2011 fall club running magazine

Fall 2011

ClubRunningWE RUN THE NATION!

RRCA Champs & Awards

Running Network’sFall Shoe Review

Preventing Slumps,Burnout & Injuries

RRCA Champs & Awards

Running Network’sFall Shoe Review

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RRCA.org

Preventing Slumps, Burnout, & Injuries

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ClubRunningWE RUN THE NATION!

Executive Director’s Letter

CONTENTS

6

Members Speak7

Health & Safety Spotlight

8

Optimizing Nutrition for Fall MarathonsPreventing Performance Burnouts, Slumps, and Injuries

RRCA Award-Winning Writers

by Mark Miller

by Tito Morales

RRCA Program Spotlight18

Fall 2011

14

12

Facebook Friends ShareWeb Poll

Q&A with Dr. Lewis G. Maharam,the “Running Doc”

Roads Scholar Class of 2011–12Runner Friendly CommunitiesChampionship Event SeriesKids Run the Nation

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RRCA Member Spotlight10Walk It! Day2010 National RRCA Award Winners

Training Tips30

Fall Shoe Review

passing It On

MEandAdam

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Executive Director’s Note

ClubRunningFall 2011

www.ClubRunning.net

ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA (RRCA)Executive Director

Jean Knaack

RRCA PresidentBrent Ayer

SHOOTING STAR MEDIA, INC. Group & Coordinating Editor

Christine Johnson, [email protected]

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PhotographersVictor Sailer PhotoRun.net

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RUNNING NETWORK LLCAdvertisingLarry EderPresident

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Member of

ClubRunning is produced by Shooting Star Me dia, Inc. for publisher Running Network LLC, P.O. Box 801,Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. All ad materials and insertion orders should be sent to Running Network LLC at theabove address.

Shooting Star Media, Inc. and Running Network LLC assume no liability for matter printed. Publisher as-sumes no responsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paid adver-tising. Publisher expects that all claims by advertisers can be substantiated and that all guarantees will behonored. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2011 by Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.No part of this publication may be repro duced in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher.

We recommend, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting anychanges in your fitness program.

Let Us Hear From You!ClubRunning welcomes your suggestions, comments, and questions. Direct them to [email protected].

Address Changes/Missing IssuesPlease visit www.rrca.org/publications/club-running/ about address changes, duplicate mailings, or missingissues. Please include both old and new addresses.

While the RRCA is most often known for the serviceswe provide to directors of running clubs andevents, including insurance coverage for their or-

ganizations, we also provide programs that support the run-ning community at-large. One of these programs, the RRCANational Running Awards, honors volunteers and top per-formers in our sport.

Without volunteers, our sport would simply not exist.The success of the RRCA and its clubs and events is based onvolunteerism. Since its inception in 1958, the RRCA has re-

lied on the spirit of volunteers to carry out programs, find sponsors, hand out water,work finish lines, and carry out many other important tasks. I’d like to thank our Na-tional Running Award winning journalists, Tito Morales (2010 Journalistic Excel-lence winner) and Mark Miller (2010 Outstanding Club Writer), for theircontributions to this issue of Club Running, found on page 12. Learn about otherinspiring National Running Award winners beginning on page 11.

I encourage you to work with your local club or event to nominate a deservingindividual for an RRCA National Running Award for 2011. Learn more about theawards program at www.rrca.org/services/national-running-awards There are manyways you can volunteer your time to help the running community and the RRCA.One easy way to volunteer is by participating in the RRCA Facebook discussions, re-sponding to our online polls at www.RRCA.org and by sharing original articles forconsideration in Club Running.

This issue of Club Running is dedicated to our past, current, and future awardwinners and the countless volunteers around the U.S. who make running possible.We thank you for the gift of your time and effort!

—Jean Knaack

Jean Knaack

ClubRunning is a complimentary publication made possible by our advertisers and created through a partnership between the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) andRunning Network LLC. You’re a member of your local running club and your local runningclub is, in turn, a member of the RRCA.

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On Our Cover:California’s Jorge Maravilla en routeto his victory in the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance 100 Mile Run and theRRCA 100-Mile Trail title. Read moreabout this event on page 26.

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RRCA Members Speak

RRCA Facebook Friends Share Their Volunteer ExperiencesFrom the recent Facebook discussion topic:Volunteering is the backbone of running. Without volunteers our sport would simply not function. What’s your most memorable and positive volunteer experience with running?

Before I started running, I was shy and quiet. I started running consis-tently as an adult after I quit working to stay at home with my daugh-ter. I joined the local running club and started trying out some 5Ks. Myhusband says, no one has ever started out slower and with less talent,everything I have has been through hard work. I realized that there arenot as many women racing as there are men, so how do we initiatechange? Well, if you want to solve a problem, become part of the solu-tion. I joined the Fort Worth Runners Club as treasurer and helpedbring our annual club fundraiser race, Labor Day 5K & 15K from a lit-tle over 600 runners to over 1500 runners last year. I went from thisquiet mouse of a woman to a woman who decided this summer to runfor President of Fort Worth Runners Club. I believe all this happenedthrough volunteering, helping others to reach their goals, reaching outand asking, ‘what can we do to make your experience in running morepositive?’ Yes, volunteering is a selfless act, but it gave something backto me that is priceless: confidence, friendships, and the knowledge thatI have made others’ running experiences more enjoyable! —Elizabethfrom Texas

At the recent Running with the Devil event at Lake Mead, after I hadfinished racing my 5K, my two sons and I were at the finish line vol-unteering (clipping timing chips, water, medals, etc.). [At] about the 3-hour Half Marathon mark, a woman crossed the finish line in tears [ofjoy]. I bent down to clip her timing chip and told her to lean on me asshe caught her breath. I could tell she was still sobbing. As I stood up,her eyes grew open WIDE and she said, “Are you Charlene, with Run-ning With Charlene? You are wearing a visor with a ladybug—is itYOU?” I said, “Yes, that’s me.” She threw her arms around me and said,“3 months ago, I could only run a 10K. After reading your blog andyour FB fan page, you inspired me to conquer my fears and run thisrace! I can’t believe it’s YOU! I really get to meet you!” Needless to say,I was shocked, humbled, and flattered. We walked around a bit, shetook a few pictures of us together and we parted ways. Seeing her ela-tion as she received her first half marathon medal took me back to myfirst experience at the Vegas Half. While I was volunteering to help outmy fellow runners, she will never know how much she blessed me thatmorning. Volunteering at an event is always two-fold for me and myfamily. We appreciate the athletes and their appreciation, but we alsoare inspired by their words and achievements. —Charlene from Nevada

Volunteering to be race director for Lake Grapevine Runners & Walk-ers presents Weight Watchers Walk-It! 5K walk/run this past spring hasbeen my most memorable and positive experience in running. This wasmy [first] foray into race directing, and it was such a rewarding experi-ence to be a part of so many people’s journey as they participated intheir first 5K. Because this race was targeted towards the Weight Watch-ers community, I met so many people who were making positive changesin their life to become healthier and more fit. By attending several WWmeetings, I was inspired by the WW leaders who motivated and en-couraged their members to start their walking program with the goal to

participate in my club’s 5K event. On the day of the event, the WWparticipants were so appreciative of all the club volunteers and all theclub volunteers only had positive things to say about the event partici-pants. —Kathryn from Texas

Several years ago, Montana celebrated the 200th anniversary of theLewis and Clark Expedition. A guy by the name of Stuart White de-cided that the runners in Montana should do a relay, carrying theUnited States flag across the state. This was all-volunteer—no shirt, noreward, no anything—just sign up and carry the flag down the road (I-90). The week previous, I had run the Governor’s Cup Marathon butI figured it would be fun to put in a few miles. Most of the legs werearound five miles. I got talked into doing an 18-mile run over some re-ally steep hills. My run finished in Columbus where they had a bar-beque lunch [where there was] a guy dressed as a Mountain man witha Newfoundland dog like Lewis and Clark had. He spoke of the foodthat they found along the way to survive; talked about how they roastedyucca seeds for coffee. I had to try that. Anyway, a couple of my friendsshowed up and were running a couple of legs after some young guy ranhis 5-mile leg. So I decided to join them and they decided to just runalong with the young guy. He thought it was a race! After he ran hardfor a couple of miles, he finally gave up and slowed down. This was nosmall flag that we had to carry—even tougher if you think you’re rac-ing. Finally he finished his leg and we three continued on for another10 miles. The temperature had climbed into the mid 90s. At our finalhand-off spot, my friends had left an old pick-up truck to get back inand it had some now-warm beer in it. So we laid down in the shade of the truck and savored the beer. We remarked to one an-other what an amazing and totally wonderful day it had been. —John from Montana

[I] first volunteered 20 years ago for the RRCA National Championshipsin Milwaukee. There I met my life partner John and my now-88-year-old-and-still-running partner, Paul. I definitely got the best out of thatvolunteer assignment. I still have the t-shirt. (Editor’s Note: Kris will bedirecting the 2011 RRCA National Marathon Championship in Octo-ber.) —Kristine from Wisconsin

RRCA.org website poll

Fa l l 2 0 1 1 ClubRunning • 7R R C A . o r g

Be a part of our RRCA Facebook discussions by visiting us at www.facebook.com/Roadrunnersclubofamericaand help us reach our goal of more than 5,000 Facebook fans

by inviting your friends to “Like” the RRCA on Facebook.

Do you incorporate walking as partof your overall training plan forevents you run?

Votes 0 50 100 150 200 250

Yes, I include walking as part of my overall training plan for events I run. 43% (142)

No, I don't include walking as part of my overall training plan for events I run. 32% (105)

I only walk when I am injured and can't run. 18% (59)

I'm a walker, not a runner, so walking is my overall training plan for events I enter. 7% (24)

We invite our readers to participate in the RRCA website polls at RRCA.org

Total Votes: 330


By Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter

Optimizing Your Diet for Fall Marathon Season


By Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD

Although running is often pleasurable andmeaningful, there are inevitably periods wheninterest wanes, energy diminishes, and you feellike you’re going nowhere fast. You find your-self just going through the motions as internalpressure builds, boredom sets in, and workoutsappear more like an obligation than a pleasure.Each training day seems endless, when the only“pleasure” is the conclusion of the exercise.When you lose motivation and fall into a rut,the hazards of burnout, performance slumps,or injuries may begin to slowly appear.

Burnout and Slumps Are Universal ExperiencesIn working with athletes as a sports psycholo-gist and performance coach, I frequently hearcomments like: “I’m at 100% physically, but

the motivation just isn’t there” or “I’m recov-ered from my injury, but I can’t seem to get myform back.” Or, I’ve heard people say: “I’mworking harder than ever, putting in more timetraining, and there’s absolutely no progress”and “I’ve been training so well for the last fewmonths, but now suddenly I’m stale. My legsfeel dead. Is it something in my head?” If anyof these statements sound familiar, takeheart—you’re not alone. Plateaus and slumpsare universal experiences that all athletes andperformers go through, regardless of abilitylevel or type of sport. The experience of peaksand valleys is normal, but there are ways to en-sure you experience more high points than lowones.

I worked with a runner in my PerformingEdge coaching practice who struggled with his

position as the best runner in his age group inhis area, but got burned out. Every time theopportunity presented itself to excel in a race,something would happen. He lost motivationand would make excuses. After we worked onhis mind-set, visualizing having fun, and fo-cusing on the process rather than the result, hefinally relaxed. The next race he said to him-self, “OK, I’m just going to go out there andrun, and enjoy what I’m doing.” Taking thepressure off himself and letting go of the out-come allowed him to move out of his slumpand capture the PR race time that had eludedhim for so long.

Anyone who has challenged themselvesfor a long time has probably experienced a pe-riod of frustration. How long this period lastsdepends largely upon your ability to recognize


If you want to achieve peak performance, youshould follow a structured training programbased on periodization. Nutrition periodizationrefers to changes in eating and sports supple-ments to correspond with your training pro-gram. In addition, your nutrition plan shouldfit your goals (weight loss, weight gain, im-proved cardiovascular health, etc.), medicalneeds, and stage of life. During marathon sea-son, you should optimize your diet for peakrace performance. Follow these four easy stepsand you’ll be running strong on race day.

