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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: August, 2016
Aug 25, 2016
Three ultra runners -- Jeff Gaft, Dan Oberski and Erika Kuhnle -- join Heather to talk about their love of running long distances...super long distances. These Michigan runners each have their own stories of how they got interested in running ultras (defined as any distance longer than a marathon, or 26.2 miles) and what keeps them going back for more. Jeff, who is a longtime store manager with Running Fit in Traverse City, began running in 1976 when he was 20 years old and has completed no fewer than 75(!) ultras in the years since. Dan Oberski, a father and high school principal, began running just a few years ago, but discovered he especially enjoys the challenge (mental and physical) of taking on ultras. Erika, a triathlete as well as an ultra runner mother of two, talks about working her way toward a 100-mile race. The trio of runners share great tips about what makes for the optimal ultra running and racing experience (you'll probably be wanting to eat a Snickers candy bar after hearing Dan talk about his favorite way to re-fuel during a race) and they also talk about good first-timer ultras and memorable races they've all experienced. If you've ever thought about going the distance and trying an ultra, these runners' perspectives are sure to leave you inspired -- and ready to sign on for this kind of endurance event. Speaking of which, this episode's race segment is dedicated entirely to upcoming ultras this fall and winter in Michigan.

 

Aug 24, 2016
Runners have several opportunities each year to cross the Mackinac Bridge on foot, and the Mighty Mac Bridge Run 10K is one of them. This race, which has been an 11K in the past, takes place Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. Runners meet in St. Ignace on race morning and then are shuttled across the Mighty Mac for the start on the southern side of the Bridge, in Mackinaw City. (There will be some awesome photo opps here at Colonial Michilimackinac, with amazing up-close-and-personal views of the Mackinac Bridge.) Runners will then travel north across the Bridge and finish in St. Ignace. Quincy Westhuis, assistant director of the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau, joins Heather on this special bonus episode to talk about this event -- and share cool information about the experience runners can expect when they sign on for this 10K. (Great discounts from local businesses and restaurants, the night before the race and also on race day.) Quincy also shares some interesting facts about the St. Ignace area, including must-see attractions and one historical fact that surprised Heather. 
 
Links:
St. Ignace Visitors Bureau: www.stignace.com
Race registration: http://www.saintignace.org/event/mighty-mac-bridge-race/
 
Aug 18, 2016
In this special three-segment episode, Heather explores the idea of following your heart -- literally -- when running. She talks first with Michigan Runner Girl Lisa Payne Kirker, a New Era, Mich. runner, blogger and mother of two, who decided to try heart rate training this summer. She shares her motivation for giving this method a try, the races she planned to train for using her heart rate monitor, and what it feels like to sometimes be running a 16-minute mile (she's typically a 9:30-10:30 min/mile runner) as part of this new-to-her training. In the second segment, Coach Lisa Taylor joins Heather in studio to demystify heart rate training -- what does it mean exactly, why runners are considering it, and the potential benefits of following this kind of training plan. Finally, in segment three, Heather circles back to Lisa Kirker -- several weeks after their initial conversation -- to hear how her running has changed and her training evolved as a result of monitoring her heart rate while exercising. 
 
Link:
Lisa Kirker's blog Run with a Happy Heart - http://runwithahappyheart.blogspot.com

 

Aug 10, 2016
Round up a group of friends to run along the shores of Lake Michigan, starting early on a Friday in one city and finishing Saturday in another...Keep going on little sleep, through the night and traversing all-new running territory. Sounds interesting and memorable, right? Maybe a little crazy, you're thinking. Talk with experienced "Ragnarians" -- runners who have experienced a Ragnar Relay -- and they'll tell you it's these things and a whole lot more. Heather, who will be participating in her first Ragnar Relay this fall, gets the scoop on all things Ragnar during this episode. She talks with Jonathan Jarrett, who is with Ragnar Events in Salt Lake City, UT, about the inaugural Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan this Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The race starts in Muskegon and ends in Traverse City. Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan is a magical combination of fall colors, sugar sand beaches, massive dunes and wild Ragnarians. Teams of 12 or 6 will start the 200-ish mile relay in charming Muskegon where runners speed past historic ships and lighthouses with a van of teammates cheering them along each leg of the course. Teams make their way past apple orchards, cherry blossoms and rolling hills painted in vibrant autumn hues. As the sun sets, runners continue their relay through the night as a starlit sky and bouncing line of headlamps brighten the way.  Gulps of crisp October air propel runners on their final miles to the finish line in Traverse City – home to some of Michigan's finest wineries and the sapphire blue Grand Traverse Bay. A Ragnar wouldn't be complete without a finish line party, hunky finisher medal and stories to tell for years to come. Find out what it means to find your #innerWILD and mark your running calendar for Sept. 30- Oct. 1. MRG Podcast listeners can use a special code to save $100 off their team entry. Team captains get a free pair of Reebok shoes. 
 
Links: 
 
Reebok Ragnar Relay Michigan: 
 
Details on MRG's involvement with this race: 
http://michiganrunnergirl.com/epic-adventure-mrg-takes-ragnar-relay-michigan/

 

Aug 4, 2016
Rob Swartz was an accomplished runner and triathlete when he was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder -- a disease that led him to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. where he endured numerous tests and brain scans, met with neurologists, and underwent a brain biopsy. Doctors concluded that he had Chronic Microglial Encephalomyelitis, a condition he shared at that time with just six other people in the United States. The disease causes swelling of nerves, which then causes the body to shut down system after system. Rob went from participating in as many as 14 races in one year to being confined to a walker for three months. Rob joins Heather in the studio to share his story. Today, he has fought his way back to the active lifestyle he and his wife have always enjoyed together; this spring he ran the River Bank Run 25K in Grand Rapids as well as the Charlevoix Half Marathon. Following his diagnosis, Rob started Team Lucky Seven, a non-profit organization that enables athletes to help raise funds for research of neurological disorders. Rob and Heather talk about this organization and its role in the race Rob founded in his town of Boyne City -- the Boyne City Triathlon. This race takes place over Labor Day weekend each year. Rob shares all the details of this Sunday, Sept. 4 event (sprint and Olympic distances offered ... And food trucks at the finish!) A race discount code also is shared for MRG listeners.
 
Links:
 
Team Lucky Seven - http://www.teamluckyseven.org 
Boyne City Triathlon - www.boynecitytriathlon.com 

 

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