Jennifer Shaffer Reports in from Wisconsin!
Here is this week’s Safari Email
The Bicentennial Trail Map is right here!
We needed a scapegoat to explain why this week’s edition of Paw Prints, Hoof Tracks and Tales is so late, so we’ll blame it on vacations across the continental United States and power outages across greater Kalamazoo. This blog is being updated on generator power as certain far west territories and tabloid editors are still in the dark.This note from Jennifer Shaffer came in last week from Wisconsin: “I miss you all. I ran my first race today in Wisconsin. It was a small 5 miler. I finished in 31:12...I also met some runners from Sheboygan who have a small running group...they said I could join...so that is good!!!” Jennifer is planning on paying us a visit for the September 15 Kalamazoo to Battle Creek Run!
No need to run a marathon to find an excuse to travel. Alicia Curry and Kristi Buckham are planning on a visit to the West Coast to run the San Francisco Half Marathon! Nicky Lycan traveled to Maine to run 2000 meters and leap over a few obstacles. Nicky finished 2nd in the 2000 meter USAT&F Steeplechase Age Group National Championships and was ranked number one in this event in her age group in the country last year. If you need proof, the evidence can be found at http://www.mastersrankings.com/ under previous year's results. We also discovered another Safari Marathoner was listed in the Indoor Age Group National Rankings for the same year, ironically in the sprints, tossing conventional fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fiber theory out the window. Did you know Trivia? In USAT&F Track and Field you are considered a "Masters Runner" at age 30!
It appears as though Nicky was not the only herd member caught flocking to Eastern Atlantic territories for some vacation rest and relaxation these days. Myra Willis, one of our half marathon celebrities, migrated to Falmouth, Massachusetts and ran in the famous CIGNA Falmouth 7 miler along with her husband……and about 10,000 other runners!!! She confesses to getting lost in the crowd during her adventure, but described it as an amazing experience. Elizabeth (E) Wright is also back from New England's quaint Nantucket, where she resided on a Yacht for the duration of her stay. Joel Shaffer wants to know if it had sails.
Team Leader Cristi Dedoes is morphing into a mega racer after winning her age group at the Mattawan Wildcat 5k last Friday evening, and then rising bright and early for her Saturday morning long run. Andrea Burke and Track Coach Joe Hulsebus both won their age divisions, and Sheila Clothier had a strong showing in her stacked age group. Congratulations to all of our Safari Wildcat finishers!
Could it be possible that ATM's are now dispensing band-aids? It was reported that one very friendly bank doubled as an infirmary for one of our Safari runners at last Saturday’s run. We think her name was Colleen. As it turns out, her training partner and half marathon rising star Julie Lehman also happens to be responsible for overseeing the Southwest Michigan retail branches of this financial institution and was able to secure a band aid through her network of connections. We are happy to report that thanks to the efforts of her training partner, Colleen safely finished the run.
