e-XTRA    Banner Springfield
e-newsletterJune 2013
In This Issue
M&B News
Between the Lines
M&B Reader Survey
Word on the Street
Talk on the Trail
Subscriber of the Month
Marathon & Beyond
 
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DMTM Deadwood Mickelson
Trail Marathon

Marathon & Beyond's Jan Seeley and Jenny Stinson were in Deadwood, South Dakota, on June 2 for the 12th annual Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon. While we were there, we reconnected with our long-time friend and race director of the Leading Ladies' Marathon, Elaine Doll-Dunn. Run on the George S. Mickelson Trail, this race claims to be one of the "most scenic" marathons in the country, and it did not disappoint. It was indeed 26.2 miles of Black Hills beauty. Click here for more information on the 2014 Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon.   

David Asp

Between the Lines: Mental Preparation for the Marathon

 

In our May/June issue of Marathon & Beyond, Dr. David R. Asp, EdD, wrote an article entitled "Applying Mental Preparation to the Marathon: Performance Beyond the Physical." Dr. Asp is a licensed psychologist, a member of the American Psychological Association, and a specialist in sports psychology. He has additional training in clinical hypnosis and is member of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Dr. Asp is also a former certified level one coach for the US Triathlon Association and has worked with elite level marathon runners, including two who competed in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials.

 

In his article, Dr. Asp offers a practical application for applying the mental strategies of relaxation techniques, positive self-talk, and visualization rehearsal to an endurance event. He explains the components of a mental training program in detail and provides a full sample script for mental preparation. Dr. Asp has generously allowed us to record the script and share it with you, our readers and fellow runners, to help you prepare for your next endurance event.

 

Click on the link below to download a complimentary .mp3 file of the complete script "Mental Preparation for the Marathon" by Dr. David R. Asp.

 

 

If you would like to know more about Dr. Asp and his consultation with athletes, including personalized training and performance enhancement visualization recordings, you can e-mail him: [email protected]. He is also on Facebook @ Dr. David R. Asp Sports Psychology.

Survey Button What would make M&B even better?
Tell us in our Reader Survey. 

 

Thank you for reading Marathon & Beyond magazine. We care about what you think, so we invite you to take our 2013 Reader Survey. You will have the opportunity to tell us what aspects of M&B hold the most value for you.

 

As a way of saying thanks for completing the survey, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a pair of Brooks� running shoes ($120 value) or a Brooks� Prize Pack ($240 value). See details on the survey page.

 

Click here to get to the survey landing page, scroll down to select the Marathon & Beyond LAUNCH button.

 

This survey is being conducted by Endurance Sports Media Group, a national agency that represents 21 independently owned running and endurance sports publications across North America.

Quad Cities Medal
Word on the Street
Quad Cities Marathon
September 22, 2013
Moline, Illinois

 

Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, the Quad Cities Marathon has quickly become a favorite among marathoners across the globe. Each year, the Quad Cities hosts more than 5,500 runners and walkers, plus thousands of spectators.

 

The 26.2-mile run starts and ends in downtown Moline, Illinois. Along the way, it covers four cities, three bridges, two states, and one island - all connected to the mighty Mississippi River. The views are amazing, the Midwest charm is present, and the course is fairly fast. It's a USATF-certified course and Boston Marathon qualifier race. The Quad Cities Marathon benefits prostate cancer research and screening.

 

Need more motivation? This year's pasta party will feature extreme athlete-author-speaker Dane Rauschenberg, who ran 52 marathons in 52 consecutive weekends. As one who has also run a 202-mile relay solo and completed a 350-mile run up the coast of Oregon, Dane doesn't just know running - he has explored it to the deepest reaches of its mental, physical, and emotional boundaries. During his talk, Dane will chart his highs and lows, successes and failures in a voice that blends wisdom, humor, and heart.

 

Early bird registration deadline is next Friday, June 28.

 

Click here to visit the website for registration information for all the weekend races and events, and be sure to click here to "Like" their Facebook page.

Mark Twain course
Talk on the Trail
Mark Twain 100 & 50 Mile Endurance Runs
September 14-15, 2013

Berryman, Missouri
 
by Travis Liles, race director
The Mark Twain 100 rolls into its 2nd year with a new 50-mile option. Appropriately named The Mark Twain Endurance Runs, this race gives runners an abundance of single-track trail in the Mark Twain National Forest located in Berryman, Missouri. The 25-mile Berryman Trail loop is home to both races where runners will run two or four loops depending on their distances. Each loop has 2,500 feet of climb and 2,500 feet of descent, making this race friendly to the new ultrarunner, yet challenging enough for veterans. We take great pride in providing excellent aid and aid station volunteers.

During each loop, participants pass through five fully-stocked aid stations, each captained by ultrarunners with long lists of races to their credit, ensuring great advice and motivation to the runners. Completion of the 50-mile will get you a high-quality medal, but you'll need to step up to the 100-miler to earn the prized, mustached belt buckle.

Since the race starts and finishes in the Berryman Campground, we encourage runners, crew, and family to take advantage of the free, although primitive, campground. However, there are several places to rent cabins or hotel rooms in the neighboring area if a warm bed is more to your liking.

