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…Zach Cohen! 01/21/2024 0 Birthdate: 5/9/1982 Birth Place: Minneapolis, MN Family: Wife (Sarah), Daughter (Lola) Age 11, Son (Miles) Age 9, Pup (Barnaby) Age 6 Personal strengths: Hardworking, Determined, Love a challenge, Positive attitude, also really getting good at bonking at mile 20 Personal weaknesses: Can doubt myself on some things (like my potential marathon pace ;)) Reason for joining Northstar: After training by myself for the 2022 TC Marathon I caught the running bug, but knew I wanted to find a group to make the training more enjoyable. I joined Northstar in March/April? in 2023 and have loved the group runs providing extra motivation and a lot of laughs along the way. Since joining I have completed two additional marathons (Grandma’s and Des Moines) and have PR’ed in both races, so will chalk that up to the group and some good coaching. Favorite running shoes: Nike Pegasus Favorite place to run: Chain of Lakes Running Goals: Short-term: Sub 3:05hr Marathon Long-term: TBD – After hitting my marathon pace goal, I will likely focus on trying to complete some of the iconic marathons (NY / Chicago) and there is an outside chance I may look at an Ultra. Proudest Running Achievement: Not a ton to choose from, but I would say completing Grandma’s marathon was my proudest to date. While it wasn’t the fastest of my marathons, I felt like I ran my best race at Grandma’s with solid pacing/fueling and running completely through the “pain cave” (as I have been told it is called). I definitely felt like I gave it all I had on that day. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: – Typical training week – Lift 3x per week, run 4-5x per week (max out at ~50miles per week typically when training) – a month or two before a race – whatever Brian tells me to do :)…typically the same schedule just ease back on the miles Running idol: I am still super new to the running game but have been super inspired by Courtney Dauwalter and Sally Mcrae. Not sure an ultra is ever in my future but watching what they go through during a race is pretty incredible. Injuries: None (fingers crossed it stays that way)PRs: Marathon PR: 3:28 Half-Marathon PR: 1:36:43 (according to Garmin) 25K PR: Not sure 10 Mile PR: 1:14:39 (according to Strava) 10K PR: 43:47 (according to Garmin) 5K PR: 20:38 (according to Garmin) 1 Mile PR: 5:46 Non-running Hobbies: Love trying new restaurants, being active outdoors (biking / paddle boarding), Tennis/Basketball, TV/Movie binging
Spotlight on…Claire Kamp Dush! 07/05/2023 0 Birthdate: 3.31 Birth Place: Jerseyville, Illinois After my first marathon (Twin Cities, 2022) Family: Husband: Aaron, Children: Toby, 20, Leo, 18, Frankie, 14, and Rose, 10 Personal strengths: Positive, Friendly, Enthusiastic, Hard worker Personal weaknesses: Can sometimes say things that wish could take back (cue vulnerability hangover) Reason for joining Northstar: After starting my running journey in February 2022 and training by myself for the Twin Cities marathon, I was bored, and was looking for some friends to run with. After the marathon, I think I was less intimidated to join a run club. So here I am! Also, since I am new to the Twin Cities (moved in May 2020), I love learning all the routes we do and discovering new places to run. I love running with my Northstar friends!! Favorite running shoes: Brooks Adrenaline Favorite place to run: The Chain of Lakes Running Goals: Short-term: Enjoy my running and maybe get faster Long-term: Run another marathon with a focus on the joy of running Proudest Running Achievement: Finishing my first marathon in October 2022. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: I usually run three to four times a week, and do CrossFit two to three times a week. I do long runs on Sunday with Northstar. I started doing speed work after getting my first training plan from Brian, and that was fun and I felt really powerful and strong after! Running idol: Hmm, not sure I have one. I read a profile of Martinus Evans who started the Slow AF Run Club, and I really enjoyed it – I want to read his book. Injuries: My knees hurt when I was training for Twin Cities, and I tweaked my knee doing CrossFit before Grandmas, so I need to be more careful of my CrossFit workouts leading into a race. PRs: (according to my Garmin) Marathon PR: 4:59:08 Half-Marathon PR: 2:16:34 25K PR: Not sure 10 Mile PR: Not sure 10K PR: 1:00:29 5K PR: 28:16 1 Mile PR: Non-running Hobbies: Reading or Listening to Books, Playing games, Hanging out with my family, CrossFit, My Peloton bike, Walking around Lake Harriet, Hanging out with friends Anything else interesting you’d like to share? My next race will be the Twin Cities Loony Challenge, and I am looking forward to my first race with my husband when we do the TC 10 miles on Sunday. Race recap of Grandma’s: With my sisters after Grandma’s 2023 My Grandma’s race recap is good news and bad news. The good news is that I am now officially a runner, and the bad news