10 Says to Go!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon NewsletterSponsored by Sportwax 9 October 2008


10 Days to Go!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My garage looks like a warehouse. The UPS people are here almost every day. I have mylar blankets. Medals. Socks. Volunteer shirts.

Yesterday Ken Lusk (the course guy) and I dropped off the packet-stuffing material to Steelcase, where a bunch of retired ladies will be putting it into your race packets.

I stopped at Versatility and picked up the staff shirts and the volunteer shirts. Your race shirts are looking pretty nice too. Brooks Podium long sleeve shirts, this year in a color they call "London" but being a guy, I'd just call it gray. Looks nice though.

Today I'll take my GPS out and relocate the 21 mile mark that the City of Grand Rapids so nicely painted over a couple weeks ago.

Lynne is still looking for a few last-minute volunteers. If you're interested, or know someone who is, email her directly, loosterh@comcast.net

Sunday morning I'm working the Run Thru the Rapids 5K or 10K. It's a perfect taper run. Check the link below.

And after the just-turned-nine-yesterday Carly finishes her 5K (like mother, like daughter) the lovely Francine, Dr. Rick the pickle juice guy, Lynne, Penguin-pace team pacers Paully & Christina and I will be heading to Chicago to pace the Chicago Marathon.

Ontario 105. Indiana 102. Indiana continues to close the gap. Can Canada get enough people to make me sing O! Canada at the starting line?

Olympian Paul McMullen Will Run the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 2005, Paul ran his first marathon, here in Grand Rapids. I still remember in the post-race interview, he said, "I didn't respect the distance. Now I do."

He sent me an email yesterday, talking about running. Here's what he had to say:

What is the deal with running?

Running is by definition a way to cover ground quickly and has proven to be one of the most attractive attributes in a member of society since the beginning of time.

In early times fast runners ate better than slow runners. They also performed as scouts warning their tribes of enemy troop movements. Today, runners deal with stress well and are typically more emotionally balanced. They are doers and discover solutions before the sedentary. They intimately know their neighborhood. They come up with great ideas during long miles of breathing, sweating, and pounding. Runners have passion; they are willing to suffer a long time for something they want. They are not interested in instant gratification or a quick high; they plan, prepare, and execute until they achieve their goal.

The most respected runners since early times were those that could run the marathon. The marathon is the most revered of all the distances. It is 26.2 miles of shear fortitude and focus.
Now we have cars, cell phones, and satellites, why do people run the marathon? The marathon is a microcosm of our lives and provides us insight into who we are and what we are made of. A marathon event and the training associated to prepare for one is the opportunity to identify with others like us.

On race day we see thousands of runners going in the same direction. It is a phenomenon of positive momentum. It is a moment at which we all in unison draw the line in the sand AGAINST several things: most notably, procrastination and laziness, age and gender, and quitting and getting fat. Most importantly during a marathon you are guaranteed to see the human spirit at its best.

I will attempt to complete my fourth marathon on September 19, 2008 at 8:00am in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have only completed two of the three I have attempted. I am a 1996 Olympic mile runner and will go way beyond my specialty in an attempt to gain some self-prespective.

There is only one thing I know for sure: I know I will be tested beyond what I can imagine, the distance is too long for me to run alone and it will take me looking to my fellow competitors and remembering the people that I have sweated and trained with for inspiration if I plan to finish strong.

Paul McMullen, 1996 Olympian, Spring Lake, Michigan


This Week on The Marathon Minute!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A life of adventure--Marathons have opened a lot of doors for me. Adventures all over the world. If you can run 26.2, you can do ANYTHING

Every Wednesday at 6:22 and 7:22 a.m., from now until the marathon, you can tune to News Radio WOOD 1300 for a minute of fun and inspiration featuring my mom's favorite race director. And if you miss it on the radio, you can always catch it at marathonminute.com.
Click here for this week's Marathon Minute Sponsored by the Gordon Water

And, if you missed a few, you can get to all the Marathon Minutes by going to marathonminute.com


Psst.. Hey Buddy. Wanna buy a hat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They're quite washable with a crushable bill. So you don't have to worry about them going through the washer and dryer. You might want to make sure you close the Velcro closure at the back though, so it doesn't hook onto one of your technical shirts or something.

Only ten bucks, plus $2 in shipping. Click here to order

Calendar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 11, 2008
Run Thru the Rapids 5K & 10K at the David D. Hunting YMCA

October 18, 2008:9:00 am - 6:00 pm Health and Fitness Expo & Packet Pickup - 3rd Floor, David D Hunting YMCA 1:00 pm Kids run the final 1.2 miles of their Marathon
October 19, 2008:6:00 am Packet Pickup at the David D Hunting YMCA7:00 am "Velocity Challenged" start for Marathon and Half-Marathon8:00 am Start of the Marathon, Half-Marathon, and Marathon Relay

October 25, 2008
Every Stride 5K & 10K and Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon Post Race Celebration. Candlestone Golf & Resort.


Where's the love? It isn't just a marathon--it's a half marathon too. Many people are challenging themselves by running the half-marathon, and the relay. I'll write some more about that tomorrow, I promise. ;-)

Until tomorrow--remember what Bill and Ted said:

"Be excellent to each other." "Party on Dudes!"

See you in ten!
and the adventure continues....

Don Kern
Race Director