Runner Spotlight - Amy Barbour Shoaf

My name is Amy Barbour Shoaf and this is Linley our 13 year old daughter.  I have been running most of my adulthood and it has been great therapy through good and bad times. 

Linley started running in a free running club I set up at Bloom elementary when she was in the 2nd grade.  I imagined this running club would have a hand full of kids, but 60 signed up and we started our Bloom running club.  We had volunteers to help get the kids excited and running along a small track at Tyler park.  The point was to set a healthy goal and learn a little about nutrition. John Bizzell from ValuMarket donated a healthy snack for every club meeting.  I acknowledged this was impacting the kid’s.  Now I see many of them several years later involved in XC or other sports. Now Bloom has an official XC team!

Encouragement:I wanted to find a way to continue to encourage the youth in our community to get involved by running together with friends and family and introducing them to our local road races.  With the help of the Kentucky Derby Festival's race director, Shanna Hinton Ward, I was honored to be picked as a 2018 KDF mini-Marathon/Marathon race ambassador. Now I have a broad platform to promote a youth base.  2019, I was again honored to be picked as the KDF race ambassador.   Linley, age 13, was also honored to be the very first KDF Junior race ambassador.  Linley ran her first mini in 2018 at the age of 12, and this year she has been promoting to the youth community to sign up and reach a goal the set for themselves.  JCPS honored Linley at a board meeting for her accomplishment as the first Junior Race Ambassador. 

Community:I love to give back to this great community who provides so many opportunities for others to be active and stay active. 

 The River City Races give just that type of opportunity.  I see a lot of youth runners and it is encouraging to see the support the River City Race events gives to our community young and older. Thanks to Camille Estes and Lyndsey Estes, Linley and I had a booth to promote youth running at the Pumpkin 5K in Cherokee park Oct. 2018, which is one of the River City Races.

Training: My training schedule varies based on whether I signed up for a 10k, half-marathon, or a Marathon.  I run about 3-4 days a week, and cross train other days.  I like to ride my bike, and work on strength training at home.  With the exception of ice and thunder storms, I run in all weather conditions.  It builds character and you have to be prepared for race day weather conditions.

Linley runs based on her soccer schedule and other activities.  We run together based on our race plans.  Right now we are training for the April 27th, Kentucky Derby Festival mini-Marathon with Stephanie Fish who sets up the Norton Sports Health training program.  It's a great training program to get you to your goal and there are many youth runners involved.

Family:We have an great support system at home.  My husband, Rob Shoaf, encourages us and gives thoughtful advice based on his knowledge from his years of being an elite runner.

Families, get your kids and together so you all can enjoy running, run/walking and celebrating your accomplishments. And HAVE FUN!

If you are thinking about registering for the Kentucky Derby Festival mini-Marathon or Marathon, please pick Linley as your race ambassador.  She is working hard for your support!  

Runner Spotlight - Mark Krauss

~A few Decades of Running in my Shoes~ 

   It was late 1989 when my poor lifestyle was catching up with me in a dramatic way. I had gained a substantial amount of weight and feeling the effects of my bad choices. I ran in to my best childhood friend and he invited me to join him lifting weights. So, in January 1990 I began. I really enjoyed it and was losing weight along with improving my strength and fitness. He encouraged my progress along the way but also advised me to start running to improve my cardio, I declined. The only person in the world more hard-headed than me is my best buddy Steve, and he persisted. I got tired of the weekly harping and eventually told him: “Let’s get this straight, I not only hate running, but I hate people that run”. We were, and still are the best of friends so there has never been any holds barred in our conversations. In his truest form, at the conclusion of our next workout, he entered the weight room wearing a rain jacket and one on the tip of his extended middle finger. “Put this on and let’s go”. The rain was pouring down and I could not even make it around the block one time. This was June 18th 1990. I was very frustrated and It made me realize how out of shape I really was. After several attempts in the following days, I finally did make it around the block. Soon I incorporated running into my weight lifting workouts each week. In early September my brother David got me to enter my first 5K race and paced me through it. I was changed forever. I eventually stopped the weight lifting and focused my efforts on running with the anticipation of running more races. I completed two more events in 1990 and started 1991 with a new-found passion towards this sport of running and road races. On October 20th 1991 I completed the Louisville Marathon without walking one step, and under my goal of four hours. It was very emotional considering the transition I had made in a little over a year. Life lesson: take the word hate out of your vocabulary, especially on topics you know little about. It is a toxic term with no real value, and it may just prevent you from achieving things in life you never thought you could do. I went on to run well over two hundred races in the nineties. It was something about the preparation, hard work and comradery. I not only enjoyed it but I needed it at the time.  

