- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
BY JOHN BURBRIDGE
jburbridge@nwitimes.com
219.933.3371 | Sunday, July 24, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
HIGHLAND | What a way to spend a summer vacation.
"If you told me I would still be waking up early in the morning after school was over, I wouldn't believe you," said Heather Carpenter.
"If you told me I would run a 5K race, I wouldn't believe you, either," said Jenn Tuel.
Heather, Jenn and Katie Turoci, all Highland 14-year-olds, have been training three days a week with certified running coach and Boston Marathon qualifier Michele Yoko of Griffith, with runs starting at 7 a.m. sharp. It's part of a six-week training regimen to prepare them for long-distance road races.
The targeted debut for the girls was the annual Citizens Financial Services Friendship 5K Race on July 13. It was ideal not for just the site -- Wicker Park in Highland, where the girls often train -- but for the cause.
At the Friendship Race, there was a fundraiser held for Willa Kim by the Redeemer Lutheran Church. Shortly after birth, Willa was diagnosed with hemimegalencephaly -- meaning that half her brain was too large. After surgery, Willa contracted bacterial meningitis and was hospitalized for a month.
"Her (Willa's) family goes to our church," said Katie, who, like the aforementioned runners, helped raised sponsorships to defray therapy and equipment costs not covered by insurance. "It gives us more of a purpose to run."
At the Friendship Race, Jenn finished with a time of 26:55, Katie came in at 27:35 and Heather's time was 30:45.
"They did better than I expected," Yoko said. "A little over a month ago, they couldn't go over a mile without stopping."
So what made them break through?
"A lot of little things," Yoko said. "Like Katie used to get too tense ... I'd say, 'Katie, have your anxiety attack before we start running so we can get it over with.'
"But that's the problem with most people. And it often starts with your hands -- running with closed fists. You should keep your hands open. Barbie hands we call them."
Other things Yoko advised them on included proper breathing techniques, such as inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
"If you inhale through the mouth, you could hyperventilate," said Yoko, who usually runs step-for-step with her trainees.
Then, of course, there's more to running than dropping your times.
"I know this sounds cheesy, but we've really become close over this summer," Jenn said. "We can talk about anything out there."
"Running road races is a great social activity," Yoko said. "You meet new people. You can get involved with the community like with the 'Run for Willa.'
"More younger runners should get involved."
And as Katie says, getting up shortly after dawn to run is not like catching the bus.
"After we're done, I'm full of energy for the rest of day."
Summer's only around for three months, so you might as well make the most of it.
John Burbridge | The Times
From left, Heather Carpenter, Jenn Tuel, Michele Yoko and Katie Turoci regularly train at Wicker Park in Highland. Heather, Jenn and Katie, all 14, recently ran their first 5K race at the Citizens Financial Services Annual Friendship Race, July 13 at Wicker Park.
Back to story No comments posted.
- It wasn't clear, concise or focused on the topic in the story.
- It was a personal attack, vulgar, explicit or degrading, used actual or implied profanity or contained potentially libelous statements.
- It accused someone of being guilty of a crime.
- It promoted violence or illegal acts.
- It contained telephone numbers or street addresses, or e-mail addresses and links to Web sites other than nwi.com or government agencies.
In no way do these comments represent the views of The Times or Lee Enterprises.
Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude and profane language and personal abuse are not welcome.
Reader comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined. They may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.
If you feel a posted comment has violated these guidelines, please email our New Media team the commenter's name, the comment and a link to the article.
For more information please read our Terms of Service.