Sunburst Half Marathon (Long Distance Series) Saturday, June 4 7:30 AM EDT College Football Hall of Fame South Bend, IN

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1 G O L D C U P R A C E S C H E D U L E : Sunburst Half Marathon (Long Distance Series) Saturday, June 4 7:30 AM EDT College Football Hall of Fame South Bend, IN Field Station Frenzy 5K Run (Trail) Sunday, June 5 8:30 AM CDT Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve Chesterton, IN Munster Rotary Run A Round 10K Saturday, June 18 8:30 AM CDT Munster High School Football Field Soccer Field Shelter Munster, IN Firecracker 5K Saturday, June 25 7:30 AM CDT Duneland Health & Wellness Institute Chesterton, IN Nativity Festival 5K Run Sunday, June 26 7:00 PM CDT Nativity of Our Savior Church Portage, IN Brickyard Run 5 Miles Saturday, July 2 7:30 AM CDT Hobart High School Hobart, IN S E R I E S R A C E S : Red Dawn 5K Cross Country Race Saturday, July 23 8:00 AM CDT Woodland Park Portage, IN S P O N S O R E D R A C E S C H E D U L E : Miles For Missions 5K Run/Walk Saturday, July 30 7:30 AM CDT Heartland Christian Center Valparaiso, IN U P C O M I N G S T R I D E R E V E N T S : Board Meeting Thursday, June 9 6:30 PM CDT Portage Township YMCA Portage, IN Railcats Outing Ticket Purchase Deadline Sunday, July 10 June 2011 Volume 33, Issue 6 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Last month I attended the RRCA 53 rd Annual Convention held in Fredericksburg, VA along with fellow Board members Robin, Sue and Dan. We attended classes that covered every aspect of the sport imaginable, these classes aide and help in the continued promotion and growth of our club. We were lead on group runs in the morning through civil war battle fields, the historic downtown and on trails. We also participated in silent and live auctions (we managed to pick up some great items at both). While attending lunches and dinners we were entertained by key speakers Billy Mills, Gary Morgan and Julie Isphording. The RRCA does an outstanding job putting together a venue that has something to offer everyone attending. One of the classes I attended was NCPPA: Implementing a National Activity Plan The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity's mission is to unite the strengths of public, private, and industry efforts into collaborative partnerships that inspire and empower all Americans to lead more physically active lifestyles. The Calumet Region Striders are on target with this plan hosting such events as the Weight Watchers Walk-!T Challenge, which had over 800 pre-registered participants. Everyone has to start somewhere, we may not all be natural born runners but if someone is physically able to get out there and walk, ENCOUR- AGE them! Look in July's Instep for re-caps from the other board members regarding the RRCA Annual Convention. "Congratulations to Sue Brown-Nickerson recipient of Outstanding Youth Program Director" Other Nominations included: Outstanding Club Newsletter- Holly Plew Outstanding Club Website-Mike Wilson Outstanding Beginning Running Program-Sherry Robison The 2nd Annual Weight Watchers Walk-!T Day Challenge was a Huge SUCCESS! We had 929 participants and over 50 volunteers turn out Sunday May 22, Participants received a T-shirt and a recycled goody bag filled with such goodies as one week free at Omni Health Club, 5 Hour Energy, salad dressing, shave gel, spices, first aide kit, Sombra and Bio Freeze as well as coupons from several retailers in the area. They also received complimentary health screenings from Methodist Hospital and Walgreens and seated chair massages provided by Elite Chiropractic. Fleet Feet came out to raffle off free shoes. As they crossed the finish they were presented with a finisher s ribbon, refreshments and chocolate milk provided by Pleasant View Dairy. Thank-you to everyone who participated! June marks the month when many of us begin to train for The Chicago Marathon as well as many other fall marathons. If you are not training with a group and would like to join others for the weekly LONG run, OE Marathon Team has group runs on Saturday in Porter County & Sunday in Lake County. Lake County location is Wicker Park in Highland. You should have a physical before starting your training, and be able to run five miles with out stopping. During the next 18 weeks you will figure out what works for you and more importantly what does NOT work, such as Gel's, Gues, and what is best for you to eat the night before your long runs. We have experienced and Certified coaches to help you not only get to the start line but cross the finish with a smile. Training for Chicago Marathon starts on Monday June 6, and the first group run in Porter County is Saturday, June 11, and Lake County will be Sunday, June 12 at 7:00 AM. (Continued on Page 2) I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Jr. Strider News 2 VP s Corner 3 Coach s Column 3 Meet A Strider: 3 Generations 4 Local Coach/Striders wins RRCA Award XYZ Come Run With Us! 5 This & That 5 5