Above is my first log book (I have them all) and the hat from the Louisville Marathon in 1991 

~Life Happens~

    When the early two-thousands rolled around and I had over ten good years of running/racing behind me, but things were about to change. My high school sweetheart (and wife for nearly twenty years) and I would come into some challenging times. Our four children were growing like wildfire, along with their needs. Our parents’ health had begun to deteriorate pretty quickly. In what seemed like overnight, they were gone. All this combined with the demands of my work, took a toll on my running, and us. I attribute the life lessons I learned from the previous ten years to be one of the most valuable tools that would again help me during this period. My early forties were a trying time considering everything going on in our lives. Despite the emotionally charged level of activities, I tried to continue the running and racing. At age forty-five I re-directed my passion towards my career. It was a decade that I would later recall as a time of vision, discipline, and strength. Most of which I developed from my running/racing experiences. My first professional promotion consumed me with very long hours and extreme responsibility like I had never experienced. My wife stood behind me in every step of this venture also. It was during these years I realized she played a critical role in everything good in my short lifetime. As time flew by, I was blessed with several more promotions but something was gradually going stale. There was a black hole developing in a vital part of my life. The very thing that had given me a new perspective on life in the early nineties was absent: the running. Once again, I was handling a stressful lifestyle in all the wrong ways and my health was on the decline. I was my own worst enemy. I knew I had to correct this but was just not sure how to juggle all of my responsibilities and get back to running and a cleaner lifestyle.

 While flying through life with your Loved Ones, there will be disappointments and heartache:

“When this happens, apply your oxygen mask first”

    It sounds cold and heartless on the surface, but it is necessary and a standard operating procedure for the air-line industry. Essentially, you have to take care of yourself to be able to help your loved ones. To me this is a great metaphor for any parent, leader, or person responsible for the well being of others. So, in 2010 I found a way back to what gave me balance. This may be the most important period in my life when running had a much bigger meaning than the numbers, racing, or personal achievements. The goal was to resume a running/fitness plan that was appropriate for my current personal and professional responsibilities. I thought of it as “our other 401K plan”. This was necessary for me to regain a consistent, sustainable balance in my life. It would be my best opportunity to take care of everyone I cared about including myself. 

~Setting Goals and Racing is relative to everything that is going on in your life~

    It’s now December 2016 and a career that I loved was winding down after almost forty years. I had successfully achieved my goal of returning to a consistent running program for the last six years of my career, and achieved the balance I was after. I never really committed to when I actually would retire at this time. I did know that I wanted to return to competitive racing (or as competitive as I can be). I developed a two year plan that December and was determined to once again race at my highest personal level. My official retirement occurred in March of 2017. I now would have the opportunity to pursue this goal without compromising the other important aspects of my life, like my family or career. I always considered myself as a mid-packer in terms of talent and performance. Preparation, attention to detail, and achieving my goals is where I felt I had exceled through the years, and it gave me great satisfaction. My two-year plan was to get race fit and compete as a sixty-year old athlete. The underlying goal was to be as race fit as I was in my thirties relatively speaking. Of course, you have to subscribe to the USTAF age-grading system to understand this point. I developed a consistent routine of nutrition/weight-management, stretching, core exercises, and high intensity workouts. I also ran a couple of races per month on average. This would be my path to accomplish my goal. River City Races is a great venue for this. They offer quality races throughout the year with varying distances and a competition level appropriate for all types of runners. In addition, they provide access to a top-notch coach (Matt Eborsole), running/training groups and the latest equipment from Fleet Feet Sports. Few understand how much work goes into supporting the running community at this high level. They do a great job! Before this section returns to a paragraph on hard core training, numbers and personal accomplishments, it’s important to understand a few points. Managing a sixty-five-hour+ work week, your marriage and a family takes precedence over racing; if you are trying to compete at your personal highest level. It is also important to mention here that I have run at least a race or two in the final six years leading to my retirement. I always enjoyed the experience and at every fitness level. In conclusion: make sure your running/racing goals and expectations are relative to everything that is going on in your life. On October 20th 2018, I accomplished my two-year goal at the UBHM by a margin of .10%.     

