The Roadrunner - June 2019 by Memphis Runners Track Club

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

June 2019 • Vol. 39, No. 5

Keshia Williams Women Run/Walk Memphis graduate and now an accomplished runner Registration for 2019 WRWM is open. Details, and Keshia’s story, on page 5

THE ROADRUNNER

In This Issue From the Editor’s Desk

Message from the President (by John Payne) Nutrition on the Run (by Ashley Ludlow) A publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club June 2019 Vol. 39, No. 5

For women only (the 2019 Women Run/Walk Memphis program)

Death does a DNF (by Brian Williams)

Those Yellow cones (by Glenn Munson)

50-miles? Seriously? Well, okay (by Rob Rayder)

Run for a good cause (by Joe Birch)

Overton Park surprise (by Peter Mercredi and Danielle Arristide) Marathon results (compiled by Millie Jackson) Group runs

Race Calendar

34 36

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On the cover Keshia Williams with the trophy she earned in her “graduation” 5K. Her story, including some of her running accomplishments, starts on page 5.

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Ad Sizes and Rates Ad Size Price 6 Months One Year One Page $325 $290/mo $250/mo 1/2 Page $250 $220/mo $190/mo Cover Advertising Rates: Inside front or inside back cover: $450 per insertion Back cover: $600 per insertion A one-page ad is single side of a two-sided page. The front and back of a page is considered a two-page ad. Contact the editor for details about multiple-month insertions. Specifications for Submitted Art Full page ad with bleed: 8.75 x 11.25” Full page live area: 7.75" x 10.1875" Full page ad, no bleed: 7.75” x 10.1875” Half page horizontal ad: 7.75” x 5.25” Half page vertical ad: 3.75” x 10.1875” • Preferred formats are PDF, JPG or TIF. • Resolution should be 300 dpi minimum, at actual size. • Color format: CMYK (not RGB) • Photos/images must be embedded, and fonts must be embedded or outlined. • Payment must accompany ad copy.

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.

Article Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to the editor as Microsoft Word or text attachments. Please include name and telephone number with submissions. Photographs should be labeled with names, dates, locations and any other pertinent information. For more information about guidelines and deadlines for submitting articles to the Roadrunner, contact the editor.

MRTC Board of Directors 2018-2019 OFFICERS President/ Special Projects/Results John Payne 901-494-8266 johncharlespayne@comcast.net

Volunteer Director Nancy Brewton volunteeringwithnancy@ gmail.com 901-237-4758

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

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

Treasurer Lorrie Williams brianbwilliamsmrtc@gmail.com

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 Past President/Special Projects/Legal Matters George F. Higgs 901-528-1111 ghiggs@stonehiggsdrexler.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 Peter Mercredi Director Dennese Black

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 Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

Meaningful words

interesting, exciting, even dangerous running adventures. In the 13-plus years that I have been editor of this publication, I have welcomed many contributions that came to me out of the blue. It always pleases me to receive those because it’s my firm belief that there are too many untold stories out there. I hope one day to see a change in that area Only a couple of days ago, I attended a dinner organized by Donna’s company for the staff and the many clients that HWA International has all over North America. At the table where we sat, we discovered one of our dinner companions is married to a marathon runner. Daniel told us he runs occasionally, but his wife is the serious runner. I told him about the St. Jude Memphis Marathon and we committed to hosting him and his wife at our home should she decide to run that race one day (they live in Vancouver BC). I warned him that I would be encouraging her to write about the experience for the Roadrunner. I also promised to send him a copy of the Jan-Feb 2018 issue of the magazine, which contains another of the finest stories ever printed. It was written by Amanda Lawrence, who lives in Blairsville GA. I met her in November 2017 as we ran the Chickamauga (GA) Battlefield Marathon. As we ran along, I told Amanda about MRTC (she was impressed) and the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. I also told her about what happens at St. Jude day in and day out and how much the work done there means to children with cancer and to their families. About a week after I had returned to Memphis, I received an email from Amanda advising me that what I told her inspired her to sign up for the St. Jude Marathon. I immediately wrote back, urging her to write about her experience for the magazine. I wrote again in early 2018 to tell her that I was congratulating myself for convincing her to write the article she sent in. I plan to re-run that story this year in the issue promoting the 2019 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. I can’t read it without an emotional reaction. If Amanda is not a writer by profession, she has missed her calling.

– Amelia Earhart

Donna, my wife, loves to tell the story about how I convinced a young Memphis couple to write an article for the Roadrunner. I’m not bragging when I say it was one of the best articles I have ever published in this magazine. It was summer 2011. Donna and I had made our way to baggage claim at Memphis International Airport. As we stood there looking for our luggage, I spotted a young man wearing a t-shirt with the words, “Midnight Sun Marathon – Tromsø Norway.” I wasted no time approaching Jon Korneliussen to talk to him about the marathon. Before we were through talking, I had a commitment from Jon and Kristin, his wife, to write about their experience in the far north of Norway (Tromsø is above the Arctic Circle). What amazed Donna about the encounter is that I had to point out that the Roadrunner is a publication for and about MRTC members. Jon and Kristin were happy to join the club so their story could be told. The photos that accompanied the article were supplied by the Korneliussens and were excellent. It’s a shame the Roadrunner at that time was not the fullcolor publication it is today. One of the shots showed the Korneliussens with their finisher medals in what appeared to be broad daylight. The photo was taken at 1 a.m. in Tromsø. Regular readers of this magazine have probably seen my appeals for sending in those stories of

Roadrunner deadlines for 2019

November issue - Oct. 8 July-August - June 4 September - August 6 December - Nov. 12 Jan.-Feb. 2020 - Dec. 17 October - Sept. 10 If you have questions about advertising or article contributions, write to the editor: brentmanley@yahoo.com 1

A Message from the President By John Payne It’s hard to believe I am coming up on the end of my second time around as president. It’s been a great two years, but it is time for someone else to take the lead. I have said it before, but it can’t be said enough – this job has been made easy with all the hard-working people on the board, our excellent administrative secretary and all of the selfless volunteers who come out weekend after weekend. We really do have one of the best running communities in the world right here in Memphis and it wouldn’t be possible without all of the runners, volunteers and running stores that support the community. As the weather warms up, it looks like spring is about to be a thing of the past. We just wrapped up our MRTC Kids! Spring Session under the inspirational leadership of Dayna Lytle. We had another record year for this important program, with 252 kids registered for the spring session. The graduation races were held at CBHS this year and we had a fine turnout. We were attempting to time the 1-mile and 2-mile runners this year, but there were complications that kept it from happening, and I apologize for that. We learned a lot and will try again next session in the fall. If you have kids and they haven’t participated in this program, I strongly encourage you to get them signed up so they can learn all about the sport we all love. Thanks so much to Dayna and all the volunteer coaches who came out each Saturday to teach these kids all about NAPS (Nutrition, Activity, Perseverance and Self-esteem). Summer will be here before we know it and that means we kick off two of our biggest events of the year. First, Women Run Walk Memphis, under dynamic leadership of Allison Andrassy and Anne Forbus, kicks off with the Expo on June 24. Training starts July 8 and run every Monday evening through Aug. 26. The graduation 5K will be held on Sept. 7.

New this year, it will be held at Hope Presbyterian Church. If you are looking to improve your running or you are just getting started and are new to the sport, sign up now and some of our great volunteer coaches will be happy to help you out. Summer also brings the E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series, starting in July. If you have never run in the road race series, you are really missing 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 is only $75 for 10 races. If you are not a member, then you should just sign up and it will save you $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. For your entry fee of $75 (if you are a member) you get all 10 races, a series t-shirt, entry into our holiday party in January, and if you run one of each distance or six total races, you will get a finisher garment. This award changes every year and could be anything from a gear bag to a hooded sweatshirt. Also, for those who are up to the challenge, if you run all 10 races you will get the coveted Road Warrior trophy. Just go to memphisrunners.com and you will find more information and how to sign up. With both of these programs, we require a large number of volunteers. With the road race series, there is a job for just about anyone. If you have never volunteered, this is a great way to get into volunteering with the MRTC. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Julianne Tutko (mrtc.rrs. volunteers@gmail.com). She will get you signed up to help out. We also need coaches for the Women Run/ Walk Memphis program. With all the groups, there

... there is a place for anyone interested in helping out ...

