Spotlight on…Ranae Jonsson! 09/29/2024 0 Birthdate: January 15, 1978 Birth Place: West Allis, WI Family: Two older sisters and my parents retired to AZ Personal weaknesses: Being a pushover sometimes has gotten me in trouble and struggling to ask for help because I used to feel like the world was on my shoulders and I was a constant failure. Of course, I have since been able to get the help I needed and find the love of my life and the best partner ever in Phillip Jonsson. Personal strengths: Resilience and recovering from difficult life moments. I am a sunny optimist and try to always see the best in others and share kindness whenever I can. Reason for joining Northstar: Support and welcoming I felt when I attended events to cheer on Phil made me want to join the group when I decided to start running less than 2 years ago. Favorite running shoes: Brooks Glycerin 21 is my new favorite but my 20s were great too. Favorite place to run: Elm Creek Reserve on most short runs and long runs along flatter trails like Rush Creek Running Goals: Short-term: complete the ½ marathon at Grandma’s Long-term: Eventually PR the ½ marathon beyond my current planned goal of 3 hours Proudest Running Achievement: Completing my first ever 10-mile race in White Bear Lake area after the TC 10 mile was cancelled. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Ramping up miles to around 16 miles per weekaverage and making sure to get is all my nutrition so I have the energy to run the longer distances on theweekends. Try to nail all my speed work and stay as close to my goal paces as possible. Running idol: Phillip Jonsson- It may sound cliché, but my husband is my running idol. He is so dedicated and motivated with his own training and goals and when I run, he encourages me and supports me in everything I do, and he just impresses me in general. Injuries: I had overworked my piriformis muscle in March of 23 which led to serious pain forcing me back off the running goals, but I went to PT and get deep tissue massages monthly and continue to do the right things to keep my glute firing and my piriformis doing its regular job instead of taking over. PRs: Marathon PR: n/a Half-Marathon PR: n/a, for now 25K PR: n/a 10 Mile PR: 2:22:06 10K PR: 1:21:23 5K PR: 0:39:14 1 Mile PR: n/a Non-running Hobbies: In my spare time I enjoy weightlifting, hanging out with Phil and our adorable Boston Terrier, Rudy, and doing puzzles or going to see the newest movie release with Phil. We also try to travel as much as possible both to visit family and visit sites that are new to us both. Anything else interesting you’d like to share? Nothing else but thank you for taking the time to interview me and I am very excited to be a part of the club and this amazing running family at Northstar. Brian has been such a supportive and incredible coach, and I am thankful for him. I am also grateful for Meghan Doherty who takes the time to run with me and keeps me company whenever she can on my long runs.
Spotlight on…Teresa Howell Saxton! 05/22/2024 0 Birthdate: November 1, 1963 – I’m rocking a new age bracket this year (and getting a few senior discounts too!) Birth Place: Beaumont, TX Family: Husband, Steve (age 62) Son, Brent (age 27) Daughter, Sadie (age 25) Personal strengths: Caring, Reliable, Sincere, Even-keeled Personal weaknesses (I’ll stick to the ones related to running): Keeping too many old running shoes in the closet, blaming all running aches and pains on my current running shoes, and waffling on what brand and shoe size to order next! Reason for joining Northstar: I’m a group exerciser. I can work out alone, but it’s way more fun to share the miles. Steve and I moved to Minneapolis in October and I was looking for a running group. I got lucky to find the Northstar website and training calendar online. Olivia was responsive to my email inquiries and when I came to the group runs absolutely everyone was so welcoming, helpful, and nice. I love that about Northstar! Favorite running shoes: Overall, I’d say I’m most loyal to Saucony. I’ve gone through a lot of brands and keep circling back to Saucony. My first ever pair of running specific shoes were Saucony worn without socks because running guru Jim Fixx didn’t wear socks in The Complete Book of Running, which was THE definitive runner’s bible of the late 70s and early 80s. Running didn’t work out that well for Jim Fixx however, and I’ve