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One-Year

9/20/2015

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I just wanted to reach out and say thanks to everyone who made our first year a rousing success! It really was an unbelievable year and we owe it all to you. I really appreciate all the warmth and hospitality the community of Ypsilanti has shown our little store. I want to thank each person who has stopped in to shop, to ask questions, or to just look around. Without each of you, we wouldn’t have made it to our first anniversary.  It’s been a great ride in a great town, and we look forward to our next year as our great community continues to set itself apart from other cities.

I’m looking forward to our next year in Ypsilanti as we look to spread our wings a little more. As I’ve said before, our shop is more than just running shoes and apparel. We want to be an asset to this awesome community. To that end, I am really excited about getting involved in EMU’s Bright Futures program at Estabrook Elementary and Ypsilanti High, with a weekly exercise group culminating in a 5K near the end of the school year. We are also excited about continuing work at Frog Island as we look to improve the surface of the track so that it may be a viable site for future races, as true quarter mile tracks are increasingly hard to find. Group runs, Donut Dashes, and training runs are events that we look forward continuing into our second year. We hope you’ll come out and join us sometime, if you haven’t already. We’d love to have you. 

Thanks from the bottom of our hearts; the store is an extension of our family and you are all a part of it! 

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Summer @ YRC

4/30/2015

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May is upon us and that means summer is almost here. I look forward to a busy summer at YRC in 2015.  On Wednesday May 13th, we’ll host our first Ypsilanti Running Co. Athletic Club “Workout Wednesday” at Frog Island Park. Workouts are $5 drop-in or you can pay $60 for the whole summer. The track workouts will be rain or shine (in the event of rain, alternate road workouts will be planned as the track can get a bit mushy). Check out the store calendar on our website www.ypsirunning.com/calendar.html  or stop by the shop for details. I hope you’ll join us for some fun workouts this summer!

As a way to compensate for our use of the track on Wednesday nights, we recently “adopted” Frog Island Park in Ypsilanti. The shop has taken on the responsibility of helping with the basic upkeep of the park by meeting once a month for cleanup days. The primary goal of adopting the park is to not only help keep it clean but to improve the surface of the track by removing some of the weeds that have overtaken the track so that the entire surface of the track is usable. Maybe I’m biting off a little more than I can chew here, but as a home to one of the few remaining cinder 440yd tracks in Michigan, Frog Island Park was a natural extension of our shop and I feel like it deserves a little extra attention. I know there are some of you out there that might feel the same way and are willing to help! I hope you’ll consider joining us on those clean-up days. The days will fall on the last Sunday morning of each month throughout September. As sort of a kickoff to our park adoption, I hope you’ll join us on Saturday May 17th for Ypsi P.R.I.D.E. day (http://business.a2ychamber.org/events/details/a2y-chamber-event-ypsilanti-p-r-i-d-e-day-2015-6153) as we get the summer started by pitching in to help clean up Ypsi’s parks. Let me know if you are interested in joining us!

We also have some other events planned for a great summer-the Donut Dash the first Sunday of every month at 10:30am if you’re feeling squirrelly (and hungry), the group runs will remain constant on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings, and in June we’ll be hosting a fun kick-off party on Thursday, June 25th in preparation for the Color Run. More details to follow including a new summer YRC logo. Anyway, I hope you consider including us in your plans to stay healthy this summer, and I look forward to seeing you out on the roads!

Stay fit!

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Guest Blog: Ann Anderson

2/8/2015

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It was April 9, 2010 when I signed up for a "Beginner Run Class'. A tall, slim, ginger haired guy named Mike Nix would be my instructor for the next few months, every Thursday night, along with many others that signed up for the class. I had started a weight loss journey a few months prior and took this class upon a recommendation of a friend.      

On the first day of class he gave us some paperwork and instruction of what we were about to embark on. Shortly after that we hit the streets of Ann Arbor with a 1 minute run and then walk break. The minute seemed like forever until we would hear the loud voice say "Shut it down" which meant we could stop running and walk. He had to yell loudly because our group was all at different paces so everyone was scattered about. And believe me you did not want to miss that command which meant you could walk, thank goodness. A few weeks went on and two of us in class decided we were going to run a 5K exactly one month after we began this class. That went well so on the last week of class I remember asking Mike "Hey do you think I could ever run a half marathon?  His response "Yes you could if you didn't worry about your time and focus on finishing"  Great advice! 

After getting a few half marathons under my belt I called Mike and asked him if he would consider being my trainer. He said yes and soon I would be introduced to places the locals go like Gallup Park, Argo, the Hospital Stairs, The Arb, Broadway, and yes even Harvard Hill! Let's see - I would learn what 400's, 800's, Mile Repeats, and Hill workouts meant and how much, cough, cough, fun they are!  

Now 50 pounds lighter and glancing at 32 medals hanging on my wall one of which says 26.2 I call myself a "Runner".  I would be remiss to say running came easy to me because it did not. I have runs I struggle to complete, compare myself to other runners too much, and doubt my ability a lot. But I am lucky enough to have met my run coach named Mike. He has stuck with me every step of the way. Guiding, directing, developing training plans, and most important encouraging me to keep aiming higher on my goals but never put too much pressure on myself that I  forget all the enjoyment running brings. Because at the end of the day that is what it's all about for me - the love of the sport - something I honestly never thought I would be so passionate about and love. Learning to run at 44 was certainly one of the best things that has happened to me and I encourage anyone to give it a try. I certainly would not have wanted to miss out on this experience and all it has added to my life.  
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This Blog

1/2/2015

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When it was suggested that I write a blog for the website, it never occurred to me that I might have something to say, something that might be considered valuable to others. But, as I considered this more, I thought that everyone has a story to tell, something about which to talk. As I discussed possible topics with my wife, she suggested I start by telling my own story, and how that relates to fitness and staying in shape. I have told a version of this story many times, but this blog has given me an opportunity to give it some legs, so to speak.

