Thank You for Missoula Marathon Feedback

Thank you to all of the people who have contacted us with feedback from your experience here at the 4th Annual Missoula Marathon. The Missoula Marathon Committee reads all your comments and we use them to improve our event. Everyone is busy and we know it takes time to stop what you're doing and write us with your insight, compliments and suggestions. We appreciate it. If you have something you'd like to share with the Committee, please email at jen@runwildmissoula.org. Thank you!

It's Not Too Late to get your Free Missoula Marathon Photo

If you didn't pick up your Free Photo by HuHot down in Caras Pavilion on race day -- you still can! It's not too late. Just click on the link on our home page or go to http://huhot.com/html/loc/missoula.html and look for the "Missoula Marathon." Hey -- it's free -- don't miss out. One caveat is that if you must have had your photo taken on race day in the HuHot Photo Booth. It was in the finish area. With a backdrop. The photo crew was pretty hard to miss but if you did, and you didn't pose to have your photo taken, then you'll have to wait until Sunday, July 10, 2011 for your next opportunity.

Looking for a Missoula Marathon Runner

This blog was sent to me by a spectator who needs some help finding a runner:

When my family and I went to the Run Wild Missoula Marathon this past weekend our intentions were to encourage and inspire our mom and the other runners. It wasn't long after the race began, however, that we realized they were in fact the ones inspiring us.

As we drove from check point to check point (my dad, two sisters, and friend) to cheer for our mom and the runners around her, we were pleasantly surprised, impressed, and inspired by everyone who said "Thanks for being here!" or "Thanks for coming out!" as they ran by mile after mile no matter how exhausted they were. It was so cool to be able to see the same runners each stop and create a 26.2 mile long distance friendship along the way. From their smiles, waves, and shouts of gratitude, to their jokes, looks of determination, and even dancing, we couldn't wait to get to the next stop to see them again and cheer them on.

There was one runner in particular, however, that keeps coming to mind.
He was an older man, wearing black shorts and a blue runner's shirt. Each stop he would smile and wave and we'd exchange friendly words. Somewhere along the way as he was running by he asked if we would be at the finish line and if we would take a picture with him. After running a few yards with him before he crossed the bridge to the finish, we assured him we would be at the finish line and it would be an honor to take a picture with him. About 10 minutes later, our mom finished at 4 hours 26 minutes. Unfortunately, when we got to the finish we were unable to find him and deeply regretted not being able to congratulate him on his finish or share in his memory of the marathon by taking a photo with him as he requested.
We failed to catch his name or running number, so if anybody knows how to find out who this man is, or if you saw him or us along the way please respond to this blog. Any help in finding who this man was would be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to all the finishers, thank you for inspiring me.

-The Girl in the Green Hat
Contact Information: hollz17@yahoo.com

What's New on the Missoula Marathon Website

Now on the Missoula Marathon website you'll find:
1. Results link 2. Timer link if you need to request a correction in your results. This includes people who cannot find themselves in the results. PLEASE USE THIS LINK INSTEAD OF EMAIL! The link includes coding information so Accu-Split knows the correct event and they use it to track that corrections have been made. 3. A FinishCam link brought to you by KECI-TV! Watch yourself and your friends cross the finish line! 4. And you can still buy a poster, there are still some left.

Missoula Marathon Registration Hits 4,500+

It was a great day at the Missoula Marathon Expo and Registration. We want to thank everyone for participating in our event. The final numbers are in and here is how many we have registered for each event: 1,462 for the Marathon; 2,694 for the Half Marathon; 5 Handcyclists/wheelchair; 29 Relay Teams; and over 300 Kids Marathon for a total of 4,577, or roughly double compared to 2009. We have registrants from every state and also international guests from Hong Kong, Chile, Columbia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada and Singapore.

Missoula Marathon On Line Registration Closed

On Line registration is closed, but you may still register for the Missoula Marathon through Saturday at the Expo and Registration event, 8 am - 6 pm, in Caras Pavilion downtown Missoula. Thank you for running!

Missoula Marathon Green Efforts 2010

For this year’s Missoula Marathon, we again worked on our commitment to keep the environmental impact of our event to a minimum, while improving what we had started in the past years.

If you have never eaten from and with 100 percent bio-degradable plastic plates, bowls, cups and “silver wear”, you will now have the chance at the Missoula Marathon while re-fueling your body with fantastic post-race food, provided by the Good Food Store of Missoula; and you might find that this material is actually very strong, even though it can and will break down (bio-degrade) in only a few months after you use it.

Several dozen volunteers put in approximately 100 volunteer hours last Saturday, to clean up large parts of the Missoula Half and Full Marathon courses. It was a great success and all of our participants and spectators ought to find a great course. Thanks to Frank Scariano Construction for donating his Truck and the necessary gas. While visiting and running, please enjoy the beautiful scenery of western Montana!
Our 2010 high-end, technical finisher’s T-shirts are made from at least 50 percent recycled plastic – so thanks for recycling your plastic bottles; now you may proudly wear those old bottles on your back, for you earned it! In addition, you’ll find more T-shirt options of the same caliber as well as other “green” Missoula Marathon memorabilia at the Expo.

The Missoula Marathon Goodie bags for this year are fully recyclable and re-usable polyester bags. Plus, they look great and you may get some attention while carrying your goods, even long after this Marathon.

Without surprise, we again will recycle aluminum cans, plastic water bottles and cardboard at the starting lines, finish area, and the Missoula Marathon Expo.
For your immediate hydration needs, and to save on many of thousands of plastic bottles, we opted to have an additional water station at the finish area, just after you cross the finish line. And speaking of water stations, all of the water cups used during the Marathon are 100 percent compostable.

For the first time, the Missoula Marathon will use Solar Power Energy at the Expo and for its post-race festivities and awards ceremonies. The solar power will be provided by Axmen of Missoula. Look for the solar panels, and stop by at their informational table, to see how it all works. Axmen also will have a little experiment on-site, to show what else is possible with this technology. The Missoula Marathon experience is not only beautiful, fun, with fast times, but also educational for young and old.

As always, all Mountain Line Buses can be used for free all day on Saturday. So consider taking the bus from your home or your hotel to get to and from the Expo.
The Missoula Marathon will have several water stations set up at the Expo, provided by Culligan Water, and you are encouraged to bring your own re-usable water bottle. It’s a great way to monitor your own water intake the day before the race, while keeping up your hydration. Besides, it saves a lot of unnecessary trash, too.
Lastly, and more as a side note, Missoula features two great Farmers’ Markets on Saturdays, where you can stock up on locally-grown and/or produced, and mostly certified organic or at least pesticide-free vegetables, fruits, dairy products, baked goods, meats, jams, coffee and freshly-squeezed juices. One Farmer’s Market will be open on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., while the other operates until about 1:00 p.m. A nice plus for all our race participants and their support is that the two Farmers’ Markets, the People’s Market (featuring crafty items), downtown businesses, and, for the younger visitors to Missoula, the Missoula Carousel, all are within a very short walking distance of the Missoula Marathon Expo. Literally, you can see all of the sites listed above, while walking less than a mile. And just in case your feet get hot while walking that one mile, or perhaps after the Marathon, you can dip your feet into the frigid waters of the Clark Fork River, while watching white-water kayaks performing tricks in “Brennan’s Wave”, and looking down “Hellgate Canyon” – all less than 100 yards from the Expo!
We hope you will enjoy your Missoula Marathon experience, and that our “green efforts” will enhance that experience.

The Missoula Marathon Committee and the city of Missoula is exited to welcome all of you to our beautiful “back yard”, which we call home, and wish you safe travels, a fantastic time while in western Montana and during the race.

Best wishes,
Volkmar “Vo” von Sehlen
Director, Green Efforts
Missoula Marathon Committee

Run Wild Missoula Cleans Up for Missoula Marathon

At 8:30 a.m., this past Saturday morning, with their coffee in one hand, gloves and trash bags in the other, approximately three dozen volunteers showed up at the location of the start of the Missoula Half Marathon on Blue Mountain Road, to receive their instructions to clean up trash from the Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon courses. Young and old were eager to get started. Our volunteers had a fantastic “can-do” attitude, and donated anywhere between two and seven hours of their time to collect a total of at least 45 bags of trash, amongst a lot of other, at times, very strange objects, one would never expect to find on rural roads of Montana. The clean-up efforts for the Missoula Full Marathon and Half Marathon courses were very successful, and we want to thank Frank Scariano Construction for donating his truck and gas. We could not have done it without his truck!

We are confident you will enjoy our great, stunningly-beautiful, and clean Missoula Marathon or Half Marathon. Safe travels to all of you, no matter how far your journey may be! And, thank you for choosing the Missoula Marathon as your next Marathon!

Missoula Marathon Powered by Solar

As part of our Green Efforts of 2010, the Missoula Marathon is proud and excited to announce that Axmen of Missoula has agreed to be the provider of Solar-Powered Energy at the Missoula Marathon Expo and after the Marathon for the post-race activities and award ceremonies. The Missoula Marathon Expo will take place at Caras Park Pavilion in downtown Missoula, on Saturday, July 10, and the Missoula Marathon post-race festivities and award ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, July 11. During both days, Axmen also will be available to answer any questions about solar energy, and will demonstrate their “science experiment” right in front of your eyes. This ought to be educational and fun for all ages. You will find their solar panel, their informational table and their “science experiment demonstration” outside of Caras Park Pavilion, right next to the entrance of the Expo. Thank you!
Vo von Sehlen
Director, Green Efforts
Missoula Marathon Committee

Missoula Marathon Photos to Share

We really like people to have photos from the Missoula Marathon AND we like you to share them. The good news is, so does RacePhotos (division of Referee Photo). RacePhotos has a great advance offer: an electronic option at a 70% discount to those who sign up at the Expo before 6pm. The offer includes ALL your photos and yes, photographers are positioned in many locations along the course. Be sure to stop by their display on Saturday 10th to receive the discount and then if you enjoy your experience here, send your photos out into the electronic universe!

