Lexi Kryszweski Story

Just Another Runner’s Story November 2024 Written By Gale Fischer

Empowered by Running

“There are no standards and no possible victories except the joy you are living while dancing your run”

—-Fred Rohe

In the world of coaching, success is easily measured through wins and losses. Defeating the competition is always an important component when it comes to athletics. As a passionate runner coaching cross-country for more than a decade, an underlying goal for me has always been to field a competitive team, but there is more to strive for than this. It is always an aspiration to provide a positive influence on my athletes and make a difference, helping them navigate through their world moving from teenager to young adult and beyond. The sport of running itself and the guidance of a coach can pay dividends in the lives of our youth. As much as I desire to mentor my athletes, I am continually reminded that the script can be flipped. Lessons can be learned from these young athletes with the inspiration that they are capable of providing. This month’s featured runner, Lexi Kryszewski, has provided positive influence over the last two seasons for her Kellogg Community College (KCC) cross-country teammates and coaches. She is a reminder that with all the negativity we observe and hear about in our world today, hope still remains for our future.

As a child, running wasn’t necessarily an activity Lexi could have predicted would play an important part in her future, but being active was ingrained into her routine early on. She was born and lived out much of her childhood in New Berlin, Wisconsin. She was active as a child in organized sports and also developed a love for playing outside while growing up in the Midwest. Lexi reflects on the role athletics played in her childhood. “Sports have always been a big part of my life. In my elementary school years, my mom had me and my two older brothers signed up for every rec league activity possible. I played soccer, softball, and basketball, took swim lessons, and participated in dance and cheer.”  Lexi enjoyed being active and the values that she learned from this would carry over through her teen years into adulthood. As much as she liked all the sports she played in, she would develop a passion for one in particular. This activity would provide a bridge for Lexi when her family moved from Wisconsin to Michigan. “Dance was always a big focus for me. My passion consumed my life. I was on the Varsity pom team for Harper Creek High School, joined studio dance, and found my first job as a teacher assistant for the tiny tot classes. I continued to share my passion for dance after graduation by becoming a dance instructor during my first two years of college. It has always been about celebrating movement and has built confidence.”

Lexi had developed a love for dance as a child but as she went through high school and began contemplating her future she also developed another passion as she made the transition to college. Lexi gives details about this. “I graduated from Harper Creek High School in 2022, earning a Gold Key Scholarship through (KCC). I wanted to be a secondary math teacher.” Lexi’s involvement in other extracurricular activities beyond sports would lay the foundation for her earning the Gold Key Scholarship and also give her the experiences that helped her to hash out a plan for what she wanted in a career. Some of these extracurricular activities included serving as president of the Student Council and National Honor Society and being a student representative for the Calhoun Area Career Center Education Academy. 

Lexi started a part-time job at Harper Creek Middle School as a paraprofessional and lead SEL teacher during her first year of college to give her some experience working in a school setting. This experience would be the spark that ignited her passion for the impact she wants to make in our world as an adult. “After working with students and teachers from all different backgrounds I realized that the system is broken for kids, teachers, and administrators. I decided to switch my pathway and am seeking to earn a degree in Non-Profit Public Administration and Family Consumer Science and Youth Development. I eventually want to earn a Ph.D in Educational Leadership. I want to create sustainable programs that lead to the enrichment of education, elementary through college.”

High school graduation brought with it the end of competitive dance for Lexi. She would continue to pursue a lifestyle that included physical activity despite not being a high school student. This philosophy of taking care of herself physically was something that had been rooted in her thought process from her years as a young child participating in a variety of sports. After graduating from high school she would spend time at the gym each week with friends. Her gym rat mentality would be put to the test the summer between her freshman and sophomore years at KCC. Lexi talks about the challenge of continuing with her gym routine. “During the summer leading into my sophomore year of college at KCC, I was going through a transition and felt some stress. My workout partners were gone for the summer. Going to the gym alone was out of my comfort zone but at the same time, I leaned on going to the gym to get me through the summer. I did some running on the treadmill, lifted weights, and participated in fitness classes. I had worked out with others but now I was doing it independently. This was a new experience for me and at first, this was uncomfortable but I gained confidence and felt empowered.” 

