Not Without Support

Just Another Runner’s Perspective April 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

Not Without Support 

“If you have at least one person genuinely supporting you, you are blessed.”

Running is a unique sport with the bare basics that are needed. A pair of running shoes is often the most expensive item required. A few other staples including shorts, a shirt, socks, and gloves if the weather conditions are colder, round out the essentials. You can head inside to a gym and run on a treadmill or step outside your front door and traverse your neighborhood. Running early in the morning before the sun comes up is feasible but you can also get it in after work and finish up just before dinner. Running at midnight or in the middle of the afternoon is also optional. Being out of town for work or pleasure is not a reason to put your activity of choice on hold because there are routes to be run anywhere and anytime. Unlike many sports, a partner, or teammates are not necessary.  At its most simplistic level, running is an athletic activity that can be practiced independently without assistance from others, but from personal experience, my running story has not played out on an island. The milestones and enjoyment I have experienced as a runner for over two decades have been shared with others. My legs and physical stamina have pushed me through every single mile but in reality, my running journey would look much different without the support of others around me. 

A portion of this support has come from my running peers. The running community has blessed me with individuals, who also embrace running, to enjoy the miles with. Sharing in the positive experience of our sport with like-minded people is always rewarding. Beyond these extrinsic rewards, the support that comes from other runners is the best way to maintain the discipline required to get through the not-so-pleasant parts of running. Getting out the door early in the cold or slugging through a rough stretch in a long run is always a little easier when sharing the miles. The emotional backing from the running community is always appreciated with guidance, coaching, inspiration, and mentorship also playing integral roles in what many runners can gain from their cohorts. Whether intended or not, runners support other runners. Although many miles may be run solo, leaning on others through training runs, races, and social media can help provide the motivation to keep an active routine fresh. Running alone is undoubtedly a great source of satisfaction and can often be enough to sustain, but support from others raises this satisfaction to another level. 

We are all blessed to be a part of the running community. Collectively we give and receive. We have each other’s backs, but the support that many runners obtain goes beyond what comes from their running peers. For me personally, I would have been hard-pressed to sustain as a runner for the last two decades without the backing of non-runners. 

My running journey began with a desire to tackle a marathon. Within six months of my first run, I completed a half-marathon. A half year later I ran my first full marathon. The training and time commitment required from a distance of 13.1 miles and 26.2 miles often comes with sacrifice from not only the runner but also from the runner’s family members. My wife Kathy, played a huge role in getting me to the starting line for this initial marathon. I was not connected to the running community at this time and did not have others to train with, to dialogue with, to seek training advice from, and to offer me emotional support for the rigors of marathon training. I had a goal but had no idea what I was getting myself into. For many of my training runs I mapped out a loop around our house. Kathy would meet me at different spots on the course with water. 

My training for the half-marathon went well and I was able to complete it in just under two hours. Kathy was there to cheer me on and congratulate me when I finished. As I got into the marathon preparation I struggled to get beyond sixteen miles for my longer runs. I became frustrated and questioned if I had the physical and mental fortitude to complete the distance. After a long run cut short I confided in Kathy that I felt that I was in over my head. To my surprise she disagreed with my assessment, offering words of encouragement. There was no doubt in her mind that I could complete a marathon. Her confidence in me was a turning point for me, early in my running journey. I was ready to throw in the towel after less than a year as a runner. Kathy’s assurance boosted my confidence and pushed me over the hurdles that I had encountered in my training. 

Logging the miles for my long training runs for my first marathon alone was definitely a challenge. I’m not sure I could have done it without the support of my wife. We traveled to Toronto to meet friends for the weekend of the race. I had my personal cheering section of non-runners led by Kathy to meet me at four or five different locations on the course. She was even at the halfway mark as I handed her a sweat-soaked shirt in exchange for a clean one.

My first year of running seemed to roll along without interruption. There was work and other responsibilities at home but I established a training schedule that included a few days a week after work and then a long run on Saturday or Sunday followed by the remainder of the day for rest and recovery. Things would change soon, however with the birth of our first child Torey. Initially, I was clueless as to how this would impact my running, but I quickly realized the times that I could run would have to be negotiated. Flexibility would be the theme with early wake-up times for my weekend-long runs without the afternoon rest and recovery I had become accustomed to.

Establishing a high-volume running routine to allow for competitive racing for longer distance races is a tall task. The degree of difficulty is multiplied as a parent of young children. My best running times occurred when my kids were young. Enjoying my sport at a high level during this time would not have been possible without the support that came from Kathy. She traveled with me to cheer me on for my second marathon, navigating the neighborhoods of Chicago while pushing Torey, who was six months old, in a stroller. Kathy and Torey would be there on the sidelines for many of my races and a few years later after Logan was born he would join them as well. 

