Club Northwest Summer Newsletter 2024

Hello Team! Here’s the summer edition of the E-news series. In this newsletter, you’ll get to hear about the most recent attempt made at an odd world record at the All-Comer’s series. Additionally, you’ll get some inspiration as Cross Country draws near from another teammate describing one of his least expected XC championship victories. Enjoy!

Greetings Club Northwest Membership,

 Well, it wouldn’t be summer without the annual solstice run, All-Comer’s, weekend 5Ks and now the Yakima Mile to put on our rotation since CNW members made a trip to the podium for both men’s and women’s open and master’s events. It may be a scorcher, but PRs are falling this summer. Toward the end of the summer, we will have a large club showing at the Lake Union 10K as well as the Lake Sammamish Run Club Harvest Half on Labor Day weekend. We will also be having an XC kickoff gathering, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for details.

Speaking of XC, I am personally calling on all Club Northwest members to get involved with the season. There is room for everyone on the start line, and if you really don’t feel the need to experience the XC pain cave this fall, the volunteer experience is so great. We will be hosting Emerald City, Regionals and Nationals, so be sure to reach out to Andie Roff (andieroff@gmail.com) and Craig Kenworthy (ctkworthy@gmail.com) if you have time or resources to donate. We will also be hosting a party, so if you love to contribute to that experience, Claire Wendle (clairewendle@gmail.com) and Madeline Westerhoff (mwesterh94@gmail.com) would be thrilled to hear from you.

I also wanted to make our membership aware that the club has created and adopted an inclusion statement and code of conduct statement for every event and gathering of official club events. Our doors have always been open and inclusive of everyone regardless of background. We are a diverse group that comes together because of our love of running, our passion for testing our boundaries with the sport and breaking through mental barriers via running. This doesn’t even go for our members, but everyone that attends our events – the competitors, spectators, volunteers and coaches. We also hold this group to the same standards that we value. We expect everyone who attends our events to treat their fellow attendees with respect in the way we interact with one another. Our code of conduct reminds all attendees at our events that we will not tolerate aggressive behavior of any sort. Our events are spaces where our athletes have a place in which goals are met and can be celebrated by their biggest fans. In future events, you will see this posted on our website as well as at each event.

 Enjoy the rest of the summer, and we’ll see you on the XC course this fall!

 

In running,

Danielle Henty

Club Northwest President


Cracking the Croc Mile: How All-Comers Became the Venue of Choice for This Quirky World Record

If you’ve ever been to a Bill Roe All-Comers meet, perhaps you’ve seen it: Posted on a wall on the south side of the bleachers is a list of all the meet records set since this track & field series started in 1969. There’s the 800m record held by Olympic medalist Josh Kerr, and the discus record held by four-time Olympian Aretha Thurmond. 

And as of last year, one formidable feat can be added to this list: the Croc Mile World Record. Thus far, two challengers have attempted it at All-Comers, but only one has claimed the title. That honor currently belongs to Spencer Brown, whose popular YouTube channel, The Athlete Special, documents his training and his stunts, including trying to win 5Ks while dressed as a banana and a turkey.

So how did the Croc Mile become an unofficial All-Comers tradition? It all began in June 2023, when Brown, who formerly ran for Georgetown University and the Brooks Beasts, showed up to an All-Comers meet unannounced, toeing the line in bright green Crocs.

“I chose All-Comers because I have raced them in the past, and the race environment is always fun,” Brown says.

His goal that day was to be the first to run a mile in the iconic clogs in under 4:20. “I decided to go for the Croc Mile WR because I thought it would be a fun YouTube video to make,” Brown explains. “When I initially attempted it, I failed miserably.”

Six months earlier, he had attempted the world record alone on a track and fell short by 19 seconds. But this time, he had solid training, the energy from the stands, and the competition in the lanes beside him to spur him on.

Not only did Brown end up breaking the record, but he also beat it by a full two seconds, documenting the feat on his YouTube channel.

It was Brown’s video that served as inspiration for Kennan Schrag. Having just returned from CIM 2023, where he ran 2:27 on just a few weeks of training at 40 miles per week, he wanted a new challenge.

"I was like, 'Well, I don't really have any other serious goals, so I might as well give it a shot,’” Schrag recalls.

Schrag, who coaches cross country and track at Issaquah High School, doesn’t have Brown’s social media following, but he says his Croc Mile attempt was for the thrill. After having put in grueling 100-mile weeks on the Washington State University track team, he’s now enjoying being able to have fun with his running goals.

“This was the first thing that I've been like, 'I'm gonna do this for me,' in a long time,” Schrag says.

In May 2024, in preparation for his upcoming world record attempt, Schrag ran an 800 in Crocs, clocking 2:02. But then, a calf strain sidelined him for two weeks—just before his big race. 

“I had to stay mentally tough and just look at it as a taper,” he says. “But two weeks off doesn't do you any favors.”

On June 19, 2024, Schrag came to an All-Comers meet with a pair of Crocs and a dream: snagging the world record for the Croc Mile. Breaking this WR would also break his own lifetime PR. During his freshman year of college, he ran the 1600 at 4:17 multiple times, as well as a couple of 1500s in an equivalent time. "My coach was like, ‘Well, you're done at the mile distance,' so I moved up from there and never ran the mile or 1500 again."

Going into the race, he knew the times he’d have to hit at 800m and 1K and was within two seconds at both marks—but then he started fading.

“I did everything I knew I needed to do, mentally and physically, up to that point,” he says. “I don't feel like I ever gave up, but physically, my body just did not do what I wanted it to do.”

For those who have never run in Crocs, the loose fit and lack of responsiveness can be ruinous for racing. 

“They don't return anything,” Schrag explains. “They’re just like some loose rubber on your shoes. As soon as you start hurting, it just amplifies more than a carbon plate shoe would, where you're still getting some return.”

Brown agrees. “They are not responsive at all and offer no foot support.” That’s why he didn’t train in them leading up to his Croc Mile. “It is a big injury risk to train in them,” Brown says.

To be clear, Crocs are made of Croslite, a proprietary material that, while rubber-like, is not rubber. It’s a lightweight resin that, according to the Crocs website, “deliver[s] extraordinary comfort with each step." But Crocs are not made for running. The casual slip-ons first gained popularity as boating shoes thanks to their water resistance.

So, to say that racing a fast mile in Crocs is painful is an understatement.

“I saw 3:17 with a lap to go, and I was like, ‘Oh God, here we go,’” recalls Schrag. He would need to run a 61-second 400 to beat the record.

By the time he crossed the finish line at 4:29, his pale blue Crocs had shifted so much that the tops of his socks were now under his feet.

Despite missing the world record by 11 seconds, Schrag says he’s happy with his effort, adding, “as happy as you can be when you're trying to break a record.”

“No excuses. No regrets. Just fell short,” reflects Schrag, whose last All-Comers meet was when he was in high school. “This atmosphere is incredible,” he adds.

Will Schrag be back to challenge the record a second time? He isn’t ruling it out. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you right now, that’s for sure.”

As for Brown, he welcomes contenders. “Good luck to anyone that wants the Croc Mile Record,” he says. “I would love to see the record broken!”


-Written by Amy Rigby



How I Won The 2022 Colorado 5K Cross Country Championship Without Being There

It was 2022 and I was beginning to transition from short distance to long distance running, as my running club primarily does longer distance running. It was slow going, and my endurance was poor, but improving. So I signed up for the Colorado 5K USATF meet as my son Robert lives there, and I could both run and visit with him and his family. I stayed at a hotel in Boulder and contacted Robert. I was ready.

Unfortunately, I got Covid and had to cancel my hotel and dream of running my first ever cross country race. A week or so later at the weekly workout of Club Northwest, Dave Longmuir congratulated me on my win in Colorado. I told him I had to cancel due to illness. I forgot all about it.

Then, in early January of 2023, I was filling out a form for Club Northwest that required listing accomplishments over last few years. I sent it in to John Leo, our ever observant and helpful administrator for Club Northwest. John emailed me back and wanted to know why I had not listed the cross country run. I thought he was talking about the Dec 10th run in San Francisco which was actually my first cross country race in which I missed a turn and ran an extra distance. “No,” he replied, “I’m referring to the Colorado win that you had.” So, I informed him that I was ill and unable to run that race. But, John noted I was listed as the winner by USATF and had been referenced in a written piece by a famous Running Professor. Part of the write up follows:

“I did not know what to make of Richard Zerbe’s credentials. What I could find on Athlinks was that he has competed regularly in the race walk at distances up to 1500 Meters. This past summer, he clocked 11:37 for the 1500 Meter Race Walk. The track races I could find topped out at 400 Meters. But I should have looked more closely at the times to out that Zerbe is quite an athlete. And maybe I should have …etc.”

After this, John sent USATF the information and it is now being investigated. STAY TUNED

-Written by Richard Zerbe, PhD

-Edited by Steve Harris

Pride 2024

Hi everyone,

My name is Matthew Huerta. I’ve been a member of Club Northwest here in Seattle for five years now. And for those of you who don’t already know, I’m gay — and am so proud to be a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

During the month of June — which has come to be widely known as Pride Month — we celebrate our thriving and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community each year with parades, rainbows, festivals, and more. In Seattle and other cities around the world, the displaying of rainbow pride flags provides a beautiful visual reminder of the important of always promoting acceptance, inclusion, and celebration.