learned that socks provide good blister prevention! Favorite place to run: In the woods, on a trail, with my family and friends, followed by a quick dip in a lake! The HLR out and back – Ely, MN North Arm Trails – Ely, MN North Park Trails – Pittsburgh, PA Split Rock River Loop on the Superior Hiking Trail Running Goals: Friends, fun and fitness! Short-term: I want to get out the door on most days to experience the joy of running, release endorphins and manage stress! Long-term: To stay healthy and keep running as long as I can while doing a few races and cheering for and training with others along the way! Proudest Running Achievement: There are so many. A few notables include running my first marathon in 2001. I was so emotional at the 20-mile mark because I knew at that point Iwould finish! I never thought I could, or would even want to run a marathon. My friends talked me into it. I had been trainingwith them for fun and finally they convinced me to just sign up. It was an amazing experience. Same with Boston in 2004 with the Schardt sisters, and Grandmas in 2021 with my family. I never would have done these races without the nudging and camaraderie of my family and running friends. The Northstarteam is nudging me in new ways as a runner! (Namely, The Ice Dive, King of the Hill workouts, running more miles than degrees farenheit, and Smoosh Racing which I am hesitant to try!) Typical training week: There is no typical week for me since I’m a reluctant racer and slow to commit. For a long distance event, I really like the LSD runs – long, slow distance! It’s my zen groove. I’ve never done too many miles a week – my max in any training cycle for any distance up to 55K (to date) has been around 40 – 45 miles a week. I love trails. Speed work isn’t my forte but I enjoy hill workouts. Northstar is helping to change my mindset on the speed game. Running idols: I admire anyone who gets out there! It’s not always easy to get motivated. The Northstar team inspires me with their commitment, training plans, running streaks, pacing, racing and team spirit (Take for example Ellen, who always seems to have a stash of the latest Northstar gear in her trunk!) I’m super impressed by the number of Northstar runners who are on multi-year streaks. That blows my mind! I have to give a shout out to my “everyday” heroes and training partners over the years: My family, Mary and Marita Schardt, the members of my “running confessional” (they know who they are), North Park Trail runners, Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, the ladies of the Ligonier YMCA who started me on the marathon journey, Oberlin XC and the Obies who came out for the Dull and Boring 4 at 4:00, Christina Schmidlapp, John Dugdale and Jerry LeVasseur. Professionals who inspire me are Joan Benoit, Alison Felix, Meb Keflezighi, Camille Herron, Courtney Dauwalter, EliudKipchoge and so many others! Injuries: Luckily I’ve had only a few minor injuries over the years – IT band, tendonitis, mild plantar fasciitis. Fingers crossed I’ll continue to run injury-free for years to come! PRs: I haven’t tracked my races and times over the years (especially since most of my races were pre-Garmin and Strava). Luckily there’s a website called Athlinks.com that tracks results. I was able to look back there. I’ve always run around an 8- to 9-minute mile pace with a few faster races here and there! It’s getting a little harder to keep that pace with age! Marathon PR: 3:39:28 (Montgomery County Marathon in the Park 2004) Half-Marathon PR: 1:46:36 (Minnesota Half Marathon in St. Paul Aug 2014) 30K PR: 2:39:43 (Just a Short Run 2004) 10 Mile PR: 1:15:28 (EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler 2014 – my fastest race ever I think) 10K PR: (had to be in the EQT 10 miler 2014) 5 Mile PR: 37.52 (PNC YMCA Turkey Trot 2017) 5K PR: 23:09 (Whiskey Rebellion 5K 2017) 1 Mile PR: 7:18 (Fleet Feet Liberty Mile 2022) Beer Mile Relay PR: 11:40 (5th Annual Beer Mile St. Paul Apr 2024) (I had to include this one for fun – it was not on Athlinks!) Non-running Hobbies: I enjoy all kinds of live music, especially in small intimate concert venues. There’s nothing more fun than hearing and seeing performers do their thing in real time with an appreciative crowd to create a vibe! (Kind of like running and spectating at races!) Anything else interesting you’d like to share? My family built a yurt together in 2020!
