THE ROADRUNNER A Publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club www. memphisrunners. com
June 2021 • Vol. 41, No. 2
Words of Wisdom
Joel Lyons
Glenn Munson
from Joel Lyons (pg. 12) and Glenn Munson (pg. 14), two local runners who have been there, done that. Also inside: Info runners can use from longtime Roadrunner columnist Ashley Ludlow, focusing on drinking on the run (pg. 6) – and don’t miss the story of the 10 Deadly Shins, by Snehashree Mahasuar (pg. 10).
THE ROADRUNNER
A publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club June 2021 Vol. 41, No. 2
In This Issue From the Editor’s Desk
1
A Message from the President (Steve Spakes)
2
Race calendar
4
Nutrition on the Run (by Ashley Ludlow)
6
The 10 Deadly Shins get it done (by Snehashree Mahasuar)
10
What Runners Need to Know (by Joel Lyons)
12
Reality check (by Glenn Munson)
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One way to run while being super cool (by Rob Rayder)
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Group runs
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Advertisements Fleet Feet
On the cover Joel Lyons and Glenn Munson offer tips for dealing with common problems for runners.
Inside Front Cover
Great American River Run
2
Prudent Financial / Bob Cremerius
7
901PT
8
Zaka Bowl
9
Nationwide / Lofton Wells Insurance
13
Sprouts Farmers Market
16
Blair Parker Design
19
Grivet Outdoors
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OrthoSouth
24
BioLife Plasma Services
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Find out about the latest race events at www.memphisrunners.com
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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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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 2019-2020 OFFICERS President/ Sponsorship Director Steve Spakes stevemrtc@gmail.com Vice President Suzie Hicks-Hurt 901-496-1377 s_hickshurt@bellsouth.net Treasurer Charles Flanigan Jr. mrtc.treasurer@gmail.com DIRECTORS Past President / Special Projects/Results John Payne 901-494-8266 johncharlespayne@gmail.com
Past President/Special Projects/Legal Matters George F. Higgs 901-528-1111 ghiggs@stonehiggsdrexler.com Volunteer Director Nancy Brewton volunteeringwithnancy@ gmail.com 901-237-4758 Finish Line Director/ Equipment Lane Purser 901-483-8929 lpurser350@aol.com Timing/Results Rich Tutko 901-481-0498 rtutko@hotmail.com
Past President/ Roadrunner Editor Brent Manley 901-246-6477 brentmanley@yahoo.com
Women Run/Walk Memphis Director Allison Andrassy 901-409-6620 allison.mrtc@gmail.com
Past President/ Course Measurement Rob Hunter 901-246-1565 robhunter33@comcast.net
Director Kent Smith kent824@bellsouth.net
Past President/ New Race Coordinator Wain Rubenstein 901-278-1792 wrubenstei@aol.com
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 The best time to make friends is before you need them.
Friendly strangers
barring some unforeseen problems. It took me a long time to complete the 50-states goal, but considering that I had a full-time job throughout the adventure, I think I did okay. It helped that I didn’t have to cope with injuries I might have sustained had I been focusing on a finish-time goal. I logged state number 50 in the fall of 2014 in the Maui Marathon in Hawaii – 18 years after deciding to go for the 50 states. I survived really bad conditions that day – a Tuesday – notably a record high temperature and a hilly course. It was a long, hard trek over the 1,310 miles – the mileage for 50 marathons – but I enjoyed every bit of it, mostly because of the people I met. In my experience, runners are special people, especially those who undertake daunting challenges. I’m thinking of people like Brian Williams, who has written about his incredible adventures for this publication several times. It’s amazing to think that Brian can finish a 100-mile run and still have the energy to write about it. Few runners, of course, go for the gusto the way Brian does. I would love to know his stamina secret. What I’m getting at here is that it’s great to be around serious runners, especially marathon runners. In most of my marathons, I have managed to catch up with or be caught by runners going at a pace similar to mine. That gives us the chance to talk and share stories. I remember running the Blue Angel Marathon in Pensacola FL for the second time and meeting a man going at my pace. At that point, my mind was on a trip I was taking about a week or two later to Newport RI for a “double.” I was running a marathon in Rhode Island on a Saturday and another in Connecticut the following day. The man I was running with was 72 years old, and somehow the topic
— Ethel Barrymore
When I started running in 1984, I had no idea what I was doing, but it didn’t matter. I was enjoying it. When I learned some things I needed to know, I enjoyed it more. When I decided in 1996 to run a marathon, my goal was to see if I could do it. I followed a training plan I found in a Jeff Galloway book. The regimen was designed for runners whose only goal was finishing. On a cold, rainy day, I made it to the finish line of the First Tennessee Marathon and was pleased that the training had paid off. In 1997, my wife pointed out that the University of Memphis was offering a course on marathon running, so I signed up. I thought I probably would learn some things I needed to know. I was right. The course was taught by Mark Higginbotham, and from my perspective, it was a big success. It went so well that I was able to record an okay time in the 1997 Chicago Marathon before entering the First Tennessee Marathon that year. I did much better in my third marathon than I had done in the two previous marathons, taking 13 minutes off my time in my first 26.2-mile effort. I was enjoying running even more, especially when some of the runners who had taken the Higginbotham course started running together regularly. It wasn’t long before we started talking about the idea of running a marathon in every state. That appealed to me, so I gave it a try for pretty much the same reason I had to run my first – I wanted to see if I could do it. I didn’t expect to run any fast marathons (my PR is 4:27), but I thought I had a chance to get to the finish line in each of the states,
I was enjoying running even more ...