(continued on page 24)

Ashley Ludlow

MS, RD, CSG, ACE-CHC, LDN, FAND The Sneakiness of Sugar

A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but if you consume too much too often, it can lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and even strokes. In November 2013, for the first time ever, the American Heart Association (AHA) released guidelines to give people an idea of what a healthy daily sugar intake really is. There are really two main types of sugars found in food: naturally occurring and added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are the sugars that are already in the food. No sugar is added to make them sweeter. Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, lowfat dairy and whole grains don’t need to be avoided and make up an important part of a healthy diet. These foods are chock full of vitamins, minerals and healthy fiber. It is the added sugars, such as high-fructose corn syrup or ordinary table sugar that have been added to sodas, condiments, breads, cookies and other processed foods, which are likely responsible for the increase in calorie consumption and the subsequent rise in obesity in the past few decades. Over the past 30 years, our calorie intake has increased dramatically. On average, we consume approximately 150 to 300 more calories per day than we used to, with half of those extra calories coming from beverages. Unfortunately, we have not increased our physical activity to burn off these excess calories. The average American consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily, which is well over the amount we should be taking in. According to the AHA guidelines, we should really be eating a fraction of that amount. The recommended sugar intake for adult women is 5 teaspoons (20 grams) of sugar per day, for adult men, it’s 9 teaspoons (36 grams) daily/ For

children, it’s 3 teaspoons (12 grams) a day. And when we eat more sugar, we often get less of vital nutrients we need, such as zinc, iron, calcium and vitamin A. Finding added sugars in food isn’t always easy because on the Nutrition Facts Panel, the line for “sugars” includes both added and natural sugars, such a milk sugar (lactose) or fruit sugar (fructose). Therefore, until the Nutrition Facts panel changes to reflect natural and added sugars, it is important to read the ingredients list to see if the food contains added sugars. Names for added sugars on labels include: • Agave Syrup • Brown sugar • Cane sugar • Corn sweetener • Corn syrup • Fruit-juice concentrate • High-fructose corn syrup • Honey • Invert sugar • Malt sugar • Molasses • Raw sugar • Sugar • Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose) • Syrup One of the best and easiest way to decrease added sugars in your diet is to cut down on processed foods as much as possible. Use these simple tips from the American Heart Association to reduce sugar in your diet: 1. Remove sugar (white and brown), syrup, honey and molasses from the table — out of sight, out of mind! 2. Cut back on the amount of sugar added to things you eat or drink regularly like cereal, pancake, coffee (Continued on page 29)

Finding added sugars in food isn't always easy ...

Awarding-winning women’s program returns – Training starts July 8 The Women Run/Walk Memphis program, selected in 2010 by the Road Runners Club of America as the top running program for beginners, kicks off June 24 with an expo at the FedEx Events Center at Shelby Farms Park. Training starts July 8 from 5-7 p.m. for runners in the beginning, intermediate and advanced groups. Walkers will start training in their own group the same day. What follows are testimonials from women who have completed the WRWM training and gone on to impressive achievements in their newly adopted sport. For information about registration and further description of the features of the program, visit www.memphisrunners.com.

Keshia Williams likes training – and she likes to compete.

Me? A runner? Yes, it’s true! By Keshia Williams In March of 2009 I made a decision that impacted my life in ways I never imagined: I quit smoking. Cigarettes and I had been friends since I was 18. I always knew it was not good for me, but it was so easy to always have that instant stress reliever right by my side. Fortunately, my husband and I and two friends chose March 21, 2009, as the day we would all quit smoking. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but to this day I have not smoked another cigarette. After the initial cravings and anxiety passed, I was noticing that my clothes were starting to feel a tad snug and I felt sluggish. 5

I was never interested in dieting, so I started exercising more. It was around this time that a friend of mine started talking to me about joining the MRTC’s Women Run/ Walk Memphis program. I was like, “You want me, who has never been athletic, to start running? … and you want me to start in – (GULP) – the summer?!? In Memphis?!?” Well, eventually I did register, and I had no idea what an impact it would have on me. During my first session, I ran into a runner I knew well from the library. I had been her children’s librarian since some of them were in diapers. That person is the infamous Beth Garrison. We have been running buddies ever since. If I had a nickel for every mile we have run together, I could buy us all a new pair of running shoes! That first group run (I was with the intermediates) was a killer. I thought for sure my lungs were going to fall out right there on the Chickasaw trail. I realized I had a lot of work to put in if I wanted to be a runner. I started out running a block, then walking a block in my neighborhood, slowly building up my endurance. I am fairly certain that I did not miss a single training session that brutally hot summer and I stuck to the training plan provided by the women’s program. The running eventually got a lot easier, and before I knew it, I was running without stopping for a walk break. At the graduation 5K that September, I placed third in my age group. I could not believe it. I still cannot believe it. The former band geek is an actual award-winning runner?!? I have not stopped running since. That December, I ran my first St. Jude Half Marathon. Not long after that, I ran the Germantown Half Marathon. Then I started signing up for races out of town – New Orleans, Savannah and Nashville. The distances keep getting longer and I eventually took the plunge and ran my first St. Jude Marathon on Dec. 3, 2011. I have since run six more marathons and more than 20 half marathons. We are so fortunate in Memphis that we have such a vibrant running community. One of the first running groups I ran with is the Midtown Wednesday night group. It was pretty much just me and a group of well-seasoned gentlemen who taught me so much about running. With encyclopedic knowledge of the sport, they encouraged and coached me into

becoming a better runner. Later on, I got a little braver and joined larger groups like the one at Breakaway Running. I have run with the Thursdaynight Breakaway group and the Memphis Hash House Harriers. I am glad to call lots of folks I have met through running good friends. It’s not about the miles that we spend together, it’s about the special bonds we make along the way. Running also led me to other forms of exercise. Cross training is very important, y’all! I have come to love yoga, kayaking and leading fitness classes. I am so lucky that I have the opportunity to lead four classes a week. Three of those are offered to my coworkers at the Memphis Public Library. It is a voluntary role that I am glad to provide alongside my normal librarian duties. I also teach Tabata Tuesdays at 7 p.m. every week downtown. The WRWM program was so beneficial to me that I have been coaching with the program for quite a while. This year will be my 10th anniversary working with this program. It is very rewarding to help other runners find the confidence they need to attain their goals. Coaching also helps me aspire to be a stronger runner. In 2014, I became an RRCA-certified running coach to help me coach more effectively. These days, I find myself running trails a lot more often. How lucky I am that I live in the middle of a city but I can head out my back door and run trails for hours on end. Overton Park is such a great asset to Memphis. Every time I run in the park, I thank the band of citizens who fought tooth and nail for years to prevent an interstate highway from running right through the middle of it. I have a new coach of sorts who is always eager to run on these gorgeous trails – a foster fail pup. Nothing will motivate you to run faster than a dog with a ton of energy. My advice to all runners, no matter the expertise, is to not take your running seriously all the time. Yes, it is important to train and train well, but every now and then, ditch the tech. Run for the joy of it. I am so grateful for that friend who talked me into registering for the Women Run/Walk Memphis program a decade ago. It’s really hard to believe it has been that long. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun.

Running also led me to other forms of exercise.

My best decision By Danielle Nickum Hello, runners! I would love to share my story about how I became a runner. It is, hands down, the best decision I have ever made in my life. I was fairly active, mainly walking and hiking until I turned 40. That was the year that my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. This turned my life upside down. I moved her into my home and cared for her for 10 years until her death. Besides work, I was my mother’s caregiver all the remaining hours and days. I would never trade a single day of it, but a major side effect was I was not getting any exercise. I gained 20 pounds and felt very unhealthy. After my mother’s death, my wonderful friend, Anne Forbus, encouraged me to start running. I nervously registered for WRWM in 2015 in the beginner group. I can’t tell

you how much fun it is! Every coach was so encouraging and patient. They made me enjoy the running experience and made sure I knew how to train properly to improve my runs and avoid injuries. Without WRWM, I think I would have given up. Runners are a huge support group and one big family in Memphis! I love, love, love running now and wish I had started years before! Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity, ladies! You will gain so much by joining WRWM: health, energy, amazing friends, and the thrill of crossing the finish line!”

