Michigan Runner Girl

You've likely visited northern Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, either as a kid or with your own family, but have you run this area known nationally (and beyond) for its scenic beauty? The Sleeping Bear Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, held each October, is an opportunity to explore the Lakeshore on foot. Endurance Evolution is behind this race, which for the first time sold out this year. (But don't fear--there's still a chance for you to run this race! Keep reading for details...) Joel Gaff, race director and founder of Endurance Evolution, joins Heather in the studio to talk about this year's event, which starts in Empire, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The marathon and half marathon courses take runners along the incredibly beautiful Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, while the 5K course is in the quaint village of Empire. All races finish at the same spot at a Lake Michigan beach. Celebrate your race with fellow runners (and Short's beer), then wander over to the nearby Empire Hops Festival. Heather announces a special giveaway -- two free race entries -- during the show, so if you haven't been able to sign up, or you're on the waiting list, be sure to enter the Facebook giveaway.   Link: endurance evolution.com

 

Registration gets underway this week -- Sept. 1! -- for the 2017 Gazelle Girl Half Marathon in Grand Rapids. This annual race tradition, set for Sunday, April 23, 2017, has added a 10K option to its roster of events. Now, runners can choose to take on the 5K, 10K or half marathon. Thousands of female runners take part in Gazelle Girl each spring, with the event raising tens of thousands of dollars for area charities. Runner Holly Visser is the event's new race director and she joins Heather to talk about the 2017 event organized by Gazelle Sports. Holly is a longtime runner who has been involved with the Gazelle Girl event since its beginning in 2013. More than 3,500 runners ran at Gazelle Girl this past spring -- 700 of them were running their very first race ever. Holly talks about why this race is so important to so many women from all around the state and the significance of involving local non-profits. She also shares what this sport means to her personally, her goals as race director, and what she's looking forward to running-wise this fall.   Links:  gazellegirlhalfmarathon.com  gazellesports.com
 

Three ultra runners -- Jeff Gaft, Dan Oberski and Erika Kuhnle -- join Heather to talk about their love of running long distances...super long distances. These Michigan runners each have their own stories of how they got interested in running ultras (defined as any distance longer than a marathon, or 26.2 miles) and what keeps them going back for more. Jeff, who is a longtime store manager with Running Fit in Traverse City, began running in 1976 when he was 20 years old and has completed no fewer than 75(!) ultras in the years since. Dan Oberski, a father and high school principal, began running just a few years ago, but discovered he especially enjoys the challenge (mental and physical) of taking on ultras. Erika, a triathlete as well as an ultra runner mother of two, talks about working her way toward a 100-mile race. The trio of runners share great tips about what makes for the optimal ultra running and racing experience (you'll probably be wanting to eat a Snickers candy bar after hearing Dan talk about his favorite way to re-fuel during a race) and they also talk about good first-timer ultras and memorable races they've all experienced. If you've ever thought about going the distance and trying an ultra, these runners' perspectives are sure to leave you inspired -- and ready to sign on for this kind of endurance event. Speaking of which, this episode's race segment is dedicated entirely to upcoming ultras this fall and winter in Michigan.

 

Runners have several opportunities each year to cross the Mackinac Bridge on foot, and the Mighty Mac Bridge Run 10K is one of them. This race, which has been an 11K in the past, takes place Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. Runners meet in St. Ignace on race morning and then are shuttled across the Mighty Mac for the start on the southern side of the Bridge, in Mackinaw City. (There will be some awesome photo opps here at Colonial Michilimackinac, with amazing up-close-and-personal views of the Mackinac Bridge.) Runners will then travel north across the Bridge and finish in St. Ignace. Quincy Westhuis, assistant director of the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau, joins Heather on this special bonus episode to talk about this event -- and share cool information about the experience runners can expect when they sign on for this 10K. (Great discounts from local businesses and restaurants, the night before the race and also on race day.) Quincy also shares some interesting facts about the St. Ignace area, including must-see attractions and one historical fact that surprised Heather.    Links: St. Ignace Visitors Bureau: www.stignace.com Race registration: http://www.saintignace.org/event/mighty-mac-bridge-race/  

