Boston Pictures!!!

Reflective wear brainwash? Oops, some forgot this isn't a 7:00 am run in the dark!!!

Bonnie, Monica and Sherrie doing the Happy Dance !

Boston Roomies!

Brian & Russ survive the Nor' Easter and celebrate
Mug Shot of a Cop!
Who turned out the lights?

I thought there was a leak in the roof?






















Glen and Patti..warm fuzzies!






















Hey, just hold on a minute there, I'm the one with the camera!
Don't tell me its time to go out in the Nor' Easter!
Do we have to go up those stairs to get to the rest room? May not make it back down!



Francine, Jen and Katrina...Hopkinton bound!
Turn off the high beams!
How do we get these things on?

Don't ask me!
Bear with me Brenda, I'm still trying to wake up!
Cheryl, that was a good joke, but seriously is this weather for real?

Wait a minute...wrong game! These aren't the Red Sox!

The Extra-Terrestrial Enquirer-Final Edition!

Jen Shaffer (left) wins the National City Half Marathon!

Welcome back to earth! This is our very last edition of the Extra-terrestrial Enquirer! Congratulations to all our Beyond Marathoners on persevering through one tough winter of training! For continued coverage on Beyond marathoners and other KAR/BCRR members, read the Rundown as spring racing news unfolds. For those whose earthy adventures take them to the jungle territories of the Safari (we hope to see most of you there), runner news can also be found in its tabloid, Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales.

Beyond marathoner results continue to roll in as Dan Smith conquered the Charlottsville, VA Marathon in 4:21:49. For those who have never been to Charlottsville before, the city is surrounded by mountains! Congratulations Dan on your mountain climbing marathon!

Good luck to Scott Taylor, who will be running the Cincinnatti Flying Pig Marathon next week! This is the first marathon of his comeback!

The Borgess Run for the Health of IT always seems to usher in spring and the 2007 event was no exception as Saturday morning dawned as a beautiful, sunny day. A number of Beyond marathoners came out to enjoy the fun!

The big news it that Beyond ladies set the pace and finished 1-2 in the National City Half Marathon! Jen Shaffer and Megan James both set new PR’s with a very fast 1:24:03 and 1:24:51 respectively. Jen Shaffer is very quickly moving from the sub-elite towards elite runner status, and Megan James is an elite triathlete who has made a huge comeback and is faster than ever after giving birth to her daughter Rebecca! Congratulations ladies!!!

Francine Bangs and Pat Johnson both won their age group in the half with a 2:12:27 and 1:49:31. Joel Pennington was thrilled to set a brand new PR of 1:36:57. Only a week after completing his marathon, Dan Smith ran a 1:53:22. Tim Bredahl and Michael Ryan enjoyed a 13.1 mile conversation after starting and finishing together in 1:49:17. Kim Williams ran a 1:54:19, and Rachel Wittkowski came down from Grand Rapids to finish in 2:11:12. Bob Smola ran the half in 2:15, and Mark Chicoine finished in 1:45:54. Scott Taylor confessed to holding back a little to save his energy for next week’s Flying Pig Marathon, but still finished in an awesome 1:45:19. Gordon Hare is now on his way to recovery from the Glass City Marathon and finished the half in 2:09:19.

In the 5k, Steve Downard and Bonnie Sexton were both top 10 finishers. Steve finished 1st in his age group with an 18:27and Bonnie took 2nd with a 21:16. Kayla and Tim Kling earned more Club Championship Series points with their 23:17 and 23:58, and Tim Sochor ran with his daughter Kendra, making his way back to recovery with a 23:53.

We caught some other Beyond Marathoners live on the volunteer scene as well! Thanks to the Beyond’s Mark Sigfrids, Jennifer Shaffer, Bonnie Sexton, Tim Sochor and Peggy & Eric Zeeb for staffing the KAR table at the expo, along with Teresa Xaundria (who we hope will be recovered enough to join next year’s Beyond!) Mark Sigfrids performed double duty by staffing one of the course aid stations. In the spectator stands we found Monica Lynch recovering from Boston along with her friendly puppy, and Julie Wotasjchek on crutches as she begins the road to recovery. Julie, by the way, is taking advantage of her time off from running by learning some new skills. She is learning how to swim at the YMCA, and she just recently discovered how much fun it is to drive the handicap carts at Target!

