February 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, April 12 will be our second Fun Run of the Season. This will be held at The Grand Chute Community Center, 1850 Grand Chute Boulevard, Grand Chute at 6 p.m. Plenty to drink and eat. Beef and chicken will be provided so just bring a dish to pass. There will be a 5k and 10k route leaving and maps will be provided. Remember we always encourage all ages and abilities are welcome.

92 YEAR OLD BECOMES OLDEST MARATHON WOMAN FINISHER

Say hello to 92 year old Mathea Allansmith, a retired Ophthalmologist and resident of Kauai. She became the oldest woman to complete a marathon when she crossed the Honolulu Marathon finish line in December, with a time of 11:19:49. Born May 31, 1930, she surpassed the previous record holder Harriette Thompson by several months.

Asked what it takes for her to complete a marathon, Mathea replied “A marathon is a spiritual experience for me. I have to train my body for sure but it’s all about getting my mind to enjoy and soak up the experience while it’s happening.”

There is a special medal for runners who finish all six of the marathon majors (Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Berlin and Tokyo). It took her 12 years: she ran London first, in 1983; New York in 1987; Berlin in 1988; Boston in 1996 and Tokyo in 2010. Her Chicago goal was delayed twice earlier due to the pandemic.

Mathea is among the growing group of super agers, people living well into old age while maintaining physical and mental abilities. “I don’t ever think about my age. It’s not helpful. Age is never an excuse or a benefit. It’s not genetics I was gifted with either. Health is mostly a choice and it’s a joy to be in good health; that means diet and exercise and I’m all in for that,” says Mathea.

While Mathea was making headlines, the guy who finished right after her also made history by becoming the first person not to brag about running a marathon.

YMCA - WINTER CELEBRATION FREE WEEK

During the week of February 13 - 18, Fox Cities YMCA members can bring a friend FREE for their Winter Celebration Week. Y members and a friend will also get a FREE Synergy or Warrior class that week.

CANICROSS RUNNING

Did you know the fastest 5k time ever achieved was 12:24 by a British Canicross runner? That's a 4-minute per mile pace. So what is Canicross? Canicross is a run with both a dog and their owner/handler working together, similar to what you see with the Iditarod sled dogs.

The term Canicross is used for these special trail events, where the words canine and cross country are combined.

In Canicross running, both the dog and handler are fit with their own harness and then a bungee leash is tethered between them, allowing for hands free running with the dog just ahead of the runner. The bungee provides a better connection between animal and human, such that some gentle tugging occurs giving the human a bit of dog-generated propulsion.

There are some Canicross races in Wisconsin especially for runners and dogs that enjoy running together. There is a retail store in southern Wisconsin, The Kenosha Running Company, which hosts these Canicross events and specializes in the equipment used for them. Check them out and their race schedule, and note that people without dogs can also participate http://kenosharunningcompany.com. These are some fun winter events if you're looking for something else.

NEW PACESETTER BOARD MEMBERS

Much thanks out to Justin Powell who has taken on the important role of weekly Fox Cities Marathon Training Runs Coordinator starting this summer. THANKS JUSTIN!