Evanston Running Club President, Melissa Polivka, on Her Way to 50—Marathons That Is, One in Each State

I recently sat down with Evanston Running Club president Mellissa Polivka to discuss her goal of running a marathon in each of the 50 states. Running 50 marathons is in itself an extraordinary goal, but Melissa has upped the ante and wants to run one in each state. I wanted to find more about how it all started and why on earth she decided to do that.

This year she will run the Boston Marathon after qualifying in 2019, but having the race postponed because of Covid. That in itself is an accomplishment not all marathon runners get to experience.

We had a great conversation and here is her response to some of my questions and her thoughts about running.

When did you start running?

I went to Northwestern University as an undergraduate and played water polo, and I was a swimmer in high school. I consider myself a distance/endurance person in the water and on land. After I stopped swimming I wanted a casual way to stay in shape and running fit the bill. I always enjoyed long runs and found it easy to do 8-10 miles.

After running for a while I signed up for my first half marathon race.  I had runs a few 5ks previously, but never a long run. 

What was your first marathon, and when did the goal start?

It was about 2002 when many “normal’ people started running marathons, inspired by Oprah Winfrey and others. I jumped on the bandwagon and ran my first marathon in Indianapolis. It finished on the 50-yard line at the Notre Dame football stadium. I thought it wasn’t a big deal, but really it was a huge accomplishment, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I didn’t find it that difficult. I did the Chicago the next fall, and then the Madison Marathon on a whim. Following that I ran the New York Marathon, since I was there anyway on a work assignment and my expenses were paid. By that time I had run four marathons in four different states, and I thought, “I may as well run 50.” 

And so the journey began.

I didn’t run any races for six years as I focused on my work and raising a family. There just wasn’t time to trail.

Do you have a coach, or what running program do you follow/

I don’t have a coach, but I follow Hal Higdon’s plan. I started out with the Novice plan and now it follow the Intermediate/Advanced program,.

What was your favorite marathon?

My favorite marathon was in Missoula, Montana. It was an incredible experience. When I got off the plane the air just smelled different. It was also my favorite post race experience. We did an inner tube float trip down the Clark Fork River. The cold water felt so good on my tired legs.

Melissa after her favorite marathon, and no, she didn’t run it backwards

What was your least favorite marathon?

The White River Marathon in Arkansas. The race consisted of four loops of about six miles each, and it was the most dull thing ever. It was pure torture.

What was your hardest race?

My first race after having my kids was he North Country Trail Marathon. I had no idea what they meant by the word “trail.” I thought it would be like the Green Bay Trail, or running in Harm’s Woods on one of their trails. Instead it was 26.2 miles on single-track sand dunes. I was “totally, woefully unprepared.” There were about 150 people in the race. It was so sandy and footing was terrible. I fell once, and wondered how long it would be for someone to find me. But I endured and finished. “One more state down”” I said to myself.

Where are you on achieving your goal?

I have run marathons in 37 states and the Boston Marathon will be my 38^th.

Smiling after Atlantic City #37

Melissa smiling after her Fargo marathon

What keeps you motivated?

The goal is within my grasp. Also I don’t take anything for granted and I want to show my kids you can do hard things

What are some of your other thoughts about running and doing marathons?

I would rather run 15 miles than three miles. Every time I go out I have an adventure. I sort of get lost and a three-hour run for me is like a meditation. Running makes me feel alive. I mentally look around and experience my surroundings, the smells and the sights.  

Lake Michigan sunrise that inspires Melissa on her early ,morning runs

Every marathon is a complete adventure. I never know what I am getting into. I don’t study the course before the race or look at the topography to find out where the hills are and prepare in that way. The hills aren’t going to change so I just take them as they come. Every marathon is a complete surprise. I never know what I am getting into.

I love being outside in all kinds of weather.

Frozen Lake Michiigan sunrise with ERC friends

Melissa enjoying a snowy run with ERC friends

I am not much of a competitive runner. For me a marathon is just another training run that results in a medal. But I always want to finish.

What do you fear?

My ultimate fear is not finishing a race (a DNF in runner’s parlance).  There is no way I am dragging my family back to Arkansas, or North Dakota, so I have to finish come hell or high water.

How has your running changed recently?

I am now running with faster people on Friday. It has changed my running and I see that I have room to improve. I have not peaked as a runner. I want to get better.

Melissa, we are in awe of your fortitude and dedication as you move toward your goal. We wish you a great race in this year’s Boston Marathon, which is so fitting to be your one race in the state of Massachusetts.

