Runner Spotlight - Kelly Flowers

My name is Kelly Flowers. I contact not really so much to spotlight, I suppose, as much as to encourage those who may benefit from realizing that it's never too late to start running, being healthier, and maybe doing some good in helping others along the journey. I plan to do more of the races River City Races sponsors in the future. I ran the Downtown Doubler 30K, in 2019.

I decided to run my first half marathon in 2007 at 51. Then as a bucket-list item I wanted to try to accomplish a full marathon the next year. I was so new to running I didn't even know anything about Boston Marathon qualifying. Someone told me that day I'd only missed it by 6 minutes, running a 3:41 on a 3:35 for my age group.

I couldn't walk away from that challenge. At 55 and 56 I ran 11, and 7 minutes under my qualifying time in my 3rd and 5th marathons, in Carmel Indiana and Chicago.

Unfortunately my first year to experience the Holy Grail Marathon in Boston had me ready to turn onto Boylston for the final home-stretch sprint in 2013. The 2nd bomb explosion happened right then and I was in the middle of a horrific nightmare.

I returned to run the next year and fundraised for the Martin Richard Foundation, raising $23,800. He was the 8-yr-old boy who was one of 3 killed that day, and near the 2nd, of 2, of the backpack bombs. That was a very emotional day, to say the least.

I went on to complete the 6 world major marathons after that. New York (2011, 2017, and 2019) Chicago (2012), Boston (2013, 2014, 2017, and 2019), London and Berlin (2015) and Tokyo (2016). The day I crossed the finish line in Tokyo, I was one of only 138 in the US to have run the 6 World Majors.

I returned to run, and fundraise, for the Martin Richard Foundation's MR8 Team in Boston and New York in 2017 and 2019. I was training and fundraising for the 2020 Team when it was canceled. Between the 4 Boston and 2 New York MR8 Teams I raised over $100,000.

I've now run 16 marathons, and begin my first of 16 weeks, next week, training for this year's Boston Marathon on Oct 11th.

Runner Spotlight - Michelle Phillips

Hello, my name is Michelle, and I am 51 years young.  Let me tell you about my love of running and unicorns.  I am born and raised in Louisville but never liked running as an overweight child I did not want the negative attention and was not active.  However, I did attend summer youth programs at the University of Louisville that taught us track, football and swimming. Even with access to many parks in the metro area such as Central, Chickasaw and Shawnee running did not interest me. 

After becoming a mother, I often worried that my kids were ashamed of me for being overweight, but I still did not become active.  Then in my mid 40’s I did my first 5k and was ashamed that I could barely walk the course.  I made a mental note to myself I would change it.  Initially, I stopped and started walking routines several times.  That all changed when I became an empty nester in my late 40’s.  With both of my children gone I told them I would take control of my health.  However, I suffered a mild heart attack and vowed to my sons I would stop saying “tomorrow”.  I now run 3-4 times a week in different parks, my neighborhood or the gym.

Runner Spotlight - Chad Waggoner

Favorite Distance? To compete in - The marathon. To work – The Mini.

There was so much that I learned about myself I completed a marathon because the distance, no matter how good of shape I was in, I still felt it was meant to break me. That is why I loved the race because no matter the pain, the fatigue, the hurdles, finding a way to keep moving one foot in front of the other and finishing the race was a great distance for self-discovery. In essence, I used what I learned about myself in the marathon to make me a better teacher (especially teaching in a year of Covid.)

However, since I get to work a numerous number of races the one that is my favorite distance to work is the mini. There are so many stories of human triumph crossing the finish line. Stories that range from someone who used running to help them beat addiction to losing weight to setting a PR to crossing the line in first and everything in between. Watching the thrill of the race winner crossing the line to the final finisher – each one has accomplished something and I am proud to be a very tiny part of their journey by working the races.

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

First and foremost, have fun. It is not an easy sport. Heck other sports use running as a punishment. So make what is considered misery by others to be an enjoyable time of fun. Laugh on a run, high five the person next to you, belt along with your favorite song when you hear it on your headphones. If it is a long enough run there will be plenty of time for silent reflection and contemplation. However, make sure you just have fun.

