Second Wind

Thanksgiving Day 5K

runLawrence will sponsor its second annual Thanksgiving Day 5K. The Turkey Trot will be held on the Kansas River levee again, but this year registration and check-in will be across the street at the Lawrence Visitors Center, North 2nd and Locust.

Instead of one more T-shirt, the first 200 registrants will receive a pair of running socks.  Awards go to the first three male and female finishers in 13 age categories.  In addition, the top male and female receive a $50 gift certificate from Francis Sporting Goods (that makes a total of 80 awards).

Since this is the biggest club-sponsored event, members are urged to sign up to work.  Then members need to encourage all their running acquaintances to register for the race.  Call Dee Boeck and help make this holiday event a successful tradition in Lawrence.

The registration brochure can be found on the runLawrence website.    

What a Website!!

runLawrence now has a great website. Gene Wee set it up last summer and maintains it.  Check out www.runLawrence.org.

You will recognize club members in the photos at the top of each web page.

Pages include races, results, links to other sites of interest to runners, group run schedules, the “store” showing the running gear with our logo, membership information and application, officers, meetings and minutes, and even the past copies of this newsletter.

There’s a link to contact Gene, if you have photos, news, or want to reach others through the website.

On the home page, you’ll find the ideal little dog for runners - one that can’t bite.

A Runner You Should Know: Becky McClure

     A dedicated runner since an early age, Becky McClure started her running on the way to school, doing "rock-running races" with her brothers and sisters. One of seven children, she had plenty of opportunities for spur-of-the- moment competition. In high school Becky ran track in Bonner Springs, KS and then Greybull, Wyoming.

     During her college years at Kansas State University, Becky continued her faithfulness to the sport, running 5 miles every morning.

     After graduation she moved to Yankton, S.D. She read an ad in the newspaper and began running with a local running group.  The difference between her running group in the 80's and today is that in S.D. she was the only female.

     Her first road race was a 5K in 1980, and she continues racing today - all distances from 5K to marathons.  She ran her first marathon in 1983 with a time of 3 hrs 30 minutes.  Her best 10K time was in 1984, running a 42:08, and in 1987 completing the Lincoln Half-marathon in 1:38:00.

     Her reasons for running then and today remain the same - fitness and friendship. Currently, she runs 5 days a week in the early mornings before her full time job at LMH as a physical therapist.

     To supplement her running Becky began weight training in 1984.  The advice she received from an orthopedist was "if you are going to continue running, you better strengthen those quads."  As a member of the Lawrence Athletic Club, Becky continues weight training several days a weeks.

     Another passion for Becky is biking.  As a long- time member of the Lawrence Bike Club, she enjoys road biking several evenings a week and on weekends.

     Every spring Becky and her husband, John, also an experience biker (he biked the Leadville 100 three times), spend a week in Europe riding everyday through the mountains of France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. In the spring of 2006, they will bike a week in Sicily.

    When Becky isn’t running, biking or working, look for her and her Jack Russell in the Deerfield neighborhood.

Runner’s Log - Running Poetic

THE THREE P’S adds another P - Postponed.

In the previous two issues, running philosopher, John Huchingson, covered the first two P’s: philosophy and psychology and was to cover the third P- physiology in this issue, but he has to insert an extra P because he is back in his sling. After rotator cuff surgery last June, one of the four re-attachments failed and he underwent a second surgery October 5th.  When his typing fingers are back in use, he will complete the series. This time, as the anaesthesiologist put it, we took a “suspender out of your leg and put it in your shoulder.”

You can imagine what any runner thinks about having someone cutting a piece out of his leg, but John couldn’t be happier to have fellow club member, Becky McClure, as his physical therapist.

A Place to Run

Bring your suggestions to the next meeting!!

From Sea to Shining Sea

Fran Breslauer started in New York City in June and wound up in San Francisco in August.  Well, she didn’t actually run the distance in between.

While visiting a son in New York City, Fran checked to see what running event she could enter. Turned out that June was the 47th birthday of the New York City Road Runners Club, and they were holding a 4.7K (get it?) in Central Park to celebrate.

With hot weather, 9 am was a late start.  4,000 chip-wearing racers started at 89th St. and 5th Ave., ran north, then west, then south, over the Great Hill, and to the finish, where Fran received a bronze for her efforts.

We’re proud of her two accomplishments - placing 1,302 in a field of 4,000 and being the lone bearer of the torch for Kansas.

The Breslauers traveled to San Francisco in August to visit Dan’s brother, who is also a runner, and who holds the distinction of having run all the bridges in San Francisco.  Fran joined him in his club run at Golden Gate Park.  The club is one of the oldest running clubs in America and was founded by members of a swim club and a rowing club who also loved to run.  They organize events every week of the year.  Fran and Russell finished 35th and 36th, edging out a runner named Peking Duck by two seconds.  Dan also put in a few miles.  Everyone got a ribbon at the finish line.  Next time you find yourself in SF, check out their website www.dserunners.com to find where you can join them.

Running Tips

Pres. Dee Boeck received this message regarding a free diagnostic clinic.

