THE ROADRUNNER A Publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club www. memphisrunners. com
October 2019 • Vol. 39, No. 8
They keep you informed and entertained.
Rob Rayder
Joel Lyons
A closer look at four regular Roadrunner contributors – page 6
Millie Jackson
Ashley Ludlow
THE ROADRUNNER
In This Issue From the Editor’s Desk
Message from the President (by Steve Spakes) Nutrition on the Run (by Ashley Ludlow)
Meet the people who "talk" to you in this magazine A publication of the Memphis Runners Track Club October 2019 Vol. 39, No. 8
Chinese runners impressed with the RRS (by Zhiliang Hu) Little Memphis Runners stickers
have big impact (by Glenn Munson)
Runners Walk Tall at Big Hill Pond (By Brian Williams) Is it fate that you're a runner? Or something else?
Volunteers needed for the trails (by Maggie Emerson) Friends honor Mary Rose Branyan
at Shelby Farms Park (by Peggy Scott)
Group runs
Race Calendar
On the cover Learn more about four of the MRTC members who, issue to issue, help you stay informed and entertained. Read about them starting on page 6.
Start2Finish Event Management
24-Hour Tour d'Esprit
Fleet Feet
Book It 5K
28 29 32
2 5
19
Freeman Marr Panther Pride 5K Race for Grace 5K
27
18
Nationwide
Eye Opener 5K
24
17
Mid-South Firefighter 5K
Forrest Spence 5K
21
15
Sprouts Farmers Market
BioLife Plasma Services
14
11
OrthoSouth
10
9
Blair Parker Design Zaka Bowl
6
34
Advertisements Grivet Outdoors
4
13
A tale of two seasons (by Rob Rayder)
Marathon Results (compiled by Millie Jackson)
3
11
How volunteer Michelle Lee makes a difference
(by Joel Lyons)
1
20 24 26 28 31 34
Inside Front Cover Inside Back Cover
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/ 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 901-383-8782 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 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 When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.
Persistence
The next day, Donna, my wife, and I went to have a look at Mount St. Helens. All in all, it was a good trip. Slow as I was in the race, I had fun. Six years later, I found myself in the Nevada desert at midnight, waiting for the start of the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Marathon. It began near the city of Rachel. Participants ran on a highway that eventually took them past Area 51, where, according to legend, the government keeps visitors from outer space. At about mile 10, I caught up to a woman and started talking to her. When she said she was going to quit, I offered to accompany her to the end. We slowed down and eventually made it, crossing the finish line together. I thought we were tied. When the results came out, I was a fraction of a second behind her. Last again. In 2013, Donna and I traveled to Laramie WY for a marathon that started in a park at an elevation of 8,600 feet. I was enjoying the start – the first four miles were downhill – until it dawned on me that on the out-and-back course the final four miles would be uphill. Yikes. It was a hot day and I was struggling when I reached the final uphill stretch. I made it somehow and was very happy to cross the finish line. I didn’t know it right away, but there was someone nearby who was happier than I was. It was a man (from Michigan, I found out later) about my age. He rushed up to me and blurted out, “Thank you! Until you showed up, I was last!” I don’t remember what I said to my new buddy at that point. It was, however, nice to be able to make someone’s day. We were two slow but happy runners enjoying our sport. In the Haulin’ Aspen Trail Marathon in 2002, I thought I was last but was told when I hit the finish line that there was another runner out there. The next day, I spotted a woman at the airport wearing the marathon shirt. I asked how she did and she said, “Not so good.” I said, “Don’t feel bad. I came in next to last.” She said, “Well, I was the one right behind you.” Happy running!
— Peter Marshall
When I started running 35 years ago, I had no idea at the time how many crazy things were going to happen to me as I grew more serious about our sport and set goals that would take me all over America. My enthusiasm for running and persistence in various settings outstrip my talent, but this fact has in no way deterred me from taking part. One of the goals I set after I ran my first marathon in 1996 was to complete a marathon in every state. It took 18 years for me to get to that finish line, so to speak, and I have many fond memories – and stories to tell – from the adventure. I have completed 58 marathons, and I’m not ashamed to note that in three of those races, I came in last. In some others, I barely avoided that placement. The first time I brought up the rear was in 2002 in Washington, where I ran the Christmas Marathon. It started in Millersylvania State Park, near Olympia. We left the forest and ran on a narrow road that eventually took us into a subdivision. At that point, the course became complicated. Cones were needed to direct runners. After we exited the subdivision, we crossed over a freeway, then ran along the service road to a turnaround so that we could retrace our steps back to the start in the forest. I was doing okay, with two or three runners behind me, when I came to the entrance to the subdivision. I was stunned to see that all the cones had been removed. I got lost twice before getting directions through the subdivision and finally finished in the dark. The race was three days before Christmas, so all volunteers were gone, and there was no food, no finisher medal. The race director gave me a box of energy bars and a little plastic trophy that had something to do with a half marathon. 1
2
A Message from the President By Steve Spakes We’ve been very busy in the MRTC Executive Suite. The Tour d’Esprit is right around the corner and we hope to see all of you there. It is a very good event that raises funds for the Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis. Please join the fun if you can. Believe it or not, we’re starting to work in the Winter Off Road Series. And, we do plan to have the awards ceremony a week after the final race at some cool place yet to be determined. We’ve narrowed it down to three venues. We are still working out the details in a new MRTC event, the T.O. Fuller trail race. We’re very excited to support the park and hope you will join us on March 21, 2020. And speaking of trail races, MRTC is proud to be a new member of the American Trail Running Association, ATRA, led by founder Nancy Hobbs. I was among a group of MRTC Board members who heard Nancy speak at a recent RRCA convention in New Orleans. She is an excellent speaker with a lot of knowledge. In 1995, Nancy discovered there was a men’s team headed to the World’s Mountain Running Championship. She wondered why there wasn’t a women’s team and was told that no women wanted to go. She called her mountain-running friends and
assembled the first USATF Women’s Mountain Running Team. By 2004, they had a team on the podium. Over the past 30 years, Nancy had built awareness and support for the sport of trail and mountain running in the U.S. for both men and women. She founded the American Trail Running Association in 1996 and is currently executive director. Check out the website at trailrunner.com. Also, check out one of Nancy’s books such as The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running. An MRTC shout out to Phillip Taylor, 83, for a time of 9:50 in the Mug Mile. The next time I see Phillip at Belmont Bar & Grille, I must buy him a beverage or two. The Pilgrimage Track Club did a great job with the race and you should plan to participate next year. The event raises money for the Madonna Learning Center. MRTC Board member and scientist at St. Jude, Peter Mercredi, is leaving and he will be missed very much. Peter is joining the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant to serve as a biochemist. Good luck Peter! Finally, thank you for being a member and no, MRTC does not have an office (but we do have a P.O. Box).
