Runner Spotlight - Angela Musk

I started running Track late in high school, with the intent of off-season conditioning for soccer. After some success and prodding from a teammate, I gave up soccer my senior year to run Cross Country in the Fall. I was lucky to get noticed by a Bellarmine coach, and spent my college years running as a Knight. Thanks to some very patient and wise coaches and a supportive and competitive team, I developed and learned so much in those years and running became as much (maybe more?) of a passion for me as any other pursuit. I now coach Bellarmine's Women's Track and Cross Country teams. My time as a coach has been equally marked by learning and growth, but the guiding values that I observed in my own coaches remain unchanged: genuine selflessness and unconditional care for the whole person.

I have been running competitively for 12 years (including a spell away from running and racing, due to injury/illness). Running remains a passion for me and I expect to maintain a life-long relationship with it. One of the most helpful perspectives that I've learned is to understand that a relationship with running is much like a relationship with a person, career, faith, or anything that you value. It requires growth and nurturing to last. The effortless interest, joy, and motivation that you might experience early-on doesn't always hang around. It might come and go. And feeling guilty about that or denying it often isn't productive. Be intentional about appreciating what running gives you, especially when it's feeling more effortful. Make time and space to reflect on and learn from important moments in your running. Stay humble and admit when not giving attention to little things leads to bigger problems. And don't think that just because you don't feel "in-love" with running, that you don't still love it.
I've raced every distance from the 400-meter dash to the marathon. In the years that I was physically unable to run, I spent a lot of time cycling and taught myself to swim, so now, I also compete in triathlons in the summer. Although I certainly identified as a miler in high school and college, these days, I really don't have a "favorite" distance and I like to shift focus around various distances throughout the year or years. I really like running River City Races, because I know they will always be well-produced. From their small races to their bigger partnerships with the Louisville Triple Crown, their attention to the details that matter over flashy features makes for a smooth and top-notch experience for the runners; and their whole team has extensive experience and knowledge of the sport.

*Angela is part of the runnningly talented Musk family.  She and sister Flannery went 1-2 at the 2019 Urban Bourbon Half Marathon.

Runner Spotlight - Valerie Harned

Favorite distance: 5k

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

I'm the last person to give advice because I've said I really don't like running.  I "plod" along, so if there's any encouragement to be offered...just keep moving. Whenever I'm out on a course and I feel down, discouraged or like I can't go on - I remember that I have my health, breath in my lungs, and am doing so much better than doing nothing.

Why do you like running River City Races events?

They're fun, family oriented and open to any one of any fitness level!

Anything else you'd like to share?:

Well I don't like running.  So why do I do it? Because it challenges me, it pushes me to keep pressing on and not give up.  I do this little thing of sprinting a final leg to the finish and love the feeling of accomplishment crossing that timing strip!

I began doing 5k's 8 years ago because I just needed something to kick-start me getting outdoors.  Then my best friend was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and passed away January 2014.  My health took a nose dive over the next 18 months and my doctor gave me an ultimatum. I had not laced up running shoes for a long while until I signed up for the Triple Crown in 2016.  I nearly died the first time I did it! But I signed for every 5k or 10k I could that year and after. I did the Triple Crown in 2017 and 2018.  I participated in the Mini-Marathon and the Urban Bourbon!  And completed a round of the 502 racing series.  2019 sidelined me with plantar fasciitis, and it made me realize how much I really do enjoy getting out there and running - I actually missed it! I enjoy being outdoors and even cheering others on the course that look to be struggling because I know how that feels.

My husband, Jim, has been a great source of encouragement by coming along with me on the longer distances - I call him my "pace setter". At the start of 2020, I realized my feet were feeling better so I did the Chick-fil-A 5k in March and felt great so I signed up for the Allstate Hot Chocolate Virtual 5k. Not sure what 2020 holds for the running community, but whether in a group or virtual I hope to be out there running more!

Runner Spotlight - Glenn Richardson

Favorite distance: 

50k. 

There are lots of race options at that distance and it just seems to be the right amount of time on my feet to challenge me but not enough that it takes me a long time to recover from. I feel pretty comfortable doing several a year without having to worry too much about injury.