Former beginner, now coach, has a mantra: “You can do it.” By Brent Manley

When Anne Borst, another graduate of MRTC’s Women Run/Walk Memphis program, started out in the program as a beginner 12 years ago, she might have had a few doubts about her decision to sign up. When she took the plunge, training for new runners was done near the camp ground at the Agricenter. It was then, as it is now, a sultry summer day. “I thought it was really hard,” she recalls. “It was hot and the sun was in my eyes.” Despite the conditions and her lack of experience, Borst persisted. “I learned that you can do it.” That’s a lesson she has carried with her as a volunteer coach for the women’s program, and she often recommends WRWM to prospective new runners. Borst, 63, grew up on a farm in central Iowa. She was born with an abnormality in her heart and was told from an early age not to run. After moving to Memphis in 1992, she occasionally read about the WRWM program in the Commercial Appeal “and I wished I could do it.” In 1995, she had her heart problem fixed and turned her attention to becoming a runner “I finally decided to do it,” she says. Since she finished the women’s eight-week

training program, Borst has completed 10 half marathons and has been a Road Warrior Twice in MRTC’s road race series. She runs nowadays Anne Borst in the shirt she whenever she can. Borst works for Picker wore in her first Women Run/ Walk Memphis “graduation” Wealth Advisors and has 5K in 2007. a license to trade stocks and bonds. When she can find the time, she often runs in her neighborhood in the Hunter’s Walk subdivision in Bartlett. “If you run,” she says, “people look out for you. I’ve had older women come out while I’m running and say, ‘I wish I could do what you’re doing.’ ” Among the benefits of her new hobby are better eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Borst now enjoys health and fitness with another big plus: looking the way she feels. “People,” she says, “sometimes think you’re younger than you are.” 7

Praise for the coaches By Cori Sackett WRWM is a great program. I am not a runner. I tried it, I didn’t hate it, but I never liked it. I have a bunch of runner friends who always seemed to be going and doing things. I admit that I felt left out, so last year, when Anne Forbus told me that the women’s program had a walker group, I couldn’t wait to join. Health-wise, I feel that as a walker I get almost the same cardio benefits that my running friends get, and walking is easier on my joints. But the real benefit is the great support you get just for showing up. The coaches never make you feel bad or embarrassed with where you are starting. They are so encouraging and genuinely concerned for each of us. They are really excited to share their love of walking or running. I saw a couple of my coaches as I was doing one of

Corina Sackett, right, with Sheryl Minear, left, and Sarah Simmons. my “homework” walks, and even when they were “off the clock,” they were cheering me on. I still don’t even try to keep up with my runner friends, but now I can get out and be as excited as they are to cross that finish line, and I know they are waiting and cheering me on. I hope to meet many new friends this year!

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FUELING RUNNERS TO P.R.ʼS ONE BOWL AT A TIME

How I survived the Georgia Death Race 2019 “Everybody wants to go to heaven and yet nobody wants to die.”

– Unknown

By Brian Williams The Georgia Death Race is an insanely difficult yet quirky mountain race in North Georgia. It is a point-to-point race of about 74 miles with more than 20,000 feet of elevation gain. It traverses the mountains from Vogel State Park to Amicalola Falls State Park and you have only 24 hours to complete the course. During the entire race, you must carry a race pack with a laundry list of survival gear and one rusty railroad spike. Race Director Run Bum will tell you he designed this course to prove to the rest of the country that the East The Memphis group at the Georgia Death race:The author (Brian Coast has some of the hardest trails in the Williams), Michael Hirons, Sarah Hirons (crew), Danari Fowlkes and nation. It is also the only golden ticket race (seated) Sean Hilsdon and Jack Tucker. on the East Coast for entry into the Western States 100-mile endurance run. There is no way to describe the logistics leading view of the mountains as the race director, dressed up to race day or the amount of preparation that goes as Hulk Hogan, gave us our last-minute instructions into something like the on how to die in a horrible Georgia Death Race. It and undignified fashion. The takes months of hard, lighthearted talk added levity to calculated training, what everyone knew was going to travel plans and crew be a long, hard day in the woods. planning. Not only do They had a man dressed as the you have to qualify Grim Reaper walking around for the race, you then taking photos with all the runners. have to lottery into the Lorrie took the pacer bib that said event, fulfill an eight-hour trail workday requirement, “Nobody” and pinned it to her shirt and got several and then stay healthy while training months ahead of priceless photos. race day. I have run many an ultra where you drive the We arrived at the starting line in Vogel State Park night before, run the day of the race and drive back at about 4:15 the next morning. We had to check in directly after finishing. I call that stealth racing. You again and were handed the railroad spikes we had to are in and out before the family realizes you are gone. carry with us to the finish line. If you made it to the That was simply not possible for GDR. It took a village, end, you got to throw your spike in a coffin and receive including sacrifices from many friends and Lorrie, my your finisher’s item – a railroad spike with Georgia wife, to even get me to the starting line. Death Race engraved on it. The tension at the start The night before the race, we had a mandatory was palpable. There was almost none of the joking meeting and gear check-in at the finish line. They had and laughing that normally accompanies the start of set up hundreds of chairs on the balcony of Amicalola an ultra. We were shuffled out into the dark park road Falls hotel and visitor center. We had the most amazing just before 5 a.m. We turned our headlamps on, found

The tension at the start was palpable.

the dark in the first few miles. The other notable difference in the trails was the fact that they did not really have any switchbacks. Switchbacks help lower the grade of the climb and make things much easier on the runner. The GDR trail had what I call up and overs. You simply go straight up one side, over the mountain, and straight down the other side. Your feet are stuffed in the fronts of your shoes while you try to maintain a controlled fall. We would be repeating that process all day long. Neither Sean Hilsdon nor I had a “Nobody/ Pacer” to run with later in the race, but we have been so successful staying together during the last few ultras that we decided this time we would be at each other’s sides or die. Unless, of course, it looked like one of us would not finish or we would not get our lottery qualification time to Western States. We quickly got into our familiar routine of moving at a strong comfortable pace no matter the terrain. We went up and over many climbs, ran many off-canter ridges, and jumped downed trees slowly and steadily, putting more and more distance behind us while also getting farther away from the race cut times. At about mile 18, I stepped on something buried under the leaves on the trail. I went down Superman style, hands stretched out in front and landing on my chest. My left foot turned over 90 degrees and blew out my ankle. Over the years, I have turned my ankle many times and I knew this one was worse than most. Two things saved me from having to drop from the race right on the spot. First, I was already having foot trouble, and the night before, Lorrie made me stop at Walgreens and buy an ankle brace. She told me I was not allowed to start the race if I could not figure out a way to run with the brace on. Thank you, Honey! Second, over the years I have developed what I call trail ankles. When you run trails long enough your feet become stronger and your joints become more flexible and recover from rolls faster than most others. Sean heard me go down and turned around to help me up and ask if I was okay. I told him that I was not really sure if I was okay, but I knew from experience the best way to recover is to start running as soon as possible after any issue. You worry about the

The author’s wife, Lorrie, with the Grim Reaper. a comfortable spot in the crowd and waited to be set free. Right before the gun went off to start the race, we recited the Run Bum motto and swore that we were here to have fun. Then it was on. Once we started running, the nervous chatter and banter started almost immediately. At the .1-mile mark, I remember saying loud enough that everyone around me could hear me that we only had to do that about 740 more times and we would be finished. It got the laughs that I was looking for and I started to relax into the race. GDR hits you with climbing right off the bat. The first major climb was up over 2,500 feet – and we were in the dark the entire time. To put that in perspective, most ultra runners around here have run Sylamore In Arkansas. The largest climb at Sylamore is 250 feet. GDR had you doing that 10 times in

GDR hits you with climbing right off the bat.

damage when you stop. I gingerly put weight on my the cuts for the race loosened up a little. We ran with a foot and limped forward. About 100 yards later, I was purpose and desire to see our crew at mile 46 and the running with a limp and about a quarter mile after that Winding Stairs Aid station. the pain was gone and I was running like nothing ever I was having a low spot on the last two miles happened. before getting to that aid station. It was all I could do At mile 20, we turned right on a trail and started to grind out the long, low-grade hill that led to friendly running on an extended downward slope. For an entire faces. Once I was there, I was surrounded by friends mile, we crashed down the mountain, then, all of a and helpful volunteers. Lorrie gave me two leftover sudden, we heard people. It was the first aid station cheeseburgers from McDonald’s, and I was in heaven. where you could see your crew. There were hundreds For the first time all day, we took our time. We knew of people there cheering and clapping, making every where we were on the clock, but we needed a second single runner feel like a professional. It was an to regroup and prepare for the next 30 or so miles to incredible feeling after the finish. Run Bum had being isolated for the warned everyone about five hours of suffering what to expect from this we had endured to get point to the finish. there. Lorrie stuffed His exact words a ton of food in me were, “After you leave and taped up a blister Winding Stairs you already forming on my will encounter a lot of toe. Within minutes, douche-grade gravel Sean and I were headed road and you are going back up the mountain to think this will help to connect back with you. It will not. It will the trail. be painful and feel like The next 20 or so it goes on forever before miles of trails were you get back onto trail, some of the most and by that point it will remote and beautiful be dark and you will be trails I have ever had in the most technical the privilege to be on. section. It is going to Every turn presented hurt. Then the last punch a different view of in the face will be the endless mountains. The mile stair climb to the ridgeline running was top of the water fall.” incredible, and the tops Packs refilled with water of the mountains had and food, we set out for a unique feel to them. the Jake Bull aid station. The tops of the Georgia This section of the Mountains all looked day went by fast. Sean like the trees had been and I got a second wind in an endless war with and most of the run was The author enjoying a cheeseburger at the Winding Stair aid the weather. downhill. Even in our station. tired state, we started Even if you could clicking off some fast miles. For the first time in several not see that you were almost to the top of the mountain, hours, we were cruising along. The trail was a soft you always knew. You felt more exposed and the wind reddish clay that had the feel of a fast, down-mountain picked up. You could hear the beaten trees cracking bike trail. We were running fast enough that on the turns and sheading branches. At one point, we even heard an we used the outside bank of the trail to tilt around the entire tree break and fall in the distance. Sean laughed corner without having to slow down. From the middle and said that answers the age-old question for him. We of this section to the end of the race, Run Bum had put pushed forward fast and relentlessly, knowing that the up random signs. Some of them were just funny, but key to finishing would be to get past mile 40, where 11

I did not want to be lost in the dark. At one point, Sean turned to me and yelled, “Just Get Your Ass Up Here!” It was enough to jar me out of my mental state and I did what I was told. We set to climbing up the most drudging 10 miles I have put together in a race. Slow, steady progress is still progress. When we finally got to the next aid station on the top of the mountain, I was wrecked. Sean had started feeling better, but I was just destroyed by that point. We both dealt with problems and ate food. We headed out pretty quickly because at this point in the game nothing can make it better and the only logical thing to do is keep moving forward. You leave because it is much harder to quit when you are miles away from help. In my opinion, it is better to leave an aid station even when you are not ready then to hang around and invite the devil on your shoulder to let you quit. We only had a seven-mile section to the visitor center left and then the last three miles up to the waterfall and back. Out into the night we went. About two miles from that aid station, Manny Geno and his Nobody, Megan Diebold Mohn, caught and passed us. It was fun seeing a friend, but I admit that I never like being passed. At this point, Sean got the idea that we still had one cut left. If his math

The waterfall stairs about two miles from the finish line.