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(continued on page 25)
A Message from the President By Steve Spakes a huge success and we very much thank everyone who came out. We had to postpone the original event date due to storms in the area and because there are several decaying trees near the trail, we want a few days to pass after the storm to see if they were going to fall. Two days before the event, a very large tree fell and missed one of the bridges by less than a foot, but the Park’s staff had the tree cut and removed within 24 hours. Again, thanks to everyone – and on to some photos. ❑
Going into the second quarter of 2021, the weather has gotten awesome and life is getting a little back to normal. We had a successful Winter Off Road Series and we thank you very much for that. Also, MRTC just had its first (to my knowledge) trail race at T.O. Fuller State Park, the only State Park in Tennessee that’s within a city limit. The goal was to bring awareness to the Park and try to raise a little money. For the first year, it was
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Date & Time: Saturday, June 26 Race name: Lovewell 5k Location: TBA Contact: TBA
Date & Time: Saturday, May 8 Race name: Rylee’s Run Virtual 5k Location: Virtual Contact: memphissoccer.com
Date & Time: Sunday, July 11 Race name: Road Race Series 1st 5k Contact: Registration coming soon! Date & Time: Sunday, July 25 Race name: Road Race Series 2nd 5k Contact: Registration coming soon!
Date & Time: Monday, May 17 Race name: Miles for Melanoma Virtual 5k Location: Virtual Contact: join.melanoma.org
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Date & Time: Sunday, August 22 Race name: Road Race Series 2nd 5 Miler Contact: Registration coming soon! 4
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Ashley Ludlow
MS, RD, CSG, ACE-CHC, LDN, FAND
Drinking on the Run
mix you can become even more dehydrated which can cause fatigue, cramping, and muscle strains. The ACSM classifies alcohol as a diuretic, which is a substance that promotes the production of urine. It is recommended that if you have consumed alcohol within 24 hours of a run that you consume one cup of water for every alcoholic beverage you have consumed along with a banana or some orange juice to replace some of the electrolytes you have lost. Or consider switching out the water for electrolyte beverages such as Gatorade, Powerade, or even Pedialyte. And don’t forget to drink one glass of water for every pound you have lost after exercise to help replenish all the fluid you have lost during your run.
Plenty of my running friends, myself included, enjoy drinking a couple of beers, having a glass or two of wine, or even a few frozen margaritas on a hot day after a long run. And we are definitely not alone! In years past, there have been post-race beer tents, free drink vouchers on race bibs, and overhearing others talking about meeting up for drinks following a race. Let’s hope that, post-pandemic, these things ALL come back! The good news is that there are health benefits of consuming one or two alcoholic beverages a day. Drinking 1-2 alcoholic drinks a day can increase your good cholesterol, reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease, and can even help fend off dementia. The key is to not overdo it. If you go a little overboard and drink too much, it can actually cause negative health effects, especially if you combine it with physical activity like running. It’s important to understand how alcohol affects your body in order to avoid any adverse consequences before, during, and after a run. Alcohol enters your blood stream within minutes after your first sip and according to the Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, it can raise your blood alcohol level (BAC) in as little as 10 minutes. And it doesn’t take much alcohol at all to affect performance. Research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) found that those who had a BAC of at least 0.04 or greater within 24 hours of running were those most likely to suffer unpleasant side effects. The more you drink, the more unpleasant those negative effects will be. If you do decide to drink, how much and how will it impact your running performance? Here are six things to keep in mind:
Alcohol can impair your temperature regulation
The summer heat is tough enough in Memphis even without adding alcohol into the mix. But if you do, know that it could cause you to overheat much faster. According to the ACSM, even a small amount of alcohol consumed in the previous 24 hours can make it much harder to release heat in hot weather and maintain heat in cold weather. Running at different times of the day, wearing layers, protecting your extremities, limiting exposed skin, and drinking at least eight ounces of fluid before and after every 30 minutes of exercise can all be effective ways to prevent weather-related issues during a run.
Alcohol can decrease your balance, coordination, and reaction time
Alcohol can be dehydrating
When you run you sweat, which causes you to lose fluids and electrolytes, but when you add alcohol to the
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Be sure to watch your step after an evening of dinner and drinks. Even limited amounts of alcohol can negatively affect your coordination, balance and reaction time, making it much harder to step over obstacles or navigate trails. Slow down your pace to avoid any potential missteps, injury, or accident.
Alcohol can cause sleep issues
the cardiovascular system can increase a person’s risk of a heart attack or stroke.
While you may fall asleep quickly after drinking, it’s also common to wake up in the middle of the night. After drinking, the production of adenosine (a sleepinducing chemical in the brain) is increased, allowing you to fall asleep quickly. But it subsides as quickly as it came, making you more likely to wake up before you’re truly rested. Alcohol also blocks the most restorative sleep cycle, REM sleep, so you are likely to wake up feeling unfocused and groggy. All that alcohol also causes you to take more trips to the bathroom, disrupting your sleep even further.
Alcohol can slow down your post-run recovery
One of the biggest issues with alcohol consumption in runners is the fact that it slows down recovery. Alcohol puts a large strain on your liver, which is the same vital organ that helps the body recover from exercise. One of the liver’s jobs is to monitor blood flow. Because increased blood flow can occur after you’ve had too much to drink, your liver focuses on trying to regulate that, rather than the body’s recovery from exercise. Therefore, it takes much longer (up to twice as long) to replenish your liver and muscle glycogen stores if you have consumed alcohol the day before a run.
The key is to not overdo it.
Finally, alcohol may impair your recovery from an acute injury or muscle soreness.
Alcohol can increase your heart rate
Your heart rate increases when you drink alcohol, as does your blood pressure. This can be particularly problematic for those with an underlying issue who then go out for a long or tough run. This extra stress on
In order to recover from an injury or a sore muscle we often ice the area to reduce blood flow and constrict blood vessels to speed healing. Unfortunately, alcohol
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has the opposite effect on an injury since it is a blood vessel dilator, meaning it helps open your blood vessels. This impairs healing and increases the total time it takes for your injury to heal. As a runner you need to be cognizant of alcohol’s effects, including its effect on your recovery from exercise and injury. Heavier drinking (three or more drinks per day) will cause worse negative side effects than moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks per day) so go easy on the imbibing during those higher mileage periods. If you do choose to drink alcohol the day or night before a run or after a race, do take special care to meet your recovery needs with adequate fluids and electrolytes, and as always, please drink responsibly and plan for a safe ride home. ❑
2021 Roadrunner deadlines (subject to change)
Please drink responsibly.