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

• Don't overtrain and have to miss your race because you got injured in training.

• Listen to your body and not a training plan or someone else. If your body is telling you to rest, REST!

• Don't underestimate the mental component of distance running and overlook mental training. Ultras are very mentally challenging and if your head is not in the game you are more likely to have issues.

• Figure out what works best for you. Ask for advice but make your own decision based on your needs and tastes.

• Have a hydration and fuel strategy as the distances get longer.

• Figure out a good shoe and sock combination and don't overlook lube.

• Get your feet wet early in a training run and see how things go.

• If you are going to trail run, be ready for anything. I've run in all sorts of conditions on all types of terrain.

• Figure out what works best for you and don't always compare yourself to others. Amazing and inspiring athletes come in all shapes, sizes and abilities.

Why do you like running River City Races events?:

I love local racing and River City Races puts on great local races. I ran my first 5k in 2011 and quickly followed that up with my first experience with the Polar Bear Grand Prix. I loved the experience, the challenge and the atmosphere. The running community is pretty awesome. I've done many River City races over the past nine years and always have a good time. I like seeing many of the same friendly and smiling faces at most of the races and I really prefer the smaller local races to the bigger ones. Running a 5k or any race really with several thousand people isn't really my thing. I doubt I will ever try to get into any of the big marathons. Support local racing!

Anything else you'd like to share?:

I've really enjoyed becoming a runner and it still seems weird to consider myself a runner as I never thought I would be one. Running is hard and takes commitment and consistency to get better at it, so, if you are new to running, take your time and make staying healthy a priority over hitting mileage or speed goals. Speed is awesome, impressive and what wins races but it also kills and increases the risk for injury. Also, don't be afraid of walking or using intervals of running and walking as they are great ways to get in miles while minimizing injury risk. My number one goal is always to have fun and stay healthy. See you at the races (hopefully soon!)

Runner Spotlight - Sean Travelstead

I began running in high school when I went out for cross country and from that it has become a lifestyle. I find that running is one of the most social sports that you can participate in and be competitive at the same time. I was never a top runner but I was lucky to be on my high school team with a great coach and multiple state individual and team championships. I was always active in sports but running became my sport of choice. I continued to run and would do races occasionally in my post-college years. I have tracked my mileage and race times for years now, not to set PRs but to see how I was doing against myself from the previous year. As the saying goes, Father Time Always Wins. As technology has grown, there are online running apps and groups that you can join and share your running experiences. I say that if you find something that makes you a better person, feels good and you can share with others, go for it. That is where social comes into running -- being with others while doing something that is so individualistic.

Flash forward and now I do races all that I am able to - 5ks are my choice as I can find one almost every weekend. It's not to set the record or get a medal, but to participate and see friends. Runners are a unique brand -- putting yourself through pain to go and run X miles, but it's a lifestyle and ultimately is an awesome experience. Being able to run and participate in all the fun is all worth the waking up early, going out when it's too hot or too cold or you're just too tired. There can be unlimited excuses. Don't find the reason not to do something- go do something!

What I would say to anyone who's thinking of running, just started running or been a life-long runner -- Stay with It. Do what you like. Be Social! There are so many good people out there participating whether you race every weekend, do one race a year, or no races.. You don't have to run a 5 minute mile and you don't have to do 60 miles a week -- do what you can, but do something. Be a part of the social team that is out there and running. Local running stores and websites can connect you to people who are like you (slower, faster, bigger or smaller).

When at a weekday run or a race - give a High Five, Wave or Hello - we are all doing this thing we love. My mantra at any start line is Race Hard, Have Fun! See you on the roads!

Runner Spotlight - Kirby Adams

April 16, 1984, was the last time I ran the Boston Marathon. It was cold, rainy and a devasting disappointment. That day, was nothing like the sunny, uplifting and considerably slower event I ran Monday in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Without spectators or fellow competitors, official water stops or finisher swag, what would have been the official race day for the 2020 Boston Marathon was my personal moment to say "Take that COVID-19."  

In 1984, the legendary race was my last shot at the 2:51:16 qualifying standard for the first Women's Olympic Trials Marathon. I had come oh-so-close to the time at the Phoenix Marathon a few weeks earlier. Boston was my final chance to punch a ticket to the trials.   As it turned out, the clock ran out long before I got to the soggy Boston finish.