I started to hit a low spot, physically and mentally ...

most of them were lighthearted insults trying to get in your head. Sean and I had a goal of getting to the Jake Bull aid station before dark. We succeed with time to spare. That section will go down as my favorite part of the day. It was lighthearted, fast and fun with friends. In my mind, it was confirmation that we could get to the finish line as long as nothing tragic happened. In the Jake Bull aid station we spent more time than I would have liked. Sean had the worst chafing issue I have ever seen on his back from his running pack and I needed to doctor my foot with duct tape. This was one of two drop-bag areas, so we had the supplies we needed. We got our headlamps back out and mentally prepared for a long night. As we were leaving, one of our buddies from Mississippi came busting into the aid station looking like a million dollars. We told Manny Geno we were headed out and he should join us, but he had a few things to do before he was ready to leave. We all gave high fives and Sean and I checked ourselves out of the aid station and into the oncoming night. Sean and I had a couple of good miles out of Jake Bull, then we hit the gravel road section. This was a very difficult part for me. I don’t like roads in general and they are harder on my body. I started to hit a low spot, physically and mentally, that was hard to shake. The road section was not marked well and I kept telling Sean we were going the wrong way. I slowed because

The author crossing a suspension bridge at about mile 50. 13

was correct, we were going to be cutting it close. It told him he was wrong and what he was saying was incorrect. He pulled out a race info sheet and told me his sheet confirmed he was right. I did the math in my head again and realized that if he was right that we needed to really move to make the cut. I was barely moving at the point but I told him to get in front and pull me. He did just that. All of a The elevation profile of the George Death Race. sudden, we were moving well again. The little rush of adrenaline at the thought of being left on the trail and not making the final cut was He let me cross under the finishing arch and then asked a painful motivator. for my railroad spike. Once I had it out of my pack, he told me to throw it in the coffin leaning on the arch. I A few miles later we caught Manny again and we had officially finished the Georgia Death Race. explained what was happening and it had the same effect on him. We ran strong until Megan figured out As the old rusty spike clanged in the coffin with we were wrong and in no danger of missing the visitor all the others, he offered me a new one with Georgia center cut. It was a Death Race engraved on relief, but it also let it. More than 21 hours the air out of my sails. after the start of the race, I was back to slowly I took my spike with pride suffering forward. and began looking for a place to sit down. Sean was feeling much better than I did Other things of note for the rest of the race. Manny and Megan I remember lots of moved ahead again people taking photos of and it hurt just as bad me trying to cross the the second time to watch their headlamps fade out of creek. Somewhere in the world are a ton of laughable view. When we finally got to the visitor center it was pics of me. raining and we decided not to waste time with our rain Lorrie was right: the ankle brace made it possible gear. We had three miles to go and we just wanted the to run and finish the race. night to be over. At about mile 64, in the middle of nowhere, there The last three miles are a two-mile climb to a set of was a random cheap lawn chair with an umbrella and 462 stairs up to a huge waterfall, then a mile descent in a few lights flashing on it next to a sign that read, the woods back to the visitor center. It rained on us the “Canadian Aid Station.” entire time. I was moving very well going up but could A few of my favorite signs read, “No more yanky barely put weight on my quads on the descents. The my wanky Donger needs food.” “By the power of last mile was a steep and slow one for me. We started Greyskull,” “DNF is the word of the day,” “Why have to hear the finish-line noise and Sean raced ahead. you not died yet?” “1/2 mile till you are there.” “You When I got within sight of the finish, I noticed that are THERE, but the aid station is still 3 miles away,” there was a creek. The bridge to cross the creek was Sean Hilsdon never complained about the worst roped off and you were forced to climb into it to cross. chafing I have ever seen. It was just one last jab at you 20 yards before the finish The waterfall one mile from the finish looked line. I dropped into the creek bed and immediately ghostly at night in the rain with my headlamp on it. slipped on a rock and into the water I went. I tried to No friendship could possibly be as close as one get up and could not find my footing and slipped again. forged in suffering. I crossed the creek looking like I had been drinking all

The last three miles are a twomile climb to a set of stairs ...

day. I eventually sloshed across with only a few minor bruises on my legs and ego. Standing at the finish line was Run Bum himself.

www.memphisrunners.com

Those yellow cones By Glenn Munson in order for the cone dropper to place that cone in just the right place at the right time. There is, of course, one other person in the cone trailer to hand the cones to the dropper at the just right time. You may not have noticed, but we hope that you seen that the cones usually have the MRTC stencil facing you as you run by them.The process is reversed once the race is just about over. This time, Rob or Steve can drive just a bit faster, so long as the grabber can get each cone as the truck drives by and passes it to the person whose job it is to stack those cones as they are picked up. Every once in a while, though, the grabber misses one, and then it’s a quick stop to go back to get it. If the right MPD officer is following, he’ll get it for us. “Goooood Morning, Runners!” That’s the Godfather, but most runners know Lane only as the man who starts the races. To the Finish Line Crew and apprentices, he’s the man in charge, and he’ll let you know if things aren’t set up in order and just right. (The van has to be unloaded and loaded just right, too.) And then there are Wain, Suzie and Sid, Kent, Terry, Rich, Nancy (volunteer coordinator), Millie, Julianne, Dennese, Dave, and too many others to name. But the next time you run under that start line blow-up and over those blue mats and by all of those yellow cones that magically appeared so that you could find your way over 3.1, 6.2 or 13.1 miles, think of those folks who arrived early to get that course set up for you. Give them a “thanks” as you leave the race because they’ll be staying later to break it all down, store it in the van or in the cone trailer, ready for the next race. Better yet, let Nancy know that you will volunteer for a race and join the fun! You can still run the race; you’ll just have to get there a bit early and get a good parking place for the effort! The Finish Line Crew awaits you! You can contact Nancy Brewton at volunteering with nancy@gmail.com.

Those yellow cones mark the route from the start line to the finish line. Sometimes they separate you from cars speeding by in the next lane. Sometimes they just show you the way to go as you grind out the miles of a half marathon or marathon, sometimes with no one in sight to follow. Going around a corner, they’re usually on the inside of the turn, on the curb and also on the outside of the turn to make sure you go in the right direction (even though, more often than not, the right way is pretty evident). Whether the race begins at 6 a.m., 9 a.m. or 7 p.m., the cones are always there, appearing almost as if by magic to most folks. You usually give them little thought, other than that you know you have to follow them. That’s how I thought about those yellow cones, especially the ones with “MRTC” stenciled on them during the 200-plus races put on by MRTC that I’ve run. Well, I don’t think of those cones that way any longer. Nor do I just ignore the “START” and “FINISH” blow-ups that send us on our way and greet us at the end of races. Or the mats that we run over as we start and finish those races. Or the mile signs we run by (as we check our watches) or the clock that shows us our finishing times. This change in attitude came about because I have made the transition from running in as many races I could to volunteering for as many races as I can. I just can’t race or even run the way I used to, so I decided that it was time to give back to MRTC for the last few decades as I took advantage of the hundreds of volunteers it took to put on all those races. The cone truck, pulling the trailer with all those yellow cones, arrives at the race site along with the MRTC vans and the other volunteers at least two hours before race time. Rob or Steve usually drives the cone truck, and it’s definitely an acquired skill. It takes a skilled hand to guide the truck just close enough to the lane lines on the street and at just the right speed

Give them a “thanks” as you leave the race ...

Running in the Ultra Long Pistol Range By Robert “the Lone Runner” Rayder

Shoot for the Moon, and if you miss, you will still be among the Stars.