Focus on How You Feel. If you’re feeling tired,worn out, and sore more often than not, it’stime to take a look at your total energy intake,protein intake, and nutrient timing strategies.Constant fatigue and soreness mean you areovertraining and/or not consuming enoughquality calories.

Eat a Healthy Diet Every Day. Your daily diethas a significant impact on your training. Afterall, the food you eat is fueling your workingmuscles and promoting recovery. Here are afew simple basics to a healthy diet:!Include protein with every meal. !Eat fruits or vegetables with every meal. The

antioxidants may play a role in muscle tissuerecovery (not to mention that fiber, nutrients,and antioxidants are good for overall health)

!Include dairy with every main meal for cal-cium and vitamin D.!Get enough carbohydrates throughout the

day to fuel performance and opt for nutrient-packed carbohydrates most of the time (pota-toes, brown rice, whole grain bread, quinoa,whole wheat pasta).

Pay Attention to Nutrient Timing. Take aclose look at your pre-, during, and post train-ing nutrition. Many athletes fall short on theirfluid and electrolyte intake.

Consume a small meal that’s low in fiberand fat 2–4 hours before you train and drinkapproximately 5–7 ml fluid (0.17–0.24 oz.)per kilogram of body weight 4 hours before.Consume 3–5 ml fluid (0.10–0.17 oz.) per kgof body weight again 2 hours before your runif you’re not urinating frequently or if yoururine is scant and dark in color.

While running, consume 3–8 oz. of fluidevery 10–20 minutes. After the first hour oftraining, switch to a sports drink as opposed toplain water. Also, aim for 30–60 grams of car-bohydrate per hour and at least 500–700 mgsodium per liter of fluid, though some runnersneed more. (In particular, if you’re losing morethan 2% of your body weight during your run,you need more fluid and sodium.)

Post exercise, consume carbohydrate andprotein in a 4:1 ratio (very important for re-

covery!) and consume 20–24 oz. of fluid forevery pound of body weight lost from pre-runto post run.

Set Your Race Routine. Know what you’regoing to eat (or at least where you’ll eat if you’reout of town) the night before and the morn-ing of your race.

As you gear up for race season, pay closeattention to how you feel and make changesaccordingly. After all, you’ve trained formonths, putting in hundreds of miles to pre-pare your body for race season. If you pay closeattention to the nutrition portion of yourtraining program, too, your body will be fu-eled for peak performance!

Preventing Performance Burnout, Slumps,and Injuries for Runners

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the symptoms and intervene early.During a slump, the abilities that you

once possessed can almost seem to disappear.In every sport, slumps and down periods arecommon, natural elements of training.

If you’re seeing signs of mental fatigue orbody strain stemming from a rigid, repetitiveschedule, it’s a good time to reassess your situ-ation, and perhaps make some changes.

Indeed, loss of pleasure and burnout aremajor barriers that can prevent you from train-ing consistently, year round. But you have towonder, is it even advisable to strive for main-taining a high level of motivation throughoutthe year? Attempting to be “psyched up” andin top form at all times is a sure path to stale-ness and burnout. Breaks and variations in theroutine are crucial for long-term enjoyment ofyour sport. Here are some strategies that mayhelp you build variety into your life and createrenewed interest in your training.

Create Your Own SeasonsEstablish a wide variety of objectives through-out the year for your training. For instance, youcould establish four phases of the year thatwould include: base building, strength/speed,peaking/competing, and rest/recovery. Eachstage can bring you up to a higher level of fit-ness. Or you can divide the year into differenttypes of training or competing in differentsports.

Seek Intrinsic Rewards Develop a sense of internal value and meaningfor your training. Build self-confidence duringthose times when external rewards are notforthcoming. Begin to appreciate the positivechanges that training brings. Notice the exhil-aration created by your body’s endorphin pro-duction and the sense of total health andwell-being. Develop a positive body imagefrom building a stronger physique. Notice thepsychological benefits: stress reduction, im-proved concentration, and greater self-worth.

Build In Variety Many athletes train with a small, fixed num-ber of workouts (e.g. every Wed. is track, 800sor mile repeats; every Sunday is the long runor bike on the same course, at the same pace).You may be starving for change in your rou-tine. Any kind of variation is bound to createmore motivation and interest. Try changingone element of your training each week. Go toa new scenic trail or park at least once a week.Alternate hard and easy days rather than work-ing out at the same pace every day. Try runningat different times during the day and discoverthe period when you have the most energy. Putnew spark in your schedule by incorporatingdifferent types of training: interval work,tempo (faster) workouts, fartlek training (vari-able speeds), hilly workouts, and endurance

work. Take a day off and do a cross trainingwith a different sport. There are endless com-binations if you use your imagination.

Take Regular Breaks Short, medium, and long-term breaks are allnecessary to maintain your motivation levels.Try taking a one-day break from training eachweek and take three days once a month. Thenallow a week’s rest after each major phase ofyour training (every three months). Take 2–4weeks off once per year, or after a major com-petition. During that time, try “active rest” bydoing a different sport (e.g. skating, hiking,swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing).You’ll get a tremendous psychological boostand probably not lose any of your fitness level.

Your break time is also a good opportu-nity to give attention to other aspects of yourlife. Build a broad-based lifestyle with a varietyof interests. Strive for a balance between workand fun, social time and personal quiet time,and time to be creative. Do projects and hob-bies at home that give you satisfaction. Afteryour break, you’ll be mentally and physicallyrested and performing better than ever.

Go on a Running Vacation Sign up for a summer camp where you can dis-cover new places to train, learn more aboutyour sport and connect with new faces, or planyour own healthy get-away and go to someplace exotic to run, bike, swim, hike, and relax.While you’re on vacation, bring more playful-ness into your workouts. Leave your watchback at the hotel and do a workout just for funwithout having to time or score your efforts.

Finally, use power words and phrases likethe ones below to help prevent slumps.

!“I am learning how to pace myselfthroughout each day.”!“I am listening to my body; I honor its

need for rest and recovery.”“I know when to push myself and when to

hold back.”“My body and mind are flexible; they can

switch into many different gears.”“I know how to take good care of myself.”

Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter is CEO of PerformingEdge Coaching International Association,www.PerformingEdgeCoach.com and founderof www.DrJoAnn.com. The best-selling authorof Your Performing Edge™ (www.sports-psych.com), she also hosts the internationally syn-dicated TV show of the same name. Dr. JoAnnprovides sports psychology, mental training, andPerforming Edge Coach Certification programsfor coaches, parents, and young athletes to reachtheir highest potential in sports and life. PrivateMentoring program at

www.PeakPerformancePlan.com

Evaluate Your Risk for Burnout or Injury

After working with athletes of all levels and noticing common areas of stress, I developed anevaluation system to assess the chances of mental burnout or injury. Answering “yes” tothree or more of the following questions indicatesthat you may be at risk for a prolonged slump, injury, or illness.1. Have I trained too long or too hard in a

high-pressure situation?

2. Do I have a progressive loss of enthusiasm, energy, or sense of purpose?

3. Does my normally comfortable pace feel difficult?

4. Do I feel locked into a routine?

5. Do my legs feel heavy or fatigued longer than usual after working out?

6. Do I dread the thought of training?

7. Am I becoming more cynical?

8. Is it difficult to get out of bed in the morning?

9. Is my appetite below or above normal?

10. Do I have excessive weight gain or loss?

11. Do I feel mentally fatigued or irritable?

12. Do I have physical distress—minor body pain, headaches, or sleep problems?

13. Do I have physical or emotional exhaustion?

14. Am I becoming sullen or withdrawn?

15. Do I have an angry, negative attitude?

16. Do I have a diminished belief that I will be successful?

17. Am I more susceptible to colds or the flu, or do I have shortness of breath?

18. Is my resting heart rate or exercise heart rate higher than usual?

19. Do I have frequent minor accidents as a result ofinattention or stress?

Courtesy of the Author



RRCA Member Spotlight

Walk-It Day 5K: My Journey to It and the End Worth Waiting For

Three years ago, on a road trip to Tennessee, I found myself sitting inthe passenger seat with two bags of peanut butter M&Ms and a DietCoke, praying to lose weight. I weighed 269 pounds and had a host ofmedical issues, not the least of which was the beginning of kidney fail-ure. I prayed for a sign that would help me and when I opened my eyes,there was a sign for Weight Watchers. “Yeah, right,” I thought, andflipped open the magazine on my lap. There it was: an ad for WeightWatchers. “Fine,” I thought. “Right after this trip.” I joined WeightWatchers the very next weekend and decided this was it. However longit took and wherever it took me had to be better than where I was. Ittook two full years to lose the weight, and as I’d hoped, my health im-proved. Even my kidney function became normal.

I’d had my weight off for just a couple months when I ran/walkedthe San Francisco Half Marathon with the Runner’s World Challengeprogram. The editors found my story to be inspiring, so they put me inthe January 2011 issue of Runner’s World magazine. Kathryn spotted myarticle and found me on Facebook. I felt honored when she asked me tobe part of the Walk !t she was directing. I had always thought if I couldinspire just one other person to lose their weight or improve their healththrough walking and running, then my journey would have still moremeaning, so I was excited to team up with Kathryn and RAW.

When Kathryn asked me to speak at a few Weight Watchers meet-ings to encourage people to register, I recalled how intimidated I feltwhen I wanted to walk in races and events. I would always research theprevious years’ results to make sure there would be finishers slower thanme so I wouldn’t be last. With that in mind, I made a promise at everymeeting that if they registered, they would not finish last. This was atough promise to make because to guarantee it, that meant I would haveto be last, and I really didn’t want to be last.

At the first training walk, I walked back to the clubhouse with theslowest walker to make sure she didn’t finish alone. Her story amazedme. That was the farthest she had ever walked in her life. While otherswere finishing up just another run, this woman was making personal his-tory and I was the only one there to celebrate it with her. That was whenI decided for certain that I would finish the Walk !t last, no matter howlong it took.

On the day of the event, I walked out to the first water stop and thenwaited for the last walkers, a group of ladies that represented three gen-erations of their family. I don’t think they quite understood what this“skinny chick” was doing butting in to their group, but I was there tostay. Paula was a little older than me, with a bad hip, a torn meniscus, aninjured foot, and asthma. Her daughter was just older than my daughterand was in no better shape than her mom. Her granddaughter was maybe5 years old and having the time of her life. Together, mom and daughterhad lost nearly 50 pounds on Weight Watchers but had a long way to go.They’d started Walk !t training with the Weight Watchers plan, but the

foot injury threw their training off-course. The daughter didn’t want hermom to walk at all and kept stopping her, but Paula was determined.She’d never walked more than 1.5 miles before, but her doctor had toldher if she made it to 2 miles, she could finish the 5K. We stopped twiceso she could “have a word with Jesus” and countless times to let her catchher breath. At the end, we had one of the bike medics with us continu-ously and our breaks became longer and longer, but no matter what,Paula was dead-set on finishing. With half a mile to go, their WeightWatchers leader and some friends met up with us and encouraged her tocontinue.

When we finally made it to the finish line after 1 hour, 44 minutes,Paula and her daughter joined hands and RAN across the finish line.Never had I seen a finish harder earned. There weren’t more than a hand-ful of people at the finish line to witness this moment, but those of uswho were there had to wipe our eyes. We may have missed the door prizedrawings, but I wouldn’t have missed this finish for the world.

As I stepped across the finish line—dead last at 1:45:00—I realizedthat when you set out to inspire someone, sometimes you are the onewho is inspired.

Belynda Warner is a member of the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkersand Weight Watchers. Reprinted with permission from the Lake GrapevineRunners and Walkers of Grapevine, Texas, and its RRCA award-winningpublication FOOTPRINT.