2 2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE ( C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 ) As Marathon training nears here are a few tips: ALWAYS give yourself at least one day of COMPLETE rest per week. NEVER do two hard track sessions on consecutive days. ALWAYS err on the side of too much rest between intervals. Take an ice bath to assist in recovery. Get a sports massage-it's well worth the cost. Safety Tips: Run against traffic. Be visible - wear reflective gear and light colors. Carry identification and a cell phone. Vary your routes and times. Run with a buddy. ALWAYS TELL SOMEONE WHERE, WHEN, and HOW LONG you will be out there. "WTF" Where's the Finish line? Stride ON! Michele INSTEP SUBMISSION DEADLINE The deadline for submissions for the July 2011 Instep is Wednesday, June 15, them to Instep Editor at news@calstrider.org or hrfortmann@yahoo.com with Instep Submission in the subject line. J R. S T R I D E R N E W S SUE BROWN-NICKERSON Congratulations to our 2011 Jim Cox Scholarship Recipients: Jordan Chester, daughter of James and Teresa Chester, Valparaiso, IN. Jordan will attend Grand Valley State University, MI on an athletic scholarship. She has been a four-sport athlete for Boone Grove High School for the past 4 years and a fourtime Indiana All-State runner track/xc. She has been a CRS active member, volunteer, and Gold Cup participant for the past 6 years. EJ Willis, son of Mike and Jayne Willis, Schererville, IN. EJ will pursue outdoor recreation leadership at Colorado Mountain College, Leadville, CO. EJ was one of the original Jr. Striders and completed his first Gold Cup Series in 2003 at age 10 years old. He is a 3 sport athlete (fb, swim, track) at Lake Central High School. Lauren Nicole Robinson, daughter Mark and Pamela Robinson, Manteno IL. Lauren will attend Valparaiso University and would like to become a corporate event planner. Lauren's grandfather is Jim Cox, to whom this scholarship is named in memory. Andrew Ritchie, son of John and Jody Ritchie, Schererville, IN. Andrew will be attend IU/Bloomington. His favorite event to volunteer for is the Chicago Marathon Aide Station the past 5 years and counting. TRACK & FIELD NEWS: Due to the re-construction of track surfaces at both Chesterton and Valparaiso High Schools, Coaches have been scrambling to reschedule practice sites. Updated June calendars are available at practices and on the website. There will be no Valparaiso Hersheys this year but look for that meet to return in Instead, Coach Sue and the Striders have partnered with Portage Parks to put on a Hersheys meet in Porter County on Wednesday, June 8th, check-in at 5:00 PM. NOTE: This is a free event and there will be exhibition 50m dash & field events for 8 years (2003 & under). See meet registration form inserted herein. Anyone can participate, no matter where you live with one stipulation. that the athlete compete in one Hersheys competition statewide. There are 5 running events and a relay event, and either the softball throw or standing long jump for participants. Although perfect for the beginner, first year track athlete; also appropriate for the veteran athlete. We have had Strider kids get invited to nationals in Hershey, PA the past 3 years. (The Lake County site, Schererville, will already have had their Hersheys Meet on June 1st). June 18 &19th is the AAU State Meet at Andrean High School. Parents, please follow the volunteer instructions within this newsletter. Why not keep busy while watching your son/daughter compete? Thank You! BOARD MEMBER ADDRESSES OFFICERS: PRESIDENT Michele Hale RunningLead@aol.com VICE PRESIDENT Robin Benson-Harvey vp@calstrider.org TREASURER Cecilia Bernal jcmbernal@comcast.net SECRETARY Pete Klaeser secretary@calstrider.org COMMITTEE CHAIRS: SOCIAL & SPONSORSHIP CHAIR Linda Ramos plymouth71@comcast.net PUBLIC RELATIONS Lisa Moreno lisarunsalot@sbcglobal.net GOLD CUP & SPONSORED RACE SERIES Mary Zemansky drmaryzemansky@sbcglobal.net MEMBERSHIP & VOLUNTEERS Dan Sturgell dansturgell@yahoo.com RUNNER PROGRAMS & SCHOLARSHIPS Sue Brown-Nickerson coachsue@calstrider.org NOMINATIONS, BYLAWS, & DISABLED RUNNER FUND Doug Walter nominations@calstrider.org ADULT RUNNING PROGRAMS Nicolette Huber hubbn5@hotmail.com APPOINTED: WEBMASTER & STATISTICIAN Mike Wilson webmaster@calstrider.org INSTEP EDITOR Holly Plew hrfortmann@yahoo.com STRIDERWEAR COORDINATOR Jose Lopez gunnylopez@sbcglobal.net

