Michigan Runner Girl

As Heather takes a self-imposed running break following a spring marathon and half marathon, to ensure a longtime comes-and-goes running injury heals, she welcomes physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist Jeff Samyn to the show. Jeff, a runner who also does CrossFit, works at Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center in Petoskey, Mich. They talk about when to know you should take a break from running due to pain/discomfort (and why it's so tough to actually admit this to ourselves!), the best ways to handle running breaks (both mentally and physically), and how to ease back into a routine. Heather and Jeff also share reader comments from the Michigan Runner Girl Facebook page—many readers and listeners chimed in with their own stories of running injuries, running breaks, chronic pain, and cross-training ideas and lots more. 

The Michigan Runner Girl podcast is back after a couple week break. The summer show release schedule will be a bit more sporadic as Heather and her production team enjoy summer in Michigan—and gear up for a full line-up of weekly shows this fall. 

The Michigan Runner Girl Show is supported by the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. 

During this special 100th episode of the Michigan Runner Girl Show, Heather is joined by Maia Turek, statewide recreation programmer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a.k.a. the State Parks Guru. Who better than Maia to be on this anniversary show—she is, after all, just as passionate as Heather about getting outside and exploring (by foot, bike and paddle) all that our gorgeous Great Lakes State has to offer. Michigan is home to 103 state parks and 138 state forest campgrounds, and summer is of course the ultimate time to check them out. Heather shares her family’s plan to head north this summer to spend a week in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, in the western U.P. along the shores of Lake Superior. Maia in turn offers up some great ideas and tips for backpacking and enjoying this vast wilderness area to the fullest. From there, Maia and Heather talk about the numerous state park offerings this summer, taking place throughout Michigan. These include yoga and stand-up paddleboarding options (even yoga SUP’ing), “Fireworks Free Fourth,” at more than a dozen locations, a special meteor shower + s’mores event in August, and lots more. Maia also shares news of an upcoming pet-friendly lodging pilot program. And finally, Maia and Heather announce a special Summer State Park Challenge to inspire your warm-weather traveling and exploring and running throughout Michigan. (A big prize is included!) #runstateparks

 

Link:

michigan.gov/stateparks

 

Known as the "Original Traverse City Foot Race," the Festival of Races that are part of the National Cherry Festival each July include distances for just about any runner: a half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K. These races, which take place the final weekend of the weeklong festival, on Saturday, July 8, are a summer tradition for many runners, including Heather's family. This year marks the races' 44th year—the race started in 1973 as a 10K and shifted to a 15K in 1978. In 1989 the 5K was added; most recently, the 10K was re-introduced along with a half marathon. All told, more than 50,000 participants have crossed the finish line over the years. This show features Heather's conversation with co-race director Katherine Brege, assistant race director Tabitha McNeil and Traverse City runner Robyn Thompson. The foursome talk about their favorite Cherry Festival and Festival of Races memories. Katherine shares details on each race—what runners can expect out on the courses—while Tabi offers up information on finish line updates and changes. They also talk about the popular Cherry Mile (formerly the Golden Mile) and Carter's Run, the kids' fun run mile, that take place Thursday evening of Festival Week.    Link: cherryfestival.org 

 

Episode #98: Jeff Crumbaugh of Great Lakes Endurance on his eco-friendly trail races in northern Michigan, the U.P. & northern Wisconsin   Jeff Crumbaugh, longtime runner, race director and founder of race management company Great Lakes Endurance, is known for his commitment to "ecologically mindful running races." Since 2000, Great Lakes Endurance has provided runners with exceptional trail running experiences while giving back to organizations involved in land conservancy, environmental education and sustainable silent sport trail construction or maintenance. Heather has talked about some of these races on previous episodes, in large part because they're among her favorite running events. Topping her list of best trail running races in Michigan is the Grand Island Trail Run, which includes a half marathon, marathon and 50K on the stunning island in Lake Superior near Munising. (This was in fact the topic of the very first MRG Podcast, back in summer 2015.) Jeff joins Heather on the show to talk about the Grand Island Trail Run as well as the others he and his team organize each year in northern lower Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and in northern Wisconsin, where Jeff and his company are based. The next Great Lakes Endurance event is the Two Hearted Trail Run, a 50K, marathon and half marathon on Saturday, June 24on trails between Paradise, Mich. and the mouth of the Two Hearted River. A special race discount code is shared with listeners. You'll also hear all about Great Lakes Endurance's other races held throughout the year, including two winter snowshoe races.    Link: www.greatlakesendurance.com 
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Heather Johnson Durocher Writer/Editor/Publisher/Podcast Host Michigan Runner Girl ~ In a state of motion   3270 Autumn Leaf Drive Traverse City, Michigan 49686
231-218-0842 (office/cell)   michiganrunnergirl.com Facebook: facebook.com/MichiganRunnerGirl   Twitter: @michrunnergirl Instagram: @michiganrunnergirl Have you heard? The MRG Podcast features new episodes each week. Tune in here >> ** Don't miss out on Michigan race news & deals: sign up for the MRG monthly newsletter **