Prior to joining the KCC cross-country team, Lexi had done some running on her own. She would run one or two miles at a time occasionally. It wasn’t necessarily something that she had a passion for and she didn’t identify herself as a runner, but it served as part of her workout routine and fit perfectly with the importance that she placed on being active as part of her lifestyle. The story of Lexi becoming a collegiate cross-country runner would be put into motion as part of the personal enrichment requirements for the Gold Key Scholarship she had earned. Lexi reflects on what led her to cross-country. “As part of the itinerary for being a Gold Key Scholar, I am required to meet with KCC’s director of student life, Kristen McDermot every semester to identify a personal enrichment activity. When Kristin and I met at the end of my freshman year she challenged me to do something different for my personal enrichment activity. I decided that I would run a 5K.” Lexi didn’t put a whole lot of thought into it when making this goal and quickly realized that she was out of her comfort zone. She had normally run two miles, but increasing this distance another mile seemed daunting. She didn’t panic and put a plan together to reach her goal. “I ran my first 5K on the treadmill later that summer. I had done some running in the past but 3.1 miles was a huge step for me. My focus was to build up step by step and increase my distance gradually as I went. After completing a 5K I was super proud of myself.”

Lexi’s plan was to run the 5K and go back to her normal routine, but the training she had put into running over three miles without a break stirred an interest inside of her. This interest in continuing with a more regimented running routine was also partially spurred on by encouragement that she had received from some of her friends a year prior. Lexi explains this scenario. “During the first few days of my freshman year at KCC some of my friends tried to talk me into joining the KCC cross-country team. They were in need of a few more runners to field a team. I didn’t pursue the possibility of running cross country at that time but a year later after running that first 5K on the treadmill, I decided to reach out to Coach Shaw to see if he needed me to run for the team.” 

Lexi recalls her conversation with Coach Shaw as if it happened yesterday. “My first meeting with Coach Shaw was memorable. At the time I was curious about joining the team but still wasn’t completely sure at first. Coach Shaw wanted to field a team with at least five runners and was on board with me signing on. He laid out the benefits for me to run for his team. He said that I could possibly go on to continue running in my future; in the worst case Coach Shaw said I could get in even better shape, maybe make some friendships that would last a lifetime, and have a great time with the team, which all seemed like great options. After meeting with Coach Shaw, Lexi had to make the choice to try something brand new to her, running cross-country, something she had never dreamt that she would do.

Lexi’s running peers for her first year of cross-country quickly turned into a special group of teammates for her. Lexi talks about what she appreciates most about her team with the friendships that she has made. “The team I was on the first year was really special. I was a new runner, but that didn’t matter. I was welcomed with open arms into a sport I had never participated in before. The humility I had to take on was heavy and not for a second did I feel ashamed; I felt fortified. Everyone accepted me. We supported each other and continue to do so through running but also in life.” Most would think that an ideal situation for a cross-country team would be to have a collection of runners who could compete at a high level. This wasn’t necessarily the scenario for Lexi and her team, but the dynamics of this group were truly amazing. “There was everyone from new runners to experienced runners. Practice each day was always something that I looked forward to. We became a family. We became a community. We would continue to play other sports after practice for hours. This supported my philosophy of how movement and play are important for everyone not just kids. Many workouts were targeted to individual pace but there were also those days when we could run together. I enjoyed these runs. It was a chance to be goofy. It was more than a run.”

Being a part of a team and the social connections it blessed Lexi with were what brought her the most joy but the implementation of a consistent running routine was also something that she relished. “There was constant individual growth. I was always sore and tired but at the same time, I felt strong and more empowered. The more I moved the stronger I felt mentally, physically, and emotionally. In this my second year of cross country my body is not nearly as sore as it was last year. I have adjusted to the miles. Consistency played a major role in my growth. Running during the off-season was not always an easy task, but did always make me feel better.” 

As a second-year student, Lexi was a first-year runner and still considered a freshman athlete, but her future as a KCC student and runner was not a certainty going into the off-season last winter. This didn’t matter to her as a runner; She now identified herself as a runner and continued to run. Her teammates became her gym partners helping her stay committed to cross-training. As the summer of 2024 approached Lexi had to make a decision. She was ready to continue her college education at a four-year school but still wanted to run a second year for KCC. She and Coach Shaw hashed out a plan. She enrolled at Western Michigan University this fall signing on for fifteen credits, while also taking another six credits at KCC. Her schedule as a college student is heavy while also serving other roles including Kampus Activities Boards (KAB) officer and Phi Theta Kappa officer.  Being a member of KCC’s cross-country team added to the load, but as Lexi explains, running helps her efforts as a student. “Running has helped with the demands associated with being a student. Cross-country gives me a community, gives me movement to breathe, and gives me a chance to be outside. The balance it has given me has been a blessing for me as a student and life in general.”