However, even with the goodness that Pride Month has come to represent, it is also very important to remember that the key themes that are most often promoted during the month of June — such as inclusivity, acceptance, diversity, and self-identity (amongst others) — can and should be promoted and lived by year-round. Furthermore, I would also argue that as runners who are members of Club Northwest — an athletics club whose mission is to support and develop athletes in pursuit of their goals, while also engaging the local running community — we are very well positioned to promote these values in our daily lives year-round. Here are three examples of how we members of Club Northwest can continue to promote key values emphasized during Pride Month on a year-round daily basis.

1. Embrace the Pain — Training and racing hard isn’t easy. Whether you’re toeing the line for a marathon, doing a shakeout, on the last rep of a long track workout, or trail running to the top of a beautiful mountain pass, the pain is always there. Will the weather cooperate? Am I fit enough to actually run the time I have been training to run? What will people think if I don’t hit my goals? Or alternatively spoken — I want to come out to my friends and family, but will they accept me? What will they think? Will they still love me for who I am? In both of these examples, pain manifests itself on fear of the unknown, and a desire for the most positive outcome. Yes, pain is scary, but also pain nothing more than a passing sensation — and important feedback as to how we as individuals respond to pushing new limits — whether we are finishing a well-run PR race, or coming out to friends and family. Pain is data that shows progress that YOU yourself have taken initiative to make, and that is absolutely something to embrace and celebrate!

2. Be Kind to Yourself — We all want that elusive “perfect” day, but so often, that is not the case. Your body suffers a major cramp at 20 miles into your first marathon, causing you to fall behind pace and finish slower than you had originally anticipated. Or coming out to your parents goes sideways when one parent shows zero empathy for a subject that’s such an important part of your identity. You yearn for what could have been, and obsess over how you could’ve gotten it right in the moment to get that goal time you so badly wanted down on paper. Or you yearn to be like those perfect people whose parents were immediately openly accepting of their LGBTQIA+ identity. But the fact is, these big and bold experiences — like one’s first marathon, or coming out to your immediate family — almost NEVER go accordingly to plan. But even as easy as it is to obsess over what didn’t go well, it is crucial to focus first and foremost on the pieces of the experience that actually went well. Focus on and cherish those good things — like statistically still running an absolutely killer first marathon time against the broader population, despite falling behind goal pace — or realizing you have one very supportive parent who will be there for you no matter what. Being kind to yourself means first and foremost embracing and celebrating the good parts of the experience, and doing so will make those rare perfect days be all the more perfect.

3. Celebrate and Support Your Teammates — Being able to successfully pull off the above two points means promoting a positive and inclusive team atmosphere for everyone, no matter their background. Whether an individual is the fastest person in the entire club, finishes DFL in a race, previously ran in high school and college, or just recently discovered their love for running, celebrate them for who they are and nothing else. The best part is, to do so is extremely simple. The act of positively supporting a teammate can be as simple as asking someone how their day is going, or as big as dropping everything from your schedule to be with them to make sure they are ok after falling ill after a hard fought race. But the important thing to recognize is that no matter how small or large these acts of celebration and support for your teammates are, they cumulatively add up. And when they add up, they can help to produce results, including but not limited to a good workout, a breakthrough race, or the courage needed for a successful coming out to extended family and friends. Every little bit counts!

Pride Month is all about embracing and celebrating everyone for who they are, yet it is also important to remember that the key themes can be promoted and applied all year long. I hope that this piece has illustrated how we as runners can better do that in our day-to-day lives within CNW, as we are very well positioned to do so. Happy Pride!

-MH

Club Northwest Spring Newsletter 2024

Hello, Team! Here’s the spring edition of the E-news series. In this newsletter, you’ll hear perspectives from a teammate who specializes in shorter distance track races and how she stays ready to compete into her late 30s. You’ll get some PT knowledge from a teammate who treats runners and is eager to share some of the stuff that keeps his patients running injury free long after completing PT. Additionally, we get to hear from a teammate who will fulfill his dream of representing his home country on the world stage this summer. Enjoy!

President’s letter: the state of Club northwest

Greetings Club Northwest,

 As I write this, we are in the thick of marathon season. Boston, London, Eugene, Flying Pig, and Vancouver are all either completed, in process, or on deck. Groups of teammates worked together all season to get through tough workouts, entertain each other on long runs, and laugh during laps around Green Lake. Indoor track season was also action-packed, and now we are off to Track & Field with members aiming for the Olympic Standard.

Starting May 29, we will be kicking off another season of All-Comers. If you’ve ever been interested in track and field, this is the meet series for you! Bring your friends, your kids, your family, and your training partners that may not be members of the club. It’s a party, and it’s so fun! I ran my first event last summer after purchasing a season pass for years. The New-Comer’s Mile was exactly the nudge I needed to summon the courage to give it a try, and now I’m hooked. Let this be your invitation to join the weekly running celebration. Brent Jarosek and Tammy Bowers – thank you for making this inclusive event possible.

Bill Roe All-Comer’s 2023

Each All-Comer’s meet takes a tremendous amount of volunteer time. Not only are volunteers needed at the events themselves, but also in the coordination and efforts needed to plan, recruit and train all volunteers is a massive undertaking – thank you Andie Roff for leading this effort! If you find yourself tight on time but would still like to contribute, please reach out to Andie. We have a number of areas that still need volunteers and can be completed in small blocks of time that don’t require hours each morning or Wednesday evening throughout the summer.

Thanks to Craig Kenworthy and team, the Club Cross Country Nationals Committee is in full swing! If you are interested in assisting the team in any part of the planning or coordination, please reach out to Andie Roff right away! A few things to look forward to are a fast and fun course and a fantastic Pacific Northwest after party on the waterfront in Tacoma just in time for the holiday lights boat parade! This is a special event as it’s a qualifying event for worlds. All eyes will be on us, and we can’t wait to provide a world-class running event to the United States running community.

 Looking back over the winter season, we elected new members to the board! Welcome and thank you for stepping up Amber McCulloch, Doug Wallack, Jamie Morgenstern, Nick Stenger, Erin Wagner, Claire Wendle and Pete Hansen. We can’t do this without you, and are very thankful that you’ve offered your skills and point of view to the governance of the club. I also want to emphasize that as a member, this is your club. Your voice counts and opinion matters. If you have anything you’d like to bring to the board, a change you’d like to see, or an enhancement to an event or process you think is necessary, please let us know and let’s work together.

 I also invite you all to join us at our social events coming up in the near future – the Sunday Field Trip as well as the Solstice Run. Look out for invitations soon! If you have an event you’d like to bring to the club, don’t hesitate to contact the board and make a proposal!

The latest information on planned events (and unplanned, for that matter) can be found on our adopted communication platform, Slack. Please join in and follow along! Here you can find all members if you need to connect, want to put together a run, or are looking for a running partner for your upcoming workout. If you have a race planned, be sure to add your event to the club calendar . Here you can find training partners as well as coordinate travel, hotels, shakeout runs and pre/post-race meals and celebrations. We are all part of this team for a common passion of the sport of running, but we stay for the community – and the Club Northwest community is indescribably incredible.

 Thank you for your involvement, your support and your care that you bring to the club.

 Here’s to the next 50 years.

 Go Orange,

 Danielle Henty

Club Northwest President

“Master”-ing Speed

by Caroline Koplowitz

The allure of the marathon is undeniable. For the past 18 years after the end of my collegiate swimming career, I have competed in 100+ races from the mile to marathon (9 marathons, to be precise). As a swimmer, I competed in distance events. So first tackling long running distances seemed logical. In my 20’s and early 30’s, social/fitness media hype had me believing that mastering the marathon was a more worthy pursuit than mastering shorter distances. I have diligently tried to adhere to the social norms of achieving the next notch on my marathon belt: completing the distance, BQ, Boston, another marathon major, etc. In hindsight, I was completing marathons because that’s what non-pro runners do, right? Only pro females under the age of 35 are allowed to focus on something 5K or shorter, right? 

Mile City 2024

I recall reading an Op-Ed by Lauren Fleshman in Runner’s World in 2014 ‘10 Reasons the 5K is Freaking Awesome’ but it wasn’t until the Summer of 2020, at age 35 and a year after having my second child, that I really took it to heart. Training for a marathon (can be) all consuming, and then there’s the post-marathon blues. Six months of work and recovery for a single race? I needed a new challenge emphasizing quality over quantity. In the summer of 2020, I completed my #roadmiletimetrial and sought to better my mile time from middle school. After 4 weeks of once weekly mile-focused workouts, I improved from 6:25 to 5:54. The following spring and summer, I started self coaching myself to include more race specific work for mile-5k, including track workouts with 200, 300 & 400 reps, and improved my time to 5:30. The seed for working on speed was firmly planted! It was rewarding to push my body in new ways. I found that focusing on short and faster efforts was also complimented by heavier lifting in the gym. The attention on power and athleticism in my lifts translated well to power on the track. My age-graded mile performance has now far exceeded my age-graded marathon performance suggesting I’d made a good transition in race distance.