Weight Watchers declared May 22, 2011 “Walk-It Day,” and encour-aged walkers to join one of over 50 official Weight Watchers Walk-ItChallenge 5K events hosted across the country by RRCA members aspart of its third annual Walk-It Challenge.

Nearly 24,000 people registered to participate in a local 2011Weight Watchers Walk-It Day 5K. The Kansas City Track Club in KansasCity, Missouri hosted the largest Weight Watchers Walk-It Day 5K eventwith over 1,500 people taking part in the walk. They were followed byanother large event hosted in Grapevine, Texas by the Lake GrapevineRunners and Walkers that had over 1,200 participants. Milwaukee andAtlanta also boasted numbers of close to or over 1,000 participants.

By Belynda Warner

The RRCA extends a huge thank you to the following membersfor hosting an Official Weight Watchers Walk-It Day 5K on May22. We also thank Weight Watchers International and the supportingsponsors Sketchers, RunSignUp.com, Leslie Jordan, Britton Banners,and Rainbow Racing.

California: Fleet Feet–Menlo Park’s Walkers, Fleet Feet–Pleasant Hill,Go WOW Team, Ask About Running, Lake of the Sky Trail Runners,

Riverside Road Runners, San Diego Track Club, UltraLadies, USA Marathon Training Connecticut: Fleet Feet Sports–Hartford

Washington, DC: DC Running Club Florida: Amelia Island Runners,Fleet Feet Sports–Sarasota, Runner’s Edge Foundation, Space

Coast Runners, Suncoast Striders Georgia: Marathon Majic, LLC,South DeKalb Striders Running Club, The Heat Track Club

Hawaii: Wild Boar Racing LLC Illinois: Fleet Feet Sports–Elmhurst, FoxRiver Running Club Indiana: Calumet Region Striders, Greater

Evansville Runners Club, Inc. Kentucky: Logan Co Run/Walk ClubLouisiana: Fleet Feet Sports Baton Rouge Massachusetts: Greater

Lowell RRC, Old Colony Running Events Maryland: Prince George’sRunning Club Minnesota: Charities Challenge Missouri: Kansas City

Track Club Montana: RACE Montana North Carolina: Fleet FeetSports–Winston-Salem, Four Seasons Running Club New Hampshire:Moose Milers Running Club New York: Mile Square Consulting, EastEnd Road and Trail Runners Club Ohio: Cleveland West Road Run-ners Club, Runners’ Club of Greater Cincinnati, Youngstown RoadRunners Club Oregon: Willamette Valley Road Runners South Car-

olina: First Place Events Texas: Brownsville Trailblazers, Heels andHills, Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Pearland Area RunnersClub, Sienna Running Club, Tough Cookies Virginia: Kingstowne

Striders, Tidal Basin Run, Tidewater Striders Wisconsin: Marty’s Program

Tory Warner

Author Belynda Warner (#663)cheers for Paula (#176)



RRCA Member Spotlight

2010 RRCA National Running Award WinnersSince 1971, the RRCA has honored dedicated individuals for their outstanding service to the organization and the sport of running.

We’re pleased to congratulate the following individuals who were honored at the 53rd Annual RRCA Running Awards Banquet in Fredericksburg, Virginia on May 14.

Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA

Former RRCA Region Director, RRCA State Rep for N. Florida

Bendy is a tireless and enthusiastic champion ofthe RRCA. Building on his experience as astate rep (he was the 1999 State Rep of theYear), he went on to serve as one of the great-

est regional directors our organization has everhad. For many years, Bendy led a training ses-

sion at the annual convention for state reps on howto be more effective. He also authored the State RepHandbook, an invaluable compendium of knowl-

edge that state reps could turn to for the answer to virtually every ques-tion that might pop up. If the answer wasn’t in there, Bendy was alwaysavailable to help out via email or a phone call. In the midst of his RRCAduties, Ken found time (and still does) to perform copious amounts ofvolunteer service for races in his area, such as the Gate River Run, thecountry’s largest 15K race, for which he was in charge of registration. Dur-ing his tenure as Southern Region director, Bendy built an effective, co-hesive team and developed some great state reps. Thee of the last fouryears, the State Rep of the Year has hailed from Southern Region. Bendyhas nurtured, praised, and encouraged fellow board members, RRCA staff,and state reps to always act in the best interest of the RRCA.

“In my 15 years of involvement with RRCA, I am hard pressed to thinkof anyone else who exemplifies the spirit of the RRCA more than Ken Bendy.”—David Epstein, former Western Region director

Outstanding Club President of the Year

River City Runners & Walkers, Parkersburg, Virginia

During Allman’s tenure with the club, membership has grown in part be-cause of his diligent work of incorporating the walking community intothe club. During his presidency, several worthwhile programs were started,including a kids’ racing series, funded by donations to the club. A freekids’ shoe program was started, designed to collect running shoes andshirts to give to needy area children. Allman is the director of the Parkers-burg News and Sentinel Half Marathon (2010 RRCA National HalfMarathon Championship) and he was responsible for securing a $15,000donation from the City of Parkersburg for the race. Allman was also re-sponsible for the formation of a new scholarship for a deserving club mem-ber pursuing a post high school degree. Under his tenure as president, theclub’s scholarship fund grew to an unprecedented $7,200.

Outstanding Volunteer of the Year

Huntsville Track Club, Huntsville, Alabama

Calling Dink a “volunteer of the year” is a bit of a misnomer, becauseDink has been volunteering for close to two decades. If you’ve ever at-tended a race in Huntsville, Alabama, then you’ve seen Dink. He’s a fix-

ture at races the same way a race clock or an aid station is. A race wouldnot be the same without Dink’s contributions. There is not a job relatedto putting on a race that Dink has not done: race set-up, aid stationworker, finish line, post race clean-up, the list is endless. It might soundlike a cliché, but no job is too big or too small for Dink to willingly takeon. Since the ’90s he has foregone running one our club’s marquee events,the Cotton Row 10K, to work the race. For the last 5 years, he and hiswife, Suzanne, have served as directors of the popular Cotton Row Run,which includes a 10K, 5K, and 1-mile fun run for kids—attracting over4,500 runners. The race is regarded as one of the best in the southeast andattracts runners from all over the U.S. and abroad.

Outstanding Youth Program Director

Calumet Region Striders’ Youth Program Chair, Valparaiso, Indiana

Sue Brown-Nickerson has been the Calumet Region Striders’ youth pro-gram chair since 2005. As a USATF- and RRCA-certified volunteer coach,she leads a large group of volunteer coaches in an effort to promote qual-ity programs and racing experiences that will help kids develop physicallyand build self-confidence and motivation. The club’s youth running pro-grams are open to boys and girls ages 7–18 within a geographical area of50 miles. Multiple training sites are offered and staffed with coaches pro-viding training for all abilities, from beginners to the more competitiveyouths. More than 200 kids participated in the summer and fall programs,with 9 athletes advancing to the National AAU and Hershey events and65 kids advancing to the National AAU Cross Country Championships.Brown-Nickerson also directs a local Hershey’s track & field meet withthe assistance of the Valparaiso Indiana Parks Department staff. The eventis designed to promote physical fitness and is free to participants.

Outstanding Beginning Running Program

Bea Sides, Program Director, Omaha Running Club, Omaha, Nebraska

Bea Sides has been and continues to be the personification of women’srunning in Omaha. She has conducted a women’s training program onWednesday nights for many years that’s open to all women from theslowest walkers to elite runners. She has trained and encouraged manywomen to adopt a healthier lifestyle and appreciate that exercise andtaking care of one’s self are an important part of a fulfilling life. Bea’slow-key support has been an integral part of the success and attractionof the program and a key element in the development and fulfillmentof participants. For more than 10 years, Bea has also directed a women’s5K on Labor Day that’s the focus of the training programs. The racestarted out as an Avon Series race and at the conclusion of the Avon se-ries, it continued as Go Girl Run. There are literally thousands ofwomen in the Omaha running community who would attest, withoutreservation, that Sides richly deserves the RRCA Outstanding Begin-ning Running Program Award for making important changes in theirlives. Sides was elected to the Omaha Running Club Hall of Fame to rec-ognize her significant standing in the local running community.

Visit www.RRCA.org to keep pace with the 2012 RRCA Convention news.

Ken Bendy

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Dink Taylor

Sue Brown-Nickerson

Step Into Running


R R C A . o r g12 • ClubRunning Fa l l 2 0 1 1 R R C A . o r g

You’ve seen him, the elderly man with the knee brace and the unevenstride. Or her, the fast brunette with the swaying pony tail and neonshoes. You see them on your daily commute or on your way to the postoffice. You don’t know the runner’s name, and you’ve never so much asexchanged a “hello,” yet they speak in waysthat words cannot. If you’ve already runthat day, there’s a kind of silent acknowl-edgment. If you haven’t, there’s a guiltytwinge in your hamstrings as you make amental note to get in your miles. Their ac-tions speak more clearly than any coach orphysiologist.

Just imagine: for someone else, youare that runner. You unwittingly deliver anunspoken lecture on the value of physicalactivity in your neighborhood or localpark, just by putting in your 5 or 10 or 15miles a day. I realized this at, of all places,the grocery store. While picking throughthe tomatoes, a stranger asked if I had got-ten my run in that morning. Surprised, Ianswered that I had. Turns out he deliversnewspapers on my street and often sees meon my pre-dawn run. Then there was thewoman in my running club who told meshe was inspired seeing me push to finishmy weekly long run in the city park. I hadno idea that simply by running across theNorth Central Texas prairies that I callhome, I was influencing others. After all,no one is going to mistake me for anOlympian, and my phone isn’t ringingwith shoe contract offers. I’m an averagerunner who’s highest athletic aspiration is to come away from Saturday’srace with an age group award, or if Ken and Craig happen to be away thatday, maybe an occasional overall trophy.

Everyone, from Olympian to common jogger, influences someone.I came to this conclusion with great reluctance. I am not completely com-fortable with the notion that I impact others. As a self-confessed loner, Ihave at times viewed people as an intrusion, an inconvenience. I am rarelyworthy of imitation, and I speak not just of my lack of a kick at the endof a 10K. I know my faults—my bad habits, laziness, and indiscretions.The thought of someone else watching my actions makes me squeamish.

This is perhaps magnified by the fact that I write for the newsletterof the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Club. Every other month,over 500 people receive a publication that includes my words. While I am

honored to receive compliments on something I have written, this has onoccasion been accompanied by a hint of uneasiness. I rarely live up tomy own standards, much less anyone else’s. The people who receive thenewsletter don’t just want to read my words; they expect me to live them.

They want me to extend the post-race fellow-ship that I write about, even when I am disap-pointed with my own performance. Peopledon’t just want to read about sportsmanship,kindness, and giving back, they actually expectme to demonstrate it. I constantly strive to getbetter and, thankfully, my fellow club membersare patient when I fall short.

A generation ago, Frank Shorter and BillRodgers motivated thousands with their inter-national marathon victories. Billy Mills contin-ues to use his Olympic platform to encourageand enthrall audiences. Today, Ryan Hall in-spires a new generation with his brilliant run-ning and deep faith. Few of us have theirbreadth of impact, but we have a potentiallygreater depth of influence. The people we en-counter each day are more likely to be moved byour actions than by the latest champion on tel-evision or in a magazine.

When I think of running heroes, I thinkfirst of a senior citizen who was thrilled to break60 minutes in a 10K and was encouragementpersonified. Lawrence “Barney” Barnhill was acommon runner with uncommon character.We met at a road race when I was a teenager.Barney was a 60+ age grouper with an infectiouspersonality, a zest for life, and a spirit as stead-fast as a Texas live oak. His abiding love of God,

family, and friends defined every aspect of his life. He wrote me personalnotes of encouragement (you may remember hand-written notes, thoserelics people sent before e-mail and Facebook), passing on race resultsand an uplifting word. More than that, he lived what he wrote, extend-ing kindness and encouragement to all he met. Barney never finished a5K without meeting a new friend; he never accepted an age group awardwithout making his competitors feel like winners. Today, even after hispassing, Barney’s legacy of giving lives on in those who knew him.