3
Ashley Ludlow
MS, RD, CSG, ACE-CHC, LDN, FAND
Don’t Lose Your Mind
can top 750 calories. Eating with distractions- One of the biggest mindless eating traps today is when we eat while doing something else, such as driving or watching TV. You’re eating without thinking. When you have an endless supply of food, like a large bag of chips, and you’re paying attention to something else, it makes it harder to stop eating. People engage in much mindless eating during daily activities such as cooking dinner, driving, working on your computer or even sitting at your desk. The good news is that we can learn to eat mindfully, to be fully present when we eat. To tune in to what are bodies are telling us, are we hungry, thirsty, or just tired? Are we grabbing a piece of candy just because it is there or is it because we’re truly hungry? When we eat mindfully, we pay closer attention to our food. Shifting awareness to the food in front of us allows us to better identify and differentiate our body’s hunger and satiety signals, cravings and emotional eating urges. When we eat mindfully, we build better relationships with our food. Like mediation, eating mindfully is a skill that requires practice and time. If you want to practice mindful eating, here are a few easy exercises you can try during your next meal. 1. Slow it down It takes our brains 20 minutes to get the signal that we have eaten. Slowing allows our brains to get the signal before we have eaten more than we were hungry for. Try putting your fork down between bites or chew more slowly and deliberately instead of taking big bites and gobbling down your meal. 2. Enjoy the silence Mealtimes are often family affairs. A time for great conversation with family, friends, and coworkers. This wonderful conversation may feed our soul, but it actually distracts us from the food we’re eating. That doesn’t mean you should ban conversation at the dinner table. What I suggest is that when you’re eating alone that you actually focus on the food in front of you instead of texting or distracting yourself with a book. Doing this from time to time can help you tune in to
Have you ever eaten a bag of popcorn, chips or candy without even being fully aware that you ate them? Just a few months ago, I picked up a king size bag of Peanut M&Ms to snack on while driving home from dropping my freshman daughter off at college. About 30 minutes later I realized that the bag was empty, but I remembered eating about only three or four of them. I hadn’t been hungry when I bought the M&Ms and had eaten the whole bag without even paying attention to what I was doing. What I was doing is an example of mindless eating. Mindless eating is eating while being distracted, where you’re not fully present to what you’re doing. It’s eating while you’re bored, cranky, tired or upset. It’s eating more when you’re not really hungry. It’s eating while working, while being on your phone, or watching TV. It’s grabbing a piece of candy every time you pass the candy dish at work. We’re frequently unaware of why, when and how much we eat, so we fall into a mindless eating trap. You may be surprised to know that your environment can also be a trigger to eating mindlessly. Mega portions- Restaurants and packaged foods are typically served in huge portions that can make us think we’re consuming only one serving when there might be two, three or four servings per portion. Many individual pizzas, cookies and muffins are meant to be cut in half per the food label, but many of us don’t notice the label and eat the whole cookie. The package of M&Ms I mindlessly ate actually contained three servings, and I ate all three without even realizing it. Oops! Convenience of foods- The availability of food is forever expanding, making it much easier to mindlessly eat. We can have food delivered to us in a matter of minutes, there is food in the break room, in building lobbies and in food trucks on the corner. We no longer have to travel far to find food, even when we’re not hungry. Liquid calories- Sports drinks, smoothies and coffee drinks seem to be a part of our daily lives. One way this can become a mindless eating issue is when we don’t think to compensate for these calories consumed by cutting back elsewhere. And many of these coffee drinks 4
6. Make it a habit If you’re used to eating quickly with lots of distractions, these exercises can seem a little overwhelming at first. That’s why it’s best to start with small changes. Take a look at your day to see where you could add a few extra minutes to a meal to practice being mindful? Maybe during breakfast? Or is that too stressful and you prefer lunch? Pick a time that suits you and try some of the exercises outlined above. Try testing a few of them out and sticking with the one that’s easiest for you. You can always add the ones you find more difficult later. Practice patience with yourself as you build the habit of mindful eating and work to stick with it consistently. That way, before you know it, eating mindfully will be a healthy habit. In Conclusion ... Changing how you feel about food is tough since these habits are deeply ingrained in us. But practicing mindfulness around food regularly will help bring about positive change. Remember that the important thing is to go at it slowly and forgive yourself for getting off track. The goal isn’t to be perfect but to get started. Over time, it can be a lasting transformation. With time, you’ll see the positive impact of eating mindfully.
yourself and help you practice mindful eating. 3. Ditch technology Many of us are addicted to our phones. We are constantly checking email, texting or scrolling through social media. Mealtimes offer a chance to get away from our screens by ditching our phones. You will be surprised how much mindless eating you cut out by focusing on the meal at hand if you make it a practice to eat without technology distracting you. 4. Listen to your body Stopping to check in with yourself while you eat is important. It allows you to determine if you’re full, still hungry or want something different to eat. By pausing and checking in with yourself you can avoid overeating and you’ll learn to better understand how food impacts you. 5. Accept and embrace your choices As you begin to eat more mindfully, you’ll learn to make more conscious food choices. A lot of guilt and negative feelings about eating come from not owning our food choices. We tell ourselves we’re no longer allowed to eat certain things, labeling some foods as bad. If having a piece of chocolate cake makes you feel satisfied and happy you should own that choice and not feel bad. Enjoy the piece of cake, savor it, notice all the tastes and textures. Not enjoying that piece of cake while eating it is a waste of a delicious piece of cake!
5
Who are these people who keep writing for this magazine? The Roadrunner is blessed with lots of good writing from MRTC members. They are, of course, runners.There is more to each of them than PRs, marathon times and quirky running adventures.They have careers and interests in addition to running and fitness. Read on to learn more about them one by one. Rob Rayder
What is your occupation? Right after graduating from my residency, I was offered a full-time position at the Methodist Germantown Hospital’s Emergency Department where I had been “moonlighting” for a couple years prior. I have been there for over 20 years!
When and Where were you born? I was born in Cleveland, Tennessee but left that Chattanooga suburb at a very young age due to my father’s job as a US Postal Inspector. I lived in Butte MT, San Francisco and Los Angeles, all before the start of third grade.
How did you get into running? A friend from work, Gil, was training for the New York City Marathon. I was approaching my 40th birthday and was looking for a new healthy hobby. Gil talked me into training for the St. Jude Half Marathon in 2008. I ended up “running” way ahead with my training schedule and signed up for a half marathon in Montreal in September. After that, I wanted more, so I signed up for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. That was a lot tougher than I thought, but I got it done. When I crossed the finish line I was literally moved to tears. That experience ranks as one of the most amazing moments of my life. It wasn’t long before I was searching for more and more marathons. I was hooked. Here, at last, was a sport through which I could satisfy my love of travel, appeal to my sense of adventure and feed my desire to stay in shape all at once.
How long have you lived in the Memphis Area? I moved here right after graduating from my undergraduate college and marrying my wife, Christina, in the summer of 1991. Tell about your education and family. I went to UCLA for my undergraduate degree and graduated with the longest diploma description of any other Bruin to graduate in the year of 1991. My major was “Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Psychbiology with a specialization in Business and Administration.” That’s a mouthful, and it was somehow just impressive enough to get me into the University of Tennessee’s School of Medicine in Memphis when I applied the following year. My first daughter, Rebecca, was born three weeks before I started Medical School in 1993 (not the recommended course, by the way). Jennifer, my middle daughter, was born during my fourth year of medical school right after I was accepted into the competitive combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics four-year residency program, again in Memphis. My third (and last) child, Christopher, was born during the second year of that residency.
What prompted you to write for the Roadrunner? I had just completed my third marathon and was signing up for more and more races. While I was having the time of my life, I was having a hard time explaining to others why I loved to do this sport so much. Many folks were questioning my sanity (they still do.) I had joined MRTC a few months before and was just starting to the Roadrunner. I read Bill Butler’s piece describing what makes the marathon such a magical distance for so many. It was elegant prose and still gets my vote for the best piece ever written about a runner’s tortured love affair with the 26.2-mile distance. Bill closed his 6
work with an invitation to his readers to write about their own marathon adventures. It changed my view on the marathon entirely. A marathon, or any foot race for that matter, is a unique experience. It’s a struggle, a failure, a triumph, a march of the body through some wonderous land, and an epic journey for the unlimited horizons of the mind. How could I not write about something like that? Now I write a story in my head whenever I run. Fortunately, my stories have occasionally connected me to other runners. Every so often, runners come up to me and tell me that a story I wrote really resonated with them. Then they tell me something about themselves and how a race, or just running in general, has touched them. I tell them all to write it down. Send it in to the Roadrunner! It’s an amazing thing to do for yourself, and it might be even better if your story touches someone.