I am now officially a runner! Ha! I had set pace times with Brian to try to hit 4:50, and I was doing great the first several miles, then I stopped to go to the bathroom, and everything went downhill from there. I also kept thinking “Well, it will be flat soon, everyone says it is flat going into Duluth” and I never got to a point where I felt like it was flat. Ann told me it wasn’t flat, but I should have done more work reviewing the elevations. It was pretty lonely too, since I ran alone. I saw the first person I knew, my husband Aaron and two of my children and my two nephews around mile 19. Luckily, my saving grace was my awesome Northstar crew. Robbie finished the race out with me from Lemondrop on, and showed me what those sponges were for, and it wasn’t pretty, but it got done with a time around 5:14. Thanks Robbie! I want to do Grandma’s again, and this time, I want to get out of my head and enjoy it. So, maybe I will be training again next winter. But my friends at Northstar definitely make all the training way less onerous. Also, I loved the supportive texts I got which made me feel better. Thanks friends! I never thought I would finish a marathon and be disappointed with my time, but I think that comes with the running territory. I hope to get back to my plain ol joy of running for my next race.
Spotlight on…Sam Maki! 01/31/2023 0 Birthdate: June 5th Birth Place: San Angelo, TX Family: Wife (Elise) and dog (Bear) Personal strengths: Easygoing and sense of humor Personal weaknesses: Procrastination and big sweet tooth Reason for joining Northstar: Looked into all the Twin Cities running groups before moving and I liked the relaxed presence (and team colors) of Northstar while still helping people be competitive with training and racing. Also once I moved I happily realized it was the closest club! Favorite running shoes: Currently Saucony Kinvara 12 but always changing Favorite place to run: Too many to pick! There’s a lot of nostalgia running on a gravel road through trees. I have a blast running barefoot on golf courses. In Minneapolis I have really appreciated having Nokomis nearby. I even like running on the track, as long as it’s a rubber track. Running Goals: Short-term: Run my first half marathon, break 20 minute 5K again, run sub 5 mile again, race a trail Ragnar Long-term: Sub 2 min 800 meter, more trail racing, ultramarathon, race in all 50 states, being consistent, coaching a high school team Proudest Running Achievement: I won a couple of races in middle school/high school and that’s a great feeling. Aside from my own running, I really enjoyed helping others realize a love of the process of training, improving, and racing during track seasons. Seeing a teammate excited about a PB or great race always makes me proud. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: When possible I like to run or study the race course in advance so I can tailor my training and visualization to prepare for each part of a race. In general I’m doing 2 workouts, 2 easy days, and a long run each week. Running idols: Jim Ryun, Wayde van Niekerk, Paavo Nurmi Injuries: currently – none, historically – hip flexor, foot tendonitis, knee issues (a lot of these caused by basketball, not running)PRs: Marathon PR: N/A Half-Marathon PR: Coming soon 25K PR: Never raced 10 Mile PR: Never raced 10K PR: I’ve run them but never really kept track? Fastest in recent training was 53:51 5K PR: 17:30 HS / 22:11 post HS 1 Mile PR: 4:53 HS/ 6:02 post HS I’ve also run race distances of 5 miles (41:55) and 8 miles (56:23) Non-running Hobbies: Nintendo Switch games, hiking, anime/manga, basketball, making ice cream Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I can play the flute, I was a spelling bee kid from 5th-8th grade, and I spent 2 years in Chile 2014-2016 which is where I learned to speak Spanish
Spotlight on…Nichole Bathe! 11/04/2022 0 Birthdate: March 17th 1995 Birth Place: Madison WI Family: Older brother in Minneapolis, Parents in Madison, and two dog babies with my boyfriend Rob. Personal strengths: Will joke about anything. Pretty decent cook. Personal weaknesses: Stubborn Reason for joining Northstar: Mill City was overwhelming and I wanted some training partners for marathon training. Favorite running shoes: Hoka cliftons Favorite place to run: River road in Minneapolis or any trails Running Goals: Short-term: Qualify for Boston Long-term: Run the London, Oslo, and Berlin Marathon Proudest Running Achievement: Finishing my first marathon last year Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Run somewhere between 30-40 miles a week with a long run on the weekend. Running idol: Gwen Jorgensen (She’s a triathlete but she’s from Wisconsin and she’s awesome!) Injuries: Torn ACL and Meniscus in my right knee PRs: Marathon PR: 3:27 Half-Marathon PR: 1:33 25K PR: Never ran this! 10 Mile PR: 1:09 10K PR: 44:00 5K PR: 18:55 1 Mile PR: 5:58 – High school….. Non-running Hobbies: I like to ski and do any outdoor activity. I also enjoy Wine and cocktails!
