercises.

It may be because it is one of the most hated. Most people don’t find it comfortable to lie face down on a hamstring machine. Fortunately, many weight rooms now have a seated hamstring curl machine. It is just as effective as the prone machine. The hamstrings

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Do you have some unusual experiences as a runner, or some thoughts about our sport you would like to share?

Don’t keep it to yourself — share with your fellow runners.

You can contact the editor at any time to discuss potential contributions: 901-246-6477 or brentmanley@yahoo.com.

This is your publication. Be an active part of it.

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30

Calf raises

are often neglected. This sets up the potential for a significant strength deficit compared to the antagonistic muscle, the quad. The hams should not be less than half the strength of the quads. I find that many patients with hamstring pulls have terribly weak hams. I am confident they are injured more because of their weakness than their tightness. Just start with light resistance and stay consistent when doing this exercise. You will get stronger and be able to increase the resistance with time. Just please continue to do this exercise.

These are performed by rising up on your tip toes and slowly lowering back to a flat foot. As simple as this exercise is, don’t forget it. You should be able to perform 30 of these on one leg without problems. This not only is good for the knee but also the foot and plantar fascia.

Lunges

Lunges, like squats, are great exercises that must be performed with good form. I recommend backward lunges versus forward lunges.

There have been some reports that backward lunges may create less stress on the knee. The important position to remember when doing the lunge is to make sure the lower leg on the front lower extremity stays vertical when the back leg is in the down position. So to perform the backward lunge simply step back with one leg far enough backward that when you bend that knee, the front leg maintains the position mentioned earlier. The back leg doesn’t have to lower significantly to begin doing this exercise. It is safer to do it with limited motion and no pain in the knee joint than to touch that back knee to the floor and have major pain in it.

You may hold on to a stable object or wall with this exercise until you are steady enough to do it without support.

These are some of the most common exercises to aid the knee. I encourage you to do them three times a week. Each may be performed with a resistance that makes you fatigued after 30 repetitions. Of course, some times that is no weight at all.

Good luck and stay strong!

Hip abductions

Yes, this is an exercise to keep the knee healthy.

I have written about the importance of this exercise previously, and it’s worth repeating.

Hip abduction is a motion in which the entire leg is simply taken away from the midline of the body sideways. This can be accomplish by lying on your side, bend the lower knee for stability, and raise the upper leg toward the ceiling. It’s also been found that if you not only take it straight up, but take it slightly backwards as you are raising it, you will have a better isolation of the proper gluteals muscle.

This exercise can also be accomplished in the gym using cables that have an ankle strap attached to them. Stand sideways to the weight stack and have the strap around the ankle that is farthest from the machine. Raise the leg away from the machine.

Slowly return to the start.

This exercise helps keep the pelvis level when standing on one leg.

When running, if the pelvis isn’t level, stresses are created throughout several areas, including the knee.

This is one of the most important exercises a runner can do.

31

Run with a Group Do you need some help in finding a running group or are you interested in starting your own group? Contact MRTC Coordinator of Running Groups, DJ Watson: djw@virtualmvp.com.

Sunday morning

Monday afternoon

Tuesday morning

Run: Germantown

Run: FIT4MOM Run Club Time: 9:30 a.m.

Location: Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (6903 Great View Drive North) Distance: 5K training Contac: Amy Earnest amykearnest@ gmail.com or visit www.memphis.fit4mom.com 8-wk session March 19th - May 12th

Run: Fitness Plus Lunch Run Time: 11:45 a.m.

Place: Fitness Plus, 2598 Corporate Ave. off Nonconnah between Millbranch and Democrat Distance: 7 miles Contact: Rick Ellis, 901-345-1036 Showers and extras available. Access to Fitness Plus facilities free to runners on group run day

Monday afternoon

Tuesday afternoon

Thoroughbreds

Time: 6:30 a.m. - (June thru Sept.); 7 a.m. - (Oct. thru May) Place: Panera Bread 7850 Poplar Avenue, Germantown Distance: 4, 7, 12.5 (or more) miles Contact: Charles Hurst 901-491-2096 or churst9676@gmail.com Water stops provided on the course.

Big fun group with all paces.

Run: Cool Runnings Time: 7 a.m.

