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RUN WILD MISSOULA INFORMATION
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Run Wild Missoula Executive Director: Build Your Buddies
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by Tony Banovich, Executive Director
Some of my fondest memories in all my years in this sport are of group runs with some of my running buddies. During my time in the Palm Springs area, we had a weekly run where we drove to the mountains above the desert floor to escape the searing heat of summer. In Billings - it was the Sunday Morning Run Club. Come rain, sun, snow, cold or wind - we were hitting the roads at 8:00 am to crank out the Sunday long run. In Plains - it was those easy runs with the entire high school cross country team.
There's so many things that make these runs special. Sure, it's great to have a group of guys and/or gals to be able to help "pull you along" in your training. But, it's much more than that. The stupid stories. The smack talk and heckling. The bad jokes. The shared suffering. The kinship. The camaraderie.
Sure, you say. That's all fine and dandy for you; but, I don't have any running buddies. Well, Run Wild Missoula has a weekly group run where I hope that you can find a home and build some buddies of your own. Every Saturday, RWM opens the doors to the basement at 8:00 am for the Saturday Breakfast Run.
This is an unstructured morning where you can get together with a group of people of similar paces and fitness; pick a distance/route; and, head out for a nice morning run to start your weekend. Then come back to the basement and have a little snack and head out for your day. No cost. No check in. Just another benefit of your RWM membership.
There's already a regular group of faster men and women who show up pretty much every week to bang out 8 to 11 miles up the Rattlesnake. But, I'm hoping to see more regular participation by our members of all ages and abilities. Cheetahs. Mid-Packers. BOPers. Walkers. Run-Walk-Runners. The more who show up mean that there's a greater chance that you'll be able to find a group that fits your pace and distance.
I really believe that this is one of the untapped treasures of our club. It's such a great opportunity to get in a run and build your own group of running buddies. It may take a few weeks to find the right group/buddy(ies)/partner(s) - but, don't give up or get discouraged. Encourage other runners that you know to come and take part as well. Before you know it, you'll have your own little running circle and Saturday mornings will soon become your favorite run of the week.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
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2015 RWM Award Winners
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by Tony Banovich, Executive Director
 One of the highlights of the Annual Meeting Of Members was the announcement of the Annual Awards. All of these award winners come from nominations by club members and represent the broad gamut of our member demographics. The "diversity" of our award winners really seems to fall in line with our mission of promoting and supporting running and walking for people of all ages and abilities.
The 2015 Award Winners:
Male Runners of the Year:
Andy Drobeck & Vo Von Sehlen
Female Runner of the Year:
Jen Brewington
Male Master (40+) Runner of the Year:
Justin Grigg
Female Master (40+) Runners of the Year:
Anna Davis & Sara Stahl
Male Trail/Ultra Runner of the Year:
Seth Swanson
Female Trail/Ultra Runner of the Year:
Katie Gibson
BOPer or Walker of the Year:
Lauren Feltman Trent
Volunteers of the Year:
Donna Bennett & Dana Bandy
Inspirational Runners of the Year:
Sarah Eastlund & Craig Macholz
Race Directors of the Year:
Scott & Dara Rouse - Catch 'Em If You Can
In addition to the member nominated award winners, we also recognized the following members for exemplary service to Run Wild Missoula:
Anders Brooker - Missoula Marathon Director, 2011-2014
Pat Cross - Chancellor Of Libations, 2010 - 2015
Megan Tiffin - Outgoing Board Member/Treasurer, Two Terms Ending January, 2016
Congratulations to all of our 2015 award winners.
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Missoula Marathon: Registration Open!
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by Tony Banovich, Executive Director
Trust me - I know that it seems like just last week that the 2015 Missoula Marathon wrapped up. But, we've been already been working for some time on planning for the 2016 event and, by the time you get this newsletter, our first big milestone will have been achieved.
Registration for the 2016 Missoula Marathon opened on October 1st! We couldn't be more excited as we now start the build up to our 10th Anniversary of this amazing community event. Go to
www.missoulamarathon.org to register. (Be sure to login as a RWM member to receive your registration discount.)
Why sign up now? You'll receive the lowest registration rate possible. Custom names on race bibs are only available to those who register by January 31st. It's the 10th Anniversary and we expect that all races will sell out - so, sign up now and guarantee your spot!
Make the commitment now - this gives you plenty of time to coordinate your training so that you can have your best ever Missoula Marathon!
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All Women's Diva Day 5K: October 3
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Celebrate women at the Missoula All Women's Diva Day 5K Run/Walk event. Make the most of a morning filled with physical activity, camaraderie and laughter with a community of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, friends and
family.
Start and finish on the campus of
Community Medical Center
. The course will run thro
ugh portions of historic Fort Missoula and Fort Missoula Regional Park.
