Name: Ryan Wasson Nickname: Ryano Age: 37 What’s your running story?
I grew up never liking to run. I was always near the end of the pack when we ran the mile, or did track and field in gym. This feeling carried through till when I was 33 years old. I was overweight, a smoker, and very inactive. I tried the gym and diets but never really had much success. I had reached an all time high weight of 305 lbs. My "spark" if you will was when my sister mentioned at a family gathering she was going to do a 5k, and use that to start her weight loss journey. I laughed and with a snarky tone I said if you signup for a 5k so will I. So I (reluctantly) signed up for the Tulip Time 5k in Holland (my hometown). I only had about 6 weeks to train and knowing nothing about the sport I grabbed my old gym shoes, some basketball shorts, t-shirt, and off I went. I made it about 3 blocks and had to stop. I think i did maybe a mile, but slowly I started trying to run a little longer and a little longer until I got to about 2.8 miles of run walking. When I got to the event, I was blown away! I loved the community of running from the moment I walked up to the expo. I struggled through the 5k and knew I had to do another! From there I set a goal to run a 30 minute 5k and achieved that at Arts and Dash 5k that year. I only dabbled in running until I started at Pigeon Hill. I had met a lot of the members of Run Muskegon, and Colin kept bugging me to come and run on a Wednesday night. I finally took him up on the offer and that's when running really started to become part of me. Soon I was training for a half marathon with Colin. I never thought I was a "real runner" until I started running with Run Muskegon. I am forever grateful for this group! I am now following my new love of trail running to see where it takes me. What is your favorite post race food/drink? Drink: Right after a long run/race it's a green Powerade Zero! Sara (my awesome wife/biggest cheerleader) knows that's the first thing to hand me at the finish line, lol. That being said, a PBR and a bloody with "the gang" is always my favorite. Food: A banana or a Larabar right after a long run, and the evening after a long run or race Chinese or Mexican food is always my weakness. What is your most embarrassing running story? I was training for my first half marathon and was on a solo 8 or 10 miler. new'ish to distance running I wasn't too accustomed with "runners tummy" or how to avoid it. I passed about 8 different bathrooms and felt great, then getting to the part of town with not many public places and a ton of houses it hit me! I had to walk (more like shuffle) about a half a mile to a park that had a rest room and as I was walking toward the men's room a city transportation driver dove out of his bus and ran in in front of me! I was literally dancing when he came out and thankfully I made it!... Although it was a photo finish for sure! Needless to say it was a solemn 2 miles back to the house. I was extremely cautious what I ate before a long run for the next year. What’s your favorite running distance? I love long runs with a group! Training for distance races is the best. If I have to pick a distance I would say 10-14 miles is my sweet spot. The memories are amazing and so is "eat anything you want day" which is a joke we have about post long run eating. What is your favorite city to run in? Muskegon has the best versatility I think with lots of great routes. I love running in a new city though because you don't really see a city until you run it. This fall running in Detroit was awesome! What is your best running memory? I have so many best memories involving my "Flock". I think this memory best sums up why I love these guys so much. I was new to winter running and did one of my first long runs around bear lake with the Saturday Morning gang. I fell behind and told everyone to go ahead as we were at mile 6. when I got to the 4 corners, Jenn V, Colin ,Shawn and the rest of the gang were there to wait for me so we could all finish together! I will never forget that feeling. Favorite places to run? The woods, put me on the trail and I'm a happy boy! Favorite Music to run to? I generally don't listen to music while running, That being said I love Nerdcore Hip hop to get ready to run! I also love jam bands. Best PR:
Did you run before joining Run Muskegon? A little, nothing more than a 5k. Why did you join Run Muskegon? Colin made me do it (LOL)! In all honesty, once I came and ran with the group I felt so welcome and it quickly became a family yo me! If you had to nominate a runner for us to feature next week, who should we talk to? Kim Plummer! I owe her a ton of thanks for all her help/advice with trails! I cant wait to hear her story! What would you say to anyone looking to run with Run Muskegon? Do it! We are an awesome crazy family, but we are just that FAMILY.