The people in your life need your example. Encourage the teenager,the first time finisher, even the competitor who beat you out of an agegroup award. Follow in the steps of Frank Shorter, Billy Mills, or the per-sonal hero in your neighborhood. Run and live well; you never knowwho might be watching.

I was feeling worse for him, my nephew, than I was for myself.See, Adam had driven a couple of hundred miles to help me run the

last part of the L.A. Marathon. It was tough for him to get the time off

work. Like a lot of kids his age, he’s been putting in the hours since hegraduated from college—juggling two jobs, trying to find some footing.

He joined me out on the course at mile 18, bright eyed and

passingIt OnBy Mark Miller, 2010 Outstanding RRCA Club Writer of the Year (Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers)

MEandAdam By Tito Morales2010 Journalistic Excellence Winner

The author at a recent race

Mark Miller


springy legged. But as he excitedly revealed how he’d just joined the Navywith the dream of becoming a SEAL, I told him about a weird pain I wasstarting to feel near my right knee. And when it wouldn’t go away and I wasforced to stop and stretch, it made me feel bad. I didn’t want to let himdown.

To make things worse, marathon day had brought one of the worststorms of the year. The rain was thick, the wind insistent, and the asphaltwas swirling. When you’re racing on a day like that, you can generally seepast the conditions. Your focus is elsewhere. It’s only when you’re forced tostart walking that you realize how broken the sky’s become.

He’s always been a lot like me, Adam. We’re both middle children, sim-ilar in stature and demeanor. We’re both former competitive swimmers, andit was in the pool where we discovered the contentment that comes fromhard work and sacrifice. And I’m sure it’s that eagerness to embrace a chal-lenge, no matter how daunting, that convinced him to enlist—somethingno one in our family had ever done before.

I took up running in my mid 30s and was slow to understand the al-lure. The head sorta got it; the body needed convincing. But once it all cametogether, the passion rushed forth like a majestic sunrise. One day I wasoverjoyed at finally being able to run nonstop for 20 minutes; the next, itseems, I was an emotional heap in Copley Square after having PR’d atBoston. And even though my fastest runs are now behind me, and eventhough my body is tired from all the miles, I still derive so much pleasurefrom the simple act of going out for a run.

Adam’s career is in its infancy. I was thrilled when he told me he hadstarted to run more after he retired from swimming, and I could scarcelycontain myself as the two of us concocted this adventure over Thanksgiv-ing. I wanted him to experience my city. Couldn’t wait for him to get a tasteof the marathon.

But now it’s race day and the wind is cold and the rain has been com-ing down in tonnage. And Adam’s trying to rally me, because he knows it’spart of why he’s here. But this bird’s wings have been mysteriously clipped,and whenever I attempt to go airborne the pain is simply unbearable.

So the two of us plod forward, me trying to conceal my disappoint-ment, as I watch all the good running I’d done that morning continue to getwashed out to sea.

I have so much I want to share with him, my nephew. I want to tellhim that if he lets this running thing into his heart, it will reward him bybecoming a devoted companion—no matter where life takes him. That thetests we both found so irresistible between the lane lines in the pool are justas plentiful on the roads. And that the running community is tight-knit,kind-hearted, and true.

I want to tell him that there’ll be days when the music in his legs willflow, a sweet mixture of rhythm and verse, and his spirit will be so filledwith run that all sense of time and place will miraculously disappear. Butthat there will also be days when the cacophony is so horrific, so downrightdeafening, that the frustration he’ll feel will make him want to step off onceand for all and curl beneath a tree.

I want to tell him that I still get choked up at the memory of our veryfirst run together when he was so little and I was in town for a visit and ahalf marathon. As I charged up the one last, lengthy hill I was startled tohear a determined puff-puff-puff and I glanced over my shoulder to see thathe’d made up his mind all on his own to join me to the summit. And thateven though I’m so proud of him for following his calling, and even thoughI support his decision, I still can’t help but feel a little afraid for the uncer-tainty of his future in a world that grows angrier by the day.

There is a mile to go, and then less than that. The sidewalks are filledwith spectators who huddle shivering, yet clapping and hollering. And fi-nally, with just a little bit left, I’m determined to run it in no matter howpainful the flight.

And as Adam peels off the course, and as he watches his uncle winceand struggle toward the line, I hear him cheer and then call out, “I loveyou.” And my eyes begin to well so much that I don’t even mind that therain has begun to fall even harder.



For more than a decade now, the Running Network LLC’s Shoe Review team of Cregg Weinmann,Christine Johnson, and Kristen Cerer have teamed up with our weartesters, proofreader, and photographers to develop and produce this bi-annual running footwear review. Each Fall and Spring,over 900,000 people read the print versions that appear in our partner publications (listed to theright), and another 3 million see it on the web. As always, we offer this Review as a starting pointin your search for the perfect shoe. After you’ve read through our reviews, we encourage you tovisit your local running store and ask them for their suggestions and opinions about what shoesyou should consider, given the particulars of your biomechanics and the type and quantity of running that you do.

I travel to dozens of athletic and running events every year and have many visits with the shoecompanies and their representatives. I have to say that I’m excited about what’s available to runners today. There are some amazing new products—definitely influenced by your requests forbetter and lighter-weight shoes—showing up in the marketplace. The key for you, my running friend, is to find the right shoe for you and your needs. The right shoe makes the journey of a mile, or a thousand miles, much more enjoyable.

Have a great time running and racing this Fall! We’ll see you again in the Spring.

Larry EderPresident, Running Network LLC

American Track & Fieldwww.american-trackandfield.com

Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.comAthletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario.caAustin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.comCalifornia Track & Running News www.caltrack.comClub Running www.rrca.org/publications/club-runningCoaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.comColorado Runner www.coloradorunnermag.comGet Active! www.healthclubs.comGreater Long Island Running Club’s Footnotes www.glirc.orgLatinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.comMarathonGuide www.marathonguide.comMichigan Runner www.michiganrunner.netMissouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri.comRunning Journal & Racing South www.running.netRunMinnesota www.runmdra.orgRUNOHIO www.runohio.comTrack & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.comUSATF’s Fast Forward www.usatf.orgUSATF–New England’s Exchange Zone www.usatfne.orgThe Winged Foot www.nyac.orgThe Winged M www.themac.comYouth Runner www.youthrunner.com

Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget theorized thatevery developmental improvement a child makes is

followed by a period of equilibration or reorganizing thatcontinues until a balance is achieved. With new brandscontinuing to launch, new technologies being devised,and materials being reexamined and repurposed, theindustry is moving into a new stage. The result of this new stage is an even broader range ofshoes for runners with biomechanical needs of everykind, and fitness levels to mix and match. In fact, theinflux of Natural Motion shoes, Barefoot shoes, andMinimalist shoes has grown so much that we recentlypublished our first review exclusively on Minimalist shoesin Running Network publications and coming soon to theRN website (www.runningnetwork.com). So, how long will it take for us to get through this period ofequilibration, and what will the balance be when we do? Iwould venture to say that it won’t be very long and at theend, we’ll see more new models than have been introducedin quite some time. One thing is certain: Regardless of thevarious approaches, opinions, and products, knowledgeremains your biggest ally in your search for shoes. Runnerswith an understanding of what their feet are like and whatthose characteristics (shape, motion, volume, etc.)require—or runners who know where to get that advice—will find that there are more shoes than ever to meet theirspecific needs.

—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer

Reviewer: Cregg Weinmann ProjectCoordinator/Editor: Christine JohnsonDesigner: Kristen Cerer Proofreader:Marg Sumner, Red Ink Editorial ServicesShoe Photography: Daniel Saldaña,Cregg Weinmann Advertising Sales:Running Network LLC, Larry Eder, President,608.239.3785, [email protected]: Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 Website: www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website.

This 2011 Fall Shoe Review is produced inde-pendently by Running Network LLC for its partnerpublications. All shoes reviewed were tested byexperienced, competitive runners who werematched to the biomechanical purpose of eachshoe model.

Copyright © 2011 by Running Network LLC. AllRights Reserved. No part of this publication maybe stored, copied, or reprinted without prior writ-ten permission of Running Network LLC.

Running Network LLC and its partner publica-tions suggest that, as with all fitness activities,you meet with a healthcare professional beforebeginning or changing your fitness regimen.

AWARD WINNERS

BEST NEW SHOEFALL 2011

BEST SHOEMotion

StabilizingF A L L 2 0 11

BEST SHOENeutral

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BEST SHOE

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BEST RENOVATIONFALL 2011

BEST VALUEFALL 2011

BEST SHOE

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BEST SHOE

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BEST NEW SHOEFALL 2011

BEST SHOE

F A L L 2 0 11

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BEST VALUEFALL 2011

BEST SHOENeutral

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BEST RENOVATIONFALL 2011


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R R C A . o r g18 • ClubRunning Fa l l 2 0 1 1

RRCA Program Spotlight

New Class of RRCA Roads Scholars Named

The RRCA is pleased to introduce and congratulate the 2011–12 Class of Road Scholars

Since 1996, the Road Runners Club of America has awarded grants totaling over $360,000 through the Roads Scholar® program. The goal of the program is to assist American post collegiate runners who show great promise to develop into national and world-class road running athletes.

The grants awarded by the RRCA go directly to the athletes to help support their goals of becoming world-class distance runners.

Tyler McCandless“It is a great honor to be chosen as a 2011 RRCA Roads

Scholar, and I am very proud to follow in the footsteps ofmany great athletes who have been previously awarded

this prestigious scholarship. I am very thankful to theRRCA and all of the donors who make this awardpossible. I’m very fortunate to have an amazing sup-port system of family and friends that make profes-sional running not only possible, but a dream cometrue.”

McCandless graduated from Northampton (Pennsylva-nia) High School where he was a District 11 champion and

record holder in the 3200 meter run with a time of 9:13.01, as wellas a PIAA State medalist in cross country and track & field. Aftergraduating, McCandless ran for one year for the University of Mary-land before transferring to Penn State University. At Penn State, heflourished under coach Beth Alford-Sullivan, steadily progressing toa 29:15 personal best 10K and an All-American performance in thatevent in the spring of 2010.

McCandless quickly showed promise as a professional road racerwith a 46:04 15K at the Utica Boilermaker, claiming top Americanhonors. He was also the top American finisher at the Buffalo SubaruChase 4-Miler, and he won the San Francisco Half-Marathon, set-ting a course record with a time of 1:05:02. In his debut marathon,McCandless finished 6th at the 2010 California InternationalMarathon with a time of 2:17:22. In 2011, he ran 1:05:38 at the USAHalf Marathon Championships and 45:17 at the USA 15K Cham-pionships. He also won and broke the course record in Denver at the2011 RRCA Colorado State Championships 10-Mile in a time of52:08 at an elevation of 5,300 feet. He finished 8th overall and topAmerican at the 2011 Indianapolis Mini-Marathon with a time of1:05:09 and followed that with a 2:17:09 marathon PB at Grandma’sMarathon to finish 11th overall. McCandless is coached by BradHudson and sponsored by Mizuno and Athletes Honey Milk.

Megan Duwell“I couldn’t be more honored to be a recipient of the2011–12 Roads Scholar Grant. This grant will en-able me to follow my dreams on adidas-McMillan

Elite and Team USA Arizona. It is grants such as thesethat make it possible for developing professional run-

ners to fully focus on achieving their running goals asa career. Thanks for making that happen.”

Duwell is a 2005 graduate of West Bend West HighSchool in West Bend, Wisconsin, where she was class vale-

dictorian and won Wisconsin Division I state 800 meter titles as asophomore and junior. She ran for the University of Minnesota,where she graduated from the Carlson School of Management in May

2010. Duwell finished her running career at the University of Min-nesota as a three-time All-American and a two-time individual BigTen Conference champion. She steadily progressed and improvedthroughout her collegiate career, leaving the University of Minnesotaas a school record holder in four events.

