Sandy resident Allie Erickson living her marathon dream

By Justin Anderson

A year ago tomorrow, Allie Erickson of Sandy, Utah, lined up at the starting line of the Ogden Marathon with one goal in mind – qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Erickson knew this would be no easy task, and would require her to run with an average pace of about eight minutes per mile, or a time of 3:35.

That year she had broken her wrist, requiring her to undergo multiple surgeries, and she had a bright orange cast on her arm. Erickson wrote her bib number on the cast and began her race. As she crossed the finish line her time read 3:22:1 – she had done it. She would be running in Boston.

Running has been a part of the Erickson’s lives for a long time. This year, the family is rallying around 22-year-old Allie, as she will be running in her first-ever Boston Marathon.

This year’s marathon will likely be the most followed event since the race began 118 years ago, after a bombing attack last year that left three people dead and many more injured.

For Allie Erickson, the ability to race in the Boston Marathon is something she’s been looking forward to for a long time.

“It has been my dream for years to run the Boston marathon,” she said. “It's almost like the ultimate dream for the amateur competitive runner. Last year just seemed like the right year to qualify. I had gotten faster over the years and knew I could do it.”

 “I think every marathon runner wants to run Boston. It is the pinnacle,” said Elaine Erickson, Allie’s mother. “We are anticipating a terrific atmosphere, especially this year with the large number of runners and the extra attention due to the events of last year.”

Allie followed the race closely last year.

“I remember turning on the news and the horrific feeling I got when I saw what was happening,” Allie said. “I was training to qualify for this year's Boston, so I had been following the race that day and was excited about the winners.

“I was imagining what it would be like if I could make it there the next year. So turning on the news and seeing the great day I had been envisioning turning into a nightmare for all those runners and spectators hit pretty close to home,” she said.

Last year Boston hosted 23,342 runners, although the attacks caused 5,742 to be unable to finish the race. This year, those who couldn’t finish the race last year are being welcomed back to compete in the race again. This will be the largest Boston Marathon ever to take place, with 35,660 runners expected to participate.

“I look up to her as a runner,” said Olivia Erickson, Allie’s younger sister. “When I was little, it was really fun to go and watch her races when she was in high school and on the track and cross country teams.

Allie’s two younger sisters hope to some day follow in her footsteps

“I would like to run Boston one day,” said 19-year-old Jenna Erickson. “I think it would be a great experience; hopefully with Allie’s help I will be able to qualify someday.”

“My family and I are all very excited for Allie to run Boston,” Olivia said. “I would like to run it someday too. It is a very big thing for a runner to make it to Boston; not every marathoner can do it.”

Allie’s mom explained the qualities she feels has led Allie to be successful in distance running.

“Allie is a very committed runner and has trained very well for this race. I expect her to do well,” Elaine said. “She is, by nature, self-motivated, driven and high achieving. When she crosses the finish line it will be seeing her accomplish another goal. I am happy for her to have the chance to participate in such a great event.”

Boston Marathon elicits feelings of heartbreak, anger and hope

By Justin Anderson

Leslie Hayden had made up her mind; she wasn’t going to come back.

2013 was going to be the last year running the Boston Marathon for the resident of Smithfield, Utah.

“It was a very hard year for me,” Hayden said. “I was going through a divorce, and mentally and physically I was exhausted before I even reached the city of Boston. Me and my husband at the time decided we would still go out to Boston together because it was already paid for, and that this most likely was going to be my last year because it just costs too much, and I’d like to go see other places and run other races elsewhere. I had doubts in my mind that I was going to even be able to finish the race.”

Still she chose to run – she had trained hard for this day and wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of her desire to prove that she could do it.

After she picked up her race packet she soaked in the beauty of the day. The sun was out, and the temperature, as she remembers, was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold.

The race began with a moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, which occurred four months previous to the race.

“I remember a group of us talking about how awful and evil this world has become,” Hayden said. “We started the race, and I remember every mile seemed to be a roller-coaster. One minute I was feeling great, the next I felt like I wasn’t going to make it. I just pushed through those negative feelings and kept on going.”

