Weekly Rundown

September 8, 2004

GREETINGS KALAMAZOO AREA RUNNERS, BATTLE CREEK ROAD RUNNERS and RUNNING FRIENDS!

Many from the local running scene will be hitting the trails this coming weekend! The long anticipated Dances with Dirt 100k Relay is this Saturday and we have 15 teams from the Kalamazoo/Battle CreekArea running among the 320 entries. We also have at least one KAR member who is attempting the 50kUltra and another who will be heading up to Manistee to run the North Country Trail Marathon. See www.danceswithdirt.com to get all the details on this one! See local runner happenings for more on our local runners who will be there.

Our next KAR/BCRR Board Meeting will be Monday, September 13 at 7:15 pm at the Borgess Health and Fitness Center, Classroom #4. We need your feedback and ideas and members are always invited to attend. This month, attendees will be chipping in a few dollars to buy pizza, so please send an E-mail (besrun2003@yahoo.com) to let us know if you are coming so we know how much pizza to order.

Manning Water Stops is "fun" work! If you have a few hours (usually from 7:00 - 11:00 am, depending on your station) Saturday morning to spare and would like to cheer on and support our local marathoners-in-training, we could use your help! The remaining dates for the Gazelle Sports/Kalamazoo Area Runners Marathon TrainingProgram are September 11, September 18,September 25 and October 2. Contact Bonnie at besrun20023@yahoo.com if you are interested in September 25 or Lindsey Steinberg at LSteinberg@GazelleSports.com if you are interested in any of the other dates. Gazelle Sports provides the fluids, energy gels and cups - you just need a vehicle to get you to your water stop destination!

Sometimes we will organize informal group runs at Al Sabo Preserve or Kal-Haven. The times of these runs are often determined on a week- by- week basis based on schedules, seasons, etc, and we don't send them to the group E-mail to keep you all from getting bombarded!!! If you would like to be included on the E-mails on these runs though, please let Bonnie know at besrun2003@yahoo.com and we will make sure you are copied. For those of you who haven't run at Al Sabo yet, we would love to lead you through and introduce you to the joy of trail running! Also, we will be bringing back our KAR/BCRR Gull Lake Runs soon... we will keep you posted!

Here is a special message from Gazelle Sports.....

Want to be immortalized in the2005 edition of Gazelle Sports' Events Calendar? We want to include YOU in the design. This next year, as we celebrate 20 years of operation, we invite you - our friends - to submit pictures or personal memories of events that have impacted you in West Michigan over the past 20 years. The photos and essays we choose from submissions will be part of our 2005 Events Calendar. If we use your submission, we will rew ard you with a $50 Gazelle Sports gift certificate! Deadline for submissions is October 15, 2004. Please label your submission with your name and address, and indicate if you would like your submission returned to you. Send submissions to:

Tessa Emenheiser

Gazelle Sports

214 S. Kalamazoo Mall

Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Or e.mail: temenheiser@gazellesports.com

Questions? E.mail Tessa or call her at 269/342-5996. Thank you!

Don't forget to check out the LOCAL RUNNER HAPPENINGS below to see if your name is there!

There will be a WMU Track Workout on Tuesday, September 14 at 6:00 pm. See you there. Group Contacts will be Dave Walch, Bonnie Sexton and/or Steve Hicks. Please avoid getting ticketed: Park on the side street or at the meters to be on the safe side.

Missed the deadline for Chicago? Didn't win the New York Lottery? Don't despair. There are still plenty of fall marathons to choose from. See our list below for other great options!

Visit our website, www.kalamazooarearunners.com for more news and information!

Here's what's coming up...

SPECIAL EVENTS AND RACES

Saturday, September 11, 2004

The infamous Dances with Dirt 100K Relay, 50K Ultra or 50 Mile Ultra takes place today in Hell, MI with lots of local teams among the 320 in the running. It is too late to sign up for this years relay (if you are thinking about securing a spot for next year, make sure you send a representative from your team, check in hand, to the registration run held next February!) Intrigued? See www.danceswithdirt.com for more details!

Please note the correction in the date of the Grape Lake 5k Run/Walk from the Gazelle Calendar. This takes place September 11, 2004, not September 4. This is a fast, flat 5k run in the heart of Paw Paw. Visit www.lakeviewcares.com for more information.

A third option for something a little different is the Kazoo Area Foot Chase held in Portage. See www.kazoofootchase.com for more information.

Saturday, September 18, 2004

This is it, folks, the final event in our Club Championship Series, the Peacock Strut 10k and 5k Races are today at Celery Flats in Portage. Here's a hint: You can gain about twice the points by running both of these events! See www.classicrace.com to register online and for more information.

Saturday, September 25, 2004

The Run for the Son 5k will also be held at the Celery Flats in Portage. For online registration and details check out www.classicrace.com. This is a great one for the kids and raises funds for the Kalamazoo Deacons Conference.

The first annual Run for the Hounds 10k kicks off at 8:30 today at the Fort Custer Recreation Area. For more information, contact Sue DeHollander at 269-665-9633 or visit www.scfg.org for more information.

Saturday, October 2, 2004

The Lawton Blue Devil Benefit 5k Run/Walk will be held Oct. 2, beginning at the cemetery on 2 nd Street. The run begins at 8:30, the walk at 8:40 and the fun run at 9:00 am. For more information, contact Dave Stephayn at 269-624-3101.