Missoula Marathon Confirmed Registrants Updated

We just posted the latest confirmed registration list on the Missoula Marathon website. Go to http://www.runwildmissoula.org/index.php/fuseaction/registration.main.htm and click on the link to confirm your registration. As always, since that list was compiled more registrations have come in so if you've registered in the last week you're probably not on the list. It'd be great if you check now and make any corrections. Send any changes to Registration Director Vic Mortimer at vic@runwildmissoula.org.

Hellgate Village 5K course:

Sports Psychology Seminar for the Missoula Marathon

Don't miss the final FREE Good Food Store seminar tonight with Dr. Charles Palmer. Sports Psychology is the rage for a good reason. Dr. Palmer is here to tell you what you can do to beat "The Wall," how to believe yourself into a great race and more. It's at 7 pm at the Good Food Store.

The Missoula Marathon Free Photo by HuHot

Will the Free Photo be available again this year for finishers? Are you kidding? Of course! Be sure to stop at the HuHot Free Photo booth in the finisher's area to have your picture taken, then pick up the finished photo in Caras Pavilion. Extra staffing and equipment is on hand to efficiently handle what last year turned out to be a wildly popular souvenir of the Missoula Marathon event. All finishers -- no matter if you are participating in the Full, Half or Relay -- are eligible for the free photo. Thank you to HuHot Mongolian Grill for sponsoring and to RacePhotos for making it possible!

Opportunity Resources and the Missoula Marathon Goody Bags

Ever wonder who puts the goodies in your Goody Bag? Here are the Opportunity Resources employees hard at work, stuffing bags and getting you ready for Sunday, July 11th. Thank you, Opportunity Resources! You are the best!

Weather for the Missoula Marathon

Anybody who has been watching the weather in our part of the world knows that it's been raining. The great news is that while it has been raining and greening everything up, the longterm forecast is to turn to Montana's seasonal sunny self. So by race day you can expect to enjoy typical Missoula summer weather, cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon.

Missoula Marathon Accepts Registrations Thru July 10

There was an error in today's Missoulian stating that registrations will be accepted through Saturday (as in June 26th). Don't worry. The correct answer is that we accept registrations up through the EXPO on July 10th, just as stated on-line and in our other materials. If you have any questions about registering, don't hesitate to email Registration Director Vic Mortimer, vic@runwildmissoula.org. We apologize for any possible stress!

Missoula Marathon Relay Update

Hello Marathon Relay runners! This is your "How To Do The Missoula Marathon Relay." After much thought and deliberation, we have come up with a plan that allows you to have the most fun and with the least amount of traffic on the (already full) racecourse. We've also updated the fact sheet for you. Please go to www.missoulamarathon.org, click on Race Categories and Relay. Or click on this link: http://www.missoulamarathon.org/index.php/fuseaction/raceCategories.relay.htm. There you will find the documents you need.

Hilton Garden Inn hosts Delaware Runner for Missoula Marathon

The Hilton Garden Inn has offered to host the room for Jess Manning, the Missoula Marathon's first runner from Delaware and the registrant that means there is a runner from every state in 2010. On another note, not only is Jess our 50th state for 2010, but he is the first runner we have ever had from Delaware! "We are happy to take care of him," said Tom Mazurek, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn here in Missoula. We say, "Thank you" to the Hilton Garden Inn for taking care of our Delaware representative.

Missoula Marathon Fills Delaware

Jess Manning of Dover, Delaware registered today for the Missoula Marathon. The Missoula Marathon now has all 50 states represented for the July 11, 2010 event. This is the first time the Missoula Marathon will have all 50 states, so thank you, Jess Manning! Also thank you to all the other Delawareans who have considered participating in our event just to help the cause! We hope you all decide to run.

Missoula Marathon Has a Winner! Jimmy Fallon's Cell Phone Shootout

The Missoula Marathon has been a PROUD part of the Jimmy Fallon show for the last couple of months. For the Cell Phone Shootout part of the show, one of the potential prizes is a registration to this year's Missoula Marathon. Well, someone finally WON! See for yourself. Google Jimmy Fallon Cell Phone Shootout June 8 2010 and watch Part 2.

Run Fearless

Don't miss the free Missoula Marathon seminar tomorrow at the Good Food Store, 7 pm. You've put in the miles, now learn how to strategize your half or full marathon so you can finish at your best. Courtney Babcock is the University of Montana Cross Country and Distrance Track Coach and planning the race is what she does. Never fear, Courtney's here! Don't miss it!

Missoula Marathon Pacer Question

The Question is: Do I need to sign up for a particular pace group before race day?
The Answer (supplied by Pace Group Director Dean McGovern): Great question! No need to sign up in advance. Your pace group will be waiting for you bright and early at the start. Just look for the member of the PACER CORPS seeded with helium balloons reading the time you wish to run. The announcer will broadcast this information at the start as a reminder.

ACTIVE Reimburses Registrants for Missoula Marathon

Anyone who registered for any of the Missoula Marathon events on May 31st will automatically be refunded directly to their credit card by ACTIVE. Registrants on that day were inadvertently charged the higher amount effective June 1st. If you have any questions, please contact Registration Director, Vic Mortimer, at vic@runwildmissoula.org. We are sorry for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you in Missoula.

Free Registration to the Missoula Marathon -- Pacers Wanted

Hello potential pacers out there. This year the Missoula Marathon has gotten more ambitious with our pace teams, and added a 3:10 and 3:20 category. If you think you've got it in you to pace all -- or half and maybe you know someone who can do the other half because that's the person you train with regularly -- of the marathon at that pace, please contact Dean McGovern. A whole group of people will thank you eternally for leading them to that goal. Dean's email is dpmcgovern@gmail.com.

ACTIVE Registration Rates for Missoula Marathon

Hello May 31st ACTIVE registrants! We just received notification that people registering on ACTIVE today, May 31st, are being charged the higher rate. The correct rate is the lower rate through midnight tonight, no matter what category you enter. ACTIVE does not reimburse directly and it seems ACTIVE is not working today to correct this error. Please go ahead and register today. We have the information necessary to reimburse the additional funds you are charged and you do not need to do anything to receive the check from the Missoula Marathon. We will just run the report from ACTIVE on those registering today and send the check automatically. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me at jen@runwildmissoula.org.
Jennifer Straughan
Race Director
406-214-7140

Missoula Marathon is Missing Delaware

At today's Missoula Marathon registration update, we learned we have 49 states represented for the 2010 Missoula Marathon. The missing state? Delaware! If anybody knows someone from Delaware that should be running the Missoula Marathon, please have them register as soon as possible! If we can find a runner from Delaware, this will be the first time the Missoula Marathon has had athletes from all 50 States. Help us out -- call someone from Delaware today!

Photo Packet Deal for the Missoula Marathon

Today I received the question, "Is the photo offer for Half Marathon participants as well as Marathon participants?" Our photography company, Race Photos, is offering a great deal on pre-purchases of photos. You can receive all your photos for just $10 if you sign up now or at the Expo. The answer to the question is, "absolutely!" Anyone participating in the Missoula Marathon, Half Marathon, or Marathon Relay can take advantage of this offer. Be sure to check it out! www.RacePhotos.net or on our website you'll find the offer on our registration page.

Take the Missoula Marathon Bus Shuttle

We have just confirmed that the Frenchtown Overpass will be closed completely to traffic on Sunday, July 11th. Those of you running the Full Marathon that begins in Frenchtown will need to take the bus shuttle to the starting line instead of driving your own vehicle. You may NOT use the Wye exit as an alternative so again, taking the bus is by far your best option for getting to the starting line without stress and before the starting cannon!

Half Marathon runners must use the bus shuttle because there is NO PARKING at the starting point of the Half Marathon.

Thank you for helping us keep traffic congestion to a minimum -- use the friendly, efficient bus transportation provided by Beach Transportation! They are there to help make your Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon experience a great one!

Psych Yourself Up -- the Last Missoula Marathon Good Food Store Seminar

The free Good Food Store seminars that prepare runners for the Missoula Marathon every year have concluded the begining of June, with the race mid-July. Why not have a seminar in July? Because if you don't have it together by the beginning of July, you probably should train for next year -- not this one.

HOWEVER all that is about to change because we now have a Sports Psychologist who is going to Pump You Up right before race day. Charles Palmer, Assistant Professor in the Health & Human Performance Department at the University of Montana is the guy to do it. I'm sure you have been reading about all the professional athletes who have overcome huge psychological obstacles to win -- and now you can too! Well, maybe not win, but overcome psychological obstacles to a better performance, yes.

Monday, June 28th, 7 pm at the Good Food Store. Mark it down now. It's free -- come early because everyone will want to hear this!

Run Wild Missoula Racing Singlets and T-Shirts Now for Sale

Singlets: $20, RWM members get a 10 percent discount
Technical T-Shirts: $25, RWM members get a 10 percent discount
For sale at the Runner’s Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave.
We thought it was about time we had some club racing singlets-- something to make Run Wild Missoula members stand out during a race. I consulted with Bridgett Moriarty, Run Wild Missoula's apparel extraordinaire (Really, she is a fashion expert), and she picked orange. Apparently, it's THE color for 2010. Plus, it's bright and beautiful and now Run Wild Missoula members will really stand out during races. Green technical Run Wild Missoula t-shirts are also available in men and women's sizes.

Visit http://www.runwildmissoula.org/index.php/fuseaction/rwm.shop.htm to view the shirts.

Running Fast and the Missoula Marathon

Runners looking for a PR or BQ usually pick flat, fast big events that have major airports and direct flights so they can train hard, get there, run, and get home. So here in Missoula we haven't been expecting hoards of professional and semi-professional runners to show up from elsewhere. However, as the Missoula Marathon has been taking root in our community, we've noticed that people seem to be getting faster. And running harder. And training more.