Duwell is currently a member of Team USA Arizona, adidas-McMillan Elite located in Flagstaff, Arizona. Since joining Team USAArizona, Duwell has achieved several top-10 finishes, including theUSA 10K Championship (7th), the USA Cross Country Champi-onship (9th), and the Manchester Road Race (10th). She was a mem-ber of the winning team at the USA Club Cross Championship withfellow adidas-McMillan Elite runners. Her 9th-place individual fin-ish at the U.S.A. Cross Country Championships in San Diego earnedher a spot to race at the NACAC Cross Country Meet in Trinidad inFebruary 2011. There, Duwell won silver in the women’s 6K, leadingTeam USA women to the team gold medal.

Lex Williams“I am very grateful for my selection to the 2011 class of

RRCA Roads Scholars. This prestigious grant is ex-tremely helpful in supporting young post-collegiaterunners like myself and will help immensely while at

the beginning of my professional career. I am truly hum-bled to have been selected as a recipient, look forward to rep-

resenting the RRCA, and spreading the word about the opportunity youhave bestowed upon me as I continue to chase my dream.”

Williams started running at a young age through the Hershey Track& Field program, progressed through the Ann Arbor Track Club, andran for his middle school and high school cross country and trackteams in Dexter, Michigan. As a freshman at Dexter High School, hiscross-country team made the first ever appearance as a team at theDivision 2 state championship and placed 6th. In his senior year intrack, Williams won the state meet in the 2-mile, was runner-up inthe mile, and was elected “Mr. Michigan Track and Field” for thestate of Michigan. Also as a senior he placed 3rd at the Nike IndoorNationals in the mile and placed 4th at the Nike Outdoor Nationalsin the 2-mile in 8:56.

Williams attended the University of Michigan where he trainedunder the guidance of coach Ron Warhurst. While there he becamea Big Ten Champion, All-American, Academic All-American, andteam captain. His collegiate personal bests included 3:42.38 for1500m, 4:01.72 for the mile, 7:55.59 for 3000m, 13:47.57 for5000m, and 28:34.28 for 10,000m. At Michigan, Williams met hiscurrent coach, Tim Broe, who was a volunteer assistant for the team.Williams now trains with Broe at In The Arena based in Hanover,New Hampshire.

Williams made his professional road racing debut at the USA8K Championships in Carmel, Indiana, placing 8th overall. He fol-lowed that up a week later with a 7th-place finish at the SteamboatClassic in Peoria, Illinois.

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Meghan Armstrong“I want to extend a most heartfelt thank you to the RRCA.To know that there are people and groups like the RRCA

out there to support me and other athletes like myself is trulyamazing. This grant will help me to continue to strive

to reach my dream of being one of our nation’s bestathletes. This support will also allow me to give

back to the running community by being my bestevery time I toe the line, which will in turn, I

hope, allow our entire sport to advance ... helpingus all become stronger and faster.”

Armstrong went to high school in Tualatin, Oregon, a suburb of Port-land, where she was a six-time state champion in the 1500m and3000m. She also competed in track and cross country at the Univer-sity of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Armstrong was a four-time All-Amer-ican and the 2008 Big Ten champion in both the indoor 3000 metersand the outdoor 10,000 meters. She also holds the Iowa school recordin the 1500 meters of 4:17.41 and was a two-time All-American inthe mile with a best of 4:40.59. Additional collegiate achievements in-clude a best of 33:28.00 in the 10,000 meters and a 6th-place finishin the 10,000 at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Champi-onships.

After graduating in the spring of 2008, Meghan was selected tobe a member of the NACAC Track & Field Under-23 Team thatcompeted in Mexico. At NACAC, she finished 1st in the 10,000m.She joined Team USA Minnesota in September 2008. In 2009,Meghan competed at the USA Half Marathon Championships, theUSA Cross Country Championships, and the USA 15K Champi-onships. Her outdoor track season included personal bests of15:41.09 in the 5000m and 33:26.75 in the 10,000.

At the 2010 USA Half Marathon Championships, Meghan fin-ished 11th, with a personal best of 1:13:56, and she won the INGMiami Half Marathon. During the year, she placed 4th in the USA5K and 10 Mile Championships and was a member of the ChibaEkiden team. In 2011, Armstrong was 5th in the USA 15K Cham-pionships.

Bobby Mack“It is very motivating to receive the Roads Scholargrant. As I continue to train and compete at the high-est level possible, I want to thank the Road RunnersClub of America along with their donors for helping me

pursue my goals and staying active in my local run-ning community.”

Mack, a native of Winston-Salem, NorthCarolina, currently lives and trains in Raleigh. He

attended North Carolina State University where he ran crosscountry and track for coach Rollie Geiger’s Wolfpack. An All-ACCand All-American cross country runner, Mack set the pace for theWolfpack, leading the team to an ACC title in 2004. After a coupleseasons of injuries, he returned to top form and led the team to theNCAA Cross Country Championships in 2008.

Mack has continued working with the NC State team as a vol-unteer coach. He launched his professional running career by makingthe national cross country team and representing the U.S. in Polandat the 2010 World Cross Country Championships.

The 2011 season saw him drop his 10K time to 28:11 and earnhis first national road title at the 8K USATF Road Championships inCarmel, Indiana. Other top national finishes include top Americanand 5th overall in the 2011 Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston,South Carolina and a 7th-place finish at the USA 10K Road National

Championships at the 2010 Peachtree Road Race 10K. Mack cur-rently races and works for local running shop The Athlete’s FootCameron Village in Raleigh.

Megan Hogan“I am very excited and honored to have re-ceived the Road Scholars grant, and I look for-

ward to successful performances in upcomingroad races.”

Hogan was a high school and collegebasketball star who left the basket-ball team at Mount Ida College inNewton, Massachusetts to transfer to

George Washington University after her sopho-more year. It was at GW that she launched a colle-

giate running career, even though the school didn’t offer women’strack.

During her final year of collegiate eligibility in 2010, Meganposted 32:34 in the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational, fin-ished 6th in the 10,000 at the USA Outdoor Championships, wasthe Atlantic 10 Cross Country conference champion for the secondyear in a row, and finished 8th overall at the NCAA Cross CountryChampionships. While at GW, Megan received the Atlantic 10Women’s Cross Country Performer of the Year Award, as well as theAtlantic 10 Student Athlete of the Year Award. Her coach named herone of the most accomplished student-athletes in the history of GWathletics. She was also a two-time All-American in cross country.

Megan made her professional road racing debut at the2011 USA 15K Championships in March and finished 3rd. On thetrack, she posted a 40-second PR in the 5000m at the Mt. SAC Re-lays for a time of 15:29.12. She joined Team USA Minnesotain 2011. She ran a personal best 5K of 15:29 and came in 5th in theFreihofer Run for Women.

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Thank You!The RRCA thanks the following individuals for serving on the2011 Roads Scholar® Selection Committee: Carl Sniffen (Chair),Mike Morgan (former Roads Scholar), Joan Benoit Samuelson(Olympian), Don Kardong (Olympian), Phil Stewart, Bee McLeod,Brent Ayer, and Jean Knaack.

The RRCA also would like to thank the following membersfor their contributions to the Roads Scholar Fund as of 8/31/11:

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile**, Atlanta Track Club*, Avenue of the Giants Marathon, Blue Cross Broads Street Run,

Central Maine Striders, Cumberland Valley Athletic Club, Frederick Steeplechasers, Lilac Bloomsday Association, Napa Valley Marathon, Oil Creek 100 Trail Run, Orlando Runners Club, Pensacola Race Management, Petit Jean

Runners, River City Runners & Walkers Club, Run4Youth, Saline County Striders, Seashore Striders, St. John

Land Sharks, Subaru 4 Mile Chase, Syracuse Chargers Track Club, The Boilermaker Road Race, Virgin Island Pace Runners, Travis Eliot Landreth Memorial Scholarship Fund,

Whatcom Tesseract, Willamette Valley Road Runners, Brent Ayer, Carl Sniffen, Daniel Edwards, Glenn W. Stewart, Lisa Paige, Jim Stasaitis, Jon Hughes, Leonard M. Goldman,

and Lori Beveridge.**$10,000 and above donors, *$5,000 and above donors

The Roads Scholar Fund is 100% supported by contributions from RRCA supporters. Learn more about the Roads Scholar program and past grant recipients atwww.rrca.org/programs/roads-scholars


R R C A . o r g20 • ClubRunning Fa l l 2 0 1 1


Allen Park, MichiganThe Downriver Runners, whose purpose is to promote and supporthealth and fitness in the Downriver area of southeast Michigan throughrunning and walking, call Allen Park home. The group started in 1985and puts on three races per year, starting with the Riverview Winterfestin February, the Taylor Mid-Town 5K race in July, and the Allen Park10K and 5K in August. Proceeds from the events help the DownriverRunners award a yearly scholarship to one male and one female highschool runner. The mayor, city council, and numerous local agenciessupport the races in Allen Park, where there have been high school cross-country and track & field teams since 1967. Allen Park hosts the APHarrier Classic, where over 300 kids participate in either the 2-mile or5K race. The city of Allen Park is helpful through all of its services. Inthe past, it has waived the parade permit fee required for the races heldin the city, and it helps with garbage removal, barrels, road barricades,and installation of the club banner over the road. The Parks and Recre-ation Department installs a stage and sound system for the awards cer-emony. Local businesses donate food and ice for the runners. The ELKSprovide use of their huge tent to keep the sun off the food area. The pro-ceeds go to two scholarships that are given to local high school runnerswho excel in scholastic and running achievements. The mayor of AllenPark, Gary Burtka, and his city council recently adopted a resolution tosupport this application to the RRCA by the Downriver Runners. Com-munity leaders who provided support and letters of recommendationinclude Dan Martinez, president of the Downriver Runners; Tony Mif-sud, girls’ cross country and track & field head coach; and Lynn Ketel-hut, Allen Park High School cross country head coach.

Carson City, NevadaCarson City has nearly 6,000 acres of open space, most of which islaced with safe trails systems created with the help of runners, hik-ers, and bicyclists from the community. There’s a navigable river thatruns through the city and the city has been able to secure public own-ership of most the river banks for a linear park system. The trails inCarson City are part of Carson City’s Unified Pathways Master Plan,which has a goal of creating a more livable community. There arealso running tracks available at the two middle schools and the localhigh school. The Sagebrush Stompers and Tahoe Mountain Milerscall Carson City home. Their grassroots efforts to build the runningcommunity include weekly group runs, weekend trail runs, trackworkouts, hill jams, and a women’s run. They put on seven events an-nually, ranging from quarter-mile kids’ runs to a 100-mile enduranceevent. Their members also help track and cross country teams, foodbanks, and other running clubs in the region. The races benefit awide variety of charities and organizations, including the SpecialOlympics, Boy Scouts, fire departments, police deputy programs,local cross country teams, State Park programs, environmental pro-grams, and many more. Carson City has almost 30 miles of pavedtrails that are maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department.Water fountains and restrooms are available along the trails. Snow re-moval is provided on most trails in the winter. There are also manymiles of designated bike/running lanes on city streets. Watch theCarson City’s YouTube video at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community/official/ Community leaders who provided sup-port and letters of recommendation include Robert Crowell, mayor;Tom Wion, president of the Sagebrush Stompers/Tahoe MountainMilers; Janice Brod, Carson City Parks and Recreation commis-sioner; and Dr. Sean Lehmann, associate, American Academy of Po-diatric Sports Medicine.