Mine was to run on and on. Perhaps that is not so glamorous in the actual doing of the thing. Only at the hour of completion could the scale of this task be fully appreciated. At that particular moment, however, it was best not to think too much. I had a long way to go. To survive this night, I would need to lose myself in a dark and cold world, and patiently await the glory that would lie on the other side of a distant dawning. My son Christopher was convinced it was a good idea. I wasn’t so sure. “A fifty miler?” I asked as I strained not to let my voice crack. “That’s almost a double marathon.” I seem to have a special gift for restating the obvious. “Oh, come on, Dad. There is no reason to be so dramatic,” my son quipped. “This is the best race in the world for first-timers. It’s all on paved trails. It is run on a public greenline in Alcoa and Maryville (suburbs of Knoxville), and the time limits are generous beyond belief. They even encourage walkers to sign up … for an Ultramarathon!” That last statement really struck me. Ultramarathons (races that are longer than the prescribed 26.2 miles found in the standard marathon distance) are usually considered too long for participants to walk, at least not the whole way. It could take days to reach the finish line of such races at a walker’s pace. Most races don’t have the resources to

– Les Brown

It was dark. The street lights created little islands of white neon strung out like some giant glowing pearl necklace, floating alone in an ocean of inky blackness. Far on the horizon was the glow of the city, a perpetual man-made sunrise. Honestly, I thought the glow looked rather feeble when compared to the awesome velvet blanket of deep night, adorned as it was with a million ancient stars. Nor did it harbor the awe of an actual sunrise. But the dawn was hours away, and a huge number of miles would have to be conquered before then. For now, the stars, the neon, and my fellow runners were company enough. After all, something monumental was being created on this late-night stage. We each had our role to play.

On a frigid day, the author, right, with his son Chris pose near a welcome sign at the high school in Alcoa TN that served as the start and finish of the 50-miler. 18

Rob and Chris Rayder clown around under an arch that was part of the race.

running adventures from time to time in my life, but 150 continuous miles of running sounded insane even to me. Suddenly, 50 miles didn’t seem all that bad. We signed up on the spot. After all, my longest run previously had been 48 miles. Considering that I turned 50 years old only four months ago, this would give me a chance to push the boundaries of my running to a new level in my newest decade of life. It added up to this conclusion: Running 50 miles at age 50 just seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. So, Chris and I toed the starting line at a remote high school in suburban Alcoa on a cool but clear East Tennessee evening. The 50-mile race would be an all-night affair, starting 12 hours after the 100 milers and the 100K runners began their own race adventures (as well as all the super-crazy double- barrel participants.) The sun was low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the trail, and the already-brisk temperatures started dropping. I was anxious to get running so as not to get too cold before the start of the race. It takes a while to knock off a deep-seated chill once it sets in. Chris looked miserable even as he tried to give me an encouraging smile. He had been sick all week with a stomach bug and looked pale and washed out even before he took his first step. We both knew there was no way he was going to make 50 miles, but he insisted on coming. This race had been his idea and he felt he had an obligation to do whatever he could after insisting we travel all the way across the state just for this race. I told him that although the 50-miler was originally his idea, I had adopted the race as my own, and I would run it no matter what. There was no need for him to run sick. He seemed grateful for my words but promised to

keep their courses open and safe over such long-time scales. So, driven by an intense curiosity and more than a little skepticism about my son’s spectacular claims, I looked up the Pistol Ultramarathon website for myself. What I found there was amazing! The Pistol ultramarathons are weekend-long events starting early Saturday morning and stretching out to late Sunday evening. There is a relay, 50K, 50-miler, 100K and 100-miler all conducted along a 5-mile paved trail (10 miles out and back) that spans rural and urban landscapes. They have well-staffed aid stations at four points all along the course, all of them are open for the whole 38 hours of the race. And they did, indeed, encourage walkers and firsttimers. They even allowed the most intrepid of runners to run “the double barrel,” where any two distance races could be combined up to the 100-miler and the 50-miler, for a grand total of 150 miles of non-stop running. I know I’ve been a part of some pretty crazy 19

The author’s wife, Christina, daughter Rebecca, and their friends from East Tennessee, the Placher family, gather near the start line of the Pistol, which was run on St. Patrick’s Day this year.

run as far as he could, even if just to encourage me in my own efforts. It was a brave gesture and greatly reinforced my already-strong determination to finish this race no matter what. Still, deep inside, I was more than a little nervous. I ran my 48-mile effort many years before, when much younger and physically much stronger. It had been a monumental chore even then. I wasn’t sure this thing was even possible in my current shape. Being determined will carry you only so far. The human body has limits. Furthermore, it wasn’t like I was trained adequately for this distance. Sure, I had run two marathons in the last month. I certainly didn’t run them back to back. I didn’t even run 1 extra step pasted the finish line for either event. The marathons had taken everything I had. How could I expect to run nearly twice that distance? At some point, you have to drag your doubts aside, kicking and screaming the whole way, and start running. Once the race director sounded the starting pistol, I did my best to live minute to minute. It was an old strategy that served me well in the past. Early on in a distance race, when things seem so overwhelming, and the task seems so far beyond what is possible, I

retreat into a part of my mind where I just enjoy the wonders around me at the moment. I try to watch everything happening, and just take it all in. I watched Chris bravely run off with the leaders, taking advantage of the brisk downhill found at the start until he was out of my sight. I watched the sunset over my right shoulder as the sky erupted into a blaze of brilliant colors, and the trees cast fantastical shadows on the ground, outlined in changing hues of orange and red. I watched as twilight settled in, and the strategically placed street lights flickered to life, each creating a harsh orb of brilliant white that were quickly swallowed up by the cluster of shadows found among the trees. I watched the city lights mounted atop distant buildings and businesses start to glow one after another, like some strange procession clad in a florescent display encompassing all the colors of the rainbow. I watched the headlights of cars outline the meandering courses of innumerable city streets, and I watched that light fade as the traffic died down late into the night. All this was at once familiar and strange. I watched these events unfold before me with all the wonder of a child. It was spectacular, made all the more

At some point, you have to drag your doubts aside ...

so because this performance was part of a world I knew all too well, but rarely took time to appreciate. The early miles of the race flew by practically unnoticed, lost in the glare of the show. Chris fell off somewhere near mile 20. His body could not do anymore in his weakened state, and he started to walk back toward the car, totally spent. He was disappointed he couldn’t do more, but I was appreciative of his gesture. He needed to refuel and rest and get well. There were other races on the horizon for him. He is still a young man, and this particular task could wait for another day. I, however, am not so young, and I knew that this was my best chance to finish the 50 miles. It was, however, more difficult past that point. The course was now pitch black except for the places illuminated by electric lights. The harsh whiteness of those lights made my world seem a little washed out. The intense neon toned down the color of everything from the grass to the normally festively dyed outfits on the runners. Even the runners’ skins seemed zombie white and their faces partially obscured by the unnatural shadows that the harsh light cast. These negative thoughts forced me out of the introspective refuge that had served me so well early on. Now that same introspection had turned the world into a bleak house of horrors. Left unchecked, those corrosive thoughts would eat away at my resolve until nothing was left. This, too, is a familiar turn of events during distance races, and I knew just what I had to do. I matched pace with other runners and started talking. Most runners are happy to share the lonely miles of a long race with somebody else. The old saying “Misery loves Company” is never more true than in an ultra. Runners draw inspiration and strength from one another, and they serve as a mutual distraction from the pain of the long miles. Even better is that there is a shared passion (perhaps better characterized as a shared madness) with regards to running. After all, these are the folks who signed up for the same race you did. Actually, many of the runners I talked to signed up for a whole lot more than I did. Some were

running the 100K or 100-mile races. A select few were doing the Double Barrel Challenge. Honestly, I felt kind of wimpy compared to these people. Their stories of extreme endurance and the challenges they overcame along the way made my meager accomplishments seem anemic in comparison. Nonetheless, they politely listened to my stories and offered ample words of praise and encouragement even as I stood in awe of them. Eventually, I arrived at the halfway point. It was nearing 1 a.m. and I restocked at the aid station even as the sole volunteer there slept in the warm embrace of a sleeping bag. There was a more complete aid station farther on where I had taken to gulping down a cup of gas stove-heated chicken broth every time I passed. The steamy goodness warmed me from the inside out while providing the salt, fluid and calories needed for the task at hand. It was delicious and was a much looked-forward-to treat in the icy cold darkness.

... I arrived at the halfway point.

Runners entered in the 50-miler gather at the start line just before the race start. 21

I had a distance alarm go off at 26.2 miles to mark the completion of the marathon distance. I officially passed into the realm of the ultra, and I celebrated having less distance left to run that I had already run. I looked at my time and realized my legs had run the race at the same predictable pace as most of my recent marathons. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but at least I wasn’t totally exhausted. I would just have to see what happened from there. I was entering largely unknown territory. It wouldn’t take long to find out. I was definitely slowing down. I didn’t feel like I was running any slower, but I was being passed by nearly everyone I had previously run with, and it was taking longer and longer to navigate the distances between the aid stations.