36 years later, having shifted to other sports, I hadn't given the Boston Marathon much thought until I stumbled into a qualifying time at the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C.   Trust me, if you can just live long enough and continue to run, it gets a lot easier to qualify for a bib number to the granddaddy of marathons.

Like a good little running soldier, I spent the winter doing hill repeats, speed work and long runs with a new group of friends I made with the Fleet Feet Louisville Distance Project.

"This will be the last time I run Boston" I told myself and I was determined to put in the work to run it well. Heck, I even skipped a spring vacation with my family to Costa Rica because I didn't want to do a 20-mile training run by myself on a one-mile span of beach.

I know, I know, in hindsight that was dumb.

Dumb because that same week we started hearing reports from Italy and Great Britain about quarantined runners completing full marathons in their tiny backyards or on their balconies.

Remember how crazy that sounded just two months ago?

It happened to be the week the Boston Athletic Association announced it would postpone the traditional spring marathon until the fall. Initially that news ripped the wind from the sails of my resolve. One day I was planning a 20 mile training run, the next I was racing to the east coast to pick up my daughter from college. Within eight hours, all the training came to an abrupt halt.

But we know how runners operate. We don't stay still for long.

I was now working from home while reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak for my job at the Courier Journal newspaper.   My lunch breaks no longer included workouts at the gym, they became much needed time outdoors, running through Joe Creason and Cherokee Park.

Sound familiar?

As a reporter, I was writing about healthcare workers on the frontlines and people sewing face masks in their living rooms. Without medical expertise or the patience to sit at a sewing machine, I realized that if I was going to make a stand against the pandemic my best option would be to control what I could. That meant completing my plan to re-do that disappointing 1984 Boston Marathon on my own terms. Monday, April 20 I would show the disease it couldn't put a stop to every good thing.

I made the decision late in the game. It was Friday, April 17 and the only person I told was my daughter who is a collegiate National Champion Triathlete. I knew she'd "get it." And boy did she.

Saturday, she presented me with a race packet complete with a homemade bib number, five safety pins, a tube of BioFreeze and a handwritten certificate for a post-race massage. 

She also mapped out a 26.2 mile course.

If I had any doubts, her excitement solidified my plan.  

Next I sent a text to my running group. I invited them to join me, one at a time, practicing safe social distancing, for "The Boston Marathon, Louisville Edition."

At 8 a.m. on Boston Marathon Monday, my husband and I stepped over an imaginary starting line at the end of the driveway.   There was no "bang" of a starting gun, no familiar "beep beep beep" of tracking chips crossing the starting line. Just a single squeal as I pushed the button on my Garmin, a bird chirped as it flew by and our daughter calling out "Go Mom!"

To my surprise, and extreme delight, from that point on I never ran more than four miles without company. One or two at a time, friends and family appeared and disappeared along the course.

They drove around town in their cars and their bicycles until they found me. They waited with water and food, some made posters for encouragement, others took time off work to run a few miles.

We talked, like runners do, about everything from music, recipes and our kids to the great weather, memories of past races and "which way to turn next." Not once did COIVD-19, quarantine or a lack of toilet paper creep into our conversation.

During those four glorious and sunny hours of my Boston Marathon Monday, we were living in the moment and celebrating our love of running and friendship.

36 years after running that personally disappointing Boston Marathon, I turned onto our familiar, tree-lined street and I felt overwhelming joy.

I hadn't expected that feeling and there was something else.

As I started the final quarter-mile I could hear a faint clanging of tin bells and cheering. Neighbors stood on their porches clapping as I approached my family who was gathered around a giant finish line drawn in chalk across our quiet street.

Like I would in an official marathon, I crossed the finish and felt a great sense of relief and gratitude. Unlike other races, we couldn't hug or offer each other a high five or a fist bump.   But you know - it didn't matter.

At least three friends said this had been the "best day since quarantine began."

And you know, they were right. With my family and friends we'd stared down COVID-19 and proved the disease can't spoil every single thing. On this day, running through the streets of Louisville, Ky. perseverance and humanity won.