~Don’t sweat the numbers, racing or personal achievements; it’s bigger than that~

    By the time I step on the starting line of the first leg of the 2019 Triple Crown, I will have turned sixty-two years old. Starting this journey in my early thirties has allowed me to see many changes in our sport. I have had the privilege of training and running with some really talented people in my early years. For that I will always be grateful. In addition, there are many talented runners today still working to break the tape, win their category, or set a new PR. When I think of all of my racing days, it makes me smile. However, through the years I have realized that the racing part (to me) is the recreational aspect of running. It is about goal setting, the numbers, personal achievements, and pushing yourself beyond what you thought you could do. It ultimately represents the life lesson of failure and success fitting neatly into a package between the Start/Finish line. Both, the failure and success are beneficial to personal growth. For some it has a limited season, and that’s OK. Regardless if you’re the one who breaks the tape, competes in the middle, or brings up the rear, it is an experience and life lesson worth the effort. I am still passionate about racing and will be forever in debt to those who helped me along the way. But somewhere in my mid fifties, in my search of balance, I found what running means to me. It is the perfect maintenance program for the mind, body, and spirit. It is the constant in an inconsistent world. It is the one thing that has helped me find balance through the toughest years, and taught me to appreciate my simple blessings in life. Things such as: a good cup of coffee, a meal, a roof over my head, family, friends and good health. So where ever you are in life, work hard, live big, be passionate and grateful. Mostly, keep lacing those shoes up and run! It may just help you to accomplish things in life you never thought you could do.  

Forever the Student

Mark Krauss 2019

Runner Spotlight - David Sedlak

My name is Dave Sedlak, and I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.  I lived in the Washington, D.C. suburbs for about 33 years and retired from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 2013.  My wife and I retired to the Louisville area in the summer of 2013.  After visiting friends in Louisville over several years, we grew to love the area and decided to have a home built in Prospect, Kentucky. 

     I began running in the fall of 1972, my sophomore year of high school.  I ran cross country and track at Towson High School in Towson, Maryland (a suburb of Baltimore).  I was fortunate enough to be a part of a very deep and talented group of Varsity-A (top 7 runners) and Varsity-B (the remaining Varsity runners) cross country runners.  I had to train a lot to just keep in contention with my fellow team members.  In track, I enjoyed running the quarter-mile and half-mile distances, even though I was not blessed with blazing speed.  Being very shy and introverted, running cross country and track provided me an avenue to develop a core group of friends.

     I continued running off and on through college and into my late 20’s.  I stopped continuous running in my late 20’s due to work, family, and just plain laziness.  Over the next 30 years I did very little running.  About every 3 to 5 years I would get the urge to run, but these efforts would only last a week or two and then a return to the couch.  At the time of my retirement from federal service in the summer of 2013, I weighed nearly 200 pounds on a 5’ 8” frame.  After retiring, I started to eat a healthier breakfast and started a regular walking routine.  I lost about 20 pounds the first year of retirement. 