Kate Saccany-Heartbreak Hill Here I Come

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 am a dedicated group of Evanston Running Club (ERC) members meet at Lee Street Beach come rain, shine or snow, unless of course there is lightning or otherwise dangerous conditions.  Those runs are coordinated by ERC member Kate Saccany, who has done so for many years. Every Monday and Wednesday she reminds us of the next day’s run and let’s us know the weather conditions, as a certified weather spotter,  so we are prepared. During the warmer weather it is ERC’s second largest weekly run. We owe a debt of gratitude to Kate for her diligence and dedication. I’m not an early riser, or runner, but on several occasions I have been up and looked out my window to Lee Street to see a figure running west. Wouldn’t you know, it was Kate, all lit up like a Christmas tree for visibility on a dark winter morning.

The O Dark Thirty Group Selfie after the run. A happy bunch!

For many years Kate has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get a BQ (Boston Qualifier) so she could run in that storied race, which is the goal for most of us die hard runners.  For those of you who don’t know, the Boston Marathon has a set of qualifying standards based on age and sex, and they get easier, if that is the correct terminology, as one gets older. This year when Kate turned 70 she figured, “It’s now or never.” She entered the Grand Rapids Marathon and left nothing to chance, buying a pair of “magic shoes,” and sticking to a rigorous training regimen.

Before she tells us some of the details of that race, I asked her a few questions about her running history/story.

When did you start running? 

January 1976

Why did you start running? 

I decided at the beginning of my second semester of business school that I needed to increase my physical activity to offset all of my hours of studying. I had been doing basic calisthenics in my room since I was 14, but I needed something more and running was getting more publicity. I ran barefoot on Indiana University’s indoor track, and when the weather improved, I bought Puma men’s running shoes because they didn’t make women’s running shoes.  When my boyfriend found out about it, he told me I also needed to get stronger to truly be physically fit and taught me how to lift weights. 

What was your first race? 

 It was a Shamrock Shuffle, I think 1989 – 1991, and it started and ended in front of the Hilton on Michigan Avenue.  The temperature was 17 and the participants staged in the hotel lobby and then ran out the door and lined up a few minutes before the start.  I wore full cotton sweats because there were no running clothes the way we know them, I knew nothing about training and racing and race etiquette, I lined up three rows from the front, and I remember going past the first mile clock, it said 6:30, and wondering if that was fast. I have no idea what my total race time was.

What was your first marathon? 

1998 Chicago.  I joined LaSalle Bank in 1997 and the bank was paying the race fee for any bank employee who wanted to run it,  our CARA membership fee, and offered a free training class conducted by Carey Pinkowski and Hal Higdon. When an elite runner came through Chicago, Carey would have the runner talk to our group. Hal gave us a pamphlet on how to train that I now recognize must have been the sales pamphlet Hal used to persuade a publisher to publish his first marathon training book. We all trained solo; neither CARA nor any other group that I know of had a training program.  Hal and Carey encouraged us to join our local running club, so I tracked down ERC for the second time.  The first time I tried to join, around 1978 when I moved to Evanston, no one returned my phone call!

How long have you been trying to qualify for Boston?  

Ha!  Since 2001!! Injury – specifically chronic hip tendinitis, plus lack of training time due to my career, kept me from improving my time.  In retrospect, it was a waste of time for me to even try. I should have stuck with shorter races, or just jogged that distance instead of butting my head against a wall.

What has running given you? 

The first thing I noticed was freedom from my annual chronic sinus infections. I went 30 years without one after starting to run. Definitely the stress release I was looking for from studying, then work.  A very long list of additional health benefits, including keeping about 40 lbs a year off my body.  A much more interesting, lively group of friends who understand that there’s nothing wrong and everything right about me if I don’t want to spend the weekend smoking and drinking in a bar until 4AM (a very popular 1970’s activity.)  

How long have you been coordinating 0530 T/Th runs?  

Ask Nichelle Pajeau.  I think 15 years?  She started Tuesday, then I was asked to start Thursday, and I subsequently took over Tuesday after she bowed out.

Tell us about your training and planning for your BQ.  

Three key changes caused my BQ: 1) I retired and had time to train.  2) My chiropractor solved a 20 year severe hip tendinitis problem that kept me from executing my training plans in one session, via needling, enabling me to execute the entire training plan for the first time.  3) I observed that the ERC members who used the Hanson marathon plan achieved major improvements in their marathons, so I switched to Hanson. I also made a dozen other smaller changes, but that’s plenty to start. 

Tell us some of the details of your BQ race and how you managed to qualify.

BQ Time for women 70-74 is 4:50 this year.  I ran the Grand Rapids Marathon on 10/17/21 in 4:41:49.  I actually ran 26.7 miles per my Garmin, a 10:32 pace.  That’s the biggest difference I’ve incurred running a marathon course. I think that’s the seventh or eighth time I’ve run GR.  Nancy Rollins recommended it to me.  It has all the support that Chicago has, but with substantially fewer participants. I typically volunteer at Chicago; then run GR the week after Chicago.

