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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: May, 2018
May 30, 2018

Ann Arbor-based race management company Epic Races is known for putting on, well, pretty epic races. From its flagship event Tri Goddess Tri each June and the American Home Fitness Detroit Women's Half Marathon, 10K & 5K in the fall, to a slew of year-round races and events for cyclists, skiers, swimmers, and runners, Epic Races provides myriad ways for us to stay moving. Eva Solomon helped start this company and she joins Heather on the show to talk about this year's events, including next month's 10th annual Tri Goddess Tri at Waterloo Recreation Area at Big Portage Lake State Park near Chelsea, Mich. (This also happens to be Heather's first triathlon a couple of years ago--it's a fantastic beginner-friendly triathlon that this year features the Olympic distance in addition to the sprint, mini-sprint, duathlon, and aquabike. Eva also talks about the special event happening over race weekend -- the Zen Tri, which takes place on Friday and includes running, yoga and meditating.

Tri Goddess Tri also is again welcoming well-known triathlete Meredith Atwood, who is behind the site and community Swim Bike Mom, to this year's event.

Be sure to use the special race discount code MRGEPIC2018 to receive 10% off any Epic Races race entry.

[Producer note: Eva and Heather talk about this spring's Ann Arbor Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, which is another Epic Races event. Unfortunately this episode didn't come out prior to the race start as hoped. However, mark your calendars for next year's event!]

May 21, 2018

Scenic water views, Leelanau Peninsula wine, and cherries … all the makings of some fun and fabulous summer race weekends in Michigan, wouldn’t you agree?

As we look ahead to summer – this weekend marks the unofficial kick-off to the season, or what’s known as the 90 days of summer – MRG provides a closer look at three awesome summer racing events worth checking out: the Charlevoix Marathon, Half Marathon 10K & 5K on June 23; the National Cherry Festival of Races Half Marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K on July 7 in Traverse City; and the Vineyard to Bay 15K and 5K run/walk on Sunday, Sept. 2 in Suttons Bay.

Race directors Michelle Elliott (Festival of Races), Ross Deye (Vineyard to Bay), and Jeff Soffolk (Charlevoix) join Heather on the show to talk about their respective races – and also to share how these three events are part of the 2018 Record-Eagle Running Series.

You’ll hear why the Vineyard to Bay, which has contributed thousands of dollars to TART Trails and local schools in the past five years, moved to a new date – Labor Day weekend – and why pickle juice (and bacon) is served on the marathon course in Charlevoix. Michelle gives details of the cherry treats available post-race, and all three race directors talk about their own personal running adventures.

About the R-E Running Series: There is no cost to participate. Online pre-registration for the 2018 Record-Eagle Running Series is available until 8 am on Thursday, June 14 2018. Participation in the series is free. However, participants must register for each race and pay the according race fees on their event websites. Runners must participate in an event at the Charlevoix Marathon, Cherry Festival of Races and Vineyard to Bay Races. Times from all 3 events are combined, and at the Record-Eagle 2 Mile Championships in September, awards will be given to winners. Overall, Masters and Grand Masters Male and Female runners in each speed division will receive trophies and $100 cash. Top male and female runners in each age category will receive medals. 

https://events.bytepro.net/record-eagle-running-series

https://www.charlevoixmarathon.com/

http://www.vineyard2bay15k.com/

https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/TraverseCity/MeijerFestivalofRaces

May 11, 2018

“If there was ever a year where I thought this was not my year, this was the one.”

Elite runner Desiree Linden didn’t think she would win this year’s Boston Marathon, but in fact she did—and in doing so became the first American woman since 1985 to win the historic Patriot’s Day race that starts in Hopkinton and finishes 26.2 miles later in Boston.

Des, who trains in Rochester Hills and lives in Charlevoix with her husband Ryan, had figured she was in a re-building year following some time off from running in 2017. “I took the break probably in mid-July. Looking back, I had done the [Olympic] Trials, I had done the [Olympic] Games, then done Boston [2017], so three really high-stress, high-pressure marathons back to back to back, and physically it was a lot to ask of my body and mentally, it was just like, I was exhausted and it wasn’t really fun anymore. I felt like I was trying to have this big breakthrough performance and was forcing it more than anything. So I needed to step away and hit re-set and re-group and figure out what I really loved about the process and not focusing so much on the goal. So that gave me time to hate the process, fall in love with the process, and then set the next goal. And that happened over a really big amount of time.”

On this special live podcast recording, Des shares her journey to Boston – and what it was like to battle brutal weather conditions on April 16 – with co-hosts Heather Durocher and Pam Carrigan during the third annual Michigan Runner Girl Spring Getaway at Timber Ridge Resort in Traverse City, Mich.

Des speaks candidly about falling back in love with running. “It probably happened when I was training for this Boston.”

“I had ups and downs with it in November and December and January … It’s when you forget you’re trying and you’re just doing … it’s ‘oh, yeah I do love this.’”

She takes the audience through the miles of the race, including when she turned to fellow elite runner Shalane Flanagan and told her she wasn’t thinking this was her day and that she was there to help Shalane if she needed it, and what it really was like to run in such freezing, wet conditions: “I would take a snow day over, like 30,  just above freezing and rain. That’s the worst. Those are the worst conditions. It was bad at the start … and whatever the weather is, it’s only getting worse as you get into the city. That held true.”

Looking back on her historic win, Des believes her consistent training – over the course of many years – led to her triumphant moment of crossing the finish line and breaking the tape.

“When I got to the [start] line, it was like, last year I got my butt kicked so why should I expect anything different this year especially when I really haven’t pushed the envelope to try to get better? But that’s why we line up in a race, because every race is different … It all makes sense now.”

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