     I started my second running career in the summer of 2015.  I started out slow and gradually added mileage and pace.  I ran my first 5K at an informal run on an August Friday evening with the Derby City Run Club in St. Matthews.  My niece and her boyfriend (now husband) ran with Derby City, so I thought this would be a good, low-key re-introduction back into distance racing.  This run went well and gave me confidence to run the next morning at the 2015 Kicking Butt 5K in Iroquois Park.  When I tire of running in my own neighborhood, I run in one of Louisville’s many parks, on the Louisville waterfront and over the Big Four Bridge to Jeffersonville, Indiana, or on the new I-265 Bridge in Prospect.   I have run several segments of the Parklands Parks system and plan to run in all of its parks.  While the majority of the races I have participated have been in the Louisville area, I have ventured to nearby towns within about a 75 minute drive of my home.  I have run in the Kentucky Horse Park, Midway, Versailles, and Lexington, Kentucky, as well as Jeffersonville, Lanesville, and Marengo, Indiana.  Being from the east coast, I like to see other areas of Kentucky and Indiana, especially the small towns.  Over the last year and a half I have started to include runs on trips my wife and I take.  For example, I enjoyed running the beach in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, downtown Mobile, Alabama, the French Quarter in New Orleans (early morning run), and in Dublin and Galway, Ireland.  Also, I hope to run a couple of times when we visit Iceland.

     While I have run race distances from 5K to the half-marathon, I prefer the 5K.  The 5K distance provides me the aerobic benefit, and it allows me to use the speed (what I have left) that I have.  Also, I trend towards injury with the longer distances.  I enjoy participating in the River City races, since I see familiar faces at each event, and the races are well run.  Since starting the River City race series, I have made several new acquaintances and have started running with a couple of race buddies on non-race Saturdays.  Knowing people at a race makes it a more enjoyable experience for me.  As an additional benefit, with the River City Races Polar Bear Grand Prix series being run in Cherokee Park, I have learned not to dread the park’s hills.  I am amazed at the speed and quality of the runners over the age of 50 I have encountered.  Running against such quality senior runners gives me hope that I can improve and motivation to continue running.  I applaud everyone who participates in the River City race series, as well as other races.  The only advice I can provide is to keep running, take advantage of the great Louisville park system, and be proud of your race accomplishments.  Also, if you see an old man pacing with you during a River City race, he means no harm.  He’s just looking for some additional motivation and energy.  You can sprint ahead of him at the end.

Runner Spotlight - Danny Chester

Favorite distance:

Hello All! My name is Danny Chester and I am a 45 year old runner from Louisville KY.  As a “player of other sports” I didn’t start running until I was in my early 30’s.  My journey began late night in a St. Matthews bar when a group of friends asked if I wanted to run the Chicago Marathon.  As a nonrunner I had to ask what that meant and was shocked to find out it meant running 26.2 miles. I accepted the marathon challenge 14+ years ago and have grown to love the distance.  Running marathons was not always as enjoyable as it’s grown to be. 

 When I started running the marathon distance my only goal was to cross the finish line and enjoy the company of friends.  Without any other goals, I learned that not suffering in training-from time to time-meant I would suffer during and after the marathon; my first 15 marathons were very painful.  

 I started running with my neighborhood group-Audubon Running Club-in my late 30’s and my training runs began to speed up and go longer just by association with these Boston Marathon qualifiers.  At the time, Boston qualifying wasn’t on my radar but I decided it was time to take my training to another level after missing the qualification time by 3 minutes at the KDF Derby Marathon. 

 I qualified a few months later at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and have qualified 20+ times since.  I was always of the opinion that I didn’t need to get faster, I just needed to get older but Boston qualifying requires some work!

 My current goal is to run all 50 states with a 3:20:00 marathon time or better.  I am halfway to my goal and it’s been an amazing experience.  Aside from the running experience, I have visited places that I would have not visited, if not for running.  Places such as Anchorage AK, Charlevoix MI, and Blowing Rock NC; incredible towns and people.  I’ve met so many great runners and the overall experience has been priceless.  Watching a Moose chase a runner-about 10 feet-in front of me was pretty EPIC!  No person or animal was harmed during this exchange and made for a few laughs later in the race.

