17 August 2023
Marathon News from Grand Rapids
Endurance Athletes
 
Amazing day Sunday. Swam around Mackinac Island, a little over 8 miles. Fun, longest swim ever!
After some food, shower, recovery time driving back to GR, I went to the Michigan Titanium Triathlon to spectate until the last person finished just before midnight.
The life of an endurance athlete. The triathletes who finished Sunday night and the swimmers who had the swim of their lifetime enjoyed the same feelings on Monday.
The extra sun on my face was feeling warm for another day or two. A bit of a raspy throat from breathing through my mouth for six hours. Sinuses that were agravated with me for flushing gallons of lake water through them for all that time. Shoulders and arms were ready for a rest. Lips chapped, fingers aching from all that pulling.

Meanwhile, my triathlete friends, some of whom were out there for close to 17 hours were "enjoying" the sore legs, the "wetsuit hickies", the overall tiredness, the chafing, ...

Our bodies were retaining water and many of us gained weight as a result. That's partly because when you go for that long, your body thinks you're trying to kill it, so it hangs on to anything it might need just in case.

These feelings are a little bit uncomfortable. But we actually enjoy them. You know why? BECAUSE WE GOT THAT WAY DOING SOMETHING AWESOME!
Long after the soreness goes away, the memories and the stories will still be here.
Congrats to all my athlete friends! Keep being awesome!

Oh--and triathlon & open water swimming seasons are all done by October, right? See you on the 15th?


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Millennium Meadows is almost here!
You have race day questions? Please check the registration site. Scroll down, read stuff. I think it's all there. CLICK

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10-20 Mile Training Run

Saturday, September 23, 2023
It's FREE. Supported by Team World Vision, Hope Water International, and RunGR, at the David D Hunting YMCA

Did I say FREE? Yes! But sign up so we know how many people to count on.

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Kids Marathon
Register for the Kids Marathon and download the 26.2 mile tracking sheet. IT'S FREE!
Registration assures we have a T-shirt and medal on race day - October 14.

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Run Thru The Rapids 5K and 10K
New Courses & Start Times


Since 1969 when a few guys from the Y wanted to see if they could run a marathon to today, the Run Thru The Rapids has been working to raise money for Camp Manitou-Lin.

To save on expenses, they've joined us as part of our marathon day. So just after we get all the marathon and half marathon runners out onto the course, we'll have the 10K and 5K.

New Courses: 10K will start at 8:20 and follow the Marathon course until a couple hundred yards past the 5 mile mark, then turn around and head back to the finish.
5K will start at 8:30, but turn onto Lake Michigan Drive, go west to Seward, north to Sixth Street, then over to Broadway and rejoin the Marathon course. Back at Fulton Street, when we reach Winter we'll turn right and head to the finish.
(The new courses aren't posted yet. Hang in there for a few days.)
Family Capital Planning

Kids Marathon Presenting Sponsor

Our financial planning process is designed to help our clients achieve their financial goals and live a life of purpose.
Au Pair in America

Joining us for our Kids Marathon

Flexible, affordable live-in child care, with a cultural flair.

Find out more
Training Opportunities
RunGR

Training sessions on Tuesday, Thursday. Long runs on Saturday. Great coaching. Great people. All speeds and ability levels. Free two week membership to check us out! CLICK.

SPECIAL OFFER ON FALL MARATHON TRAINING--SEE ABOVE
Creston Run Group

Come join us at Creston Brewery at 6:00 PM on Mondays for a run and drinks/food afterwards!




Striders Free  
Group Runs

Join us when you can and invite your friends! It makes running more enjoyable.

-Wednesday at Striders-
6:00 p.m.
-Saturday at Striders-
8:00 a.m.
Gazelle Logo

GR Urban Herd



Super Bloom Run Series w/Urban Herd Saturday (8/19/23): Outside Coffee Company
734 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Start time is 8am
Check-in will be open at 7:30am
3,6, and 10 mile routes

Coffee and Toast Bar available for purchase after the run. 
Stick around for community and conversation
Wednesday Night Hills and Stairs

We meet every Wednesday night at 5:30 & 6:30pm at City Built Brewing Co. in downtown Grand Rapids to run hills & stairs. We run every week through sunshine, rain, snow, or whatever weather our lovely state desires to bring on. After the run, join us inside City Built for food, drinks, and conversation.
Lyon Street Run Club


Tuesdays • 6:00 AM • 3 or 5 miles
August location: Roots Brew. 600 7th Street NW, Grand Rapids.
Confession and Inspiration
Ed Kornoelje DO
Sports Medicine|University of Michigan Health-West

I have a confession to make (may as well get right to it): I was up pretty late last week writing my article.  This is not an excuse (each week I do my best to make sure it all makes sense), but in re-reading my article the next day I think I may have given the impression that I was not aware that doing well and doing good really do signify two different thoughts (read last week’s article to see what I mean).  I learned early on from my excellent English teachers that there is an important distinction—my googling was to see where we stand on this distinction in casual conversation (again—reading the prior article if you have not already will help here).  I must admit I am a casual person in my dressing, writing (as you all know) and speaking, and the article was more about the introspection that ensued, not so much the grammar.  Just wanted you all to know that I was aware—I feel a lot better now.