In the spring of 2022, I had my sights set on a half marathon PR to qualify for the New York City Marathon, but decided to alternate weeks of half marathon specific workouts with the Club Northwest Winter Grand Prix 2 mile races. I won’t claim to be an expert, but the internet experts state there is science to support claims that incorporating speedwork helps (most) runners improve at a variety of distances as well as running form and efficiency. I attribute my PR in the Lake Sammamish half to the addition of speedwork into training. I was lucky to find a group of Club NW folks doing mile-focused workouts in Spring 2022 and set a 5K PR on the track at All-Comers and another mile PR at the Yakima Mile. Having a group, even if target paces don’t align perfectly, to work with made a difference in the training AND in normalizing the validity of a non-marathon focused goal. 

Full disclosure: I still easily succumb to the marathon siren song as the default. I ran (and walked) the hottest NYC marathon in 2022 and trained for most of 2023 Chicago cycle. I enjoyed parts of each build, but there was a persistent voice wondering if trying to prove I could run a sub 3hr marathon was my own goal or someone else’s. Sometimes it’s easier to listen to other voices over our own. Is the sub 3 hr marathon before I turn 40 the scary goal? Or is 17:30 in a 5k or a 5 min mile actually the scary goal, leading me to revert to marathon goal mode when the shorter and faster race goals seem too audacious? It is helpful to check in with myself on whether I’m in a phase of life where I want to do training I know I can handle, or a phase of life when I need a different goal to bring fun back into training. 

Tackling a new goal and shorter distance can be scary! So let me walk you through a few tips, especially for those who are approaching or have entered the masters category:

Lana, Melissa, and Caroline at Mile City 2024

  1. Strides are your friend! A great way to introduce your hammies to speed and to work on form. I challenge you to find me a person who has regretted doing strides at the end of an aerobic run.

  2. What if I am slow? What if you’re not? You won’t know until you try. Also: check out USATF Masters Age-grading calculators. I would need to take 6+ min off my half marathon and a whopping 45 minutes off my marathon PR in order to match my mile road race age-graded performance. You might surprise yourself too. 

  3. What if I botch the race? No worries! Recovery time is much shorter than a marathon and so you can try again soon!

  4. Recovery and fuel. This is important for all runners, but especially at these shorter distances, experimenting with slowing down more than usual for recovery runs, especially for those of us born before the internet, and incorporating sufficient protein to aid the recovery from higher intensity work becomes even more so in my experience. I have seen most success in speed workouts when I am sufficiently recovered between workouts and feel at peace with quality over quantity. 

  5. Aren’t short races for young people? Racing people significantly younger than you is a win-win-win-win (everybody wins!) If they beat you: oh well, they’re so much younger! If you beat them: instant confidence boost for at least a month. You can learn from their race tactics, and they can learn from you in not going out too fast. One of the great benefits of training with Club Northwest is the age range of athletes - take advantage of it! There is also much to be said for the benefits of intergenerational friendships, so find some running buddies outside your own age group! 

  6. Ask teammates about their goals and their training. Be genuinely curious and excited for all race lengths and types. Attend, cheer, volunteer or offer to help others with a workout. Share your goals with others. You never know who else secretly wants to ditch marathon training too! (Don’t tell Mark and Tom I said that). 

So, if I’ve convinced you to jump into some shorter race distances, hop into some of the action at the All-Comers meets on Wednesday evenings this summer!

Written by Caroline Koplowitz

Edited by Steve Harris

Athlete spotlight: denzel Usman

This year, Club Northwest’s very own Denzel Usman was selected to compete in the Indonesian National Championships. Denzel moved to the states when he was a teenager, and has been training as part of the team for several years. Below, he shares with us some of his thoughts as he prepares for this prestigious event.

“I started running in 2019 to keep myself fit for soccer, also to continue the family legacy of running (my uncle and my dad are both 6 star marathon finishers). I did half marathons and 10k’s back then, until all races came to a grinding halt due to Covid. I took the sport very seriously after the pandemic hit, and I started doing time trials to keep myself busy, as well as being coached by Michael Crouch, a D2 cross country hall of famer. 

The main thing I love about running is how meditating it can be. The sound of my foot repetitively hitting the ground always keeps my mind sound, and helps me escape from the hustle and bustle of life. The sense of accomplishment that rushes into my veins after a good race or workout is something that I always crave too. Knowing that I have the talent, knowledge, and determination to go very far, I think that I’m not just running for myself, but also to one day represent my country of 270 Million people internationally.

I have always dreamed of representing my country on the world stage, and this is a step in the right direction. Being selected to represent my home province of North Sumatra in my hometown's Indonesian National Olympic Week in September 2024 will be a privilege for which I will always be grateful.

The process of being selected came when I received a call from the chairman of the Indonesian Athletics Federation of my province, David, early last year. David said he had vouched for me in a meeting with coaches and federation members. He chose me because of my young age (I am 18 now) and my high potential to improve with the environment and support system I have in the United States; he decided to give me the spot to compete. I will be the youngest male distance runner in the contingent, and I am ambitious to do well in the 5K, the distance I was selected to compete in.

I would like to thank everybody in the club for helping me earn the call-up to compete at the Indonesian National Olympic Week in 2024. The endless miles, cheering, support, and practice sessions you have brought me through have meant a lot.”

-Denzel Usman

PT Corner: Strength and stability for runners

by Steve Harris

This is written from the perspective of a PT treating athletes in many sports, with a primary focus in running related injury. The thoughts shared here should not be taken as medical advice. Should pain or dysfunction limit your ability to run or perform any other activity of daily life, I recommend consulting with a movement specialist who can assist you in determining the specifics of your injury and guide you along an appropriate plan of care to address those specific issues. 

The goal of this PT Corner is twofold. Firstly, to convey the necessity of strength and stability training as part of a running training program. An understanding of physiology can demystify the monotony of the necessary work by illuminating the “why” behind the investment in time and energy. Secondly, to provide key exercises that I have found beneficial in keeping runners healthy as they return from injury. 

Building a good regimen that is feasible and functional for the task of running can seem a bit daunting. Especially with the unending amount of literature, e-magazines, and businesses looking to grab our attention (and dollars) with each revolution in fitness. 

The first thing to consider is the “why” behind the need for strength/stability training for running. Put simply, running is physically demanding. The ground reaction force of each step taken during a run is 50% greater than that in walking, and runners take an additional 50 steps per minute when running. So 90 steps per leg, per minute, producing ground reaction force 150% of what the body encounters when walking, rebounding from the pavement each time to be absorbed up the leg, into the core, ensuring a proper energy return for propulsion, free of weak points and inefficiencies. That is a LOT of force and a lot of events happening in a fraction of second. 

Let’s revisit that part about weak points and inefficiencies. Every human body has a few, but would likely have even fewer if a proper stability regimen were adhered to. Let’s say, for example, we have a particular gluteus medius muscle (stabilizer in the buttock) that should have been trained during the season, but wasn’t. Now the owner of this gluteus medius is racing for a PR over a 13 mile course, but that gluteus medius can’t match that ground reaction force, leading to rotation and shearing through multiple joints of the body. Lo and behold, with a few miles remaining, their back is hurting. Or the ankle is sore. Maybe a few of the usual problem spots are barking at them which, left unaddressed as they accumulate more mileage, likely will lead to injury.

All this to say: strength/stability work is a NECESSARY part of training to compete in running. It must be a part of the training if one wants to run well and minimize injury risk. The body simply cannot perform the volume of single plane movement (running) for miles and miles, week after week, without developing some inefficiencies and gaps that can be easily filled if movements and training were incorporated to remind these muscles to stay in the game. 

The key to good strength/stability practice is to ensure that the exercises chosen focus on multi-muscle movement patterns specific to running. That is to say, the goal of these exercises should be to train stability and strength in PATTERNS specific to running, not individual muscle groups worked in isolation. 

In clinical practice, pain and dysfunction are often attributed to a weakness of muscles. A more comprehensive view of this “weakness” acknowledges the deficit in the ability of the muscle to fire at the right time in the running movement. The goal of any running program should be training the muscles to fire and stabilize while we execute running specific movements, with a particular emphasis on muscles of the trunk (core) and hips. It is about our brain being able to stabilize the whole PATTERN of the muscles and their proper timing, and less about the raw force the individual muscle can produce. Motor control and coordination are just as important as the strength of the muscles. 

Take this example: the clamshell exercise. It is not a bad exercise. Especially if you want to strengthen the muscles on the outside of the hip. It will get the job done. BUT, when running, are the hip rotators ever used in isolation? No. They sequence in the gait pattern when necessary to counteract forces as the foot contacts the ground that would drive the femur toward midline were it not for a robust and properly timed contraction that occurs to counteract this force moment.  

Additionally, consider that running is 100% weight bearing. All strength/stability work should include some degree of weight bearing. A side plank clamshell. A clamshell movement in standing. Are they 100% specific to running? Not entirely. But it is strides closer to the demands runners’ legs need to meet during running than a clamshell performed lying on our side without any weight placed through the lower extremity.  

One could stick to their comfort zone and use the standard clamshell. It’s familiar, and that’s understandable. But, on race day, when their body is performing at its maximal capacity, the ground reaction forces are high, and the knees and ankles really need that outer hip to fire HARD so that the whole leg can attenuate that force to propel the body forward faster with each step. And that’s where the trouble arises. This athlete’s hip rotators weren’t trained in weight bearing. The context of how to fire is wrong. That hip knows how to fire really well provided that there’s no weight being accepted by the leg. Because that’s how it was trained when they opted for the non-weight bearing clamshell. 