Issue Deadline July-August
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August 10
October
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November
October 5 Renew your MRTC membership at www.memphisrunners.com
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: brentmanley@yahoo.com or 901-246-6477. This is your publication. Be an active part of it. — Brent Manley, Editor
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The 10 Deadly Shins
The 10 Deadly Shins pose with their hard-earned Road Warrior trophies.These are the group members: (standing) Neha Gupta, Janet Dam, Pinky Pagoria, Anjali Raichura Divya Sharma and Manisha Rustogi; (kneeling in front): Sanchali Nair, Poonam Kuhar, Snehashree Mahasuar (the author) and Tanu Sareen. By Snehashree Mahasuar A journey started with the MRTC Road Race Series 2020. It was a journey of 10 girls who had individual reasons to register for RRS2020 but with a goal of 10 races ahead to be finished. They were individuals (some of them knew each other some way or would have crossed paths) but one of the 10 Deadly Shins created a WhatsApp group. Seeing a group to walk/run with and a plan sounded easy, exciting and felt much better than the time they registered (especially to the first-timers and nonrunners) thinking, “How am I going to make it to 10 miles? Forget about Half-Marathon.” The group is a combination of ladies from age group 35-65 and a range varying from no walkers to marathon runners. Wow!! How are they going to train together, race together and complete this journey? Sounds Impossible – or let’s be generous in using the word: sounds Difficult, right? That one person put a lot of thought into this group. She was the true leader who went beyond to
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make sure everyone was safe, everyone was taken care of, everyone was meeting their goals, no one is injured, everyone takes proper nutrition, everyone does their warm-ups, cool-downs and stretches, checks the weather, dresses accordingly, get some hot tea and snacks to refuel the souls, and last but not least, everyone gets started with their walk/run and complete the journey without much difficulty. I know she will not agree to this as she is too modest, but she has been the heart and brain to keep the group together at all times. We all accepted her as our group leader, our mentor, our teacher and our everything when it comes to running. Without Janet, it was impossible, and to complete this journey without her by our sides was unthinkable. So big thanks to Janet Dam from the entire group of 10 Deadly Shins for everything she did for us and to keep us motivated. We started running in the evenings initially as it was summer vacation and a little easier for everyone after work, with kids and long summer evenings definitely
added. Slowly, it moved to early mornings and then Saturdays as we moved ahead in our journey. From Cameron Brown Park to Johnson Park, Shelby Farms Park and the Shelby Farms Greenline, we explored everything throughout the journey and we enjoyed each and every one of them. Dawn and dusk both were beautiful while we trained and did our races. We all would have read the principles of running, the accessories, the momentum, the steps, the breathing, the heartbeat, the diet, hydrating oneself, icing, bath salts, customized running shoes for long races, proper inners and how much a pepper spray is essential for us, but this group lived all of these this year. The pandemic was a concern, so we took safety measures at all times, but never stopped once we started. Initial races were easier because of weather, the distance and the excitement and later it became difficult as any other long race. We trained individually on most weekdays but definitely showed up for the Saturday early-morning run. We did not mind giving up the Friday late nights because we had to rest enough before our morning runs.
for sure, and that’s how we took baby steps and have pulled each other up at all times and reached the goal to complete the RRS series. Age is no bar, a perfect example being our senior-most member Anjali (Anjuji as we call her). She cannot run because of her knee condition but she never ever was falling behind. In fact she taught us that just keep walking if you cannot run and achieve your goal on the not-so-good days and we all did it so easily. We missed doing the races live this year but definitely will be back with better results with the same excitement and motivation in the coming years. And yes, we all finished our last half marathon as a group and are very proud of our completion. A big thanks to all the family members and friends of each and every one of us. Without their support this journey as a group or as an individual could not have been possible. We are happy to share this with everyone and anyone who wants to do something which they haven’t.
The group started bonding together. Running was definitely our main goal, but along with this we started sharing our stories, made fun of each other, took lots of happy and weird pics, laughed together, shared our pains, celebrated birthdays together, shared food once in a while, thought of each other and most important, if we couldn’t make it for a run on Saturday we definitely missed each other and couldn’t wait for the next one. If one of us needed motivation there was another one to motivate her
We all try our best to contribute our share however we can.
Nothing is impossible when you put in your hard work and determination.
Please find a way and you can do it. Nothing is impossible when you put in your hard work and determination. As individuals, we all do many things and achieve many goals in our lives but as a group we achieve a lot as we still learn in the process of achieving our goals. Thank You, MRTC, St. Jude, Susan Komen and others for organizing these events and inspiring us so that one day, someone like us participates, gets motivated, motivates others and for the noble cause:
We were at a point where we thought we should have a name for this group. Loads of discussions were going on knee pain, shin pain, 10 years of Greenline, 10 girls, how rocking we are, deadly snakes we come across while running and in the midst of all these we came up with this one and all agreed to one name “10 Deadly Shins.”