Even worse, I was getting cold. True, the temperature was dropping as we entered the darkest hours before the dawn. The bigger problem was that my reduced speed produced less heat. I tried to increase my pace, but that made me nauseous and the increased effort felt tremendously exhausting. I could not sustain the faster pace for long before I was again forced to move along at the slower cadence. Fortunately, the course passed my car at one point and I hastily retrieved a jacket from inside. At first, I ran with the zipper up, but that was too warm, and I started to sweat. Sweat makes clothes wet and that is a disaster in frigid temperatures. I quickly unzipped the front and fortunately found I was moderately warm without sweating, the perfect balance of hot and cold. It was not, however, my most fashionable look. Eventually, the first glimmers of dawn appeared on the horizon, much to the delight of many of the runners. We had survived the frigid night and we celebrated the first rays of the golden sun. It was also cause for celebration for me personally because I was very near the end of my 50-mile journey. As the sun started to rise, I knew for the first time I was going to make it. I was cold, I was tired, I was even hungry (unusual during a race for me) but as the miles fell one by one, I let myself believe that this task would be done despite everything.

Attention: Fellow Runners! 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. Brent Manley, Editor

There was an earlymorning frost that covered the grass and shimmered in the morning sunlight as I rounded the last turn around and headed toward the finish line. A 10-mile race (the only non-ultra-distance race conducted during the Pistol weekend) started minutes before I arrived. The start was marked by the same pistol being fired that had started my own race the evening before. It also marked exactly 12 hours of continuous running and made a nice bookend to my longest race ever. There were still plenty of spectators meandering around from the 10-mile race start to greet me as I crossed the finish line. They Chris Rayder finishing the first 10-mile loop at the start-finish. announced my name and my other’s accomplishments. I sat with 100K and 100-mile distance over the PA system while a handful of curious finishers and even a Double Barrel finisher who did the onlookers and volunteers applauded politely. 50K and the 50-miler back to back. It was a small group Then it was done. I was rushed inside and given a of people who did the impossible for fun. We laughed medal (I guess 50 miles still doesn’t necessarily qualify together, often laughing at ourselves, and celebrated the you for a belt buckle, the traditional ultramarathon time we shared together in that dark and cold night. finisher’s item.) Someone took a photo of me and gave During my brief time in the tent, it was just us, the me some food and showed me the entrance to a heated ultra-people, the most extreme end in the world of longtent, where a group of haggard-looking runners had distance running. I sat among them, eating and laughing gathered to get warm. and telling stories of insane accomplishments that There we ate together to the gentle hum of the nobody outside that tent could ever fully understand. heaters and talked about the race and marveled at each

Thoughts on running Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears. — Laird Hamilton

Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running. — Sara Condor

I think I get addicted to the feelings associated with the end of a long run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out and sweat-purged. I love that good ache of the muscles that have done me proud. — Kristin Armstrong, author of “Mile Markers”

Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible, nothing unattainable. — Kara Goucher

Just to make you smile

A Message from the President (continued from page 3)

is a place for anyone interested in helping out with coaching. If you are interested in volunteering as a coach for the WRWM program, please email Julianne Tutko (julianne.f.tutko@gmail.com). I hope that by the time you are reading this, the temps won’t be too hot yet and we will still have some good spring weather to run in. Thanks for being a member of this great running club and if you have friends who run and aren’t members, encourage them to join. You get discounts on races and at several businesses in Memphis as well as this fine magazine that comes out 10 times a year. As always, in addition to these events there are running groups almost every day of the week. You can find all of our races and the running groups at our website (memphisrunners. com) as well as in the last few pages of this magazine. Feel free to email me (johncharlespayne@ gmail.com) with any concerns/ suggestions you might have. I hope to see you all at an upcoming race, running or volunteering or maybe even both.

No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes. — Don Kardong Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed. — Charles Schulz There are many challenges to long-distance running, but one of the greatest is the question of where to put the house keys. — Gabrielle Zevin Long-distance running is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical. — Rich Hall My doctor told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel 10 years older already. — Milton Berle

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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.

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They said it The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again. — Erma Bombeck I love running cross country. On a track, I feel like a hamster. — Robin Williams Life is short. Running makes it seem longer. — Baron Hansen If the hill has its own name, it’s probably a pretty tough hill. — Marty Stern It is true that speed kills. In distance running, it kills anyone who doesn’t have it. — Brooks Johnson Start slow, then taper off.

— Walk Stack

I don’t think running is healthy, especially in the morning. If morning runners knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups. — Rita Rudner

If you feel bad at 10 miles, you’re in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you’re normal. If you don’t feel bad at 26 miles, you’re abnormal. — Rob de Castella How do you know if someone ran a marathon? Don’t worry. They’ll tell you. — Jimmy Fallon Run like hell and get the agony over with. — Clarence DeMar Finland has produced so many brilliant distance runners because back home it costs $2.50 a gallon for gas. — Esa Tikkannen

ORION 5K Presents Bicentennial Jam June 8

Starring Rocker with Deep Memphis Roots By Joe Birch Memphis is known worldwide for many things. It’s a mecca for music first and foremost, home of Gospel, Blues, Soul and Rock ‘n’ roll. The 2019 Orion 5K has you covered in the music department with a heaping helping of authentic Memphis music by a rising name on the city’s sound scene – Graham Winchester. More about our featured musical act in a second. Memphians are passionate about their food, and the Orion 5K post-race bash will tempt you with scrumptious choices to satisfy your appetite after running 3.1 miles. Memphis is renowned for its generous heart, and our Orion 5K title sponsor has gone above and beyond the call of duty in charitable and community giving year after year. You see Orion Federal Credit Union’s logo at all kinds of great grassroots events. For starters, there’s the 50 concerts coming in the 2019 Orion Free Music Concert Series at Levitt Shell starting May 30 with the North Mississippi All Stars. Then there’s the Indy Memphis Weekly Film Series presented by Orion, River Arts Fest, Movies at the Orpheum and the list goes on and on where Orion plays key sponsorship roles celebrating life in Memphis. In an unprecedented gift of generosity at a Memphis running event, Orion will award $500 to the first-place winners in all youth categories at the Orion 5K on June 8, so the young winners (malefemale age groups 9 and under, 10-14 and 15-19) can support a 501c3 nonprofit of their choice. “We believe offering the charity prize option promotes philanthropy and instills the importance of giving back to the community at an early age,” stated Daniel Weickenand, Orion CEO. After we start out 5K at 7 o’clock sharp run on 4th

Street at FedEx Forum, run west on Beale and along Riverside Drive, we’ll award 2,000 all-new Orion 5K finisher medals and we’ll gather under a big top in Church Park on the east side of FedEx Forum for food, drinks and a Rock ‘n’ Roll performance you may be telling friends and family about all summer. A direct descendant of a founder of Memphis will rock the Orion 5K post-race Bicentennial Jam on Saturday night, June 8. “Lately I am influenced by the iconic Memphis bands and singers,” said Graham Winchester, a rising Memphis maestro whose family lineage makes him kin to city cofounder James Winchester and his son, the first Mayor of the Bluff City, Marcus Brutus Winchester. While the young virtuoso’s family makes him the perfect artist to lead a musical celebration on Memphis’ 200th birthday, his astounding musicianship and taste seals the deal. “Everything from Big Star to Booker T and the MGs, Jim Dickinson to Sid Selvidge, Carl Perkins to Jesse Winchester,” said the 31-year-old married father of two. Winchester has a perfect day job for a musical Memphian: tour guide at Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue. He sells souvenirs and makes milk shakes at the café at Sun Studio Café when he’s not showing visitors where Elvis, Jerry Lee, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins birthed the genre of music that changed the world. Winchester ran high school track first at CBHS and then at St. George’s, where he was among the school’s first graduates in 2006. “I haven’t run a bunch since,” said the tune master, but he and wife Erica have to keep moving to keep up with son Everlee, age 2 and his little brother, Miles, a 1-year-old. Winchester 26

grew up in Cordova. “My Dad (Rick) learned to play the bugle growing up and my Mom (Cindy) plays classical piano,” Winchester said. He started playing the drums at age 10. “I joined bands right away and always was the host of practice. For that reason, all my bandmates’ instruments would be left at my parents’ house. I slowly picked up guitar, bass, and piano as well as Graham Winchester drums. I strongly wish I could play sax,” Winchester said. Now possibly the busiest working professional musician in Memphis, Winchester plays solo gigs and belongs to no less than seven bands: Brandon Cunning Band (Rock & Rockabilly), Cassette Set (70s/80s songs with harder edge & new material), Devil Train (jazz, bluegrass, country), Jack Oblivian (Garage/ Punk), MDs (Booker T & the MGs Tribute Band), Sheiks (Psych/Pop Band) and Turnstyles (Surf Rock Duo). If you need more evidence of the songwriter’s Memphis musical heritage, check out his Facebook page. You’ll find a letter from none other than the Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, to his great grandfather, Pops Winchester, who ended up giving the eulogy at Handy’s funeral in 1958! Graham Winchester’s seven-piece band will rock the big top while we’ll

from Lauderdale to B.B. King Blvd. starting at 5 o’clock. Put on your running shoes and get ready to rock on Saturday night, June 8 at the Orion 5K. gister at orion5k. racesonline.com

have a super family-friendly Kids’ Zone on the grass at Church Park with lots of games, face painting and inflatables lining the park which will be fenced for the event. The Orion 5K benefits St. Patrick Community Outreach, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit that operates the city’s largest emergency food pantry, a Sunday soup kitchen as well as the Green Machine Mobile Food Market, a rolling farmer’s market serving Memphis “food deserts.” Free parking will be available at several sites on Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. on Saturday, June 8