 Do you have any running/walking advice you'd like to offer?:

 Running/walking is different for each individual so my advice is to find out what you want out of running and You do You!  Just as I mentioned before, I was content with running long, slow, and on 0ccasion.  Marathons/half-marathons may not be for you and they don’t have to be.  Running a new PR each race may not be for you and it doesn’t have to be.  Don’t feel pressured to run with a group, if you like to run alone, or listen to music, or do all your runs on a treadmill.  It’s your life, live your best one!   

 If you’re new to running don’t be intimated by the experienced runner as they have all been there before.  I have found that most if not all runners are very encouraging.  Running is natural yet we all look a little different while doing it, but don’t worry about that-you have the look! I personally do not like how I look while running, but I most definitely don’t plan to change it.  Set small achievable goals and keep crushing them.  If you’re like me though your goals will change, and that meant that I had to change- if I wanted to  Boston qualify or run a sub 3 marathon. For me slowing down was a way to speed up so “fast days fast, and slow days slow” I got comfortable with being uncomfortable and that meant harder work outs, and more miles, but it also meant that I needed to be more knowledgeable about the importance of nutrition and sleep.  

 Do not underestimate the importance of Nutrition and sleep!  For strength training you don’t need a gym membership or fancy weights as body weight exercises like Bulgarian Split Squats, jump squats, burpees, and bridges are easy to do at home, and at work, and at the grocery store, and…. well you get it.   If you want to run faster you have to run fast and that requires the feet to move quickly so do track workouts, tempos and hill workouts.

 I like to chase goals and not people so I don’t compare myself to other runners!  There will always be someone better, and I am extremely thankful for those humbling situations; I was once beat in a half marathon by what appeared to be a 9 month pregnant women, once beaten in a 5K by a 9 year old and a year later beat by a 10 year old. I will get him one day!

 I am inspired by so many great runners in our running community!  Yes, I am in continuous awe of the speedsters; however,  I find my inspirations from the mother of 4 that’s running 80-100 miles a week and is able to balance family, or 70 year old that’s run (2) 2hr 54 min marathons within 2 months, and the injured runner that’s fighting back from injury yet has this  great enthusiasm and attitude about their circumstance. Talking about no excuses! These people have shown me what’s possible so find your motivation, stayed inspired, and Run Happy!

 Why do you like running River City Races events?:

 I love the River City Races for many reasons but most of all the sense of community.  River City Races puts on many races throughout the year and it’s an opportunity to share a great running experience with friends and family.  I have missed a few races this year due to my marathon schedule but I look forward to the Grand Slam 4 miler, and the Polar Bear Grand Prix every year.  I am extremely thankful that River City Races brought back the Downtown Doubler and I’m looking forward to seeing this event grow each year.  Let’s keep these races around.

 Anything else you'd like to share?: 

 We have a great running community in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area and ‘Im thankful to be a part of so many great running groups and people from the Audubon Running Club (ARC), Derby City Run Club (DCRC), and KorfEdge groups.  All 3 groups are unique and welcoming.  Anyone can join these groups and the only requirement is that you have a positive, enthusiastic attitude for running!   Aside from these 3 groups, there are many many more groups in our community that are welcoming. 

 Feel free to email me at bzz1djc@ups.com if you have a questions regarding running groups, a question about an upcoming marathon, general running questions, or my strategy for keeping up with an 11 year old in a 5K.  See you on the road! Get Running!

Runner Spotlight - J.R. Mues

My name is Jone Elizabeth Roberts Mues. I was born July 9 1978 in Tarrytown NY and Louisville is my home. You may call me J.R. or Jone or Mues or Elizabeth and occasionally other words apply to me and I know it so that’s okay too.

I have had many occupations and likely continue to do so but I will always be a visual and verbal artist and also an iconoclast and a serious funner.