Some general parameters. At a minimum, 2 days of stability work per week. In heavier parts of the training cycle, such as when approaching a peak race, reduction to once a week is appropriate. Any non-competition season should include 3-4 days of stability work per week. Somewhere in the realm of 15-20 minutes each session is an appropriate volume. This will require some common sense to ensure that the demands of the stability training do not create muscle soreness then later impacting running performance in training. 

Below are included some helpful exercises I’ve used both in the treatment of running injury and maintenance of strength and motor patterning. I’ve included with each exercise a brief description, tips for proper performance, and recommendations for reps/sets/frequency. This can be accessed by hovering on each picture.

-Written by Steve Harris

-Edited by Lana Lacey

A special thank you to Zeth Peterka for contributing his incredible photography.

Club Northwest Winter Newsletter 2024

Hello, Team! This is the Winter 2024 edition of our restarted quarterly E-News series.

President’s Letter: The State of Club Northwest

Greetings and Happy New Year, Club Northwest -

Thank you for another year supporting Club Northwest Running. I know this club means so much to all of you, and I'm happy to say that 2023 was another year of success. There are so many people that I have to personally thank - who have put hours of their time into the club, including our coaches, our board, the executive members, Andie Roff who coordinates our volunteers, the duos known as Claire/Madeline (Wendle and Westerhoff) and Brent/Tammy (Jarosek and Bowers), Mitch Rees-Jones, Tyler Van Dooren, Erin Wagner, Zeth Peterka, Deborah Fletcher, Gail Hall, Willie Richardson, Steve H and H (Harris and Heaps), Ben Iten who keeps me organized, Nick Welch, Craig Kenworthy... all of you make this club a better place. There are also several volunteers that took on heavy lifts for All-Comers and our XC meets, whose work and efforts make it operate properly and efficiently. They are the reason we all have fun, my friends. 

I think the best way to describe Club Northwest in 2023 is to share with you a conversation I had with another runner on the flight to the Chicago Marathon this past October. He asked me, "What's Club Northwest about anyway?" My long-winded response was, "I'm sure you've heard of the Resolution Run, the 5K around Magnuson Park where people jump in the water on New Year's Day? Well, we do that and it's one of the races that survived the pandemic and came back even stronger. We also put on the All-Comer's track meet on Wednesday's throughout the summer - and that also has been growing because it's a meet for the people - all ages, all abilities, it doesn't matter. If you want to run around an oval, it's for you, you should come. We have great coaches that have been growing our youth program, trasnporting them all over for XC, and then we have our coaches that come with us to events like Boston, Eugene, CIM, they will be here in Chicago and they will be at the Olympic Trials supporting our elite athletes as well. We see them every week on Tuesday/Wednesday and Saturday. They also put on events like a spring marathon tune-up 10 miler and a marathon relay before Boston and Eugene. The Tuesday group is for everyone - you should go! (he actually went, by the way, and plans to attend when he's back from globetrotting). We also have XC teams for every age group, and take teams to Club Nationals each year. It's the biggest team event we have, and it really brings us together as a club. We train throughout the year, compete, and travel together. It's pretty special. And it's all volunteer-driven. That's what's most special about our club. We submitted a bid to host XC Nationals here in the Seattle area next year... Yeah, we have a lot of fast people who have accomplished incredible times in this sport and who sacrifice a lot to show up on the start line, but not all of us are The Flash fast. What we all have in common is that we are committed to making this club amazing by pitching in to put on awesome events, field trips, member celebrations like the Solstice Run and our holiday party, but most of all it's that we are all dedicated to showing up for ourselves and each other to be the best athletes we can be in this sport. And we do what we can to support the running community as a whole. You should join."

And that's us in a nutshell. Like any family, group, organization, or team, we aren't perfect, but we all show up to do our best. We try our hardest, and we do everything we can today to make sure we are better tomorrow. That's what this club has stood for, and that's what we bring into our communities, our workplaces, and our families. 

Moving forward into 2024, I'm already looking forward to our marathon program. I'm pumped for All-Comers and our shiny new timing system. I'm crazy excited for XC because as you may have heard, our club will be hosting Club Nationals in 2024 at Chamber's Bay just south of Tacoma! If you haven't been involved with the club for some time, but have thought about coming around again, consider this your year. More to come on that, but we will be putting a lot of energy into this event as well as into our training and team building programs leading up to this event.

Additionally, we want to know what you are doing! Be sure to join our new members only slack (all members should automatically have an invite), and add your training/racing plans into the Club Northwest Athlete Schedule so we can train and race together. It's the best source of support you can get as an athlete. 

And finally, save the date for our Annual Meeting to be held on March 9. Look out for the invitation to arrive in your inbox soon, and start to think about who you would like to nominate for the President's Award.

I can't say this enough - thank you. Thank you for being a member, for showing up for yourself and each other in training and for bringing your talents to the club to make it the best running club on the West Coast and beyond. This is a special club because it's built by and made up of very special and dedicated people. I'm so thankful for you all, and look forward to big things in 2024. 

My best and run happy,

Danielle Henty

Club Northwest President

2023 club XC wrapped

The leaves have fallen and the ground has grown frosty in the mornings signaling the shift from fall to winter, and heralding the end of another successful year of Club Northwest XC.

Bill Roe Classic Invitational

The season kicked off in mid September in Bellingham with the Bill Roe Classic. On the women’s team, the Club finished 7th overall. The team was led by Lana Lacey, Melissa Phung-Rojas, and Alison Maxwell running tightly as a pack with a mere 17 second spread between the three teammates. A similar story unfolded on the men’s team with Bobby Baraldi, Tyler Van Dooren, and Will Thompson leading the team to a 5th place overall finish, crossing within 18 seconds of each other.

Women’s open and masters race, PNTF 2023

Early October brought the 23rd annual running of the historic Emerald City Open Invitational hosted by Club Northwest. As anyone there can attest to, it was a tour de force of orange jerseys and good vibes on a sunny, crisp fall day. It was a full field with the attendance of Lake Sammamish Run Club, Seattle Run Club, and a number of collegiate teams as well. The women’s team solidified a 4th place finish, with Lyndsey Eisenbach leading the team and finishing third overall. Meghan Lyle and Deborah Fletcher were the other team top finishers in 14th and 18th place finishes respectively. The men’s team rallied from their previous meet to secure a 1st place team finish. Leading the charge were Mac Franks and Colin Monaghan finishing 2nd and 3rd overall respectively. Not far behind was teammate Will Thompson with a 7th place finish.

The championship season kicked off with PNTF at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. The day would end with a clean sweep across both Master’s and both open teams from CNW winning the team championship outright. Well done, Club!

In the men’s Master’s division, Adam Schroeder won the race outright, followed closely by David Simmons in 3rd and Emmet Hogan in 4th. In the women’s Master’s division, Megan Heuer, Meghan Lyle, and and Laura Breyman led the charge in 5th, 10th, and 15th place finishes respectively.

Open Men’s Race, PNTF 2023

In the open division, the men’s team made a clean sweep of the top 6 finishes for the day, led by Mac Franks, Colin Monaghan, Bobby Baraldi, Tyler Van Dooren, Ben Li, and Brian Comer. In the women’s open race, four of the top 5 finishers were Club Northwest athletes, led by Erin Wagner, Alison Maxwell, Lana Lacey, and Melissa Phung-Rojas.

Mitch being Mitch. In his reliably endearing way.

The team continued to excel using the steam built from PNTF at the Regional Championship in Portland. The women came away as a team with a 2nd place finish. The top three performers included Erin, Lana, and Alison yet again finishing in a spectacular 2nd, 4th, and 5th place overall. On the men’s side, CNW finished 1st as a team, with Tom Anderson breaking the finishing tape. Mac and Bobby continued their dominance seen at PNTF as well, finishing with a 2nd and 4th place finish. It was another excellent team performance in a championship event.

Erin Wagner, Club Nationals

With the completion of Regionals, the final preparations began for Club Nationals. Thousands of miles had been run. Numerous hours of core work, yoga, and reassembling schedules to keep pace with the demands of training culminated on December 9th at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL.

On the women’s team, nine Master’s athletes and six open athletes competed for CNW. On the men’s team, sixteen Master’s athletes and seven open athletes made the trek to Florida.

Lana Lacey leading CNW women’s open team, Club Nationals

On the women’s side, Lana Lacey, Alison Maxwell, and Melissa Phung-Rojas executed gritty racing strategies achieving consistent progression in finishing place from the start to the finish line. They were followed by teammates Erin Wagner, Sarah Paquet, and Ashden Personeus who gave Club Nationals their best as well. As a team, CNW Women came away with a 13th place finish of the twenty assembled teams.

Open mens division, Club Nationals

In the men’s race, Mac Franks led the charge. In a blistering 15:55 for the first five kilometers of the 10k, he would go on to finish the race in 35th overall, followed closely by teammate Bobby Baraldi (55th). Next to the finish line was teammate Ben Li (76th), followed by Mitch Rees-Jones(93rd). Finishing in a pack were the final three teammates including Tyler Van Dooren (118th), Logan Singer (119th), and Brian Comer (129th). The Men’s team finished 12th as a team of the twenty-five competing.