We've always been a pretty athletic bunch, but now that there's a marathon right here around which to wrap a goal, people have been stepping up big time. Local personal trainer Kiefer Hahn will be looking to run his sub 2:30 marathon this year and Jimmy Grant has been training hard so there's a competition worth watching between these two (who finished 1st and 2nd respectively in the marathon in 2009).

Last year we also had our first two sub 3-hour women marathon runners (one from our favorites -- the Marathon Maniacs -- and one from neighboring Spokane) and I bet we'll have more this year. We've been very fortunate that the Mountain West Track Club women have been here to set awesome times for the half marathon, and I believe that Casey Jermyn's time will go unmatched in the half for quite some time.

All this to say, the Missoula Marathon Committee's primary focus has been to make sure that when people come to the Missoula Marathon that -- faster or slower -- they have a great day. But it is fun to see people taking advantage of the event and we love it that we have such good competition in the full and half marathon events both from local participants and people who have chosen to come here from elsewhere to enjoy our event. So if you're extra fast and looking for some competition smack in the middle of the summer, you should find it here in Missoula on Sunday, July 11th!

Ashley and Sleep City Team Up to Sponsor Missoula Marathon Relay

The Missoula Marathon is proud to announce Ashley Furniture and Sleep City USA as the sponsors of the 2010 marathon relay. With Ashley and Sleep City as sponsors the relay category will receive a lot more support, including special shirts, signage and prizes! Relay teams are made up of four members with male, female and mixed team categories. Sign up today! Thank you Ashley Furniture and Sleep City!

Superfund(D) Run on April 17 will be Fun!

The 2nd annual Superfun(d) run is scheduled for Saturday, April 17th in Bonner. This race was very popular last year, so sign up soon (before April 9th which is the early registration deadline). This run is to welcome in spring and to celebrate the wonderful new trails in Bonner, and the removal of the Milltown Dam and clean up of the river. There will be a 5K and 10K run, and all runners will receive a funky bandana to commemorate the day. After the race, you can plan to hang around and eat lots of pancakes at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church which is the site of the run beginning and end. Runners Edge as well as local artists and restaurants have donated door prizes. Prizes will be given for both male and female in all age categories.

Envirocon and Washington Corporation are sponsoring the event to encourage local Bonner families and students to participate. Bonner families can run for $20 (no limit to the number of children). Bonner students can register for $5.
Registration is available online at Active.com or paper registration (in this newsletter, at Runner’s Edge and at www.runwildmissoula.org). RWM members receive a 10% discount.

For more info, contact Sue Furey at 546-6026. Or at tfurey@montana.com

Trail Running Training Class

Starts Thursday, April 8, 5:30 p.m. at Runner's Edge
Class starts Thursday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. and continues until the Pengelly Double and Single Dip on June 12. Class meets every Thursday st 5:30 p.m. at Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave.
Download the registration form at www.runwildmissoula.org.

Need to be pushed and motivated through a hill strength workout that you might not do on your own? Join Rhea from Momentum Athletic Training on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for a great workout. If you are training for summer or fall trail runs like the Pengelly Double or Single Dip or would like an introduction to training for trail running, join this class. The 9-week class starts on Thursday, April 8th and runs through June 3rd. Participants will get a “Run Wild Missoula Trail Running Class” hat. For more information, call Rhea at 531-1625.

Cost: $25.00 for Run Wild Missoula members, $50 for non-members.

New Sessions of Yoga for Runners / Core Strength Training for Runners Start in April

Yoga for Runners
Tuesday Lunch Yoga, 12:15-1 p.m., April 6 -July 6 & Thursday Evening Yoga, 6-7 p.m., April 8-July 8, Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave.
Celebrate spring and stay healthy and injury-free during the coming race season by signing up for Yoga for Runners. Run Wild Missoula is offering two 14-week yoga classes specifically designed with the runner's body in mind. Each class will focus on stretching, strengthening and balancing poses that will compliment all of the miles you are running each week. Whether you are getting ready for the River Bank Run or the Missoula Marathon, this class will challenge and inspire you to take care of your body and mind. Classes are held upstairs at The Runners Edge. Yoga mats and straps are provided. To register or find out more about the classes offered, email instructor Missy Adams at missyadams410@yahoo.com and send registration and payment to Run Wild Missoula, Box 1573, Missoula, MT 59806. Cost: Tuesday Lunch Yoga, $77 for Run Wild Missoula members/$83 for non-members, Thursday Evening Yoga, $91 for Run Wild Missoula members/$97 for non-members.

Core Strength Training for Runners
Wednesday, April 7 - July 7, 12:15 - 1 p.m., Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave.
Keep your core strong—right up until the Missoula Marathon on July 11, 2010. Core work conditions the body from the abdominals to the arms and legs. Often runners are much stronger in their lower extremities than their core. This results in an imbalance in the body that it will continuously try to remedy. Mats provided, comfortable clothing recommended, running shoes not required. To register or find out more about the classes offered, email instructor Alison Laundrie at alison@thepilatesplayground.com and send registration and payment to Run Wild Missoula Box 1573 Missoula, MT 59806. Cost: $77 for Run Wild Missoula members/$83 for non-members.

Run for the Luck of It 5K Course Map, Saturday, March 13, 11:15 a.m.

Run for the Luck of It 5K Course

Course Info: Yes, the rumors are true. The race route has changed...again. This time, however, we are posting info about a course that has been officially approved by the city. Yah! The race will begin and end on Pine St. in front of Sean Kelly's. You will make your way north on Woody St. to Railroad St. Just before Railroad St. turns into Toole Ave., you will take a stair step type route over to Scott St. Once you get over the Scott St. bridge, you'll make your way a few blocks further north before heading east toward the St. Mary Cemetery (hey, RWM needs at least one run that takes folks by a cemetery!). Once you pass the cemetery, you'll begin heading back south until you reach 1st St. You'll somehow need to get over the railroads, so, yes, we are indeed taking you on a fun, winding adventure over the Northside pedestrian bridge. Once you've crossed the bridge and made it back on the road, you can breathe a sigh of relief that the strangest part of any 5k you've ever participated in is behind you. Head back down Railroad St. to Woody St. At Woody and Pine, open the throttle and make a dash for the finish line. Then celebrate your accomplishments with a hot cup of stew from Sean Kelly's and a frothy Highlander beer, compliments of Missoula Brewing Company (be sure you have a photo ID on you to prove you are certified to consumer beer!!!).

Kids Under 14 and the Missoula Half Marathon

We occasionally are asked if children under 14 may participate in the Missoula Half Marathon. Of course they can! We encourage the whole family to participate in the Missoula Half Marathon, and whether a child is physically ready for such an undertaking is a decision the family needs to make. So you may ask, why do we have age categories for only 14 and older? That is to eliminate the competitive nature of the undertaking. We don't want to see some ten -year old kid out there running himself into the ground in order to win his/her age category. Running is supposed to be fun -- and it is. There will be plenty of time for awards. Your under-14-year-old will receive a medal, shirt, and all the other goodies that come with completing the Missoula Half Marathon. If you feel your child is ready to complete 13.1 miles, whether walking, walking and jogging or running -- by all means register!

Run for the Luck of It

Irish or not, just Run for the Luck of It!

On Saturday, March 13 at 11:15 am, excited runners, joggers, and walkers get to be a part of history in the making when they embark on RWM’s inaugural St. Patrick’s Day themed race, the Run for the Luck of It 5k. For those of you still on the fence about whether or not you want to participate in this race, jump off the fence already and register! Sure, this race obviously lacks the history of, say, the Riverbank Runs or the allure of, say, Bloomsday, but what it will not lack is good times, a funky course, post-race corned beef and cabbage stew, free beer, and an extra special musical surprise! You see, by participating this year, you will encourage the exhausted race directors to continue to strive to make this race into something legendary races are made of. The inaugural race will indeed set a tone and build momentum to create that race that makes people want to, well, race. Okay, if this is all sounding a bit dramatic, it’s supposed to!

Organizing a race, as we have come to learn, is a little dramatic. It is a lot of work and an enormous learning experience. It is emotional at times; however, one of the greatest emotions we have felt (so far) is that feeling of reward when we see those registration forms coming in. So help us to keep up our enthusiasm in our last hours before the race and register. And, if you really aren’t feeling a 5k right now, volunteer! We need those, too! Another emotion we’ve certainly been feeling a lot of lately is gratitude toward all of those who have been helping out along the way.

Now, here’s a little information about the race and the course, in particular. If you’re one of those detail-oriented people, you’ll recall the blurb on the registration form about the course being flat and fast and that you’ll cruise down Higgins to the University District and will return to the downtown area in front of Sean Kelly’s. Remember that part about enormous learning experience? Well, it turns out planning a course for a road race is something of an art form. In fact, “Race Course Design and Planning” could be a popular liberal studies course offering at UM. Needless to say, we’ve struggled with the race route for a variety of reasons (too many to list here and it doesn’t make for a good read). The race still begins and ends downtown, but we will be utilizing some sections of the Riverfront Trail and streets that, we think, never get utilized for such races. Also, the new course is not quite as flat as the original course, but trust us, it is still very manageable.

So Run Wild Missoula members, this is your call to action. Run for the Luck of It on March 13th! If you’re considering running the Missoula half or full marathon, this will be a great way to kick off your training program. Plus, you’ll get a fun beanie to keep your head warm during those, um, brisk morning runs.

If you can volunteer, please contact Jen at jen.vonsehlen@gmail.com or Maggie at mkwescott@gmail.com. Thank you!
~ Jen von Sehlen

Run for the Luck of It Volunteers Needed

We need VOLUNTEERS! If you can help out, please contact either Jen or Maggie. Volunteers also will get a sham-rockin' beanie for their time.

