$3.00 Official Newsletter of the Badgerland Striders, Inc. Volume 31, No. 4 May 2002 INSIDE: ITALIAN SAUSAGE: NEW IDEAS? ANYBODY? ..pg.2 A MAINSTAY OF SUPERUN Only in Milwaukee can you run a twilight 5K race, enjoy a tasty Ital- The 2002 Superun will be held on Wednesday ian sausage afterward and chase it with a cool beverage. As Striders, we evening, June 26, 2002 at 7 p.m.. The Strider event are fortunate that the Pompeii Men’s Club will be selling their famous, is co-sponsored with the Pompeii Men’s Club, a Mil- delicious Italian sausages after the Strider Superun 5K . waukee-based, Italian First-time race directors Bob Scherer and Karen Van Rite are taking fraternal organization the Superun 5K to new heights. How? Come, run, and see for yourself! dedicated to improving Karen and Bob are succeeding veteran Strider John Rodee in the the community through TRAVELLING STRIDERS..pg.4 director’s role. works of charity. The - CHICAGO LAKESHORE club helps support the MARATHON Italian Community Center - CRAZYLEGS as well as many local and national charities. The focus for the Superun is to raise money for the SPECIAL OLYMPICS, an organization that pro- vides youngsters with disabilities the opportunity to train and compete in various sporting events. th This is the 20 running of this event through the paved roads and bike paths of the Milwaukee’s East Side scenic Lake Park, 3233 E. Kenwood Boulevard. As the park’s name implies, this run is near Lake Michigan, so expect the weather to be on the cool side. The course is TAC/RRCA certified. There will be one water stop. Split times will be given at miles one, two and three. The “claim to fame” for this course is (Continued on page 2) Adult Beginning Runners Graduate FROM THE ARCHIVES…...pg.7 by Betsy Weiss Sarah's Stride, the run held on May 18, 2002 to raise funds for the Wisconsin Donor Network also served as a type of "final exam" for participants in the Badgerland Striders Adult Beginning Running Program. The fourth annual series was held for people in- terested in starting to run or those who have run in the past, but are prone to injuries. Long-time (old- timer?) Strider Marty Malin coordinates the program. He made sure that everyone had fun as they learned. The series met for eight Thursday evenings at Hart Park. The group was divided into smaller run- ning groups based on ability. This provided the op- portunity for people to run at their own pace while developing endurance and speed. Each group worked with a dedicated Strider volunteer. Proper stretching techniques were taught. The importance of warming up and cooling down was emphasized. Participants earnedl to increase their mileage gradually as they became stronger. Helpful hints were shared for the prevention of injuries. After the running segment, participants heard guest speakers who covered topics such as fitting proper footwear and different types of running ap- parel, nutrition, weight training techniques to strengthen muscles used for running, prevention of injuries and success stories from people who were once beginners themselves. The goal for the beginning runners was to pre- MAKING DUST…………..pg.11 pare for an official run, Sarah's Stride. Sarah's Stride - Double Chubb 50K is a 5K (3.1 mile) run. Participants received t-shirts to - South Shore 1/2 Marathon wear that identified them as being part of the pro- gram. As they crossed the finish line, they were pre- sented with a medal to signify completion of the pro- BEGINNING RUNNERS and COACHES COMING EVENTS……….pg.12 gram. A celebration picnic was held on Sunday, Photos by Jeff Weiss May 19, 2002. page 2 “The Strider” May 2002 SAUSAGE eaters at SUPERUN (Continued from page 1) Awards will be given for overall and masters win- its one hill. There may only be one hill, but it is a ners. First, second and third place will be recognized doozy. Bikes, skates, strollers, wheelchairs and ani- in each of the five-year age groups. mals are prohibited, due to the fact that the parts of After the race, free the course are quite narrow and there is a sharp right refreshments will in- turn after a long downhill stretch. clude soft drinks, It pays to register early. Members of the Badger- Miller Lite Beer and land Striders and/or the Pompeii Men’s Club pay fruit. Editor Sam Martino only $8 if they register before June 19, 2002. Non- The Pompeii Men’s members of these organizations pay $10 if they reg- Club will be selling ister before the June 19 deadline. After June 19th, their famous, delicious Italian sausages. You will everyone pays $13. Additional