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By Joel Lyons, PT, OCS Emotions and Injuries This topic is not an easy one and not one that I feel particularly adept at helping you with, but it is an issue that I deal with on almost a daily basis. I’m referring to the mental and emotional challenges that go along with injuries. These can range from a minor inconvenience by some to full-on clinical depression by others. It is not something to take lightly or by any means brush off when someone might be confiding in you about how their injury is affecting them. Many people, athletes included, and runners especially, can go through the five stages of grief when faced with an injury that sets them back for more than a couple of days. If you aren’t familiar with these stages, I’ll give you a brief synopsis of them. They were first introduced by a famous Swiss-American psychiatrist, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. The stages begin with denial, and are followed by anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Although she first sought to explain how people coped with illness and dying, it soon appeared to be applicable to how many people react to other traumatic experiences. In stage 1, denial, the person feels that there must have been some mistake. There must have been some misdiagnosis. The person prefers to cling to some alternate reality. In stage 2, anger, the person recognizes that denial is a fallacy. He begins feeling like someone or some thing has done him wrong. He is upset with the situation he’s in and often lashes out at those around him. With bargaining, stage 3, this person starts negotiating with a higher power in an attempt to avoid the cause of the grief. He might say “if I can just get over this injury, I’ll never overtrain again.” This is then followed by stage 4, depression. The person
gets sullen and despairs at the recognition of his injury. He becomes withdrawn, silent, and avoids many interactions. Finally, stage 5, is acceptance. The person recognizes the depth of the problem and that he can deal with it. He finds ways to move ahead. He puts a healthier perspective on the injury. Not everyone may go through each of these steps exactly as described here; however, I think it is apparent to many that these are very common emotions associated with an episode that a person believes is traumatic. One might ask how this information might be useful. Again, I don’t claim to be anything close to an expert in this field, but I believe if you recognize some of these emotions that a friend or relative is displaying, you might be sympathetic to them. Being there for them is one of the best things you can do. Many experts say, don’t try to rush them through these stages in order to get to acceptance that much quicker. Let them share their frustrations.
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There definitely is no consistent time frame when friends and family. If it is a friend, not you, who is one is going through these stages. If, however, you injured, reach out to your friend. It would most likely believe a person is becoming a danger to themselves or really mean a lot to them. others please encourage them to get professional help. Add more activities outside of exercise or athletics You may want to seek assistance from a professional if you can. Read a little more. Take up a new hobby. yourself in order to Clean up that closet that help them out. has needed it forever. We hope we When you find you don’t have to deal have accepted your with the extremes situation, you may find of these emotions with our typical running injuries. that you aren’t exactly like you were before you were Despite that, it may be disconcerting when we are injured ... , but who is in the same condition they were injured. Many people may catastrophize their situation. five years ago or even a couple of years ago? Aging is They may think they are never going to be able to run a process to be embraced because we certainly can’t again or that this injury will never go away. These are avoid it. Again, be patient with yourself. Look to the common feelings, especially for runners. We place future and keep moving forward. There is always more so much emphasis on the value of running to our to do and more life to live! ❑ everyday life. Well, running is important, and it is good for us physically and mentally. What Auto Home Life Business Motorcycle we injured runners cannot seem to understand is that many, many injuries do get better. Most of these injuries do take longer than we would like them to, but they DO get better. We have to try to be patient during this healing time frame. We need to find out what we can do that is acceptable and safe. Sometimes that is cross training and other times it is doing only upper body exercises. Consult your doctor, PT, trainer or other health care professional. Stay in touch with your
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Accept Where You Are and Go From There By Glenn Munson “Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation. It means understanding that something is what it is, and there’s got to be a way through it.” – Michael J. Fox What do you do when you face a really discouraging life challenge? Not just a disappointing challenge, but a gut-wrenching, life-changing transformation that you didn’t see coming. Give up, resign, and let it eat away at you? Go through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance? Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at age 29, at the height of his career. We all know what he did then. He continued acting, started the Michael J. Fox Foundation and raised over $800 million for research into the disease. Now, I’m not comparing myself to Michael J. Fox, but I like to think that I did follow his example. In my case, I was handed a bad deal that cut short my running career, a rewarding career that gave me great satisfaction and enjoyment and also gave me the opportunity to travel and to make friends here in Memphis and around the country. But I made a decision that kept me going. I resigned myself to skip the first four stages of grief and go right on (almost) to acceptance. The First Tennessee Marathon was my first marathon in December 2000, two months after my fiftieth birthday. I had decided the previous spring that the marathon would be my mid-life crisis cure. I trained over the summer with Mark Higginbotham’s Green Team, lost 35 pounds, and became a marathoner. Mark preached fun for the first marathon, not speed, so we were slow, so slow in fact that the motorcycle policeman at the end of the running crowd warned us that there was a time limit! The best part of the whole race was, of course, the finish where serendipity had
Glenn Munson
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my daughter Courtney put the finishers medal around my neck. (That’s another story.) My time was 4:48:12, breaking my goal of five hours. Over the next couple of years, I became one of the best runners in my age group in Memphis. I began to consistently break 20 minutes for 5k races and 44 minutes for 10k. A year after St. Jude, I broke four hours in my third marathon; and in February, 2002, in New Orleans, I ran sub-3:30, my first Boston Qualifier. I qualified for Boston twelve years in a row, running it seven times, with my last qualifier in March, 2013, for Boston 2014. In early May, 2013, while running with my usual group of friends, I found myself unable to keep up with them. My breathing was way off, I had to walk, and I was sweating a whole lot more than usual (and that’s a lot!) Over the next couple of days, I picked up a cough, ran a serious fever, and tired easily. The diagnosis was pneumonia, and the first couple rounds of antibiotics had no effect. The drug that the doctor really wanted to give me had a side effect of a ruptured Achilles tendon (believe it or not), so he didn’t prescribe that one at first. Finally, after a month, he did and things cleared up soon afterwards. Unfortunately, it was a bit late. My pulmonologist confirmed with x-rays that I had lost about 25% of my lung capacity. That summer, my 5k time was almost 40 minutes, a 10k well over an
hour. Little did I know then that only once more in my running future would I break a 10-minute mile in any race. Just over a year after running my Boston Qualifier in under four hours, I ran Boston 2014. We all know about Boston 2014, a year after the bombing at the finish line. It was an incredible experience, filled with pride, patriotism, and a heavy police and military presence along the 26.2-mile route. And I had plenty of time to see it all. My finish time was over five and a half hours. It was my last marathon. During the next year, my races were typically run at a ten-to-twelve-minute mile pace, depending on the length; and I accepted the fact that my fast days were over, but not my medical problems. March, 2015, brought what was thought to be a stress fracture in my ankle, putting me in a boot for six months before surgery corrected the real problem and putting me in another boot for another three months. But that was the least of my problems. One morning I could hardly get out of bed because of pain and cramps in my arms, shoulders, and legs. A trip to the doctor brought a diagnosis of Polymyalgia Rheumatica, an autoimmune, inflammatory disorder related to arthritis. Two months later, my rheumatologist changed the diagnosis to Remitting Seronegative Symmetric Synovitis with Pitting Edema (or RS3PE for short), another more serious relative of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Between ankle surgery and the pain from the RS3PE, I didn’t run for ten months. I came back for the 2016 Road Race Series and my place at the start line in Corral 4. I now accepted my fourteen-minute mile pace. It wasn’t easy but, as Michael J. Fox said, it was what it was.