Course Info: The race will begin near Pine & Ryman Streets. You will cruise down Ryman St. to the Caras Park/Carousel area and proceed onto the Riverfront Trail until merging onto Front St., then Broadway. You'll have lots of sidewalk and shoulder room as you make your way west on Broadway to the Downtown Lions Park and the California St. Bridge. After crossing the California St. Bridge, you will happily make your way back to the Riverfront Trail and continue on the trail until Orange St. After going through the tunnel, you will feel a surge of energy as you take the paved little hill up to Orange St. You will cross the bridge while staying on the sidewalk, cross over Front and Main Streets, then make your way down Woody to Pine St. Once you've made it to Pine St., open the throttle and attack that finish line! Then celebrate your accomplishments with a hot cup of stew from Sean Kelly's and a frothy Highlander beer, compliments of Missoula Brewing Company. (If you're one of those people who is well over 21, but has maintained a youthful glow, be sure to have an ID on you to prove your certified to consume beer.)

Running/walking with a stroller? You're more than welcome, but for the safety of all, please line up toward the back of the pack.

Wanna bring your 4-legged friend? Please don't! Please leave Fido at home, or in the car until after you've finished your post-race treats.

We can't wait to see you at the inaugural Run for the Luck of It! Thanks for running/walking!

Jen von Sehlen
Co-Director, Run for the Luck of It 5k
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 11:15 am
www.runwildmissoula.org
(406) 531-8669

New Merchandise for the Missoula Marathon Available Now

In order to show off our new logo (that you see in this blog), we decided we'd better get it on some new shirts! We have three to choose from, all purchased from Green Layer, the company that produced our finisher shirts last year. Your choices are:

Men's "Cloud White" long sleeve training shirt. It has our new logo on the front (left side) and on the back it says "Training for Missoula Marathon" $25.00

Men's and Women's "Midnight Blue" short sleeve technical shirt with the new logo on the front (left side). There is nothing on the back. $22.00

Men's and Women's black fleece 1/4 zip shirt with a handy dandy pocket
on the front, and of course our new logo. $55.00

They're all excellent quality and you definitely want one of each! To get yours, zoom on down to Runner's Edge in Missoula, or call 406-728-9297.

In the meantime, I'll set about getting some photos to put on the website.

Missoula Marathon Training Program Starts March 7

Get ready for the 2010 Missoula Marathon or Half Marathon with Run Wild Missoula's training program for anyone. You don't have to be a semi-professional athlete, former track star, 5 percent body fat or logging 30 miles a week to participate. All you have to be is someone who wants to complete the half or full Missoula Marathon on Sunday, July 11, 2010.

Class starts on Sunday, March 7 at 8 a.m. at Runner’s Edge, 325 N. Higgins Avenue, Missoula. The 18-week program costs $80/person or $55 for Run Wild Missoula members. Participants should come dressed and ready to run on the first day of class.

Download a registration form at www.runwildmissoula.org or register online at www.active.com, or register on the first day of class.

The class starts with distances as low as two miles. Beginners may run/walk. Those who have not run a step as of the first day of class will be encouraged to set a goal of the Missoula Half Marathon. On race day participants will have six and a half hours to complete the Half Marathon, so speed is not necessary.

With the training program participants receive:
• Coaching by Anders Brooker, Cross Country and Track Coach at Hellgate High School and Owner Runner's Edge
• Comprehensive Training Program for Full and Half Marathon Trainees
• Twice Weekly Group Runs on Sundays at 8 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m., meeting at Runner’s Edge, 325 N. Higgins Avenue, Missoula
• Speakers
• Nutrition Plan
• “Missoula Marathon In Training” hat
• Training Log & Informational Booklet
• Aid Stations every week
• Gels on long runs, the same brand used on the course of the Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon

The Missoula Marathon was recently named by Runner’s World Magazine readers the best marathon in the country. Run Wild Missoula expects the event to grow four-fold in 2010. Last year approximately 2,500 people participated in the Missoula Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay and Kid’s Marathon.

Run Wild Missoula is the non-profit running club which organizes the Missoula Marathon and a dozen other annual races, several training programs, seminars and clinics. For more information visit www.runwildmissoula.org.

Karl Tyler Chevrolet is New Sponsor for Missoula Marathon

Karl Tyler Chevrolet is our new Missoula Marathon Course Sponsor. We're looking forward to working with them as we make the course better than ever. Thank you Karl Tyler Chevrolet!

Altitude and the Missoula Marathon

We are often asked the following question: Will Missoula's altitude affect my marathon running performance, especially if I am flying from a place at or near sea level?

So we went to our own University of Montana Health & Human Performance Dept. to get a real answer... one you can rely upon. After all, these guys will do anything as long as they can test it. Here's what they said:

Missoula, MT has an elevation of 3,200 feet, or 975 meters above sea level. An individual's VO2 max, or one's maximal oxygen consumption, decreases little until an elevation of 5,000 feet (1500m) is reached. Thus, the effect of altitude on decreasing marathon performance in Missoula would be minimal, if any.

However, the NCAA does provide time adjustments for collegiate athletes for distance running events in Missoula. By extrapolating the time adjustments for distances of 3000, 5000 and 10000 meter running events for men and women, an individual would be given a 2:07 and 2:36 time adjustment for men and women, respectively, for the distance of 42km.

The weather conditions in Missoula during the early morning in July are ideal running conditions, 50-60 degrees F and 20-30% humidity. This is a more favorable environment for running performance than sea level conditions if there is heat and humidity. Any minimal effects of altitude would be conteracted by the favorable environmental conditions, thus making performance comparable to sea level.

Don't let Missoula's altitude prevent you from running the race and don't worry about it negatively affecting your performance if you're planning on running the race! See you in July!

CALL for PACERS

Are you an energetic, fun-loving, spirited runner with good sense of civic responsibility? Do you like to help other people reach their goals? Can you run with a smile and a purpose but not get distracted by emotion, sappy stories, and bathroom breaks? If so, you might be made of the stuff needed to join our esteemed Missoula Marathon PACER CORPS!

This established and esteemed group of do-gooders are the secret force behind the astounding success, comraderie, and fun that is the Missoula Marathon. If you think you have what it takes to lead a pace group of motivated goal-seekers to the finish line on time and without delay then please get in touch. If interested, just email PACER CORPS Coordinator, Dean McGovern at dpmcgovern@gmail.com and give him your name contact information, suggested times that you can comfortably complete a marathon, and number one reason for wanting to lead folks to glory!

Pacers are tentatively being assigned to complete the marathon in the following times: 3:10; 3:20; 3:30; 3:40; 3:50; 4 hours; 4:15; 4:30; 4:45; 5 hours; and 5:30. Anyone registered for the marathon can run with, alongside, behind, or in front of any pacer group.

Is the Missoula Marathon Walker Friendly?

The short answer is, "Yes."

The long answer is that we are thrilled that the full marathon course is open ample time to permit walkers with a wide range of abilities (paces) to compete. Because our event is held smack dab in the middle of Montana summer, we start those walking the full marathon at 5 am.

Half marathon walkers start at 6, the same time that everyone else starts.

Because marathon walkers start at 5 am (to avoid the heat) we ask that you register accordingly. There is a spot for you on ACTIVE and on the registration form. *This is how we know your time! When you register as a walker, we automatically record your time beginning at 5 am!

PLEASE make sure you register as a walker so your time will be correct. If you are a race walker planning to finish in under 6 hours and DO NOT want to start at 5, please register as a runner. *The Missoula Marathon does not at this time have a separate award category for racewalkers. Runners who begin at the walkers only start time are disqualified.

Half marathon walkers do not need to register as walkers because they start at the same time as everyone else.

Questions? Of course not. But if you have some anyway, please contact Candace Crosby at cmcrosby@wildblue.net.

Six and A Half Times

As of today we have six and a half times the number of registrations we had last year at this time. Our small but enthusiastic community is so excited that people want to come to Missoula and run our Marathon. We're ultra-preparing for your arrival, to the point that the registration update email that gets sent bi-monthly includes the Missoula Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Missoula Downtown Association, who in turn send it out to all their members. We've got hotels, restaurants, Missoula International Airport (that's right... International Airport) retailers and anybody else who caters to our visitors watching the registration figures and planning accordingly.

What's also exciting is that most of the increase at this point is with the Full Marathon. Last year we had a huge increase in Half Marathon registrations, so it's fun to see the Marathon numbers on the rise to compete with the Half Marathon.

Register now... we love to see it on the report.

Glorious Pacers

People often don't expect that our relatively small event will have pacers, but we do. Not only do we have pacers, but in our three years every single pacer has shown up on race day, and every single pacer has gotten their group across the finish line on time. Pacers are the greatest of inspiration while on your way to that all-important goal. We won't post our pace times until we have the slots filled, but here is what we had last year:

3:30 (8:00 mile pace); 3:40 (8:22 mile pace); 3:50 (8:44 mile pace); 4:00 (9:07 mile pace); 4:15 (9:42 mile pace); 4:30 (10:17 mile pace) 4:45 (10:52 mile pace); 5:00 (11:26 mile pace)

We are planning on a few more slots this year, including 3:10 for the coveted Boston Qualifier time.

If you want to be a part of the volunteer pace team, please contact Dean McGovern at dpmcgovern@gmail.com.

"Is the Missoula Marathon a Boston Qualifier?"

Today's email question was, "Is the Missoula Marathon a Boston Qualifier?" The answer is, "Yes," and it's all thanks to the hard work of course director Courtney Babcock.

Now for the part that is more information that you asked for: Have you ever asked yourself what it means for an event to be a Boston Qualifier? I never did until we decided to put on our own marathon. What it means is that your marathon course is USATF Certified, and that someone is willing to go through an extremely precise process to obtain USATF Certification for the course. To give you an idea, it involves knowing the temperature of the pavement, the temperature of the air, the pressure in the bicycle tires which must be checked multiple times, obtaining a gauge that has been computed by Newton (okay not really but close and no, GPS is not more accurate), multiple conversations with USATF officials, drawings and graphs, and weeks if not months of time.