Spotlight on…Carolyn Fletcher Brochman! 01/04/2022 0 Birthdate: 06/28/1957 Birth Place: Cleveland, Ohio Family: Son Adam 37- locksmith in San Francisco Granddaughter Olivia 6 1/2 years old in first grade and lives in Honolulu with her mother Javi Husband Kevin-together 7 1/2 years and married 4 1/2 years Sister Judy in NYC and sister Deb in MPLS, and Mother Roz ( 98 years old ) in Mpls Carolyn’s mom Roz Personal strengths: I work hard at whatever is on my plate- whether it is work or training or being committed to my life partner, Kevin. I have always had a lot of energy and am efficient at getting tasks done- though as I am getting older-my energy and capacity to perform in all the arenas has diminished greatly. I know that I need support and help to get through life, and I depend on a massage therapist, trainers at discover strength, psychologist that I use for tune ups a few times a year, friends and sadly I wish I made better use of the training plans that Brian and Rob offer. Running has had to take a back seat. You can have everything in life…just not all at once. Personal weaknesses: I am very judgmental and often critical. I get too anxious before races and even before training sessions. When I am angry- I shoot and only afterwards do I point and aim… I compare myself to others- someone wiser than me said that comparison is the thief of joy. Reason for joining Northstar: I had been running with this group when it was under the name of MN RED. It was a sad and unfortunate blowup and I knew that the most important thing was to have people that I like as training partners. My drifting away from group runs has been due to burden of work and aging mother and trying to simplify my life and not try to do everything. Favorite running shoes: Brooks Glycerin Favorite place to run: So many places- depends on what I need that day -River road, river bottoms, I love running in new cities when I am at a conference or on vacation. The company is usually more important to me than the venue Running Goals: Short-term: Run 3-4 times a week and do double digit runs weekly- will not happen till summer Long-term: Run another marathon- my last one was New York 2018- I would like to qualify for Boston again, qualify for New York again. I plan to retire in June 2022 and train decently for another marathon Proudest Running Achievement: My first marathon was Grandmas in 2003 and I was aiming for 3:50 and a mile from the finish I asked my personal pacer-Danny Ripka if I could finally pick it up…he laughed and said go ahead and I was delighted to run hard and finish in 3:47 right before I turned 46 years old Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: I used to train a yearly average of 50 miles a week and peak marathon training brought 60 and some 70 mile weeks. I could never do that again. I would be thrilled to run 30 miles a week and go up to 50 miles a week during marathon training. Running idol: Desi Linden- she is scrappy Injuries: constantly struggle with my butt- mostly I am always exhausted nowadays PRs: Marathon PR: 3:37:07 at TCM in 2003 Half-Marathon PR: 1:40 at Rochester Half in 2007 25K PR: 2:05.21–City of Lakes 2003 10 Mile PR: 1:15.38 Lumberjack 2004 10K PR: 45:04-Victory in 2006 5K PR: 22:07-Race for Oramia 2007-won 100 dollars for age group 🙂 1 mile PR: 6:42 TC mile in 2008 Non running hobbies- down hill skiing, nordic skiing- mostly skate, needlework, cooking, gardening and reading Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I believe that life is better shared. Mostly with a single devoted life partner. And…that person cannot supply everything- so I believe in sharing my life with running partners and friends that fill in the gaps.
Spotlight on…Missie Jacobson! 08/02/2020 0 Birthdate: Dec 16th, 82 Birth Place: Minneapolis Family: Larry (Hubby), Gavan (10) & Gannan (7) Personal strengths: Following a plan and pushing to a goal. This goes for anything in life. Personal weaknesses: Asking for help. I am the worst with this in anything. If I do ask it means I really need it lol Reason for joining Northstar: I joined because I wanted more running friends and a feeling of community. Favorite running shoes: Brooks Ghost Favorite place to run: Well not during Covid the lakes, otherwise I just love to run new places. I have been known to follow alone with team poor decisions on adventures but secretly I love every minute of it. Running Goals: Short-term: Get back to where I used to be before my last injury Long-term: stay injury free, get a pr, I want to still get a sub 4 hour marathon, and be able to keep running forever Proudest Running Achievement: Grandma’s half 2018. After Training for Brian Kraft and getting a PR weeks before grandma’s I was not expecting a PR. Rob set me up with a schedule of what to run but then left the best thing for the end. Not look at my watch from lemon drop hill until the finish. So I moved it to clock and I just focused on getting to the finish. I never ran so hard with the best of Energy. I smashed my PR and finally got out of my head. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: run every day. Oh seriously 2 speedwork days, 1 streak day, 3 easy recovery days and 1 long run. I am pretty happy to be running 30-50 miles a week during training. Running idol: Woman Gwen Jorgensen, Man Scott Jurek and yes an animal Sherman the Donkey. Injuries: torn hip librium, plantar fasciitis (but very minor) PRs: Marathon PR: 4:28:46 (Flying Pig) Half-Marathon PR: 1:53:31 (Grandma’s l 25K PR: never done 10 Mile PR: 1:28:55 (Goldy’s) 10K PR: 53:54 (Victory) 5K PR: 24:36 (Brian Kraft) 1 Mile PR: 7:11 (TC 1 mile) Non-running Hobbies: Audiobook Addict, Crafting Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I have been on my run streak since September 13th, 2016. I run with 2 of the 3 dogs about 90% of the time. Marv & Marco. Gavan runs with me a lot too and also on a run streak.