Kate after her BQ qualifying race in Grand Rapids. Now that is one happy woman!

Shoes:  I was trying to avoid investing in what I call Magic Shoes, I feel that they’re dishonest, but when I ran the Hidden Gem Half in September, my test run before GR, I missed third place by four seconds and second place by ten seconds; that’s two points I could have picked up for ERC Team Circuit points, darn it, and those shoes do make a difference.  If everyone else is wearing them, I decided I needed them to level the playing field.

I bought the Saucony Endorphin Pro.  Why those?  Saucony designed a specific women’s shoe; they’re not designed for men and sold unisex as Nike’s are. My feet aren’t compatible with men’s shoes.  The original model was on sale at Commonwealth and reasonably priced compared to other Magic Shoes. The only issue I have with them is a bit of instability in the heel, noted in the shoe reviews, which I understand was corrected in the Endorphin 2.

Kate, we are so proud of you and thank you for all you have given to ERC. We wish you and the rest of the Boston qualifiers as you run Heartbreak Hill and pass by all the historic checkpoints along the way.

 Go Kate!!!

Kate with with training buddy Ila Allen helping her train for Boston

We Knew Him When—Paolo Tiongson

We in the Evanston Running Club (ERC) have been privileged to watch one of our own, Paolo Tiongson, grow form a grade school boy running at our Wednesday night track workouts, to an accomplished runner, college graduate and fine young man. Those of us who saw him running on the track, or with his mom, Luni, or father Ron, in those early years knew he would be special when we saw his smooth, fluid stride, even as a young boy, running around the track at Evanston High School, and he did not disappoint us.

Paolo then:Paolo as a Marquette Warriorn

Paolo’s first race was the Race Against Hate 5k in 2005 when he was 9-years old., and he ran/walked with his mom. As she says, “He was entertained by the presence of water stations on the course. Little did we know that this race was a pivotal moment, as this paved the way for hundreds more. He ran about 42 minutes, but then in his second 5k, a few months later he finished under 39 minutes, a three-minute improvement. But more was to come when he ran the Winnetka 5k a month later in 34:10, and as they say, “the rest is history,” and Paolo was on his way.

Who is that speedy young man passing me in a flash?

Paulo running with this his dad and the ERC “big dogs” Chris Travis and Suresh Decosta at the the Corn Fest 10k

We were delighted when he came back to the track workouts this summer after graduating from Marquette University in Milwaukee where he ran track and cross country. His stride was effortless as he ran repeat miles, actually 1,600 meters, in five minutes, or less, even speeding to a 4:38 time on one of those four lappers as we watched in awe. Sometimes he would come around after one or two laps and wonder aloud why he was running so fast, and if he should slow down, but he didn’t.

I recently published my second and last book, and thought I had run out of things to write about, but then at our annual Evanston Running Club end of season party Paolo said he was gunning for my ERC marathon record of 2:32, which I have done twice, once at Boston in 1973 and once in Chicago in 1977. That peaked my interest and suggested I should write an article about one of our own. Plus I would be more than happy to bequeath my throne to Paolo, and I am more than certain he will do it.

Paulo ran track and cross country for Loyola Academy in Wilmette and for Marquette University in Milwaukee and was an excellent runner at both. He recently graduated from Marquette, and I met up with Paolo for coffee to ask a few questions about his running for this article, and below are some of his answers, which I have summarized as best I can.

When did you start running?

I started running when I was about 6 or 7-years old. I didn’t enjoy it at first, going on runs with my parents, and wanting to walk every mile or so. My dad encouraged me to run at a pace that felt good, and to see if I could run without stopping. I remember feeling good after a 5k when I shaved my time from 38 to 34 minutes, and enjoying the accomplishment of not stopping, and improving my time.

Have you had what you would consider a breakthrough race? What was the race and what made it a breakthrough for you?

In high school during my sophomore year I ran 9:29:04 to qualify for the state meet in the 3,200 at the Loyola Sectional meet. Before that I had been running in the high 9:30s. It also gave me confidence going into the next year knowing I would be a top runner for our team and a leader.

In college I ran my first 10k at the Drake Relays as a sophomore also. I locked into running 75 second laps, in a very competitive race, and was able knock 45 seconds of my previous best 10k time,

More recently I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k in Chicago with the expectation of running a 5:15 to 5:20 pace, but instead me and my buddy ran 5:01 for the first mile, and I thought to myself, “What are we doing, am I going to die?,” but I was able to finish he race in which gives me confidence for the half marathon, which I am thinking about running soon. Note: Paolo finished second in the race in 48:16 (5:11 pace)

What are some of your running PRs?