As our children transitioned to teenagers and then young adults, scheduling my runs would not require as much flexibility but this didn’t mean that I wouldn’t need support from my spouse any longer. There would be miles to get in on vacation. Injury would force me to stop running for periods of time. During these times of injury as a non-runner, Kathy didn’t necessarily understand the frustration I was feeling. Still, she always seemed to put up with my bad moods while offering encouragement. A non-running supportive spouse may not comprehend why running is so important for their running partner but like Kathy, they get that it is a source of satisfaction and accept the importance of running. 

Running continues to be an activity that requires little in terms of when it can happen, where it can happen, and needing others to make it happen. Being blessed with support from others who enjoy the sport can add to the experience. Finding that next layer of support from a non-running spouse is sometimes taken for granted but always appreciated. 

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

Scott Mills' Story

Just Another Runner’s Story March 2020 Written by Gale Fischer

Runner for Life

“I’ll be happy if running and I can grow old together”

—-Haruki Murakami

As members of the running community each of us has a journey, a story that unfolds over time. There are specific elements to each of our stories that are specific to running but there are also segments of each of our narratives in which running is weaved together with all fabrics of our lives. Running blends into each participant's life journey at different times. For some like myself, it starts near the end of early adulthood approaching mid-life. Others find running later in life as a way to combat a few decades of unhealthy living in the midst of a half-century of existence. Some excel as high school runners, give it up upon graduation, and reunite with it again later in life. For MHS alumni runner, Scott Mills memories of life before running are few and far between. He began running at a young age and has not looked back. Scott and running have gone together like peas and carrots for most of his life. 

Scott reflects on the beginning stages of his running pilgrimage. “I first started running when I was twelve years old. I was in the sixth grade and was still too young for the middle school track team so I would just run on my own.” By his own admission what Scott enjoys the most about running is the time it allows for him to become lost alone in his own thoughts. As important as this alone time was for Scott at an early age he still possessed a competitive edge. He may have been too young for school-based competition but he wouldn’t let that prevent him from mixing racing against others into his running routine. “There was an AAU meet in Lake City, Iowa so I signed up for it just to get a ribbon. I took first place in the mile.” 

Winning that initial race no doubt fueled his desire to run but I suspect Scott’s infatuation with running would have blossomed with or without a first-place finish. “I kept training. I just enjoyed running. I started running for our middle school team as a 7th-grade student. I ran the half-mile which was the longest distance in middle school.” It wasn’t as if Scott didn’t appreciate the races that were offered for middle school runners, but he still sought longer distances to test his speed and endurance. “I still competed in the AAU circuit and ran the mile and two-mile. I won the mile and two-mile at the state AAU meet in 6th grade and 8th grade. My best mile in middle school was just over five minutes.”

Although running quickly became his favorite sport, Scott enjoyed all sports as a kid. He wouldn’t let his small stature keep him off the diamond, gridiron, or hardwood. He participated in football, baseball, and basketball as a student-athlete but this didn’t necessarily equate to an off-season for running. “I ran year-round. Finding time to run each day was not always easy, especially during the track off-season. Between school, homework, practice for my other sports teams, and a part-time job at Thrifty’s Grocery Store, squeezing a daily run in would sometimes create a challenge, but I always seemed to find time to run.”

Although Scott would without a doubt be content to run simply for the purity and joy of the sport, the push to outlast the competition would help to feed his passion. As a high school track athlete, the oval was Scott’s stage. The two mile was where Scott truly excelled but he proved his versatility his entire high school career and in particular for a home meet his junior year, pulling the trifecta by winning the 800, the mile, and the two mile for the Manning Invitational. He would show his potential running the two-mile his freshman year and then dominate his last three years. “I qualified for the state meet in the two-mile every year but my freshman year. Excluding the state meet I only got beat once in the two-mile my junior and senior years. My highest finish in the two-mile at the state meet was a third-place finish my senior year. My time for this, my final race as a high school athlete, was ten minutes and 26/100 of a second, my fastest two-mile in high school.” This time still stands as the school record for the two-mile. Scott’s fastest mile time in high school was a four-minute forty-seven-second performance in his junior year. 

Cross-country would have been a natural fit for Scott. Unfortunately, Manning didn’t have a cross-country team at the time of his high school career.  Manning Hall of Famer, Floyd Forman, his football and track coach understood Scott’s potential as a runner and realized that something had to be done to allow Scott to run cross-country. Scott’s words illustrate his gratitude to his coach for going the extra mile for him.  Coach Forman had a conversation with me about cross country the summer before my senior year. Floyd thought that I should get some cross-country experience for college. He made a few calls and was able to get me on the Audubon’s High School cross country team.” 