Decatur, IllinoisDecatur is home to the Annual Shoreline Classic, a 5K and 15K racearound scenic Lake Decatur. The Elite 15K race attracts exceptional ath-letes from across the nation. The Classic is committed to improving thehealth and wellness of the Decatur community, and since 2005 it has do-nated over $12,000 to high schools to help fund running programs andestablish running as a fundamental aspect of all athletics. Millikin Uni-versity and the Decatur Park District built the Decatur Indoor SportsCenter in 2000, which includes a competition-grade, indoor runningtrack, top-of-the-line exercise equipment, and affordable personal train-ing programs. The Park District hosts several races throughout the yearsuch as the Turkey Trot, Staley Firecracker Road Run/Walk, and Tues-day Night Park Runs. They also provide the Staley Striders track & fieldand cross country programs for the youth. The Decatur Park Districthas teamed up with the city to renovate the community’s lakefront.There are plans to build a pedestrian path that will loop around the lakeand connect to the network of biking/walking trails throughout thecommunity. Established over 30 years ago, the Decatur Running Clubis a nonprofit running group whose mission is to promote health and fit-ness in the Central Illinois area. Partnerships with the city, the DecaturPark District, and Millikin University have helped offer local runnersaccess to several indoor and outdoor facilities and parks, while the com-munity’s infrastructure allows runners access to quality routes in a vari-ety of settings. Community leaders who provided support and letters ofrecommendation include Bruce Bennett, race director for the ShorelineClassic; Don Luy, president of the Decatur Park board of commission-ers; William Clevenger, executive director of the DPBC; and Tim Aydt,president of the Decatur Running Club.

Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville has an extensive greenway system that includes 41 paved miles,enabling runners to run at least 10 miles in one direction without run-ning on a road. In the last 2 years, the Knoxville Track Club (KTC) hasprovided funding for the greenway to be marked with distance markersevery quarter-mile. The KTC is a nonprofit running club that organizesover 18 race events a year and partners with county and city govern-ments, as well as private and nonprofit businesses to promote runningin the community. Local businesses that support runners through spe-

Meet Our Runner Friendly Communities for 2011

Knoxville’s Sunsphere and World’s Fair Park

in early autumn.

Istockphoto.com

Compiled by William Dyson, RRCA Program Coordinator


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cial discounts include Runners Market, Health Shoppe, Gourmet Mar-ket, and New Balance Knoxville. City and county police are supportiveof local runs and help plan and execute race routes. In addition to thegreenway, runners have access to the tracks at the University of Ten-nessee and local high schools. Knoxville recently updated crosswalks withsigns in the middle of the street reminding drivers to yield to pedestri-ans. Currently, Legacy Parks Foundation is working on the UrbanWilderness Corridor Project that will create an extensive system of softsurface trails. They are receiving funding from several groups, includingthe Knox Greenways Coalition and the KTC. Mostly led by volunteers,the Knoxville Track Club has several successful programs involving youthathletics, walking, and road and trail running. The KTC Youth Athlet-ics program reaches children ranging in age from 5–18, developing skillsfor cross country and indoor and outdoor track. The KTC Trails Com-mittee organizes several trail races from February through November.Knoxville also hosts the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon whichbrings in 6,500+ participants each year for a marathon, half marathon,relay, 5K, and kids run. Community leaders who provided support andletters of recommendation include Martha Buchanan, MD, director ofKnox County Health Department, and Ed Leaver, president of theKnoxville Track Club.

Lawrence, KansasLawrence is home to runLawrence, an RRCA-affiliated club. Run-Lawrence has been a club for 7 years, with its membership increasingevery year. Its annual event is the Thanksgiving Day 5K, which is sup-ported by runners, city officials, and local sponsors. Volunteers loveworking this event and the local sporting goods stores and grocery storesreturn as sponsors every year. Lawrence supports and provides 35 milesof multi-use recreational paths and trails for runners that are off limitsto motorized vehicles. The city works diligently to keep these trails trash-free and cleared of snow in the winter. The city also promotes safetythrough its “Keep It Safe” initiative. There are guidelines posted at trail-heads, on trail maps, on the city website, and in the Parks and RecreationGuidebook. Lawrence is home to a well-publicized, free community fit-ness program, Red Dog Days, which includes running. Up to 600 peo-ple participate in this community workout on a regular basis. Thisprogram has attracted nationwide media attention and serves as a modelto other communities. Most of the local junior high schools and ele-mentary schools, in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club, havestarted running clubs. The city is also home to Dam Run, a 12K and 5K.Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommenda-tion include Becky McClure, president of runLawrence; Mike Amyx,mayor of Lawrence; and Kent Dobbins, O.D.

Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg has been home to the Lynchburg Road Runners Club(LRRC) and the Virginia 10-Miler since 1974. The LRRC owns andoperates the Virginia 10-Miler, which has grown into a full weekendevent where the Festival of Races offers a youth 1-mile fun run, a 4-milerace, and a 4-mile walk, in addition to the 10-Miler. Their annual raceseries offers a set of nine races of varying lengths and in different loca-tions around the city from April through September. Lynchburg has twofantastic park systems: Blackwater Creek Natural Area and Peaks ViewPark. The city currently supports 8 miles of paved trails and 15 miles ofnatural trails for running, walking, biking, roller blading, etc. Residentseven use these trails to commute from residential areas to the downtownbusiness and government area. In October 2010, the Mayor’s YouthCouncil created the first ever “Lighten Up Lynchburg Walk for Child-hood Obesity.” The youth running initiatives aim to engage the youth

of the city and include the Lynchburg Road Runners Summer Track Se-ries, Peaks View Pacers Running Club, and YMCA Achieve youth run-ning program. Community leaders who provided support and letters ofrecommendation include Joan Foster, mayor; Jonathan Perrotto, presi-dent of Lynchburg Road Runners Club; Elena Edwards, COO of Gen-worth Financial; Catherine Mosley, External Communications & PR,AREVA; Susan Brandt, Communications/Marketing, Centra Health;and R. Sackett Wood, president & CEO, Moore & Giles.

Missoula, MontanaThe City of Missoula is committed to making running and walking ac-cessible and safe for its residents. Missoula’s Riverfront Trail in the heartof the city connects to other trail systems so runners and walkers cansafely recreate without having to cross traffic frequently. Missoula Parksand Recreation, Run Wild Missoula, the Missoula Biomimicry Insti-tute, and the Missoula Natural History Center recently collaborated ona project to add interpretive signage and mile markers to the RiverfrontTrail so recreationists can track their distance and learn about local plant-and wildlife. The trail, which has restrooms and drinking fountains, isused by hundreds of recreationists and commuters every day. Many run-ners and hikers also use the trail systems in Missoula’s Open Space. Thecity purchased parcels of land in the mountains surrounding Missoulato protect habitat and make it available for the public. The MissoulaMarathon started in 2007 and in 2010, after it won the award for theBest Overall Marathon in the country from Runner’s World magazine, theevent doubled in size, bringing thousands of runners, walkers, and spec-tators to the community. The University of Montana’s Business Schooldid a study on the economic impact of the event and found that itpumped $1.3 million into the economy. The only running store in Mis-soula, The Runners Edge, puts on, volunteers at, or sponsors over 50

Runner Friendly Communities continued from 20

A trail on Water Works Hill withMount Sentinel and Missoula

in the background.

Istockphoto.com


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SUPPORTING SPONSORS BENEFITS



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running events a year. Their trailer is used by race directors at least oncea week, at no cost to the race director. The Runners Edge has also workedhard to help grow the local running club, Run Wild Missoula. We spon-sor or help with all races Run Wild Missoula puts on; this can add upto four events a week throughout the year. Missoula has been investingin, planning for, and implementing an ever-growing network of trailsand pedestrian facilities. It has an extensive network of multi-use com-muting trails for bikes and pedestrians and miles of hiking/running pathsthrough its extensive Open Space System. One could run over 10 mileswithout leaving the trail system. Community leaders who provided sup-port and letters of recommendation include John Engen, mayor; An-ders Brooker, Missoula Marathon race director and owner of TheRunners Edge; and Marilyn Marler, chair of the Parks Committee.

Reading, PennsylvaniaThe Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club is the largest running club in Pennsyl-vania. They created an annual junior high school cross country invita-tional meet to encourage the love of the sport in younger persons.Together with the cooperative effort of all of the recreation departmentsas well as the county’s planning commission, Reading continues to offernew trails and other off-street options. Muhlenberg Township is proudto be finishing its 1.5-mile rail trail project this summer. You can com-plete 20+ miles on the pedestrian network. There is also a large collec-tion of smaller or lesser-known paved or packed surface trails in the area.Within easy driving distance are additional trail running options such asthe French Creek State Park and portions of the Appalachian Trail. If youwant to mix in some cross training with your running, there are, ofcourse, plenty of places for biking, pool and lake resources for swim-ming, and lots of moving water for kayaking or canoeing. There are twononprofit organizations working on improving and increasing trails inthe Greater Reading Area: the Berks Conservancy and Riverplace on theSchuylkill. Local governments are devoting more attention to the de-velopment or improvement of park and recreational facilities. Our localgovernments plow paved portions of the area’s running/walking paths inthe winter and periodically sweep them the rest of the year. The bridgesthat cross our rivers and creeks have sidewalks, and there are also pedes-trian-only bridges crossing these waterways that allow walkers and run-ners to safely navigate these natural obstacles without having to makelarge detours. Nearly all the streets in residential areas have sidewalks.Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommenda-tion include Polly Corvaia, president, Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club; NealMcNutt, director of Parks and Recreation; and Thomas McMahon,mayor of the city of Reading.

Salem, MassachussettsThe Wicked Running Club, along with other organizations in Salem,has created races for all types of runners and distances, from the annualJanuary 1st Frosty Four Race, to the Cross Country 5K Old SalemGreen Race, to the summer WRC Wicked Kidz Race and to the WildTurkey Race—there’s a race for every type of runner. Salem offers run-ning services to its youth as well, including: Summer Youth Track Club,which attracts more than 50 kids a year, all-ages track meet held eachsummer at the Salem High School track, and the Wicked Kidz half andfull mile runs at Forest River Park. The Wicked Half Marathon, whichstarted in 2007 with close to 400 runners, has tripled in size over the past5 years. On Halloween weekend, Salem is host to the Devil’s Chase 6.66-miler. In just its second year, the 6.66m race has become a worldwidedestination race. Two new races have been added to the 2011 calendar:the Black Cat 10/20-miler in March and the Exteme 5K Urban Runwith 15 obstacles throughout the city in June. Salem’s signature race,the Wild Turkey 5-Mile Run on Thanksgiving Day, benefits youthprogams at Salem Park & Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club. It’sthe largest race on the North Shore, with more than 1,500 participants.In January 2010, Salem introduced the first-ever North Shore snowshoerace at Olde Salem Greens golf course. At the time, it was the largestsnow shoe race in New England and second-largest ever in the North-east. Community leaders who provided support and letters of recom-mendation include Alison Phelan, copresident, Wicked Running Club;Doug Bollen, director, Park, Recreation & Community Services; andBrandi, Steve, and Ashley of B&S Fitness Programs.

The Woodlands, TexasThe Woodlands Running Club is a nonprofit running club and memberof the Road Runners Club of America. The Woodlands boasts over 160miles of pathways and trails connecting the villages, schools, park, andshopping centers, while allowing runners to stay off the roads. Thesepathways are paved, have water fountains (dog-friendly), parking, andrestroom facilities. Runners can also use four running tracks at the localmiddle and high schools during nonschool hours. Luke’s Locker, the localrunning store, sponsors the Run The Woodlands 5K Series. The Wood-lands Running Club sponsors Sunday Night Lights, a 5K run one Sun-day a month for most of the year. The community is also home to the firstIronman in Texas. There are cross country and track programs integratedinto the middle and high school programs. Local schools have consis-tently competed at the state level with 16 state titles and have competedand placed in high school national and international events. The Inter-national Commodities Export Corporation sponsors youth programs andevents such as the YMCA Trail Run, boys’ regional track qualifier meet,the annual Dragon Boat Races, and the girls’ high school cross countryteam. The Woodlands hosts several events for all types of runners: Me-morial Hermann Ten for Texas, Muddy Trails Bash 10K/5K, CB&ITriathlon, and the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas. In addition, theParks and Recreation Department regularly sponsors training programsfor community members interested in running in and race preparationfor any distance from a 5K to a marathon. Community leaders who pro-vided support and letters of recommendation include Cathy Steele, as-sistant manager at Luke’s Locker; Mark Whittemore, executive VP forInternational Commodities Export Corporation; Bruce Tough, chair ofThe Woodlands Township board of directors; and Randy Bradley, pres-ident of The Woodlands Running Club.