Congratulations to all on a challenging, but spectatular winter of running! See you in the much warmer, tropical lands of the Jungle this summer!

Cruising to a Smooth Landing!

What an incredible experience it is to finish your first marathon…the elation felt as you cross the finish line for the first time. Or perhaps your goal was to PR or run Boston. You have been on a long journey, and enjoyed a tremendous accomplishment whether you have achieved the precise goals you set before yourself or not. As the journey comes to a culmination, and finally a close, you ask yourself, “now what?”

I often draw the analogy of preparing, running and recovering from the marathon to childbirth. Like a mother-to-be expecting a new baby, there are months of preparation leading up to the “event” itself. Then there is the culmination; the birth of a child; crossing the finish line of a marathon….and tremendous joy, and sense of accomplishment. Finally, there is the recovery…from the physical rigors of childbirth and pregnancy, and the marathon and its preparation. The child is born, the marathon or racing season is over….life changes drastically as the “big event” no longer looms ahead. Like childbirth, it is common to say “never again” after the first one, only to come back a year or two later, fresh and ready to go….to give birth to another child, another marathon!

Like the many weeks of training and tapering leading up to it, the post marathon period is an important part of your training…it is the final meso-cycle known as recovery. The first week after the marathon, take some time off. During this period, your risk of injury is unusually high due to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissues after the marathon. Even some of the best runners in the world take time off after a marathon. Not running now will enable you to return to running fresh and inspired when your body is ready to go again. Instead of running, try to do some light cross training such as walking, swimming, water running, or cycling. These activities will aid your recovery by increasing blood flow without subjecting them to further pounding. If you just have to run, keep it short and easy, with your heart rate below 75% of maximal heart rate. You are also at an increased risk, especially the first 48 hours, of catching a post marathon cold. Your immune system resistance is down and it is important to try and avoid illness as much as possible.

Psychologically, the post marathon period, like the post partum period often lends itself to a phenomenon known as the “post marathon blues.” This is especially common after a first marathon. After the many weeks of preparation and the elation of the event itself, all the hype and anticipation is over and the goal no longer in sight. It is not uncommon to feel a little depressed or a bit blue. Relax…this will soon pass as you set your sights on new goals and new challenges!

After the first week, ease back into running again over the next 4 weeks. Take advantage of the fitness base you earned and participate in some of the spring races and earn KAR/BCRR Club Championship points. You can check out the full roster of participating events at this link: KAR/BCRR Club Championship Series. Not ready to run yet? Try volunteering….its just as fun!

There are also some great charity opportunities through KAR/BCRR coming up. Run the Race for the Cure and join the Kalamazoo Area Runners team right here: Kalamazoo Area Runners Race for the Cure Team Site. The first weekend in June is the Kalamazoo Relay for Life! Join the KAR/BCRR Team here: KAR/BCRR Relay for Life Team Site

Soon it will be time to start training again, and all paths lead to the Safari Marathon and Half Marathon Training program which begins June 23. You may enter the jungle here: http://www.safaritraining.blogspot.com/.

No matter what path your journey takes you down, keep up the great running….and we hope to see you at Safari 2007, in the Beyond 2008, and hopefully many times before!

Pfitzinger, P., and S. Douglas. 2001. Advanced Marathoning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

The 111th Boston Marathon!!!

It could have been SO much worse!

What a risk we marathoners take! After months of training and preparation, and hundreds or even thousands of dollars in travel expenses, one can only hope for ideal weather conditions to fall on marathon day. We certainly hadn’t planned on the challenges we were to face on April 17, but we were well prepared. The 2007 Boston Marathon will go down in history with its dire prediction of the worst weather ever and plenty of bragging rights. The forecast even led to rumors of canceling the 111 year old event and forced many runners to contemplate withdrawal (I have to confess being one of them). The eve of marathon day found many of us staring at our television screens, studying the Doppler radar heading up the coast. We spent hours trying to figure out what to wear, not knowing what the next morning would bring.