Why do you like running River City Races events?

It often means I get to work with my pal Camille! She is one of my favorites in the running community and I love being around here. If you have never volunteered for a race I would strongly encourage you to do so. Give something back to the sport. Every race director needs more volunteers from water stops, to passing out medals to registration, and so much more. If you love running then give back to running by volunteering to work a race.

Anything else you'd like to share?

As I shared I learned a lot about myself through running the marathon and was able to use that in teaching. This year, which was so difficult trying to teach kids that are online with a couple in the classroom was beyond a challenge. I know that the pandemic caused a number of good teachers to leave the profession. But I can thank running for me not giving up, not feeling burned out, nor feeling overwhelmed. When I saw my students early on start to get discouraged in the spring of 2020 with sports and milestones (prom / graduation) being cancelled and then those emotions continue on in the 20-21 school year I realized it was a call to action for me. So many of my students stayed in the dark simply waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. But as days went to weeks and the weeks went to months I challenged my students to find their own light. Do not wait for the light at the end of the tunnel, instead create your own light and keep putting one foot in front of the other. So my classroom had to be a place of light. And that is why I started to reach out to filmmakers for my film study class – to give my students a connection with an amazing filmmaker. From Matthew McConaughey to Jerry Bruckheimer to Tom Cross. I ended up having 19 filmmakers join my classroom via zoom which I recorded and put on my YouTube channel. The point being is that running helps you find your internal light. When the voice in the head says it would be okay to quit our internal light tells us to keep moving forward, “You got this. It’s just a bit further down the road.” And when the world is at it’s darkest, letting our internal light shine for not only ourselves but others makes the planet a brighter, better place.

Remain Awesome – Be Nice  – Stay Safe – See You Soon

Runner Spotlight - Dennis Branson

I am currently 61 years old, and have been running since I was 22. I quickly became addicted. Within a year I was running 80 to 90 miles a week, and was competing in every road race I could find.  Attached is me finishing the mini in 1983.  I was introduced to Camille in 1984 when I joined her Finish Line Racing team.  That year I had my best race ever when I finished the mini in 1:16 and came in 67th place. After running pretty seriously for 3 or 4 years, I became your average recreational runner, just keeping in shape and doing a few races a year.

Around 2001 I got somewhat serious about running again and re-connected with Camille at Fleet Feet.  I loved the social atmosphere and the track workouts.  I’m still good friends with several people that I met at Fleet Feet. I never took running nor myself too seriously, which drove some of my friends crazy, but I was really just out there having fun. I was able to run fairly well into my mid-50s and could win age group awards most races.  After age 55, things started to hurt, I slowed down significantly, and running really wasn’t that fun anymore, so I started doing tri’s and quickly became addicted to them also.

I had never done any core work, and found out that my body could not withstand the extra strain of tri’s and had major injuries in 2018 and 2019.  In 2019 I was ready to listen to my doctor when he told me if I did not make major changes, I would not be running at all in a few years.  I was still in rehab when I was introduced to Erin Carson and EC Fitness out of Boulder in July 2020.  I made an immediate connection with her Strength Through Movement program, and it has been an absolute game changer for me.  I now work on core, strength, and mobility as much as I do on my running, biking, and swimming. I’m now back to getting a runner’s high regularly, everything feels great, and I am running faster than I have in years.  The attached pic is from this year’s mini where I ran a 1:43.  I also recently ran a 22:02 5k. I can now see myself running for several more decades.

In addition to being an exercise addict, my other passion is woodworking.  Here is a table that I made for my son, Zachary.

Favorite Distance
My favorite distance is the half marathon, with the mini marathon being my favorite race.  I am still partial to the original course through Iroquois Park, but also loved the course this year.  You have to run all-out to have a good 5k, and the marathon distance is just too far for me.  In a half-marathon you get to run comfortably hard for 13.1 miles, and are done before your body is worn out.