Learn more about the Runner Friendly Community designation atwww.RRCA.org/programs/runner-friendly-community

Runner Friendly Communities continued from 22

Salem Harbor

Istockphoto.com


You have the power to outrun light. The all-new California is reflective from heel to toe. Run brighter and fearless. You my friend, are gonzo.

GO IN THE DARK

kswiss.com/running


The Marine Corps Historic Half, the RRCANational Half Marathon Championship, wel-comed 5,697 finishers, including runners fromall 50 states, to the finish line in Fredericksburg,Virginia. The rain held off for participants as co-median Drew Carey fired the starting pistol,then jumped in with the pack to run his firsthalf marathon.

Lanni Marchant, 27, from Lansing, Michi-gan, set a new course record among womencompleting the 13.1-mile event in 1:21:27. Shewas in town for a visit after just graduating fromlaw school at Michigan State University. WyattBoyd, 26, from Washington, D.C. finished firstoverall with a 1:13:53 finish time.

“It was really hard and pretty humid butthere is no other race like this out there,” Boydsaid just after breaking the finishing tape. “Run-ning under the American flag with the firemenreally gets you pumped up toward the finish.”

Todd Neville, 37, from St. Augustine,Florida and the RRCA North Florida state rep,took the next spot in 1:17:23 followed by JesseStump, 28, from Catonsville, Maryland in1:18:11.

Drew Carey made a surprising finish of1:57:02. The Price Is Right host expected tocomplete the run in just over 2 hours.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think Iwould finish in 2 hours. It really felt good,” saidCarey. “Let’s face it, with all of these Marinesaround, I didn’t want to stop or drop out … Idid not want to embarrass myself … that was agreat motivator.”

The Semper Fred 5K that immediately fol-lowed the Historic Hall featured Olympian BillyMills serving as starter.

2011 RRCA National Half Marathon ChampionsOverall: Wyatt Boyd, 1:13:53 (26, Washing-ton, DC) and Lanni Marchant, 1:21:27 (27,Lansing, MI)

Masters: Alexander Hetherington, 1:19:57(43, Vienna, VA) and Lori Buratto, 1:25:50(40, Spokane)

Grand Masters: Richard Shaw 1:23:42 (52,Fredericksburg, VA) and Jill Hargis, 1:40:11(50, Annapolis, MD)

Senior Grand Masters: John Moore,1:32:35 (60, Milton, PA) and Linda Mills,1:53:40 (61, Salisbury, MD)

“To be amazed or to be astonished” is the Englishtranslation of Maravilla and that’s just how theday unfolded for 33-year-old Jorge Maravilla ofVallejo, California as he patiently ran under con-trol before taking the lead of the 2011 Tahoe RimTrail 100-Mile Endurance Run and going on towin the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)National 100-Mile Trail Championship.

The race was the polar opposite of lastyear’s TRT Endurance Runs, which were con-tested under blazing heat. This year’s event was

run over numerous snow fields left from therecord snowfall on the Carson Range of theSierra Nevada. Runners were treated to snowdrifts that were steep enough that volunteers cutsteps into them to ensure the safety of the run-ners and many runners talked of a snow slidethat resembled a luge run. Daytime tempera-tures were long-sleeve-cool for many, but night-time and morning temperatures were at orbelow freezing on much of the course, chillingaid station volunteers and sending many run-ners into an onset hypothermic state.

Paul Hopwood of Hawaii set the earlypace, holding a 2-minute lead as he entered theTunnel Creek aid station, where the top six menand top three women all arrived within a 15-minute span. Coming into the Diamond PeakLodge at the 30-mile split, Hopwood held onto a slim lead as Jon Olsen, Thomas Reiss, JacobRydman, Jorge Maravilla, and Simon Mtuy allfollowed within 2 minutes of each other, look-ing incredibly fresh with the perfect runningtemperatures. The women’s battle was betweenpast TRT champions Bree Lambert and Rox-anne Woodhouse, with Lambert opening a 9-minute lead at Diamond Peak, and JenniferBenna still within striking distance.

The big climb back to Tunnel Creek iswhere Olsen and Maravilla passed Hopwood forthe lead. The pair would run together until thedownhill section from Snow Valley Peak to the50-mile aid station. At the halfway mark, therace could not be closer as Olsen held a slim 2-minute lead over Maravilla, Reiss, and Rydman.Lambert opened a 30-minute lead over Wood-house as Woodhouse battled stomach issues forabout 30 miles and ultimately had to drop fromthe race at the 50-mile mark. Benna was slowlyclawing her way into contention.

By the time Olsen hit Tunnel Creek at mile61, he was in a two-man race with Maravilla. Itwas on the uphill flume leading out of the RedHouse that Maravilla made his move. He andOlsen were running in lock-step when Olsen

2011Championship Event SeriesRRCA National HalfMarathon Championship

Marine Corps HistoricHalf, May 15

Lanni Marchant

Wyatt Boyd

RRCA National 100MTrail Championship

Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs July 16By David Cotter, RDand George Ruiz, Assistant RD

Courtesy of www.marinemarathon.com

Thomas Reiss

Jean

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Jean

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Keith

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gave way to Maravilla. “I have all the respect in the world of Jon,

and I was amazed to be running with him so latein the race and my legs still felt fresh. Jon said togo ahead and the trail was a runnable section soI really opened it up, trying to open a gap. Onthe sandy hill climb, I climbed as hard as I pos-sibly could—even running some [of ] it—toshow Jon I had the legs,” Maravilla said.

Maravilla opened a 5-minute lead; Olsenwas spent on reaching Tunnel Creek.

By the time Maravilla arrived at the Dia-mond Peak aid station at mile 80, he hadopened a 40-minute lead and looked fresh andexcited. With 20 miles to go, he blasted up the

Diamond Peak climb for the final time. Olsonwas battling for second as Reiss pulled to within10 minutes of him at the final stop at TunnelCreek mile 85. By the time they hit Snow Val-ley Peak for the 7.5 mile downhill run to the fin-ish, Reiss had built a 23-minute cushion.

Maravilla cruised in to the finish in18:48:19 looking like he could go again, andgiving race director David Cotter a bear hug.“This was my first 100-miler. I knew I couldhave a good race but with names like Jon Olsenand Thomas Reiss [competing], I just wantedto be sub-24-hour. As the race went on and thecourse and conditions begin to take a toll on theothers, I just felt strong and fresh the wholetime. When I made my break in the Red Houseloop, I opened a gap and never looked back. I’mso pleased to have won this spectacular race!”

As he accepted his first National UltraChampionship award from the RRCA, Mar-avilla proudly announced that he is also anRRCA-certified running coach.

Reiss ran an excellent 20:58:30 for secondplace, and Olsen held onto third with a time of21:27:06. Hopwood ran a consistent race to fin-ish fourth (21:49:12), and Sean Lang roundedout the top five (21:54:14).

By mile 80 the men’s race was decided, butat that point the women’s race was just heatingup. Jennifer Benna was steadily reeling in BreeLambert. Down by 34 minutes at 50 miles,

Benna had cut the lead to 20 minutes at mile61, and just 8 minutes at mile 80. By the timethey hit Tunnel Creek for the final time at mile85, Benna trailed by a mere 13 seconds.

“At Diamond Peak, my stomach was start-ing to act up and I was told by my crew thatJenn was closing in on me, which was not whatI wanted to hear. On the climb up DiamondPeak, I had a brief moment that I was hurtingand thought, ‘Do I really want to push it to holdher off?’ and I was ‘okay with second place.’Then my safety runner, Rob Evans, said, ‘Thisis not ok, you’re leading the race—you can doit.’ I took the rest of the climb to regroup men-tally for the final push,” said Lambert. “I wasshocked to see Jenn come into Tunnel Creek vir-tually on my heels. Lon Monrow handed me acup of soup and said, ‘You have to get out ofhere.’ I really hammered the next two sections toSnow Valley Peak. I know the course very welland that helped. I was confident in my ability ondownhill running to hold onto my lead.”

By Snow Valley Peak (mile 93), Lamberthad opened a slight gap of 3 minutes. She strodeto a 16-minute margin of victory to finish in23:07:43, claiming her second Tahoe Rim Trail100-Mile victory and her second RRCA Na-tional Trail 100-Mile Championship. Benna—remarkably coming back from having her firstchild just a few months ago—came in in excel-lent condition and ran with great focus and pa-tience to nearly pull off an upset. Nonetheless,hers was a superb effort to finish in sub-24-hourat 23:23:34. Susan Donnelly rounded out thetop three with a finishing time of 30:59:05.

There were 108 runners who toed the startline and 65 who finished for a 60% finishingrate. Sixty-four-year-old Jim Migill was the lastrunner to cross the finish line. Davy Crockett ofUtah became the third person to complete fiveTRT 100-Mile races, earning his 500-mile belt.Chet Fairbank and John Machray both finishedtheir sixth TRT-100s.

RRCA National 100M Trail ChampionsOverall: Jorge Maravilla, 18:48:19 (33, CA)and Bree Lambert, 23:07:43 (43, CA)

Masters: Thomas Reiss, 20:58:30 (43, CA)and Susan Donnelly, 30:59:05 (48, TN)

Grand Masters: Lee McKinley,23:02:21(50, CA)

Senior Grand Master: Tim Hicks, 30:42:38(67, CA)

Runners—at least elite runners—don’t wear anymore than they have to: the shoes on their feet,and a swath of spandex or piece of polyester to

cover the necessary parts is about all they need.But there is one luxury many allow them-

selves: a watch. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom’s failed her, but

she managed to overcome that obstacle to winthe 2011 Woodstock 5K, the RRCA National5K Championship, in 16 minutes, 20 seconds.

It was Cherobon-Bawcom’s second straightWoodstock win, besting last year’s winning timeby 26 seconds to set a new course record for thesecond time in as many chances, giving her anadditional $500 on top of the $500 first-placeprize she took home.

Even though she could use the extra $500to buy a new watch, Cherobon-Bawcomblamed it mostly on operator error. So with themoney on the line, she took a page from JoeCocker or the Beatles—she got by with a littlehelp from her friends.

“I know Scott Strand [former Woodstockwinner], and he was in front of me,” Cherobon-Bawcom said. “He told me was going to run a15:30. I just decided to keep in touch with him.I’m glad he did, because it would have been ashame—just awful—if I’d missed out.”

For the record, Strand ran a 15:57, goodenough to take the Masters title and goodenough to pace Cherobon-Bawcom to the win.

Cherobon-Bawcom said earlier in the weekthat she felt confident she could do it. She wonlast year’s event despite battling through a calfinjury, which is healed now. In the past 12months, she’s piled up wins, including the 2011RRCA National 10K Championship, the AzaleaTrail Run in Mobile, Alabama in March.

You don’t win as many races as Reuben Mweihas this season without pulling off some riskymaneuvers.

The 25-year-old Kenyan made a daringmove that not only led to his winning the men’s

Susan Donnelly

Mwei Grabs Woodstock Win, New Course Recordby Al Muskewitz, Anniston Star Sportswriter

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom

Keith Facchino

Trent Penny


RRCA National 5K Championship

Woodstock 5KAnniston, AL, Aug. 6By Bran Strickland, Anniston Star Sports Editor


race and RRCA National 5K Championship,but doing it in record fashion.

In a move worthy of a last-lap pass at Tal-ladega, with a hint of passing under the yellowline, Mwei stepped in front of Elkanah Kibet inthe final left-hand turn about a quarter-milefrom the finish and pulled away.