Hayden remembers reaching the 22nd mile marker and the feelings that came over her.

“I had the strongest feeling of ‘you got this woman, don’t give up. Keep going, keep going,’ I look back and think ‘wow, I have never had that much drive towards the end of a marathon,’ she said. “I strongly believe it was for a reason.”

Her final 4-mile push led her to a marathon time of 3:31:35.

She walked to her bag and got some water and food. When walking to the rental car, she and her husband decided to walk to the car using the next block over from the finish line. She stopped for a moment to find a restroom, and as she walked out of the building the crowds and the lines were gone.

She could hear sirens, and amidst all the noise and confusion she overheard people talking about a possible shooting, and others talking about a bomb at the finish line. She decided to leave for her hotel.

“We started heading back out the doors we came in, and a man was running the other way and yelled at us to not go that way,” she said. “‘Do you know what's going on?’ He yelled at us, telling us bombs went off at the finish line and blew up a bunch of kids. My heart sunk. I think that's when it really hit me that this was really happening.”

Hayden and her husband later left the mall and saw the pandemonium that had ensued. Her thoughts turned to the people she remembered passing during the race and wondered whether or not they were ok.

The next day they made the decision to stay in Rhode Island to get out of the city. Following the tragedy that had just taken place, Hayden felt certain that she would never run in the Boston Marathon again.

While in Rhode Island Hayden spent some time on the beach.

“I walked around looking for seashells for my daughter, thinking about everything,” she said. “That’s when I decided I was going to come back the next year and run the marathon. If I stopped doing what I love doing and living out my goals and aspirations all because I am scared I would just be giving in to these men and letting them win. That was their plan all along – to put fear in the eyes of us Americans and make us fearful of living and doing anything without a thought of them.”

“I am going back this year to prove to them and everyone else, especially myself, that I can and I will take a stand against evil and terrorists. What these men don’t realize is that to be a marathon runner you have to be strong willed and dedicated. If there was any group they shouldn’t have targeted it was us runners. It has just made us a stronger and more tight knit group.”

Hayden is one of many affected by the attacks at the Boston Marathon last year. One such example is Walter Brown of South Jordan, Utah.

Brown has run the Boston Marathon five times. Beginning in 2006, he has run the race every other year. During last year’s marathon, he watched the story unfold through the news.

“I was at work when I found out the bomb hit,” said Brown. “It affected me so much that I had to leave work and go home.”

Boston has been a big part of Brown’s life, and his immediate reaction was anger – anger toward anybody who would want to hurt so many innocent people.

“I knew right then, ‘I’m going, I’m going back next year. I don’t care what it takes I’m going back,’” Brown said. “To prove that these people can’t bully us around, they’ve messed with the wrong people.”

“The thing that hit me the most is Boston is not a typical marathon,” he said. “Not everyone that runs a marathon can get in this marathon, they have to prove themselves. This is something you have to work hard to get to. For someone to bomb a marathon venue where every one of those participants has busted their butt to get there – it is the wrong venue to hit.”

For Brown, the race will be about so much more than running 26.2 miles.

The route is almost a journey through time for Brown, who mentioned that part of the race takes the same path that Paul Revere took on his famous ride. He and Hayden will run across the city where the famous tea party took place, which, eventually led to the American Revolution. Boston is famous for being the city that showed America’s strength and determination to stand for what it believed in. This Monday runners will line up along the starting line of the marathon, and announce to the world once again that, when in times of trouble, average Americans can unite to work toward a cause greater than themselves.

“They can take our possessions, they can take our bodies, they can kill us, Brown said” “But they are not going to take the spirit away from what is there.”

Utah State athletes contemplate post-graduation plans

By Justin Anderson

Throughout high school and college, both cross-country and track and field athletes generally follow a structured program. Races are scheduled for them and they show up and participate. Coaches present them with training plans and help them push toward better performance. After college ends the structure, for many, is gone. It becomes up to the individual how they will further their athletic training.