I never liked athletics. In school I was never an athlete or even mediocre in physical education and I was almost always picked last for any team sport.  In 1989 I was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and the treatment included exercise. That was when I started running.

Running and stretching and weight lifting and push ups strengthened my body but to this day I still have an 18 degree curvature and stand with my right leg bent to cover my mismatched hips in photographs. I also never became a team player or even a competitive runner in school but in 1992 I earned the national physical fitness award during my school fitness testing.  I now had respect from many of the basketball and football players and cheerleaders because most of them did not earn one though they tried.

Running is a sport you have to do for yourself.  Others can coach you and you can have friends support you but it's really about you and your ambition and your courage to be the best. As a non team player this is probably why I liked it as well as hunting and fishing which overtook running when I was in my 20s and 30s. I even adopted my eastern box turtle Leona while on a fishing trip.

There was a renewed interest in running in 2013. I turned 35 and started gaining weight and the old workout was no longer hard enough to keep me in shape. The start of competitive running began in 2016 after a few friends passed away and another retired and one moved away. I no longer had people to talk with regularly or to go hunting and fishing with so I needed to fill that void with something else I enjoyed.

I started running River City because some of the events were on weekday evenings and on Sundays when I am best available. I am happy to meet so many strong and friendly runners at River City of whom I can test my ability and I have yet to meet a runner with a bad attitude.

I was in a few races but even at my top performance I was only finishing in the middle at best. Suddenly I wasn't okay with that because it bothered me I was running longer and longer distances and not getting any faster. I wanted to be fast because I never was.

In the summer of 2017 I cleaned out the garage and found my national physical fitness award patch. I remembered how hard I had to work to earn it and it wasn't even the top presidential award. I figured some people had natural speed and athletic abilities but I didn't.

But then I heard these words from a once very fast friend: “You can be fast and maybe even faster than anyone else. Most people are born with everything they need to get where they want to go but most of them don't use what they have and settle for less. You should know after you earned that patch and caught all those big fish.”

So following his suggestions on December 31 2017 I started running 200 m wind sprints before running regularly 3-4 times a week a one mile wind sprint every two months to see how much my time has improved. Wind sprints strengthen your core muscles and if you develop a strong core you will increase your endurance and speed. No natural ability is needed, only grit and discipline.

Running is hard. If something is easy for me doesn't mean as much. In a race you never know what you will run into out there so I find any race potentially difficult. I have no favored distance but the weather and terrain can make you or break you. I am not a trail runner or a hill runner. Keep it hard and flat with no grass and I will stay fast but if there’s wind or rain or ice or snow or it’s just gonna blow.

In 2018 I also learned running recovery is just as important as preparation. I changed my diet and eat chicken and fish and broccoli and carrots and celery every day so I will stay fueled and keep my muscles from getting sore. After a long distance race like a half marathon I have two to four days of rest. Eating a high protein and carbohydrate dinner the evening before a race and eating a light breakfast like a bagel and one or two eggs the morning of will give you the added fuel you need to push yourself.

I do not run well in hot weather or cold weather but I do it anyway because every day you run is another day of progress. The more you do the more you can do. In the last year I went from 10+ minute mile best averages to 8.5 minute mile averages. My blood pressure and weight also dropped and I was able to meet my goal of running a 10K in less than 60 minutes in September 2018. On January 1 2019 I broke that 59:58 record and ran a 10K in 55:30 after getting a new pair of practice shoes. Do not neglect your feet because they can really hurt you. It is good for your body and soul to keep your soles in shape too.

One of my goals in 2019 is to run 7 minute mile averages and run a half marathon in less than 120 minutes. I don’t worry about not meeting a goal by a certain time because I know one day I will reach it just like Leona eventually gets where she wants to go thought it might take a while for her to get there. It has taken me decades to get this far and I expect this is just the beginning. I always remember to go and go with the flow and never stop moving even if it’s slow.