TherapyWorks Sports Acceleration program is planning to sponsor a free runner's clinic on a Saturday morning in November (tentatively the 12th).  While it will be open to all types of runners, it will focus on distance runners ranging from recreational to competitive levels.  Our staff will be looking to correct any gait flaws with the hopes of preventing injuries and allowing runners to be as efficient as possible.

If this sounds like something in which runLawrence would be interested, please contact me at 785-749-1300.  We would love to learn more about your group and its goals.

Thanks, Colin Baumchen - Facility Director
TherapyWorks is located at 1112 W 6th in Lawrence

Hood-to-Coast (H2C) Round Two for Brenda Groskinsky!

In the late 80’s, I was a member of a Portland, OR based H2C team.  I was enjoying participating in the race on a yearly basis.  It is a fabulous, camaraderie-building event that is unlike any other competition I’ve done.

    I moved to Kansas in 1990 and decided to continue training for the race and run with the team.  But on July 25, 1990, I was hit, in a crosswalk, by a car, while training, and thrown 25 ft. into the intersection.  Long story – shortened – I lost the ability to flex my left leg’s quad muscle and had scar tissue form where I had a chip on my left fibula.  I was told by several doctors that I would not run again (I was told by the ambulance driver that I should be dead). 

    Two knee/fibula surgeries later, and 6 months of physical therapy, one pregnancy, and lots of perseverance, I ran this year in the Aug. 2005 H2C— fifteen years later— a successful ending to a very long ordeal. It is incredible how a few seconds can literally change one’s whole life processes.

     H2C is a relay event that is held in the Portland, OR area.  It was my team’s 20th anniversary this year.  Many of the runners are different now, but some are still there, and it was so good to see all of those guys again.

    Teams typically have 12 runners.  There are 36 legs to run in about 24 hours.  Each member has to run in order.  This year I ran legs 3, 15, and 27.  

    The run starts on Mt. Hood, at the ski lodge, on Fri. and lasts until about 9 or 10 p.m. Sat. night. 

     Every year there are 1000 teams (yes – 12,000 runners!).  They stagger the starts, anticipating that we all finish around the same time.  We had a 5:30 start time, with about 30 other teams. The course varies a little every year, but typically one can anticipate that their team needs to run about 150 miles. 

     Leg 3 was 5 miles with a 1000 ft. descent.  (Are there hills like that in Kansas?)  I had a goal of finishing under 9 min. miles for all of my legs.  Of course, that was easy to do for leg 3 – downhill all the way.

     We split the team into 2 vans.  Legs 1-6 (my van) were Van 1.  Legs 6-12 were Van 2.  Only one van is permitted on the course, except for on the van switch-off exchanges (6-7, 12-13, 18-17, 24-25, 30-31).  To say the least, van members become pretty chummy and pretty smelly.  

     My second leg started at about 3:30 a.m. and ran along the Columbia River just northwest of Portland.  After the first mile I was thinking to myself, “Okay – have you lost your mind or what?  You are not in your 20’s anymore!  If you pass out from exhaustion, they won’t find you for at least an hour.”  But, running in the dark is calming and one can really get into a “zone” thinking about all kinds of stupid things. 

     Sixty-five minutes later, the 7.4 miles were finished and I had one more leg to go!  We tried to sleep at the leg 24-25 exchange.  But, I had to go to the bathroom so badly, I decided to endure the Port-a-Potty lines (they are Honey Buckets in OR).  What a scene. 

     One woman took her coffee cup with her and sat it outside the door.  When she slammed the door the cup tipped over and we all (about 100 people) just stood there and watched it.  When she came out she was furious with us all.  “Come on people, didn’t anyone see my coffee spill?  Didn’t anyone think to come pick it up?”  I was thinking, “Actually, no.  Who takes food with them to a Port-a-Potty?”  Great drama at the leg 24 exchange! 

     My next leg was along a creek in the coastal range.  It was 5.8 miles and hot (but not as hot as Kansas has been this year – so I was ready).  I managed a 55 min. 15 sec. time and was so pleased!  Ready for beer.      

    We drove the rest of the way to Seaside, OR and waited for the rest of the team.  We all ran into the finish line together.  We all made it, with no injuries, succeeding with our personal accomplishment.  It was great. 

     The ocean is great.  Good friends are great!  Not being able to walk the next day, because I was too sore, was also GREAT!

Reminder

runLawrence meets once a month at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Mark your calendar for the first Sunday of each month at 4pm. We visit, catch up with each other, discuss future events and take care of any business that’s necessary.

The hospital is located two blocks north of 6th Street, the access being Maine St. Turn left at 4th and Maine and then right on Arkansas. Park in the  Arkansas lot, where the fountain is. After entering the doors, take the first hallway to the left and go down the stairs. From the garden room of the cafeteria, turn right and go down a hallway where there are meeting rooms. We’re in one of them—just follow the noise.

Officers are:  President: Dee Boeck
Vice President:  Celeste Leonardi
Treasurer:  Molly Wood
Secretary:  Ed Payne

Second Wind
16660 21st Street
Lawrence, KS 66044

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updated: 4/16/06