Despite the impending Nor’ Easter, the 2007 Boston Marathon went on, and most runners stayed the course. Weather conditions, although far from ideal with fierce headwinds of up to 30 mph coming out of the Southeast and lots of puddles to trudge through, didn’t produce the monsoon-like horizontal downpours and 50-60 mph gusts originally expected. Wave one experienced a downpour while waiting in the corrals, and wave two was showered about 5 miles into the marathon. The biggest challenge was the wind, which picked up in intensity as we migrated ever closer to Boston Proper. The overall finisher rate of 99% was actually higher than normal. Every single one of our Beyond marathoners finished, most a bit slower after adjusting expectations, but all crossed the magnificent finish line on Boylston Street. You can check out the finishers at this website Ralph Meyer passed along…just type in the runner’s clock time: Boston Finish Line!

This wasn’t the first time Kalamazoo runners have overcome severe forces of Mother Nature. In 1980, the Kalamazoo Klassic was run a month after the tornado that tore through downtown Kalamazoo. In 1997, the Klassic was run the morning after a severe storm knocked out power and downed trees canceling many events, except of course the Klassic! This winter’s training, which was one of the most challenging ever, no doubt helped to prepare us mentally for the challenge. We were most thankful for the gracious hospitality of the Tracey family as they welcomed us into their home, a warm, dry refuge from the rain, wind and flooding of Athletes Village.

The Beyond Marathoners were sent off to beantown with plenty of media hype and group support. The mock 4-mile Freedom Run held by Gazelle Sports kicked off the week leading up to Boston, along with a story highlighting some of our local Boston stars. If you haven’t seen it, check out the Kalamazoo Gazette article on Jennifer Shaffer, Marty Buffenbarger, Steve Downard, Sherrie Mann and Francine Bangs.
Kalamazoo Boston Marathon Story

Even though many runners, including the elites finished 5 to 15 minutes slower than usual due to the fierce headwinds, Jennifer Shaffer and Sherrie Mann both managed to set brand new PR’s of 3:02 and 3:41. Speaking of Jennifer, her celebrity status didn’t stop with the Kalamazoo Gazette. She was interviewed by the Running Network shortly after crossing the finish line! Marty Buffenbarger managed to befriend Kevin Hanson of the Hanson’s Distance Project, and made a referral of our Beyond elite! Could KAR lose Jen to “The Project?” After starting at the back of the more than 3000 runners in the Freedom Run Jen and Bonnie Sexton unofficially won the 2.5 mile FUN run, finishing up front with fellow Michigander and world record holder (73 marathons under 2:20) Doug Kurtis. Isolated rumors were reported that they were held back only by the orange-clad officials from B.A.A. Jen and Bonnie were also 2 of the 3 scoring members of the Women’s Open Front Line Racing Team who took 7th overall. What is even more amazing, Jen broke the Boston women’s Front Line record, formerly held by Mary Beth Reader! Brenda Stoddard was one of the scoring members of the Front Line masters team, who took 3rd place overall, and its highest finish ever!

Francine Bangs finished her first Boston at age 66, and managed to re-qualify! Sherrie Mann and Brian Dobbie ran the entire 26.2 together, as did Monica Lynch and Cindy Owen. Our other Boston stars were Russell Bertch, Timothy Bredahl, Pat Johnson, Glen Kellam, Pam McBride, Ralph Meyer, Patti Montilla, Cheryl O’Neil, Bob Poznanski, and Jon Willard.

What were they thinking? The bib numbers for the baggage drop were not waterproof…..and many wore off. Jen Shaffer, Brian Dobbie, Russ Bertch, and Bonnie Sexton were among those whose bags could not be found due to eroded numbers. Russ had to climb aboard the baggage bus and have the baggage drop workers call his cell phone to locate his bag, and Bonnie’s was found in a Ryder truck, only identifiable by the extra set of hot pink Brooks peaking through the top!