3 VP S CORNER Greetings from the back of the pack. Having just returned from the RRCA Convention in Fredericksburg, Virginia with Michele Hale, Dan Sturgell and Sue Brown-Nickerson. I am again inspired for our club's governance and our programs to succeed and improve. I will write about that more in the next newsletter. However, this time I would like to reflect on the social and fun we had. Michele, Dan & I made it in early which gave us some site seeing time to spend in DC. What made this so wonderful was that this was Michele & Dan's first visit to the nation's capitol. I got to be somewhat of a tour guide and re-experience it through them as they were so excited to see it all. First of all I have to say even having visited DC in 2002 post 911, it is even more secure now. To our disappointment we were not able to get at all close to the White House and they thought it was small, because we were so far away. But we did see the Washington, World War II, Korean, Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Michele was so excited to see Lincoln, she went up those step stairs two at a time. That evening we walked around Fredericksburg and ended up in an old graveyard where the dates on the tombstones were in the 1700's. The next morning we went on a fun run in a Civil War Battlefield. It had the most awesome path made of wood mulch and some kind of silicon rubber and was so comfy to run on. I of course was alone at the back and could not even see the pack. That early in the morning as the sun was coming up in a forest area, all I could think of is "I think 3 ROBIN BENSON HARVEY there are black bears here" and was hoping I did not run into one all by myself. After two days of classes, the convention winds down with an awards dinner. These are national RRCA awards, that go to only one individual in the whole USA. I would like to congratulate Sue Brown- Nickerson on receiving the national award for Outstanding Youth Program Director. We always knew we had an awesome Jr Strider program, now everyone else does too. The convention ends with a race and this year was the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. Michele and I were able to stop in DC on our way to the airport and the CRS President and Vice President got to get our picture taken in front of the White House and send our regards to the President and Vice President of the USA. I would like to take a moment to thank Mike Wilson for being the most awesome Web Master, Board member and friend. We all will miss you and wish you the best of luck. You are a valuable Strider member and will always be. I would like to congratulate the Strider wear winners so far: Brian Huber & Joe Wenckus at LaPorte YMCA, Diane DuMonte-Slater & Jerry Fuller at Runnin with the Irish, Sasa Sekuluski & Mike Daughterty at Ringing in Spring, Janet Rotz & Marvin Jordan at Hammond 10K, Karen Gay & Nicolette Huber at Tall Tree, Nancy Kohout & Robin Benson-Harvey at Spirit Run and Kaylee Miller & Dave Myroup at Spring Fling. So wear your Strider wear. Two winners will be selected after each Gold Cup Race and they will receive $2.00 Strider Bucks. So remember to wear your Strider wear to the Gold Cup races and enter before the race at the Strider table. All entries will be kept for the end of the year, when we pull two winners at the Gold Cup Banquet to receive a free Strider Membership. C O A C H S C O L U M N When most of us hear the words "Taking for Granted" the first thing we think of is someone not appreciating another person. On May 15, 2011 I realized, after completing the Marine Corps half Marathon, that I often take running for granted. My first race was September 27, The first few hundred races I competed in I would always check into the location of the course, average temperature, amount of water stations, elevation and even what flavors of sport drinks and gel's or gue's they would be handing out so that I would be prepared. Three days before the race Dan Sturgell asked me how many miles I had ran prior to this upcoming race, I replied I can just whip out 13 miles it's not like running a full marathon HA! Then Dan knowing I am not to fond of hills asked me, Did you hear about the 200 foot, 2 mile hill from mile 10-12? NO...I did not hear about that! Had I not taken running for granted I would have looked that up online. Also I would have went out and driven the course so that I could have been prepared for the HILLS to actually start around mile 3.2 and continue throughout the race. I am a Coach. I always try to prepare runners for up coming races they are participating in. Why would I not do the same for myself? The answer is simple after many years of running we just assume we can do it we have done this so many times before. We take it for granted we don't appreciate that we are able to go out there and put those miles in. We need to research a race before we set out to do it, so we will be prepared. We need to stretch before we start and walk to cool down after. We need to hydrate our body year round, not just for a race. We need to give our achy muscles rest when they need it. We need to remember and appreciate that we are blessed to be physically able to compete in the sport of running. Just because we have done it so many times doesn't mean we don't need to go back and do the things we did when we first became runners. That way we can continue to do it for many years to come.