even got a third place in a 5k because only two other runners over 65 showed up. And then the diagnosis changed again. Scleroderma is another autoimmune disease that affects the lungs, skin, feet, and kidneys, and makes Reynaud’s disease even worse than it already was for me. It’s known to be “exercise adverse”. In my case, the greatest effect was on my lungs. Although exercise is recommended to relieve some of the effects, my run/walks became more walk/runs. I tried to keep training “runs” to a fifteen-minute pace, and I was racing about fourteen-minute pace. It meant running for about ninety seconds and walking for as long as it took to recover or until I felt like shuffling my feet again. I was back in Corral 4 for the next Road Race Series, and it was a slower series than before. But at least I was still passing other runners now and then, and I was out there on Sunday mornings, either racing or with the Germantown Thoroughbreds. Most important, I became a member of the MRTC Finish Line Crew, earning my “red jacket” in January, 2020. It was time to give back to the great group of runners and friends who were such an integral part of my life for the past 20 years. In doing so, I discovered a new group of now life-long friends and something almost as rewarding as placing in a race or qualifying for Boston. It’s one of the main reasons I still run: to keep connections with old friends and to make connections with new friends. More significantly, however, I run to keep connected with myself, my running life, and my changing goals.
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. – Eckhart Tolle
Over the past couple of years, I’ve learned about acceptance. I’ve accepted that my running career, as it was for about 15 years, is long gone. It was great but it’s over. Like John Bingham said, “Everything changed the day that I understood that…I would have to run with the body I had.” There were other lessons as well. They have become a guide for my current running life: Sometimes you just need the courage to begin again and accept the fact that it may never be the same as it was.
Acceptance makes an incredible fertile soil for the seeds of change.
— Steve Maraboli
I worked with “it” where I was physically and hit the roads as I had for the past sixteen years. Running was my release, my activity, my social life. I wasn’t giving it up. I could live with running at that pace, throwing in more walks than I used to. A year later, I was doing more races at around a thirteen-minute pace, 15
With change comes growth. Grow your running life. The sun still shines (literally or figuratively) on those beautiful morning runs. Change your reason for running. Winning isn’t one of them anymore. By the grace of God, you are healthy enough to be at the start line. Celebrate it. Beyond that, your race time is irrelevant. Be happy that you are out there at the start line. And at the finish line. And there’s no external pressure any longer. Only to finish and any pressure you put on yourself. Find another challenge. If it’s not running, maybe it’s cycling or swimming.
Accept challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of accomplishment and victory. Set another goal. Mine is to keep running half marathons. I achieved my last half marathon goal of sub-3:00 in November, 2018. I won’t be able to do it again, but I still have to run in 21 states to reach 50. Set a training plan for whatever you decide to do even though it’s not the kind of plan that it used to be. Move on. The “Why me?” only works for a little while. Run the mile you’re in. Accept what is given. Change what is possible. Believe in what can be.
Thanks to Sprouts for supporting the 2019 Road Race Series and the 2020 Winter Off-Road Series.
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Running while being super cool By Robert “the Lone Runner” Rayder
Today I will Do what others Won’t So Tomorrow I can Accomplish what others Can’t.
with a trip through the foolish. One such example in my world are my biannual “Tough Guy Runs.” The idea behind the Tough Guy runs is simple. If you voluntarily choose to run in the most challenging weather conditions possible, then whatever conditions you find on race day are better than what you have already faced. It’s a huge psychological boost on a badweather race day. Thus, annually I choose to run on the hottest and coldest days my work schedule allows. Not only that – I run at the hottest or coldest hours within that day. In other words, I run in the worst possible conditions Mother Nature throws at me during any given year. Mother Nature, as you probably know, can get downright ugly in Memphis. If all this sounds crazy, things are both better and worse than you assume. On the “worse” side are the rules I impose on myself. A Tough Guy run must be at least one hour in duration. If there is a choice between a relatively more comfortable path and a less comfortable path, I always choose the path of maximum suffering. That means no shaded paths in summer, and no wind-sheltered trails in the winter. I force myself to experience the worst and most exposed pathway so that I can better appreciate even the smallest reprieve found on some future course. On the “better” side of this equation is the fact that I have no desire to die. I research and buy whatever I need to reduce the risks of what I’m doing. I have insulated and high-quality layers of clothing, Yaktrax ice grippers for my shoes, and thermal heat packs for my gloves and pockets to better conquer the winter. In summer I have an aid station set up at my house stocked with a cooler filled with ice water, electrolytes, drinks and towels to soak and carry with me as I run. Preparation is the key to safety, and I definitely spend a lot of time on preparation. I may be crazy, but I’m not insane. This winter, however, Mother Nature offered some unique winter-time options to put a new spin on my
—Jerry Rice
When you fancy yourself a long-distance runner, it helps to be a little crazy – or maybe a lot crazy. It has certainly paid off for me. The crazier my ideas, the better I do. That nonsensical philosophy has kept me running for almost a dozen years in a sport that my friends still insist is nothing but pure insanity. It’s doubly insane when you look like me physically, an overweight, balding, grey top that is the last person in the world you would expect to run in distance races. I run with neither the grace of the gazelle nor the splendor of the cheetah. Instead, I run more like a tank, a huge physical presence that just keeps on going forward no matter what gets in my way. I don’t get there fast, but I get there, and I’m almost impossible to stop. The key to this kind of running is developing a mental fortitude that can withstand the pain, the criticisms, and the uncertainties found in the sport, and in the world at large. I take pleasure when someone tells me that I can’t do something or that something is impossible “for a guy like you.” “For a guy like who?” I ask. “Am I too big, too old, too … whatever? How do you know?” After a moment like that I like to figure out a plan to get it done, then I do it. Most of the time I find out that something labelled “impossible for a guy like you” isn’t so much a matter of can’t, but rather it’s a matter of won’t. Sometimes it takes a lot, but almost always such challenges can be met if you’re willing to pay the price. The cost might be expensive, but it’s not impossible. If you look hard enough you will invariably find someone who is just like you who has done it before. All you have to do is find your own path. The path to the impossible almost always starts
I may be crazy, but I’m not insane.