Scott found success as a cross-country runner with three second-place finishes in his only season. He was able to break the seventeen-minute barrier with a personal best of sixteen minutes and thirty-two seconds. 

Scott continued to run competitively after high school, landing a spot on the cross-country team for Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa. He also tried track his freshman year at Westmar.  Scott joined the National Guard after his freshman year at Westmar and competed as a college runner for just one year, but this didn’t seem to alter the role that running would continue to play in his life. 

Upon finishing his career running as a student-athlete, Scott took the next logical step, by jumping up to the marathon distance. “At the age of nineteen, I ran my first marathon, the Drake Relays Marathon with a finishing time of three hours and eleven minutes. I wasn’t running competitively anymore so I decided I’d run a marathon. A year later I ran the Drake Relays Marathon again finishing in three hours and seven minutes.” Scott has finished thirty-seven marathons and is most proud of a streak he has going with his hometown marathon.  “I ran the first Des Moines Marathon in 2002. I’m one of five people who have run every Des Moines Marathon. My goal is to run the Des Moines Marathon for as many years as possible.” 

Along with running Scott has dabbled with other passions including geocaching and cycling. He has participated in one of our country’s most popular bike rides, RAGBRAI, which is a week-long trek across the state of Iowa. “I started participating in RAGBRAI in 2007. I have done it every year since except during COVID.” 

In his years as a runner, Scott has faced many great competitors but his greatest victory would come in a race against one of the world’s most unforgiving ailments. “In 2011 I discovered a lump in my right groin. I went to see a doctor in February of 2012.” Scott would eventually be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. 

 

The diagnosis surely left Scott reeling with a wave of emotions ranging from helplessness to hope with the confidence gained through the years on the athletic field. “I was only forty-one years old. I was hooked up with Dr. Freeman, a young doctor who was also an endurance athlete. I was told that I would have six to eight years to live.” Scott wouldn’t let his prognosis knock him to the ground. “It has been nine years. I believe that I have outlived my prognosis due to modern medicine but also because of a positive attitude, prayer, and a higher power. They say that I am almost cured. I don’t have to do another scan until 2023.”

Like most who have survived or succumbed to cancer’s wrath, the fight was no walk in the park for Scott. “I had thirty rounds of chemo/immunotherapy. I was able to keep running and participate in RAGBRAI through this. I’ve learned to never give up and never be afraid to ask for help. My wife, Carrie, has been a rock. She has always been there for me emotionally and to help organize doctor appointments and medicines.” 

 

Scott remained steadfast to much of his life structure in the face of adversity. He continued to run through treatment and participate in one of his favorite annual events, RAGBRAI. While traversing across Iowa on a bike during RAGBRAI 2013, Scott, his best friend Steve Buser, and his brother-in-law, Vic, decided that riding a bike wasn’t the only way to travel from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. They decided that Scott would run across Iowa. It would take a few years of planning but in August of 2015, Scott began his trek across Iowa on foot. 

Scott was on a pause with his cancer treatment at the time of his trans-state run. It started as a way for Scott to face and overcome another challenge but the three decided that they should use the event to raise some money. “We picked St. Judes Children’s Hospital as a charity. As an adult who had been dealt a direct blow from cancer, I was annoyed but the idea of a child facing cancer just pissed me off.  We raised over $11,000.”

Scott’s goal of running across his home state was a great undertaking but this is not the only goal in which he has combined his passion for running and his love for Iowa. Scott’s love for running and passion for what small-town Midwest culture represents has driven one of his long-term goals. “I had always heard about people running across Iowa and running across the country. In 2001 I set a goal to run a mile in every town in Iowa. Currently, I have checked off 558 towns.”

In pursuit of this unique goal, Scott’s mindset has always been to keep it casual and fun and not stress out about getting it done in a specified amount of time. “There are three reasons why I like visiting all of these towns. The first reason is that I love the interactions that I have with the people that I see and talk to. Secondly, I am never bored with the unique things that I see. Perhaps what I like most about running in every town is that each small town has good food.” 

As a runner and human being, Scott has been blessed with a bounty of experiences, some good, some not so good but all have given him an appreciation for life. As a high school athlete, he aligned himself with some of the best in the state of Iowa through natural athletic ability and a relentless work ethic. He has looked perhaps his most formidable foe, cancer in the eye, and not flinched. Age and changing expectations about what role running should play in his life have slowed his pace through the decades. His love for small-town Iowa coupled with his passion for his sport has taken him to every corner of the state, proving that one’s backyard can offer just as much as a destination as halfway across the globe. Through it all he has been true to running. For nearly forty years he has been able to enjoy an activity that is known to boost mental, physical, and emotional health and it would seem that he will continue to run for another two or three decades. It seems as if he has hit the lottery. Keep running Scott.