High School-Loyola Academy

IHSA Cross Country Championships 2016-14^th in 14:38

Quite a feat knowing how competitive Illinois HS cross country is.

Here is link to an article written after the race from the Daily North Shore

Grand Paolo: Tiongson earns all-state honors

College-Marquette University

1500m-4:00

1 mile-4:21

3k-8:38

5k-15:00

10k-31:11 

How many miles do you run in a week?

I generally run in he upper 60s, but have done 70 miles a week a few times.

What’s the farthest you’ve run?

20 miles. I did three of them while I was at Marquette during the summer.

What do you most enjoy about running?

I enjoyed being the camaraderie of being on a team during high school and college, and have made many lasting friendships with my running companions. When I am on an easy run with friends it makes the run easy and we get to talk and have conversations. Individually running has given me self confidence. I enjoy competing with other people and having a fun time doing it.

What do you least enjoy about running?

Going into a race and having high expectations and then not meeting them, and having a bad race instead.

How has your transition been now that you are no longer in school?

It has been hard mentally being on my own and not having races to train for, or give me focus. Plus I miss having teammates to run with.

What has running given you?

Running has given me friendships, confidence and a positive outlook on life. It helps me to be determined, and it also has humbled me when I have had tough days, and not met my own expectations of what I wanted to achieve.

What are your running goals for 2021?

Slowly improve my times in the 5 and 10k. I am planning to run a half marathon, and am hoping to run 71 minutes, or maybe break 70. I want to also qualify for the American Development Group in Chicago, which helps runners prepare for the Chicago Marathon

What are some of your longer range running goals?

I want to break 2:30 in the marathon in the near future, and ultimately break 2:20. I want to run all of the marathon major races, which are all run in interesting cities to visit—Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Tokyo, not to mention Chicago.

Any other thoughts?

Watching the Chicago Marathon this year has really inspired me and made me want to run a marathon in the future.

Paolo, we look forward to watching you continue to achieve your goals and develop as a standout runner, and as a person,

Paolo winning Bucktown 5k. All that summer track work paid off

Cool dude finishing second in Hot Chocolate 15k in Chicago

How the Raboin Mosquito Index Came to Be

Our friends Lillis and Bill Raboin live for much of the year in a house on Muskellunge Lake in Eagle River, Wisconsin. For the past several years we have visited them in the spring soon after the ice has left the lake, and after they come back from a winter’s sojourn near some of their grandchildren in the San Francisco Bay Area. We always enjoy spending time with them, going for walks through the woods, plying the waters of the lake on their pontoon boat, fishing from their dock and going out for Northwood’s fare at a local bar. Most years the weather has been good and we have spent much of our time out of doors. But this year was different. It was “the year of the mosquito!” It was a cruel irony for our friends and others living “up north,” who had endured the worst winter in almost 40 years, stuck in their cabins by the interminable snow and cold. Now they were stuck inside, but it was a tiny little insect that was responsible—the dreaded mosquito! They were everywhere and it was almost impossible to stay outside without getting bitten.

Usually when we arrive we park our car and go directly in using their front door. But this year it was different. They shunted us to the back door, which has a small vestibule. We entered through the first door, careful to close it behind us, and only then would we open the door to their kitchen. The process was reversed on the way out in an effort to keep the mosquitos out of their house. We did go out, but only with liberal doses of mosquito repellent on our exposed skin. Our friend Lillis wore a hat steeped in repellent for her walks in the woods.

We spent much of our time indoors or on the lake where the mosquito population is relatively low. It occurred to us that northern Wisconsin was in the grip of a mosquito alert, and thus was born the “Raboin Mosquito Index” to alert people to the danger and help them make plans, especially those of us coming up from Illinois. Below is the index we developed.

Raboin Mosquito Index

Much analytical work, as well as some general empirical data went into the development of the index. Like the forest fire danger level, there are five levels, ranging from low to extreme with appropriate colors, with green being the lowest and red the highest. It was definitely a Red Alert during our visit.

So the next time you go “up north,” make sure to check the Raboin mosquito index before you leave so you will be prepared, and maybe make other plans if the index is in the orange or red zone.

Running With Clyde Baker

Next year I’ll be 50 years old, a fact that amazes me, and makes me ponder, especially as I enter another age group and will be at the young end of an age group once again.  As I consider my advancing age, my thoughts turn to my good friend and running partner, Clyde Baker, who had some of his best running times in his early 50s.