Although Lexi is new to cross country that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any goals as a runner. Her goals have evolved, yet remained rooted in her same philosophy as she explained, “I am pushing for a sub thirty minute 5k to end my season. Regardless of time, my overarching goal for this season had been to ultimately keep showing up for the team and myself. Running has become a standardized thing in my life. I will continue to run after my time as a cross-country runner is finished. I want to complete a half-marathon and build from there someday.” 

Through running and her experiences as a college student, Lexi has a great outlook on how to get through the demands of life with words of advice for others. “Don’t ever be afraid to do new things. Being willing to do something and not be perfect can be a good thing. In racing and life, your place in the race doesn’t equate to losing. Everyone’s journey is different. Don’t let your head get in the way of finishing a race or any challenge you are faced with in life. Give yourself grace because the path you are walking is your own. Sometimes you need to do things for yourself.” 

There are many among us including runners and non-runners who have a perception of who a runner is or is supposed to be. Lexi is proof that anyone can start their journey as a runner by finding the joy and the empowering community within the sport of running. In many ways she is mature beyond her years and running has enhanced this maturity. Just as her endeavors to help create and maintain a sustainable education process in the future make her an ambassador for future generations of children, her involvement in running and the way that she has embraced it make her an ambassador for our sport. 

Everyone has a story. Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

Kevin Rabineau Story

Just Another Runner’s Story                                                                                                                Kevin Rabineau                                                                                                                        Written by Gale Fischer        

Never Give Up On Running

  "Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient and the best things come to those who never give up."                                                                                                  

There are many ways in which running can provide for its participants. For some, competing at a high level can serve as a form of self-confidence that can spill into other areas of life. Others gain some of the most positive friendships they have ever had through running. Many latch on to the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of running. Whatever one's motives for running, it can be easy to take for granted the opportunity to participate for weeks,  months, and years at a time without interruption. One of Battle Creek's most recognized runners, Kevin Rabineau, has been blessed as a runner for more than forty years, reaping the rewards that have come with it. He had been fortunate enough to run without an extended layoff for much of his lifetime. Thoughts of his passion being ripped away from him never entered his psyche. Not only did he identify himself as a runner but family members, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues have also labeled him as such for the last four decades. It's not that Kevin conveyed an attitude that nothing could take running away from him, but there was never a sense of urgency for him to savor every run as though it might be his last run. This would change however a few years ago. A medical diagnosis and an impending surgery quickly placed Kevin in a precarious position, one he had never experienced. In one brief conversation with his doctor, Kevin was knocked from a feeling of being invincible that had been deeply rooted into his soul for years, to a feeling of vulnerability. Not only was Kevin fearful of losing his go-to activity, but he also worried that the network of friendships he had created through running was at risk as well.

Kevin's journey into running began at the age of fifteen while sitting in front of his television watching Frank Shorter win the marathon at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.  "This is what hooked me. The next day I went and ran around our big block in Sault Ste. Marie." This big block was only a half mile and by the time Kevin finished this loop, he was out of breath and red in the face. Kevin would build his endurance with a slow methodical approach. "I kept doing this until it became comfortable and then I would run twice around." Kevin kept building from there,  increasing his endurance and speed as he went.

Although Kevin was inspired by watching Frank Shorter win gold in the Olympic Marathon, he would try a distance of greater length before honing in on twenty-six miles. "In 1976 a friend of mine and I ran from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Newberry, Michigan, a total of sixty-seven miles, as a fundraiser for Mulipel Scerosis. We had a support team in a pick-truck." 

Although racing a distance of 26.2 miles would seem like a no-brainer after completing sixty-plus miles, Kevin would wait another five years before competing at this coveted distance. "In 1981 I ran my first official marathon in Detroit, with a finishing time of two hours and forty-six minutes." Although the marathon distance had become popular at this time, the landscape of running was not what it is today. The number of runners for Kevin's first marathon in Detroit was south of two thousand. Not only were the numbers small but the competition was much more stiff back then. "In 1987 at the age of thirty  I ran a 2:43 at the Columbus marathon,  good enough for only a twelfth place finish in my age group."

 

Kevin ran his first Boston Marathon in 1998 with 6,758 registered runners, a far cry from today's standard with thousands of runners competing for one of 30,000 entries. Part of this growth in field size of the world's most historic marathon is due to the greater number of individuals running marathons today as compared to the 1980s but adding age-graded qualifying standards through the years has played a part as well.

Early on as a runner Kevin self-educated himself on the physiology and training methods of running by reading issues of Runner's World and Running Times from cover to cover. Access to information on running or any subject for that matter was not available on a computer screen or phone as it is today. Even with the time that Kevin devoted to reading about how to improve his craft, much of his growth as a runner came from trial and error. "In the first years of my running, I would run a little faster in every race that I ran because I learned from mistakes in each of these races. From 1983 to 1987 I was consistently running in the 16s for a 5K".  Kevin coached himself, learning from his successes and mistakes alike.