Spotlight on…Jack Jorgensen! 05/11/2022 0 Age: 32 Birth Place: Minnesota Family: Bia (wife) and Charlie (dog) Personal strengths: Being open to challenging myself in new ways. Over the course of my high school track career, I participated in 12 of the 18 possible events for Minnesota high school track and field. I also have participated in about a half dozen triathlons since 2008, most of which were sprint distance. A few years back, I biked 160 miles just to see if it would be possible to ride from the Twin Cities to a family cabin up north in a single day (spoiler: it’s possible). Personal weaknesses: Chocolate; mornings. Reason for joining Northstar: In 2021, I spent about 6 months recovering from a chronic Achilles injury that kept me away from running for the longest period of time since I was a senior in high school, and when I started slowly getting back into it this year, I thought it would be good to meet some new people and put more structure around my otherwise disorganized training schedules. I’ve been hooked since day 1! Favorite running shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus Favorite place to run: Parque Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. I lived in São Paulo for about three years and met my wife there as well. Running Goals: Short-term: Run one race before the end of 2022Long-term: 1:20 half marathon Proudest Running Achievement: Sub 1:30 half marathon in 2016 Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: 30-35 miles spread over 5 or 6 days. Running idol: Jeff Galloway Injuries: None at the moment, and hoping it stays that way! PRs: Marathon PR: 3:25:11 (Twin Cities 2017)Half-Marathon PR: 1:29:41 (Lake Minnetonka 2016) Non-running Hobbies: I still play hockey once or twice a week and enjoy cross country skiing as well.
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…Lisa Rippe! 09/07/2021 0 Birth Place: I grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin. After living in seven different states (Wisconsin, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Florida, Kentucky) and two countries (Germany and Japan) for school and work, I moved to Minneapolis in 2007 with a sales and marketing role, serving Target and Best Buy. Family: Married to Paul, a native of the Twin Cities. We have two energetic black labs, Jade and Ruby, who especially enjoy hunting with Paul and lake swimming with me. Personal strengths: I’m known as organized, dedicated, positive, and energetic. Personal weaknesses: I tend to have high expectations of myself and others; I’m learning to tamp this down as others have different priorities. Some seem to think I’m intensely dedicated to running. Reason for joining Northstar: I love the supportive running community offered by the Northstars. The group has encouraged me to explore more of the Twin Cities running scene and inspired me to start a running streak, which began 1/1/21. Favorite place to run: I live close to Lake Harriet and enjoy looping the lakes and parkway at all times of the year. I love taking “runcation adventures” which give me an opportunity to travel, learn, and meet more runners. A run in a National Park is my kind of heaven on earth. Running Goals: Short-term: Get to know more in the Northstar community. Support the RRCA’s (rrca.org) vision to “empower everyone to run” in my volunteer role as board member and VP. Gear up for Whistle Stop marathon. Pace Eau Claire, Des Moines, and Orlando half marathons and Space Coast full marathon in 2021.Long-term: Continue to support our running community both locally and nationally, resume international “runcations”, reconnect in person with friends outside the Twin Cities, and add more folks to my circle of running friends. Proudest Running Achievement: Helping athletes achieve their goals brings me great satisfaction. I am a RRCA certified coach and race director. I have coached runners since 2010, mainly through Lifetime. I also enjoy supporting others by pacing half and full marathons. I am grateful for being a regular runner for over 30 years. I am fortunate to have completed over 135 marathons, including every state, continent, and the six world majors. Running idol: Currently I’m in awe of the gutsy Molly Seidel, the Tokyo Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and a fellow Wisconsin native. I had the pleasure of watching her finish her first marathon in second place at the Olympic Trials in Atlanta in February 2020. A few PRs: Marathon PR: 3:29 St. George, UTHalf-Marathon PR: 1:39 New Bedford, MAIronman PR: 13:14 Madison, WI Non-running Hobbies: Travel, cooking, reading, yoga, swimming, and biking.