 More than 5,000 runners finished the Bayshore races in Traverse City a little over a week ago. During this special episode, Heather checks in with Daniel Siderman, race director of the Bayshore, as well as Lisa Taylor, a MRG podcast regular who was recently named executive director of the Traverse City Track Club, which oversees this northern Michigan race tradition. In this first part of the show, Daniel and Lisa give a behind-the-scenes look at the Bayshore, which marked its 35th anniversary this past Memorial Day weekend. They share how this race got started in the early 80s (it began as only a marathon and 10K; the half marathon was added later), how its evolved and grown in popularity (races typically sell out fast when registration opens in December each year), and the impressive impact, financial and otherwise, it has on Traverse City and the surrounding areas. Heather, Daniel and Lisa also talk about this year's races—Heather ran her fourth Bayshore marathon, her 8th 26.2 overall—and the new things runners experienced in 2017 (free race course photography, for example). They also talk about two notable runners who took part in Bayshore this year, one of whom was a complete surprise on race day (hint: she's an Olympic marathon finisher). In the second part of the show, Heather is joined by runner Dave Taylor, who shares his marathon experience at Bayshore—he was aiming to qualify for Boston, and he did just that. Lisa Taylor, who is married to Dave, sticks around for this part of the show and talks about supporting Dave in this goal. Dave just might have a running partner to join him in Boston next April, as their college-age daughter Ellie is hoping to get a BQ at her first marathon this June in Charlevoix, Mich. If you've ever wondered what it's like to run Bayshore, this episode is sure to answer all of your questions. And if you were there yourself running the marathon, half marathon or 10K, you'll have fun re-living your Bayshore experience. Link: bayshoremarathon.org   -- 
Heather Johnson Durocher Writer/Editor/Publisher/Podcast Host Michigan Runner Girl ~ In a state of motion   3270 Autumn Leaf Drive Traverse City, Michigan 49686
231-218-0842 (office/cell)   michiganrunnergirl.com Facebook: facebook.com/MichiganRunnerGirl   Twitter: @michrunnergirl Instagram: @michiganrunnergirl Have you heard? The MRG Podcast features new episodes each week. Tune in here >> ** Don't miss out on Michigan race news & deals: sign up for the MRG monthly newsletter **

The Holland Haven Marathon and Half Marathon—the race starts in Grand Haven and ends in Holland, Mich.—is in its fourth year and runners now have a third race distance to choose from when signing on for this event: an 8K. "The 8K is a great segue into longer distance races," says Eddie Kline, who along with his wife, Jen, joins Heather on this episode to talk about the races taking place Sunday, Sept. 10. "As a mid-distance road race, it is accessible enough for the novice runner yet incredibly challenging to experienced racers. Participants can do the Holland Haven 8K as a fun run with kids and as an 8K walk." Starting this year, runners can earn a trifecta medal—if you've already run both the half and full marathon and this year are planning to run the 8K. The idea is that once runners complete each distance (not in the same year, but rather come back each year and try a different distance), they'll receive this special trifecta medal. Jen and Eddie share event details, including: where on the marathon course runners can find both bacon and pickle juice; post-race party/expo info (pig roast!); lodging specials; charity partner stories and more. Eddie also opens up about his devastating fall last October that broke his back, how he recovered and healed, and what it's been like to return to running. This journey has given him a new perspective on our sport. The experience also revealed just how beloved Jen and Eddie are in their community, which includes the many people who are part of their gym, CrossFit Soaring Ledge in Holland. There's also a race discount code shared during the show.    Link: hollandhavenmarathon.com 

Marathoner, ultra marathoner and Detroit native Dave Krupski likes "creating race courses that are my dream races." He's behind the Daytona 100 in Florida and this coming month he'll debut his Michigan ultra marathon courses: the Lighthouse 100-mile and 50-mile ultras on Saturday, June 10. Dave Krupski, along with northern Michigan runner Dan Oberski, are guests on this episode. They talk with Heather about this upcoming 100-miler that starts at the lighthouse in Petoskey and finishes at the lighthouse at the tip of Traverse City's Old Mission Peninsula. (There's also a 50-mile option; this course follows the second half of the 100-mile race course.) Dan Oberski, who was previously a guest on the podcast, talking about running extra long distances, has been training for next month's Lighthouse 100—his first 100-mile race. Dan and Dave talk about how they met earlier this spring (and ran about 30 miles together on the race course), the allure of ultra running, what runners can expect at this new road running event and more. The two race courses are on pavement, not trail where many ultras take place, but runners will be running almost exclusively on bicycle paths along Lake Michigan, on paved trails and little-used country roads, and through some of the most exclusive areas in Michigan. "All along the way you will enjoy countless unobstructed views of the water," Dave says. The terrain ranges from flat (miles 1-30) to rolling hills (miles 30-100). In addition, the race is near the summer equinox, ensuring runners will enjoy about 16 hours of daylight. "When the sun sets, a full moon will illuminate you throughout the night."

