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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: March, 2017
Mar 21, 2017
For the third year, business students at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City are planning for the BIG Little Hero Race, held on campus on Saturday, April 15. This superhero-themed race raises funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan. Heather welcomes to the show several of the students part of this effort, along with their instructor Kristy McDonald and marathoner/Big Brothers Big Sisters advocate Tony Anderson. The students—Abby Gudith, Sam Javed and Drew Geralds—talk about this year's event, which includes a kids fun run in addition to the 10K and 5K, costume awards and post-race festivities like face painting, music, snacks, silent raffle and more. Heather talks about her family's involvement in last year's race (this race is dog-friendly, so they brought their two Labs, dressed up as "Batman" canines, too). The races start on campus and the courses take runners out Old Mission Peninsula. Each child who participates receives a free cape, thanks to NMC's College for Kids. A fun run just for kids is held on campus. Last year's race raised about $26,000, and the students have a goal of exceeding that amount this year. This year's race also honors the late Sonja Olshove, a beloved social sciences teacher at NMC. "Sonja believed that everyone should have a hero and was involved with the Hero Imagination Project ... Sonja was a NMC superhero and we wanted to celebrate and remember her," Abby Gudith says. 
 
 
Link: biglittleherorace.com 
Mar 14, 2017
No Surrender Running Club isn't your everyday running organization. This nonprofit based in west Michigan is all about using running and mentorship as tools to empower urban youth in Grand Rapids. Kelli Zerbel, a runner in Grand Rapids, learned of this group and quickly decided to get involved. She joins Heather on the show to talk about what it means to be a part of this organization—and how it's impacted her own running. No Surrender Running Club works with 35 kids ages 10 to 18 each year, during designated spring and summer sessions; the club helps these children discover the joy (and work) involved with logging miles. And along the way, these young runners realize what they're made of and what they can accomplish, all on their own when they put their minds to reaching a goal. They run together and train for a race--the Reeds Lake 10K in the spring and the Lake Michigan Credit Union Bridge Run 10 mile race in the summer. Kelli also shares how she quit smoking and took up running, while living out west. Since returning to Michigan, she has not only gotten involved with No Surrender Running, she's also found her tribe of people in the west Michigan running community. She's run many 5Ks and 10Ks, three LMCU Bridge runs, four half marathons, three 25Ks and a marathon. Kelly mentions an upcoming fundraiser for No Surrender Running Club, taking place March 26. 
 
 

 

Mar 7, 2017
For those of us training for spring marathons and half marathons, our mileage is increasing and we may be experiencing some typical training "aches and pains." Sometimes it's nothing more than our body acclimating to the miles we're logging. Other times, however, we may be on the brink of injury (or, worse, dealing with a definite injury). Heather welcomes Brandon Lorenz of Probility Therapy Services in Ann Arbor to the show to talk about staying healthy and injury-free during our training cycles. Both Heather and Brandon are in the midst of training for big goal races -- Heather is in week 6 of training for her 8th marathon, the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City this spring, while Brandon is gearing up for his first Ironman in California later this year -- so staying injury-free is definitely on their minds. Brandon is a physical therapist with more than 15 years of clinical experience. He also teaches continuing education courses across the country to other physical therapists. He's also been running for about 20 years. This show covers common issues that may arise during our training and how best to handle them. Heather and Brandon talk about the importance of rest days, how cross-training can help (but also how it may not be what you should focus on during race training), fueling well, treating minor aches and pains (and how to know if you've got an injury), the power of massage and ice baths, and lots more. Whether you're training for your first half marathon or marathon, or you're preparing for your 20th race, you're sure to take away some helpful information and be inspired listening to Brandon and Heather.
 
Link: probilitypt.com 
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