REL-TN-P91348 RoadRunners.indd 1

6/9/09 2:06:05 PM

Snakes on the Run Peter Y Mercredi and Danielle Arristide Steve Ballou, an MRTC volunteer for more than five years, woke up early on Saturday, Feb.23, to help cone the “Frosty 5K” course at Overton Park. As with every prerace preparation, MRTC volunteers like Ballou trek the entire course to guarantee that it is well lit, marked and safe for all runners. On this morning, Ballou, plant manager for Millington Central High School, observed something in a tree just off the race course. He whipped out is handy mobile phone to snap a photo. “I just happened to notice this rat snake hanging from a vine. So, I took a picture of it. And when I looked down, I noticed a copperhead sitting right below it,” Steve Ballou, center, with authors Peter and Danielle. said Ballou The photo confirmed what “Snakes want to be left alone,” said a zoo official. he saw, a three-foot-long rat snake, non-venomous, “They are much more scared of us than we are of them.” hanging out on a tree vine. Below that snake, Ballou’s Ballou was soon a local celebrity stardom after keen eye also saw a young copperhead, venomous being featured on all of the local news networks and but rarely fatal, camouflaged in leaves on the ground. nationally by Runners World magazine. Innocently, Ballou posted his amateur photography Overton Park Director of Communication Mellisa on his Facebook page with the caption “Overton McMasters provided the following: Park this morning for a race and found this.” What The snakes were he did not expect was it unusually visible this weekend, quickly turned into a web likely because the ground was sensation. To date, his post so saturated. has been shared more than Snakes are an important 2,900 times and liked by native part of the Old Forest more than 365 people. The ecosystem and we have snakes are common in this several species that call it area, but Ballou’s zoomedhome. The rat snakes are in view caused quite a probably the largest species, and they help control the stir as local media stations picked up the viral photos rodent population in the park. They are non-venomous, and interviewed park and zoo staff as well as Ballou. as are all the other species we have here aside from The misperception was viewers thought his zoomedcopperheads. in first image (the hanging rat snake) was something Our best advice is always for folks to stay on marked fiercer, like a python (which grow to more than 17 feet trails and leash pets at all times--the snakes are not in length) or anaconda (up to 25 feet long) and that aggressive unless provoked. As the ground dries up, they they might have escaped from the herpetarium of the will largely disappear into their off-trail dwellings again. Memphis Zoo, which is located in Overton Park. Ballou has been a great MRTC volunteer and we Zoo officials announced that the snakes were not are proud to have this local celebrity as one of our from zoo exhibits but are local to our area.

The snakes are common in this area ...

Copperhead snake rained out of burrow.

Rat snake hanging from vine in Overton Park

own. Next time you see Steve or any of our volunteers, please give them a high-five and thank them for helping make MRTC great. If you are interested in becoming an MRTC volunteer and would like to know more, please contact our Volunteer Director Nancy Brewton: volunteeringwithnancy@gmail.com. MRTC always recommends running safe, so here are a few tips to ensure you get your miles in and return safely. 1. Always tell someone where you are going. 2. Stay on well-traveled and well-lit roads. Don’t take shortcuts through woods, poorly lit areas, etc. 3. If possible, run with a dog, a group or at least one other person. 4. Ditch the headphones. 5. Bring your phone. 6. If someone looks shady to you, cross the street or go the other way. 7. Vary your routes. Don’t be predictable. 8. Know where you’re going. Looking confused and lost can make you a target. 9. Don’t be distracted. Perpetrators specifically look for people who aren’t 100 percent aware of their surroundings. 10. Run confidently, meaning tall and focused.

Nutrition On the Run (continued from page 4)

or tea. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half and wean down from there or consider using an artificial sweetener. 3. Buy sugar-free or low-calorie beverages. 4. Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water or natural juice. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. 5. Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, add fresh fruit (try bananas, cherries or strawberries) or dried fruit (raisins, cranberries or apricots). 6. When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to onehalf. Often you won’t notice the difference. 7. Instead of adding sugar in recipes, use extracts such as almond, vanilla, orange or lemon. 8. Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar; try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg. 9. Substitute unsweetened applesauce for sugar in recipes (use equal amounts). 10. Try zero-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose or saccharin in moderation. Source: www.heart.org 29

Did you know?

• The average men’s finishing time in U.S. marathons is 4:26 • The average women’s finishing time in U.S. marathons is 4:52 • 57% of runners purchase at least two pairs of running shoes each year • Four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers’ favorite pizza topping is mayonnaise. Yep, mayo. • In 1990, only 25% of road race finishers in the U.S. were women. Now the ladies make up more than half of road race finishers in the U.S. • Your feet can produce a pint of perspiration each. • More on the subject of bodily fluids: when we run, our hearts create enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet. • The first New York Marathon took place in 1970, when 127 runners paid $1 each to run a few loops through Central Park. Fewer than half of the entrants finished.

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

• You can store about 2,000 calories worth of glycogen in your body to fuel your running. That said, it’s important to replenish your stores, so chow down on the carbs post-run. • The cheetah is considered the fastest land animal. It can achieve speeds upwards of 70 miles per hour. The garden snail is considered the slowest land animal with a speed of .03 miles per hour. • Roger Bannister ran the first sub-4-minute mile, but an exact 4:00.00 was first achieved more than four years later on Sept. 3, 1958 by England’s Derek Ibbotson in a fourthplace finish behind Herb Elliott at White City. • When running the 100 meters, Olympic champion Usain Bolt hits a maximum power output of 2619.5 watts, or about 3.5 horsepower, just enough to blend a nice, cold margarita.

MARATHON RESULTS

Joel Lyons Jay Schulte Diana Wu Glenn Hudnall Seth Crowe Samuel Wilcox Terry Dietzler Jordan Simpson Young Ryu Jamie Maciaszek Greta Bailey Jen Yonak Steven Mcdonald John Fuller Zeke Andre

FOR MEMPHIS-AREA RUNNERS

Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon Milwaukee, WI April 6, 2019 Chris Camp Hernando, MS 5:26:51

3:23:18 3:37:09

Riverboat Series - LA Winnsboro, LA April 7, 2019 Anntriniece Napper Memphis, TN

5:50:30

GO! St. Louis Marathon St. Louis, MO April 7, 2019 Brandon Peterson Memphis, TN,

3:26:45

Riverboat Series - AR Lake Chicot State Park, AR April 8, 2019 Anntriniece Napper Memphis, TN

8:09:03

Boston Marathon Boston, MA April 15, 2019 Matt Weickert Collierville, TN Adam Higham Collierville, TN Micahel Poole Memphis, TN Nathan Berry Memphis, TN Jim Brown Tupelo, MS Bret Beauchamp Oxford, MS Katharine Calandruccio Memphis, TN Shannon Singletary Oxford, MS Dara Horgen Memphis, TN Mark Temme Memphis, TN Amber Signaigo Collierville, TN James Doan Collierville, TN Brittney Tucker Memphis, TN Steve Scott Cordova, TN Kelly Graves Memphis, TN Marvin King Oxford, MS Kristen Scheel Memphis, TN Lori Beth Ellis Tupelo, MS Amy Stookey Lakeland, TN Gina Weathersby Memphis, TN Zhong Ouyang Collierville, TN Kevin Jenkins Memphis, TN Christopher Fawcett Bolivar, TN Jason Ladd Dyersburg, TN

2:43:13 3:29:20 4:17:05 4:48:30 4:49:35 4:57:21 5:22:29 6:11:27

Andrew Jackson Marathon Jackson, TN April 6, 2019 Karl Studtmann Jackson, TN Anik Dam Memphis, TN

3:52:01 3:54:45 3:56:52 4:02:46 4:09:07 4:12:21 4:17:11 4:23:16 4:24:37 4:27:04 4:49:12 4:58:07 5:30:25 5:35:23 6:34:14

Riverboat Series - TN Meeman-Shelby State Park, TN April 10, 2019 Zahara Goldkin Memphis, TN 6:21:53

