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e-newsletterApril 2015
In This Issue
Marathon & Beyond
 

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 issue of Marathon & Beyond
M&B Copyediting and Marketing Merge "LIVE" in Eagle, Idaho

In this age of telecommuting, it's not uncommon for people who work together never to meet "in person." On March 28, the M&B worlds of copyediting and marketing merged at the Pickled Feet Endurance Runs in Eagle, Idaho. Long-time copyeditor, Dick Lipsey, and marketing director, Jenny Stinson, met live at this event. Dick ran the 6-hour ultra (and checked Idaho off his 50-state list), and Jenny was a local volunteer. Dick lives in Estes Park, Colorado, and Jenny lives in Boise, Idaho. Currently, Dick has only nine more states to go to complete his 50-state quest. Plans are already in the works to meet up again at one of Dick's next adventures.

Julia Chase-Brand at the 50th Anniversary of the Manchester Road Race in 2011
Between the Lines:  

Julia Chase-Brand,

Women's Running Pioneer

 

Most of us can not imagine a time when women runners were not at the starting line of road races alongside men. In 2013, 43% of marathon finishers were women, and that number increases every year. 

 

However, as recalled by running pioneer Julia Chase-Brand in our March/April issue, until 1960 women were not allowed to compete in races further than 880 yards. Her article "Collapse of a 30 Year Hoax," traces the history of why that ban was initially placed, the dishonesty and discrimintaion that occurred over a 30 year span, and how women athletes took it upon themselves to confront the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and call for equality in the running community.

 

In the video below, Julia recounts the story of her historic run at the 5-mile Manchester Road Race in 1961, in which she competed and finished a "men's only" distance-race. Her courage that day challenged the AAU and opened the door for women's running, leading to further sanctioned distances for racing, and the eventual equality we have on the roads today. 

 

DICK'S Sporting Goods Running: Julia Chase
DICK'S Sporting Goods Running:
Julia Chase-Brand

 

Talk on the Trail

Barkley Fall Classic
September 19, 2015
Frozen Head State Park
Wartburg, Tennessee


 

Come join us at the Barkley Fall Classic on the weekend of September 19 for an ultra experience like no other! Our weekend kicks off on Friday night with a pre-race pasta feast that you can enjoy while viewing the award-winning documentary The Barkley
Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. The following morning, you gather at the start line and await the lighting of the cigarette by the notorious race director, Lazarus Lake, signaling the start of the spawn of the The Barkley Fall Classic. This year, BFC is back with a vengeance, giving ultrarunners a much bigger taste than they experienced in the inaugural happening. 

This challenging, one-of-a-kind 50K course takes place in Frozen Head State park, one of the most beautiful parks in Tennessee, and features over 12,000 feet of climb and descent, and three gorgeous waterfalls. It primarily follows maintained trails, but runners will enjoy a memorable trek up the infamous Gunnysack Mountain--and cry out with delight on Deja Vu Hill--before settling into the "hills that feel like a gentle massage."

The scenic route showcases the primordial woods of the "north boundary" where the sun never shines, overlook views that extend to the Smoky Mountains to the east, and the Big South Fork to the west. In keeping with the Barkley tradition, this year's course will not be an exact duplicate of last year's as it features fresh surprises and unique treats for the participants. 

Runners will have 13 hours and 20 minutes to finish the 31-mile course. Participants will have an option to downgrade to 9-, 16-, or 24-mile "fun runs" - all following the 13:20 cutoff time as well. Most runners were overheard last year saying "That's the hardest race I've ever run... but by far the coolest!"  Regardless of your outcome, you can be assured a challenge and experience you will not forget-- one that only the Barkley races can provide!





Learn more about our races at Durbin Race Management 

Subscriber of the Month: M @readeatwriterun

M&B's Subscriber of the Month will run her first Boston Marathon next week. Read below as she chronicles her running journey for us, and follow subscriber M at her blog readeatwriterun.com for some great race recaps and training advice.

 

Tell us about your running history and how if felt to run your first marathon.


I started running - very casually - in the mid to late 1990s, when I lived in Houston. A work friend and I would run 2 or 3 miles at 8:30 or 9 at night, when it was "cooler" and "less humid" or only 90 degrees and 90% humidity. She wasn't that into it, and we gave up on those evening runs fairly quickly. I bought my first treadmill (used) then, so I could run by myself no matter what the weather or my odd work hours.

 

I'm not really sure why I started running exactly when I did, although I do have two very strong memories connected to the marathon that may be why it seems to be "my" distance. The first memory is of my sister training for the 1980 Chicago marathon. We have a picture of her running down our street in her red hoodie. All we can see are her head and shoulders above the huge snowbank. Later, I read the training book she left behind, Running for Health and Beauty by Kathryn Lance (1977), many times. The other memory is of sitting on the floor in front of the TV at my parents' house watching Joan Benoit Samuelson win the first women's Olympic marathon in Los Angeles in 1984. She's always been one of my role models and inspirations.

I ran my first half marathon in Indianapolis in October 2002. I think seeing the marathoners at that race was when I decided I wanted to run a full marathon. 

My first marathon was the Cincinnati Flying Pig in May 2003. In retrospect, I was totally unprepared, but my husband assures me that I was well trained. I can't remember if I planned to run/walk, but I know I walked a lot, especially in the later miles when I was alone. I am proud that I finished. I could have quit, but I didn't. I immediately wanted to run another marathon to do better.

After battling several injuries and years of training, I ran my third marathon in March 2014 and qualified for Boston! 

Tell us what it took to become a Marathon Maniac.

I've attained the lowest level of Marathon Maniac, Bronze, which means completing three marathons in 90 days. Once I decided I wanted to become a Maniac, I chose the Baystate Marathon in Boston as my first race of three. 

For my second race, I ran the Richmond Marathon.  

For my third race, I ran my first ultra-- Across the Years (ATY)--a timed race on a one-mile loop course. This not only qualified me as a Marathon Maniac, but also gave me my first 50k finish.


Tell us how approaching an ultra was different from marathon traning and what you gained from the experience. 

The race was fairly difficult for me from the start in terms of pace. I wanted to go out at a conservative, reasonable pace that I'd held in "easier" long runs figuring that if I could hold it, I'd reach my time goal. Not only did I NOT hit that pace in the first miles, I couldn't hold it. 

Watching people pass me was so interesting. Many of them didn't look like a "stereotypical" runner. I was intrigued and impressed especially by the large number of runners older than I. 

The loop course was both helpful and hard as it presented its own benefits and challenges. Having never run a race in one-mile loops, I found myself asking, "I have to do this loop how many more times?" 

In the end, I placed 6th overall female, qualified as a Maniac, and became an ultrarunner. 


Your first Boston Marathon is this year. Was your ultimate goal to qualify for Boston? What are your hopes for race day?

As soon as I began running marathons, my goal was to qualify for and run Boston. It's the holy grail of marathons, "the Olympics for regular people." I held on to that dream and worked toward it for so many years that, even now, a week before my first Boston, I can barely believe I BQ'd for the first time last March at the Shamrock Marathon!

My hope is that I do my best, regardless of the outcome and enjoy the experience. I am grateful that I have earned the privilege of standing on the start line and thankful for those who have supported me along the way. I don't take any start or finish line for granted.

 

Thank you for sharing your story. Good luck to M and all of our subscribers who will be running in Boston on Patriot's Day! 

 

Upcoming Marathon & Beyond 2015 Events
Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Expo, Champaign, Illinois, April 23-24, 2015
Grandma's Marathon Expo, Duluth, Minnesota, June 18-19, 2015
Contact Us - We'd love to hear from you!
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