Be part of an event that raises awareness about women's breast health - and, help us celebrate survivorship as we recognize and reward women who have survived breast cancer.
Get a group together, form a team and dress in Diva-inspired costumes.
RWM Missoula will donate 20% of race proceeds to Community Medical Center's Ava Nicole Breast Health Fund. You can also make an optional donation to further help support this great community health care fund.
Online registration closed at 12 p.m. on October 1st - but you can come down to packet pick up Friday or Saturday to get registered!
Click here to find out details.
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By Benjamin Schmidt, Race Director
 The Pumpkin Run Turns 20
Proceeds Fund the Missoula Food Bank and a University Solar Project
The 20th Annual Pumpkin Run will be Sunday, October 18th at the Osprey Baseball Stadium. Race day registration will start at 8:45 am, the 400 meter kids run will start at 9:45 am, and the 5K will start around 10:09 am. Race day registration cost is $15 for the 5K and $4 for the kids 12 and under 400 meter run. For more race details and to save a little money for pumpkin muffins, please pre-register online at http://www.runwildmissoula.org/runwild/ .
Half the proceeds from the Pumpkin Run will go to the Missoula Food Bank. New this year, half the proceeds will go to the University of Montana Lommasson Center Solar PV Array project. This way the run can help fund the immediate and long term needs of the community.
I would like to thank the sponsors who support this event year after year. This year's sponsors include Montana Ace Hardware, The Runners Edge, The Good Food Store, The Book Exchange and others. On behalf of the Pumpkin Run, frequent these businesses and feel free to thank them for their continued support of this event.
Now to the most important part of the race: who is the overall winner? Past year's winners have tended to be prime numbers (double meaning intended here). Since this is the 20th year, the High Pumpkin Council decreed that the number 20 be factored in somehow. After much consultation with available teenagers, it was decided that 7 is lucky, 7 is prime, and since 7 x 20 = 140, the overall winner of the race and receiver of great prizes is the 140th person to cross the finish line. Please, as part of the honor system and our desire for a fair event, do not try to calculate your position in the race while using a calculator. :)
Hope to see you in October! If you wish to help volunteer at packet pick-up Sunday morning or be a course sweeper, please contact Ben Schmidt at the email address posted on the Run Wild Missoula Pumpkin Run web page.
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October BOP Social: October 25
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 Join us for a fun day of geocaching. Meet at the soccer field parking lot on South Avenue on Oct. 25th at 4:30. Your hosts will be Kristi Kusche and Jesse Brinkerhoff. They will be giving a short explanation of what geocaching is.
If you are interested, you can go to geocaching.com to check it out beforehand. There is also a free app for smartphones if you want to download that before Oct. 25th. Bring food to share. The route is approximately 3 miles.
For Information: Amy Lewis 406-360-3917
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by Tony Banovich, Executive Director
 Did you participate in cross country in high school and miss the fun team atmosphere? Or, have you never tried cross country and wondering what all the fuss is about? Well, come October 31st, you'll have your chance to take part and to represent as part of Team Missoula. The annual Montana Cup cross country meet will be held on Saturday, October 31st at the historic Sieben Ranch north of Helena, Montana.
From the Montana Cup website: "The Montana Cup cross-country meet offers an exploration of Montana's magnificent open spaces. It is not a road race, nor is it an ultra-endurance trail run; it's a team event, which brings together runners from all of Montana's cities for competition, racing across country, for the glory of claiming a "traveling trophy" - the Montana Cup. The Montana Cup's underlying mission is to unite the state's widespread runners & running communities, to foster continued training & racing among Montana runners of all ages, and to leave each participant thinking ... "that course was excellent, exciting & beautiful!"
All ages and abilities are welcome. This is running and racing far removed from the flat, road 5K's that seem to dominate the local race calendar. Get out and try something new - you'll be challenged; but, you'll have a blast at the same time.
Run Wild Missoula and Runner's Edge will again host a bus to and from Helena for Missoula runners interested in taking part. Keep your eyes on the RWM website and Facebook page for more information.
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Mount Jumbo Elk Ramble: November 7
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 Run Wild Missoula is pleased to announce that the Mount Jumbo Elk Ramble 15K Trail Race will return in 2015. The event will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 10:00 am. The race will be capped at 300 participants -
registration is already open!
Don't miss the opportunity to take part in the only organized trail run on Mt. Jumbo. As part of this exclusive event, you'll experience stunning landscapes as you traverse the winter home of the Mt.Jumbo elk herd. The Mount Jumbo Wildlife Management Area closes to all recreation starting December 1st - so, take this chance to practice responsible recreation on Missoula's Conservation & Open Space Lands and welcome the wildlife herds back to Jumbo!!