Tell the readers about your education and your family. My family includes my wonderful husband, Tony Ludlow, my son, Connor (19), my daughter, Callie (18) and our three-legged cat, Willow. I am a newlywed (March) and a recent empty nester now that both kids are in college. I have a bachelor of science degree in nutrition from San Diego State University, did my Dietetic Internship and grad classes at UT Martin, and received my Master of Science degree in gerontology with an emphasis in nutrition from the University of Arkansas. What is your occupation? I am a Registered Dietitian and Board-Certified Specialist in Gerontology with Abbott Nutrition and am the Sports Dietitian for Sgt. Tony’s Fitness Boot Camp, which is in East Memphis. Last year I was an Adjunct Graduate Nutrition Professor for the University of Memphis. I am also an American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Health Coach and an RRCA-verified running coach.
What is your favorite adventure, and what is your goal in running? My favorite running tale has been the evolving story of how this sport has changed me and my family over the years. It’s a tale written in a thousand parts. It’s a tale of Christopher moving from a kid who wondered if he would ever be good at anything, to a man who has stood as a marathon champion and a force to be reckoned with at any race. It’s a tale of my wife’s battle with breast cancer and her road to recovery built both literally and figuratively on a trial of a thousand miles. It’s a tale of Rebecca’s journey from youthful rejection to Road Warrior. In other words, these running stories are a tale of a life on the run. And my running goal is to make sure that tale always reads as a grand adventure!
How did you get into running? I first began running in my senior year of high school, just wanting to be healthier. I continued to run short distances on and off until 2005, when I trained for my first marathon with my friend, Missy. You have been writing for the Roadrunner for more than a decade. What prompted you to offer your knowledge and wisdom on nutrition all those years ago? I have been writing for the RoadRunner for 16 years now, wow! When I joined MRTC all those years ago, I realized that there never seemed to be any articles addressing how nutrition impacts running performance. Seeing this gap, I reached out to the editor, Brent Manley, to see if I could submit a few articles. After a few months it was decided that I would be a monthly contributor. It is an honor to be able to share how nutrition makes a difference in our lives.
Ashley Ludlow When and where were you born? I was born on July 28, 1971 at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. How long have you lived in the Memphis area? I was born and raised in Memphis but lived in San Diego for six years.
If you could give just one piece of advice to runners, what would it be? My one piece of advice to runners is to make sure you fuel yourself for any run lasting over an hour. You may think you don’t need to, but if you learn to fuel yourself properly while on long runs you might be surprised at just how much better you feel. 7
Joel Lyons
physical therapy without the mandate of a physician’s referral. We were concerned that insurance wouldn’t cover but were pleased to find that it does in all cases except Medicare. Being a runner myself has definitely put many of my runner friends at ease when it comes to working through their injuries. I can relate to the challenges of being out of action when running is your passion, so I do my best to let runners continue running if at all possible while they heal.
When and where were you born? 1963, Memphis, TN How long have you lived in the Memphis area? My whole life Tell the readers about your education and your family. I graduated from Christian Brothers High School, then got a degree in Chemical Biology from Rhodes College, and finished with a Physical Therapy degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. After five years of practice, I earned board certification as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. I am married to Padma Lyons, DDS. What is your occupation? I’m a physical therapist and center manager at Select Physical Therapy in Cordova. How did you get into running? I enjoyed playing football, baseball and basketball throughout elementary and junior high. In high school I found out that I was a decent distance runner and that motivated me to start running cross country and track. I was lucky to have a tremendous teacher, Frank Horton, as my first coach. He guided and encouraged me even more. What do you consider to be your best achievement as a runner? I’ve been pretty proud to have been running consistently now for 42 years and also to having run 7 Boston Marathons. What prompted you to begin your series of articles in the Roadrunner? I started writing for the Roadrunner after being encouraged by the editor. He has known me as a runner and a physical therapist. I hoped I could share some insights into improving performance while preventing injuries. Has your experience as a runner helped you in your career? For sure. Several of my colleagues and I worked legally to get direct access to the public to provide physical therapy. We were able to change the state law so that now it is allowed. It allows the public and especially runners who are injured direct access to
Millie Jackson When and where were you born? Los Angeles, California, 1969 How long have you lived in the Memphis area? Since 1992 Tell readers about your education and your family. I am a 1992 graduate of Prairie View A&M University ( B.A. in accounting). I am single parent of one son, Jalen, who is a 2017 graduate of University of Tennessee Knoxville. I am currently an empty-nester. What is your occupation? Senior Investment Accountant, AVP of the Bond Accounting Department at Vining Sparks, IBG How did you get into running? I was a member of The French Rivera gym and my boot camp instructor, Tyrone Spencer, extended invitations to run/walk miles on the Shelby Farms Greenline. Afterwards, I became a member of the Black Girls Run group and MRTC. How did you become involved with MRTC? After completing the road race series in 2015 and 2016, I dove into becoming a dedicated volunteer with the MRTC-supported local races, the Women Run/Walk Memphis program (Beginners Run coach), Kids Run Camp and the Finish Line Crew. What are your primary volunteer activities? MRTC (Marathon Results for the Roadrunner), The Orpheum Theater (Usher), Levitt Shell (Bike Valet),Urban Bicycle Food Ministry (ride and provide a meal to the homeless) and the St. Jude Community Relations Committee. 8
OCTOBER
11-12
SAVE THE DATE OCTOBER 11-12 3 PM - 3 PM
21ST ANNUAL EVENT SUPPORTING HMMOM
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis 1779 Kirby Parkway #1, P.O. Box 319, Memphis, TN 38138
Mark your calendars. Your participation supports a full-time medical, dental, and rehabilitation clinic in Croix Des Bouquets, Haiti. Team and sign-up information will be available midsummer! Interested in our quarterly e-news letter? Email below and we’ll add you to the list. (put HMMOM newsletter as subject of your email) mariondbailey@aol.com
9
Chinese runners try the RRS – and they love it! By Zhiliang Hu Seven years ago, As our group grew from the original seven people a group of Chinese to about 35 active runners and more than 100 walkers/ families and friends observers, including a few friends from outside of gathered together to run Memphis, on a WeChat group, it effectively helped the MRTC’s annual E.J. us to encourage each other to keep running! We also Goldsmith Jr. Memorial have a Strava group named Greater Memphis Chinese Road Race Series as a Runners Club (GMCRC) of 23 members, each keeping way to keep up a regular an average of 20 miles of runs per week. Some of running schedule and to us became runners in the 901 series, Youth Village measure 5K/10our Miler, Big progress so that none would fall Buffalo 50 out. We quickly found out that the Relay and series is so great because it couples the Navy well with a training scheme for the 10 Nautical average person to be able to run Miler in the a half-marathon in four months. summer. In the beginning, none of us had While ever dreamed about running a halfracing marathon in a lifetime. In only a during the couple of years, a number of us ran St. Jude into the marathon crowd! It’s the RRS Memphis that cultivated the progress for many Members of the Greater Memphis Chinese Runners Club at the Marathon Photo by Chunhui Song first 5K in the 2019 road race series. to realize a dream. Weekend is a must, some of us ran out of Memphis, to events like the Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, Chicago Bank of America Marathon, Boston Marathon and the Paris MRTC Marathon. bad-weather policy All in all, it’s not about Road Warrior trophies and MRTC contracts to provide finish-line services RRS finisher medals we receive every year. What’s at local races. When there is inclement weather, great about the series is that it effectively helps us to the race director has the option to postpone or prepare for the annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon cancel the race and is responsible for notifying weekend, a meaningful way to raise funds for the kids the MRTC and participants. In the event of a of St. Jude! cancellation, rescheduling is unlikely because We appreciate being part of the Memphis running of the number of races already on the MRTC crowds, with the Breakaway training group, with the calendar. Germantown Thoroughbreds, and of course – with For MRTC races (the Road Race Series, the RRS! Our goal is to inspire and encourage more of our Winter Cross Country Race Series and the Hill & friends to join us and start running, not only to keep fit Dale 8-miler), the policy is that the race will go on, and to get rid of work stress, but also to support great rain or shine. The start of a race may be delayed causes by actively participating in various fundraising to let bad weather pass, but scheduled races will events in town, making Memphis a better place to be run. live! 10
Those Little Red and White Stickers By Glenn Munson They’re not very big, just the typical oval sticker that one sees on rear windows or rear bumpers of many cars and trucks. Some are advertisements. Some are parking stickers for colleges or companies. Sometimes they show where those folks have been, such as “OBX” or “30A.” Some of them show what many people don’t know are miles: 26.2 or 13.1 or even 0.0. But the ones that are most significant in this case have the words “Memphis Runners” in red on a white background. Seeing that little sticker on another car is one thing about driving in Memphis that makes driving in Memphis almost worthwhile. No, it’s not the same as when you can put your windows down as you drive through Shelby Farms Park on a crisp fall evening and smell autumn in the air. And it’s not the same as
coming around that bend on I-40 East in Arkansas and seeing the downtown Memphis skyline (even BassPro). And it’s not even the same as coming over the rise on Riverside Drive by Georgia Street, going under the pedestrian bridge and seeing the River and the almost 50-year-old “new” bridge all lit up.