Spotlight on…Mary Rae Kim! 04/13/2020 0 Birthdate: 5/3/1981 Birth Place: Farmington, MN Family: I was born in the middle of 4 boys growing up. My husband and I have 3 children: Ollie 8, Soriya 6, Norah 4 Personal strengths: I can be pretty competitive. Which helps drive me to keep doing better – for the most part! Personal weaknesses: Getting all the mileage in each week. I am known to skip out on the easy runs! Also – I’m a huge procrastinator. Reason for joining Northstar: I was looking for other running enthusiasts. No one in my circle of friends are runners. Favorite running shoes: Brooks Ghost, but just went back to Asics Nimbus and I am really liking them. Favorite place to run: Right now it is the MN River Bottoms. But, I do miss the River Roads in Philly and Esplanade in Portland. Running Goals: Short-term: sub-4 hour marathon and faster times at each race distance Long-term: BQ at age 40. Proudest Running Achievement: Dropping my pace time considerably since joining Northstar! Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Nothing is typical for me, yet. I go by how I feel or how much time I have when I get up! Ideally, I’d like to do a long run, a solid interval workout, some cross-training or HIIT and a strength/core session. Running idol: Northstar Runners – I have learned so much in this last year from everyone. Lots of tips, recommendations and routes to enjoy! For pros – I always liked following Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi and Carrie Tollefson. Most recently I have enjoyed Desiree Linden’s fire. Injuries: None right now..but coming off of a stress fracture in the neck of my femur (basically my hip). PRs: Marathon PR: 4:16:08 in 2013 Half-Marathon PR: 1:54:23 – but ran faster on a training run last weekend! 25K PR: NA 10 Mile PR: 1:17:43 10K PR: 46:37 5K PR: I don’t know. I would be interested to find out. 1 Mile PR: I don’t know. It’d be interesting. Non-running Hobbies: Waterskiing, Tennis, Hiking, Camping – anything outdoors with the kids.
Spotlight on…Brenner Sandberg!! 01/26/2020 0 Birthdate: September 26th Birth Place: Saint Louis Park, MN Personal strengths: very good at running in circles for extended periods of time Personal weaknesses: consistently waking up early. Reason for joining Northstar: Was looking for some people to do my long runs with when I signed up for my first marathon, which was back in 2011. Favorite running shoes: Whatever Wendy tells me to run in. I am not really loyal to a brand but I do like Hokas for long distances. Favorite place to run: Lebanon Hills. I love that place. It may not be the best place for hill training but it sure is fun. Running Goals: Short-term: Get back to running consistently Long-term: Get faster at short to mid distance races. Proudest Running Achievement: FANS 24 hour race, finishing with 94.2 miles Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Start cutting back the mileage that was running the previous weeks Injuries: many, but nothing too severe. PRs: Marathon PR: 3:44:54 Half-Marathon PR: 1:34:13 25K PR: 2:00:13 10 Mile PR: 1:18:48 10K PR: 42:35 5K PR: 19:47 1 Mile PR: 5:44 Non-running Hobbies: I am getting more into photography.
Spotlight on…Grant Brakob! 09/30/2019 0 (Photo credit: Brenner Sandberg) Birthdate: 3/13/1992 Birth Place: Minneapolis, MN Family: I visit my parents and younger sister who live in MN often, and keep in touch with my brother who lives in NY. I also have a cat. Her name is Voldemort. Personal strengths: I *think* I’m getting better at striking a balance between my personal and professional (special education teaching and graduate studies) lives, but maybe check in on that one in November. Personal weaknesses: Sometimes I can be a perfectionist and also sometimes get a little carried away and if something really interests me. Reason for joining Northstar: I ran Cross Country and Track from the beginning of middle school until I graduated high school. I enjoy both running on my own and with people, but I missed having a running community, and sometimes someone to run with. Right now, I’m trying to make it out to one or two weekend runs with the club each week. Hope to see you there! Favorite running shoes: I am a cheapskate and have mostly gotten Saucony Cohesions since early high school I think. Every once in a while I get an ache or pain and want to try something fancier. I’m currently running in a pair of Saucony Glide Isos and they’re getting the job done. Favorite place to run: If it’s on my own, I love Lake of the Isles because it’s a nice 5.5 mile run I can do from my apartment. If it’s with the club, I like running along the river in Minneapolis, any of the lakes, or Afton State Park (I’ll deny this later, but despite a lot of trash talk, I kind of like hills once in a while). Running Goals: Short-term: Keep an active running routine through the school year. I struggle with this every year. I’m going to need to