Grand Rapids, Michigan - Endurance Capital of the World?

Grand Rapids Gus
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Upcoming Events

METRO HEALTH GRAND RAPIDS MARATHON
OCTOBER 20, 2013

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Festival Run 5K
Friday, June 28 7:00 PM
St. Patricks in Parnell
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New Holland Beer Run #4

Tuesday, July 2  6:30PM
Buffalo Wild Wings, downtown GR

New Holland Beer Run #5
Tuesday, July 16 6:30PM
Big E's in Midland, MI

Mercy Health Seaway Run
Half Marathon, 15K, 5K
MuskegonYMCA
Saturday, June 22 CLICK

Run for the Sun
Wednesday, July 17 Downtown Holland 
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Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon
October 20, 2013
Registration opens December 15, 2012
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Training Opportunities

Grand Rapids Running Club Mentor Program
Train for the Fifth Third River Bank Run January thru May CLICK

Gazelle Sports Training
Pick your distance, Pick your race, something for everyone! CLICK

Borgess Run Camp
Train for a spring marathon or half marathon, or just knock off a few pounds!  Awesome program for our friends in the Kalamazoo area CLICK

Striders River Bank Run Training Group  CLICK

Marathon Adventure Boot Camp CLICK








June 26, 2013
Marathon News from
Grand Rapids
Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon
Groundhog Day Marathon

Summer Time!
 
Are you a camel? I like to pretend I am. (When I'm not busy pretending I'm a superhero or something.) That means going for long distances in the heat with no extra water. Usually it works for me, but I don't have too many problems with hydration, stomach, etc.  In spite of all that, I pay real close attention to what my body is telling me, especially in hot weather. 
 
For most people, the heat is something to deal with. Plan your routes around the locations of water fountains. Carry a bottle or two with you. Go out in the early morning before it gets too hot. BE CAREFUL! The hot weather can cause some problems and you need to be cautious. You've only got about three months of this to deal with--in Michigan it's usually less than that. So be careful--we want to see you in October at the starting line!
 
I got a great email the other day, with a story about one of our past winners of the marathon.  Check out the 10 Years! article below.
 
and the adventure continues....
 
"One fateful day in 2006, as I sat in a bagel shop on my way to a client site to do some regular work as a computer programmer/consultant, I found a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records. 
 
Skimming through the pages, I happened upon something that would change the course of my life for at least the following six years. My direction was clear from that moment. There was no doubt what I needed to do. 
 
For a later-in-life, former-asthmatic runner, setting a world record  could be difficult. I'm not very fast. I'm not tall, I'm not short, I'm not  fat, and I'm not skinny. I lack the patience to spend 32 years growing my  fingernails, hair, or other body parts. Still, I needed to do something at  world record pace. My world. My record. My pace. 
 
Fortunately, as it turns out, marathons are my thing."
 
Pick up your personal autographed copy--Copies should be here around the middle of July. CLICK

FESTIVAL RUN
Hey--one of our every-year pacers (and my good friend) Bob Camp is instrumental in a Friday night 5K run this week. Check it out. 

 
Summer Training Opportunities!
Gazelle Sports has some great training programs going on this summer with their Summer Safari program. Whether you're in Holland, Grand Rapids, or Kalamazoo, you can prep for your fall marathon with the experts at Gazelle. It's not too late to start! CLICK They'll also help you with your triathlon needs too--including renting wetsuits! 
 
Midsummer Madness Relay
Alan Martens, who does the Frostbite Marathon Relay in January is doing a summer marathon relay this year on the Groundhog Marathon course. It will be the official kickoff for registration for the 2014 Groundhog Day Marathon. Check out the Facebook page for details. 
 
 

Shirts and Other Cool Stuff

  

YES, we have shirts left from the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon! Most of the men's shirts are gone, but we have lots of size Large left. Also, check out some of the other sweatshirts and other items. Pick up a couple more of your favorite training shirt on our website. CLICK

Marathon Adventures Bootcamp
Thursday morning track workout coming up. For some strange reason Jim thinks that mile repeats will make us stronger runners. OK, I agree with him. If you haven't tried us out yet, come out to Union HS Track at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, 6/27. 

We're at John Ball Zoo most of the time, Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 a.m., so if you'd just like to try a session or two, come on out. 

Jim has a great summer planned for us as we train for fall marathons. Hope to see you some early morning soon.

Cost for the full summer (Tuesday and Thursday June thru September) is $250.   MORE INFO


Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon - 10 Years!
 

Pete Colan emailed me the other day with a great story about our 2008 marathon winner:

 

Funny story.. when I was training in 2009 for GR Marathon (my first), I was on the treadmill at the local gym feeling pretty good.  A guy gets on the treadmill next to me and after warming up picks up his pace and incline.  Being the macho-kind-of-guy that I am, I also punch up my speed and incline.  So the guy ups his incline and speed a little more.  So do I.  After a couple more times and feeling not-so-macho anymore after only a couple minutes I'm totally cooked and this guy keeps going.  
 
Later, in the locker room, he says "hey man, you were really moving!  You training for something?"  "Yeah.. Grand Rapids Marathon... my first".   "Cool.. well tell Don Kern I said HI".  "You know Don?"  "Yeah..  I won the race last year".  
 
It was Ryan Greutman.  

 

Now I don't feel so bad.

 

--Pete

 

 

 

New Holland Beer Runs
New Holland Logo
Beer Run #4 Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at Buffalo Wild Wings, downtown Grand Rapids  6:30PM
 


July 2 - Buffalo Wild Wings
July 16 - Big E's in Midland
July 23 - Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

B double E double R U N....
It's the way we spell FUN. Come on out to start the 4th of July celebration week right! We have fun people, pretty women and handsome men, and a yummy taste of New Holland beer. Tons of fun for one and all.

Every beer run has a target charity, and we make a contribution out of the entry fees. Your entry also includes your first New Holland beer and some appetizers. Door prizes, fun, hanging out with really cool people. It's all part of the Beer Run culture. We'll usually feature both a long (around 5 miles) and a short (3 miles or so) course with each run. (The super-hot, middle of summer stuff we may go a little shorter though.)

Your first beer run is $20, which includes a shirt.  After that they're only $10.

Another Ally, Perhaps

I've been reading some stuff done by Johnny B Truant for the last day or so. He's one of my new favorites--talking a lot about the same stuff that I keep saying, (except perhaps with more cuss words). Anyway, he encourages people to Do Epic Sh*t! as they go through life. 

 

We've got just a blip on the radar of time to be here. Maybe it doesn't even matter, but I think it does. Take time to do the things you need to do. Enjoy life. Have fun! Run marathons (of course). Meet cool people and do cool things. Hang out with your family, make sure you're paying attention to the people who are important to you.

 

I've been lucky to have a grandmother alive for over 57 years of my life. That's about to end, but it's a great reminder that the people we affect and the things we do while we're here will live on in the people we come into contact with. 

 

Don't know if Johnny B is a marathon runner yet, but I think I'll work on him. :-)

 

Ordered the socks yesterday. Staff meets tomorrow night. We're having a great time getting ready for YOU this fall.

 

I'll see you at the finish line in October.


and the adventure continues....

Don Kern
Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon | | cooladventures@aol.com | PO Box 1041
Grand Rapids, MI 49501



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