Renew your MRTC membership at www.memphisrunners.com 11
Yes, the best thing about driving in Memphis is pulling up behind another car at a stoplight or having a car pass you and seeing a “Memphis Runners” sticker on the bumper or on the rear window. Usually, I’ll try to catch up with the car and take a glimpse at the driver to see if I know him or her. (Not that it matters; I usually don’t know them or I can’t see through the tinted glass.) There’s something about feeling a bond with that other person. It’s wondering who it is and how they did on that last road race series race. It’s knowing that they have many of the same experiences that I have. We are both members of an elite group of Memphians who for some reason enjoy getting up at 5 a.m. on a cold, dark Sunday morning in October to run those ridiculous hills for 10 miles through Shelby Forest. Or who forsake the warmth of the fire in the fireplace on a cold, wet Sunday afternoon to run through the muck of Stankey Creek. Do they run 5Ks or marathons? What running group are they with on Saturday or Sunday morning? Are they in my age group? (Again, it really doesn’t matter anymore.) MRTC is one of the largest running clubs in the United States with more than 2,600 members. That means that there could be close to 3,000 vehicles with MRTC stickers on them. You get a new sticker when you renew your membership. Put it on your car or truck. See what you feel when you see that MRTC sticker on another vehicle. Imagine what someone else feels when they see your sticker. That car with the sticker might be me; and when I see your sticker, I’ll think of you and the bond that we have with thousands of others around town, some of them probably running the streets of Memphis at that very time.
12
Making a difference for runners Volunteers are the lifeblood of MRTC, especially when it comes to enhancing the experience of the runners at MRTC races. After the second 5K in the 2019 RRS, Julianne Tutko, volunteer coordinator for the series, sent the following email to Michelle Lee, a volunteer at that race. Michelle, I wanted to reach out this morning and share with you some comments from Sunday’s RRS 5K that were posted in a runner group on Facebook. I’ve screenshotted the comment thread, highlighting the wonderful things people had to say about you. Thank you for your positivity and enthusiasm that stood out to more than one runner! You are definitely one of the kinds of volunteers we need more of! See you soon! Julianne This was Lee’s response to Tutko: Thank you so much for sharing this. I actually teared up. I’m so happy people are being encouraged. I walked my first 5K in 2012. I did my first road race series in 2016 because of pressure from a dear friend. She convinced Michelle Lee in her special seriesT-shirt. me I had to do only the first six races. Six miles was my longest distance up until that point. I’ll miss a couple races because of out-of-town I loved the energy at the races. And the volunteer, work obligations, but my goal is to be at as many as Rodger (Aitken), was a true source of strength and possible to do what I can to encourage the participants. inspiration for me. After each race, I decided to “just Thank you for the opportunity. try” the next. I’m so proud to say, in the end, I was a Road Warrior. I wear my jacket proudly to this day. I One runner wrote the following about Lee in the will forever be grateful for Rodger. I still feel like he Facebook posting: was out there just for me. Assessing the “positives” of the second 5K, the I’ve participated the past two years, but a 2006 runner wrote: “The volunteers, spectators and cheerers, ankle injury started causing problems. My doctor but most especially the lady standing a little before the doesn’t want me walking long distances anymore, 3 Mile mark at the corner of Perkins and whatever road which is disappointing. the Target is on. She was at both 5Ks and although I With the start of the series approaching this year, don’t know her name, she is my favorite person on race I decided to try to be someone else’s Rodger. It makes day: so positive, so encouraging, so fun. Wrote another, me happy to know I’m making a difference already. referring to Lee: “She’s awesome!” 13
A Tale of Two Running Seasons By Robert “the Lone Runner” Rayder
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. These words are the beginning of one of the most famous introductions in English-language literature. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is all about dichotomies, two contrasting statements that stand opposite one another. It was written not only to show the complexity of the times during the French Revolution, but also to highlight the many splits in the fundamental nature of mankind: good and evil, happiness and sadness, success and failure. On a far less profound level, the words of Dickens can be applied to something a bit closer to home: the Memphis running scene. Unlike many other cities, Memphis has four distinct seasons, and they all have profound effects on the greater running community. The best of times is found in the seasons of spring and fall. The moderate temperatures, low humidity and the showcase of natural beauty makes running easier. Races are abundant and it just feels good to get outside and move your body. The worst of times are the summer and winter. Extreme temperatures and unpredictable, often dangerous weather conditions make running miserable and difficult. Many Memphis runners take a break during these dark times or content themselves with treadmills indoors. For those who persist with outdoor running, there are few races to choose from. Many weekends have no running events. For me, it’s easier to pick the worst season. We live in a Southern city, which means we live in a sauna every summer. Winter can bite hard with icy winds and chilly, overcast days, but most Memphis winter days can be considered mild when compared to summer days. Memphis rarely gets so cold that running outdoors is impossible. Summer, on the other hand, can be an absolute nightmare. The heat index routinely soars into the 110s,
The author with his son after a Friday-night 5K in downtown Memphis.