Despite the unique challenges brought on by the storm, each of the Kalamazoo Beyond Boston Marathoners returned home a star, with an extra special, very unique story to tell. Congratulations to all!

Although they didn’t fight the ravages of a Nor’Easter, our Glass City Marathoners trained through the same tough winter and covered their 26.2 closer to home in Toledo. Congratulations to Michael Ryan, Beth Gross and Gordon Hare on their excellent Glass City finishes Sunday!

Navigating Boston Terrain!!

Where did the Easter Eggs Go?

Congratulations! You have persevered and trained through 18 weeks of one of the most difficult winters Mother Nature has tossed our way in recent years. The final Plainwell run on snow and ice is a testimony to the unique challenges we faced all winter long. Despite the trials we encountered on the journey, this coming weekend we will be boarding planes or hopping into our cars headed for our final destinations in Boston, Toledo or St. Louis.

For those headed to Boston, the city portrays great history and exudes energy like none experienced anywhere else. The entire city embraces the Boston Marathon with excitement and vigor as part of the Patriots Day celebration. Children, excused from school for the holiday, are everywhere lining the course. Amidst all the enthusiasm and hype surrounding marathon weekend, you will also encounter a rather illogical street layout, marathon activities spread out all over Boston proper and beyond, and a course that has gained legendary notoriety and fame. The tips in this article and its links should help you navigate both!

The Course
The Boston Marathon course is a legend within its own right. Heartbreak Hill’s reputation extends far beyond the ranks of the running community. Despite its fame, the final of the Newton Hills isn’t the only unique attribute to the Boston course. Rather than author a mile by mile replay, however, I have attached a link to one of the best articles I have ever read describing the course and the appropriate strategy for each section. It comes from the April 2005 issue of Runners World and offers a mile by mile breakdown. This was my guide when I ran and set my PR at the 2005 Boston Marathon. Print it out, read it, study it and commit it to memory. It will help you as you leave the starting line corrals in Hopkinton and embark on your journey ending with the finish line on Boylston Street.

Boston Marathon Course Tips

Boston Marathon Course Map Breakdown

Also, Sherrie Mann passed on this great link which can be used to generate your own special pacing bracelet based on goal time, as well as several pacing strategy options ranging from effort-based pacing to even splits. Check out the Pacing Bracelet

The City
The most important advice for navigating the city is to leave the car at home or park it in the hotel and let it stay parked! Unlike New York and Chicago, the streets of Boston proper don’t boast a perfect grid layout. Traffic marathon weekend is horrendous. Two years ago, as we drove to our hotel near the Hynes Convention Center, it took us an hour to drive around a single city block. On the flip side, the Boston subway system, the T, is relatively easy to navigate and convenient to most marathon weekend activities.

To get to the expo and packet pick-up, the Green Line has a stop right at the Hynes Convention Center. For those staying at the Omni Parker House and other hotels near Government Plaza and the Boston Common areas, the Boylston and Government Plaza Stations are also conveniently located and part of the Green Line. To get to the Freedom Run starting at Copley Park, hop on and get off at the Copley Station, also on the Green Line (note this stop is closed race day) You can get to the pasta party via the Green line Government Center station. Race Day bus boarding is most conveniently accessed via the Boylston stop, and the finish line area can be accessed via Arlington.

The only guaranteed way to get to the start in Hopkinton race morning is by using the B.A.A buses from Boston to Hopkinton race morning. Boarding times are assigned by bib numbers begin at 6:00 am and ending at 7:30 am. The bib number assignments are recommended, but not enforced. Parking in Hopkinton is extremely limited. We had one runner a couple of years ago try to wait the longest possible time to board, and ended up missing the shuttle altogether. Somehow she managed to obtain a police escort to the start in Hopkinton!