Place: Shelby Farms Visitor Center, lower parking lot Distance: 10+ miles Contact: bostonbear13@gmail.com Run: iMARG: Indian Memphis

Association Runners Group

Time: 7 a.m. on weekends (mostly Sunday) Place: Johnson Park, Collierville Distance: 3.1 to 20 miles Contact: Sheshu Belde 901-413-4456 Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/indianmemphis.runnersgroup

MRTC bad-weather policy

MRTC contracts to provide finish-line services at local races. When there is inclement weather, the race director has the option to postpone or cancel the race and is responsible for notifying the MRTC and participants. In the event of a cancellation, rescheduling is unlikely because of the number of races already on the MRTC calendar.

For MRTC races (the Road Race Series, the Winter Cross Country Race Series and the Hill & Dale 8-miler), the policy is that the race will go on, rain or shine. The start of a race may be delayed to let bad weather pass, but scheduled races will be run.

Run: Fleet Feet Coed Fun Run Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Fleet Feet, 4530 Poplar Ave. (Laurelwood Shopping Center) Distance: 3, 5 and 7 miles Contact: Eric Flanders, 901-761-0078 Run: Southaven Striders Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Central Park (Tchulahoma entrance, east side of park) Distance: 3-5 mi. (9- to 12-min. miles) Contact: Kyle McCoy, 901-299-8630 Kalmac220@gmail.com Angie McCoy, 901-233-0168 anggail09@gmail.com

Run: Track House Workout Time: 6 p.m.

Place: U of M Old Field House Track Distance: Various workouts Contact: Paul Sax, 901-276-5758 Run: Black Men Run Memphis Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Varies. Check https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/425282507588975/ for location Distance: Usually five miles Contact: Shannon Chisenga, 215-834-4687; shannon.chisenga@blkmenrun.com

Run: Salty Dogs of

Bardog Tavern

Time: 7 p.m.

Place: Bardog Tavern, 73 Monroe Ave., downtown Distance: 3-5 miles run through historic downtown Memphis and afterward enjoy food, drink and camaraderie.

Contact: Jessica Grammer, 901-734-5731 or jessgrammer@gmail.com

LifeGreen Checking 1.800.regions | regions.com/green © 2009 Regions Bank.

32 REL-TN-P91348 RoadRunners.indd 1

6/9/09 2:06:05 PM

Wednesday morning

Thursday afternoon

Run: Cordova Early Birds Time: 5:30 a.m.

Place: Breakaway Running store on Germantown Parkway and St. Philip Church at Davies Plantation (alternating weeks) Distance: 5 miles Details: Meets year-round if road conditions permit Contact: cordovaearlybirds@gmail.com

Run: Breakaway Running Time: 6 p.m. Beginners group Place: Breakaway Midtown 2109 Madison Contact: Barry, 901-722-8797 or 901-754-8254

Run: Fleet Feet Time: 6 p.m.

Fleet Feet hosts individualized speedwork sessions including track and tempo workouts for runners Run: Southaven Striders Time: 6 a.m. who want to get a little quicker.

Place: Central Park in Southaven No fees.

(Tchulahoma ent., east side of park) Contact: Feb at 761-0078 or lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com Distance: 3-5 miles (9- 12-minute miles) Contact: Kyle McCoy, 901-299-8630 or kalmac220@gmail.com

Saturday morning

Wednesday afternoon Run: Breakaway Running Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Wolf River Store 1223 Germantown Pkwy.

Contact: Barry, 901-722-8797 or 901-754-8254 Run: Midtown Run Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Corner of Madison and Tucker, across from Huey’s Distance: 6 miles

Run: Breakaway Running Breakaway’s Marathon and Half Marathon Training Group meets each Saturday morning through December to help prepare our friends for the St. Jude Marathon.

Check website or Facebook page for location and time. Join us!

722-8797 for more info.

Run: Black Men Run Memphis Time: 6 a.m.

Place: Code Enforcement, Farm Road at Mullins Station Run: Bartlett UMC Distance: Varies Time: 6 p.m.

Contact: Shannon Chisenga, Place: Bartlett United Methodist Church, 215-834-4687; 5676 Stage Road; group meets in shannon.chisenga@blkmenrun.com the gym lobby Run: Fleet Feet Distance: Varies Time: 7 a.m.

Contact: Sam Thompson, Place: 4530 Poplar (Laurelwood Center) 901-386-2724 or Fleet Feet hosts long runs on Saturday sthompson@bartlettumc.org mornings geared toward upcoming races. Many distance options are Run: Bartlett Run available.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Call 761-0078 or email Place: W.J. Freeman Park, lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com 2629 Bartlett Blvd. for more information.

