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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: June, 2018
Jun 18, 2018

The Fourth of July is almost here -- do you have plans for a patriotic race? One of MRG’s favorites: the super family-friendly Stars Stripes & Splatter, a 5K color run at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City. Color stations -- manned by volunteers who spread the cornstarch red, white, and blue love with runners as they pass by -- are located throughout the 3.1-mile course. The run, which is untimed, starts at Jazz Live Field on the resort grounds, and loops back to the start area, with portions of the race running on Lautner Road.

Race Director Kelly Yauk joins Heather on the show to talk about this year’s Stars, Stripes, and Splatter 5K, which is set for this coming weekend, Saturday, June 30. Also joining the conversation: Kelly’s Resort colleagues and fellow runners Jillian Manning, public relations manager, and Courtlyn Reekstin, marketing intern. They talk all about this weekend’s race, including new features (even more treats and goodies during the post-race party) and how the event continues to partner with Habitat for Humanity-Grand Traverse Region.

Kids 12 and under run for free with an adult participant. Children must pre-register for complimentary entry. Cost is $35 through this Friday, June 29, or $40 day of race if spaces remain.

Learn more and get signed up here: http://starsstripesandsplatter.com/

For more Fourth of July-themed and summer races happening all around Michigan, check out the searchable race and event calendar on MichiganRunnerGirl.com here: https://michiganrunnergirl.com/event/



Jun 11, 2018

Lifelong athlete and former collegiate volleyball player Sara Grey unexpectedly became a mother at a young age, in her 20s just as she was preparing to apply to law school. She describes that time of her life as challenging, and yet she also persevered—having her son, working hard to obtain her law degree—and she credits the "resilience and tenacity" she learned through moment and athletics as helping her not only get through a tougher time, but to ultimately thrive as a young mother and lawyer. 

Today, Sara practices law in Grand Rapids, Mich. and her son Henry, 18, just graduated high school. She's also recently launched WANNABE, maker protein blends and supplements for the everyday female athlete. "I want to help women find their own space and place and a community where they can grow and thrive and encourage. And train in resilience, and train in that sense of confidence—not just to train to have strong legs, but train to have a strong mindset. I want to create products that are the mirror back to women that celebrate their movement and power their movement and have messages along with it."  

"I have really invested a lot in my law career. I love the work that I do. But WANNABE, I feel called—I know it sounds a little cheesy—but i felt called. After I turned 40, I started to feel responsible for all the daughters I didn't have. As I got a little older, I started to think, what can we do for the next generation to help power them forward?"

Sara Grey is the Founder of WANNABE, maker protein blends and supplements for the everyday female athlete. As a three-decade athlete and whole-body health advocate, Sara’s pre-gym morning ritual meant making potions of protein, Ayurvedic herbs, supplements, superfoods, and power flowers. In order to get out the door faster, Sara streamlined her formulas, creating the first-of-their-kind WANNABE protein blends in the process. Sara is also the host of the podcast Power the Hustle where she interviews game-changing women from around the world about real bodies, real hustle and real team.

Jun 5, 2018

For months, Heather and Emma trained — as so many runners throughout Michigan (and beyond) did this spring — for the popular Bayshore Marathon that takes place each Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City, Mich. It would mark Heather's 4th Bayshore Marathon and 9th marathon overall, and for her daughter Emma, a 2018 high school graduate who celebrates her 18th birthday this month, the race would be her very first attempt at 26.2 miles following a 4-year high school cross country running career that included, after this spring's Gazelle Girl Half Marathon, five 13.1 races. 

Anyone who ran, or spectated, this year's Bayshore knows this: it was HOT. Brutally warm. Super humid. Low 70s at the 7:15 a.m. start — and it kept getting warmer. The weather certainly was fantastic for an exceptional long holiday weekend. But for running a marathon, half marathon or 10K? Not so much. (At least, not so for most runners who struggled with not having been acclimated to running in these conditions). 

Still, it was a beautiful day and it was Bayshore weekend — the unofficial kick-off to summer in northern Michigan.

Heather and Emma talk about the 18-week training plan they followed (they shared some of their runs on the MRG Youtube Channel, as well as on the MRG Facebook page). Emma also shares what it was like  committing to a marathon training plan during her senior year.

Mother and daughter get real about how the race unfolded (it was an emotional race, for more reasons than they expected), and what it meant to have shared this experience.

 

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