Course: 15K trail race on City Conservation & Open Space Lands in the North Zone of Mount Jumbo. Start and finish at the Hellgate soccer fields on Lincoln Hills Road.
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View From The Back: BOP Across Borders
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by Pam Gardiner, Leader of the Back (of the Pack)
The seed of an idea for more actively involving slower runners and walkers in Run Wild Missoula sprouted with the 2010 Sweathouse Half Marathon and an article that appeared in the Run Wild Missoula newsletter the following month.
(
Click here for a version of that article that appears on our website.) http://www.runwildmissoula.org/runwild/index.php/fuseaction/about.finalFinisher.htm
Our club instituted a "Last Best Finisher" award and set up a Back of the Pack (BOP) mailing list a few months later. The mailing list now has more than 200 members. We circulate a monthly BOP Bulletin, organize monthly social run-walk events, and support RWM races by recruiting sweepers and cheerleaders who stay until the very end. Slower runners and walkers report on warmer welcomes at the end of our races.
We have discovered, however, that the zone of our influence extends beyond local boundaries. Last year, a group in Australia found us online and exchanged ideas for a similar group in their community. This summer, we heard from a woman in Canada, who had googled "last-place awards" and found the RWM writeup. I am inspired by her message and want to share it with you here:
"Hello there, I wanted to take a few minutes to email you and let you know how much your Last Best Finisher article has affected me.
A bit of back story... 24 years ago I had a spinal cord injury which at the time left me wondering if I would ever walk again. I did progress though, using a wheelchair, 2 canes, 1 cane and then walking without aid (other than ankle braces) and this is how I've been going along for years.
Last year, I started making more of an effort to become more fit, and stronger. I started using a recumbent exercise bike, using weights etc. I lost almost 50 lbs. So, things were going well.
This year, I wanted to do something "more". I decided that I would set a goal for myself, to sign up and train for a 5 km walk. Now, for a person who struggles to walk on a daily basis, this seemed like a monumental challenge.
In May, my husband (my biggest support) and I started walking, to prepare myself and to gain strength. We walked on Saturday mornings, slowly building up to walk the full distance of the course. This past Sunday was race day.
I spent most of the 3 months in between signing up and doing the race worrying and stressing out over the fact that more than likely I would be last. Sure enough, my husband and I were last. It was as you said in your article... the organizers were packing up, the finish line was just waiting for us to be deflated and dismantled. There was a table of left over cold hotdogs and cookies that the earlier finishers (some who'd finished almost 90 minutes earlier) had left behind. It was a bit of a sad sight but to me it was the best experience I'd had in a long time.
I had conquered my fears, yes I'd come in last but, you know what, I didn't care. As you wrote... "They lined up anyway". I've decided to turn that phrase into a tattoo for myself... although amending it to "She lined up anyway". I want to keep those words with me to remind myself that nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough.
I want to thank you for inspiring me. I can't read your article without crying. Especially this part: "The last person had the courage to start. Whether it was his first race or her 21st, they lined up at dawn knowing that they would be on the course alone after the first mile. They could envision a tired and impatient finish line crew, the empty parking lot. They lined up anyway."
That was exactly what we experienced but I'd achieved something amazing. I'd lined up and finished.
Thank you for the gift of your article..."
A fan, and a 5 km finisher!
It is gratifying to know that, in our globally connected environment, we can have a positive effect on others who live miles and miles away.
We have moved on from the "Last Best Finisher" award, replacing it with a more broadly defined "Courage to Start"award. We did, however, have one remaining LBF medal in the stash. I sent it to Karen in Canada, and she has framed it with her bib and a photo to celebrate her momentous last-place victory.
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Alpine Physical Therapy: It Is All About Balance
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by Matt Schweitzer,
Alpine Physical Therapy
 It is all about balance . ..
Ok, maybe not
all
about balance but a good component of running is. As I was out running at Blue Mountain the other day I caught my toe on rock, stumbled a bit but luckily, did not fall (it would have been a downhill tumble). I thanked my good luck that I caught myself and, for not eating a mouthful of dirt, but then I got to thinking as I continued down the trail... "How much have I been training my balance? Do I feel steady and solid on my feet?" Read the rest of the article here with some simple exercises to improve your balance.
Matt Schweitzer, DPT, OCS, CSCS
https://www.alpineptmissoula.com/
Alpine Physical Therapy Downtown, Located in the Peak Health and Wellness Center
150 E. Spruce St. Ste. A
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-549-0064
Fax: 406-543-2999
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Around Town
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Night of the Griz 5K Glow Run
- Missoula, October 9, 8:00 p.m. Caras Park. Run as a team or individual. www.nightofthegriz.com
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Run Wild,
Chris Everett, Running Wild Newsletter Editor
P.S. Unsubscribing to this email won't eliminate you from receiving emails about volunteer opportunities.
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