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Michigan Runner Girl

The Michigan Runner Girl podcast is where you'll find a passion for running, hiking, paddling, and cycling crosses paths with a love of nature and outdoor exploration in the beautiful state of Michigan — and beyond. A mother, writer, gigantic Great Lakes fan, and book lover Heather Durocher, creator of the running and travel site MichiganRunnerGirl.com, hosts the show. Expect to hear informative, engaging, and inspiring conversations with others also on their own health and wellness journey. The Michigan Runner Girl podcast is about finding our way, through movement. Season One of 2022 now underway, with a theme of Reconnection.
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Now displaying: February, 2017
Feb 28, 2017
Kona Running Company, known for its fun and festive races in southern Michigan, is behind a new race that involves...chicken! Partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings, Kona Running Company is holding the inaugural Wild Run 5K and 8K on Sunday, April 2 in West Bloomfield. Runners will be able to enjoy boneless wings at the finish -- and they'll also have the chance to vote for their favorite wing flavor when registering for the event (top choices will be made available post-race). Alan Whitehead, marathoner and owner of Kona Running Company, joins Heather on the show to talk about the Wild Run this spring. He also shares details of the fall version of this event; a second Wild Run 5K and 8K is slated for Sunday, Sept. 24 in Canton. Another spring race coming up: the second annual Cheesecake Run on April 23 in Farmington Hills. This also includes an 8K and 5K, and features cheesecake samples from The Novi Cheesecake Factory at the finish line. Race organizers are expecting some 2,500 runners to participate in this year's Cheesecake Run -- nearly 2,000 ran it last year. Alan shares how the Cheesecake Run is partnering with Michigan State University this year, donating $3 per registered MSU member or alumnus race entry. These donation funds will go to the West Metro Detroit Spartans (MSU alumni club), which will provide two scholarships to students transferring to MSU from local community colleges. Alan gives listeners a heads up about another new Kona Running Company event, Stroh's Legend Run 5K run/walk on May 21 in Detroit as well as talks about this year's Kona Triple Crown races, which give runners the opportunity to earn an extra-special medal for completing three select Kona Running Company races. 
 
Links: konarunningcompany.com, konacheesecakerun.com, buffalowildwingsrace.com
Feb 21, 2017
Imagine feeling great throughout your workout, thanks to that healthy (and tasty) pre-run fuel you took before heading out the door for your run. This is what Denise and Kara Steely -- the mother-daughter baking duo behind DoughChicks -- wants for all of us. It's what drives them in creating their nutrient-dense and convenient food "for busy and active people." "Our food will sustain your blood-sugar level while giving you the fuel needed to get through the day with natural and delicious ingredients," they say. 
 
Denise and her daughter Denise, 33, recently made the trek from Kalamazoo to join Heather in the studio and talk about their running journeys and how they decided to create a business focused on baked goods that are good for us. Their family long has been an active one; Kara and her sister Bailey, 24, grew up watching their parents run races and participate in other outdoor activities (and took part themselves). Today, Kara and her mom aim to run a half marathon together once a year.
 
The business originally started in Wisconsin, where they lived at the time, but now is based in Kalamazoo. DoughChicks products -- all dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free -- are available at area farm markets and natural health stores. And Denise and Kara have plans to expand further. 
 
Link: http://doughchicks.com
 
Feb 13, 2017
Going from 200 runners in 2004 to more than 1,400 members today, Kalamazoo Area Runners is the largest Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) running club in Michigan. This growth has taken place under the leadership of Bonnie Sexton, president of KAR and a certified running coach. Bonnie joins Heather on the show to talk all things running in Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. This region of the state boasts a thriving running scene, and Heather and Bonnie talk not only about KAR but also the other running opportunities available, from races to training groups and camps. Two upcoming events mentioned (with race discount codes for listeners!) during the show: Winter Blast Half Marathon, 10K and 5K on the Portage Trailway System on Feb. 26, 2017 and the popular Kal-Haven Trail Run on April 8. Heather also asks Bonnie about her own running journey, from track and field sprinter to endurance runner later in life -- she has completed 38 marathons, including five Boston Marathons (she was at the 2014 race and talks about what it was like to be there a year after the Boston Marathon bombings). Bonnie is married and has three children. She and her family live in Mattawan, Mich.
 
Also featured on this episode: news about this spring's North Mitten Half Marathon, 10K and 5K at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Mich. Janice Davidson, race director and recreation director at the resort, joins Heather in the studio to talk about adding a 5K to this year's event the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (May 28) and the all-new post-race party at the top of the slopes. A race discount for this event is mentioned for listeners to take advantage of, too.
 
--
Heather Johnson Durocher
Writer/Editor/Publisher/Podcast Host
Michigan Runner Girl ~ In a state of motion
Feb 6, 2017

Michigan Runner Girl invites women from across the state who have a passion for living healthy (and spending time with other fabulously fun women) to spend the weekend of May 4-7, 2017 in beautiful Traverse City. This is the second annual, all-inclusive Michigan Runner Girl Weekend taking place at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. On today's show: Heather welcomes Pam Carrigan and Ali Lopez to talk about this year's event. Pam is the event coordinator extraordinaire for MRG (she served as captain for Team MRG at last year's Ragnar Michigan) and Ali is, as listeners likely know, the talented chef who contributes delicious recipes to the blog. Ali prepared some awesome food at last year's MRG Weekend, and she's returning for the second annual retreat this spring.

Heather, Pam and Ali give a quick recap of last year's event and then dive into what's taking place this time around. Participants are sure to make new + amazing friends while running (trail and road options, all guided, are involved). Delicious and healthy food — an ways to re-create these easy, yummy dishes back home -- are also in the weekend line-up. Yoga and Pilates sessions, as well as spa treatments, are part of this long weekend. New this year: an afternoon of running and wine tasting planned, on the stunning Old Mission Peninsula. The ladies are also excited about a "pajama party" Friday night, and a delicious dinner-with-views at Aerie Restaurant & Lounge on Saturday night. 

Registration is underway for this Thursday-Sunday retreat featuring running, rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. That's right, this year MRG added an extra day to include even more time for connection and re-centering and, of course, running. 

More details and registration information: http://michiganrunnergirl.com/michigan-runner-girl-weekend-join-us-in-traverse-city-this-spring/

 

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