For two students at Utah State University, their individual decisions regarding post-collegiate running are very different.

Kyle McKenna plans to continue on with his passion for running by participating in races whenever and wherever he can.

“I will definitely keep running as a part of my life for the rest of my life,” McKenna said. “It has just become something that I’ve really grown to enjoy.”

For McKenna, running is as much about the mental benefits he feels he receives as it is the physical benefits.

“Running as a student athlete has been kind of interesting because you get all the stress of your classes and then you come run,” he said. “It has become ingrained in me, I think, as sort of a natural way to relieve stress.”

 “I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to train hard and go for some of the more competitive races,” he said. “I will at least do local 5Ks, 10Ks and marathons.”

Gregg Gensel, who has coached at Utah State for 31 years, had the opportunity to coach McKenna’s older brother Brian, who helped Kyle consider running for the school more seriously.

“We really wanted to have him,” said Gensel, referring to McKenna. “He has got great work ethic, he’s a great kid, he’s easy to work with, he’s coachable -- all the things that a coach dreams of in an athlete. On top of all that, he’s got talent. It has been a fun experience working with him.

Another student Gensel has been able to coach is Chari Hawkins, a junior with dreams of continuing with track and field as a profession.

“I have always wanted to just try and see how far I can take track,” said Hawkins. “If I stay healthy, and if my scores line up, I think it would be really cool to do track as a profession. I think it would be really exciting.”

Hawkins participated last year in the NCAA track and field national championship event, taking 11th place in the heptathlon.

Hawkins feels that what she needs to do to make her dreams a reality is improve her 800-meter race time -- an event that she said scares her.

“For me the 800 is more of a mental game than it is a physical game,” she said. “I think I could be decent at it if I wanted to be, but it scares me so bad. I’m afraid of being bad at it honestly, and so I just work myself up and then I am bad at it.”

Hawkins has learned what it takes to participate in track professionally from Utah State’s distance coach Mike Spence.

“He actually competed professionally, and he did the steeplechase,” she said. “He talked about how at first you are in charge of paying for yourself until you get sponsored. It’s really just about competing and getting the right numbers with the right people present.”

This weekend both McKenna and Hawkins will have the opportunity to showcase their talents. McKenna will compete in Utah State’s only home meet of the season in either the 5,000-meter race or the 1,500, depending on what Gensel decides. Hawkins will travel to the Mt. San Antonio College meet, one of the most prestigious meets in the country, to compete in the heptathlon.

Utah State’s Sigma Phi Epsilon to hold triathlon to benefit local organization

By Justin Anderson

On Saturday, April 26, the Utah State University chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon will host the annual Balanced Man Triathlon to  highlight the “sound body” portion of the fraternity’s balanced man developmental program.

The race, which has been held for five consecutive years, has always donated proceeds to a charity or other philanthropic cause. For the past two years the proceeds have gone toward the Best Buddies program.

Best Buddies was founded to establish a movement that creates opportunities for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to develop friendships, learn leadership skills and gain access to jobs.

“Two years ago Best Buddies’ sponsor dropped them, and they lost all their funding,” said Ryan Johnson, the logistical coordinator of the race.

After Best Buddies lost their sponsor, the fraternity decided to sponsor the group and now provides all of the funding the group requires to function.

“This triathlon is where we raise all of that money,” Johnson said. “If we don’t receive it, these individuals are not going to be able to run this organization.”

The race will consist of a 500-yard swim, followed by a 9-mile bike ride and lastly a 5K run. Beginning at 8 a.m. in the foyer of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building on the university's campus, participants will assemble to register and check in before beginning the swim.

“A lot of people get intimidated and tell us they can’t swim or they can’t run” said Spencer Bailey, the director of the race. “The best part is that you can do teams, team up with a friend and have them cover one of the legs. All the same it is really doable and they may surprise themselves at what they are capable of.”