break a sub-20 minute 5k eventually. Long-term: Stay committed to running into the future as long as I keep getting enjoyment from it. I totally heard someone else say this and stole it, because it’s true. I don’t have any specific long-term time goals other than run a 5k under 20 minutes. Running Boston Marathon when I’m really old and can meet the qualifying time would be cool, but I’m not going to put all of my eggs in that basket. I don’t have any marathons on my agenda at the moment either. Proudest Running Achievement: It’s nice to think back on all of the times I completely hit the wall in a marathon, missed my goal time, and finished anyway. Always a bittersweet feeling, but I feel like it gives me something to reflect on when things get tough in other areas of life. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Get as many runs with the club in as I can. Make sure I get in some speed work during the week and a long run on the weekend. Running one day a week on trails is nice, but not a requirement for me. Running idol: I don’t really have one. Injuries: *Knock on wood* I don’t have any really serious running injuries to speak of. Every couple years or so, I’ll get some tendinitis or inflammation. Taking a week off, plenty of ice, potentially a bit of ibuprofen, and a slow return to running usually gets me back to normal. I am SO grateful for how lucky I’ve been in this respect. PRs: Marathon PR: 3:44:52 Half-Marathon PR: 1:34: 18 25K PR: N/A 10 Mile PR: 1:39:47 10K PR: 43:05 5K PR: 20:05 1 Mile PR: 5:25 (I think) Non-running Hobbies: I got out more in the summer, but I’m trying to get out and do more photography on the weekends now that school is in full swing. In the summer I’m a big reader. I hesitantly signed up for a fantasy football team this year. I’m a big fan of getting outside to bike, hike, or even run. Board game nights with family or friends are a favorite during the colder months.
Race Report – Gerard Cramer 09/30/2019 0 Not sure where to start in writing a race report on my Superior 100 race. A journey and experience might be a more appropriate description, so I’ll describe both the journey and the race. Some people have wondered or asked why I run trail ultras and why I wanted to run a 100+ miles race. To be honest, the best answer that I have is that it humbles me. I love the ultra community and atmosphere, and ultras feed my curious mind. There are lots of variables that continuously change that either need to be figured out during training or be dealt with during the race. That experience and the journey it takes to get there is what I enjoy, and the race then becomes the “test” where failure is a real possibility but without any real consequences. So maybe a better word is a celebration. I didn’t always feel this way about my races and it has pretty much taken me until this year to get to that frame of mind mentally. I started my ultra career back in 2012 with a 50K on the roads and that experience was truly one of the best experiences I have had and ignited a spark. I stuck with marathons for a few more years chasing 3:30 but ultimately got tired of the marathon grind and started looking for ultras. I did my first 50-mile run in 2016 and that is where my learning began. I still remember Robbie meeting me at one of the aid stations (a complete surprise!!) and dragging me around for a loop telling me to walk with a purpose and keep eating. That race, while eventful and relatively successful, was meant to be a test for my ultimate goal of running a 150K on the roads in Calgary in celebration of Canada’s 150th year. In prep for that race, I got an ultra trail-focused coach and ran another 50 miler in the spring. But the sole focus for me was running this 150K race. Well, there’s a saying in ultras that if you haven’t DNF’d you haven’t tried enough hard things. I DNF’d that race after running out my mental capacity to push through the lack of nutrition and pain after about 71ish miles. That DNF crushed me and caused me to question many things yet I made it a goal to run a 100 miler in 2019 and this started the journey to Superior. For good measure, I followed that DNF up with another DNF in the mountains in 2018 as my nutrition once again failed me. The 2nd DNF wasn’t as crushing as I was beginning to realize that these races are really learning experiences. I feel I can almost fake my way through a 50 miler but after that distance, you need to have learned a few things about yourself. To speed up my learning I hired a dietitian for race day nutrition and I shook my DNF streak in the fall of 2018. From there I applied and got into the Superior 100 and planned my 2019 around that as my A race/celebration. As part of the journey, I ran a 100K in June and it left me pretty scared for the Superior 100 as it was on a much easier (though still really hard) trail. After that race I had some fun runs in the UK that cemented the realization