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

Running With Mom

 

Just Another Runner’s Perspective - July 2013 Written by Gale Fischer

 

Running With Mom

 

There are no goodbyes, where ever you’ll be, you’ll be in my heart.

--- Ghandi

 

Life is full of stages and transitions that occur more rapidly than we sometimes realize. Some of these life phases are for the most part uniform for most of us in our society. Between the ages of one and two years, the ability to walk occurs. The ability to communicate with language begins to explode between the ages of two and three. Between the fifth and sixth year formal schooling begins. The period of puberty as it extends into adulthood spans the ages of ten to seventeen. There are also those stages that most go through that are not necessarily tied as much to common ages including college education, marriage, and parenthood. Personal and career milestones can also transition us into different stages of life. Traumatic events such as experiencing the death of a friend or a loved one are also often common triggers for propelling individuals into new phases of life. Many phases of life, good or bad, can be at times a challenge to manage. Finding a positive way to cope with these changes can often ease the burden of the transition.

 

A little over a month ago I traveled from Michigan to Iowa City for unexpected reasons. It was Mother’s Day weekend and ironically enough it would be the first time that I had spent this special day with Mom in more than two decades. She had recently had a liver transplant and although the surgery went well and the initial outlook was positive, things had taken a turn for the worse in recent days. Although I wasn’t aware of the scope of what I was about to face, I was aware that things were serious as I anticipated what was to come during the five-hour drive. When I arrived at the hospital and found my way to the ICU the look on my dad’s face and the tone in his voice told the story of what was to come. As he and the doctor spoke to my brother and me about my mom’s fragile state and the dire odds of her recovering to live a normal healthy life, the decision was made to take Mom off of life support. My father would travel back home that afternoon to take care of some things and arrive back in Iowa City the next day when we would pull her from life support. The team of doctors anticipated that she would survive only a few hours after the breathing tube was taken away.

 

An uncle and two aunts would arrive a few hours later to spend the weekend with my brother and me. As children my brother and I had seen our extended family regularly but because of where we had settled down as adults, the distance made it difficult to keep in touch. We had only seen our uncle and two aunts a few times in the last two decades. Although Mother’s Day would bring us both to a new stage in our lives with a difficult transition, it was nice to spend the time reminiscing about childhood memories with relatives. With the long drive and the emotional highs and lows of the day I was exhausted by the time I arrived at the hotel room that night. After a good night’s sleep, I awoke with the sunrise for a run.

 

Although the time of conversation and group support the previous day had helped tremendously, the hour run provided some much-needed isolation for me to reflect on the past and think about how my life would be different following my mother’s passing. The rhythm of my heartbeat, the sound of each footfall, and the sensation of sweat between my skin and clothes seemed to awaken my senses. The time of conversation with relatives just a few hours ago had offered its own therapy but my running ritual was offering me my own private therapy session. Like all forms of exercise, running can provide a host of physical benefits but running can also provide a variety of mental stimulants depending on your frame of mind. It can arouse the mind with the sights, smells, sounds, and stimuli of the surrounding environment, but it can also allow the opposite to occur. An individual can tune out the external environment and tune in to one’s internal stimulus while running. As I ran the streets of Iowa City this Mother’s Day Morning skies were sunny and temperatures were mild, providing the perfect backdrop for me to explore an unfamiliar setting on the campus of the University of Iowa, but this day would not be a day of exploring a new setting for me. This run would help me to tune out the external environment and focus on saying goodbye to my mom as I thought about this new stage in my life without her. Although I hated the thought of losing my mom on Mother’s Day, I realized that her last day on earth being Mother’s Day was the perfect tribute to such a dedicated and passionate mom.

 

Over the next few days, plans were made for a memorial service. Ironically enough this service was scheduled for Father’s Day. With a month to wait, there was more than enough time to prepare but also there was what seemed like an overabundance of time to cope with things as I anticipated my mom’s funeral. Again, my running routine helped me through this time. Some of these runs helped to distract me from what was on my mind while others tuned me into my own emotions from positive memories to the sadness of losing a loved one. I looked forward to the weekend of the Memorial Service with it bringing the positive benefit of a family gathering as I would be reunited with relatives, I had not seen in over two decades. At times I dreaded the weekend as well. Running seemed to help me sort through these mixed feelings not necessarily acting as a magic cure but instead providing some moments of respite.