My story starts as I graduated from college in South Carolina. A part-time football player, and full-time partier, I left school weighing a solid 50 pounds heavier than I entered-and not in a football kind of way, but a “sure I can eat 24 donuts right here, right now” kind of way. The excesses of late night boozing and trips to dueling Waffle Houses (directly across the street from one another!) put me comfortably in size 42 jeans. Which, I think, could’ve covered my Chevy S-10. After the “summer of Murrath”, named for my ex-college roommate our de-facto social chairman for the summer. He seemed to alternate between sports bars (the wing specials!) and strip clubs (the buffets!) for any and all planned activities, with everything washed down by copious amounts of beer. The summer of ’92, although somewhat depraved, was not one of deprivation.  Looking back, it seems as if I can actually feel myself getting fatter as I tell the story. I was not getting any smaller. Fun fact-I actually rendered a talking scale in New Orleans speechless. I stepped on and as it went to report my weight-it’s mechanical voice trailed into a strained garbled mess of digital sounds, with the digital screen finally flickering to black.

At home, meals were even less structured and nutritious, as I gravitated towards things that were, on hand, plentiful, and, further down the list, actually edible.  In any case, at the end of my movie (Barbarella!?), and after consuming the better part of a bag of deep fried mozzarella sticks (it should be noted at this point that I have a strong dislike for cheese, which, at the time seemed inconsequential) and an entire jar of spaghetti sauce, I felt not so great. And as I lay on the couch, that’s really all you can do, trust me, I thought I’ve gotta do something or else I’ll be 400 pounds by Christmas (mmm, Christmas…) So for some reason, still unclear to me, as running was akin to cheese in my mind, I thought it might be a good idea to run to the end of my street, which was a little over a half mile away. I laced my shoes, a crusty (literally) old pair of Nike Pegasus from college and started my first run.

I made it two doors down before I had to walk. I continued on finally reaching the stop sign at the end of the street about 15 minutes later (30 min. /mile pace!), only to realize I had to come back. When I got home that night, I vowed to do it again the next day only better. I went inside wrote down the time to which I would compare tomorrow’s time, and in some ways I’ve never looked back.

I like looking back, though. Even though I barely connect with my former self. I obsess over workouts, both missed and completed, get up early, run in the snow and rain, things my less than disciplined former self would never thought reasonable. As a lover of history, I like looking back as a way to understand. And my main understanding is that I have really loved this journey. And my journey, like the journeys that many of us undertake every day, transformed me.  It helps me to remember exactly how hard the journey was and is. How hard it was to start and stay on a path. It helps me to remember that I do have the discipline to succeed. If you can get up at dawn to squeeze in a workout you might not otherwise get, if you talk yourself into a second workout in the afternoon because the guy who finished ahead of you probably is, if you have the strength to do a strength training workout after a 90 minute run, if you have the courage to start...then you have equipped yourself with some powerful tools: self-confidence, mental toughness, and a sense of purpose. I’ve realized I can tackle anything. I hope you remember your journey, and how you’ve gotten where you are, where you going, and where you’re coming from. Running helps me remember. My hope is that it’s that way for you.

Everyone has a great story to tell, all different, all encouraging. Let me know if you’d like to share yours. Write me at mike@ypsirunning.com if you’d like to see it on the blog! 
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Winter Running

11/22/2014

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Winter is here, and in Michigan that means shorter days and colder weather (duh!). Less sunlight, more layers and generally more effort to get out the door-not necessarily good ingredients to stoke your motivation. Even the most die-hard athletes have a tough time putting on 3 shirts, 2 pants, the hat, traction for the ice, and the gloves (and there’s always one missing). It takes thirty minutes to get ready for a sixty minute run. It's little wonder so few people make it through the winter without having breathed fresh air once. As a native southerner, I am no stranger to the feeling of dread that winter running can create. While I don’t necessarily like running in summer, the heat was definitely something with which my body seemed to be innately equipped to accommodate. When I first arrived in Michigan, which, in my mind, received epic amounts of snow and cold weather, I wondered how I would ever get used to winter running. 

Ten winters later, I realize I have developed an affinity for winter running. There are things that I actually enjoy about running in cold weather. Things that make even the coldest days and those extra layers (and loads of laundry) worth it. 


Things I like (in no particular order):

*I like the first breath of cold air the moment I walk out the door. Filling my lungs with the cold air somehow rejuvenates me. 

*Running first thing in the morning after a snowfall. The only sound is cadence of my (visible!) breath and the crunching of new snow under my feet. 

*I like the feeling of sweat on my forehead and face while I run in the cold. Something about the effort required to produce sweat on a super cold day makes me feel proud (more cold, also. But mostly proud). 

*I like that winter running challenges me more than summer running. More effort to prepare, more effort to navigate the obstacles (ice, deep snow, wind, freezing rain, more ice). It helps to identify things I should be paying more attention to-my fragile ankles, foot strength, core strength-that I tend to neglect during the salad days of autumn running. 

*Most of all, I like the anticipation of returning to warmth. I like wrapping my head around how I’ll feel when I get back indoors, and how that steaming hot cup of coffee will feel on my cold hands.

Anyway, funny what you realize you like about something when you take a few minutes to think about why you run. So as you start the process of unpacking all the winter gear and start feeling the familiar dread of winter running, think about what it is you like about it. I was surprised what I liked, you might be too!

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