By the end of our inaugural year we had a far greater appreciation of what it means to have the stamp BQ.

We're glad we have gone to the effort, though, because lots of people do qualify for Boston at the Missoula Marathon, including a large number of our own Missoula athletes. Last year it was such a large contingency that they trained for and ran Boston together. It was pretty cool.

The moral of the story is, the next time you run an event that is a Boston Qualifier, thank the Course Director. They worked hard to get that certification for you. And for those of you shooting for that goal, good luck! We hope you make it at the Missoula Marathon!

The Missoula Marathon, Jimmy Fallon and Cell Phone Shootout

Out of the blue, the Missoula Marathon was approached by a writer on the Jimmy Fallon Show (an NBC program I'd like to point out since KECI-TV is a media sponsor of the Missoula Marathon and an NBC Affiliate) asking if we'd be willing to give away a registration to a potential lucky winner of their game, Cell Phone Shootout.

On Monday, February 1st the Missoula Marathon hit the big time on national television, with our logo being displayed in the wee hours of the night during Cell Phone Shootout. If you'd like to see our logo on the Jimmy Fallon Show as opposed to everywhere else, here is the link:

http://video.tvguide.com/Late+Night+With+Jimmy+Fallon/Cell+Phone+Shootout+Part+1/4009160

None of the contestants won our prize, free registration into the Missoula Marathon, but the writer asked if he can keep this prize up on the show for a number of weeks. This means you can still see it live for yourself if you wish.

If anybody wins the free registration and then actually shows up, it will be posted on this blog and we'll make sure the contestant gets the honor deserved when arriving for our event on Sunday, July 11th.

Scrumpy Jack Scramble, McCormick Park, Sunday, February 14, 9 a.m.

Start thinking about who your date is going to be for the Scrumpy Jack Scramble, a two mile by two person relay race on Sunday, February 14 at 9 a.m. Don't have a Valentine? No big deal. We'll set you up on race day. Proceeds benefit Hellgate High School Cross Country. Cost is $20 per couple or $10 per person. Register on race day at 8 a.m. at Currents or http://www.runwildmissoula.org/files/documents/ScrumpyJackScramble_2010.pdf.

Join Run Wild Missoula for a Running Film Event

Run Wild Missoula members usually see each other at training runs, races or Yoga for Runners. We thought we mix it up a little and offer you an opportunity to get together to watch a movie about—what else—running! The documentary film is called “Long Distance,” and follows Abiyot, an Ethiopian runner trying to re-launch his running career in the United States. With every aspect of his daily routine centered on his training, his footsteps not only dictate the rhythm of his life, but also become the pervasive rhythm of the film.

The 28-minute film is part of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and will play with three other short films on Saturday, February 13 at 12:15 p.m. at the Wilma Theatre. RWM members will receive $1 off admission to the film with their membership cards. (Regular admission is $5.) Be sure to pick up your brand new membership card at Runner’s Edge starting on Tuesday, February 9.

Don’t miss this exciting event for an opportunity to show Big Sky Documentary Film Festival goers how many runners are part of the Missoula community.

Run Wild Missoula Announces 2010 Membership Benefits

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to renew your Run Wild Missoula membership. Make the most of your membership during the calendar year by renewing today at http://www.runwildmissoula.org/rwm/benefits.html.

This year, Run Wild Missoula introduces membership cards. The cards will be ready for pick up at Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave., on February 9. Use yours to receive discounts at select businesses (see list below).

Run Wild Missoula Membership Benefits
* Weekly Training Runs (Saturday Group Runs at 8 a.m., Tuesday Track at 5:30 p.m. and Thursday Tempo Runs at 5:30 p.m.)
* The Joy of Knowing that you Support and Promote a Healthy Activity for you and Others
* Monthly Newsletter
* Reduced Entry Fees for Club Races and Training Programs (including the Missoula Marathon)
* Discounts at local businesses (see below for list)
* 1200 Mile Club
* Social Events
* Subscription to Road Runners Club of America's quarterly magazine, Club Running

Show your membership card (ready for pick up at Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave. on February 9) to receive discounts at the following businesses:

*Alpine Physical Therapy, 5000 Blue Mountain Rd. and 2825 Stockyard Road. Suite I-3, $20 off 1 ½ hour runner's clinic evaluation (regular price of $199) and free injury consultation after any RWM race
*El Diablo, 1429 S. Higgins Ave., On Tuesdays and Saturdays only, buy one burrito or taco, get one 1/2 off
*Montana School of Massage, 1629 South Ave., purchase 9 massages and get the 10th one free (Regular price of $40/hr.). Family members can share punch card (fastest runner or highest mileage runner gets the free massage).
*Runner's Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave., 10% discount
*Jen Vanderberg Massage, 529-1958, $10 off 1-hour massage (Regular price of $65/hr.)

Missoula Kids Marathon

The Missoula Kids Marathon has changed their run from Sunday, July 11th, which is the same day as the Missoula Marathon, to Saturday, July 10th, the day of the Missoula Marathon Runner’s Expo. The change was made in order to better accommodate families who would like to participate. “Parents who run the Missoula Marathon or Half Marathon can have a difficult time making sure their children can complete the Kids Marathon when they’re all running on the same day,” explained Co-Race Director Kathy Devlin. “We are trying to make it easier for the whole family to be involved in this event.”

The start and finish of the Missoula Kids Marathon will be at Caras Park in order to facilitate the drop off and pick up of runners. The race will begin at 11:00 am with pre-race stretching and music with Paul Reneau.

Registration forms and logs will be available for pick-up in March at area schools, the Missoula YMCA, Currents, PEAK Health and Wellness, and The Runner’s Edge. They are also available online at missoulamarathon.org.

Kids can start logging miles on April 1st.

The Missoula Kids Marathon is a Run Wild Missoula event. Run Wild Missoula is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information go to www.missoulamarathon.org.

Run, Have Fun, Be Healthy

How Many People Can Fit into the Missoula Marathon, or Do You Still Have Time to Register?

Since the announcement that the Missoula Marathon was voted Best Overall Marathon by the readers of Runner’s World, we have been bombarded with questions of whether the marathon still has room for more runners. The short answer is “you betcha.”

When the Missoula Marathon Committee first met nearly four years ago, it had five members with a simple goal of hosting a marathon in our lovely city. Back then we did not concern ourselves with such sticky questions as a cap on participants or strict registration deadlines. But with the Runner’s World designation, these issues have come to the forefront. Quite frankly, we do not know the precise impact the Runner’s World award will have on the marathon, but Bart Yasso told us that in his experience races can attract three to five times more runners when they get this kind of exposure. We can tell you that our registration numbers are up already, and we are anxiously awaiting the spring application glut.
But we are here to reassure you that there will be room for you in the Missoula Marathon, whatever growth we experience.

Fortunately, none of us think small in the first place, so from the beginning we did our best to develop a course that fits a lot of bodies, have starting areas that accommodate a lot of Sweet Pea toilets, and a finish area that welcomes large masses of athletes and the contingency of family and friends that accompany those athletes.

So when we heard of this award we made some important phone calls to make sure the Missoula Marathon stays a favorite among its runners:

1. Beer... you already read that blog about this. But if you haven’t, we are happy to tell you that we have persuaded Big Sky Brewery to provide us with its awesomely delicious Moose Drool beer for the after-race party.

2. Hotels. Yep, our own Missoula Convention and Visitor's Bureau Executive Director assured us that if we can fit all the people into our little burg who want to see the Rolling Stones when they rocked us a couple of years ago, we can certainly accommodate all of you athletes and your friends and family with rooms in Missoula and the surrounding area..

3. Sweet Pea Toilets. Since our event is at the height of the summer, otherwise known as construction season in any community with long winters, it occurred to us to check the toilet vendor. Don’t worry. We have lots and lots of toilets at the start and finish line… and a plenty along the route for good measure.

4. Good Food Store post-race athlete food. Layne Rolston, Communications Director at the Good Food Store and an accomplished runner himself, attended the Yasso announcement and he has assured us that you will continue to have the best post-race food an athlete can wish to have at the end of a long race – Good Food Store yummies.

5. Flights into Missoula. Well, you're on your own there. The airline industry doesn't consider us a major destination. Definitely not a hub. Definitely the Rock and Roll Marathon industry won't be looking at Missoula for their next addition to the chain. However, when you do fly into Missoula you'll be in a small, friendly airport that doesn't require a subway to get to the baggage claim. And you can get downtown in 15 minutes. We promise.

6. Finally, we have already arranged to have as many buses as we need to transport you to the starting lines in Frenchtown and Blue Mountain Road. On time.

In summary, The Missoula Marathon is thrilled that runners have named us best overall marathon in the country. And we are here to assure you that we intend to live up to (or exceed) the expectations you runners have for us. So, This is our way of saying, Bring it On. There is no cap on the number of runners, and there is no to register in a panic. We will let you run; and we will take care of you. In short, we're ready for you. Come to Missoula and Run, Play and Stay.

Moose Drool is Safe for the Missoula Marathon!

The first phone call after the recent announcement of the Missoula Marathon's Best Overall award from Runner's World Magazine, was to sponsor Big Sky Brewing. Big Sky Brewing is the local brewery famous for Moose Drool, among other varieties (go to www.bigskybrew.com to see all that they offer). Big Sky Brewing has been a sponsor of the Missoula Marathon starting back at the beginning, when there weren't as many registrants and therefore not that much beer drinking.

We recognize the importance of a great glass of beer after a long race in the middle of a Montana summer. Big Sky Brewing combines with The Badlander bar to make sure that everyone from the first half marathon runner to the last marathon finisher has the opportunity to receive that all-important free beer. So with the announcement of the award we thought, "What if we run out of beer?"