 

I arrived at home in Iowa five days before the Memorial Service. This time provided everything that I had expected as I reconnected with relatives filtering in over the next few days. My dad’s intentions were to make this a time of celebration of my mom’s life with his wish coming true. Over the course of the long weekend, there were some tears that were shed but for the most part, it was a time of smiles, laughter, and celebration. The night before the Memorial Service a large crowd of family and friends gathered at the house. The only thing that could have made it any more perfect would have been if my mom were there enjoying it with us.

 

Similar to the experience in Iowa City a few weeks earlier, I awoke with the sunrise for a run after a day of reuniting with family. The support and conversation with family and friends the past few days had been amazing but I had decided that some alone time the morning of the Memorial Service was something that I needed as well. A two-and-a-half-hour run provided this for me. I wasn’t alone, however. As I ran by the cemetery that my mom’s ashes would be buried in my mom ran with me. As I ran by the farmhouse that she and my dad had lived in before retirement and the ground that they had farmed, Mom ran with me. As I ran by the signs that my mom and dad had made for local businesses during their years as owners of a sign shop, my mom ran with me. For two and a half hours my mom ran with me.

 

Although I am doing ok with my mom’s passing, I am sure that there will be moments of sadness. I am sure the first holiday season will bring moments of grief for me. What will be most difficult is not being able to call her on the phone to tell her of the accomplishments and milestones of my own kids. She always loved hearing about her grandchildren and I enjoyed sharing these moments with her as well. Although I may have told Mom goodbye on Mother’s Day I know that it is not goodbye forever. If there are days when I want to tell her about something that I know she would want to hear about or moments when I just want to spend some time with her alone, I can just go for a run with her.

 

KEEP RUNNING!!

 

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

 

Bonnie Sexton Story

Just Another Runner’s Story March 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

Fueling a Running Boom

“It's not about the running, it's about the people.”

—-Dave Walch

When I began my running journey back in 1997 I didn’t think too much of how many individuals were involved in our sport. I trained on my own for the first year and didn’t know any other runners locally.  Two years later I ran my second marathon in Chicago with over twenty-thousand runners toeing the line. This seemed massive to me. I was stuck in the middle of the starting corral with a sea of runners in front of me and a sea of runners behind me. Although the number of athletes tackling the marathon distance does not tell the complete story of how many individuals there are who are a part of our sport, it does draw a parallel to the size of the running community. As spectacular as it was to be immersed with over twenty-thousand runners back in 1999, another running boom was soon on the horizon after the turn of the century. This month’s featured runner, Bonnie Sexton, found herself in the thick of this expansion over the last two decades as not just a runner but also in taking on a leadership role.

Running was not Bonnie’s first love in the world of sports growing up. She spent much of her elementary and middle school years training as a gymnast. Eventually, she would find that she could excel as a runner. “When I started high school at Somers High School in Somers, New York, we didn’t have a gymnastics team and my days as a gymnast came to an end. My gym teacher, Chuck Gilberti, was also the indoor varsity track coach. As part of our gym class, we were required to take part in a physical fitness test which included a running portion. After I finished the test Mr. Gilberti told me that I had to come out for track. He said that he was going to make me a star.”

Bonnie wasn’t immediately sold on joining the track team. There were things to consider and it was much different than gymnastics, but after talking it over with her mom and dad she decided to give it a try. “I joined the winter indoor track team as a sprinter my freshman year in 1982. My events included the forty-yard dash, fifty-five-meter dash, three-hundred-meter dash, and six-hundred-meter dash. I sometimes ran on the four by four-hundred and four by eight-hundred relays. I also participated in the long jump, triple jump, and some hurdling.” This was Somer High School’s first season fielding an indoor track team. It provided Bonnie with a chance to make school history. “Because this was the first year of the program I was able to set school records for the long jump and in all our running events with distances of six-hundred meters or shorter.”  It was exciting for Bonnie to own these records but like all records, hers were eventually broken. Other accomplishments for Bonnie as part of her high school indoor track team included multiple all-conference event championships and also just missing out on a state meet qualifying race for the six-hundred-meter dash.

Bonnie enjoyed outdoor track as well, for Coach Mary Ball,  competing on the oval all four years of high school, participating as a sprinter, and in field events as well. “The four-hundred-meter hurdles and four-hundred-meter open were my main events. I sometimes ran the relays. I also competed in the long jump and triple jump.”  Bonnie enjoyed many milestones during the outdoor season. “I made it to state in the long jump my senior year, breaking the school record with a jump of seventeen feet, ten inches. I also broke the school record in the four-hundred-meter hurdles. My fastest four-hundred-meter open time was sixty and one-tenth seconds. I was able to earn all-conference status for the four-hundred-meter open and hurdles as well as the triple jump.”