14
and occasionally tops 120. Heat exhaustion or heat stroke are real dangers. Outdoor running during summer is relegated to early mornings or late evenings, and even during these “optimal” times there is only a slight improvement in the torment awaiting you. The everpresent humidity traps the heat of the day like a giant wet blanket and keeps things hot and sticky day or night. Fall is my favorite season, although there are fewer races at that time of year. The holidays make for festive decorations and brings out the best in people. Leaves change colors and make for spectacular vistas. A crisp, cool autumn morning practically begs me to strap on my shoes and get my heart pumping. There are, of course, the distractions of the holidays, such as family events in Memphis, shopping and trips. That makes spring the season of running abundance in our town. Races are scheduled all weekend long,
often starting on Friday night and not concluding until Sunday night.
event we signed up for. After all, who can resist an extra cheesy challenge? Chris’ plans went far beyond the comparatively modest goal of simply completing the madness of a challenging weekend filled with one race after another. He wanted to do it in style. He wanted to set the record for the fastest time ever recorded for the swine-inspired challenge. He wanted to be the fastest pig ever to run in the Flying Pig pen Four Way, with extra cheese, of course. The problem was, if he planned to go for the best Swine Time ever, he would need to train. He adjusted his running schedule to include up to three hard runs a day (time permitting) and made himself put in one hard effort after another to train his legs to give maximal speed in consecutive races. As you can imagine, this is a difficult regimen. Chris persevered with his unique training plan despite the challenge and soon was ready for a real-life dry run before the main event. He needed to see how things would work under actual race conditions.
Running is everywhere.
Last spring, my son Chris and I took advantage of this cornucopia of races to solve a perplexing problem. My friend Scott Stader was finishing up his 50th state in which he completed at least one marathon, and he invited his friends and family to help him celebrate. He invited us to join him and run in the sacred 50th state marathon. This final state was Ohio, and his chosen celebratory run was the famous Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. The Flying Pig race weekend is much more than a marathon, however. It’s a running celebration that lasts all weekend long, starting Friday night with a one-mile run. Saturday hosts a 5K, and a separate 10K. Sunday is reserved for the main event with a half marathon and a marathon. There are also kids’ runs and even a 5K that pet owners run with their dogs. The weekend is jammed with one running event after another. The race organizers created a combined award for the most intrepid of runners called the Four- Way Challenge, where participants can run the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. They count the half marathon and marathon in the tally. If someone runs the half marathon instead of the marathon, it’s called the ThreeWay Challenge. In more recent years, the twisted minds at Pig Headquarters have spiced things up a bit by creating a new award named the Four-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese. This version of Piggy insanity has all the components of the Four Way Challenge but throws in the one-mile race on Friday night for good measure. Anyone who knows Chris and me can guess which
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
Roadrunner deadlines for 2019 November issue - Oct. 8 December issue - Nov. 12 Jan.-Feb. 2020 - Dec. 17
If you have questions about advertising or article contributions, write to the editor: brentmanley@yahoo.com
Christopher Rayder with his first-place trophy after the Grizzlies 5K in April 2019. 15
This is where the spring season delivered a solution. The temperatures were ideal and Memphis was in full bloom, so races were abundant. On one fine weekend, Chris and I elected to sign up for five separate contests to see where we stood in our Pig-inspired training. There were more local races than the five we chose that weekend, but several were run too close together, or even run at the same time, making it impossible to fit them in. It was an amazingly bountiful weekend. The first race we ran was held on a Friday night. The sun was low in the sky when the starting gun fired. Chris went out hard, as per his plan, and lead the 5K race from start to finish. I was far behind and struggled to cover the rolling hills as best I could. My efforts were just good enough to score me an age group award. Who knew? After the race we refueled a bit, accepted our awards and rushed home. Normally, I would have stayed a while to enjoy the post-race festivities, but we had important plans for the next morning. The Rayder family rose early on Saturday morning
to make our way downtown in the early-morning gloom for the next race in our series – the Grizzly 5K. This was the biggest event we had planned to take part in over the weekend. Given the large number of participants, this race would likely be the most hotly contested event of the weekend for Chris. It was also the only race that my wife, Christina, and my daughter, Rebecca, would run with us. They always like to play some small role in the madness. Chris again went out strong, and despite some early race challenges, was able to separate himself from the lead pack. He outpaced the competition and brought home his second 5K victory in 12 hours. I was extremely sore from my efforts the night before and it took me a while to warm up to the hills of the infamous bluffs of Downtown Memphis. I finished, but my performance suffered. The third race was later that afternoon and was hosted at the Collierville Middle School, near our home. The event was a fundraiser for the school and was filled with a host of middle school kids and their families. Somewhat unexpectedly, a few talented local
It was an amazingly bountiful weekend.
ORDER ONLINE ZAKABOWL.COM VISIT US 575 ERIN DR CALL US 901.509.3105
FUELING RUNNERS TO P.R.ĘźS ONE BOWL AT A TIME
16
runners were also there. Chris was getting tired and he wasn’t sure how to feel about having to yet again put in a maximal effort. Still, as I reminded him, that was kind of the point of this whole insane weekend. He grumbled something I couldn’t quite make out, but I think amounted to something like, “I guess so.” The race was well coned and easy to follow until it turned into Johnson Park at the halfway point, where there was supposed to be a turnaround. Somehow, the markings for the turnaround were washed away or overlooked. Chris asked a police officer standing near the entrance of the park where the turnaround was. He told Chris to follow a runner who was heading into the park but who was clearly not part of the race (Chris was out front.) Chris reluctantly followed the casual runner for a short time and at least a couple members of the lead pack followed him deeper into the park. Fortunately, one of the other runners behind the first pack knew where the turnaround was supposed to be and tried to let the other runners, including Chris, know that they had passed it. Chris didn’t hear him and ran on a short while before looking back to see other runners making the turnaround near the entrance of the park behind him. Chris and his small cadre of off-course runners made an abrupt about face and picked up the pace to close the gap on the new leaders. It took a lot of effort, but Chris was able to retake the lead and finished first in the new extra-long 5K. Still, all that sustained effort took a heavy toll. Chris was exhausted afterwards and went straight to bed as soon as we returned home. Sunday morning brought some of those famous
springtime thunderstorms. The turbulent weather threatened to cancel the two remaining events of the weekend. The first of the day is one of my favorite multisport events, the Wolfman Duathlon and 3-mile trail run. For me, it was a chance to dust off my trail bike that had sat shuttered up all winter. I hoped to get in a solid ride, followed by a pleasant run through Shelby Farms Park. Chris doesn’t like to bike all that much, so he just signed up for the run without the biking portion. That morning the rain came down in solid sheets highlighted by flashes of lightning, forcing a delay in the start. Fortunately, the weather broke and the race went on. Chris recovered well from the efforts of the night before and was able to score his fourth pole position finish for the weekend. Little known to me, in my race I was about to begin a far grander adventure. I struggled in the difficult, often muddy, conditions and finished near the back of the pack, but I had fun. With another event – a 5K – coming up in about two hours, I had to get home and change. I was so sore that I was sure I would have to jog the 5K. Fortunately, that race was cancelled because of the weather. After Chris’ four victories in under 48 hours, he felt ready to take on the Flying Pig. My performances hadn’t been stellar, but that has never stopped me from doing crazy running adventures. So we loaded up the car and went off to face the worst the Pig had to offer. The one-mile run conducted on Friday night is no casual event. It has an elite field of talented runners, all capable of running under 5 minutes a mile. The very
The start of a 5K hosted at Collierville Middle School won by Christopher Rayder (at right). 17
18
The author with his finisher medal at the site of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in Boone NC. His son, Christopher, holds his Scottish Games Silver Plate for second place in the marathon.