In the Master’s races, twenty-five Club Northwest athletes competed. Nine represented in the women’s race, and sixteen men competed between the 10k and 8k distances.

Sophia Liu and Meghan Lyle leading the Master’s Women team.

In the men’s 8k, Club Northwest was represented by David White-Espin (19th), Leslie Sharpe (77th), David Longmuir (87th), Dennis Foster (110th), and Ray Leone (105th)

In the women’s 6k, the assembled team included Meghan Lyle (24th), Sophia Liu (31st), Deborah Fletcher (59th), Holly McIlvaine (63rd), Judith Puzon (70th), Jennifer Saam (82nd), Michelle Neal (85th), Gail Hall (91st), and Kay Pinkstaff (117th).

Club Northwest Men’s Master’s Teammates

Club Northwest masters athletes in the men’s 10k included Adam Schroeder, who finished 8th in the race. He was followed by teammates David Simmons (29th), Emmet Hogan (48th), Jordan Anderson (50th), Paul Mannino (70th), Jason Hect (72nd), Mark Bloudek (73th), Blair Cossey (77th), Sean Messiter (152d), Brian Houck (172nd), and Craig MacLean.

Luke Contreras, 15th place National Junior Olympics

A little to the east in Louisville, the Club Northwest Youth Team arrived to the Junior Olympics championship in a show of force from teammate Luke Contreras who finished 15th in the nation for boys aged 11-12. Luke completed the 3 kilometer course in 10 minutes and 20 seconds. Well done!

And so ends another season. Well done, Club Northwest! Now to look forward to hosting XC Nationals here next fall. Thank you to all our athletes for their participation and performances. Thank you to all teammates and volunteers without whom, we couldn’t put on races. Thank you to all our sponsors for their continued support. And thank you to all families, friends, and community members that continue to support us as we strive to make Club Northwest the best running club it can possibly be.

-Written by Steve Harris

-photo credits: Zeth Peterka, Matt Huerta, Aimee Nogoy

The self titled “Silverbacks”: Men’s 70’s Master’s Teammates at Club Nationals

January Blog: motivation and goal setting

Their ebullient voices carried through the coffee shop, lifting those in its wake with energy and positivity. Faces flushed, water bottles emptied, and gear slightly sweaty even in the December morning chill, these 6 friends had just completed a Saturday morning run. Embodying the most powerful motivator, social connection, they could have easily turned their 6 miles into 12 should they have desired.

Motivation can be described in many ways. It is the “why” informing human behavior, spurring us to action, propelling a course forward, and allowing us to maintain the trajectory. It moves us from intent to actualization. It brings form to actions needed to help us reach our goals. Comprised of a complicated set of biological, emotional, social and cognitive factors that initiate behavior, it is not only the process of activation, but endurance through barriers of which will undeniably arise. For many goals, it is a combination of both intrinsic factors (autonomy, mastery and purpose) and extrinsic factors (compensation and reward) that compel action.

As the New Year takes hold, fresh goals emerge, but along with them, the sparkle of the holidays – and the endorphins that accompany – fade. Celebrations come with sleep deprivation, changes to usual habits (perhaps, a skosh – or quad-shot – more of caffeine), and illness, lethargy, and malaise settle in where luster had been. It is beyond a doubt that runners are incredible architects of motivation, resilient in the most harsh of setbacks, but even so, a little tailwind is always welcome. When the chasm between intent and action in reaching our goals seems insurmountable, what are some ways to bridge the gap?

Tips for setting goals

The start of any effective running season requires that we set out with an intended outcome. We need a goal. So what are the tenets of good goal setting?

Although originally applied to business or academic achievement, the principles hold true for running too.

Confirm Commitment: what is your goal?

Bring Clarity: what is the roadmap to progress toward your goal? What are the steps in progressing from where you are presently to achieving the stated goal?

Engage Challenge: what inspires achievement but does not feel out of reach? What is a realistic, yet sufficiently challenging goal to strive for?

Gauge Complexity: does the roadmap match skill? Is this realistic and possible?

Reflective Feedback: how are you progressing toward the goal?

**I would add, Optimistic Flexibility: how do you overcome obstacles, as they are sure to arise? What can I do to plan for the unexpected so I can get back on track?

Tips for maintaining alignment with goals

Firstly, remember to phone a friend. “My first piece of advice is to find friends to do fun runs with,” says CNW Masters competitor, Danielle Henty. Having a support system – be it a one-on-one fitness buddy, a group, or romantic partner – ensures the greatest success in consistency. And not just in “showing up,” as the data shows that gentle competition can super-charge a work-out, and encouragement can carry you through when losing momentum.

Secondly, find ways to lower the barrier to entry. Align your day-to-day tasks with your goals:

-This may include scheduling exercise (take a look at your weekly calendar and slot time for training).

-Sleep wearing your work-out gear (we have all heard it before, and it works!) or lay it out the night before.

-If affected by the winter weather, consider a light box to energize your mornings.  

-Level load stress to approach each work-out with maximal (may or may not dovetail with optimal) energy (prioritize restorative and reparative sleep, avoid alcohol, focus on hydration, check cortisol with deep breathing exercises several times a day).

Leverage dopamine. Otherwise known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter it is central to the “reward center” of the brain and operative not only in mood regulation, movement, focus and attention, but also, motivation. The “Premack Principle” illustrates the power of this relationship and suggests that by coupling a something you “should do” with a something you “want to do” the behavior becomes more approachable. For example, pair the listening of that new Beyoncé album you’ve been waiting for with a treadmill work-out. Additionally, you could pair this week’s most recent installment of your favorite podcast with the time needed to complete your long run.  

So turn that rainy and bone-chilling Seattle wintery morning into an enticement: gossip, laugh, jam, daydream, groove, and dance those miles away. Even as your T-shirt may be a little rumpled from overnight slumber. Beyoncé couldn’t care less.  

-Written by Milah Frownfelter

-Edited by Steve Harris

Bill Roe All-Comers 2023: A Finale for the Ages

So ends another season of the Bill Roe All Comers summer track and field series! This 54th edition was far and away the largest year in All Comers history - we recorded 9,331 total race results by 4,512 participants in twelve weeks, and broke 1,000 entries in a single night for the first time ever! Thank you to all who participated, and a special thank you to our tireless volunteers - 112 individuals who contributed an estimated 2,500 hours of work to make All Comers 2023 happen. 🍊 

In addition to the traditional track and field events, a series of specialty events were hosted as well this year including PR attempt races, the Beat the Coach Mile, and the ever popular Blue Jeans Mile. The image of a baker’s dozen athletes barreling down the home straight in denim for the honor of accepting the golden GOAT trophy is one not easily forgotten. Nor is the fact that Aimee Nogoy and Alex Vuyisich casually dropped winning times of 5:44 and 4:39 respectively in a pair of JEANS. A job well done. 👏  

In the final meet of the 2023 All Comers series, Club Northwest may have outdone itself in its quest for quirky track fun. Last Wednesday featured three special events. And as far as special track events go, these were three to see firsthand.

The Mysterious Relay

It began with the Mystery Baton Relay. The instructions are pretty straightforward. It’s a standard 4 x 100 meter race. However, the usual baton was replaced with random items. What kind of random items? The official batons provided included at least one seemingly feasible option: an intact Pringle. The other unfortunate seven teams were relegated to carrying everything from loose sand to a cast iron skillet complete with a spatula to a fully constructed backpacking tent that Club Northwest’s own Sheridan Grant impressively managed to wield overhead with a grace none thought possible. Other items not previously listed include a 22-inch zucchini weighing eight pounds, pasta and pasta sauce (yes, this constituted a single baton), a 5-gallon bucket of water, and a pair of Nordic skis.

Upon seeing the hilarity of the assortment, and to ensure enough “batons” were available to span all teams across all heats, an array of unofficial batons was used including a pole vault pole, a broom, a javelin, a live selfie stick, and a small child. Well done to all our Mystery Baton relayers and the small child who very enthusiastically performed his role as baton. 

Carbonation carnage

The excitement did not end there! As beer miles continue to gain popularity, the lack of liquor license did not dampen this spirit (pun intended). In place of the usual malt beverages was substituted the lightly flavored, yet fully non-alcoholic La Croix, whose excess of bubbliness would prove a novel athletic challenge for athletes and absurdly entertaining belch source for the spectators to hear. 

The rules are simple: one 12 ounce La Croix must be consumed before starting each lap of the one-mile race. One 12-ounce, carbonation laden La Croix every 400 meters. Off went the gun, pop went the cans, and so began the 48-ounce journey. Six minutes and 48 seconds later, four hundred and eight seconds characterized by belchy strides, a dozen assorted flavors, a handful of vomits, and at least one expletive laden decision to pull out of the race for the sake of their stomach’s well-being, Aaron Ly would cross the finish with hands held high as the winner of the event. Well done, Aaron. 👏 

A scorching, lactic finale

The final event of the evening was the Elimination 2 Mile, wherein each lap, 1/8th of the field (per gender) was eliminated, leaving just two heavily-lactic runners left to duke it out on the final lap. From the beginning, it was a hair-raising kick to the line in the last 50-100m, the intensity growing each lap until the penultimate lap with a scorching final sprint worthy of an Olympic 800m final, leaving just two men and two women to wearily muster up one more lap. Times were not collected for this race, but in the end, Club Northwest’s Mitch Rees-Jones and Seattle University’s Lili Hargreaves came out on top.