Competing on the track as a high school athlete was thrilling for Bonnie but her biggest takeaway comes from the lessons learned. “My outdoor track coach, Mary Ball, taught me the importance of integrity in sports and in life. My indoor track coach, Chuck Gilberti, taught me the importance of giving your best in anything in life. My two high school coaches impacted me more than anyone else as a teen and early adult. This taught me  the importance of athletics.” These lessons learned from her coaches would be influential for her role later in life as a leader of the Kalamazoo Running community.

Although Bonnie’s bread and butter as a high school runner was as a sprinter she also ran cross country. “Chuck Gilberti was also the cross country coach and he talked me into coming out a few years, but this wasn’t my strength back then. My fastest 5K cross-country time was twenty-two minutes but as an adult, I have run faster than this.”

Bonnie’s success as a high school athlete would provide her an opportunity to compete in college. “My senior year Long Island University recruited me to run track. I turned them down, choosing to attend Liberty University in Virginia because my parents wanted me to go to a Christian-based school. I started there as a walk-on for the indoor team and eventually joined the spring track team.” Bonnie was able to improve upon her two-hundred-meter time enough to earn a scholarship her sophomore year but would retire as a collegiate runner after her second year of college. “Being a collegiate athlete was very demanding so after my sophomore year I decided to let running go.”

After graduating from Liberty Bonnie would go through many transitions. She continued to stay active on a limited scale by going to the gym now and then.  Her running would be put on hold for the next fourteen years, although at the time she didn’t anticipate that she would ever return to the sport she had excelled in as a student. She and her future husband Jeff began dating while going to school at Liberty. They kept dating long distance after graduation in 1990. “Jeff moved back home to New Hampshire after college to work. I started a job in human resources at a manufacturing company in Yonkers, New York, and moved back home. My mom was diagnosed at this time with cancer and passed away a few months after moving back home.”  A year later Bonnie started grad school at Mercy College, earning her MS in Human Resources Management three years later. She and Jeff were married after this and Bonnie moved to New Hampshire. Over the next four years, Jeff and Bonnie were blessed with their first two children, Michael and Steven. Not long after Steven was born they packed their bags and moved from the East Coast to the Midwest in 1997. “Jeff’s parents had moved out to Michigan. Jeff and I moved out to Kalamazoo in 1997 to be near them. I started working in HR in the banking industry.”

Bonnie continued to go the the gym to try and stay in shape but still had no interest in running. Her life was hectic and bountiful. It seemed that there wasn’t a space for running. “In 1999 our family was blessed with the birth of Paige. This was a busy time for me, being a mom, a wife, and working full time.” After Paige turned three, Bonnie decided she needed to shed some weight and decided to reunite with running. 

She started off not biting off too much but soon enough Bonnie would immerse herself in the running community. Although she had participated in cross-country in high school, Bonnie’s bread and butter had always been the sprint events. She hadn’t expected to compete when she started running again. She surprised herself. “I started training in March of 2022 and ran a 5K race in May. I was surprised that I was able to place second in my age group. This really got me excited about running so I trained and ran 5K races for the next year. By the fall I was able to eclipse my PR from high school.” 

Bonnie was content in competing in 5K events but would eventually progress to longer distances. “I joined Borges Run Camp in 2003 to train for the Borgess 5K. I ended up participating in the longer runs in the training program and decided to run the Borgess Half Marathon finishing with a time of one hour and thirty-six minutes.” 

With the success that Bonnie experienced in her first half-marathon, she decided to try a marathon. “The next summer I joined Summer Safari, a marathon training program hosted by Kalamazoo Area Runners (KAR) and Gazelle Sports, to train for my first marathon.” She had competed at a high level as a runner in high school and college but this was different. Not only had she transitioned from sprinter to marathon runner but she was enjoying being a member of KAR and connecting socially with other runners. “I ran Boston 2005, my first Boston Marathon, with a time of three hours, fifteen minutes, and ten seconds, my PR, as a member of Frontline Racing. I finished one-hundred and fifty-third overall for women. Our Front Line Racing team finished in third place.”

Bonnie has competed at many distances on the road race circuit but the marathon has no doubt been her most raced distance. She has run from Hopkinton to Boston five different times, with this being the marathon experience she appreciates the most. “Boston is hands down my favorite, with the crowd support, the organization, and the community spirit of the local residents.” She has finished first in four different marathons, the Last Chance in Columbus with a starting temperature of two degrees, the Carolton Marathon near Saginaw, Michigan twice, and the Tecumseh Trail Marathon near Bloomington, Indiana. She has PRs of one hour and thirty-three minutes for the half marathon, forty-one minutes and twenty-three seconds for the 10K, and nineteen minutes and thirty-six minutes for the 5K.