I first met Clyde in 1974 after we moved to Asbury Avenue in Evanston, just two blocks north of Clyde’s house.  We had just bought an old house that had formerly been known as “Sleepy Hollow” by neighbors and current and former Northwestern University football students.  We were in the process of rehabilitating it and making it livable after the abuse and neglect it had received while being occupied by the former Northwestern students.  One of Clyde’s neighbors at the time, Robert Leeb, was a friend of ours and he told me that his neighbor (Clyde) was an internationally renowned soils engineer and also an accomplished runner.  I don’t remember exactly how we met.  I think I called him.  But in any case, that was the beginning of many long joyous miles running together.

We’d begin our runs from my house and travel north through Wilmette, through Kenilworth, Winnetka and Glencoe, and once in a while up to Lake-Cook Road in Highland Park and back again down Sheridan Road—a distance of 20 miles. Our favorite run was up Green Bay Road, across Central Street, up Prairie to Green Bay Road again, west on Kenilworth Avenue up to Ridge Road.  Then we ran the two miles around Indian Hill Country Club and back home.  The run is about nine miles long, or at least that is what I always put in my running log.  Clyde, on the other hand, would mentally log 10 miles for the same run.  Clyde would always add a mile or so to any distance I had estimated.  I’d tend to underestimate the distance slightly, so I wouldn’t give myself credit for miles I didn’t think I had actually run.  It got to be a joke with us.  There was a “Baker 10” and a “Van Dyke 10.”  A “Baker 10” is not usually 10 miles, but somewhere between 8½ to 9½ miles, and a “Van Dyke 10” is 10 to 10½ miles, but never less than 10.

We would usually go for a short run of five to six miles on Saturday, and then on Sunday afternoon we’d do a long run of nine to 12 miles, or longer, if we were training for a marathon.  The longer runs were my favorite.  We’d always start out talking, catching up on work or family or political events.  We’d also reminisce about past races we’d run.  Clyde ran his first marathon at Boston in the 1950s while still an undergraduate at MIT, and I ran my first marathon in 1970, so we had lots to talk about.  Then at some point in the run, usually past halfway, we’d stop talking and begin the serious business of training.  What usually happened would be that one of us would pick up the pace.  It would be imperceptible at first, but when one of us would speed up, the other would respond by keeping up the pace, and then pushing it up a notch.  We didn’t talk then (we couldn’t), but we both kept pushing the edge until we were both in a groove, focused totally on our running.

Clyde and me resting after 1978 Chicago Marathon

In the late 1970s when Clyde and I were both in our prime, our runs were extremely fast-paced, especially the last two or three miles when we both smelled home.  We’d often end up running our last miles at a pace well under six-minute miles. Depending on who was in better condition, the other would hang on for dear life, not wanting to lose contact.  We’d finish our run, relax and drink some beer or juice at one of our houses and jog home for the relaxation and rejuvenation of a hot bath.

In Hopkinton- Boston Marathon 1977-Bob Pates on the left, me in the center and Clyde on he right

Clyde’s achievements during the early part of his fifth decade were remarkable.  He still holds some age group course records at several Chicago area races, including the Club North Shore Half Marathon.  I too have ambitions of running well in my 50s, and I know most of Clyde’s times will be out of my reach, but his achievements and effort and our training runs together will be my inspiration.

April 1993

First Boston Marathon 50-Years Ago

It’s Patriots Day in Boston today and it is strange to think that 50 years ago today I ran my first Boston Marathon, and today it will not be held because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The streets from Hopkinton to Boston will be devoid of runners, young and old, who have gotten the BQ (Boston Qualifier) and were gleefully anticipating running this esteemed race.

The race in 1970 was not the mega race it has evolved into with over 25,000 runners participating in wave starts, beginning with the elites and then on to the rest of the runners by estimated finishing times. In 1970 everyone lined up, jostling for a good position at the start. Runners and family gathered in the high school gym in Hopkinton before the race, which was especially true in 1970 with 40 degree temperatures and a light rain, You could just feel the nervous pre-race excitement in the gym as the runners anxiously awaited the start of the race..

Our friend, Barbara King, drove us Hopkinton. We were staying with her and her husband Wayne in Cambridge after driving up from Virginia a few days before. Once the race started they took off down back roads along the route to see me run by at several locations along the way. Imagine trying to do that today with the large crowds and roadblocks protecting the route for the runners. I began the race with no real expectations, just being excited to finally run BOSTON, a race that had captured my imagination when I first heard about it. I had run my first marathon only two months before in 2:52, having never run over 12 miles, so I had not idea what to expect, especially when I heard about the dreaded “Heartbreak Hill.” I had visions of a mountain at about the 20-mile mark and was very apprehensive.

