Michigan Runner Girl
173 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 33 ratingsThe Michigan Runner Girl podcast is where you'll find a passion for running, hiking, paddling, and cycling crosses paths with a love of nature and outdoor exploration in the beautiful state of Michigan — and beyond. A mother, writer, gigantic Great Lakes fan, and book lover Heather Durocher, creator of the running and travel site MichiganRunnerGirl.com, hosts the show. Expect to hear informative, engaging, and inspiring conversations with others also on their own health and wellness journey. The Michigan Runner Girl podcast is about finding our way, through movement. Season One of 2022 now underway, with a theme of Reconnection.
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Episodes
EP:101 The Beauty (and Pain) of a Running Break + Getting Back Out There
July 17, 2017 20:58 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBAs Heather takes a self-imposed running break following a spring marathon and half marathon, to ensure a longtime comes-and-goes running injury heals, she welcomes physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist Jeff Samyn to the show. Jeff, a runner who also does CrossFit, works at Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center in Petoskey, Mich. They talk about when to know you should take a break from running due to pain/discomfort (and why it's so tough to actually admit ...
EP100 Where will your summer adventures take you? Exploring + Running with Maia Turek of Michigan DNR
June 27, 2017 15:55 - 1 hour - 49 MBDuring this special 100th episode of the Michigan Runner Girl Show, Heather is joined by Maia Turek, statewide recreation programmer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a.k.a. the State Parks Guru. Who better than Maia to be on this anniversary show—she is, after all, just as passionate as Heather about getting outside and exploring (by foot, bike and paddle) all that our gorgeous Great Lakes State has to offer. Michigan is home to 103 state parks and 138 state forest campgroun...
E099 Will Run for Cherries: July's National Cherry Festival races in Traverse City
June 19, 2017 22:00 - 33 minutes - 26.6 MBKnown as the "Original Traverse City Foot Race," the Festival of Races that are part of the National Cherry Festival each July include distances for just about any runner: a half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K. These races, which take place the final weekend of the weeklong festival, on Saturday, July 8, are a summer tradition for many runners, including Heather's family. This year marks the races' 44th year—the race started in 1973 as a 10K and shifted to a 15K in 1978. In 1989 the 5K was added;...
EP098 Jeff Crumbaugh of Great Lakes Endurance on his eco-friendly trail races in northern Michigan, the U.P. & northern Wisconsin
June 13, 2017 02:09 - 1 hour - 53.6 MBEpisode #98: Jeff Crumbaugh of Great Lakes Endurance on his eco-friendly trail races in northern Michigan, the U.P. & northern Wisconsin Jeff Crumbaugh, longtime runner, race director and founder of race management company Great Lakes Endurance, is known for his commitment to "ecologically mindful running races." Since 2000, Great Lakes Endurance has provided runners with exceptional trail running experiences while giving back to organizations involved in land conservancy, environmenta...
E097 Reflecting on this year's Bayshore Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K in Traverse City
June 06, 2017 01:50 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBMore than 5,000 runners finished the Bayshore races in Traverse City a little over a week ago. During this special episode, Heather checks in with Daniel Siderman, race director of the Bayshore, as well as Lisa Taylor, a MRG podcast regular who was recently named executive director of the Traverse City Track Club, which oversees this northern Michigan race tradition. In this first part of the show, Daniel and Lisa give a behind-the-scenes look at the Bayshore, which marked its 35th annivers...
E096 Eddie and Jen Kline on running comebacks & this fall's Holland Haven Marathon, Half Marathon & 8K
May 30, 2017 17:56 - 49 minutes - 39.3 MBThe Holland Haven Marathon and Half Marathon—the race starts in Grand Haven and ends in Holland, Mich.—is in its fourth year and runners now have a third race distance to choose from when signing on for this event: an 8K. "The 8K is a great segue into longer distance races," says Eddie Kline, who along with his wife, Jen, joins Heather on this episode to talk about the races taking place Sunday, Sept. 10. "As a mid-distance road race, it is accessible enough for the novice runner yet incredi...
E095 Petoskey to Old Mission: Inside the inaugural Lighthouse 100-mile and 50-mile ultras
May 23, 2017 12:09 - 52 minutes - 42 MBMarathoner, ultra marathoner and Detroit native Dave Krupski likes "creating race courses that are my dream races." He's behind the Daytona 100 in Florida and this coming month he'll debut his Michigan ultra marathon courses: the Lighthouse 100-mile and 50-mile ultras on Saturday, June 10. Dave Krupski, along with northern Michigan runner Dan Oberski, are guests on this episode. They talk with Heather about this upcoming 100-miler that starts at the lighthouse in Petoskey and finishes at the...