Just like that, we are once again at the end of another summer series. Thank you again to all who volunteered at All Comers. We can’t do it without your help. Thank you to the organizers of this event and those who tirelessly planned and orchestrated to ensure the success that it was. Thank you and congratulations to all the athletes who competed this year, and we hope to see you in 2024! 

Written by Steve Harris and Mitch Rees-Jones

Photo credits: Zeth Peterka

Pride 2023 and Calls to Action

Pride Month has historically been a time to celebrate victories in queer rights, and while celebration is important, in the current legislative landscape featuring a litany of attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, joy and celebration aren’t enough. Particularly with regard to allies, it feels more vitally important than ever that Pride include collective action in support of the queer community at the local level and beyond. The community, especially trans people in particular, have been targeted with violence and legislation that limits their rights, freedom, and safety in sport and in life.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, since the start of the year 2023, over 540 legislative bills have been introduced to state legislatures, a record for any single calendar year. Of these bills, over 220 specifically target transgender and non-binary people, also a record for any single calendar year. Additionally, in this year alone, a record 70 anti-LGBTQ laws have been put into effect. These laws include:

  • 15 laws banning access to gender affirming care for transgender youth

  • 7 laws that permit or outright require the misgendering of transgender youth in school

  • 2 laws targeting drag performances

  • 3 laws that create license to discriminate

  • 2 laws permitting censorship in school curriculum and books available to students

Faced with this information, how can we get involved? The short answer: any way that we can. Many believe that the most impactful way is to get involved locally. Here are a few actions that we recommend:

You can find your representatives in the state of WA here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Additionally, attempts to bar trans girls and women from athletic participation are frequently portrayed as efforts to “protect women’s sports.” Underlying this characterization is an attempt to hide the discriminatory intent and impact of such legislation. There currently exists a proposed update to Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, to include protection based on gender identity. Cisgender women and men advocating for the inclusion of trans girls and women in women’s sports will be necessary, particularly as these discriminatory practices are specifically marketed as intended to protect cisgender athletic performances, though it is not openly stated as such by proponents of these bills.

It can be easy to view the current wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation as somebody else’s problem, but it should not be forgotten that the laws detailed above are not something in the periphery. They affect your teammates. They limit their ability to participate and compete in a sport we collectively gather weekly to train for as a team. They limit many of your teammates’ ability to exist and live freely as they are.

“Club Northwest members are competitive runners and race walkers—of all ages, abilities, races, and sizes—who are passionate about improving their times, improving their age-group place, and/or training to reach a specific athletic or personal goal. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all athletes and representing the wonderful diversity of the running community while doing our part to dismantle barriers to the sport of running.” Club Northwest Website: “About Club Northwest”

-Written by Rachel Leftwich and Steve Harris

Mental Health Awareness Month

Trigger warning: Before continuing any further, it needs to be stated that this post will include references to depression, anxiety, mental illness, and suicidal thoughts/ideation. These topics may be triggering to some readers. 

In recent years, mental health has become an expansive discussion, and the resources available regarding the subject have increased significantly. It’s encouraging to see the importance of it in society being recognized. At the same time, I fear that in the world we live where social media abounds, highlight reels and catchphrases have been substituted for action. Additionally, the very concept of mental health has become so multifaceted that it now encompasses common wisdom in daily habits from getting a quality night’s sleep to consuming a healthy diet. This is not to say that any of this shouldn’t be a part of the discussion, and they’re excellent practices for anyone looking to improve their overall wellbeing and mental health. However, I do have concern that it distracts from the difficult conversation of mental illness, the conditions that often get referenced only when a tragedy occurs and still carries with it much stigma. 

I want to share my own experience with mental illness. It’s a topic that’s personal to me, and I hope through sharing, we might be able to reduce stigma and offer validation to those who experience similar struggles.  

It started in the middle of 2017. I had just moved to Boston to pursue my dream of training with a historic track club as I started my professional career in healthcare. I never expected that this simple act of moving across the country would ignite a pattern of neural chaos that I would be beholden to for over a year. 

It was perplexing. I’d been a military kid, moving every other year until my late teens, and subsequently every few months as I completed my schooling with a series of internships. The experience should have been familiar to me, but something this time was different. 

The best I can convey is that it unleashed an unrelenting thought spiral of fear, further strengthened by a harsh inner critic that continually berated me for being less than perfect, unable to help myself, and clearly crazy for this continual doom loop I couldn’t break free of. I’ve been told this cluster of thought patterns is called anxiety and depression, possibly PTSD. The lived experience of it can only be called hell. 

It became a dirty little secret. I had an inkling that something wasn’t right. Unfortunately, I had not been supplied the benefit of an emotionally safe home life as a kid, and, when coupled with a family system that fostered covert forms of abuse, hiding unpleasantries was second nature to me. It seemed practical even, given the standards of what was considered “normal” in the environment I’d grown up in. Never let them see. Never let them know. You’re the same old you, regardless of what you feel inside, because if you’re not him, you’re not enough, and “not enough” is shameful.  

It took a drastic toll on my physical health. I couldn’t tolerate training the way I used to. My body injured easily, and I was unceasingly tired, yet still giving everything I had to maintain the facade that I was the same racehorse I’d always been. Regardless, the mileage dwindled, unbroken sleep grew rare, and race performances fell flat. This only strengthened the voice chanting ever louder that I wasn’t enough. I can recall numerous nights where the anxiety grew so bad, I’d have to end my run after a mere 3 minutes to calm my constricted chest and try in vain to slow the whirring thoughts.

This continued for fifteen months with brief bouts of feeling marginally better, only to descend further into the rabbit hole. Fear was replaced by panic. Depression gave rise to despair. All the while the extent of my pain I never revealed in full to anyone. 

There came a day in August of 2018 when I awoke, and even by the standards of the previous months, something was very wrong. It pains me to write this, but that morning it dawned on me that I was experiencing empathy, if not a little jealousy, towards cases of suicide I was familiar with including Robin Williams and Chester Bennington. It hit me like a brick that on this day I could understand why they did what they did. I didn’t want to die, I just wanted to not have to think or feel anymore. 

I was a mess at work. My boss could tell, and she did what she could to figure out what was wrong. I couldn’t quite convey what was happening, though I had the wherewithal to send an email to a Therapist I had been intermittently seeing. He promptly sprang into action and urged me to see my PCP. Fortunately, I arrived a few minutes before closing and was greeted by a friendly nurse who had just hung up the phone with my Therapist a moment prior. 

She asked all the right questions. I answered them honestly and was shocked to hear some of the responses I gave. Though it was certainly a tough place to be, the efforts of a few people who recognized the signs led me to the first step in what would be several years of healing and growth to find my way back to a life I love. I cannot thank them enough.

Here is where it commonly gets written off as a fairy tale ending. Someone got the help they needed. All is well. Now they’re back to normal, and it’s great. If only it were that easy. 

“Getting help” for mental illness is not an overnight process. You don’t go to a hospital, start to feel better, and then call it good because now you love life again. It’s slow and arduous. It’s as much or as little time as it takes to get yourself into a safe frame of mind before you can begin to address all the experiences that brought you to where you are.

It often entails medication that, while altering your brain chemistry and affecting your overall disposition, comes with side effects that leave you feeling less like you, including weight gain, general numbing, and loss of emotions. Don’t get me wrong, it can be necessary. It makes it no less of an uphill climb on already tired legs, only to find a mountain awaits you at the top. 

“Getting help” entails learning new paradigms of what it means to engage with the world, relate to others, and love yourself. Attempting to love yourself feels foreign and weak, until the moment you first succeed, followed by grief that this most basic need of acceptance and safety was never a part of your lived experience until now. Healing often involves letting go of people who’ve long been a part of your life, and then coping with the gnawing love you feel for them that conflicts with the unrelenting anger for things they did, didn’t, and continue to do. It involves letting go of versions of yourself that you built an entire life and purpose on to make room for one that is more fundamentally “you”, often as you’re not sure who you even are.

It takes sheer determination with a sage patience to confront the well-worn patterns of thinking that, while they may be the source of your misery, also may be the only path your mind has ever known. There’s comfort in ease. There’s resistance to change. You’ll have to get comfortable with vulnerability, as you revisit memories you’d rather forget and open yourself to letting the tears happen no matter how shameful you feel for having them. It’s awkward. It’s uncomfortable. It goes deep into the thick of uncleared cognitive paths, skirting the ones you’ve run for decades which, despite their danger, are at least familiar. It’s long, far longer than what is portrayed in television, and it’s usually an ongoing endeavor, although it does get easier as the layers are examined and the foundation is built. 

My foundation started with running. As I began to grasp the extent of the challenges that lay ahead, I was adrift. I anchored myself to the good memories of what brings me the most joy in this life, and that’s running. These memories supplied the proof that a version of my life exists where I can run with joy, something to latch onto when my brain would revert to its old patterns on the harder days. I held those memories dearly like a talisman that could brighten the toughest of days on the road to recovery. I would reminisce on throwing down in Eugene with Ari, running stride for stride from start to finish with him. I remembered plodding along forest trails with Rivs, with his beardy wisdom softly reminding me that running is just that, and speed is rather subjective and meaningful only to the extent you allow it to be. 