Bonnie has made a name for herself in the Kalamazoo running community as a runner. In her prime, she competed not just in her age group but also as one of the best female runners in the area. Her involvement in the growth in the running in a round Kalamazoo is where she made the biggest impact. She reflects on this journey in her life as a runner. “The winter of 2004 Rollin Richman, who at the time was KAR treasurer organized a group of runners to train for a spring marathon. He shared with me that there was a VP of membership opening for KAR. I threw my hat in and was elected to this position, serving as VP for a few years.”

With Bonnie’s organization and leadership skills and her vision for the future of running in Kalamazoo, the VP position provided a stepping stone for her. “At that time Dave Walch was KAR president. Eventually, I joined Dave as co-president. When Dave’s term ended he decided not to return, so I became president. I temporarily stepped off the board a few years later to take a break and eventually came back as VP of hospitality for a short period of time before stepping in as president again.” Bonnie served on the KAR board for nearly two decades, most of these years as president.

The number of individuals participating in running nationwide seems to have reached a higher level in the last two decades. Bonnie played a big part in this growth locally, capitalizing on the new popularity of running. Her leadership inspired others to get involved in giving of themselves to fuel this growth. Bonnie talks about some of the highlights of the growth of KAR. “We went from two hundred runners to over fifteen hundred members. The popularity of women in running and running becoming a recreational sport among adults on a national level also fueled this. The partnership with Gazelle Sports to co-host Summer Safari helped to fuel this. We also partnered with Borgess Run camp for a short period which helped with this growth and we also started adding our own training programs starting in 2005, partnering with the Shufflers for a winter program named  Boston and Beyond.” 

Through the years KAR offered training programs in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek for race distances from 5K to the marathon. These training programs provided guidance and coaching for many to check off bucket list items but more importantly, they have provided a network of runners to share their sport with, creating strong friendships along the way. The development in Kalamazoo’s running community in the last twenty years could not have happened without the hours given back to running by Bonnie and hundreds of other volunteers. The partnerships that KAR has made in the community with organizations and businesses such as Gazelle Sports, Bronson Sports Medicine, and Girls on the Run have also been a key factor.

Bonnie is grateful for the opportunity to serve KAR. “It has been exciting being a leader and to be a part of the growth with such amazing people. Dave Walch once said to me. “It's not about the running, it's about the people.” It has been great seeing friendships develop through running.” Bonnie’s tireless work for the running community has been witnessed firsthand by many in the local community but her efforts have also been noticed beyond Southwest Michigan. She was honored as Road Runner’s Club of America (RRCA) club president of the year in 2014, an honor that is a feather in her cap, but also an award that all of KAR can be proud of.

Bonnie recently took on another leadership role in running, having served on the board for RRCA for the last two years, while still serving as KAR president through April of last year. Bonnie spent many hours each week with all the tasks involved in being KAR president. She has still managed to keep busy in the interim. “In addition to serving on the RRCA board, locally, I have been freed up to serve our community in new and exciting ways.  I am serving on several committees on behalf of two other local non-profit organizations and am in the process of joining the board of a third. I am also enjoying my profession as an HR Consultant where I have the opportunity to positively impact many organizations and companies in Southwest Michigan. For fun, I travel to see my kids and spend every other weekend in Northern Indiana with my boyfriend, an avid slalom water skier who competed in Nationals. He is also a runner but focused more on the 5k distance.”  

Just as being president of KAR has blessed Bonnie with many opportunities, so has being involved with RRCA. Her involvement with both KAR and RRCA has provided her with many opportunities nationally. Most recently she was able to volunteer for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Florida this winter with RRCA.

Although Bonnie seems to have some natural leadership skills she couldn’t have done it on an island. There are many who have guided her along the way. “Blaine Lam has been a mentor for me. He has been a support and advocate for KAR. Chris Crowell has also been a great influence on me. He has embraced the involvement in community and partnerships in running. He has been a great role model.”

Besides her time spent on the the KAR board, the RRCA board, and serving on race committees and as race director Bonnie also found time to coach high school runners. “My kids attended Heritage Christian Academy when they were younger. The school started a running club for its students several years ago. This led to the school organizing a cross-country team. In 2008 Pam Schrock, another parent from Heritage Christian Academy, and I organized a team. I coached the team for a few years with Pam joining me as an assistant.”

Although Bonnie is no longer a part of the KAR board she is still a member of KAR and can be found at many of the club-organized training runs and many local races. She cherishes the family that she has found in the local running community. She reflects on what the running family means to her. “The friendships made through the running community carry people through the highs and lows of life. I have experienced this firsthand. When I was going through a divorce a few years ago they were a huge source of support for me.”