E094 Runner's World Editor-in-Chief David Willey and his "Moonshot Marathon Quest" at the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City
May 16, 2017 01:14 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBYou may know David Willey as the longtime editor-in-chief of Runner's World magazine—he's been at the helm of this publication for 14 years—and as the host of the popular Runner's World podcast. But did you also know he's a native of Michigan? David joins Heather on the show to talk about growing up in the Mitten (he lived in Ann Arbor as a child and later Grand Rapids, where he played high school football and other sports) and how he's returning to his home state for this month's Bayshore M...
E093 Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell of Another Mother Runner
May 09, 2017 02:37 - 56 minutes - 45.4 MBWay back in spring 2010, not too long before Heather started the Michigan Runner Girl blog, she wrote posts about running for a northern Michigan trails organization. She'd been running for a few years, had several races under her belt, and was really starting to ramp up her mileage and health and fitness writing. The sport definitely had become an essential part of her life. And when she wasn't out on the roads or trails, or writing about the mental and physical benefits of exercise, she ...
E092 All about the 44th annual Dexter-Ann Arbor Run June 3-4
May 01, 2017 16:37 - 40 minutes - 32.4 MBThe longstanding south Michigan road race known as DXA2—the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run—is set for Sunday, June 4, 2017. This event, now in its 44th year, includes a half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids run. Doug Goodhue, masters runner and DXA2 race director, returns to the show to talk about this race that attracts thousands of runners to the riverbanks of Michigan's Huron River Drive each summer. The race is a weekend experience, starting with the kids run on June 3 and the half, 10K and 5K run/walk ...
E091 Joel Gaff talks Ironman + upcoming Endurance Evolution races in northern Michigan
April 24, 2017 20:38 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBJoel Gaff returns to the show to talk about his most recent athletic adventures, including an Ironman race in Chattanooga, TN and the scenic trail running out west he loves so much. Joel is behind Endurance Evolution, the race management and race timing services company based in Traverse City, Mich. (and also Portland, Ore., since Joel splits his time between these two cities). Endurance Evolution hosts a number of northern Michigan races, including the Traverse City Trail Running Festival e...
E090 Andrew Buikema of Mercy Health Seaway Run 15K and 5K & Lake Michigan Half Marathon in Muskegon
April 17, 2017 19:27 - 50 minutes - 40.1 MBThis summer Heather is looking forward to running her first Lake Michigan Half Marathon. This is a longtime Muskegon, Mich. event that takes place Saturday, June 24 this year. This race weekend also includes the Mercy Health Seaway Run, a 15K and 5K run and community walk. Race Director Andrew Buikema joins Heather on the show to talk about this race tradition in west Michigan, as well as the numerous changes taking place at this year's event (the start and finish, as well as post-race party...
Episode #89: Team Red, White & Blue: Helping veterans through running
April 10, 2017 17:24 - 32 minutes - 26.1 MBEpisode #89: Team Red, White & Blue: Helping veterans through running Integrating back into civilian life is incredibly challenging for many veterans, and one national organization with a significant presence here in Michigan is helping ease that transition—and life beyond—thanks in part to running. On this week's show, Heather talks with two west Michigan runners and U.S. Army veterans—Eddie Kline and Ben Foreman—about their involvement with Team RWB Grand Rapids. Team RWB has chapter...
E088 Why We Run: Getting honest and real about the running lifestyle with Cassy Stone + thoughts from MRG readers
April 04, 2017 01:43 - 1 hour - 65.5 MB"I think one of my biggest joys was learning my love affair with fueling what my body needed, whether that was nutritionally, or finding out this was the type of shoe I needed to wear ... or these were the days I needed to run." On this episode, Heather is joined by her friend Cassy Stone to talk about the running lifestyle. This comment is just one of the nuggets Cassy shares throughout the show, which includes stories from the two of them as well as Michigan Runner Girl readers and listene...
E087 The BIG Little Hero Race 10K & 5K in Traverse City
March 21, 2017 10:55 - 42 minutes - 33.8 MBFor the third year, business students at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City are planning for the BIG Little Hero Race, held on campus on Saturday, April 15. This superhero-themed race raises funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan. Heather welcomes to the show several of the students part of this effort, along with their instructor Kristy McDonald and marathoner/Big Brothers Big Sisters advocate Tony Anderson. The students—Abby Gudith, Sam Javed and Drew Geral...