best there could run far, far under that mark. Although the mile isn’t Chris’s strongest event, he applied and was accepted into the elite race. He hoped the stiffer competition would improve his time for the overall challenge. Chris ran well and finished in the mid-pack. Fortunately, none of the guys who beat him had signed up for the Four-Way way with extra cheese challenge (or any other challenge race) so Chris took an early lead. His strategy was paying off. The next day, Scott and his family arrived. We congratulated him on his 50th state and learned he and his wife, Jana, were racing in several of weekend’s other races. It was great to see them and gave Chris extra motivation to do well. Saturday’s races started with a 10K that ran across the Ohio River and took in vistas from both the Ohio and Kentucky sides. The weather was ideal, and the racing was fast. Chris put in another solid performance and placed second overall. His lead in the Challenge was building, and he scored a nice plaque shaped like the back end of a pig, complete with a curly tail. A couple of hours later it was time to run the 5K. The short turnaround time between the two races was a little disconcerting to me, but Chris was ready. This course was unexpectedly hilly and slowed me down a good bit. Chris cruised over the hills with yet another solid performance and yet another second-place finish. He received a second back side of a pig for his efforts. Later that day, there was another 5K that featured owners running their dogs across the Downtown district. We left our dog at home, so we couldn’t run in this race, but it was fun to watch the various breeds run across the finish line. The bigger dogs seemed to relish the event, many jumping and leaping, and a few dragging their exhausted owners across the course. The
smaller breeds generally preferred to be carried. A few sat in wagons and baby strollers looking quite happy to be pushed or pulled along by their not-quite-as-happylooking owners. At last, marathon day arrived. Until then, I had not noticed the hills around Cincinnati. After that day, I will not forget them. This is a surprisingly challenging course, made all the more so by two days of solid racing. Chris went out strong with the leaders but fell back somewhat at the end. The hills and the efforts of the previous days finally caught up with him. He still finished a solid fourth place, just off the podium. But it was more than enough to shatter the previous record for the 4-Way Challenge with extra cheese. His cumulative time for all four races (a total combined distance of 36.5 miles) was just over 3:30, better than my best marathon time by about 8 minutes. He broke the existing record by about 30 minutes and set a mark (continued on page 26) 19
20
Walking Tall at Big Hill Pond By Brian Williams
and did not check his bag. Sean, Brian, Justin and I spent well over a year and a half in preparation for the event. Countless hours were spent in developing a 31-mile trail route that flowed. That was followed by the arduous work of clearing and revitalizing the trail system. Jessica Huff was in charge of getting local support and publicity for the event. It was the first year, so everything had to be done from scratch. An event of this magnitude needed websites, advertising, course maps, artwork and a strategy for convincing a large number of crazy nut-job runners to sign up to run 31 miles in the middle of a remote area. It was a ton of work. In the months heading into the race, the park started to see some of the benefits. As Race directors Brian Williams and Sean Hilsdon congratulate runners as word spread about our event and people they finish the ultramarathon. started to register, Big Hill Pond State Park started to see an increase in traffic. People where camping, kayaking, hiking and running LAST YEAR, Sean Hilsdon and I joined Big Hill the trails in numbers the park had never seen. Also, Pond Ranger Justin King to organize and direct the first Big Hill Pond State Park Ultra Marathon. It took place October 20 in Pocahontas TN. The race drew 365 registrations from 21 states, including New Jersey, Utah, California, Montana, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada and Connecticut. Participants ran 31 or 16 miles through some of the roughest, most scenic trails in West Tennessee and even got to climb a fire tower in the middle of the race. Big Hill Pond State Park is in McNairy County, home of famed Sheriff Buford Pusser. The race took the name Walking Tall to incorporate some of the local history and lore. The finisher items were even actual beat sticks made by the Buford Pusser Museum. One of the sticks was confiscated by airport security when the runner from Connecticut tried to fly home Daniel Arnold, 50K winner, with the author and Sean Hilsdon. 21
as interest in the event started to spike, an interest in the 50K, known in the Ultra world as a DFL (dead volunteering and cleaning up the trails spiked as well. freakin’ last). Along with the regular race bling, the All told, the park repaired or replaced 17 footbridges last finisher received a key-chain-sized Buford Pusser and saw a ton of work on the famed half-mile-long bat from the museum. Great Dismal Swamp boardwalk. In his summary provided to the McNairy County The feedback from the Chamber of Commerce, Justin community was amazing. We King noted that the entire heard statements from people community benefited from the like, “I have lived here my race. Hotels around the area were entire life and had no idea sold out, the trail system was such a treasure of a park was completely renovated, camping here.” revenue leading up to the race People from flatland increased and camps were sold Memphis said things like, out race weekend. Usage of the “I can’t believe such an park increased before and after the amazing outdoor experience event and $14,000 was donated to is so close to my home. Elite Big Hill Pond, with another $3,500 trail running athletes said donated to the Tennessee Park that the race was the hardest Rangers Association. Whenever Local runner Danari Fowlkes climbing the and most beautiful 50K they possible, money for race expenses, fire tower, which was part of the course. had ever run. such as finisher items and food for Sean and I tried to make the course hard enough runners, was spent in McNairy County. for the most grizzled trail runner but doable for the The second running is set for Oct. 19. Registration first-timer. is open and almost sold out. You can register at www. At the start of the race, Sean and I thanked local walkingtall50k.com. Follow us on Facebook at Big sponsors, including The Bank of McNairy County, Hill Pond Walking Tall 50/25K or on Instagram, who stepped up to be a title sponsor along with Altra #walkingtall50k. Shoe Company. It was raining and cold, but the weather cleared up pretty quickly. The day turned out to be perfect for running and went off without a hitch. First place overall for the 50K was Daniel Arnold of Benton AR, in a time of 4:48.19. The 25K winner was a Memphis runner, Chris Winter, who finished in 2:28:13. Local runner Brian Trautman came in second in the 25K with an amazing 2:30:57. Walking Tall also gave an award for last place for
25K winner Chris Winter with the Walking Tall race directors.
Chloe Zimmerer, top female finisher in the 50K, with the race directors. 22
Local runner Mark Nance with the shirt he had made for the trail race.
The author on the morning of the inaugural Big Hill Pond State Park Ultra Marathon.
Thanks to Sprouts for supporting the 2019 Road Race Series and the 2020 Winter Off-Road Series.
23
By Joel Lyons, PT, OCS Predetermined to Exercise
I recently read an interesting article in the January 2019 issue of Scientific American titled “Evolved to Exercise” by Herman Pontzer. I am familiar with renowned paleoanthropologist, Daniel Lieberman, whose work was referenced in the popular book Born to Run by Chris McDougall. Lieberman’s research focused on the evolution of human locomotion. He proposed that humans evolved to run long distances to scavenge and hunt. The Pontzer article, however, shed new light on the need for humans to exercise to live. His research started with a study of the habits of chimpanzees. He would follow them from dusk to dawn. He came to the conclusion that they are very lazy. After some time, he began to appreciate what chimpanzees and other apes’ idleness could tell us about human evolution. We are often drawn to apes because they are clever. They use tools, fight and make up, and sneak off to have sex. We share 97% of our DNA with them. However, the differences we have from them show that we have evolved to have a dependency on physical activity. We must move to survive! Chimps, orangutans, gorillas, and bonobos live such idle lives that you would be surprised that they aren’t dead of a heart attack by their teenage years. Great apes spend 8 to 10 hours a day resting, grooming, and eating before going to sleep for another 9 or 10 hours every night. Their regular activity level compares to barely one mile of our walking in a day. For humans, this level would put us at serious risk of cardiovascular disease or other metabolic diseases. Yet chimps and other apes are remarkably healthy. Even in
captivity chimps rarely have diabetes. Despite having naturally high cholesterol levels, they don’t develop hardened arteries. Amazingly, chimps average only 10% body fat. So why didn’t humans evolve in a way similar to this? Why can’t we just sit around and only have 10% body fat? The answer may start with the fact that our ancestors (hominins) evolved to an upright, striding bipedal gait. They were able to cover more ground for fewer calories, which might have enabled them to expand their range and thrive in lessproductive habitats than apes today. It appears that these hominins evolved to eat foods that were hard to find, which meant more travel to find the needed nourishment. Traveling farther is often coupled with increased cognitive sophistication. Pontzer states that no trait evolves in isolation: Brains must fit snugly inside their skulls, teeth inside their jaws; muscles, nerves and bones must function harmoniously. Our brain has evolved to get less sleep. Humans around the world clock fewer than seven hours of sleep a night. Another researcher even showed that our brain has evolved to reward prolonged physical activity by producing endocannabinoids, which we commonly know as the runner’s high. Our brain became more developed and exercise caused even more neurogenesis and brain growth. Tens of millions of years ago, our ancestors became fixated on eating fruits rich in Vitamin C. As a result, we evolved out the need for our bodies to make our own Vitamin C, which we could previously do. Similarly, our metabolic engines evolved to accommodate increased activity as well.