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old Tough Guy routine. You see my old nemesis, the polar vortex, was coming back to Memphis after a multi-year absence. In case you have somehow avoided winter, or live in a dark cave or something, I’ll explain what the polar vortex is. Every so often, cold air gets pushed out of the arctic and sent spiraling south into more temperate zones of the globe. While the North Pole enjoys a much-needed break Snow was more than ankle deep in most places. from the ice box conditions that are demonic ice rinks, and bridges collapse under the strain usually found there, places like Memphis get thrust into of all that added weight from freshly deposited layer a super deep freeze. Temperatures plummet and we upon layer of ice. Southerners get reminded of why we chose not to live anywhere near the arctic in February. This year the vortex was going to be an especially Stage two: The Cold fine treat, as Gulf moisture was moving north at the A polar vortex is like a Mack Truck. Once it gets same moment the vortex was spreading south. An epic rolling, there is no way to stop it. As the vortex plunges collision was destined to occur between two of nature’s Southward, warm air is ruthlessly cast aside, and a most powerful titans in the frozen, cloudy skies above path of frigid air is left in its wake. Records fall, pipes Memphis. freeze, skin turns numb, and the temperatures outside The battle of wills between the cold, dry air of the make a household freezer look like a tropical hotspot. Great White North and the familiar warm, wet air from And in the middle of that path, the vortex lingers, the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea was to unfold making the deep freeze a trial of many days before in three distinct wintery stages. the world finally rights itself and temperatures slowly return to just plain, run of the mill, winter cold.
Stage one: The Ice
Memphis is famous for a lot of things. One of them we could all do without is the ferocious ice storms that plague us every few years. Supercooled raindrops fall from the sky and instantly freeze on whatever they contact on the ground. The result is a covering of pure ice that coats everything in sight, like trees, cars, bridges, streets and walkways. Although beautiful, this ice field leaves devastation in its wake. Tree limbs snap, falling on cars, houses, and people alike. Cars skid uncontrollably on streets so recently turned into
Stage three: The Snow
Tropical moisture is no slouch either. The vortex may sap it of its famed heat, but the humidity lives on and all that moist air precipitates and falls to earth in a magical way, as ice crystals. In other words, it snows. The world is covered in a fluffy coat of white. Streets are buried, snowmen are born and sleds make rare appearances outside of dark garages. For many of us in the South, snow is so rare that it seems like we are transported to a whole new world when it makes an 18
appearance. This year, however, snow would become a persistent visitor, and for some it became a guest who overstayed its welcome. For me, however, it was an opportunity. It was time to give air to a little of my crazy side. Running in an ice storm is not something I would advise. Conditions are slick, making falling a real hazard. Tree limbs randomly break off, with serious consequences for anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did I mention that cars occasionally slide out of control down the streets? It’s not exactly a runner’s paradise. Still, there is something eerie and beautiful about the ice that calls to me. I don my Yaktrax shoes equipped with steel coils on the soles to grip the ice and snow. The coils miraculously give me some much-need traction as I run in such dreadful and dangerous winter conditions. My winter adventures would be almost impossible without them. Then I took to the streets. Icicles glimmered in the early morning sun from every rooftop and tree branch. Common items like cars and street posts sparkled as they were decoratively adorned with a layer of perfectly clear ice. Nothing was spared the icy embrace. It was like a giant can of polyurethane spilled over the entire city, coating everything in its path. To me it seemed like heaven. Everything, no matter how old and worn
Mia, the author’s pal and snow enthusiast.
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personal world, filled with a trillion diamonds. The ice acted like a highlighter bringing my attention to things I would otherwise ignore. A holly bush filled with bright red berries glistened festively in the cold. No artificial Christmas display could compare to its beauty in this frozen landscape. The red and dark green was accentuated against the dull whites and blues of the wider frozen world. My eyes would not leave it even as I ran past. A piece of heaven had been brought down to earth. It was so beautiful. Still, the risks of this icy world would not go unnoticed. I heard loud snaps that sounded like gun fire in the distance. Only when I came across large tree branches sprawled across my path did I realize the noise came from mighty branches snapped off of their host trees by the added burden of the heavy ice. It was not hard to imagine what would happen to me if I just happened to be under that tree as the branch gave way. A small shudder went down my spine. I decided to give the trees a wide berth whenever possible. The following days were clear, and the sun shined brightly, but the vortex kept coming. The
The author manages a quick, frozen smile. before the ice came, was now bright and shiny and bustled with new life. The sunlight reflected off all it fell upon. The world seemed new, clean, and pure. It was reborn. The streets were deserted. I was the only fool stupid enough to risk death simply to run in the ice. But the payoff was large. The landscape seemed like my own
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temperatures kept dropping. The twenties gave way to the teens, which in turn gave way to the single digits. The morning arrived where the temperature settled somewhere between 1 and zero Fahrenheit with a windchill of minus 6. It was time to run again. The rules of the tough guy runs are unforgiving. And this would be my coldest and most bitter run ever, thus giving this run the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous. If I injured myself all alone along some trail in this intense cold I could very quickly freeze to death. Preparation is everything. And just bringing a cell phone is not enough, something I’ve learned the hard way. Cell phones really dislike extreme temperatures. They shut off in very hot and very cold conditions. I’ve found that any day below freezing requires special care for cell phones. I wrapped mine in a plastic bag with a hand warmer dedicated just to the phone and then further insulated it by placing it deep into a dedicated zipper pocket.