Bailey, who is serving as the race director for the second time, said that the turnout is fairly diverse.

“We get everything from beginners to seasoned triathletes,” he said. “It’s a riot.”

“Every year we have a lot of people who come out and it’s their first triathlon,” said Jake Butterfield, who is in charge of the website for the race. “It’s a great atmosphere. There are a lot of people cheering you on. We’re really prepared, and there are people all over the place with water encouraging you and pushing you on. I really think it’s a fantastic event.”

Each participant will receive a t-shirt and a swim cap along with other prizes for winners and each participant.

Registration is open online and costs $30 for students, $40 for non-students, $50 for a two-person team and $80 for a team of three.

Utah State ROTC to hold annual Jim Bridger Challenge

By Justin Anderson

On Saturday, April 19, cadets from the Jim Bridger detachment of the ROTC cadet wing, located on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah, will hold its second annual Jim Bridger Challenge obstacle race.

Participants will race across a variety of obstacles, including a two-mile “ruck march,” where participants will run/walk two miles with a 35 pound ruck sack on their back, a rope bridge, a grenade toss and, the final obstacle, the water slide.

“It’s very realistic of what someone would experience in an operational, or even combat, type of environment where just getting to the battlefield is half your job,” said Michael Ditto, the commander in the detachment. “If there are any students who are not even interested in joining the military, but want to have that experience like, ‘I wonder what it would be like to be a soldier in a really difficult circumstance or even in combat, obviously I’m not going to be able to do that but I want to have a little bit of that experience,’ this will give it to them.”

The cadet wing came up with the idea for a fund-raiser last year following recent cutbacks in spending.

“There are a lot of cutbacks happening in the military right now, and each year they tighten it more and more, and that limits our training,” said William Burton, a cadet at the detachment.

Over the past four years, the military budget has been reduced steadily. In 2010 the military budget reached an all-time high of $851.3 billion. The budget has since decreased and stands at $756.4 billion.

Burton and his fellow cadets hope to raise enough money to fund the training that will help them succeed in the military.

With the typical cost of one bullet for an M-16 slated at nearly 25 cents per round, it becomes easier to see how much it would cost one military group to be trained in using the gun.

Many local businesses have contributed prizes for the race, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Lee’s Marketplace, Olive Garden and more.

The goal of the challenge isn’t just to raise money for the detachment, but for people to become better acquainted with the ROTC.

 “We’re hoping to get our name out to the community,” said Adam Durfee, the finance officer, and cadet in charge of the race. “We hope they will come experience the race and some of the things we do in the army. We are having a dance party after, a slip and slide, free hot dogs and a free climbing wall. Hopefully people will come up and see that we’re not so scary.”

People can register at the ROTC building up until the night before for a cost of $35 per team of three to five people. If a team misses the deadline, they can register for the race at 10 a.m. on April 19 prior to the race beginning at 11 a.m. Additional information can be found on the Facebook page for the event.

Legacy Duathlon provides many options for local runners and bikers

By Justin Anderson

The snow is melting atop the Wasatch Mountains, signaling the beginning of spring, warm weather and sunshine. Many racers along the Wasatch Front have begun their training in hopes of breaking personal records and finishing races of longer distances than they’ve previously run. For some competing in triathlon events, this weekend will present an opportunity to test out new gear and break the ice for the season.

The fifth annual Legacy Duathlon will be held this Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Athletes have three different races to choose from,: a long course, consisting of a 5K followed by a 22.4 mile bike ride and then another 5K, a short course, which will cut each distance from the long course in half, and a bike only race with a distance of 22.4 miles. 

 “Duathlons provide a gateway for runners to make a switch into triathlon,” said Joe Coles, the director of the race. “Unlike a triathlon with an intimidating swim, the duathlon is simply a run and a bike. We see many first time multisport athletes here.”

Coles’ aim for this race is to provide multisport athletes with a nice, relatively easy event to kick off the racing season.