Once in Hopkinton, the buses will drop you off at the entrance of Athletes Village, which is worth a visit even if you are heading to the Kalamazoo Hopkinton House. Athletes Village has plenty of free food and some interesting vendors. From Athletes Village, it is a little under a mile walk to the starting corrals. The Tracey home is about halfway there on Hayden Rowe. From there, it is a short walk to the starting corrals.

Plan ahead, know where you need to go and how to get there, then have FUN! See you in Boston!

Good luck to those running Spirit of St. Louis & Glass City this weekend!

Calming the Pre-Race Jitters!

No signs of anxiety amidst this group only 30 minutes before the start of the 2006 National City Half Marathon!

As we walked to the starting line of a recent event, an anxious group member asked me how I could be so calm. Aside from the fact he was running twice the distance, I have over time truly convinced myself to enjoy the experience and have fun. I am not trying to qualify for the Olympic trials. There is no $40,000 prize purse awaiting me at the finish line or college scholarship in jeopardy if I have a bad track season. I have normal pre-race routines which I follow like clockwork and try to arrive at the starting line prepared. Sure I enjoy winning the occasional local race and bringing home age group awards, but these are no longer my primary motivation. This hasn’t always been the case. I remember a running friend advising me to just take the pressure off myself and have fun. As simple as it was, it was probably the most valuable piece of advice anyone could have given to me at the time.

It is normal to be anxious, especially for a first time marathoner, about the possibility of not finishing a marathon. I have to confess I have been there, done that several times and always managed to find my way back to the start/finish area. As far as the feeling of failure, I always tell myself there is another marathon in the future where I can redeem myself, and I usually do.
As much as we do this for recreation, participating in a race, can place a huge strain on the nerves. As we approach our goal marathons, many have expressed their mounting anxiety. Most runners do experience some degree of stress prior to a key running event. It may be about their competition, goal time, the weather (but hey, I think we have been well-conditioned in this area!), the course, qualifying for Boston, or an injury or illness. This is perfectly normal.

As race time draws near, anxiety does affect the runner physiologically. The body reacts to the stimulus and prepares for action. Your brain signals for the release of adrenaline into your bloodstream which triggers a number of physical reactions. You start to sweat, your heart rate speeds up, muscles tighten, breathing can become shallow, your stomach may churn and you may develop cotton mouth. You may use the toilet, only to get back in the long line because you have to go again. This increased arousal can be an aid, particularly in shorter races, but can also serve to be a detriment in long distance running, particularly the marathon where you have to spread your mental, emotional and physical energy over a longer period of time. It is the most “fired up” runner who runs the most irrationally paced runs and goes out too fast. You want to save your mental toughness and emotions for late in the race where it is needed to help you overcome fatigue, particularly in an event like Boston.

The best way to prepare for this is to build confidence with regular workouts geared specifically for the distance and course, as well as with tune-up races, and mental training. The training regiment we have followed has our bodies well prepared physiologically. As for mental training, one expert suggests desensitizing yourself to worry. Worry in the days prior to the event and then set it aside. Worry about the weather, the course, the competitors, your lingering soreness, whatever, and then stick with it until you feel your anxiety drop. Worry systematically, intensely and humorously, and soon you will worry no more.

Focus on factors within your control and on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Think positively about yourself, about the training you have done to prepare yourself. Surround yourself with calm, positive thinking people in the final hours before a big event. Stick with a familiar pre-race routine. If you normally drink a cup of coffee and eat a bagel two hours before a race, do it. Pin your number on your shorts or shirt, stash your shorts pockets with energy gels and have your chip secured to your running shoe so you don’t forget something. One runner recently shared with me this week he sets 3 alarm clocks just to make sure he gets up on time.

Have all your pre-race logistics figured out; where the starting and finish lines are, baggage drop, a post-race meeting spot for family and friends. This is especially important for Boston, where everything is located in different spots. The Expo and packet pick-up are at Hynes convention center which is about a mile from the finish line on Boylston Street. The pasta party is at City Hall Plaza which is about 1 ½ miles from the expo. To get to the start, runners need to board buses early Monday morning on the Tremont side of Boston Common to be shuttled up to Athletes’ village in Hopkinton. Athletes then walk close to a mile to get to the corrals, which are loaded in two waves; the first at 10:00 and the second at 10:30.