The landscape of running back in the 1970s and 1980s when Kevin was running some of his best times, looked different today not just in terms of the number of races, numbers of runners in these races, social connections of runners, and the availability of information related to the methodology of running. Options for running shoes and gear were limited thirty to forty years ago in comparison to today. "In 1972 when I started I was running in Converse All Stars because there were not many running shoes on the market. These made things very slippery while running in the UP in the dead of winter." Kevin would use a little creativity to try to solve this issue of traction on ice and snow-covered roads. "I found soccer shoes with studs to help with running in slippery conditions. Around 1977 and 1979 running shoes were becoming more varied and there were more options.  At that time, however, you couldn't order shoes online. Buying running shoes and running gear was much different back then. I put in many miles in the UP in the winter with cotton clothing."

Like many competitive runners, the aging process can be hard to deal with. One realizes that the speed of young legs will decrease through the years but accepting this is not always easy. "When I was forty years old I still felt like I had some speed. I could run in the low 17s for a 5K. When I turned fifty I was happy to run in the low 18s, and sometimes I could run under 18. When I turned sixty I realized the 17s were gone." Although slowing down has been an unavoidable process, the endurance has not faded. "Seeing speed decline has been difficult but I do feel that I can run as far now as I ever have. At a certain point, I realized I had to be satisfied with my ability to compete with others in my age group and to be the best I could be at any given time and not be competitive with younger people. Life is a marathon, not a sprint."

As Kevin began to experience success as a runner, his thirst for knowledge about how to perform at the highest level introduced him to a major transition in his life. He and his family packed up and moved from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to student housing in Mount Pleasant. "In 1984 my interest in running and exercise led me to Central Michigan University to obtain a degree in Exercise Science.  My wife Karen and I had been married for six years. We had two young children. We packed our bags and moved to Mount Pleasant. I finished my BA in 1985. I then got a position at CMU as a graduate assistant  in the health education department and continued  my education to get my Masters in Public Health."  Kevin spent the next thirty-three years working at the collegiate level as an administrator and coach. "I coached men's cross country at Lake Superior State in 1986 and 1987. Later I spent 12 years coaching cross country and five years coaching track at Olivet."

For forty-some years, running had been a huge part of Kevin's life. It had been his go-to activity, giving him a sense of belonging to a community of those who shared his passion. It gave him success and confidence as an athlete. His healthy disposition came because of running. Running even helped to shape his career in the area of exercise physiology. He had dealt with minor issues through the years but had never gone for more than a month without running. Kevin's resolve and identity as a runner would be shaken late in 2016. "I had been feeling some low back pain in late 2016. My medical doctor started doing adjustments and spinal manipulations. After every adjustment, it would feel better."

Kevin's back pain would take on a new level later that autumn. "In the fall of 2016, I took a fall while running, breaking a rib on my right side and landing hard on my hip. I feel that this was the final straw for my back. After this I started having burning in my leg that went down to my foot while running. I was also having some hamstring pain and lower back pain."

The new symptoms that Kevin was experiencing were too much to ignore. "I went back to my doctor. He prescribed an Electromyogram thinking that there was a nerve issue. I started having enough pain that it was hard to walk. My left foot kept dropping when I walked."

Kevin's pain became so intense that he could not walk.  "One night I had serious enough pain that I could not walk. I had to crawl to the car and my wife, Karen, took me to the hospital." An MRI was scheduled immediately and after looking at it his doctor wanted to meet with Kevin as soon as possible. "When I walked in the room he had a look of shock on his face. When he showed me the digital view of my lower back it looked like a log house had fallen".

The MRI showed that Kevin's L5 had collapsed onto his sacrum. The disk between the L5 and sacrum had been destroyed. "My doctor was amazed that I was still able to stand. He told me that I needed surgery and initially, I wanted to deny it. I found a surgeon at Bronson Kalamazoo, recommended by my doctor.  He had trained at the Mayo Clinic. He had worked on athletes. He had performed this procedure hundreds of times. When I met with the surgeon I was told that I needed spinal fusion. Immediately I thought my running days were gone."

The success that Kevin had gained as a runner over the years had always made him feel as though he could handle anything that was thrown his way. This feeling of invincibility would quickly change to vulnerability. "I remember praying, Jesus give me three miles a day three days a week so I don't go insane."