... our brain has evolved to reward prolonged physical activity ...
24
Our power output (VO2Max) is at least four times that of chimpanzees. This increase comes in part from changes in our leg muscles, which are 50 percent bigger and have much greater fatigue-resistant slowtwitch muscle fibers. Our bodies evolved to require daily activity not to make our bodies work more but to make them work better. Exercise is the way the body spends energy and coordinates vital tasks. Endurance exercise reduces chronic inflammation. It lowers resting levels of the steroid hormones testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, which helps account for the reduced rate of reproductive cancers among adults who exercise regularly. Exercise may blunt the morning rise in cortisol, the stress hormone. And it even reduces insulin insensitivity, the immediate mechanism behind type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise even improves the effectiveness of our immune system to stave off Auto Home Life Business Motorcycle infection. Just as we evolved out the need to create our own Vitamin C, we evolved the need to exercise to make our brains, among other body parts, function to their utmost. We may have continued to tolerate inactivity as did our closely related primates, the apes, if we didn’t develop the traits of increased brain function. It can, therefore, be stated that our physiology adapted to a physically active way of life, such that we must exercise to be healthy. So go out and be ServIng Tn for 18 yeArS. healthy, RUN!! At LOFTON WELLS INSURANCE, we have a long history of doing what’s right. That includes a tradition of personal attention, and being right here in MEMPHIS to help you protect what’s most important.
As a local agent, I’m here for you. #
#
Pamela Lofton Wells LOFTON WELLS INSURANCE 901-388-SAVE (7283) wellsp1@nationwide.com loftonwellsinsurance.com
MRTC is proud to be a member of the American Trail Running Association.
Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, Nationwide is On Your Side, and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2016 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0784AO (08/16) ##
##
##
#
25
A Tale of Two Running Seasons By Robert “the Lone Runner” Rayder
(continued from page 19)
that will be difficult to beat. It was a good weekend for him. And then came the summer. In the weeks that followed the Flying Pig, the temperatures soared. The humidity swelled. My runs slowed down by a lot. Chris, as you might expect, set a new goal for the most brutal of running seasons. He wanted to break his own course record at the Blister in the Sun Marathon in Cookeville. The Blister is the brainchild of Josh Hite, an accomplished runner formerly of Cookeville who now lives in Maryland. Josh was tired of the lack of summer races in the South. Most sane race directors wouldn’t dream of having a marathon in such dangerous The author with his Elite Mile finisher medal at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. and extreme conditions as those found in steamy little Cookeville TN during the Boone and finishes at the Highland Games (a Scottish summer. athletic and cultural festival) at the very top of lofty Not Josh. He conceived of a hilly monster of Grandfather Mountain. a course that had the least shade he could find and This was a great race for Chris’s plan, but just conducted it during the statistically hottest week of the suffering for me. I hate running in heat, hills and year in Cookeville, the first weekend in August. He humidity. Now I was signed up to do it not once, but then had participants sign a waiver that literally said twice. I wondered if I had totally lost my mind. that participating this race was beyond stupid and illSo it was that in mid- July I was lined up with advised. Chris during a surprisingly pleasant morning in I, of course, have signed it every year, as has my Boone, listening to race instructions with a collegiate son in the years he has participated. Josh won all the track stadium as backdrop. early renditions of the race (he runs in all of them). After the gun sounded, Chris joined the lead pack Only after Chris started running was Josh forced to give and they were gone in a flash. I took my time, not up his title as Blister champion. A few years ago, Chris wanting to blow up too soon before hitting the hills. In ran a 2:51, a time that stood as the course record Chris retrospect, that may not have been such a good plan. was aiming to beat this summer. The day started out pleasant enough, but my slow start It would be no easy task. Training for Blister is took a heavy toll on me when the steamy conditions difficult. It takes time to build up enough heat tolerance struck just as I started up the hill. to run a marathon under those insane conditions, much Of course, that unfortunate confluence of stifling less to run one well. Chris needed a trial run that had conditions led to a total disaster. I finished near the heat, hills and humidity. very back of the pack. Enter the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in Boone Chris, on the other hand, was out front, locked in NC. This relentlessly uphill race fit the bill perfectly. It a battle with another runner who would take over the starts on the track of Appalachian State University in lead on the up-hills, while Chris took it back on the 26
MARATHON RESULTS
downs. Eventually the seesaw battle took a toll on them both, and a third runner came from behind and take the race for himself. Chris finished second, while his early running companion, totally spent, dropped out of the race at mile 22. Then came the morning of the Blister in the Sun. It was raining, which was fine for as long as it lasted. I don’t mind running in the rain, especially in the summer, but then the clouds parted, the rain stopped and the sun appeared. The accumulated rainwater started to evaporate off the super-heated Christopher Rayder near the finish ground and made it feel like we were line of the Elite Mile in Cincinnati. running in some giant sauna. The humidity was unbearable and the temperature was rising. My pace collapsed, and for the second marathon in a row I faced yet another running disaster. I finished, but it was ugly. Chris, on the other hand, used his superior speed to take full advantage of the unexpectedly mild conditions early in the race. He was near mile 20 when the sun came out. He definitely suffered over the last 10K, just like the rest of us, but he was able to push through the misery. He bested his own record with a time of 2:47 and finished well ahead of any competition. It was a hard-fought victory that marked the achievement of his second lofty seasonal goal in a row. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … I wonder if Charles Dickens was a runner.