Tommy Doias (co-race director) and I created this event to be a runners' race. There is not a lot of hype or fanfare - just miles and miles of beautiful single track and a race staff there to help you succeed.

Click here for more information about the Mark Twain Endurance Runs. And, click here to "Like" their Facebook page.
DV Portal Subscriber of the Month:
Bill Latter 

Bill Latter is a long-time reader of Marathon & Beyond. And, like many readers, Bill is more than a subscriber - he's family.

 

He has quite an impressive running history, including everything from speedy 400 meters and 5Ks, marathons, and 24-hour events to adventure runs longer than 100 miles.

 

For Bill these days, it's not about PRs or clock times or extreme distances anymore. It's about the experiences, the life lessons, and the friends that he has gained.

 

Bill's "normal" running life began long before August 8, 2010, but it was on this date that he embarked on a journey from which there was no turning back. A journey that would take him places he had only dreamed about. A journey that would change everything.

 

On August 8, 2010 Bill set out to run from Badwater, Death Valley, to the summit of Mt. Whitney and back again. A distance of nearly 300 miles. Solo. He dubbed his adventure the "Death Valley Express."

 

You see, August 8 was his brother Rick's birthday, and 20 years prior his brother had died from brain cancer.

 

Bill says he was inspired by his friends, Rich Benyo and Rhonda Provost, the first man and first woman to successfully complete the Death Valley double crossing. Bill had plans to complete his double-crossing in six to seven days. He would contend with extreme temperatures and arduous climbs to the summit of Mt. Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m). He assembled a five-person crew to make sure he was safe, watered, and fed - for the best possible chance of completing the distance.

 

Yet, we all know about the best-laid plans.

 

Before his solo attempt, Bill suffered a seriously herniated lumbar disk. He said of this setback, "I will be walking most of the way. But, the very fact that I am making this attempt at all has taught me a valuable lesson - to never, ever give up because dreams do come true." His training included methods of minimizing the pain from his injured back. It was effective - up to a point.  

 

Bill did not complete the nearly 300-mile journey. Remarkably, however, he did make it 135 miles to the portal of Mt. Whitney. There is no such thing as "just" 135 miles. In spite of blistered feet, a painful back, and a bout with dehydration, Bill completed the entire Badwater 135 course, a tremendous achievement.

 

One year later he commenced Death Valley Express II. Bill writes: "It was a grand day in the desert. The air was clear and hot. The start at Badwater Basin was shaded by the adjacent hills. The rising sun was brilliant and the distant mountains shown in glorious purple. While my crew did what they needed to get ready, I wandered out onto the salt flat feeling joy and wonder that I had once again made it to the start of a wondrous adventure. I was happy and comfortable. I was ready."

 

Bill felt fabulous. That is, until he got the news that, back home, his beloved cat of 14 years had died. Feeling sad and a bit guilty for not being there when Rurr Rurr died, Bill said he wasn't going to let that stop him, "I just needed to work it out in my head and keep my feet moving. It is what I HAD to do."

 

In spite of that, things began to fall apart during the run.

 

Bill was having serious stomach issues, and without being able to eat solid food, his continuing was not only an unwise, but also unsafe. Together, he and his crew decided to stop after a brief trek out of Stovepipe Wells.

 

Knowing when to stop often takes more courage than continuing when all signs are telling you to stop. Bill was courageous.

 

Recently in February 2013, Bill began a series of painful surgeries to repair his back injury. While his doctors promised 80% pain relief, they warned that he would probably not regain the lost function in his legs. In spite of finding out, from his MRIs, that the injury was much worse than expected, his doctors were wrong about his recovery prospects. Today, Bill says he is 100% pain-free, and he has also regained function and sensation in his legs.

 

So, with the approval of his surgeon, he has started light running. At three-and-a-half months post-surgery, he wrote this note:

 

Bill - first day back "Three-and-a -half months ago, my medical team performed two major surgeries on my back in an attempt to give me my life back. They said we are  

doing this so that you will not have pain anymore.  

We are doing this so that you can run again.

 

Today that promise was kept. Today I ran.

 

It was a mile. I panted and coughed just like I am beginning again - I am. It was a long mile. I took it slow and savored it like a long ago forgotten favorite song. It was a short mile. I wanted more, but I have to learn to run again. It was the best mile. When it was done, I cried a little, for I had no pain.

 

Today I ran.And even better, tomorrow I will run again."

 

To celebrate his return to running, Bill has registered for the 2014 Napa Valley Marathon. He hopes to continue his progress toward another run of Death Valley in August 2014. Click here to read more about Bill's ongoing adventures.

Upcoming Marathon & Beyond Events
Grandma's Marathon Expo and M&B Dinner: June 20-22, 2013
Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon Expo: August 16-17, 2013
Chicago Marathon Expo: October 11-12, 2013
Columbus Marathon Expo: October 18-19, 2013
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Coupon Springfield
 

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Subscribe to Marathon & Beyond print or digital edition and get 2 *FREE Hanteens. Call our office at (217) 359-9345 and use the code word e-XTRA Hanteens. Or, order online and put the code word e-XTRA Hanteens in the comment box. 
Offer Expires: July 15, 2013