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Name: Melissa Blackmer Nickname: Mel & Mel-B (Not the Spice Girl) Age: 34
What’s your running story? I was never a runner, I actually really disliked running! It was torture as a kid when we would train for basketball and softball and would have to do running drills. In my early 20s I randomly ran a few 5ks, and hated every single minute of it. I remember one year, I signed up to run the Seaway 5k and didn't even start "training" until the week of the race. Needless to say, I did awful and the whole race, I was so mad at myself. Shortly after that I decided that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and get into shape so I slowly worked it into a routine and made small goals along the way. I didn’t love running until I did it for the right reasons. Accomplishment, mental health, physical health, stress relief and “me” time - as a mother you rarely get those moments! Running became my thing. I started to CRAVE a good run and the sense of accomplishment when you stick to your training schedule to a “T”. Eventually I moved on from 5ks and ran a few 10ks, half marathons, triathlons, a marathon, and a century ride on my road bike. I'm addicted to the endorphine rush you get during races and long training runs with friends!! Running and riding my bike also let's me eat and drink and not feel as guilty!! My favorite part of MY Running Story is all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way! I'm super thankful for my Run Muskegon friends! What is your favorite post race food/drink? Ice cold water and/or coffee. Super boring I know, but since we generally run pretty early on the weekends, I love to sit down and reax after a long run with a big cup of coffee. I recently discovered RumChata mini creamers and I'm obsessed :) What is your most embarrassing running story? I would have to say it is from this past summer. I started trail running with the Run Muskegon "Dirty Birds" - a group of them were training for North Country and I decided that I wanted to join in the fun with them and I fell in love with trail running. It's so challenging and such a great workout! The views of the beach from the dunes are amazing! This particular day Alana joined us and we were leading the pack heading towards Coast Guard Park on the trails. As I was trying to keep up with her, I tripped over a dang root and my ankle gave out. It was slow motion as I fell and rolled on the trail. I let out a huge scream with a few choice words and everyone stopped running to make sure I was alright. I instantly knew what I did and was crushed...mind you i'm almost 4 miles deep into the woods, so I was bound and determined to be able to run back. I stood up and knew it was over :( Mark was awesome and said he would walk with me the remaining 1/2 mile to Coast Guard Park as the pack ran ahead. On our way there, I kid you not a huge bug flew into my ear and bit me and as I'm flailing around screaming profanities it then landed on my arm and bit me again! Mark was just staring at me wondering what the heck is wrong with this girl! The whole hobble to the park all I could do was hold back my tears. I then had to sit on the bench at the park alone in the hot sun and wait for the group to run the 4 miles back to Hoffmaster and Ryan was so kind to drive and pick me up. Let's just say I haven't been trail running since! What’s your favorite running distance? 5 miles for sure! I hate the first 3 miles, it's so hard to warm up. 5-6 miles is my sweet spot! What is your favorite city to run in? Muskegon of course! I love that I live so close to Lake Michigan and the bike trail!! You can't beat the smell of beach breeze on a warm summer day on an early morning run! What is your best running memory? I've had such great running experiences over the years, but I have to say the best memory to-date would be finishing the Chicago Marathon. Training for it was so mentally and physically difficult. I had to live and breathe my running schedule that summer and fall and I felt like I missed out on a lot. Even if it meant planning a 17 mile long run by myself while on family vacation in an unfamiliar place. The race didn't go as planned, I coudln't find my training partner Jill and ran the whole race solo, I didn't fuel properly and I experienced some crazy foot pain that was hard to push through at the end, but when I crossed that finish line it was the most AMAZING feeling ever! I cried tears of joy! (and pain) So many emotions that day! I've never felt so strong in my life! I also had the pleasure of running with "Team Half-Rack & Hot Wings" at the 2016 Michigan Ragnar. What an amazing experience with such great friends! I can't wait to do it again this year! Favorite Places to Run? I would have to say early morning summer beach runs. You can't beat the views when running the lakeshore. Favorite Music to Run to? I love to listen to rap music when I'm running shorter distances it totally gets me pumped up, but when I run longer distances I love to listen to String Cheese Incident or any jam bands. Best PR:
Did you run before joining Run Muskegon? Yes, but it wasn't as much fun :) Why did you join Run Muskegon? I wanted to challenge myself and meet new people. Plus Shawn started running with the group and I love that lady! I was excited to run with her and also meet like-minded people who wanted to run as much as I did. If you had to nominate a runner for us to feature next week, who should we talk to? It would have to be Ryan - aka Ryno! He's the best and I'm so thankful to call him my friend. What would you say to anyone looking to run with Run Muskegon? Come check it out! If you're new to running, experienced, young or old. There is such a great mixture of runners and exprience. You can learn so much from everyone and make friends along the way. Plus we drink some great beer afterwards!! |
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