Kevin's future as a runner was not guaranteed, but it was not as bleak as he had initially thought. "The orthopedic doctor interviewed me before the procedure. He said that there was a possibility that I could run again, but it depended on what he saw when we went in and what my recovery was like."

Kevin's surgeon did not want to close the door on running for Kevin but he wanted him to live without pain as well. "He asked me what I wanted out of the surgery. I told him that I just wanted to be healthy. I wanted to run again even if it meant my racing days were over. I told him that I was not going to do what he recommended I not do."

Although the door to running was not shut tight, it was not wide open either. "This was a scary proposition. Over three-quarters of my life had been as a runner. I realized that this might end but could accept it if I had to."

Surgery had gone well and Kevin realized that the waiting game had now begun. He had to remain patient. "At three months post-surgery, I had to have an image of my back done and again at six months. At three months my surgeon said that I was at least a month ahead of schedule."

Like a child asking for the coveted birthday gift, Kevin desperately wanted to ask the question that he had longed for an answer to, but he would wait, afraid of what the answer might be.  "At this time I wanted to ask if I would be able to run but I was scared to ask."

Kevin had been keeping in shape while following the doctor's orders and for now, this worked for him. ''In talking to my physician before surgery I realized I needed to follow his orders during recovery in order to get back to the sport I loved. My sports medicine background helped me with this."

Kevin had never imagined being in this situation but here he was. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have to take six months off from running. My recovery was focused one day at a time and what I needed to do to get back to running.  I had dealt with fractured ribs, broken toes, hernia surgery, and heart arrhythmia but had not been off running for more than a month."

Kevin steadily fell into his new routine, making the best of his situation. "I had been keeping fit by walking and using the elliptical and felt this was good enough for now. When I was first cleared to start walking and using the elliptical,  I went twelve minutes on the elliptical. I was exhausted but would add three minutes each day. Once I was up to an hour I began increasing the resistance."

 Kevin's new routine was not as satisfying as running, but it was filling the void. "It wasn't the same as running but I was motivated because I was making progress.  A turning point for me occurred two months into recovery. I volunteered at the Battle Creek Half Marathon. I initially thought this would be difficult. All my running acquaintances were asking how I was doing without asking if I would run again. It was very gratifying.  It was so inspiring to watch everyone out there running. It was very spiritual and empowering to be around all of these positive people."

Kevin was happy to be back in the running community and he knew his time to be an active member would soon come. "At my six-month appointment, my surgeon and I were looking at the pictures of my spine on the screen. He said that this looks great. I had to ask him if he thought I would be able to run again at all. He looked at me with a puzzled look and said sure you can go out and do what you did before. Do what you're comfortable with. Your body will tell you when you are doing what you shouldn't do."

It was as if Kevin had been reunited with a long-lost friend. "I came home and was as nervous as I had been for any race. I started running from my house with little choppy old man strides probably going slower than I could speed walk but it felt great. My muscles were obviously sore because I had not run in over six months. After a few weeks of running, I was finally able to open my stride a little bit. I have gradually built up and have continued to increase distance and pace."

Kevin has learned to adjust his approach to running after going through back surgery and recovery.  "I must admit that before my surgery I was fearless as a runner but now I am more sensible about my approach to many things. Now I am thinking more about longevity as a runner and in being active."

Initially, Kevin just enjoyed running for what it was, but as his body adjusted to the pounding again he began to think about new goals. He recently achieved one of those goals, running the 2018 Battle Creek Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:42, crossing the finish line as the thirteenth overall runner. He accomplished this on a record hot day with the heat index approaching one hundred degrees by the end of the race. Not bad for a sixty-one-year-old coming off a back fusion surgery.

Kevin's story is one of celebration and gratitude after being stuck in a period of uncertainty. Kevin, I'm sure, feels grateful that through patience and persistence on his part along with the grace of God and the healing hands of a gifted surgeon, he is able to enjoy his passion of running again. The local running community is lucky as well to once again be blessed with Kevin's expertise and infectious positive spirit. Kevin's story can show us that in a sense we are all vulnerable but at the same time we should not give up on what we are passionate about without a fight. When faced with a looming injury that looks as if it might end your running, educate yourself, work with a surgeon who has the same goals for you that you have for yourself and most importantly never give up on running until you explore every possible option to keep you in the game.

 

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Another Manic Monday

Just Another Runner’s Perspective October 2024 Written By Gale Fischer

Just Another Manic Monday

“Do what you love and you’ll never have a problem with Monday.”