  Link:  www.lighthouse100ultra.com

 

You may know David Willey as the longtime editor-in-chief of Runner's World magazine—he's been at the helm of this publication for 14 years—and as the host of the popular Runner's World podcast. But did you also know he's a native of Michigan? David joins Heather on the show to talk about growing up in the Mitten (he lived in Ann Arbor as a child and later Grand Rapids, where he played high school football and other sports) and how he's returning to his home state for this month's Bayshore Marathon on Saturday, May 27 in Traverse City. David has been talking quite a bit about this upcoming goal race of his, in the print magazine and also on the podcast he hosts each week. This is because the Bayshore is the race he chose for his "moonshot marathon quest," otherwise known as his attempt to finally qualify for the Boston Marathon. Heather and David talk about his early years of sports-playing (and his initial dislike of running), how he eventually fell in love with our sport in his 20s, the first marathon he ran, and some of the highlights of his years as editor-in-chief of Runner's World. He also shares how he "feels like a new runner," having worked with a team of Nike experts throughout his training for the Bayshore. Heather and David delve into this and also talk through Bayshore course tips and, of course, where David should consider going in Traverse City post-race for a celebratory burger. David also talks about his upcoming plans post-marathon (hint: a career change is in the works...) You're sure to be inspired listening to David's story and ambitious plans for BQ'ing in another couple of weeks. Heather found herself feeling even more excited about Bayshore—her fourth Bayshore Marathon—after talking with David.    This episode is supported by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa (grandtraverseresort.com) and Traverse City Tourism (traversecity.com)   Links:   Runner's World: runnersworld.com   Bayshore Marathon: bayshoremarathon.com 

Way back in spring 2010, not too long before Heather started the Michigan Runner Girl blog, she wrote posts about running for a northern Michigan trails organization. She'd been running for a few years, had several races under her belt, and was really starting to ramp up her mileage and health and fitness writing. The sport definitely had become an essential part of her life. And when she wasn't out on the roads or trails, or writing about the mental and physical benefits of exercise, she was reading about running—magazines, web sites, books, whatever she could find. One of her absolute favorites to this day: Run Like a Mother by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea—two women she "knew" only through their bylines in Runner's World magazine. She made a request for a review copy—a perk of being a freelance journalist—and from the moment she received it in the mail, she couldn't put it down. Covering all aspects of running and how to find time for it amid family and work, it completely spoke to her and where she was at in her life. She's since shared it with friends, and has enjoyed watching Sarah and Dimity's success build as they've created an incredibly strong tribe through their web site AnotherMotherRunner.com, social media, weekly podcast, online training groups, as well as with a second and third book and by traveling across the country to connect with other mother runners at races and other special events. If you're a parent and a runner, you've likely heard of—and probably are a part of—the Another Mother Runner community.

Sarah and Dimity join Heather on this episode to talk about how the mother runner movement began, the three books they've published, how their thriving community has evolved over the past several years (this year they've been celebrating their 7th AMR-versary), what it's meant for each of them to connect with so many women across the country (and beyond), and the exciting plans they have for further connections with mother runners in the coming months.   Learn more about Another Mother Runner at anothermotherrunner.com   This episode is supported by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa — grandtraverseresort.com — and Traverse City Tourism, found at traversecity.com 

 

The longstanding south Michigan road race known as DXA2—the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run—is set for Sunday, June 4, 2017. This event, now in its 44th year, includes a half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids run. Doug Goodhue, masters runner and DXA2 race director, returns to the show to talk about this race that attracts thousands of runners to the riverbanks of Michigan's Huron River Drive each summer. The race is a weekend experience, starting with the kids run on June 3 and the half, 10K and 5K run/walk taking place the next morning. Race organizers are building on the success of a team challenge that was implemented with the half marathon and have added this feature to the 10K and 5K. Doug also shares what he's been up to lately (he was heading to Boston for a very special race the weekend after this conversation was recorded) and why he's really looking forward to running the popular Flint, Mich. race The Crim Festival of Races this August (at age 75, Doug still is running strong and will be running his 30th Crim this year.)  Doug also talks openly about a runner doping scandal that came to light not long after last year's DXA2. He shares how the problem was handled—and how race organizers are committed to making sure it doesn't happen again.   Links:  Dexter-Ann Arbor Run: http://dxa2.com The Crim: http://crim.org/races-events/crim/