E086 No Surrender Running Club: changing children's lives through running
March 14, 2017 01:37 - 50 minutes - 40.8 MBNo Surrender Running Club isn't your everyday running organization. This nonprofit based in west Michigan is all about using running and mentorship as tools to empower urban youth in Grand Rapids. Kelli Zerbel, a runner in Grand Rapids, learned of this group and quickly decided to get involved. She joins Heather on the show to talk about what it means to be a part of this organization—and how it's impacted her own running. No Surrender Running Club works with 35 kids ages 10 to 18 each year,...
E085 Staying Injury-free During Race Training
March 07, 2017 16:41 - 51 minutes - 41.6 MBFor those of us training for spring marathons and half marathons, our mileage is increasing and we may be experiencing some typical training "aches and pains." Sometimes it's nothing more than our body acclimating to the miles we're logging. Other times, however, we may be on the brink of injury (or, worse, dealing with a definite injury). Heather welcomes Brandon Lorenz of Probility Therapy Services in Ann Arbor to the show to talk about staying healthy and injury-free during our training c...
E084 Chicken & Cheesecake: Kona Running Company's spring races in southeast Michigan
February 28, 2017 04:21 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MBKona Running Company, known for its fun and festive races in southern Michigan, is behind a new race that involves...chicken! Partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings, Kona Running Company is holding the inaugural Wild Run 5K and 8K on Sunday, April 2 in West Bloomfield. Runners will be able to enjoy boneless wings at the finish -- and they'll also have the chance to vote for their favorite wing flavor when registering for the event (top choices will be made available post-race). Alan Whitehead, m...
E083 Running + Baking: DoughChicks owners Denise and Kara Steely
February 21, 2017 01:18 - 47 minutes - 38 MBImagine feeling great throughout your workout, thanks to that healthy (and tasty) pre-run fuel you took before heading out the door for your run. This is what Denise and Kara Steely -- the mother-daughter baking duo behind DoughChicks -- wants for all of us. It's what drives them in creating their nutrient-dense and convenient food "for busy and active people." "Our food will sustain your blood-sugar level while giving you the fuel needed to get through the day with natural and delicious ing...
E082 Bonnie Sexton, president of Michigan's largest running club
February 13, 2017 20:29 - 59 minutes - 48 MBGoing from 200 runners in 2004 to more than 1,400 members today, Kalamazoo Area Runners is the largest Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) running club in Michigan. This growth has taken place under the leadership of Bonnie Sexton, president of KAR and a certified running coach. Bonnie joins Heather on the show to talk all things running in Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. This region of the state boasts a thriving running scene, and Heather and Bonnie talk not only about KAR but also the...
E081 The Michigan Runner Girl Weekend May 4-11, 2017
February 06, 2017 16:25 - 58 minutes - 46.7 MBMichigan Runner Girl invites women from across the state who have a passion for living healthy (and spending time with other fabulously fun women) to spend the weekend of May 4-7, 2017 in beautiful Traverse City. This is the second annual, all-inclusive Michigan Runner Girl Weekend taking place at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. On today's show: Heather welcomes Pam Carrigan and Ali Lopez to talk about this year's event. Pam is the event coordinator extraordinaire for MRG (she served as cap...
E080 Tony Anderson, running 50 marathons in 50 states for to help children
January 30, 2017 14:58 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBTony Anderson, a northern Michigan runner and 54-year-old father of three and grandfather of two, is on a mission to run a marathon in all 50 states. And he's completed 35 so far. But his reason for chasing this ambitious goal is special because it is tied to an organization that's near and dear to his heart: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Michigan. Having grown up without his father -- his dad died in a car accident at age 28 -- Tony understands both the pain of growing up without on...
E079 Running for mental health: Sasha Wolff, creator of Still I Run
January 23, 2017 14:49 - 31 minutes - 24.9 MBFor a long time, Grand Rapids runner Sasha Wolff kept her depression a secret. "It was a diagnosis I was ashamed of and rarely talked about," Sasha says of the diagnosis she received in 2003 at age 18. "Because of that, I carried my burden of shame around for years." But Sasha, who grew up in California, realized she needed to do something to cope with her depression, and ultimately, the shame she felt. She started to run in 2012, and in 2015 ran her first marathon. Sasha joins Heather on th...