Why do you like running River City Races Events?
I have competed in more River City Races than I can count.  I like them for several reasons.  I love the variety in distance, location, and dates.  I also love the size of them.  Small enough to still feel intimate, but large enough that there are several people in my age group.  Plus, they are a great place to see my friends, and the fast people always show up.  The chance to see Jen Alessandro’s smiling face alone is worth the race entry fee.

Do you have any running/walking advice you’d like to offer?
Just get out there, do it, have fun, don’t let anyone judge you, compete, and take advantage of the fantastic local running community.  I do have one suggestion.  This year I have a coach for the first time in my life.  It has been more fun that I could have ever imagined. I feel like I am at Fantasy Camp every week. No matter what your skill level, if you have never had a coach, treat yourself.  There are tons of awesome coaches out there.  Find one that you can connect to, and you won’t be sorry.

Runner Spotlight - Zack Beavan

I began running at age 8 in Louisville's Catholic Schools Athletic Association. I always played multiple sports growing up , but in 6th grade, my love for running was cemented at the Louisville Triple Crown of Running and the KDF MiniMarathon. I ran a 1:31 Half Marathon at age 11, which was the spark that made me realize I may have the tools to be successful in the sport. Under the guidance of Coach Medley, I progressed to a 9:13 2-miler and 4:19 miler by the time I graduated from St. X in Louisville.

Competing in college at UK, I always knew that the track 5k/10k and cross country 8k/10k were too short for my strengths in the sport. I never had the natural speed to be a truly good D1 5k/10k runner (14:33, 30:30), so even in college my head was already partly oriented toward the marathon and beyond. After finishing my eligibility at UK in 2016, I approached David Long, a 2:12 marathoner out of Louisville, about coaching me. When we first started working together, it was with the understanding that the ultimate goal was to run an OTQ in the marathon for the 2020 trials. His marathon philosophy is shaped by the 70's and 80's when he was racing legendary names of the sport like Bill Rogers and Rod Dixon, where "if you weren't running 100 miles a week, then you weren't running." Compared to college training, I backed off the intensity and upped the sheer number of miles I was running. This volume, strength-based philosophy was the training approach I was looking for and has worked really well for me.  On my 4th crack at the marathon distance I punched my ticket to the Trials by running 2:18:26 in Indianapolis. Running in the Olympic Trials last February was the culmination of years of work and was an experience I will absolutely never forget.

While pursuing the marathon the past few years, I’ve also dabbled in the ultra/trail world. I love the stark challenge of ultras, and it’s where I see myself spending  the vast majority of my remaining competitive running career. The past few years, I’ve won the Rough Trail 50k and Yamacraw 50k, broken a 30 year-old course record at the Strolling Jim 40 Miler, and set the course record at the Tunnel Hill 50 Miler, running 5:03:06 to become the 4th fastest American ever at the distance.

Favorite Distance:

My heart is set on racing longer distances, but I still think the marathon is the most beautiful race out there. There is something special  about going out and really racing a marathon. The combination of speed and strength required to run the event well is something that is unique to the race. To an extent, you can fake a good half marathon with enough speed and you can muddle through a 50-100 miler with enough lifetime strength. In the marathon, though, there’s nowhere to hide. You have to be fast and strong. You have to be on top of your game to run well.   

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

If I had any advice to give, it would be to do whatever you need to do to keep yourself excited and interested in the sport (especially now, when there are so few race opportunities). After I ran an OTQ in the marathon in the fall of 2018, I took the spring to focus on running “fast and short” after a couple of years of focusing on the marathon. Somehow I managed to run under 15 minutes in the 5k at the Anthem 5k (a barrier I never expected to break again) and PR in the 10k at the Rodes City Run. More recently, I took a day to run the Virtual Quarantine Backyard Ultra and had fun running 50 miles over 12 hours - experimenting with what foods my stomach handled well. It’s so much easier to get out and run if you’re enjoying the process, so do whatever you need to do to make it fun for yourself.

Why do you like running River City Races events?:

River City Races events were staples of my early running experience. I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without being exposed to the sport through River City Races events at a young age. The longstanding tradition of some of the races along with the always fantastic Louisville running community makes them great races to run.

Read more about Zack’s experiences here:  Tunnel Hill and Strolling Jim.