that what I really enjoy about ultras is the structure and people I get to run and workout with during my training. My Superior training was relatively uneventful after my 100K and I was able to manage most of the little niggles that came during training. I would have loved to get on the Superior hiking trail more during the training but 2 runs around Jay Cooke state park were all I was able to squeeze in. This left me feeling prepared but quite uncertain about the trail leading up to the race. My taper week was eventful from a mental perspective yet after deciding to ignore some medical advice (with blessings from Mandy and my coach) I started the 100 miles at 8 am September 6th. The race actually starts on a paved path leading out of Gooseberry falls state park for about 4 miles and I ran this slow to not get burned up in the first few miles. Once we got on the trail, the fun started. And to be honest, the trail for the first 20-30 miles was actually “easier” than I had expected. Sure there was lots of climbing (~21,000 feet gain for the whole race) and some sections were technical, but other sections were quite runnable. This pattern continued for the rest of the race except the technical parts became extremely technical with roots and rocks/boulders and steeper climbs. The runnable sections became not so runnable for me for the last 50-60 miles and my goal basically became to stay around the 20 minutes/mile pace as that would ensure a finish. In this race, the distance between aid stations varies from 5-11 miles and the focus for me during the race was always just to get to the next aid station. At the aid stations I’d see my amazing crew chief, Julie, who was extremely organized and put up with my whining. I also had the help of her husband Matt who paced me and got to experience how ultra runners run downhill on technical terrain, and my brother Wilco who came from Canada to crew on the first day and pace afterward. Mandy surprised me and showed up in the middle of the night when I hit my first low point. Without them all, I would have struggled more and I’m not sure I would have finished as they got me to continue to try and eat some solids to keep up my calories. After about 30 miles I had a hard time swallowing and had to rely on mainly liquid nutrition that by the end was acting as a diuretic due to the electrolytes included with the carbs. After running for about 24 hours I began to “see” things in the clusters of coloured leaves in the trees. Things that I remember are a 77-mile marker, a TCRC sign, and a purple shirt. Other than the shirt, there was a context for all these hallucinations and I knew they were hallucinations as soon as I said them out loud. A lot of the race is actually a bit of blurry mess in my mind as it all kind of fused together. I do remember telling my pacers to go faster up Moose Mountain and then running a bit afterward on the smoother sections. That high was quickly followed by bouts of dizziness going up Mystery Mountain and I had to back the pace down to ensure I didn’t pass out. Eventually, I got to the river and the long hike into the resort was an amazing and surreal feeling. The highlights of the race definitely include the scenery. I love the mountains but for those of you who have never been on the Superior hiking trail, the views are absolutely stunning at times, and I know I missed a good portion of them as got to run in the dark twice. There were multiple times where a group of us runners would get to an overlook and just pause to take in the views of the trees, lakes, and rivers. It was amazing to see the colour of the trees change as we headed north. Another highlight where the amazing volunteers. The ultra community is truly amazing and the volunteer spirit that exists for Rocksteady races is not one that I have found to be matched anywhere else. Other highlights include getting messages from Robbie via Mandy as he was doing his “truck boys” duties and I know we just missed each other several times. Similarly, seeing friends out on the trail either telling me to suck it up and get moving or their smiles at the finish was amazing. As I crossed the finish line I did not know what to think other than I think I might have told Robbie that this might have been peak suffering and I didn’t need to do that again. Like a true runner I no longer think that way and on my drive back Sunday I was reflecting on sections I could do much better at next time. As I reflect on the race and the journey I learned that a good coach, strength training, and a good PT are crucial as I get old, my nutrition has improved but is still a weak link, and good crew/pacers can do a lot for you. To wrap up this likely too long of a race report I want to thank all you Northstars who joined me on runs, put up with my constant attempts to get you to join me on a trail run and in general the support of team “poor decisions.” THANKS!!