In this special three-segment episode, Heather explores the idea of following your heart -- literally -- when running. She talks first with Michigan Runner Girl Lisa Payne Kirker, a New Era, Mich. runner, blogger and mother of two, who decided to try heart rate training this summer. She shares her motivation for giving this method a try, the races she planned to train for using her heart rate monitor, and what it feels like to sometimes be running a 16-minute mile (she's typically a 9:30-10:30 min/mile runner) as part of this new-to-her training. In the second segment, Coach Lisa Taylor joins Heather in studio to demystify heart rate training -- what does it mean exactly, why runners are considering it, and the potential benefits of following this kind of training plan. Finally, in segment three, Heather circles back to Lisa Kirker -- several weeks after their initial conversation -- to hear how her running has changed and her training evolved as a result of monitoring her heart rate while exercising.    Link: Lisa Kirker's blog Run with a Happy Heart - http://runwithahappyheart.blogspot.com

 

Round up a group of friends to run along the shores of Lake Michigan, starting early on a Friday in one city and finishing Saturday in another...Keep going on little sleep, through the night and traversing all-new running territory. Sounds interesting and memorable, right? Maybe a little crazy, you're thinking. Talk with experienced "Ragnarians" -- runners who have experienced a Ragnar Relay -- and they'll tell you it's these things and a whole lot more. Heather, who will be participating in her first Ragnar Relay this fall, gets the scoop on all things Ragnar during this episode. She talks with Jonathan Jarrett, who is with Ragnar Events in Salt Lake City, UT, about the inaugural Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan this Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The race starts in Muskegon and ends in Traverse City. Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan is a magical combination of fall colors, sugar sand beaches, massive dunes and wild Ragnarians. Teams of 12 or 6 will start the 200-ish mile relay in charming Muskegon where runners speed past historic ships and lighthouses with a van of teammates cheering them along each leg of the course. Teams make their way past apple orchards, cherry blossoms and rolling hills painted in vibrant autumn hues. As the sun sets, runners continue their relay through the night as a starlit sky and bouncing line of headlamps brighten the way.  Gulps of crisp October air propel runners on their final miles to the finish line in Traverse City – home to some of Michigan's finest wineries and the sapphire blue Grand Traverse Bay. A Ragnar wouldn't be complete without a finish line party, hunky finisher medal and stories to tell for years to come. Find out what it means to find your #innerWILD and mark your running calendar for Sept. 30- Oct. 1. MRG Podcast listeners can use a special code to save $100 off their team entry. Team captains get a free pair of Reebok shoes.    Links:    Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan:  https://www.runragnar.com/event-detail/relay/michigan   Details on MRG's involvement with this race:  http://michiganrunnergirl.com/epic-adventure-mrg-takes-ragnar-relay-michigan/

 

Rob Swartz was an accomplished runner and triathlete when he was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder -- a disease that led him to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. where he endured numerous tests and brain scans, met with neurologists, and underwent a brain biopsy. Doctors concluded that he had Chronic Microglial Encephalomyelitis, a condition he shared at that time with just six other people in the United States. The disease causes swelling of nerves, which then causes the body to shut down system after system. Rob went from participating in as many as 14 races in one year to being confined to a walker for three months. Rob joins Heather in the studio to share his story. Today, he has fought his way back to the active lifestyle he and his wife have always enjoyed together; this spring he ran the River Bank Run 25K in Grand Rapids as well as the Charlevoix Half Marathon. Following his diagnosis, Rob started Team Lucky Seven, a non-profit organization that enables athletes to help raise funds for research of neurological disorders. Rob and Heather talk about this organization and its role in the race Rob founded in his town of Boyne City -- the Boyne City Triathlon. This race takes place over Labor Day weekend each year. Rob shares all the details of this Sunday, Sept. 4 event (sprint and Olympic distances offered ... And food trucks at the finish!) A race discount code also is shared for MRG listeners.   Links:   Team Lucky Seven - http://www.teamluckyseven.org  Boyne City Triathlon - www.boynecitytriathlon.com 