Big Sky Brewing immediately responded with -- enthusiasm and more beer. So no worries. The Moose Drool is safe. Not to be exclusionary, The Badlander will gladly sell additional beer to any (adult) athlete, family or friend enjoying a summer day in Montana while relaxing in Caras Pavilion.

Thank you Big Sky Brewing for being part of the Missoula Marathon.

RUNNER’S WORLD READERS NAME MISSOULA MARATHON NATION’S BEST

The readers of Runner’s World have selected the Missoula Marathon in Missoula, Mont., the best marathon in the magazine’s January issue, which hit newsstands this week.

Runner’s World Chief Running Officer Bart Yasso traveled to Missoula to deliver the news with Missoula Marathon Race Director Jennifer Straughan on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Straughan and Yasso revealed the results of the survey and the magazine to a room full of event volunteers and supporters who had gathered for the annual race planning meeting. Readers were asked to rank marathons they have run based on scenery, course, aid station support and more. Marathons of all sizes were considered, and Missoula beat out several large events such as New York, London and Boston.

Straughan was thrilled when she heard readers had bestowed her race with the “best marathon” title.

“To think that the Missoula Marathon earned such a distinction from the readers of Runner’s World Magazine is an amazing honor. Everyone in our community cares very much about this event, and this is a testament to everyone’s involvement and dedication to the Missoula Marathon.”

The first Missoula Marathon was held in July 2007. Since then the race has doubled in size. In addition to the full marathon, there is also a half marathon, marathon relay, and kids’ marathon, plus a 5K held the day prior. In 2009, more than 2,300 people raced in one of the weekend’s events.

Straughan expects to see a significant jump in registration for the 2010 event on Sunday, July 11, after Runner’s World’s 2.8 million readers see what the Missoula Marathon has to offer.

“We look forward to providing the same great event to runners from all over the country and the world, who because of the runners and readers of Runner’s World, now know about our race and our community.”

The Missoula Marathon begins west of town and follows paved roads through rural neighborhoods before routing runners through Missoula’s picturesque neighborhoods and to the finish line on Higgins Avenue Bridge in downtown above the Clark Fork River. Each year, hundreds of local residents staff aid stations and while hundreds more line the course to cheer racers on as they make their way toward the finish line and the post-race party in Caras Park.

Bart Yasso Talk & Book Signing, December 2, 7 - 9 p.m.

The Missoula Marathon is kicking off the 2010 event with an inspirational evening with Bart Yasso! Bart Yasso is a runner and coach, and is best known for his writing in Runner's World Magazine and the infamous Yasso 800's training technique.

Bart Yasso is here to discuss his favorite subject and ours, "Never Limit Where Running Can Take You." He will also do a book signing for "My Life on the Run."

Date: Wednesday, December 2nd
Time: 7pm - 9 pm
Place: DoubleTree Hotel Missoula Edgewater
Cost: FREE!

We are thrilled to have Bart Yasso in Missoula and to sponsor this event in conjunction with the DoubleTree Hotel. Don't miss it! Bring your friends while you're at it. If you've been wondering why you run, or why you are thinking about running, come find out.

Questions? Email jen@runwildmissoula.org

Run Off the Pumpkin Pie before You Eat It!

This year run off the pumpkin pie before you eat it! Line up on Thanksgiving Morning for Run Wild Missoula’s popular Turkey Day 8K. The race starts at 9:30 am in front of the Boone & Crocket Club in downtown Missoula. Cost is $12 for running club members, $15 for non-members. Overall winners receive a pumpkin pie from Break Espresso; everyone receives a pair of gloves from Runner’s Edge. Register at Runner’s Edge, online at runwildmissoula.org, or race day starting at 8:30.

The Turkey Day 8K is sponsored by Fresh 104.5, Runner’s Edge, Break Espresso, Albertson’s, Great Harvest Bread Co. and Jen Vanderburg massage.

Sweathouse Half Marathon & 5-Mile Courses

The Sweathouse Half Marathon & 5-Mile Run / Walk is coming right up on Saturday, September 12! The first ever race is proving to be more popular than we anticipated-- we already have 70 registrations! For details and to download a registration form please visit www.runwildmissoula.org.

Below are maps of the coursing to help you mentally prepare. Good luck!

Run Wild Missoula Group Runs

Run Wild Missoula now has official group runs leaving from Runner's Edge on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Here are a few sample routes:

Sweathouse Half Marathon & 5-Mile Race Planning Underway

Our Montana summer has been beautiful and mild, allowing for perfect running/walking conditions. Although it seems as though this season has just begun, shortly it will be ending. This is a perfect time to train for the upcoming Sweathouse Half-Marathon on September 12. The route was created by Vic Mortimer, and includes scenes of trees, mountain ranges, and a few small creeks along the way. The paved roads incorporate gravel roads as well and a few strong hills. All in all, this run is centrally located and probably one of the prettiest in the Valley. Already, we are receiving registrants and requests for information. Each finisher of the Half-Marathon will receive a finisher's medal (who could pass that up?). In addition to the Half-Marathon, we are also including a Five-Mile Run. This run will be included in the prizes, but will not receive finisher medals. We have started looking for sponsors and have rallied up team efforts with the Victor Fire Department and a few local businesses. We have some great ideas coming down the pike for this run and hope to have them all fall into place. Whether you choose to run, walk, skip, jump, hop, or scoot, we hope you will join us for the fun on September 12.
- Nichole Unruh

Finish Line

A couple weeks have gone by now, and I still really haven’t stopped grinning over how much fun I had the morning of the Missoula marathon. I wrapped it up in 1:47 or so, and I felt like a million bucks as I was crossing the finish line. The shoes (http://themissoulamarathon.blogspot.com/2009/04/brians-blog-new-habits-old-friends.html) held up throughout the whole four-month training schedule and came through for me on marathon day. The iPod (http://themissoulamarathon.blogspot.com/2009/06/dead-air.html) was cranking out one winner after another. We couldn’t really have asked for much better weather, and the party at the finish line was pretty boss. Mental note: Find a way to bring a wallet next time so as to get a crack at that massage chair. Goals for next year: Do the full; where a silly hat.

Eva Dunn-Froebig, who’s sort of the Steve-Jobs-hipster-genius-manager-character of Run Wild Missoula, asked me a few weeks ago for a “testimonial” explaining why I became a member of the group. I told her it was for the discipline and camaraderie, etc. The truth, though, is that I joined Run Wild Missoula back in March in order to support my then-wife, who had trained for the half-marathon in 2008, but was sidelined with an injury just weeks before the run. Our marriage this winter was in a pretty rocky place, and I was really keen on finding activities that we could do together on a regular basis, the sort of things that would provide opportunities for growth. Training together for the Missoula Marathon seemed perfect.

We were only a few weeks in, though, when my wife decided she wanted to be divorced. Needless to say, I was pretty devastated. There was a sense in which I had been running primarily for her, and so I wasn’t sure initially that I’d keep it up or even stick around Missoula to run in the race come July. But I’d gone and joined the group. So I kept attending the training sessions twice a week, and I stuck with the additional days of running on my own time. It didn’t take long before those runs became pretty important to me, and hitting the pavement definitely helped me through a few lousy days this spring.

One thing that I really liked on race day was seeing all the signs and sidewalk-chalk notes that friends and family had left for runners along the route. Eva asked me the other week what I was running for. One thing I did while running those thirteen miles was to pick out a name from among those on the signs and then sort of mentally dedicated the next mile or so to that person. If the sign said, “Way to go Theresa,” I’d give her a mental high-five, then spend the next mile running for Theresa. If the sidewalk at mile 10 said, “Go Bob!”, I’d spend the next mile running for my man Bob. It was a good mental distraction.

I remember being kind of shocked when I saw the chalk marker saying I was already at mile 12. There was only one more to go?! I felt unstoppable right then, and the sidewalks along the route were more and more crowded with cheering well-wishers. A Weezer song I really like came on the iPod, and I sped up my pace. I know I was wearing a pretty big grin at that point, and it’s possible I pumped my fist a couple of times. For that last mile of the race, I stopped picking out names from among all the sidewalk signs and chalk-mark encouragements. The last mile I just ran for me.
-Brian Kevin

ACTIVE ON-LINE REGISTRATION CLOSED but REGISTRATION STILL OPEN

For those of you who missed registering on-line with ACTIVE, you can still register for the Missoula Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay or Kids Marathon. If you live out-of-town you may register at the EXPO on Saturday 11th up until 6 pm.

If you live in Missoula or the surrounding area, you still have an opportunity to register in person at any First Security Bank location, REI or Runner’s Edge through tomorrow, or at the Expo on Saturday.

Also, don’t forget the Hellgate Village 5K taking place Saturday 11th at 5 pm. You can register for that on Saturday also.

Missoula Marathon Expo, free buses and local Farmers’ Markets

As a reminder to all local runners and a courtesy to our visitors from out of town, thanks to our local city bus company, Mountain Line, on Saturday, July 11, 2009 – the Missoula Marathon race package pick up and Expo day – all Mountain Line buses in Missoula can be used for free, all day. This service is available to everyone. So, whether you are running in any of the races or not, jump into a city bus to go to the Expo to pick up your Race packet and last-minute race essentials, and leave your car at home or at the hotel.

Also, while in Downtown Missoula on Saturday, check out our two local Farmers’ Markets. At both markets, farmers sell locally-grown products, and many vendors are certified organic growers, or at least grow and produce with environmental sustainability in mind. One of the markets is located directly adjacent to the Expo, the other is located just a few blocks down Higgins Street. They both are definitely within walking distance to the Marathon Expo. The two markets will be open-for-business from approximately 8 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and are worth a visit.

There is plenty to do and see during pre-race Saturday in Missoula, and you can still get enough rest to race strong on Sunday.