There were certainly days where despair found me again. Days that I thought I’d never love to run again. Days I thought I was wasting my time pursuing a sport that should have been dead to me years ago. Maybe it was time to retire from it all.

What ensued was a new beginning in a sport I’d only ever considered as a means to measure one's self worth. From this beginning, novel opportunities began to arise. They took me up and down mountains for hours at a time as my brain endlessly chomped at rearranging the old patterns into new ones. It took me from Boston to Seattle where I believed, and time confirmed, my community and chosen family would be. It gave me the opportunity to step away from the fragility of my need to always be the best, and explore roles supporting other members of the sport that gave me back my life. To put it simply, it gave me a pretty freaking amazing life, and a profound appreciation every time I lace up and can feel the joy course through me, no longer absent and muted.

I’m one of the lucky and privileged ones that had access to the care I needed, and specific features to my illness where recovery was a possibility. Unfortunately, in many cases, full recovery is not a certain outcome, and barriers to access remain steep. All the more reason these conversations need to be had, and our Club needs to be ready to offer support where it can when we are faced with someone needing our help.

The fact is that current statistics are staggering. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 people in the United States will experience a mental health condition each year. 1 in 20 will experience severe mental illness. 1 in 10 will experience a severe depressive episode. The key here is to recognize that as a club, we are not exempt from these statistics. 1 in 5. Of 564 registered members of Club Northwest, statistically 112 of our athletes will experience mental health conditions this year.

If you’re suffering in silence, please tell somebody. Tell a teammate. Tell a friend. Tell a coach. There’s no shame in needing help, and you shouldn’t have to go through it alone. 

If you’re suffering in silence, please consider finding the necessary care. There is help available and there are great Therapists in Seattle who care deeply for their patients. You can find contact information for some of these providers below. Additionally, medication isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s often a necessity that can greatly improve quality of life and the ability to enjoy it. 

To those who are approached by another regarding need or concern about their mental illness, please hear them. Listen. Validate. Recognize that there can still be shame in having to ask for help. The nature of mental illness is sometimes rooted in shame and/or a sense of worthlessness. The juncture where someone asks for help and they are truly heard by another is critical. I cannot overstate this. 

Additionally, not every individual in need of help will openly ask, or possess the presence of mind to convey their needs. I highly recommend, should you find yourself feeling concern regarding what someone might be indirectly hinting at, ask the direct questions. “Do you have thoughts of hurting yourself? Are you considering ending your life?” If the answer is yes, find out if they have a specific plan to do so. If that answer is yes, it is now a medical emergency, and EMS should be contacted (specific numbers below). In my own experiences working in healthcare, it has surprised me the number of times I ask directly when I have even the faintest inkling that something is wrong, and their answer is yes. It can be uncomfortable to ask these questions, no doubt about that. It’s far more uncomfortable to wonder later if you should have.

Furthermore, when someone is experiencing mental illness, especially when in a mental health crisis, activities of daily living become significantly harder to perform. Memory can decline as well. With that in mind, when someone does ask for help, consider that they may need physical support in getting the help they need such as making the necessary phone calls, getting a ride to a clinic, or ensuring they safely make it back to their home.

These struggles are common, much more than we’re led to believe. The nature of mental illness can create the overwhelming sense of being alone. You’re not alone. It can feel like you’re not enough. You’re enough, my friend.  

-Written by Steve Harris

If you are in a mental health crisis, and/or experiencing thoughts of hurting yourself or committing suicide, listed below are several crisis lines. For those not actively in crisis, it can be helpful to save these to your phone should the need ever arise.  

If you or a loved one are seeking care and aren’t sure where to turn, listed below are several Psychiatry and Therapy groups in the Seattle area. Also remember that the conversation can be started with a Primary Care Physician who can direct you to resources as well. 

Contacts for when experiencing mental health crisis

  • Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988

  • King County Crisis Line: 866 427-4747

  • Local Crisis Line: 206 461-3222

  • Emergency Medical Services: 911


Therapy & Psychiatry Providers

Lifestance Health 

253 579-0134

Numerous locations throughout the greater Seattle area

They offer Psychiatry as well as several forms of therapy

*note: they accept numerous different insurance plans

https://lifestance.com/






Northwest Psychiatry and TMS

206 933-0699

1511 3rd Avenue, Ste 415

Seattle, WA 

nwptms.com






Brett Yamane, MD, PLCC

206 755-8899

1817 Queen Anne Ave N, Suite 406

Seattle, WA 98109

Offers Psychiatry and talk therapy

*accepts Regence Blue Shield and Premera Blue Cross insurance plans

http://brettyamanemd.com/






Dayspring Behavioral Health

425 295-7697

195 NE Gilman Blvd #100

Issaquah, WA 98027

https://dayspringbehavioralhealth.com/







Club Northwest Does Boston 2023

The World’s Oldest Marathon

Boston Marathon Survivor Memorial

There’s no shortage of words to describe the world’s oldest marathon. Iconic. Pinnacle. Energy. Resilience. The common person’s Olympics. For 127 years, the race has stood as a symbol of perseverance and dreams made real.

The events of 2013, horrible and tragic to say the least, further galvanized the running community into its commitment to the event and the spirit of the Boston Marathon. Resilience took on a new form. Des Linden put it best in her now famous advice to “keep showing up.”

Fenway Park

True to tradition, the athletes approached the line in Hopkinton on the third Monday of April. Nearly 30,000 runners, 14 of them clad in the neon orange jerseys of CNW, left Hopkinton for the 26.2 mile journey to the city they left mere hours ago. The Club runners included Malia Cali, Turner Wiley, Susan Ashlock, Summer Wu, Nitin Bhardwaj, Mollie O’Leary, Matt Weissenger, Rachel Morris, Josie Gray, Erin Wagner, Bridget Keaton, Adam Schroeder, and Danielle Henty. Mark Bloudek was there on his bike, supporting the Club's runners throughout the race.

Marathon Weekend

From the upper left corner of the country, 14 of Club Northwest’s athletes made the journey to participate in the world’s most historic footrace. For many, it would be their first. For others, it was another chance to pursue their goals. 

The buildup to the event was palpable. Boston was abuzz with marathon festivities, an influx of athletes and their families, and much excitement as the annual tradition arrived yet again, complete with the world’s fastest marathoner joining in the journey. There was much to be excited about.

Little remained before the big day. A shakeout run as a team on Sunday (shout out to Mark Bloudek for organizing), some more sleep, and all the preparation was completed.

Marathon Monday Arrives

Patriot’s Day dawned cool and wet in New England. The Pacific Northwest climate seemed to have followed our athletes to Massachusetts. Early Monday morning, scores of runners made the usual trip to the Boston Common, loaded onto the buses, and made the deceptively long ride to Hopkinton.

The bus ride and pre-race wait in the Athlete’s Village afforded new connections with runners from across the world. Susan would become acquainted with an ultrarunner from Tennessee who had completed a 300 mile endurance race sometime previously. Additionally, she’d meet some runners from her hometown while in the Village. Summer would get to know a man who had completed a marathon eight days prior, another a month prior to that, and this was to be his last in completing all the Marathon Majors. Additionally, he was planning to do another in Antarctica in the coming months.

The Village was damp, and maintaining dry feet became a priority. Then came the waiting, the walk to the start line, the national anthem, and the final warm up. During this time, Turner would warm up alongside Eliud Kipchoge and the other deep field of professionals assembled. Finally, the start. With that, 14 of our own took off into the rain and wind on the journey from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston.

The Race

Turner Wiley: 7th American finisher

Turner kicked it into high gear early, coming through the first 5k in 14 minutes and 40 seconds, a mere 21 seconds behind the man who would go on to win the race, Evans Chebet. Turner would go on to finish in eighteenth place in a time of 2:13:58 as the day's 7th top American performance. 

Fan Zhou was next finishing just after the 2:30 mark.

Shortly after the 2:40 mark, a pack of the men’s team arrived, led by Matt Weissenger, followed closelyby teammate Adam Schroeder, who had aided teammate Erin in pacing the first half of her race, Richard Waters in a new personal best, and Steve Purugganan.

Leading the charge on the womens’ team were Erin and Bridget. Bridget ran a steady pace through much of the day and finished mere seconds past the 2:58 mark.

Josie Gray 3:06:05, first Boston Marathon

Erin had set a blistering clip early with Adam’s pacing assistance, coming through the halfway mark in 1:21. She and Bridget would finish nearly together.

Shortly after the three hour mark, three more CNW runners would finish in a pack. Malia and Josie both approached the day with the goal of enjoying the experience in light of their injuries, and both managed to exceed their anticipated capabilities. Nitin would successfully complete his second Boston in a time nearly surpassing his personal best. It should be noted here that prior to this, Nitin had trained consistently for 12 years to qualify for his first Boston Marathon which he ran last year. All three finished right around the 3:06 mark.

Malia Cali 3:05:57, first Boston Marathon

Rachel finished shortly after 3:10. After a solid training build, she encountered a side stitch in the first mile that persisted through to the end of the race. Undaunted, she executed her race plan, finished in a new personal best, and even got a few laughs along the way as a giant chicken-costumed runner offered her gels on the Newton Hills. 

Next was Elizabeth Earle in a new personal best of 3:10.