Before Heartbreak Hill though, there was Wellesley College with coeds lining both sides of the road. Now they are separated from the runners by barriers and are some distance from the runners, but in 1970 there were no barriers and we ran through a narrow passage with screaming coeds on both sides. The cheers sent chills down my spine and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I arrived at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill in approximately 120^th place, not knowing what to expect. I remember talking to a few other runners as we approached, me with trepidation. We trudged up the hill with children along the route offering cut up oranges for refreshment, which was the only hydration along the entire route. The hill turned out to be much easier than I thought it would be, and once we reached the top it was basically downhill to the finish on Boylston Street. I was wearing a sweat suit that was soaked with rain, but my pace picked up as we ran the last six miles to the finish, and I was very pleasantly surprised to finish in 93^rd place in 2:41, which was about 10 minutes faster than my first marathon. I had tears of joy as I finished the race, soaking wet, but so happy to have completed my first Boston, and so glad Johna was there to share it with me at the finish.

That race was a harbinger of things to come, because in June we moved to Boston, and I joined the Cambridge Sports Union and had a three year period where I raced in New England against some of the best runners in the country and even won a race or two.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of me running the race. I do have this photo of me wearing the sweat suit I wore that day.

Me in my sweat suit. Not sure what everyone finds so funny

I also have a small drawing done by Johna’s former coworker at Marshall Fields window display, Phyllis Bramson, who became a well known Chicago artist.

A medal from Phyllis just in case I didn’t win the race

Anyone who has run Boston will always remember the first one no matter where they finish. Grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams on that rainy day in April 50 years ago.

 

Sheridan School Running Club

It’s spring and the children at Sheridan School in Tacoma, Washington are looking forward to participating in their running club, which was started by our daughter, Gretchen, who has taught third or fourth grade there since 2004. We are so proud that she has shared her passion with the children at the school and creatied the Sheridan School Running Club. Rather than me tell the story, I asked her several questions so she could tell you about the club and its success.

What is the Sheridan School Running Club?

Each year, Sheridan has a Running Club. It typically runs about 6 weeks at the end of the school year and is an hour after school – 2 days a week.  Kids who have signed up (grades 1-5) get together, have a snack, do some drills and then do some laps around our track.  Each time they lap around our oblong, non-standard, not-quite-a-1/5-mile-track, adults tally their laps on their arm with a magic marker to mark their progress.  Initially it was all about preparation for a big race Tacoma holds called “Sound to Narrows”, but as time has gone on and the group has expanded so much it is essentially just about the power of getting together and running after school.  Many kids (about 30-40%) do end up running the 2 kilometer race, which is typically the last Saturday of the school year and it is a nice culminating activity. There is also a 5K race, which some kids are able to do as well.

When did you start the running club and why?

Running club began around 2005. At first it was just me and 3 other kids. Two of the students were in my class and one was a sibling.  I just wanted to share my love of running with my kids, who seem to take to the sport so readily.  I then opened it up to the entire fourth grade level for a few years.  Eventually, we added another grade level and then grades 3-5.  In about 2010 our school had all of this money to support an after school program where teachers could teach anything and they provided bussing to the the kids.  This was a huge surge for our club.  A bus!  Our numbers probably hit 100 and registration was in someone else’s hands.  I am sure it was close to the first day when I learned that 1st graders were going to be included (which I had not intended because they are so young).  I was so pleasantly surprised, not only at their ability, but at their eagerness and positive attitudes.  They were a joy to have with us.  This after school program also allowed other staff members to join in and help out as well.  It is no surprise, but that pot of money went away. Luckily the enthusiasm for Running Club did not.  I realized how critical a bus was to our program and allowing kids to participate.  Since then, we have had to get creative in how to fund a bus.  In recent years we started charging kids $5 to cover it.

Running through the sprinkler. Who knew it could be hot and sunny in Tacoma?

It must have been in 2010 or so, we started getting Tshirts.  Every year the PTA purchases them for the kids.  A former parent who owns a Tshirt shop gives us a great deal.  He helped me create a logo, which remains our logo today – each year we have a different color with the same logo.  The kids wear these shirts with pride, long after they fit them.  I also try to get them to wear them on race day to represent our school.

Getting the T-shirts ready

How has participation grown over the years?

Participation has grown tremendously.  We have even had to create deadlines for registration when it starts to creep over 200.  At that point I have teachers, kids, parents, brothers and sisters convincing me to add just one more to the roster.  I usually do.  Staff is a limiting factor.  We have 2 “paid” positions, which is splitting an intramural stipend, and the rest are volunteers or parents. I wish we could have more paid positions to honor the time that other people contribute.  One year I did convince the athletic director to give us about $600 to split with about 4 of our most reliable helpers. I try to maintain a ratio of 20 kids for each adult – which means 10 adults out there with us handing out snacks, herding kids, marking their arms for each lap they run, cheering, helping clean up, putting on band-aids, etc.