Vo von Sehlen

Weather for Sunday, July 12

The weather forecast for race day is typical weather for mid-July, starting in the low 50's and ending in the high 80's. It doesn't hit the high until mid to late afternoon, so when the race closes at 12:30 it will be closer to mid 70's. Get ready for great running weather and bring your sunblock.

To help you run a little faster, we have planted some mosquitos along the course. It's a happy healthy mosquito year in western Montana so we didn't have any difficulty finding plenty. In truth, there are only certain spots but when I was placing "marathon route" signs along the country roads I was able to find those pockets easily. For those of you who hate mosquitos but mosquitos love you, I'd suggest some repellent.

It's almost race day! Woo hoo!

Thank you for running.

Jennifer Straughan

Race Director

Free Gifts

I was still catching my breath from our fifteen-mile run last Sunday when someone commented on the ear buds dangling around my neck. They’re blue, with earpieces that are sort of elongated — not round like the ones Apple sends out with its iPods. I prefer them on account of they fall out less when I’m running.

“Where did you get them?” my fellow trainee wanted to know.

I thought for a minute, and then laughed at the irony: They were actually a gift of the Parliament cigarette company. I quit smoking back in October after ten years as a smoker and one long summer of fits and starts. [Full disclosure: I’ve actually fallen off the wagon a couple times since May, but these were momentary indiscretions and regrettable.] Parliament used to send me all kinds of crazy free gifts. Earbuds, cool cigarette cases, CD organizers. Once they sent these flashing blue electric LED lights shaped like ice cubes. I’ve never actually been to a party where I thought carrying a glowing blue beverage would up my cool factor, but they work really well for lighting a dark tent.

I always told myself that I’d quit smoking when it started affecting my ability to do the things I like to do. Which is pretty moronic, when you think about it, because how would I know? Not long after quitting, though, I found myself doing things with relative ease that used to be a lot tougher — things like biking all the way up Pattee Canyon and tasting my food. So training for the half-marathon seemed like the next logical step. Of course, it’s since become much more for me than just another non-smoking challenge — it’s the culmination of months of work, as well as something convivial, a kind of big aerobic street party celebrating a town that I love.

I do miss the periodic monthly surprises from my peeps at Parliament, though. Finding an unexpected, icy blue package in the mail every couple of months was always a nice surprise. To console myself, a short list of fun things I’ve acquired thanks to my marathon training:

* Sweet Run Wild Missoula shirt, upping the number of non-cotton articles of running-wear in my possession to two.

* Boxer briefs. As a lifelong boxers man, I’d never before shimmied myself into a pair of these bad boys until running-shorts season came around. It’s like having an Ace bandage wrapped around your crotch.

* Blisters. I’ve always said that it’s good to really toughen up your feet early in the summer — lay down that nice, thick layer of calluses. At this rate, I’m gearing up to walk across a bed of hot coals sometime this August.

Not a bad haul, all things considered, and I’ve still got a couple of weeks to go. Maybe next year, Run Wild Missoula will consider handing out ear buds.

- Brian Kevin

Missoula Marathon Takes Big Strides In Becoming A Greener Race

The Missoula Marathon, since its inception, has tried to be conscience of the environmental impact is has on the communities through which its routes pass. For this year’s race, those efforts of becoming a more environmentally friendly race were drastically increased.

Being already the largest Marathon in Montana, the Missoula Marathon, even as it grows larger, will continue to improve on its carbon footprint and the environmental impact a race of such a magnitude can create.

We are working diligently to make improvements, and this year, we proudly introduce true, ECO friendly, high-end, technical shirts for our finishers made of bamboo charcoal and/or recycled polyester. The bamboo was grown and the t-shirts were dyed and printed in the U.S.A. So, as a fun fact, instead of finding your plastic bottles in the landfills, you now will be able to wear super soft, “10 2-liter plastic bottles” during your next training run or race. We didn’t stop there. The dye for the shirts and the ink for the print are environmentally friendly as well; they are water-based, non-toxic, lead-free, and contain no heavy metals.

The same applies to our official posters and fliers; those were printed on 100% or partially recycled post consumer waste paper, and printed with soy-based inks.

Also starting this year, we will separate garbage from recyclable materials at: the Expo, the Half and Full Marathon Starting Lines, throughout the courses at every aid station, at the finish area, the food area after the finish, and at Caras Park, at which the Medal Ceremonies and other post-race activities will take place.

A big thank you goes out to our post-race food provider, The Good Food Store, by providing: cups, plates, bowls, and any other plastic or paper ware that is made out of bio-degradable corn-based plastic and/or recycled paper.

Our race bags are also made out of partially recycled plastic and are re-usable.

The three leaders of the Half and Full Marathon will be accompanied by bicyclists, not motorized vehicles.

All of the port-a-potties which you’ll find before, during and after the races are free of formaldehyde, and provide an ECO friendly hand sanitizer.

The Runner’s Edge is starting a recycling program for your old running shoes. This program not only takes your shoes so that they don’t end up in the land fills, but will also benefit great causes by either recycling the materials for various projects or by distributing the shoes to individuals in need of a running shoe.

We will not give out plastic bottles which cannot or should not be re-used. However, we will provide filtered and treated drinking water at the Expo, before, definitely during, and after the races. We encourage you to bring your own re-usable water bottle/s to the Expo to stay hydrated.
Our volunteers will be provided with “green” shirts, similar to the finisher shirts, and with re-usable drinking bottles – made out of recycled plastic and are PBA-free.

Be so good and do your part of making the Missoula Marathon an enjoyable and green race experience for yourself and those around you. Please dispose of any gel wrappers, bottles, or any other garbage you may want to shed yourself of during the race at any of the many aid stations throughout to race. Keep in mind, volunteers will pick up your garbage, and it will become more than cumbersome if the volunteers have to collect those items farther than in their immediate areas of the aid stations. Also, we are privileged to be able to run through many neighborhoods, so let’s not trash the front yards of those friendly people who will wave at and cheer for us and have their water sprinklers running for us.

We hope you’ll enjoy our efforts of creating a more environmentally-friendly Marathon race experience for you.

The Missoula Marathon is wishing all of you runners, friends and families a fantastic race and a fun-filled marathon weekend, and is certain that you’ll leave with many great impressions of our beautiful state and city.

Thank you for choosing the Missoula Marathon as one of your races this year!

Vo von Sehlen
Director, Green Efforts
Missoula Marathon

HuHot Mongolian Grill and Referee Photo Team Up to Provide Photos for Missoula Marathon

The Missoula Marathon, HuHot Mongolian Grill and Referee Photo have combined efforts to provide a free photo to every finisher of the 2009 Missoula Marathon coming up Sunday, July 12.

“We wanted HuHot to become a sponsor of the Missoula Marathon because the corporate headquarters are here in Missoula and we view this as a healthy event for the community,” explained Mary Halloran, VP of Creative Development and one of several partners in the family-owned company. “We wanted to do something creative that the athletes would appreciate – something that fits and is unique to the Missoula Marathon.”

Rick O’Connor of Referee Photo had the idea of providing a photo to every athlete that finishes the Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay or Kids Marathon. “All we needed was the right sponsor,” said Jennifer Straughan, Race Director. “I was very hopeful when Mary called and said she wanted to find a way to work with us that the photos might be a possibility.”

When athletes cross the finish line they will have the option of stopping at the HuHot photo booth. Referee Photo takes the photos and has the ability to print them out right there on the spot, so the athlete can take the photo at that time. Marathon and Half Marathon participants will receive individual photos, Marathon Relay teams will have a team photo, and Kids Marathon participants will have photos taken in groups.

Athletes will also have the option of purchasing any other photos from Referee Photo as they are posted on-line after the event.

Missoula Marathon Registrations Span 5 Countries & 42 States

The Missoula Marathon will have runners and walkers from 42 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a couple dozen runners from Canada and one each from Belgium, Bermuda, and England (Cambridgeshire, to be exact).

As you might expect, the majority of entrants are from Montana, but Washington has at least 175 entered, and other western states are well
represented: Idaho, Oregon, and Colorado.

Interestingly, several states, including Illinois, Florida, New York, and Virginia, all have more runners entered - at this point - than closer states like Colorado.

What Time Do the Walkers Start?

Not surprisingly, there is some confusion as to what time the walkers start for both the Full and Half Marathons. This is the first year we’ve done Marathon Walkers on the full course, so it’s added a little twist to things. I’ll tackle it one at a time and see if it helps.

Half Marathon Walkers start at 6 am just like everyone else doing the Half Marathon. There is no early start of any kind for the Half Marathon. You don’t even need to register as a “walker” for the Half Marathon because everyone starts at the same time. Everyone in the Half Marathon has 6 ½ hours to finish the course.

Marathon Walkers start at 5 am. Marathon Walkers MUST REGISTER as Marathon Walkers because that’s how we know you’re starting at 5 am. Why do you care? Because if you don’t register as a walker, and you start at 6 am like everyone else, and you finish in 7 ½ hours which is 1:30, the finish line will be closed… shut down… gone… and you won’t get an official time. When you register as a Marathon Walker, you will need to be there right at 5 am because whether you start at 5 or 5:10 or 5:20, you will be marked down as starting at 5 am.

We are very excited about having the course open long enough for the full marathon course this year, and are thrilled to have so many trainees and people participating as walkers, whether it be the Half Marathon or the Full Marathon.

Thank you for walking the Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon!

Brian's Blog: Dead Air

A terrible thing happened to me last week. Because of a month-long Wednesday night commitment, I’ve been running our Wednesday distances all by lonesome on Thursdays. I’d gotten a late start, and I was running on the bike trail towards a killer Missoula sunset when suddenly, my whole world ground to a halt. My iPod shut off. Silence. No batteries. No music. No blinky blinky.