10/7/2024: I raised my right arm level with my line of sight, shielding my eyes as I ran west on Roosevelt Avenue along the edge of the Kellogg Community College (KCC) campus. The sun hung on the horizon resembling a bright orange ball of fire. Its blinding rays on this section of my run were a stark contrast to the radiant beauty it had portrayed for much of the previous five miles. With the thermometer reading sixty degrees, I couldn’t have imagined a better way to top off the first day of the work week. With less than a mile remaining, I found myself lost in my thoughts but was quickly brought back to the moment with cheers of encouragement coming from KCC’s pickleball court as I climbed the hill approaching North Avenue. With the glaring sunlight and the screen covering the fence surrounding the pickleball court, the source of cheering wasn’t visible, but I easily recognized the voices screaming, “Nice job Coach Fischer!”

As I headed out for my run after cross-country practice an hour earlier, some of the runners from the KCC cross-country team I was coaching had apparently decided to play a few games of pickleball. Today’s run had definitely taken the edge off of this Monday for me, with the cheers coming from my athletes providing the frosting on the cake. As is common with any run, the mood-enhancing effects were undeniable.

For most who implement a running routine into their weekly schedule, the rewards go beyond the cardio benefits. An hour out on the roads can provide an antidote for emotional discontentment. It can recharge the mind when one’s mental battery is running low. The opposite can also occur, mellowing a runner’s state of mind when the brain is on overload. A run can provide a daily escape or become a bridge to a dose of happiness. It can become one’s metaphorical good mood pill. 

In essence, the early morning runner craves the run much like some covet a daily cup of coffee to prepare mentally for the tasks required for the day ahead. The late afternoon runner yearns for the end-of-the-day run, much like some look forward to a happy hour cocktail to unwind from the daily grind. Running can boost physical health while also providing its participants with balance to hit the mental wellness sweet spot.

As I looked at my watch an hour earlier a debate was brewing inside my head. I was tired and hungry. Skipping my planned run and heading home for an earlier-than-planned dinner was a temptation that had me weighing my options. Experience told me however that as exhausted as I was after a long day of work, an hour run would make everything right in my world. Without hesitation, I scanned for the run option on my Garmin watch, locked into a GPS signal, and was on my way. My weary body was not happy with me for my decision for the first four or five minutes, but once I hit cruise control, positive thoughts began to circulate through my mind, and my mood was suddenly refreshed. 

With the thousands of miles that I have run over the last quarter of a century, there are very few runs that I can remember regretting upon completion. Each run provides mood-enhancing feedback although in different ways with varying levels of contentment. My daily and weekly schedule more often than not dictates when I run and how far or how long I run. Many variables play a part in how a particular run can alter and ultimately enhance one’s mood including the time of day that the run takes place, distance, intensity, and whether or not the run occurs with a partner, in a group, or solo. What remains constant most of the time is that after finishing a run, one will likely feel better mentally than before the run. 

Like any therapy, a run is not necessarily a permanent solution, but it can solve all of life’s problems even if only temporarily. Although a day of the week doesn’t fall into the category of a significant life problem, Mondays always seem to cause an extra layer of chaos for me, creating a mental hurdle to jump over. I love my job but there always seems to be a delay in finding the routine each Monday. Trying to locate the groove again after two days away from the office always feels exhausting. Knowing that there are another five days to get through before another weekend will sometimes dampen my spirit. Wednesday is typically referred to as hump day as a metaphor for surviving the uphill hike to crest the mountain peak with the downhill portion of the work week to follow. Although Wednesday is the midpoint of the weekly grind, Mondays have always been my bump in the road to climb over, with Tuesday through Friday feeling like my downhill stretch.

As therapeutic as running is for me any day of the week or any time of day I have always felt that I get the best bang for my buck when running after work on Monday. The beginning of the work week usually comes with an extra layer of stress. When the clock strikes four PM,  the thought of going home and crashing seems like the obvious option with an hour run feeling less than desirable. It becomes a matter of jumping in head first and getting it over with. After the initial shock, the mental boost takes over and erases the Monday blues. There is no better time to run than Monday after work.

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

John Ruemenapp Story

Harper’s Unsung Heroes October 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

Food for the Body and Brain

“Feeding a child at school is such a simple thing, but it works miracles.

—-Drew Barrymore

Teaching and preparing our youth to be independent adults has and always will be the primary objective of schools. With this being said there is much more that goes into creating an environment for students that is conducive for learning. Our kids spend the equivalent of a workday, interacting as learners in our classrooms for seven hours daily. Food provides sustenance for the human body. Sufficient fueling is even more critical for children who navigate as they go through multiple growth spurts over the first quarter of their lives. Keeping them fed may not be the only need to ensure learning, but the existence of hunger will ensure that learning does not occur. This month’s Harper Unsung Hero, John Ruemenapp, leads the charge everyday to provide two meals for each of our students. 