“Many seasoned triathletes have not tested out their bike in race fashion in several months, or their legs for that matter,” he said. “This race gives them a way to get geared up.”

Coles’ company name is a tribute to his grandfather, who inspired him to begin running. Coles’ grandfather ran his last marathon at the age of 80.

“I named the company “On Hill Events” after him, because he was never over the hill, but always on it,” Coles said.

Among those participating in the race is Rolynn Snow, a police officer from Centerville.

“It’s a great icebreaker for the season,” Snow said. “That opens up our season; everyone gets out and tests out their new gear. That’s what we did last year. We use these duathlons as our gauging point as to how the rest of the year will go.”

Snow participated in the long distance last year and enjoys the course for many reasons; one of them being that it is a relatively simple and flat course. Another is how well Coles and his team cater to the runners.

“We really love the location and the scenery. It’s all pretty, it’s well put together, it’s well organized,” Snow said. “There’s great race-day support by Joe. He has the first-timers orientation the night before. So if this is your absolute first time, he runs through the transition so that it kind of alleviates that anxiety of showing up the next morning and not knowing where to put your bike and stuff. He does a great job with that.”

The race will begin at 1130 West Center Street in Salt Lake City. Runners will begin the duathlon in 15 second intervals, to avoid crowding, with the fastest estimated runners starting at 9 a.m. Registration isopen online and costs $50. 

First Herriman Half Marathon to feature state-of-the-art pacing system

By Justin Anderson

Bill Miller of Riverton, Utah, has been running competitively for six years. On Saturday, during the first Herriman Half Marathon, he will not be racing. He will be on the sidelines — not because he doesn’t want to run, but because he organized the race.

“After running all the various races and stuff over the years, I’ve basically picked up a little bit from each race that I’ve done,” Miller said. “I’ve observed how they’ve done it, and it’s basically a conglomeration of all of them put together from all my experiences.”

 “It’s actually a pretty good tour of Herriman; you hit every corner,” said Kelli Stephenson, who will be a pacer in the race.

A pacer is someone who is trained to run a race at a very specific pace.  Stephenson is assigned to run the race in 1:50 and will follow the speed given her through a wristband provided by American Flyers.

Stephenson, who lives on the boundary between Herriman and Riverton, often trains for races around Herriman and helped map out the route runners will follow.

The race will feature a state-of-the-art timing and pacing system by American Flyers Race Pacers. The company is owned by Miller’s brother-in-law Walter Brown. It features chip timing and paces the race according to the different hills and vales along the courses.

“We pace according to terrain,” Brown said. “With Herriman Half the terrain has some uphill, so if you’re trying to hit a 1:50 time it’s hard when you’re going up the hill and then down a hill to maintain the same pace the whole time — you can’t do it. We adjust our pace to the terrain so if there is a 4 percent hill coming up in the next mile we’re going to adjust 4 percent on our clock.”

Brown’s company has done pacing for more than 35 races since opening in 2011. There has been a steady increase in organizations contacting him about utilizing his services for races  and this year he expects to do 30 races. Brown has noticed better results from runners that participate in runs his company paces that he hasn’t seen with other pacing companies.

“By doing this, we have found in the last three years that those that we pace around us finish the race with us without dropping off,” Brown said. “With other pace groups they start out with a large group, and they end up with hardly any at all at the end because of the way they are pushing.”

Most companies train pacers to run at a consistent speed over the course of the whole race regardless of hills that are along the course. According to Brown, this can be discouraging as most runners naturally take it slower uphill and faster downhill. This system is intended to help runners stay encouraged and mentally focused throughout the race and accomplish their goals more often.

So far nearly 100 runners have registered. Miller estimated that the final number will be around 150.

The half marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will have pit stops with snacks, water, and restrooms at mile markers 3, 6 and 9.

Registration for the event is open online and costs $45. It will close the evening before the race. In addition to the half marathon, there will also be a 5K, which will start at 8 a.m. and a children’s 1K held at 9 a.m.