FOR MEMPHIS-AREA RUNNERS Compiled by Millie Jackson
The San Francisco Marathon San Francisco, CA July 28, 2019 Anna Braswell
Oxford, MS
3:39:53
Jack and Jill’s Downhill Marathon & Half Marathon Hyak to Tanner, WA July 28, 2019 Name Julie Landrum
Hometown Nesbit, MS
Finish Time 5:43:41
Blister in the Sun Marathon Cookeville, TN August 4, 2019 Christopher Rayder Rob Rayder
Collierville, TN Collierville, TN
2:47:19 5:56:28
Camarillo Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K Camarillo, CA August 11, 2019 Andrew Olsen 27
Lakeland, TN
3:26:37
Volunteers needed for Memphis/Mid-South trails By Maggie Emerson
Have you heard of Mid-South Trails Association (MSTA)? If not, and you enjoy our local trails, check this out! MSTA is our local trail advocacy organization. Although founded by mountain bikers, we welcome any and all members who want to see that our trail systems are maintained and grown - trail runners, hikers, walkers, etc. We build, maintain and protect all of our Memphis/Mid-South trail systems. MSTA has been around for over 20 years, but this past year has seen us grow by leaps and bounds. Just this calendar year, we have logged over 888 recorded volunteer hours. It takes a community to build and maintain trails, and together we can continue to grow and improve. If you follow the MSTA Facebook page, you’ll see the monthly workdays we host across our different trail systems. We are always looking for volunteers, if you’d like to come earn your dirt! Our newest project has been adding a mountain biking trail system at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. There is a skills area in process and ready for you to try out at the main trailhead. The main trailhead is located just across from the Visitors Center. If you visit our website, you can also see links to report trail issues or your own volunteer hours. Those two things help us stay on top of needs and allow us to report our activities to the land managers. We also offer chainsaw classes that teach you what you need to know to clear trails safely and effectively. There is a form online where you can sign up to be included in the next class session. Our MSTA Chainsaw Team are the ones that go out and clear fallen trees as they are reported. Please consider joining us for a workday, donating, or joining as a member – and we’ll continue to keep our trails in great shape! 28
midsouthtrails.com
Mary Rose smiles on her friends at bench dedication By Peggy Scott Photos by Peggy Scott
The bench with a plaque memorializing Mary Rose Branyan is unveiled.
The dedication of Mary Rose Branyan’s bench on Aug. 18 was beautiful despite what turned out to be a minor weather issue. Mary Rose died of ovarian cancer in May of this year, leaving behind her devoted husband, Tom, and a legion of friends and admirers. The bench in her memory – funded by donations to Shelby Farms Park from Mary Rose’s friends – is located just off the Chickasaw Trail, where she ran so many times. The sun had been shining all day, just as had been forecast. We had set up several tables with light refreshments, and everyone started arriving at the site of the bench – including Mary Rose’s cycling friends, who had coordinated a ride there. Needless to say, I almost came unglued at around 6 p.m. when clouds gathered, the wind picked up, and it started to rain. Then a beautiful rainbow appeared. It made me think that Mary Rose was smiling down at us! After all, we can’t have a rainbow without rain, right? Fortunately, the rain subsided and the sun came back out after about 15 minutes, and we proceeded with the dedication.
Rain briefly interrupted the dedication of the plaque in memory of Mary Rose Branyan, but it was followed – fittingly – by a beautiful rainbow.
The plaque on the bench in memory of Mary Rose Branyan. 29
30
HERNANDO WATER TOWER 10K 2019 PRESENTED BY
OCTOBER 12, 2019 • 8:00 AM
HISTORIC HERNANDO SQUARE • Saturday After-Race Party & Door Prizes • Awards Hand-Crafted by Local Artisan Joseph Eckles • Long-Sleeve Tee Shirt, Commemorative Medal, & Goody Bag for First 400 Runners • FREE Craft Beer 2019
$ $
30 PRE-REGISTRATION 35 SEPT 24 — RACE DAY
For more information, go to hernandowatertower10k.racesonline.com
31
Run with a Group Do you need some help in finding a running group or are you interested in starting your own group? Contact MRTC Coordinator of Running Groups, DJ Watson: djw@virtualmvp.com.
Sunday morning
Monday afternoon
Tuesday morning
Run: Germantown
Run: 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.
32 REL-TN-P91348 RoadRunners.indd 1
6/9/09 2:06:05 PM
Wednesday morning
Thursday afternoon
Wednesday afternoon
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!
Run: Fleet Feet Run: Southaven Striders Time: 6 p.m. Time: 6 a.m. Fleet Feet hosts individualized Place: Central Park in Southaven speedwork sessions including track (Tchulahoma ent., east side of park) and tempo workouts for runners Distance: 3-5 miles (9- 12-minute miles) who want to get a little quicker. Contact: Kyle McCoy, 901-299-8630 or No fees. kalmac220@gmail.com Contact: Feb at 901-761-0078 or lovetorun@fleetfeetmemphis.com 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
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 33
Note: This information is provided as a courtesy in an effort to help MRTC members enhance their running experiences. MRTC encourages members to run with groups of their choice, but the listed running groups/group runs are independent and not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the MRTC. The club makes no representation that the information provided is accurate. Persons who wish to participate in activities with these groups should contact the individuals listed for further information and participate at their own risk.
Run: 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
Date & Time: Sunday, Oct. 6, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 1st 10-Miler Location: Shelby Forest State Park Contact: www.memphisrunners.com
Race Calendar
Date & Time: Friday, Oct. 11, 3 p.m. to
Race name: Location: Contact:
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m. Race name: Book It 5K Location: Church of the Holy Communion 4645 Walnut Grove Road Contact: (See ad on facing page)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m.
Tour d’Esprit Church of the Holy Spirit 2300 Hickory Crest, Memphis (See ad on page 9)
Date & Time: Sunday, Oct. 20, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 2nd 10-Miler Location: Shelby Forest State Park Contact: www.memphisrunners.com
Date & Time: Sunday, Sept. 22, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 2nd 10K Location: Shelby Farms Park Contact: www.memphisrunners.com
Date & Time: Friday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m. Race name: Mid-South Firefighter 5K Location: Fire Museum of Memphis 118 Adams Ave. Contact: (See ad on page 18)
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. Race name: Judge Freeman Marr Panther Pride 5K Location: Freeman Park, Bartlett Contact: (See ad on page 30)
Date & Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. Race name: Race for Grace 5K Location: Shady Grove Presbyterian Church 5530 Shady Grove Road Contact: www.memphisrunners.com Date & Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 1st Half Marathon Location: Singleton Pkwy. and Austin Peay Hwy. Contact: www.memphisrunners.com
2019
RACETGRACE 5K NOVEMBER 2 @ 9am
Date & Time: Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 a.m. Race name: Shelby Farms Park 10-Miler and Buffalo 5K Location: Shelby Farms Park Contact: www.racesonline.com
shady grove presbyterian church ) BENEFITING shady grove elementary school (
Date &Time: Saturday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. Race name: Tim Creager 5K Location: Bartlett Hills Baptist Church 4641 Ellendale Road, Bartlett Contact www.racesonline.com
register:
raceforgrace.org • $15 registration for ALL educators and students (PreK through college) • $50 Fleet Feet gift cards for top male & female finishers! • 1 mile kid’s fun run, face-painting, inflatables, & snacks
Date & Time: Sunday, Nov. 17, 7 a.m. Race name: E.J. Goldsmith Jr. Memorial Road Race Series 2nd Half Marathon Location: Singleton Pkwy. and Austin Peay Hwy. Contact: www.memphisrunners.com
Race for Grace is a mission of Shady Grove Presbyterian Church 5530 Shady Grove Rd / rfg@shadygrovepres.org / tel 901-683-7329
34
September 21 • 9:00 A.M.
Help make a difference...
in the lives of Memphis and Shelby County children.
Food • Games • Face Painting • Balloon Artist • Music • Door Prizes
REGISTER: BookIt5K.RacesOnline.com All proceeds go to Books from Birth, Emmanuel Center Church of the Holy Communion • 4645 Walnut Grove Road
35
Memphis Runners Track Club P.O. Box 17981 Memphis, TN 38187-0981
Non-Profit Org U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MEMPHIS, TN Permit No. 960
A Day to Remember
Friends of the late Mary Rose Branyan gathered at Shelby Farms Park on Aug. 18 to dedicate a bench in her memory. With them (seated, in blue shirt) was Tom Branyan, Mary Rose’s husband of nearly 40 years. For more on the dedication, see page 29. Photo by Peggy Scott