John reflects on the first part of his life as a child living on the east side of the state. “I was born in Detroit in 1968 and lived in that area of the state through my seventh-grade year when my mom passed away. After this transition in my life my father moved our family to Petoskey. Dad was an accountant when we lived near Detroit. He also owned a company that made coin counters. He sold the company when we moved to Petoskey and went to work as a bookkeeper and accountant.” Soon after moving to Petoskey John’s dad met another woman and eventually the two households would combine to form a version of the Brady Bunch. “My dad remarried. We were a blended family with four girls and three boys. I’m one of the middle siblings. With the combined family, three of us were the same age which was an interesting dynamic”

Moving from the Detroit area to Petoskey was a life changing experience and a culture shock for John. He describes life as a child in both locations. “Early on as a child living on the outskirts of Detroit, my life was similar to the movie The Sandlot. We would play outside with kids in the neighborhood. Some of the activities we enjoyed included Kick the Can and riding our bikes. We spent most of the daylight hours playing outside.” John still enjoyed being outdoors in Petoskey but the experience was not exactly the same as on the east side of the state. “When we moved to Petoskey I started playing rec league football and baseball. I developed a greater love for the outdoors. I enjoyed downhill skiing and cross country skiing. I played football in high school through tenth grade. I also was on the ski team.”

Sports provided structure for John as a teenager but this too would change. John talks about what ended his days as a high school athlete. “When I was a sophomore my appendix burst so I was not able to play sports for a while and my interests went elsewhere.” For a while it seemed as if John’s life was spiraling in the wrong direction but a program he signed on for at school gave him an interest that would shape his future. John reflects on his initial experience in the culinary field. “Our school in Petoskey was a traditional high school but also had a vocational component. I decided to join the culinary arts/hospitality program. I learned many of the basics of being in the culinary and hospitality field. Some traditional high school skills were also a part of the curriculum including mathematics.”  John originally signed on because it seemed an easy way to complete some of his required credits but it soon became more than this to him. “When I originally began the culinary arts program I had no idea it would become a career. I simply signed up to fill two hours of my high school day. After my junior year I became a mentor for first year students in the program. I felt that I had a niche for teaching culinary skills.”

The timing of entering the culinary and hospitality vocational program provided John with the structure that he didn’t necessarily know he needed at that time in his life and also painted a picture of a future career. “The teacher for this program, Jim Daunter, kind of took me under his wing. I decided that I wanted to go further with being a chef after high school. It has become a rewarding career for me. What I like best is that as a chef I never do the same thing. Every day is something different.”

After graduating from Petoskey High School in 1987, John had a blueprint for his life as an adult. He loved cooking and sought out the best post high school training program for this. John gives details about this. “I enrolled at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island in the culinary program. I wanted to go to the Culinary Institute Arts of America in New York. This was the best culinary program in the country, but I was put on a wait list so I enrolled at Johnson and Wales because this was the second best.”

Rhode Island was a long way from home but this didn’t matter to John. “It was good for me to move out of Michigan. I earned an associates degree in culinary arts and a bachelor's degree in food service management, graduating from Johnson and Wales in 1991.”  The four years in Rhode Island was a  chapter in his life that John appreciated but he was ready to come home after this. “I came back to Northern Michigan and began working for Stafford's Hospitality, a company that owned several restaurants in the Petoskey Area. I started out as Sou Chef at the Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs. A Sou Chef is second in command to the Head Chef. Pier Restaurant was a fine dining restaurant.”

Working in a fine dining restaurant was not always easy. John describes his job as a Sou Chef. “The hours were brutal, especially with the Pier Restaurant being in a tourist community. I worked twelve to fifteen hours a day, six days a week.” The summer tourist season was definitely a time of extended hours for John at the restaurant. His work schedule remained busy all year with a bit of a reprieve from mid October to November. Business usually picked up again when the snow began to fly with tourists coming in for winter recreation activities. 

John’s training at Johnson and Wales prepared him well for the many responsibilities of his job. He describes what his job requirements were. “As a Sou Chef I did everything. I cooked, planned menus and specials, and oversaw the staff. I worked in this position for several years.” After putting in the time and hours at the Pier Restaurant he was offered a promotion. “Staffords’s Hospitality did some restructuring in 1995 and at this time I was moved to a head chef position at Bay View Inn in Petoskey. This was a fine dining bed and breakfast. I also oversaw the catering and the main production kitchen. As a head chef there were still heavy hours and a lot more responsibility. I worked there for ten years.”