4 4 MEET A STRIDER: 3 GENERATIONS OF Some of you may or may not know, but Jose Lopez, the Striderwear Coordinator is part of a 3 generation Strider family. Thankfully they were all willing to participate in the Meet A Strider column this month, and we are all given a chance to know them better. Of all the races I have completed (Jim Cox Series 2009) and the over 300 races I have run I would say the Gallery Gallop. This is a race where the weather can be challenging and the course can be too, especially the "DUNE". My second choice is the Memorial Day Trail Run Xtreme follow by the Field Station Frenzy. Back in the 80's my children loved the Mercantile you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." John "The Penguin Bingham. This is what I try to teach my grandchildren, just to have fun and enjoy the race and if you come in first enjoy it but if you come in last enjoy it more because you tried. Besides running what do you like to do? Now that I am retired I love spending time with my grandchildren. Love to get out and golf more but other commitments hold me back. I just started gardening so that goes well with my love for cooking. Big sports fan for Chicago teams love the Cubs (because of the HAMM S beer commercial) when I was growing up. Love music (no rap), watching movies and old movies (westerns). Now and then have a cold one with good company. I can go on and on but if you want to know what makes me tick buy me a drink or just stop by the Striderwear table and buy some Striderwear. Keep on chugging see you at the races. 1 st Generation Jose Lopez Striderwear Coordinator Bio: I am a retired Postal Employee where I spent 30 years in East Chicago, served in the US Marine Corp from (Gulf War Veteran). Married to Blanca Maldonado for 37 years, three children Jose, Juan (AKU) and Veronica, and eight grandchildren (four are Strider members). Never played any high school sports so it s funny how I love to run. My first experience was in basic training running 3 miles, upon graduation from basic training I was able to run 3 miles in 19 minutes. Wish I could do that now! The last two years I have helped recruit family members run the Indy-Mini where we had 17 runners participate; most of them are Strider members also. How long have you been a Strider? I have a broken membership with the Striders. I first joined the Striders around 1982 and stayed a member until I was called to active duty after the Chicago Marathon 1990 and when I returned I quit running. My children were also Strider members until high school. I rejoined the Striders in 2008 just prior to my retirement from the Post Office, became a Gold Cup member in 2009, my children became members and my grandchildren (Jr. Striders) joined the Gold Cup in What is your favorite Strider race? Bank 5k (ice cream truck at the finish line) but then again we loved all the races that offer refreshments. Pat Rhodes race in Miller Beach is one of the ones I remember for a good spread of fruits, etc. What is your most memorable runs? The very first road race was in Honolulu, Hawaii while I was stationed there in It was a 10 miler from Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor to Fort De Russey. It was a warm day and back then I did not think about running with water, so while I was running I became thirsty and stopped to drink from a fountain (with coins) boy did I pay for that after the race. My very first Chicago Marathon I believe was in 1982 because a friend of the family was always trying to convince me to run it. Jerry Perez was a young runner who had qualified for the Boston Marathon the year before but in all the excitement in celebration he lost his life that same night in a car accident. So now every race is a memorable race along with this quote "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." John "The Penguin" Bingham. What are your running goals? To enjoy life and every race to its fullest. Not everyone can come in last but we can sure try. Let me quote a few people that best describe my goals: "The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank" George Sheehan and "If you run, 2 nd Generation Veronica Reyes Bio: My name is Veronica Reyes, I am 33 years old and a mother of three wonderful daughters, Jasmine 11, Elizabeth 9, and Emma 3. I have been married for 11 years to my high school sweetheart Joseph Reyes. I am a Purdue graduate and work in Human Resource at Menards in Merrillville. How long have you been a Strider? I was a Strider when I was younger but just recently joined again What is your favorite Strider Race? Michigan City Zoo What is your most memorable run? 2007 Indy Marathon What are your running goals? To continue running and having fun Besides running what do you like to do? I love to read. 3 rd Generation Jr. Strider Family:

5 5 M E E T A S T R I D E R ( C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4 ) Jasmine & Elizabeth Reyes Christian & Mikayla Lopez How old are you and what grade are you in? Jasmine: 10 yrs old, 5 th grade Elizabeth: 9 yrs old 3 rd grade Christian: 11 yrs old, 6 th grade Mikayla: 9 yrs old, 3 rd grade What is your favorite school subject? Jasmine: Math Elizabeth, Christian, Mikayla: Reading Who got you interested in running? Both our parents and mostly our Grandfather and Grandmother How long have you been a Jr. Strider Member? This will be our 2 nd year with the Striders, the Striders Lopez kids run for the Rockford Rockets also. Do you prefer x-country or track? Jasmine, Christian, Mikayla: X-Country Elizabeth: Track What is your favorite Strider race? Jasmine, Christian, Mikayla: Ringing in Spring Elizabeth: Michigan City Zoo 5K Tell us something about yourself that we may not know? Jasmine: I am an advanced class student Elizabeth: Likes fashion Christian: Wrestles Mikayla: Plays Softball Do you have any pets? Jasmine & Elizabeth: No pet Christian & Mikayla: A dog, Lucky (a terrier) L O C A L V O L U N T E E R, C O A C H A N D S T R I D E R W I N S O U T S T A N D I N G Y O U T H P R O G R A M D I R E C T O R A T R R C A C O N V E N T I O N Sue Nickerson (or better known as Sue Brown amongst the running community in Northwest Indiana) was recently honored with the Outstanding Youth Program Director at the 53 rd Annual RRCA National Convention in Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a member of the track team at Kerney High School (Class of 77) little did Sue know the impact running would have on her life; more importantly, the impact she would make on the lives of the youth in Northwest Indiana! Sue Brown-Nickerson has been part of the running community for over 15 years. She served as president of the Calumet Region Striders from and was instrumental in creating the Junior Strider program for children 8-18 years of age. As head coach for this program, she conducts a road racing series, a summer track & field schedule and a fall cross-country season for the Junior Striders. Having the foresight 8 years ago to take youth running to another level is the most impressive contribution Sue Brown-Nickerson has made, stated Jayne Willis, mother of EJ (senior at Lake Central), Haley and Alaina Willis (sophomores at Lake Central). When she began the program over 8 years ago, she managed to take 16 area youth to the National Meet both for Track and Cross Country. This past year, there were over 130 National Qualifiers representing Northwest Indiana. Her love for the sport and willingness to share her time shines through to all of the Junior Striders. It s nothing for her to coach practices twice a week in both Lake and Porter Counties and spend her Saturday mornings encouraging the Junior Striders as they participate in local 5K races. She made running fun and enjoyable and tried to get every runner to run up to their potential, said Jordan Chester, Senior at Boone Grove High School. Sue has definitely helped spark my running career and because of her I was able to run quite well in high school and received a scholarship to Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. H E Y Y O U! C O M E R U N W I T H U S! M A R Y Z E M ANSKY The XYZ Series is in full swing. The popularity of off road running is exploding (see the Spring 2011 Runners World special issue on Trails), so why not come out and join the fun? There is still time to sign up for the Open or Masters competition, but time is running out (pun intended). However, you don t have to be a trail runner to participate in a race. In fact, there are choices! In July, we have a 5K on the 23 rd in Portage, and the not-to-be missed 10 mile adventure through Imagination Glen on Saturday July 30 th at 5 p.m. The 10 miler has no race app (this is how all trail runs used to bejust show up on race day and pay your money). It will cost you $10 for fun and food and some kind of cheap award (no t-shirts will be provided). Contact Mary Zemansky at drmaryzemansky@sbcglobal.net or Jeff Emmons at jle1991@gmail.com for further details and to RSVP so we know how many to expect. Hope to see you there! THIS & THAT ATTENTION: The Munster Rotary Run- Around registration form can be found at their new Website location: You will also find information for a link where runners can register on-line. All this information is at the top of the left hand column on their site. Thurs nights Portage Run Group changes its meeting place each month. We visit Valpo & Chesterton some months also. If interested contact Nikki Huber at hubbn5@hotmail.com. SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE UPCOMING STRIDER EVENTS! Railcats Game Sunday, July 24 (beach towel give away) Summer Picnic Saturday August 20 (following the Hometown Run in Griffith) Help Wanted!!! People who love to throw parties and have fun. No experience necessary. I need people for my party committee!!! Please me at plymouth71@comcast.net if interested. Linda Ramos Social & Sponsorship Chair Thank you to Erica Fisher for hosting the Weight Watchers Walk-!T Day goodie bag stuffing. Thank you to all who came out to help do the stuffing: Erica Fisher, Michele Hale, Holly Plew, Linda Ramos, Monica Gutierrez, and Vicki Seber. They stuffed 800 bags for the event! THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered at the Weight Watchers Walk-!T Day Event! We wish Jody Ritchie good luck with her upcoming surgery and a speedy recovery. We also wish a speedy recovery to Luis Gonzales. Robin Benson-Harvey is a host mom for the Gary Southshore RailCats. She has Chris Chavez a right handed pitcher from Kingman, Arizona. Congratulations to Betty Funkhouser, selected as Teacher of the Year by fellow teachers at Hobart Middle School. Betty has been teaching for 32 years. Congratulations to Bri-Anne Andriessen for receiving your first acceptance letter from Purdue, Fall of Correction: The Group Run Leader in La- Porte County is Johnny Stimley.

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