Then I started to adorn myself in three layers of clothes, two layers of socks, and a number of strategically placed hand warmers. Anything that juts out needs a hand warmer (a slightly different and discreet list for men and women). A handwarmer was even reserved in a special pocket for as-needed use on the face and nose, even though both were already covered by a thick ski mask. It took a long time to get ready, and I was uncomfortably warm while in my house, but the second I stepped outside made me grateful for my diligent prep work. It was bitterly, mind numbingly COLD. In minutes, my eye lashes were frozen solid. My breath wasn’t just misty, like on many cold days. It looked like ice crystals. It was solid and stuck stubbornly to my ski mask whenever I breathed out. The mask was quickly covered with ice, requiring me to pull it down. My exposed skin went instantly numb and I was glad for the
My breath ... looked like ice crystals.
Mia in the distance on the last snow day. 22
extra handwarmer dedicated to my frozen face. The combination of cold and warm made my face flush and it burned like I had suffered a bad sunburn. My running generated more and more heat and soon the cold seemed to retreat a little. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was tolerable. Only when the wind struck me did the misery level really rise. Again, the world was empty. The streets were my own, but I tried to stay in the most public and accessible places I could find. I wanted to seek shelter or be found quickly if something should go awry. I wouldn’t last long in this cold if disaster struck. I tried to distract myself by listening to sounds. Things sound different to me in the extreme cold. Noises seem crisper and sharper. My footsteps seemed louder and subtle noises were more noticeable. My hearing seemed keener. I felt sort of like a super hero with super hearing. I assume the effect is from increased air density in the cold, or maybe it’s just my imagination. Either way, it passed the time. My mask thawed out and I was able to shroud my face once again. I wondered how the ice had melted in this kind of cold, but I knew enough to take such a gift without asking too many questions. The requisite hour seemed to pass over an incredibly long time. I’m unsure how far I actually On the way home, Mia follows the track she and the author made earlier. ran since my GPS watch stopped working, but my backup wristwatch diligently counted out the hour and I timed things to where the one-hour mark was To my eyes, however, the snow was unbelievably reached almost exactly when I arrived back home. beautiful. At night, my neighborhood was transformed I hurried back inside and stripped off all those into some mid-century Norman Rockwell painting added layers of clothes as fast as I could. The warm with the street lights casting brilliant circles of light shower that followed was a luxury I will not soon onto the reflective piles of snow. Chimneys billowed forget. smoke from a thousand fireplaces and families huddled Then the moist air arrived, and for the first time in together in living rooms as their children stared in days the temperature rose a little as the clouds rolled silent awe out the window at the miracle of so much in (to a whopping 10-11 degrees.) Within those clouds snow. Even the adults gave occasional glances outside were the seeds of disaster that had laid Texas low and to share in the rare wintery spectacle. The scene was left Houston powerless and freezing under a blanket of so stereotypically American that I scarcely believed it snow and ice. to be real. Yet here it was, repeated a thousand times, Fortunately, Memphis was a little better prepared as again and again, right outside my own backyard. the skies filled with a torrent of thick flakes that made Needless to say, that these conditions were near running (much less driving) difficult to near impossible perfect running weather for me. I took to the roads and in the “white out” conditions found in such a blizzard. trails whenever I could. And this time I wasn’t alone in The snow fell in great waves and was spread out over my obsession as my faithful dog Mia (pronounced Mydays as inch upon inch piled up in embankments that Ahh) loves the snow even more than I do. These snowy were sometimes feet deep. The few salt trucks and adventures would be a run for two. snowplows available struggled to keep the main traffic So, we took off and blazed trails in the virgin arteries open, as residential streets remained buried and snow as my feet sank deep under the endless carpet of treacherous. white. The snow sounded “squeaky” as we ran over it, 23
like running over a giant field of Styrofoam packing peanuts. It was different than the slushing noise warmer snow makes. The squeak mixed with a satisfying crunch as the snow was compacted. The tracks Mia and I left were the only signs of outdoor life. Every other living thing sought shelter. The running was hard and slow as I literally had to high-step every time I moved forward so my feet would clear the deep snow holes my weight created. It’s inefficient and tiring but all my exertions definitely gave me a solid workout despite my slower speed. Mia, on the other hand, showed that she is a naturalborn snow dog. She bounded effortlessly over the frozen landscape and loved for me to throw snowballs at her. The snowballs were soft and fluffy rather than the hard, icy kind found in warmer snow. Mia would snap at them and they would dissolve into a spray of ice that scattered all over her. She would then leap into the air in a self-satisfied celebration after each snowball was vanquished by her powerful maw. She never tired of the game and would look at me periodically to see if it was time for another snowball fight. When we were on a trail, I let her run a while off leash since there was almost no one else around. She would plow into deep banks of snow whenever possible with a satisfying crunch. She reminded me of a small child with her boundless enthusiasm. I often laughed so hard at her antics that I had to stop running just to catch my breath between chuckles. My favorite thing to do was to run through the virgin snowpack and look back at our lonely tracks trodding over my best guess of the position of the underlying trail. Sometimes I was way off, as I would learn days later when the snow finally receded. At the time, however, mine became the trail that would be followed by everyone who came after, since no one else
had any better idea of where the trail should actually be. A few of these blissful days saw more snowfall between my runs. The newly laid snow would bury my old tracks and allow me the pleasure of reestablishing my virgin trail. I would intentionally make it different than before, and sure enough others who came later still mostly followed in my footsteps, literally. I guess it was the path of least resistance for them. There was endless potential for every cliché allegory I know. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you. All good things eventually come to an end. The moisture eventually passed on, but in its wake the tropical warm front had driven the powerful vortex all the way back into the arctic, which is where it belongs after all. The sun shown brightly, and for one brief day it was snowy and relatively warm at the same time. The trails that had been mostly my own were now packed with those who had spent days cooped up in their homes. Snowmen were born next to snow angels. Children chased each other across still icy streets and old men introduced the young to the joys of sledding. It was fun to see life return to the outdoors and the joy on peoples faces. It’s hard to be anything but cheerful on such a glorious day, and many people warmly greeted Mia and me as we slogged through the snowy remnants. It felt a lot like Christmas morning, the day Ebenezer Scrooge was reborn after a night spent with the dead. I had faced my own ghosts in the ice, the cold and the snow all in their own turn, so it felt like a new day. The sunshine filled the world with the potential of better days to come. Spring would arrive shortly and everything around me had been washed clean by the trials of winter’s strongest days. And so had I. For the first time in a long time, I felt warm inside.