So what to babble on about this week…inspiration!  As many of you know the Michigan Titanium Triathlon was this past weekend—Sprint, Olympic, Half and Ultra distances.  Some started at 7AM and finished just before midnight—I know because I was there!  Shout out to my daughter Sadie, son Charlie and wife Amy for tackling the Sprint distance—for Charlie and Sadie it was their first tri ever—my wife has a few distances under her belt.  Thanks for indulging this proud dad and husband!  But one of things I have noticed when covering events like this for almost 30 years is that you cannot help but be inspired by the masses as they endure and conquer.  We often have residents and med students help and for those who have not competed in an endurance event before, almost all of them resolve to go home and get more active—if these people can do it why not me?

Fast forward to tonight and my email scrolling. I get a lot of them—work ones of course—but also “fun” ones—usually newsletters or links to running sites (don’t worry Amy I didn’t get sucked down the “On Running is having an up to 50% off sale” rabbit hole this time), but I took note of  this from the Six Minute Mile newsletter: “Study suggests moderately active people can have a positive influence on their friends.”  From the article:

         “Their model also showed that when sedentary people interacted regularly with their moderately-active friends, they became more active over time. In other words, those of us who exercise regularly could have a positive impact on our less-active friends, encouraging them to move a little more.”

Now those doing the MiTi or UMHWest GR Marathon may be more than moderately active, but the principle seems to hold—just talk about being active at some level, not “everyone needs to run a marathon.”  I know I am writing to (typically) active people—getting you to move more is not usually the issue.  But sometimes I think we lose sight of the fact that what we do as walkers, runner, swimmers, and cyclists can have a tremendous impact on others.  I know it works on residents, now verification it works on others as well.  Keep on moving—for your health AND someone else’s!

If you are having trouble keeping it going come and see us!  Our goal is to keep everyone active.  Find out more at www.uofmhealthwest.org or by calling 616-252-7778.  High school and college sports are starting up, there are still several races to come (love the fall events), and the Griffin season is right around the corner—let us help them and you…

Be active!
Quick Thought:

When I was a little kid, my mom taught me to play 20 questions. You think of something, and then the other person gets to ask you 20 yes or no questions and trying to figure out what it is. The first question is an exception: "Animal, vegetable, or mineral?"
 
So if you were thinking about a doughnut, I suppose that the answer to that question should be "vegetable"???? 
 
Still, I don't think doughnuts should count toward one's daily goal of eating vegetables. Maybe "none of the above" would be a good answer. Sorry mom.
 
Eat real vegetables. Run real miles. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
UPCOMING EVENTS





Millennium Meadows Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 
Marathon Relay
August 27, 2023 CLICK

Last Chance BQ.2 Marathon - Grand Rapids
Sunday, September 10, 2023 CLICK

10-20 Mile Training Run
Saturday, September 23, 2023 CLICK

U of M Health - West Grand Rapids Marathon
Foster Swift Half Marathon
Pepsi Zero Sugar Marathon Relay
Run Thru The Rapids 5K & 10K
October 15, 2023 CLICK

12th Annual Groundhog Day Marathon, Half Marathon, Moonlight 1/6 Marathon
February 3-4, 2024 CLICK

Abominable Snow Tri

Use our hashtags: 
Marathon - #GRMarathon
BQ - #BQGR
Groundhog - #GRGus
Meadows - #RunTheMeadows
Being Nice

We should all try to be a little bit nicer.

Suppose that we all looked at new people we met as friends. Look people in the eye and say "Thank you, Dear" when you get your cup of coffee or your change. Address people you don't know as "Brother" or "Friend" and you plant the seeds of friendship immediately. 

People like to be liked. It's harder to be afraid of someone who's a different race or religion when you start out by thinking of him or her as a brother or sister or someone who will soon be your friend. 

And say something encouraging. It's a lot easier to like another person when you are trying to encourage him. He may be better than you already, but the positive feedback and respect still feel good. 

I saw one guy at the Y doing pull-ups with a weight hanging from his belt to make him even heavier. (On a good day, I'm good for a maximum of three without the extra weight.) Just stopping to watch for a second and saying, "Dude, you're an animal!" made the tough guy smile and feel a little better. 

Be nice to people. Say nice things. It makes people feel good. It makes you feel good.

Look at everyone you see today as a friend. Say something nice. It's easier to have a positive attitude if you start every day believing everyone you will see is nice.


See you at the FINISH LINE.

and the adventure continues....
Don Kern
Race Director
UM Health - West Grand Rapids Marathon | 616 293 3145 | [email protected] | grandrapidsmarathon.com