Tune into the weather so you can dress properly for the conditions. Pack for every possible scenario. April in Boston can be 32 degrees and snowing or 83 degrees and humid. If it is cool out, have warm clothes packed in your baggage drop bag so you can put them on right away after finishing.

Proper preparation, positive thinking and the confidence that comes from it can do wonders in calming pre-race anxiety. Most importantly, go out there determined to enjoy the experience and have fun! Take the pressure off…you are trained and ready!

Glover, B, and S.Glover. 1999. The Competitive Runners Handbook. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Extra-Terrestrial Enquirer!!!

Is this Martian feeling a bit blue?

Aliens were everywhere as the Beyond marathoners blast through space along with 3,500 other runners at the 2007 Martian Invasion of Races! Does the race have a special alien factory to crank out hundreds of these extra-terrestrial creatures? We sure do, reported Race Director Randy Step, the ET running store owner from another galaxy who has somehow managed to connect with the Kalamazoo Area Runners for the third time in the last month and gain hug status. Far fetched rumor has it that Brenda Stoddard and Bonnie Sexton returned home to their families with 4 baby alien hitchhikers. Speaking of babies, we welcome Phil Goodwin’s new son, Aiden Neil Goodwin! Aiden was born March 29, 2007, and remained nameless for 24 hours postpartum!

Now back to the Martian Marathon! We are excited to announce that Kayla and Tim Kling have now officially completed their first marathon! Kayla finished in 4:16:34 and finished 3rd in her age division, while Tim finished in 5:10:29. Congratulations to our favorite father-daughter duo on their first 26.2! Julie Wojtaszek set a brand new PR of 3:48:32 for her 2nd marathon finish, as well as a fourth place finish in her age division (top 5 receive awards). Brian Campbell finished in 4:41:15. Rumor has it Brian coerced a co-worker into running the marathon with him.

What an incredible first marathon story! Beyond satellite runner and first-time marathoner Paul Dewolf ran an amazing 2:59:11 to win his age division. Paul was a top runner from Schoolcraft High School and has been following the Beyond training schedule from his college campus in Grand Rapids!

Brenda Stoddard takes 2nd at Martian!

In the Martian Half Marathon, the team of BS Squared finished at the top of their age groups leaving the stamp of the Kalamazoo Area Runners on the extraterrestrial soil of another planet! Bonnie Sexton won her age group and finished 6th overall with a 1:34:38, finishing ahead of 81 other women in her division, and earned a Martian Marathon Duffle Bag to carry her baby aliens. Brenda Stoddard placed 2nd in her age division, out of 72, and earned a Martian Marathon baseball cap for her baby alien to wear. Mark Sigfrids mysteriously disappeared from the course for 3 minutes, before reappearing and finishing in 1:35:24. Bob Smola ran a very strong 1:36:51 and witnessed this strange incident.

Could this event possible grow to 10,000 in the next few years? Check out this article written by World Record Marathoner, Doug Kurtis. http://www.runmichigan.com/columns/dougkurtis/dougcolumn_287.php Speaking of Doug Kurtis, he became the easy target of an unsuspecting volunteer until Bonnie intervened in the tense situation. “You are NOT famous,” stated the volunteer, who was trying to escort the World Record holder away from the pizza tables. Bonnie was chatting with the humbled Doug and informed the young volunteer that he was Doug Kurtis, and he really IS famous. “Yeah,” reported another who had joined the conversation, “He is a world record holder!” As the story ends, the volunteer and Doug Kurtis became good friends. Doug also, as usual, won his age group.

In other recent marathon news, Peter Gower and Todd Raab ran the Georgia Marathon on March 25. Georgia represented Peter’s 3rd marathon of the year and he finished in 3:55:37. Todd Raab made it his 2nd with a 3:59:32!