How many children participate and what grades participate?

Up to 200 in grades 1-5.

Participation has grown quite a bit from the original three children and Gretchen

What kind of influence has participation had on the children doing it?

From what I can tell, especially in the low-income population I work in, these kids just want to be in a club.  They want to belong.  They want to be a part of “something”.  Oftentimes, their families do not have the resources to get them involved in after school programs or clubs outside of school.  Of course many love running and the accomplishment of seeing their distances grow throughout our time together.  There are others though, that just like to walk around the track and chat with their friends.  I still consider that a win over going home, perhaps to an empty house, and sitting on the couch, or just having nothing to do.  We bring connections, exercise, outside time and exposure to healthy living.  I have kids asking me all year long when Running Club starts and for those 6 weeks, I feel famous walking around the school as 1/3 of the school knows me and loves to say hi in the hallway and reach out.

I did have one success story., a young girl named Yesenia Hernandez who was a very accomplished runner.  She came in 2nd in the 5K and went on to run with the high schoolers while she was in middle school and she traveled as far as New York to do so.  I’m pretty sure Yesenia would be a runner, no matter what, but I think Running Club gave her the confidence to excel and the awareness of the talent she possesses as a runner.  She later wrote me a letter thanking me, which was a tangible treasure to tuck away with all of my stored memories.

Having fun in the Sound to Narrows race with Nola enjoying the ride

Running With a Smile

This is my favorite photograph of our daughter Gretchen running.

It appeared in the Evanston Review after the now defunct Evanston YMCA’s 5 and 10k races that started and ended at the Y in downtown Evanston. She was 10 years old and it was her first race. She had an effusive smile on her face as she neared the finish of the 5k race. No grimace of pain. Rather there was a smile of joy and celebration, that brought smiles to many of the spectators who watched her finish. It is a photo I cherish.

Gretchen has continued to run races and has developed quite an impressive resume since that first race. She has run the Chicago Marathon and the Boston Marathon and eventually ran a personal best of 3:09. in 2015 she also became an Ironman (or is it Ironwoman?) persevering in difficult conditions in a competition in Whistler, Canada.

The image of her running with a smile has continued since that first race in Evanston, as you can see by the following photos of her at several races over the years. These photos give me joy and help remind me of the simple joy running can bring. My hope is that all of us runners continue to find joy in the simple act of moving our body through space, doing what we love.

Gretchen smiling on her way to 2nd place finish in “You Go Girl” run in Tacoma in 2010

Gretchen smiling as she rounds the bend in “South To Narrows” 12k in 2010

Gretchen smiling as she finishes Whistler Ironman in 2015

The Amazing Dave Aubuchon

You’re 86 years old and you recently had knee replacement surgery, so what do you do for exercise? If you’re Dave Aubuchon, you plan to run in the Senior Games in Albuquerque this summer. Dave is a long time member of the Evanston Running Club (ERC) and a hero to all of us as he continues to run like the Energizer Bunny, competing in races, and joining our weekly Wednesday evening interval training on the Evanston High School 400 meter track. I recently took this opportunity to interview Dave before the Games and talk about his running, which involved asking a few questions about his running career.

Dave running  on ERC’s Wednesday track workouts

When you start running?

 Dave said he started running when he was 40 years old. His doctor told him he had high blood pressure and needed to get some exercise to lower his blood pressure. On top of that his own father had died of a heart attack when he was 52 years old and Dave didn’t want that to be his fate too. About that time he went to London and ran with a friend, struggling to run up a small hill to the finish, and that was the start of his foray into running.

Were you involved in athletics in high schoo?

Dave attended St. Mary’s high school in St. Louis, but wasn’t a runner He did participate in sports though, including track (pole vault), football and rugby, and impressively he was a local Golden Gloves champion in the 118 pound weight class. So don’t mess with Dave!

How did you start racing? 

Dave said that he ran when his children were teenagers, running in the Village of Wilmette’s annual Fourth of July 5k. About that time he met his neighbors Dave and Nani Boyce, members of the Evanston Running Club, who introduced him to the club and its many running activities, and the rest as they say, is history. Since then Dave has been an active participant at local races, specializing in the 5k distance, where he is very often the winner of his ever shrinking age group. Dave’s best time for a 5k is 25 minute, which many of us would love to replicate.

What are some of the highlights of your running career?

“I have run in the Senior Olympics four times. It is held every other year, and you need to qualify for your events in the in between years. This past year I went to Milwaukee with several other ERC members to run in qualifying races and I qualified for the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters.”  By the way, Dave’s time for the 1,500 meters was 9:03, which is very impressive and translates to a 9:47 mile time.

What do you most enjoy about running?