Shortly thereafter, Danielle Henty, despite months battling a foot injury, managed a new personal best in a time of 3:13. Through some ingenuity on the part of Danielle’s coach (Erin Wagner), she had managed to maintain fitness with some creative means that involved much less running than usual with investment in other avenues of training. Additionally, as anyone who knows her well enough can attest to, she has an unending positivity that would carry her past the doubt. “That morning, I woke up and my heart told me that anything at all is possible.”

Shortly thereafter, Chris Maske finished as well in 3:14.

Danielle Henty 3:13:19

Mollie finished shortly after the 3:20 mark. Ten minutes later, Summer Wu would finish her second Boston Marathon after battling a knee injury for weeks. She entered the day looking to have a good time and to enjoy the experience. “I really enjoyed it more than the first time.”

The final CNW finisher for the day was Susan Ashlock. In the same fashion as three of her other teammates, she managed to complete the race despite a foot injury. Moreover, it was her first Boston Marathon in a town that had been her home as a child. “When I was a kid, Boston was THE marathon.”

Congrats to all of our Boston Marathon finishers. We’re beyond proud of your achievement and your commitment to demonstrating what it means to be Boston Strong.

Summer Wu, second Boston Marathon

Malia at the finish

Josie’s obligatory lobster rolls.

Fenway Park (pronounced pahk)

Club Northwest Boston Marathon Results

Turner Wiley: 2:13:58

Fan Zhou: 2:30:22

Matt Weissinger: 2:41:42

Richard Waters: 2:44:24

Steve Purugannan: 2:45:20

Adam Schroeder: 2:46:39

Bridget Keaton: 2:58:07

Erin Wagner: 2:58:20

Nitin Bhardwaj: 3:05:51

Malia Cali: 3:05:57

Josie Gray: 3:06:05

Elizabeth Earle: 3:10:03

Rachel Morris: 3:10:28

Danielle Henty: 3:13:19

Chris Maske: 3:14:39

Mollie O’Leary: 3:20:49

Summer Wu: 3:30:14

Susan Ashlock: 3:37:42

Many thanks to Coach Mark Bloudek for supporting the athletes in Boston along the course and in their final preparations. 

Boston in their own words

“Growing up in Boston, it was THE marathon. I didn’t know there were any other ones.” -Susan Ashlock

“Boston is one of the best race experiences ever.” -Nitin Bhardwaj

“It’s a course that requires running up and downhill. Downhill in particular. You have to prepare for undulating hills and a steady downhill at the beginning.” -Mark Bloudek

“If you have the chance to do it, I think you should. The energy is a unique part. From the runner’s around you. From the crowd. From the finish. It’s something I’d never experienced before.” -Malia Cali

“There’s so much energy, culture, and history. It’s not just the runner. It’s Boston. It’s the spectators. It’s the energy.” -Josie Gray

“The Boston Marathon is more than a feeling. It's the pinnacle event for a huge percentage of runners worldwide, and it's also a massive party for the greater Boston area. There aren't many cities that would let 35,000+ runners take over their roads on a Monday, but Boston does so with open arms. Getting to the start line is a gift, and being able to pin a Boston bib to my Club Northwest singlet is an honor that brought me so much gratitude that morning.” -Danielle Henty

“To me, the Boston Marathon symbolizes resilience and the attitude of "keep showing up" (to borrow from Des Linden). Whether it's the resilience to qualify for a BQ in the first place, for the Boston Marathon running community to persevere after the 2013 bombings, or to race through all the curveballs that the course and weather conditions can throw at you.” -Rachel Morris

“I have a lot of reverence for the Boston Marathon. It actually took me five years of running before I could run a qualifying time. For the longest time, it was the big goal. I think it’s the same for a lot of runners. I really appreciate how the town transforms and so many people wear their jackets from prior years. It’s a real celebration of running.” -Adam Schroeder

“One of the ones (memories) that stands out is getting to warm up and race with Eliud. Another really amazing thing was the level of crowd support. Boston was, by far, the most electric marathon I have ever seen or been a part of. The amount of support from the fans was absolutely amazing.” -Turner Wiley 

“It’s everything I’ve been striving for in distance running. The pinnacle.” -Summer Wu

-By Steve Harris

Recovery and Injury Prevention for Cross Country

It is the time of year when the air grows crisper, the smoke begins to clear, leaves turn neon, and the pumpkin spice aroma wafts from cafés, which can only mean one thing: the Cross Country season has returned. Soon will follow weeks of numerous miles, beautiful scenery for long runs, team activities, and racing on the weekends.

As we enter this fun, yet taxing time, I thought I’d share some thoughts on a topic near and dear to my heart: running injuries and prevention. I am sure the mere mention of it got a few hearts racing (mine included). As training volume and stress increase, the risk of injury does as well. Though it need not be an inevitable outcome, and there are plenty of simple safeguards we can practice that reduce the risk. While being truly “injury proof” in running is an unrealistic goal, training smarter is one we can achieve.

Easy days easy

The goal of the recovery run is to allow our body to reset and recover without applying too much demand that would overload our bodies. This is where athletes often end up injured: too intense a recovery too frequently, negating the intended effect of that day’s run, resulting in injured tissue. 

For some additional perspective on the matter, one need only to look at the practices of the professionals in their own recovery. Numerous athletes boasting marathon performances under 2:10 routinely log recovery sessions slower than 8:00 pace, and not uncommonly as slow as 9:00 among several of these athletes. Our own Mike Sayenko, capable of 2:13 in the marathon, recovers at an 8 minute pace on his recovery days.

Sleep enough, and well

An additional aspect of the recovery process is sleep. It is during deep sleep that our body undergoes restorative processes rebuilding cells and tissues stressed during training. Additionally, it is during this time that our body replenishes its energy stores to allow us to have it for the day’s tasks, including our upcoming training. 

There are many things that impede both our ability to fall asleep and sleep quality. These include ingested substances, primarily alcohol and caffeine, exposure to screens near to bedtime, and poor sleep hygiene. 

With this in mind, consider limiting caffeine intake later in the day. The effects of caffeine impact the ability to fall asleep. Alcohol is best enjoyed in moderation, if at all. Curiously, while alcohol induces the feeling of sleepiness and can result in an easier ability to fall asleep, studies on alcohol and sleep quality have concluded that the quality of the sleep is significantly reduced, especially at higher alcohol volumes. Some studies have demonstrated a 9% reduction in sleep quality with low alcohol intake before bed (1 drink for men, less than 1 drink for women). This increased to 24% for moderate intake (2 drinks for men, 1 for women) and 39% for high intakes (more than 2 drinks for men, more than 1 drink for women).

Blue light from our screens has the effect of impairing our natural sleep/wake rhythms, making it harder to become sleepy and fall asleep. Fortunately, there are numerous applications available that reduce blue light from screens. Iphones now come with a “night shift” setting which allows the owner to manually turn on a setting for reduced blue light emitted. Computer applications like f.lux and redshift do the same and are free to download. Consider setting your screens to reduce blue light exposure as the evening and night hours approach.

Sleep hygiene refers to practices as we approach the end of the waking day that promote regular sleep routines and quality, uninterrupted sleep. The previously mentioned aspects of alcohol usage and screen usage in proximity to sleep both negatively affect sleep hygiene. Additionally, erratic sleep schedules and environments that result in awakening during the sleep cycle further reduce this. Simple steps such as placing electronics to not awaken us during the night, sleeping with earplugs should we have some noisier neighbors, and keeping to a fairly consistent fall asleep/awakening schedule will improve upon our sleep hygiene.

Eat enough, and well

Nutrition is another key ingredient in recovery. Ensuring that we are consuming enough fuel and of good quality ensures necessary fuel to burn, protein to rebuild, and nutrients to keep all functions of the body running smoothly.As the winter months approach, Vitamin D becomes an area of increased risk as sunlight availability reduces. Supplementation in this area may be necessary.

Minimize and manage stress

Lastly, the aspects of mental function and recovery as a key part of injury prevention should be mentioned. More recent inquiry into the effect of stress on the physical body demonstrates that emotional and psychological stressors both result in physical stress on the body, leading to more rapid tissue breakdown and impaired ability to recover from the demands of training. This aspect overlaps significantly with all of the other factors listed above as less alcohol usage, good quality sleep, physical activity, and a healthy diet are known to reduce our stress levels and improve brain function. 

When things go wrong, ask a professional

What if we do find ourselves with pain? What’s the difference between generic pain and something we should recover from more thoroughly? A good rule of thumb is that pain lasting ten days without resolution or pain that affects the quality and quantity of our runs warrants some more targeted treatment to recover from. In this scenario, consulting with the proper provider which may include Massage Therapists, Physiatrists, and Physical Therapists is a good step. If emotional/psychological stress becomes a barrier to recovery, consultation with a Therapist or Psychiatrist should be considered.

While not all encompassing, I hope this offers some helpful insight or reminders as we continue in the Cross Country season. Good luck to everyone in training and competition. Go Club Northwest!


By Steve Harris


A Youthful Perspective: Part 1

A Youthful Perspective: Part 1

Members of Club Northwest’s Youth Team have looked to running during the pandemic as a means of staying active, engaged, and grounded. This most recent addition to the blog features the voices of CNW’s youngest athletes. Thank you, Coach Deb Fletcher, for supporting their running goals and encouraging them to share their experiences.

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