He finished in 14 minutes, 16 seconds,breaking the record set last year by 3 secondsand earning him a $500 bonus. Kibet was2nd at 14:26, followed by former Alabamarunner Emmanuel Bor (14:43) and OscarOgwaro (14:47).

Mwei said there was nothing personal in-tended in the move, he was just going for it.There was no friction between the runners whenthey took the victory stand afterward.

“I was going for the record, there was noth-ing else,” he said with his coach and wife of sixmonths, Ruth, standing nearby. “I looked at mywatch and then I said, … ‘If I don’t make amove right here, I’ll not get this record.’ ”

Mwei and Kibet were approaching thefinal turn back onto Woodstock side-by-side.Kibet was about to swing past the marker whenMwei, who always takes corners tight to shavetime, zipped in underneath for the lead.

“I needed to keep moving, [since] youdon’t know if they have a kick,” he said.“Maybe it’s not your day. You have to be care-ful with that.”

The move seemed to catch Kibet by sur-prise as he stopped to avoid a collision. Therewas no contact, but the former Auburn runnercouldn’t restart his stride and Mwei coasted inwith a seemingly easy victory.

“The boys were close in the corner and Iwas inside, so I was slowing down and Reuben

cut me; I had to stop completely,” Kibet said. “Idon’t think you can do something like that.

“He was on the right and I was on the left,and he just come and cut me to go to the left atthe corner. I had to stop. I have no problem. Ijust told him that’s not good; you cannot do thatbecause we are going to finish at a high pace andwe’re going toward the finish. If you do that, youare just making somebody not [want] to com-pete with you.”

Kibet said he would have had a “verygood” chance to win the race had the trouble atthe turn not taken place.

“I was ready for [the race],” he said. “I haverun with Rueben before. I’ve never caught him,but today we ran the whole race, so I was readyfor it, because I wouldn’t let him go.”

Mwei, the Division II steeplechase national

champion from Adams (Colorado) State, saidhe hasn’t lost a 5 or 10K race. That includes 10Kwins in Huntsville, Tupelo, Mississippi andClarksburg, West Virginia, and all the variouslocal 5Ks he’s run. He also was an impressive13th in a tight finish at the Peachtree 10K.

He was a late entry to Woodstock. Al-though his college forte is the steeplechase, hehas started running road races to improve hisstrength for an attempt at an Olympic bid.

“These guys used to beat me in college,but this is a different thing,” Mwei said. “Roadraces and track is different; college and aftercollege is different.”

Kibet was a late entry, as well. He said heonly runs once a day (for 8–10 miles) during theoff-season and one of his training friends con-vinced him to make Saturday’s run the Wood-stock. In spite of what happened late in the race,he said the course was good and he planned toreturn next year.

Mwei said he would be back, too.“I will come and defend my title,” he said

RRCA 5K National ChampionsOverall: Reuben Mwei, 14:16 (25, Acworth,GA) and Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, 16:20(36, Rome, GA)

Masters: Scott Strand, 15:57 (43, Birmingham, AL) and Hayley Long, 21:30(43, Oxford, AL)

Grand Masters: Robert Whitaker, 18:40(52, Owens Cross Roads, AL) and TheresaBurst, 21:57 (53, Birmingham, AL)

Senior Grand Masters: Wayne Heckler,20:15 (61, Decatur, AL) and Peg Tyler, 28:04(60, Anniston, AL)

Reuben Mwei

Start a Kids Run the Nation Program in Your CommunityThe RRCA has a vision to see an organized youthrunning program in every grade school in thecountry. It’s a lofty goal, we know, since there areover 30,000 public grade schools in the U.S.!However, with the help of RRCA member runningclubs, events, and dedicated individuals, we canmake this vision a reality.

Why is it so important? Over the last 20years, the number of overweight and obese youthhas soared. One-third of American children areoverweight and nearly 20% are considered obese,putting them at risk for lifelong chronic disease.

But there’s a solution to this problem: Re-gular, sustained, physical activity for youth sev-eral days a week through the Kids Run theNation program. Our program is a multiweek,turn-key, gender-inclusive, youth running programdesigned to provide 60 minutes of physical activityseveral days a week for children from kinder-garten through sixth grade.

In September, the RRCA launches the sec-ond edition of the “Kids Run the Nation ProgramGuide.” In 3 short years we’ve circulated 2,500

copies of the Guide and almost 15,000 copies ofthe “Kids Run the Nation: A Running Guide forKids” booklets.

The second edition of the Guide offers 10lesson plans (up from 8 in the first edition) thatcan be implemented over an 8–10-week period.RRCA members are encouraged to obtain copies,share them with schools in their communities, andwork with parents and teachers to implementyouth running programs. Help us circulate 2,500copies of the Guide during the coming schoolyear! Order your copy atwww.rrca.org/programs/kids-run-the-nation-program

In conjunction with the release of the secondedition, the RRCA has partnered with RunClub-SignUp.com to launch the new Kids Club man-agement tool, which can be found atwww.rrca.org/programs/kids-run-the-nation-programThis new tool features an online registration sys-tem for program directors, and the Kids Club alsofeatures the RRCA’s national youth running log.We encourage all youth running programs to useour Kids Club mileage log to help the RRCA de-

termine the collective number of students partici-pating annually in youth running programs, alongwith their collective miles run.

THE KIDS RUN THE NATIONFUNDIn 2010, RRCA supporters gave $15,000 to theKids Run the Nation Fund, which was granted todeserving youth running programs around thecountry. Each year the RRCA receives over 40grant applications for programs that collectivelyserve over 35,000 children annually. The demandfor small grants to establish youth running pro-grams is great, yet the financial support to meetthe demand still lags behind. For 2011, theRRCA’s goal is to grant $20,000 in Kids Run theNation grants to deserving youth programsaround the U.S. Learn more about supporting ourefforts at www.rrca.org/about/support We arecurrently accepting Kids Run the Nation grant applications through October 1. Apply today atwww.rrca.org/programs/kids-run-the-nation-fund

Trent Penny



Dr. Maharam is the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon med-ical director and the author of the recently pub-lished book Running Doc’s Guide to HealthyRunning. Dr. Maharam mentioned that throughTeam in Training, the Rock ‘n’ Roll events haveraised over $750 million for the Leukemia &Lymphoma Society over the years. These events arecompletely responsible for funding the research forthe leukemia chemotherapy drug Gleevac, therebysaving thousands of lives. Dr. Maharam also hasa busy private practice in New York City. About80% of the patients he sees are runners, many ofthem professionals who fly in from all over thecountry.

Q: In your book, you mention that we haveseen a significant increase in the percentageof female marathon finishers during thepast three decades. The proportion of oldermarathoners also seems to have increaseddramatically. Have you noticed such atrend, and if so, what would you attributeit to?A: Yes, I have. The baby boomers are gettingolder, and more of them take up sports becauseof the health benefits. Medical science says ex-ercise reduces high blood pressure, promotesbone health, and has many other health bene-fits. Therefore, more people run marathons.The distance that Dr. George Sheehan referredto as the “final exam” has now become a cele-bration! Median times in marathons have goneup, from 3:30–4:00 not too long ago, to over5 hours now. People are out there enjoying thecourse, and not running for PRs or for time.They practice what John “the Penguin” Bing-ham once said: “Why finish as fast as I canwhen I can have fun on the course?”

Q: Do you have any training tips for olderrunners, or sources where they can find advice that’s pertinent to them?A: A flexibility program is the key. Muscles andtendons are tighter and more brittle as we getolder, so it becomes more important to warmup and stretch. While in our 20s, we can beflexible even if we don’t stretch, but not whenwe are older. But as long we stay flexible andwarm up properly, we can run the samemileage as we did when we were younger butmaybe not as fast.

Q: Are there certain injuries we becomemore prone to as we get older?A: Since muscles and tendons are more brittle,there is more risk for tears. The incidence ofosteopenia and osteoporosis also goes up, sothere is an increased risk for fractures. Weight-

bearing exercises slow down this process,though. So keep running, please.

Q: What type of cross-training do you recommend for runners?A: Runners don’t need to cross-train, unlessthey want to for toning purposes. As I men-tioned above, a flexibility program would bethe most important, with core training second.But running is the most convenient exercisethere is, since all you need is a pair of goodshoes!

Q: In your book you encourage aging run-ners not to worry about developing kneearthritis, yet I know of several runners whohad to give up their favorite sport due tothis condition. Could the cause be muscleweaknesses and/or imbalances in the legswhich, in turn, create a heavier load on thejoint? Would you recommend a strengthtraining program as a preventative measurefor healthy aging runners?A: I haven’t read any studies that point to a re-lationship between weak muscles and kneearthritis. Heredity causes bad arthritis, so if youhave it, blame your parents! If you have sur-gery to decrease cartilage, the arthritis could ac-tually become more severe. Instead, Irecommend activity, as it increases fluid aroundthe joints, which in turn makes them moreflexible and easier to move. If you already havesevere arthritis, there are options. One of themis injections of a joint lubricant, which willallow you to exercise. PRP (plasma rich plateletinjections) has also had some good results.Even if you need a knee replacement, it does-n’t have to mean that your life as a runner isover. I know of people who have runmarathons after knee replacements!

Q: Are there any common injuries or conditions where running should be contraindicated? A: Stress fractures, and a temperature over 101˚(before taking aspirin or other fever-reducingmedications). Nothing else.

Q: What is your opinion of running barefoot or in “minimalist” shoes?A: It’s controversial. Some people can runbarefoot; others cannot. The reason is genetics,so again, blame your parents if you can’t! In-juries are due to biomechanical imbalances,which you are protected against to some ex-tent if you wear the right shoes. But if you runbarefoot, the imbalances become magnifiedand you are more likely to be diagnosed with

an injury. So, if you want to try running bare-foot, don’t start cold turkey! Instead, a grad-ual adaptation is necessary to see if your feetand body can handle it.

Q: Would you recommend cold water immersion (a.k.a. ice baths) to reduce therisk of injury or breakdown after a verylong run or race?A: Yes, I would recommend an ice bath or acold shower after a long run or race, since ithelps heal inflammation and breakdowns. Tryto take the ice bath as soon as you can afteryour event, and stay in for 5 minutes if you canhandle it. A cold shower is a “gentler” option.

Q: In the last chapter of your book, you discuss the sudden deaths that have occasionally occurred in larger races. Yourecommend limiting caffeine intake andtaking a baby aspirin before long runs orraces to minimize the risk of being the nextvictim. Is this advice pertinent to everyrunner regardless of age and health status,or should some of us heed it more than others?A: This applies to every runner, even the youngand healthy. We once had a 27-year-old runnerthat had to be resuscitated after taking in a fewenergy drinks and few caffeine tablets beforethe event. If you consume more than 200mg ofcaffeine the morning of your race or long run,you have an increased cardiac risk. As a refer-ence, a diner cup of coffee is 100mg and a Star-bucks has over 300mg. Even young peoplehave plaque that could separate and break off.This, in combination with the increase inadrenaline when you see the finish line or try tokeep up with a competitor, could cause yourheart to stop. If you take aspirin, there is lessrisk that a piece of plaque takes off and starts towander. Therefore, I recommend to take ababy aspirin and to consume no more than200mg of caffeine before any race 10K orlonger.

For more of this interview, visitwww.rrca.org/publications/club-running/

Lena Hollmann is the RRCA Southern Regiondirector, and certified RRCA running coach anda certified personal trainer. She writes a monthlycolumn on masters running in Running Journal,a publication with over 70,000 readers, coveringprimarily the southeastern U.S. Lena is an avidrunner herself and competes in races ranging fromthe 5K to the half marathon.

Training Tips


By Lena Hollmann

Q&A with Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, the “Running Doc”

R R C A . o r g


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running releases more than just sweat.the gel-nimbus® 13 with extra cushioning.


2011 fall club running magazine

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