Compiled by Millie Jackson

Knoxville MarathonÂ Knoxville, TN March 31, 2019 Christopher Rayder Collierville, TN Karl Studtmann Jackson, TN Carrie Patterson Eads, TN Leslie Harwell Dyer, TN Rebekah Guthrie Jackson, TN Katrin Hartwig Arlington, TN Robert Rayder Collierville, TN Ashley Parsons Medina, TN

Germantown, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Jackson, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN, Oxford, MS Arlington, TN Horn Lake, MS Memphis, TN Millington, TN

2:30:01 2:39:44 2:53:40 2:59:44 3:00:32 3:14:49 3:14:56 3:15:51 3:16:37 3:19:11 3:20:22 3:24:21 3:30:03 3:33:59 3:39:16 3:39:22 3:39:36 3:41:03 3:41:48 3:41:55 3:43:27 3:45:25 3:46:59 3:47:32

Nicole Dodson Lisa Hill Jerrica Stambaugh Neel Gammill Jennie Silk Sarah Harris Anna Weaver Amy Abe Gisele Goldstein Michelle Mitchell Kathy Jenkins David Johnson Scott Stader

Bartlett, TN Bartlett, TN Collierville, TN Memphis, TN Memphis, TN Bartlett, TN Cordova, TN Oxford, MS Germantown, TN Collierville, TN Memphis, TN Jackson, TN Collierville, TN

3:51:37 3:52:49 3:55:34 3:56:31 3:59:50 4:01:35 4:02:43 4:06:51 4:08:45 4:09:44 4:34:01 4:37:05 4:58:59

Justin Sherrod Rachel Craig Jennifer Morgan Scott Morgan Chinky Divinagracia Tonia Jackson Marty Goodlett John Whittington

Arlington, TN Dyersburg, TN Collierville, TN Collierville, TN Cordova, TN Memphis, TN Dyersburg, TN Arlington, TN

4:29:53 4:44:42 5:09:36 5:09:36 5:15:12 5:19:04 5:29:45 5:43:04

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Oklahoma City, OK April 28, 2019 Jessica Wicks Memphis, TN 5:05:04 Hunter Ward Southaven, MS 6:14:06

Rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roll Country Music Marathon Nashville, TN April 27, 2019 Terry Dietzler Memphis, TN 4:29:22 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Louisville, KY April 27, 2019 Karl Porter Olive Branch, MS 3:42:03 Jessica Young Collierville, TN 3:45:10 Jen Clarke Memphis, TN 3:55:28 Ben Allen Dyersburg, TN 3:56:00 Kelly Henson Arlington, TN 4:05:58 Lynnette Stevens Dyersburg, TN 4:16:17

New Jersey Marathon Long Branch, NJ April 28, 2019 Michele Alexandre Oxford, MS

4:42:51

Glass City Marathon Toledo, OH April 28, 2019 Jacob Hartline Memphis, TN

2:55:34

Delaware Marathon Wilmington, DE April 28, 2019 Lesley Stevenson Memphis, TN

5:02:53

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: 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: 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

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

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 or Kalmac220@gmail.com Angie McCoy, 901-233-0168 or anggail09@gmail.com Run: Sea Isle Park Runners Time: 5:30 p.m. Place: McWherter Senior Center 1355 Estate Drive Distance: 1 mile-5K Contact: Sea Isle Park Runners Facebook group Notes: One mile loop around Sea Isle Park and two miles of hills in wooded neighborhood east of the park. Beautiful and safe course!

Monday afternoon

Run: Salty Dogs of

Run: FIT4MOM Run Club Time: 9:30 a.m. Location: Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (6903 Great View Drive North) Distance: 5K training Contact: Amy Earnest amykearnest@gmail.com or visit www.memphis.fit4mom.com 8-wk session March 19th - May 12th

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: Miles Durfey 901-387-7475

Bardog Tavern

Tuesday afternoon 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 or shannon.chisenga@blkmenrun.com

A new listing for the Square Runners (Thursday afternoon) in Collierville is now on the MRTC website (at the home page, click on Group Runs). The July-August Roadrunner will include a full listing for Square Runners in this section.

Wednesday morning

Run: Fleet Feet Time: 6 p.m. Fleet Feet hosts individualized Run: Southaven Striders speedwork sessions including track Time: 6 a.m. and tempo workouts for runners Place: Central Park in Southaven who want to get a little quicker. (Tchulahoma ent., east side of park) No fees. Distance: 3-5 miles (9- 12-minute miles) Contact: Kyle McCoy, 901-299-8630 or Contact: Feb at 901-761-0078 or lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com kalmac220@gmail.com

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: Bartlett UMC Time: 6 p.m. Place: Bartlett United Methodist Church, 5676 Stage Road; group meets in the gym lobby Distance: Varies Contact: Sam Thompson, 901-386-2724 or sthompson@bartlettumc.org Run: Bartlett Run Time: 6:30 p.m. Place: W.J. Freeman Park, 2629 Bartlett Blvd. Distance: 4-6 miles Contact: Paul “Spunky” Ireland h. 901-388-5009 c. 901-826-7496 or paulireland@att.net

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

Run: Sea Isle Park Runners Time: 6 p.m. Place: McWherter Senior Center 1355 Estate Drive Distance: 1 mile-5K Contact: Sea Isle Park Runners Facebook group Notes: One mile loop around Sea Isle Park and two miles of hills in wooded neighborhood east of the park. Beautiful and safe course!

Saturday morning 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 Memphis Marathon. Check website or Facebook page for location and time. Join us! 901-722-8797 for more info. Run: Black Men Run Memphis Time: 6 a.m. Place: Code Enforcement, Farm Road at Mullins Station Distance: Varies Contact: Shannon Chisenga, 215-834-4687 or shannon.chisenga@blkmenrun.com Run: Fleet Feet Time: 7 a.m. Place: 4530 Poplar (Laurelwood Center) Fleet Feet hosts long runs on Saturday mornings geared toward upcoming races. Many distance options are available. Call 901-761-0078 or email lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com for more information. 37

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 a.m. Location: Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (6903 Great View Dr. N) Distance: 5K training Contact: 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: Sunday, July 14, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 1st 5K Location: Cancer Survivors Park (East end of Audubon Park) Contact: www.memphisrunners.com

Date & Time: Saturday, May 25 Race name: Great American River Run 5K and Half Marathon Times: 7 a.m. Half Marathon, 7:30 a.m. 5K Location: Downtown Memphis Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Race name: Location: Contact:

Sunday, June 2, 6 a.m.

Date & Time: Race name: Location: Contact:

Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

Date & Time: Race name: Location: Contact:

Saturday, June 15, 7:30 a.m.

Date & Time: Race name: Location: Contact:

Navy Ten Nautical Miler 7915 Memphis Ave., Millington See ad on page 25.

Mug Mile Wolf River Blvd. near intersection with Kimbrough See ad on page 16.

Date & Time: Sunday, July 28, 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

Orion 5K (formerly Gibson Guitar 5K). Downtown Memphis See ad on facing page. Mutt Strut 5K N82 Gym, 7590 Memhphis Ave. Millington TN See ad on page 30.

Date & Time: Friday, June 21, 6:30 p.m. Race name: Farmers Market Crop Hop 5K Location: G.E. Patterson & South Front downtown Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Tuesday, June 25, 6 p.m. Race name: Bud Mile Location: Rhodes College Track Contact: www.memphisrunners.com Date & Time: Race name: Location: Contact:

Saturday, July 20, 8 a.m.

Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m. Race name: Miles for Melanoma 5K Location: Shelby Farms Park Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 10, 8 a.m. Race name: Elvis Presley 5K Location: Graceland, 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd. Contact: www.racesonline.com Date & Time: Sunday, Aug. 11, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 1st 5-Miler Location: Freeman Park, Bartlett Contact: www.racesonline.com

Saturday, June 29, 8 a.m. Hagar Center 5K Shelby Farms Park See ad on page 14.

Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 a.m. Race name: Celebrate Munford 5K Location: Centennial Park, Munford Contact: www.racesonline.com

Date & Time: Saturday, July 13, 7 a.m. Race name: Hope 5K Location: Hope Church 8500 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova Contact: www.racesonline.com 38

www.memphisrunners.com

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

Non-Profit Org U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MEMPHIS, TN Permit No. 960

4th Annual Annie Oakley & Buffalo Bill Wild West Triathlon Super Sprint and Sprint Triathlon Races All women’s triathlons and all men’s triathlons Super Sprint – 1/4 mile swim, 8 mile bike, 2 mile run • Sprint – 1/2 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 4 mile run 2 bikes and gear giveaway for race finisher female and male June 22 | 6:30am – Shelby Farms, Memphis, TN Register at: runsignup.com/Race/TN/Memphis/AnnieOakleyBuffaloBillTriathlon

30th Annual Dragon Fly Triathlon August 24 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 4 mile run, Sardis, MS runsignup.com/Race/MS/Sardis/DragonFlySprintTriathlon