I can’t remember if I stopped or just slowed to a crawl — it’s all kind of blurry now. I don’t think I cried, but I began hyperventilating almost immediately. Oh my god oh my god oh my god, I thought. What do I do now? There’s no way I can keep running. Is it even physically possible for one to move one’s legs in a jogging motion without the Hold Steady blaring in one’s eardrums? Will a person’s footfalls actually coalesce into some kind of steady and predictable pattern without Yo La Tengo cranked up to eleven and setting the pace? I had heard these things were possible, but the reports always seemed to me about as credible as a Bigfoot sighting.

When I talk to friends and acquaintances about marathon training these past few months, I’m repeatedly asked, “What’s your pace? How fast are you running?” Answer: My pace is exactly as fast as the song currently playing on my iPod. When TV on the Radio pops up with an uptempo number, I speed up. When the shuffle gods give me Aimee Mann, I slow down. Once I accidentally dialed up a Bonnie Prince Billy ballad, and I almost had to sit down in the middle of the Kim Williams Trail.

Music is absolutely essential to running, as far as I’m concerned. Actually, one of the things I like most about our Sunday morning run is that it gives me a couple hours each week where I can really concentrate on listening to music. When everything’s clicking — when I hit the zone on mile seven or eight and things are going really great — then running feels less to me like an athletic pursuit and more like linear dancing. I sing along — mostly silently, I think. I play air drums. Shamelessly. Music, as far as I’m concerned, is as essential a fuel as carbohydrates, water, or that neon slime that comes in the tiny, bright envelopes.

What I learned last Thursday is that A) it is indeed technically possible to run without the Hold Steady, but it’s not much fun and I wouldn’t recommend it, and B) I make some terrible and disgusting noises while I’m running. My god. Never again do I want to hear all that panting and snorting and whatever the hell that was I was doing with my throat. I’m repulsive! So no more leaving the iPod in the car. No more forgetting to plug the dock in the night before. The French composer Claude Debussy said that music is actually the silence between the notes. Obviously, Debussy was not a runner.

Missoula Marathon to be Capped at 30,000

Alright it’s true: We don’t have 30,000 runners, nor do we expect 30,000 runners, but we’ll be very pleased when we have 3,000 runners (please notice we’re missing one entire zero here). After all, Missoula Montana is the kind of place you have to really want to get to. We don’t have flights zooming in and out with non-stops all day and night. We’re not particularly close to anything else, unless you call a 3 hour drive to Spokane with two passes “close.” If you go north you have to hit Calgary before you have anything really worth commenting on in regards to size, south it’s Salt Lake City, and east the biggest thing happening is Billings, Montana before traveling for days and eventually staggering into Minneapolis.

Now of course that’s also the appeal. Sure – we’re hard to get to. Just ask Lewis and Clark. They had to consume 7,000 calories a day just to get here. But once they did get here they liked it so much they left a few monuments and named some things, like the Lewis & Clark Taverns and Great Falls. Plus Lewis & Clark noticed – and you will too – that we’ve got hot springs all over the place out here. Very pleasant. You’ll like them. Not to mention Glacier National Park and the grandfather of them all – Yellowstone.

If you like driving, we are a direct line along I-90. If you just ran Boston you can start there and work your way this direction, never wavering far from the big fat I-90 line that ends in Seattle.

So back to our future race cap: our race numbers for the Missoula Half Marathon are more than double at this point, and the Marathon is 1 ½ times more. This does not put us in danger of reaching 30,000 runners yet, but we’re enthusiastic anyway.

Thank you for registering for the Missoula Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay or Missoula Kids Marathon! We look forward to seeing you this summer!

-Jennifer Straughan

Brian's Blog: The Neighborhood Dogs Can Smell Your Fear

Last Wednesday, I saw a medium-sized brown dog do a pretty amazing thing. I was somewhere near the middle of the pack as we headed up Greenough Drive. I don’t know what it is about the dogs along that street — if they’re just unaccustomed to pedestrian traffic or what — but you’d think we were all dressed in bacon. They go absolutely nuts. I was coming up on a split-level with a big, green yard. Behind a chain-link fence, two dogs sprinted back and forth, barking like their lives depended on it. I didn’t register the breeds, since I wasn’t paying much attention and have never been real good at it anyway. One of them was white, the other was brown, and both were roughly the size of a piece of carry-on luggage.

Suddenly, the brown dog executed a move that I’ve previously only seen in the Street Fighter II video game, a sort of bouncing leap that brought him briefly into contact with the side of the house before kicking off of it and somersaulting over the seven-foot fence. This happened just as I was passing the yard. And then he was out on the lawn, staring at me at me and my imaginary bacon shorts like a desperate convict who knows his time on the lam will be brief.

I think I said, “Oh shit.” Probably rather loudly, since my iPod’s usually cranked to 11 and I have little concept of the volume of my voice. But it happened right as I passed! I’m the kind of guy who gets excited when a streetlight goes on or off at the exact moment I walk underneath it. I assume, naturally, that the event had something to do with me. So surely there was some reason this dog vaulted the fence just as I came into his sight.

Then I remembered how the wolves in Yellowstone peruse the elk herds at chow time, scanning the whole group before identifying the weakest link, and only then taking off in pursuit. That was it, I thought. I’d skipped running the previous Friday to go to a reading and reception, skipped it Saturday to nurse a hangover, then skipped it Sunday on the pretense that it was Easter (though I actually spent the morning alone in my apartment, drinking coffee and reading magazines). This brown dog knew I’d schlepped off over the weekend, and now he’d picked me out as the weakest link I was about to be culled.

Turns out, though, that the dog was less like an escaped convict and more like a wimpy kid who sneaks off the playground at recess — suddenly liberated, but totally clueless as to how to handle it. The poor pooch just ran back and forth in place, barking at his partner on the other of the fence, oblivious to me and the other runners passing by.

It was a wake-up call all the same, though. A reminder to get back on my game. When the time came for us half-marathoners to peel off from the marathon crowd, I opted to follow the longer route instead. Turns out blending in with the marathoners is kind of easy — you just have to wear a look of steely determination all the time. It’s tough to get it across with an emoticon, but it would be something like: :>| And those extra few miles were just what I needed. I was already feeling more confident as we ran the last mile down Monroe Street, and sure enough, the neighborhood dogs didn’t even look up.

One Step At A Time

Read Gwen Florio's story in Missoula.com Magazine about Mayor John Engen's weight loss triumph by participating in the Missoula Marathon:
http://issuu.com/tadhmmm/docs/april-may_09_missoulamag48/42?zoomed=&zoomPercent=&zoomX=&zoomY=&noteText=&noteX=&noteY=&viewMode=magazine

Get the Kids Involved in the Missoula Marathon

Wow - April 1st has come and gone and it's already time to start logging miles for the Missoula Kids Marathon. Registrations are slowly coming in, so if you haven't sent yours in yet, please mail it or drop it by The Runner's Edge. Most area elementary schools are participating by helping kids log miles through running clubs and some teachers are running with their classes. Ask about this at your school.

Remember, you can log miles by running, walking, hiking, swimming, or any continuous physical activity. Fifteen minutes of physical activity equals one mile! Mile tickets are online at the Missoula Marathon website and you can print them off and give them to your coaches to fill in to help you log miles.

Look for the schedule for "Moving with the Mayor" runs at local parks in the Missoula Parks and Recreation brochure recently distributed in The Missoulian. This will be a fun way to meet the mayor, log miles, and get to know your neighborhood park!

Run, Have Fun, Be Healthy!

Brian's Blog: New Habits, Old Friends

Editor's Note: This is the first post of Brian's Blog, by a participant of the Missoula Marathon Running Training Class. Brian will update you on his training until the Missoula Marathon on July 12, 2009.

I’m new to this. Not to running, per se. In fact, some of my earliest memories involve running-- on playgrounds, in department stores, away from the larger boys in middle school. But I’m new to organized running, to running in a strategic fashion that involves calendars and clinics and routes that have actually been planned in advance.

Six or so years ago, I signed up for a 5K fun-run in Minneapolis, a race dedicated to the memory of a recently passed uncle who was a devoted marathon runner. The following year I made a trip to International Falls, Minnesota, to write a magazine article about a 10K that bills itself as the coldest race in the continental US. (It turns out there’s some controversy over that claim, but at -43 degrees on race day in 2005, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.) Thereafter, I started running sporadically and without any real goal. Until signing up for the training class last month, I’ve always thought of running like I think of going to the movies or playing Monopoly—it’s just something to do, and if you do it more than four or five times a month...well, that’s just kind of weird.

It wasn’t until the third time I signed up for a short run that I actually wore shoes. At my uncle’s memorial 5K, I had worn Teva sandals, because they were the only footwear I had that weren’t boots. In International Falls, I wore the boots, because there were twenty-five inches of snow on the ground. Last year, I threw out a beloved pair of four-year-old, second-hand Reeboks on the grounds that, according to my ex-wife, they were both used up and ferociously ugly (for the record, they were neither). I bought a pair of Teva sneakers on eBay because they looked like the sort of thing I could both run in and wear out to dinner. Now I’ve been told it’s a bad idea to wear one’s street shoes during an intensive running program.

Which I don’t get. Training for a marathon (or in my case, a half-marathon) is both profound and personally demanding. And for something like that, you want an old friend by your side, right? Not a new friend. Not some friend who just came out of a box and smells like leather treatment. Buying new running shoes while training for a marathon seems like inviting the new kid to your lunch table right as you’re discussing whether to publicize your crush on Lori McBrier from algebra class. I mean, look buddy, you seem real nice-- and sure, maybe you are a better fit for my gait cycle-- but this is an important conversation, and right now I need to be with people I can trust.

So I guess I’ve got some things to figure out over the next couple months as the training class gets more intensive. What I do know is that I’m really enjoying it, much more than I thought I would. I’m even running the recommended distances on our non-meet-up days, which I had just planned on lying about. I think I’ll tough it out with my old pals the Tevas for the time being, but who knows? If I can learn to love running five days a week, maybe I can be coerced into making some new friends.