Running is something that I have delighted in for many years. Growing this sport is something that fuels this excitement. The more the merrier. In my time as a runner, there seems to be continual growth. There are many factors for this. Having innovative leadership in our sport helps to keep seasoned runners interested in running while also drawing new athletes to our sport. Bonnie has been an example of this and I’m confident she will continue to show leadership even if in less formal ways. She has been like the pebble thrown into a pond, creating a ripple effect that has inspired others to give of their time to the running community. She will continue to be an ambassador for running. 

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

The Running Cult

Just Another Runner’s Perspective March 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

The Running Cult

“Everyone has their own definition of a healthy lifestyle, and mine has come to making health a priority but not an obsession.

—-Daphne Oz

There is something special about a long Saturday morning run with a group of like-minded friends. With the previous work week in the rearview mirror and the approaching work week still, almost two full days away, there is not a better time to unwind with friends for a prized activity. Rising early for the start of the weekend and putting in two hours of cardio while working up a sweat can provide a jumpstart for the remainder of Saturday, leaving the afternoon to run errands, catch up on chores, or just lounge in front of the television. While many use Saturday mornings to sleep in an hour or two later than during the week, the bulk of the running community would rather set the alarm early to hone their craft, freeing up the remainder of the day to check off tasks on the weekend to-do list. 

Sharing a running passion with a Saturday morning run group can set the tone for the weekend in many ways but perhaps what I enjoy most about this experience are the topics of conversation that come up during this extended session. It’s a great way to catch up and dialogue with running mates. Topics of discussion often center around what went down the previous week regarding work, family, and running. Other common subjects include sports, music, movies, and sometimes even politics. These conversations provide us with opportunities to connect with fellow runners, moments to increase our knowledge on a variety of topics, chances to be entertained, and glimpses into useless trivia. 

While completing the last few miles of our most recent Saturday group run the topic of cults came up in conversation. More specifically the question that was posed was: “Is there such thing as a marathon or running cult?” Of course, an initial reaction would be that “no, running is not a cult,” but I guess this debate comes down to each individual’s interpretation of the makeup of a cult, and how invested each particular individual is in the running group they associate with. 

A common impression of a cult would typically promote a negative connotation. There are certainly cults that push onto their members a not-so-healthy influence, but the word cult can take on more general meanings. Many well-known examples of cults include groups that have extreme control over their members. Many are based on religion but this is not always necessarily a required characteristic. Synonyms listed for cults on Thesarus.com include band, church, clan, faction, following, and party. Some of these same synonyms can be found for the word group. At its bare bones, a cult would be made up of a group of individuals with a common interest. 

I suppose any group of individuals could exhibit traits that are associated with a cult, so what about runners? There is no denying that most in the running community share a common passion for their activity of choice and in some instances, one’s interaction with running may border on extreme or even addictive. Although usually not the top priority of one’s weekly calendar, running schedules are often given high consideration when planning out each seven-day cycle. If something unexpected comes up most runners are flexible enough to either re-schedule a run or scrap it altogether. So although running might not be prized as the most important item on a runner’s schedule, an effort is usually made to make sure that a week’s workouts are completed. Running has a knack for bringing out our inner creatures of habit. 

Many runners bring their sport with them when they travel whether it be for business or pleasure. Running lends itself to this because it can happen anywhere with minimal inconvenience. Pack yourself a pair of running shoes and a small bag with running clothes, and just like that you are ready to go at any given time. While on vacation with family it is always a great opportunity to enjoy our sport in another location but it is always wise not to let it interfere with family obligations.  Most runners will find time to run but will do so while being considerate of their spouse and kids and squeeze in a run early in the morning, allowing them time for the remainder of the day to spend with family.

When looking at it through the lens of a non-runner, the obsession with running exhibited by the die-hards involved in our sport, may now and then give the appearance of runners taking on characteristics of a cult. Some refuse to give in to pain and injury, experienced while trying to run through an injury. Many wake up early in the morning, finishing up a run while others are still sound asleep in bed. Runners can certainly be rigid when it comes to their sport. I guess some questions must be asked and answered. Does the obsession harbor on being unhealthy? Does it take over one’s life and interfere with other obligations including family and work? Does it drain one of his or her energy?

Running and enjoying it with others is undoubtedly an important part of the life of many runners. We are a group bound by a common interest and passion. At times I suppose that our sport can be an unhealthy obsession but I feel the key for all of us is finding a balance in life and navigating how running fits into it without allowing it to consume every waking moment and thought.  I’m sure there are examples of runners in which their preferred activity becomes their cult with the run being the leader of this cult. For the masses, however, running may be a passion but hopefully, it never spills over into becoming a cult. Sounds like a great conversation starter for your next group run.

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