contributions to the have burned off plenty of calories during the run Still Looking SPECIAL OLYMPICS are welcome and appreciated. (especially on the hill) to be able to consume one or They should be included with your entry form. more of these taste treats! To be sure to meet the deadline, mail your entry There will be random drawings for gifts from the For Ideas (with your check made payable to Badgerland Strid- various sponsors supporting the Superun. You must ers) to: be present to win. Badgerland Striders Whether you come to run or volunteer (Yes, we A few months ago I sent out a call for a few good C/O CL & D Digital can always use more volunteers!) be sure to be at ideas for the Badgerland Striders to participate in to 3697 Kettle Court East the Superun this year! promote fitness running and provide community Delafield, WI 53018 For more information, or to offer your volunteer outreach while boosting the club's image. Only a few Parking will be available east and west of Lake services, contact Bob Scherer at 262-569-6732 or e- ideas were received. After a recent race directors Park. All entrants who register before race day will mail him at [email protected]. board meeting, directors still expressed a desire to receive a three-color singlet. Race day registrations Also, see the Badgerland Strider website http:// "do something" more for the community. will be accepted between 5 – 6:30 p.m. at Lake Park. www.badgerlandstriders.org for a printable entry As runners, we are mostly aware of how we con- Shirts are not guaranteed for race day entries. form. tribute individually to fitness and the overall run- ning community. We stand at lonely intersections during a road race as safety road guards. We volun- Bill Grass teer at water stops. We promote charity runs and staff them, including Al's Run/Walk sponsored by Briggs & Stratton that raises money for Children’s Back in Stride Hospital, the American Heart Association Cullen Run and in the past the Lombardi Run that raises By Dave O'Brien operated it for 11 years (after which it was taken money to fight cancer. I feel fortunate to have been able, on a recent trip over by Larry Govin-Matzat). When it comes to volunteering for a run, The with my wife, Kathy to McAllen, TX, to spend a day He also originated the Badgerland Striders 20k Badgerland Striders step forward to participate. and evening with Bill Grass and his wife Barb. race in (roughly) 1985, and directed it (roughly 15 Now, there is a call for our club to go beyond the Do you remember Bill? If you're a newcomer you years) until Allan Hoeft took it over in 2000. front lines and become involved in promoting fit- might not. Still, every club member, new and old, has Please appreciate what an investment of his time ness and running in other ways. Some suggestions been affected by him. So has every runner in Wis- was involved; not only for our club, but for runners have been to place mile markers on trails, donate consin. all over Wisconsin. books about running to libraries, offer scholarships, For example, look at your race book. Toward the It was perhaps two years ago that I reported that promote a children's running program at the grade back, check "Active Certified Courses in Wiscon- Bill had dropped out of the running community. His school level, and to offer grants to support elite run- sin." Question: how many include the initials "WG?" employer had offered him early retirement, then re- ners in financial need so they can compete at a high Answer-- more than 70%. In previous years it was hired him to direct a production operation in Mexico. level. My intention in writing this column is to enlist higher. For example, in 1999, Bill had certified (to Bill and Barb (the former Barb Simon – she and I ran additional ideas. USATF standards) all but Kris Hinrichs, Lakefront Marathon director, one of the active certified would like to see the club develop a program of courses in our state – more helping either state parks or the Milwaukee County than 98%. Parks System with signage. What does that entail? This columnist would like to see the club become More often than not, Wil- involved in a scholarship program to recruit athletes liam Grass made the trip to at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the your running site, set up a school where the Badgerland Striders got its start. nearby calibration course by If you have ideas or any suggestions to add to measuring with a steel tape the list, contact Sam Sez at [email protected] at a specified tension, meas- or The Strider at [email protected].