Spotlight on…Sat Jamunar! 07/14/2019 0 Birthdate: 6/10/1987 Birth Place: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago Family: 2nd oldest of 4; 1 brother & 2 sisters Personal strengths: I work hard to achieve my goals. Sometimes I don’t get there, but that’s ok. At least I tried. Personal weaknesses: I’m too quiet Reason for joining Northstar: I needed to run with other people. Favorite running shoes: Brooks Ghost; I just got the Glycerin though. I need the added cushion. Favorite place to run: Coon Rapids Dam; Elm Creek Park Running Goals: Short-term: I am trying to get PRs when I can. Got a few this year. Long-term: I’d like to get under 100 minutes for a half-marathon Proudest Running Achievement: Finishing my first full marathon in 2013 Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Saturday: Trail Runs. It is by far challenging, but it does keep me focused on the path. I do not want to trip on rocks and root branches Sunday: Long Run for about 10 to 13 miles. Easy pace mostly. Monday: Rest day or an easy 3 miles in the evening Tuesday: 3-5 mile tempo run workout Wednesday: 3-5 miles desired half marathon pace. Right now I am trying to stay under 8:10 Thursday/Friday: I may take one of these days off. I run 3-5 miles focusing on form and breathing. Running idol: Eliud Kipchoge. I am constantly surprised by his ability to break world record in the marathon. I hope he breaks 2 hours in the fall. Injuries: None really. PRs: Marathon PR: 4:22:15 Half-Marathon PR: 1:48:20 25K PR: N/A 10 Mile PR: 1:21:26 10K PR: 48:11 5K PR: 23:05 1 Mile PR: 6:37 Non-running hobbies: I am a novice classical guitar player. I like to read books on war/conflict history. I do read fiction as well. Its usually Vince Flynn novels or anything people like to recommend to me. Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I do a number of races a year. The most half marathons I have done in a year was 10 in 2015. Most of them are local races
New Board Members! 07/14/2019 0 At the Annual Meeting in June, the new board for Northstar Running was announced. Meet your new board members! Meghan Doherty (returning) Ellen Kendall Cindy Ravn Matthew Schmidt Robbie Skantz Here’s a little about the new members to help you get to know them: Robbie Skantz: Hi I’m Robbie Skantz, I’ve been a member of NorthStar running since its inception and enjoy the team in many ways, way more than just running. For those of you that don’t know me I can usually be found stalking and petting dogs around the cities and occasionally running. I value the group and its comradery and consider most everyone here as a friend (don’t worry, I wont ask to borrow any money). Thanks for allowing me to be part of the board, I hope that we can pick up where our awesome previous board leaves off and help to continue to build on a great Team which supports runners of all levels and goals and to promote volunteerism and philanthropy in our community. Matt Schmidt: A lot of you know me as one of the “fast (old?) guys”, but that wasn’t always the case – and isn’t at the moment. I didn’t really start running until I was almost 40 and ran my first real race in January 2013 – Securian Half Marathon. In spring 2015 I hurt my right foot building up for Fargo Marathon, missed the race and about 2 months of running and this winter, managed to hurt my back and be shut down for just over 11 weeks. I’d like to think I know what it’s like to build, rebuild and rebuild again from scratch. I’ve been a member of Northstar from the very beginning and it’s basically an extension of family at this point. As a former basketball player and point guard, I’m also a big team guy and I want to see even more Northstar representation (especially the ladies) at races of all kinds, USATF in particular. I don’t care what the times are, I just want to see lots of “Northstar Running” whenever those team results get posted! Cindy Ravn: Hi there. I’m Cindy Ravn. I’ve been a Northstar since moving back to Minnesota in October of 2015 but was part of the group before I moved to California in 2011 and would make guest appearances when I was in town periodically. I grateful for the friendships and camaraderie of The Northstars and am certain there are days I wouldn’t lace up if I didn’t have someone waiting for me. Personally my goal is to win my age group one day but it might not be for MANY years which is good because another goal is be a centenarian runner. 🙂 My hope, as a board member, is to increase membership and attendance at both our runs and social events. If you’ve met me you know I’m the ding-dong who often forgets her Garmin (or forgets to start it), sometimes has her dog (Sugarbell), might ask your name 80-90 times before I remember it, and stops occasionally to take a photo along the course. If you haven’t met me please know I’m the one who often forgets her Garmin (or forgets to start it), sometimes has my dog Sugarbell, I might ask your name 80-90 times before I remember it, and I occasionally stop along the course to take photos. 😉 Please stop and say hello next time. 🙂 Ellen Kendall: This will be my 2nd term on the Northstar Board. It has been so much fun to be a part of this awesome team. Because of this team, I’ve been able to reach goals that I never thought would be possible and I’ve been witness to seeing team members achieve amazing goals. Everyone on this team has inspired me in some way! This club is what keeps me running. It’s part of my every day life, and I’m looking forward to working with the new board member to help grow our team and make an impact to our local running community.