Distance: 4-6 miles Contact: Paul “Spunky” Ireland h. 901-388-5009 c. 901-826-7496 or paulireland@att.net

www.memphisrunners.com 33

Note: This information is provided as a courtesy in an effort to help MRTC members enhance their running experiences. MRTC encourages members to run with groups of their choice, but the listed running groups/group runs are independent and not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the MRTC. The club makes no representation that the information provided is accurate. Persons who wish to participate in activities with these groups should contact the individuals listed for further information and participate at their own risk.

Run: FIT4MOM Run Club Time: 8 am Location: Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (6903 Great View Drive North) Distance: 5K training Contac: Amy Earnes amykearnest@gmail.com or visit www.memphis.fit4mom.com 8-wk session March 19th - May 12th Run: Run & Play Time and Place: meet the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at various locations in town (see website for each month’s location) This group is geared for moms with strollers and/or toddlers.

Info: www.seemommyrun.com/tn/ Run: Mommies on the Move Time: 9 a.m.

Place: Shelby Farms Visitors Center Details: For mothers with strollers and toddlers Contact: www.seemommyrun.com/tn Run: DAC Fitness Collierville Time: 9:30 a.m.

Distance: from 5K beginner to half marathon training at various paces Contact: Heather Nichols 651-1065 or Brandy Heckmann 443-653-0385

Various Days Run: Tipton County Road Dawgs Time: Friend us on Facebook under Road Dawgs and check posting of upcoming runs, usually on Sat. a.m.

Place: Check Facebook Distance: All distances, all ages, all paces. Runs are in Tipton County and north Shelby County Contact: djroaddawg@yahoo.com

Race Calendar Date & Time: Thursday, May 24, 6:30 p.m.

Race name: Zoom Thru The Zoo 4-Miler Location: Memphis Zoo Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Sunday, July 29, 7 a.m.

Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial

Road Race Series 2nd 5K Location: Cancer Survivors Park

(east end of Audubon Park) Contact: www.memphisrunners.com

Date & Time: Sunday, June 3, 6:30 a.m.

Race name: Navy Ten Nautical Miler Location: 7915 Memphis Ave., Millington Contact: www.thenavy10nm.com (see facing page)

Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 4, 8 a.m.

Race name: Miles for Melanoma 5K Location: Shelby Farms Park, Pine Lake Drive Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Saturday, June 9, 7 p.m.

Race name: Orion 5K Location: 4th and MLK Blvd. Downtown Contact: See ad on page 12 Date & Time: Friday, June 15, 6:30 p.m.

Race name: Memphis Farmers Market Crop Hop 5K Location: G.E. Patterson and Front Street downtown Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Saturday, June 16, 8 a.m.

Race name: Mutt Strut 5K Location: N82 Gym, 7590 Memphis Ave. Millington Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 11, 8 a.m.

Race name: Elvis Presley International 5K Location: Graceland, 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd.

Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Sunday, Aug. 12, 7 a.m.

Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial

Road Race Series 1st 5-Miler Location: Freeman Park, Bartlett Contact: www.memphisrunners.com Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 18, 8 a.m.

Race name: Celebrate Munford 5K Location: Centennial Park, Munford Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Saturday, June 23, 8:30 a.m.

Race name: Love Well 5K Location: 6325 Humphreys Blvd.

Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Sunday, Aug. 26, 7 a.m.

Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial

Road Race Series 2nd 5-Miler Location: Freeman Park, Bartlett Contact: www.memphisrunners.com

Date & Time: Saturday, July 14, 8 a.m.

Race name: Hope 5K Location: Hope Church, 8500 Walnut Grove, Cordova Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 8, 8 a.m.

Contact: www.racesonline.com Race name: Women Run/Walk Memphis 5K Date & Time: Sunday, July 15, 7 a.m.

Open only to program participants Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial

and coaches

Road Race Series 1st 5K Location: Cancer Survivors Park Location: Cancer Survivors Park

(east end of Audubon Park)

(east end of Audubon Park) Contact: www.memphisrunners.com Contact: www.memphisrunners.com Date & Time: Sunday, Sept. 9, 7 a.m.

Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Date & Time: Saturday, July 21, 8 a.m.

Race name: Design-A-Wish 5K

Road Race Series 1st 10K Location: Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Location: Shelby Farms Park, near horse stables Contact: www.racesonline.com Contact: www.memphisrunners.com 34

Memphis Runners Track Club P.O. Box 17981 Memphis, TN 38187-0981

Non-Profit Org U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MEMPHIS, TN Permit No. 960

Young runners have a field day.

See page 12.