UPCOMING MARATHONS

September 11, 2004

North Country Trail Run 26.2 & 50 Mi Trail Runs in Manistee, MI www.stridersrun.com

September 12, 2004

Mile High City Marathon, Denver, CO www.milehighcitymarathon.com

September 18, 2004

Air Force Marathon, Wright Patterson AFB, OH www.Afmarathon.wpafb.af.mil/

September 26, 2004

Boulder Backroads Marathon, Boulder, CO www.boulderbackroads.com

September 28, 2004

Fox Cities Marathon, Fox Cities, WI www.foxcitiesmarathon.org

October 2, 2004

Road Runner Akron Marathon, Akron, OH www.akronmarathon.org

October 3, 2004

Lakefront Marathon, Milwaukee, WI www.badgerlandstriders.org/marathon

October 9, 2004

Whistlestop Marathon, Ashland, WI www.whistlestopmarathon.com

October 10, 2004

LaSalle Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL www.chicagomarathon.com*** Now Closed to New Entrants

October 17, 2004

Des Moines Marathon, Des Moines, IA www.desmoinesmarathon.com

October 24, 2004

Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon and Half Marathon, Detroit, MI www.detriotfreepressmarathon.com Please note the correction to the Date on this one!

October 31, 2004

Grand Rapids Marathon, Grand Rapids, MI www.cooladventures.net

October 31, 2004

Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC www.marinemarathon.com

November 7, 2004

New York City Marathon (by lottery or qualifier), New York, NY ***Now Closed to New Entrants

November 25, 2004

Atlanta Marathon, Atlanta, GA www.atlantatrackclub.org

November 28, 2004

Seattle Marathon, Seattle, WA www.seattlemarathon.org

GROUP RUNS

Saturday, September 11

The Gazelle Sports/KAR Marathon Training Program meets today at 7:00 am. The Gazelles, Gnus and Impalas will all be dropping down to 13 miles for a breather before tackling another 20+ miler September 18. Starting location will be sent to program participants via separate E-mail.

The SHufflers will be meeting at the Milham road entrance of Bicentennial Trail at 7:00 am Saturday for any distance you would like to run. The SHufflers will begin their formal marathon training program in January.

See our website, www.kalamazooarearunners.com for a complete listing of group runs!

LOCAL RUNNER HAPPENINGS

Better late than never! We just found out that Adele Pitt from the Battle Creek Road Runners won the women's division of the inaugural Human Race 6k held August 28 with a time of 31:37. Naturally, she set the course record - great race Adele!

The fall marathons (okay, well it's not officially fall yet, but anything after September might as well be) are beginning and we do have at least one KAR member planning to tackle the first one on our list. Michelle Post is going to take on the challenging North Country Trail Marathon this coming Saturday - have a great running adventure through the rugged trails Michelle! In other trail running news, Al Sabo trail master Terry Hutchins initiated BCRR’s Max Sine and KAR’s Steve Rice by leading them through the rugged terrain of the 5.9 mile mountain bike loop. We are happy to say, unlike our last Al Sabo trail run initiation, both returned to the trailhead unscathed.

Back to the subject of marathons; The Gazelles, Gnus and Impala's of the Gazelle Sports/Kalamazoo Area Runners Marathon Training Program conquered a tough out and back Kal-Haven Trail Run with distances of up to 20 miles (22 miles for the truly insane). Despite the fact we lost Jenny Stewart and company to their own Monday morning 20-mile adventure, with several renegade runners amongst the herd and others returning from vacations, the turnout swelled from prior weeks. We also managed to lose Todd Raab and Peter Gower to "wheels!" While the rest of the herd was moving on foot power, Todd, Peter, Kim Raab, Scott Nykaza and several others unidentified flew by on bikes in a blur of bandanas! Peter, by the way, is not only a runner and world traveler, but also an artist! We also learned this week that Impala Jane Feilen is not only a marathoner-in-training, but also a triathlete and a great encourager as well! An attempt was made to drag group speedster, Audrey Hill on a 2 nd 20-miler two weeks in a row. Even though Chicago will be her very first marathon, she's already way too smart to fall into that trap, though and settled for a fast 16. The next 20-plus miler will come soon enough. Speaking of Audrey, two members of the Marathon Training Group Entourage were recognized in articles in the Sept/Oct issue of Michigan Runner. Audrey was mentioned in a great article on the Kalamazoo Klassic for her 2 nd place 10k finish while Bonnie Sexton received kudos in a “same page” article on the Carrolton Marathon for her victory. Not only have these gals run many miles side by side, but they also somehow ended up in side-by-side Michigan Runner Articles! We promise there is no foul play here. Other Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area runners were scattered throughout this edition of Michigan Runner: Dan Roberts was named 2003-2004 High School Runner of the Year Honorable Mention, Sandy Barry-Loken was mentioned for her leadership of the Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run Program,Paul Barrons was applauded for his first place 5k finish at Steve’s Run, Betsy Frens for her first place win in the Reeds Lake Run 5k and then remarkably doubling to take second in the 10k, and Dan Higgason, Paul Barrons, Will Dobbie, Heidi Saunders and Jenna Matthews were all mentioned for their stellar performances at the Kalamazoo Klassic. Way to go Greater Kalamazoo!

Ready to get muddied, wet, scratched and bruised in Hell, Michigan? Local Dances With Dirt 100k Relay Teams and at least one 50k Ultra Runner (that we know of) are busy making final plans for this coming Saturday. Kalamazoo Area Runners very own Peter Burrill, with his wife Sue as the support crew, will be attempting his first 50k Ultra and a tough one at that. Cheer extra hard if you see him go by at the exchange areas! KAR’s Tom Schwab will be part of the official “Dirt Team Crew” as a volunteer at Hell Creek Ranch. Way to get involved! There are also 15 local teams in the running (okay, there are probably some last minute changes here, but we did the best we could). Each team has five hearty members that will wade through swamps, rivers and lakes and dodge rocks, roots , poison ivy and whatever else nature throws in along the way. The hope is for all to stay on course and not get disoriented or even worse –lost!