 

Episode #53: Tri Goddess Tri Race Recap   Heather finished her first triathlon -- the Tri Goddess Tri, organized by Epic Races -- earlier this summer, and on the show she talks about the memorable experience with fellow triathlete Kelly Yauk and triathlete-in-training Ali Lopez. Listeners will remember Ali as the passionate chef who contributes recipes to MichiganRunnerGirl.com on a regular basis (she's also a previous podcast guest) and Kelly as runner and race director of events held in July and November at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The trio talk about what is takes to train for a swim-bike-run racing event, the tips and tricks they've learned along the way, what it's really like to swim a half mile in a sprint triathlon (and longer distances during training, as Ali shares!), and why triathlon is such a great option for runners. A special giveaway is also part of the show: Kelly talks about an upcoming northern Michigan swim event that raises funds for the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. MRG is partnering with the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, a sponsor of the Swim for Grand Traverse Bay 2-mile open water event on Saturday, Aug. 13, and Heather and Kelly share how one lucky winner will receive free entry.   Links: Tri Goddess Tri - www.epicraces.com Grand Traverse Resort - www.grandtraverseresort.com  Swim for Grand Traverse Bay - www.swimforgtbay.com  

If you've ever felt sluggish during a run, if you've wondered why your body "hit the wall" during your half marathon, or you're curious about how best to recover and re-fuel after a long run, this episode featuring runner and registered dietitian nutritionist Miranda Monroe will give you the answers. "The biggest thing I see is under fueling before, during and after a run or a race," says Miranda, who started running four years ago and has completed numerous races including this year's Boston Marathon (where she also re-qualified for the legendary race). Miranda works with athletes through her coaching and consulting practice Grand Traverse Nutrition. She shares how discovering a love of running just a few years ago came as a surprise to her. Miranda realized becoming a runner also helped her better connect with her clients. "It really helped me help them explore more options. Through my own trial and error, it gave me the ability to ask them questions - to ask the right questions of them, of how they felt." Heather and Miranda talk through best ways for runners and those living an active lifestyle to fuel their bodies, including the timing of it pre-activity as well as when to incorporate it mid-run and post-race. "In a nutshell, you want to put good quality fuel in a high performance engine to get the most out of out," Miranda explains. "To go fast, to go hard, to go long, you have the put that high-octane fuel in so it can run great."    Link:  Grand Traverse Nutrition: www.grandtraversenutrition.com   

 

Episode #51: Becoming a stronger runner

The Michigan Runner Girl show takes to the road for this episode about incorporating strength training into your exercise routine. Heather is joined by Coaches Lisa Taylor, a frequent contributor to the podcast, and Doug Gle, a leader in the field of exercise science, on location at Central High School in Traverse City, Mich. Coach Lisa, who oversees the high school girls' cross country and track programs, encourages her team to strength train all year round. In the summertime, this means getting into the state-of-the-art weights and conditioning gym at the high school a couple of times a week. Heather talks with Lisa and Doug as student athletes are working out, and Lisa shares how the workouts she completes alongside her athletes helps her with her own running. A couple of young runners also come on the show to talk about how their running has changed since they started working out in the gym. Doug, a certified strength coach who has worked with collegiate runners, talks about the importance of strength training and how it can improve overall running performance as well as prevent injuries. If you've wanted to start strength training to become a stronger runner, you'll learn the basics and be inspired listening to this episode.    Link: Follow certified strength and conditioning specialists Doug Gle and his brother Mike Gle on Twitter at @TrojanStrength