I had faced my own ghosts in the ice ...
Serious snowfall
record, which occurred at the Mount Shasta Ski Bowl in California from Feb. 13 to 19 in 1959. At 15.75 feet, the snowfall there was a record from a single storm system. Mount Shasta is a volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range and rises as high as 14,160 feet. Besides the 1892 snow dump on Memphis, the city has experienced some other significant snowfall totals, notably 17.3 inches from heavy snow March 21 and 23 and 14.3 on Dec. 22, 1968.
The snowfall Rob Rayder wrote about occurred on Feb.18 this year.The Memphis International Airport reported 7.2 inches of snow that day, but the total was quickly revised down to 5.17 inches. The record snowfall in Memphis – 18 inches – happened on March 17, 1892, no doubt interrupting many a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. 18 inches is a lot of snow, of course, but it doesn’t come close to the U.S. 24
From the Editor’s Desk (continued from page 1)
of running marathons on back-to-back days came up. He told me he was running a double himself within a few days. I asked how he planned to get that done. He said, “Just start the second one slow and you will feel okay in a few minutes.” It turned out he was right. I did as he suggested and the two days went better than I had expected them to. Near the end of my Maui race (state 50), I caught up with an older man and we started talking. He was doing state No. 50 himself. I asked where was from and he told me Seattle. I asked how he got from Seattle to Hawaii and he told me he had come on a “destination cruise.” – He would not be going back to Seattle on the ship he came in on. “How are you going to get home?” I asked. He shrugged his shoulders and responded, “I don’t know.” I wished him well and we kept on running. I like to talk to other runners while we’re going because doing so sometimes gives me ideas for Roadrunner articles – by or about the person I’m talking to. One of my best scores occurred as I ran the Chicamauga Battlefield Marathon near Chattanooga in the fall of 2017. I was running a slow race and at one point found myself next to Amanda Lawrence, who lives in a small town in Georgia. We started talking and I told her about MRTC, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and all the great things St. Jude does. Amanda and I got separated and I did not see her again, but about a week after I got back home, Amanda emailed to say she was so inspired by what I told her about St. Jude that she signed up to run as a St. Jude Hero. I wrote back immediately to ask her to write about her experience for the Roadrunner. She did so, and I was thrilled to receive her article about running for St. Jude children – one of the best articles ever published in the Roadrunner. I plan to rerun Amanda’s article in The November issue of the Roadrunner, which typically features the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. Final note: This publication is by and for MRTC members. If you have an experience you feel would interest other members, get in touch with me at brentmanley@yahoo.com Comments are welcome. ❑
Share your experiences.
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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 morning
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
LifeGreen Checking 1.800.regions | regions.com/green © 2009 Regions Bank.
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6/9/09 2:06:05 PM
Wednesday morning Run: Southaven Striders Time: 6 a.m. Place: Central Park in Southaven (Tchulahoma ent., east side of park) Distance: 3-5 miles (9- 12-minute miles) Contact: Kyle McCoy, 901-299-8630 or 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
Thursday afternoon
Run: Fleet Feet Time: 6 p.m. Fleet Feet hosts individualized speedwork sessions including track and tempo workouts for runners who want to get a little quicker. No fees. Contact: Feb at 901-761-0078 or lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com 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: Bartlett UMC Run: Breakaway Running Time: 6 p.m. Breakaway’s Marathon and Place: Bartlett United Methodist Church, Half Marathon Training Group 5676 Stage Road; group meets in meets each Saturday morning the gym lobby through December to help Distance: Varies prepare our friends for the Contact: Sam Thompson, St. Jude Memphis Marathon. 901-386-2724 or Check website or Facebook page sthompson@bartlettumc.org for location and time. Join us! 901-722-8797 for more info. Run: Bartlett Run Time: 6:30 p.m. Run: Black Men Run Memphis Place: W.J. Freeman Park, Time: 6 a.m. 2629 Bartlett Blvd. Place: Code Enforcement, Distance: 4-6 miles Farm Road at Mullins Station Contact: Paul “Spunky” Ireland Distance: Varies h. 901-388-5009 c. 901-826-7496 Contact: Shannon Chisenga, or paulireland@att.net 215-834-4687 or shannon.chisenga@blkmenrun.com
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: FIT4MOM Run Club Time and day of week: 8-week sessions. Location: Shelby Farms Park Distance: All distances Contact: Amy Earnest memphis@fit4mom.com or visit www.memphis.fit4mom.com 27
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: 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
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