Tokyo Marathon Race Report 04/24/2019 0 Tokyo Marathon Race Report By Doug Schroeder On March 3, 2019, I finished the Tokyo Marathon in 2:56:26. It was not a PR and it was probably the most difficult marathon I have accomplished for many reasons but I kept my dream alive of running all six majors under three hours. Here’s the story. When Kate and I arrived in Tokyo on the Tuesday before, we were exhausted. Although our bodies only said it was about midnight, it was actually 3 pm local time and we just spent the last 12.5 hours on the flight. Over the next three days, Kate and I spent our days touring Tokyo. Throughout those days, we looked all over for some Gatorade so I could stay hydrated and we couldn’t find any. I did finally find an electrolyte drink called Pocari Sweat, which was good because it ended up being what was going to be on the course. I learned afterwards that the color (an opaque, off white) was designed to look like what sweat looks like since that’s what you were replacing when drinking it. I’m glad I didn’t know that until afterwards. I took Saturday really easy to get ready for Sunday morning. We had a great dinner and I was ready to represent Northstar running on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, Sunday morning did not bring the weather I was hoping for. The temperature was great at 41 degrees F, but it was raining and windy. I had to be in the corrals early and there wasn’t any shelter so I spent over an hour out in the elements. It wasn’t ideal but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. We started around 9:10 am (6:10 pm on March 2 here) and I felt good. After things started to spread out over the first kilometer, I was able to develop a rhythm. I felt good running but I kept noticing that I was running too fast. It was not easy to keep a good pace because my GPS was bouncing all over the place and I had to manually split every kilometer. I knew what my goal pace/km was but I only knew if I was close to that pace whenever I saw the next kilometer marker. I’m not great at running at a steady pace which made it difficult but I knew that I just had to give it my all. I was on pace for my goal of 2:50 through the half marathon mark but I faded in the second half. I knew that I didn’t have the long tempo runs in training I had hoped for with our cold and icy winter but I kept pushing. I also knew that I was very cold and wet and I didn’t want to be running any longer than I had to so I just kept moving forward. I had a big boost when I saw Kate around the 30K mark and after a few kilometers, I knew that I would make my sub-3 cut off. With about 6K to go, I started the home stretch back towards the emperor’s palace and the finish line. I was thrilled to see Kate with about 400 m to go and we both knew that it was going to be a good day as my six majors goal was still intact. I finished in 2:56:26, good enough for 1294th place out of 35440, and earned my fourth World Marathon Majors star. I was pleased with this because I knew that my training had not been what I had hoped for, the travel and touring had affected me, and the weather was less than ideal. I wasn’t going to dwell on the things that I could not control and I learned a lot from this race. I have to say that the Tokyo Marathon was a fantastic experience. There were more fans on the course than any other marathon I have been a part of and I have never seen more Marios, Luigis, Yoshis and Pokemon. I’m pretty sure that there were multiple Marios every mile. I enjoyed some Ramen after we arrived back to our hotel and a lot of sushi that night. Both were fantastic. The next day, Kate and I submitted our application for Team Poor Decisions by hiking 10K up Mt. Inari in Kyoto on post-marathon legs but the experience was worth it. Two days later, we were on a beach in Thailand for a fantastic recovery and it was wonderful. In all, while the Tokyo Marathon was by far the most difficult marathon I have accomplished, it will go down as one of the most memorable for many reasons.
Spotlight on…Cindy Ravn! 04/22/2019 0 Birthdate: August 11, 1696 Birth place: Sacramento, California Family: my husband Nick Ravn and our dogs Sugarbell and Bruce Personal strength: continuous self-evaluation and resiliency Personal weakness: continuous self-evaluation (double-edged sword) and potato chips Reason for joining Northstar: camaraderie and Bun Runs Favorite running shoes: currently wearing Brooks Launch Favorite place to run: In the Twin Cities I love to run Lake of the Isles and take a little hill detour through Kenwood. At home, in Sacramento, there is a 9 mile loop that takes me around 8 parks, including the capital, that is especially lovely in January when the Camelia trees are in bloom and the Oranges are ripe on trees throughout the city. Running goals: Short-term: Twin Cities Marathon October 2019 Long-term: to be a Centenarian runner Proudest running achievement: My Half Marathon PR at the Giant Run in San Francisco, while I had MRSA…I ended up in doctors care 4 days later but totally worth it! Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Oh my gosh, I haven’t done a major race I’ve forgotten everything but the tears. Running idol: Ella Mae Colbert, Man Kaur, Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins, Ida Keeling Injuries: Nothing too terribly serious PRs: Marathon PR: 4:39:46 Half-Marathon PR: 1:59 25K PR: ? 10 Mile PR: 1:38:31 10K PR:57:14 5K PR: 26:29 1 Mile PR: ? Non-running hobbies: yoga, snow shoeing (when there is snow) my dogs, health & wellness, cooking, reading, my she shed, and laughing as often as possible Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I am working hard to change views on getting older…that it should be celebrated!