While working at Bay View, John met his first wife Lee, who was a waitress there. John and Lee were married in 1994 and expanded their family a few years later. Lee and John were blessed with their first child, Julian in 1996 and their second child, Isabelle in 1999. John continued to work as a head chef at Bay View but eventually the hours required while trying to be a husband and father caught up to him. John reflects on his next transition. “It was difficult working the hours that I did and raising a family. I decided it was time for a change. I started working at Northern Michigan Community Mental Health in 2001. My main role was teaching cooking and life skills to mentally challenged adults. This was an eight to four job so it was much easier to be a dad.” Working in this job was a new experience for John. It gave him a new insight. “It was very eye opening working with individuals with mental illness. It was life changing. I learned a lot from this experience. I developed skills of compassion and understanding. I worked this job for five years.”  As much as John enjoyed working with mentally challenged adults, it became overwhelming for him. “It got to be a mentally taxing job. Life was difficult for these people. Some were mistreated and taken advantage of. Some committed suicide. It was emotionally draining for me.” 

An opportunity that provided an even better opportunity to align with his kids’ schedules came John’s way. John talks about the timing of his next move. “At this time Harbor Springs Public Schools was looking for a food service director. I was ready to get away from my current job and applied, interviewed, and was offered the job. I was employed by Chartwells who was contracted out by Harbor Springs Public Schools.” John immediately was able to put to practice the skills he had learned and honed as well as use his creativity as a chef. “I thought it was a great job right from the start. I enjoyed taking my culinary knowledge and passing it on to the students. I strived to be creative with cooking. I wanted to create as much with fresh and local food supplies as possible rather than using all processed and canned goods.”

John was more than content working as the food service director for Harbor Springs Public Schools. It allowed him to continue doing what he loved as a cook while also working hours that aligned with his kids calendar. Despite the happiness with his job, change was on the horizon again. John talks about what brought him from Harbor Springs to Calhoun County. “I worked at Harbor Springs for twelve years. During this time I met my second wife, Laura, through a mutual friend. Laura was living in Marshall. We had a long distance relationship for a few years.” John found himself at a crossroads. He was happy with his job at Harbor Springs and his kids were there. However he and Laura were becoming closer and dating long distance was now more challenging. He had a long talk with his kids and he decided that it was time to move. “I quit my job and moved to Marshall in 2012. I was offered a job for Lakeview Schools and worked as assistant food director there for a year and a half before the food director position at Harper Creek came available. I applied and was hired in 2014.”

During his time serving as Harper Creek’s food service director, John has tried to be innovative with the menu. His goal is to provide a variety of choices for students and staff with food items that taste great and are healthy. John gives details about this process. “I still try to provide the best quality food for students while staying within the budget. The cost is sometimes a little more when using non-processed food. I sought out a partnership through Harper Creek with Kalamazoo Valley Hub. Their goal is to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables within a fifty mile radius.” John has offered tasting sessions at the high school. Periodically he provides opportunities for students to try unique items. This is a way to nudge them in expanding their appetite for a variety of healthy food choices. It also provides insight for John in planning for future menu choices. 

Making sure our students are fed and ready to learn is something that John takes seriously. He gives much of the credit to our kitchen staff. “Not everyone sees behind the scenes what it takes to feed our students. District wide we prepare eighteen to nineteen hundred daily lunches and around a thousand breakfasts. I appreciate all my kitchen staff. I always say that I am the one who comes up with the crazy ideas and my workers are the ones who carry it out.”

John has a wide variety of experiences in his career in the foodservice industry. He talks about bringing with him to Harper Creek what he has gained from each of his jobs. “I have learned through my experiences that being patient, kind and understanding is important. This is something I try to implement in my job here at Harper Creek. Being happy requires much less energy than being negative.”

John has seen the high demand side of the culinary industry as a head chef at a high end fine dining restaurant. His years working in this environment has helped to hone his skills as a chef but he feels blessed to have a job now that more aligns being a husband and father. He talks about family at this stage in his life. “Laura and I were married in 2022. She is a second-grade teacher in Marshall. She is my sounding board. I run my work ideas through her before I try them. She has three kids, Zach, Eli and Sophie. They are all adults. I recently became a grandfather. Eli and his wife had their first child last April. They live in Plainwell.” 

John’s passion for cooking is what keeps coming into work each day, something that he looks forward to. He is an artist of sorts with his creativity with food. His story is a reminder of the importance of our food service staff. Kids who are hungry will struggle to learn.