Spotlight on… Debbie Hultman! 06/11/2021 0 Birthdate: 06-06-1961 Birth Place: Glendale, CA Family: 2 daughters, 3 grandsons Personal strengths: I’m enthusiastic, a hard worker and good team player. I’m action oriented and suit up and show up. Personal weaknesses: I don’t like conflict, I get too busy, I can be too critical. Reason for joining Northstar: To meet and spend time with likeminded athletes committed to long term fitness and health. Favorite running shoes: Saucony, New Balance Favorite place to run: trail running Running Goals: Short-term: I turn 60 this month. I want to run a respectable 1 mile race, 5k race, 4 or 5 mile race,10k race,10 mile race and half marathon this year and do well in my new age group.Long-term: I’d be happy if I could run, at least a little bit, the rest of my life. Proudest Running Achievement: The running achievement I worked the hardest for was my marathon PR. I wanted to run 26 miles at a 7:50 average more than I wanted a particular time. It took 4 or 5 tries or training cycles and one heck of a hard race to finally accomplish this. I feel like I can hang my hat on this one. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: I haven’t run a major race that I’ve trained for in 5 years. Running idol: I’m embarrassed to say that it’s a Minnesota woman and I wouldn’t want her to know. Ha! Injuries: Many feet, hip, femoral neck stress fractures. 2 complete breaks. PRs: Marathon PR: 3:24:35 – 2016 – Ely MarathonHalf-Marathon PR: – 1:37:23 – 2014 – Gary Bjorkland25K PR: – Never run10 Mile PR: – 1:13:24 – 2011 – TC1010K PR: – 42:?? 2016 – Flying Finn 10k, Embarrass, MN5K PR: 20:37 – 2016 – Quad City’s Courage 5k1 Mile PR: 6:09 – 2016 – Duluth Mile Non-running Hobbies: I volunteer a lot with The Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, my church and with a few other organizations. I’ve volunteered away from home 8-12 weeks a year the past 5 years. I might stick closer to home volunteering in the future though. I LOVE hiking!!!! Camping too! I’ve done some really cool long solo hikes across states and even countries. I like to bike too. I do a lot of it and often am on a bike trip or riding with a group somewhere. I ride the Habitat for Humanity 500 mile bike ride every summer. I like to swim, cross country ski and snowshoe too! Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I just moved from Ely, MN to be closer to family. My friends can’t believe I moved because loved Ely outdoor activities so much. They think I’ll be back but I don’t think so. I love it here and I’m not having a hard time adjusting at all. Northstar has helped with my transition. It’s been a super fun add and has really helped me to meet new friends and to feel part of a community!
Spotlight on…Lisa Millam! 02/28/2021 0 Birthdate: 2/16 Birth Place: Carbondale PA Family: Husband, Neil Dog, Farnsworth Personal strengths: Mentally Strong Personal weaknesses: Easily distracted and talked into doing stupid things. Reason for joining Northstar: Founding Member & enjoy the company and fellowship of the group. Favorite running shoes: Right now, Ghost 13 Favorite place to run: The Lakes Running Goals: Short-term: Keep my streak goingLong-term: FANS 2021 Proudest Running Achievement: Finishing the Steamtown Marathon 2005 with my father running the final .2 with me. He was so happy to do that. He trained for weeks beforehand. The story of your streak: It started as a casual conversation on a Friday morning schlogg. I figured I would try it for a year and see how it goes. 10 plus years later, I am still going strong. I hope to keep it going as long as possible. It just became part of my life. I have many days when all I do is a mile and that is just fine. Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: Training for FANS means spending a lot of time on your feet. I try to do back-to-back long runs on the weekends and 1 during the week. Running idol: Anyone who puts on their shoes & gets running. Injuries: Nothing major (thank God) PRs: Marathon PR :5:04Half-Marathon PR: 2:0625K PR: 3:3610 Mile PR: 1:3810K PR: 53:115K PR: 26:581 Mile PR: 8:01 Non-running Hobbies: Reading, puzzles, traveling, fostering dogs and an endless pursuit of the perfect margarita and cheese dip. Anything else interesting you’d like to share? I was in my 40’s when I started running and in my 50’s when I started my streak so it’s never too late to start.