“When I finish a run, I feel good. I’m happy it’s over, but I feel great.” Sounds like Dave is like most of us—hard to get started and out the door, but once we finish, we feel great. By the way, Dave couldn’t think of anything to answer the question, “What do you like least about running?”  That’s one happy runner in my opinion.

When did you have your knee surgery?

Dave had his knee surgery two years ago. It all happened at one of our ERC Wednesday track workouts, when he collapsed on the track as his knee buckled under him. We were all very concerned and immediately called his wife, and were hopeful it wasn’t a heart attack, or worse. It turns out Dave’s knee had been injured and he required partial replacement of his left knee. His doctor, Dr. Michael O’Rourke, told him to take it easy, “but you can run.” I guess that is all Dave needed to hear, and he began running soon after the surgery, and in the past year has focused on getting in shape for the Senior Games.

What does your training consist of now?

Dave runs the ERC Wintervals indoor at the Evanston High School track on Sundays from January through March, and our Wednesday interval session on their outdoor track from April through October. He occasionally runs on a treadmill and can run as much as 5-6 miles outside when training, with occasional walking interspersed.

What are your goals for the Senior Games?

For the Senior Games Dave will be running the 400, 800 and 1,500-meter races. Medals are awarded for the top three finishers in each race, with 4^ththough 8^thgetting ribbons. Needless to say, Dave is hoping for a podium finish in each race, but he is concerned because the 1,500-meter race is first, and it may tire him out for the two shorter races.

Senior Game Results

So now that the Senior Games results are in, how did Dave do? Well it didn’t go as planned. Dave was right to be concerned about the 1,500-meter race. Coming around the last turn Dave fell down as his left hamstring muscle gave way. He still managed to finish in 6^thplace, but he scratched from the other two races. But as you can see by the picture below, Dave still had a smile on his face, and he looks forward to resuming his running and training when his hamstring heals

Even with that bum hamstring Dave is smiling with his ribbon after the 1,500

 

No Triathlons for Me

This is a story from my long ago past, in the early 1970s, before triathlons became popular, even before most people knew what they were, before anyone had thought of combining running and swimming in an event, let along adding bicycling to the mix. The first ever Hawaiian Iron Man Triathlon did not start until 1978, and only then with 15 competitors. But there is always someone who has to lead the charge and be first. For me it was Bill Ingraham, who was like me a member of the Cambridge Sports Union in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1972 Bill was the organizer of a new event, a biathlon, consisting of a three-mile run, followed by a half-mile swim in Lake Boon in Stow, about 20 miles west of Cambridge.

As an elite runner at the time, I had no interest in the event. I thought it amusing, but not something I wished to try.  However, that spring I had an Achilles tendon injury that forced me to stop running for a while, and even miss the Boston Marathon that year. As summer approached the tendons were gradually healing and I began to consider doing some racing again. Gradually though, my resistance lessened, and I thought it would be a good test of my fitness and my recovery from the injury. After all I told myself I had swum quite a bit as a kid, and remember fondly our two-week summer vacations at Gages Lake north of Chicago, swimming to the raft off the beach and spending hours diving into the clear green water and getting on the raft again and diving off over and over and over. I also swam at the local Clyde Park pool in Cicero about two blocks from my house, and even swam in a few swim meets. So I thought to myself, “How hard can it be to swim a quarter of a mile to a boat, turn around and swim back to the shore.” So I finally caved in and entered the event.

On race day I lined up with the other 120 or so competitors about to embark on an unusual adventure. When the gun went off we took off down tree lined streets, and before long I found myself in the lead, which I held until we reached the shore of Lake Boon in a time of about 15 minutes. I tore off my running shoes and dove into the lake. But then it all unraveled, as I realized swimming was not my strong suit. I did the Australian crawl for a bit, then I floated on my back for a while, kicking, but not making much forward progress, all the while seeing my Cambridge Sports Union friends and others pass me. I slowly made my way to the turnaround and headed back to the beach, getting passed by more and more people along the way–young people, old people, children were all faster than me. When I finally made it to shore I had been passed by over 100 people, finishing in about 110th place out of 120 entrants. Everyone who passed me thought it was a hoot, “I beat Will,” they said, and laughed, because I was an elite New England runner at the time who they could never keep up with in a footrace. I did have a good time as you can see by the picture my friend Rick Levy took as I came out of the water, smiling and laughing at the absurdity of it all.  But I did learn my lesson not to mix running with swimming, let alone adding a bike to the mix. For all of you triathlon people out there, I applaud you and your efforts and courage to combine the three activities, but for me the only way I will combine running with water is the hot, soaking bath I take after my runs.

Boon Lake Biathlon 1972-First in water, almost last out, but as you can see I had a lot of fun