It was just over 10 years ago when a certain Franklin County newspaper — a publication that had already fired me twice in two decades — decided to sign on once again, this time for an ambitious project I had dreamed up after years of writing about cross country and track.
My idea was called Foot Notes, a column meant to shine the spotlight on the local running community, that also documented my personal experience and development as a new member of the sport. Less than 10 writings into my newest venture, I was told my run as a columnist would be coming to an end.
That’s when my fellow runners showed up for me. They made phone calls, sent emails, and threatened to “run away” from their subscriptions. The support for Foot Notes was deeper than I could have ever imagined. Thanks to the magic of social media, the cancelation of my small-time column was garnering blowback from well beyond its coverage area.
Within a week of receiving my pink slip, I got a phone call back saying a mistake had been made, and that Foot Notes would continue. With a renewed sense of gratitude, I’ve been writing about running ever since. Today marks the 300th running of my column.
While the aforementioned newspaper eventually decided years later to part ways for a third time in three decades, Foot Notes has lived on. The column now runs in three publications and keeps me deeply connected with the community that welcomed me with open arms and fought to keep my dream alive.
How difficult is it to write a column about such a niche topic? It’s a challenge, but it’s rewarding. I’ve written about shoes, races, treadmills, group runs, and cross training. There have been trail reviews, interviews with unique runners, and long-run inspired memoriams for my dad and later my pet dachshund. Foot Notes allowed me to express my joy from the birth of my daughter and future runner, Vivienne, and it was there when I saw her win her first race.
My wife, for one, will point out that at least a quarter of my writing revolves around me getting in shape, losing my fitness due to poor decisions, and then fighting to get it all back again. It’s a fair critique, but struggle happens, and I think that’s something almost every runner can relate to. By documenting my missteps, I can hold myself accountable, and perhaps also teach a valuable lesson.
In 2017, I found out I could annoy way more people than just my wife when I penned a column headlined “American runners are slower than ever,” which was based on a study from Denmark and complete with an interview from the researcher who wrote it. Needless to say I’ve never seen my countrymen agree on something more than their disdain for that particular column.
I’ve used Foot Notes to conduct my own running research, even if the findings have been less than scientific. I’ve run barefoot, splashed through rain storms and hiked through knee-high snow, and have persevered through extreme heat and cold. There have been endurance runs, beach runs, and sometimes just runs to see how long it takes to collect a dollar’s worth of pocket change.
My favorite part of the journey has been the interactions I’ve had with you, the reader. You teach me new things about this sport all the time, make me feel like a celebrity even though I’m the polar opposite of cool, and remind me on a daily basis that nothing is impossible. It can be an hours-long odyssey combing the internet for your race results, but the feedback and support I get both as a runner and a writer makes the grind well worth the effort.
Whether this is your first time reading or you’ve been on the Foot Notes bandwagon from the very beginning, I thank you for being here. As long you keep reading and competing on the race paths, I’ll be doing everything I can to keep this column — and myself — running.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
It’s a safe bet to say that just about all of us are done with winter and ready to get back outside again.
Perhaps no one is more ready than Greencastle’s Evan Hill, who ventured out to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia to brave the elements at the Cabin Fever 50K. Hill completed the race in 6:05:21, just missing a spot in the Top 100 in the field of 280 runners.
The winner of the race should be familiar to Franklin County runners: Dan Green. The James Buchanan grad, now living in West Virginia and enjoying a certain degree of stardom in the world of ultrarunning, won the Cabin Fever 50K in 3:31:52.
A handful of other area runners have been involved in some shorter races across the region. The fastest local 5K time in recent weeks was posted by JR Bowers at the Colonial 5K in Williamsburg, Va. Bowers completed the race in 25:42 to win the 45-49 AG, while fellow Hagerstown runner Stephanie Bowers finished in 27:27 to take second in the Grand Masters Division.
Adam Shuster was a standout at The Cupid Crush 5 Miler in Baltimore, with the Hagerstown runner blasting off for a finish in 38:22. Fairfield’s Stevie Kauffman ran for a 33:54 at the Cupid’s Chase 5K in Harrisburg, while Baltimore Cupid’s Chase 5K race saw Waynesboro’s Catherine Herman cross the finish line in 42:10.
Finally, the Maryland Indoor 5K in Hanover, Md., included a finish in 40:21 from Hagerstown’s Dianna Leaman.
And now, a look ahead:
Hashawha Hills 50K Trail Run: Saturday, 7:30 a.m., in Westminster, Md. Navigate through open fields, old woods roads, and stream crossings with this challenging race. Check out the event on ultrasignup.com.
Tartan 5K: Sunday, 2 p.m., in Hagerstown, Md. Compete in this race to make Highland View Academy affordable for every student. Register for the race on runsignup.com.
Medal Madness 5K/10K/Half Marathon: Saturday, March 7, 8:30 a.m., in Biglerville. Oakside Community Park will serve as the backdrop for this race, put on by US Road Running. Find the race on runsignup.com.
Also: Community Reach Pantry Run 5K (Saturday, in Red Lion); Run for the Cookies 6.2M (Saturday, in Berwick); Spring Thaw 5M/10M/15M/20M (Saturday, in Allison Park); Viking 5K/10K (Saturday, in Manheim); Northeastern 5K (Saturday, in Manchester); Half Wit Half Marathon (Sunday, in Reading); Bigfoot Endurance Trail Runs 5M/10M (Sunday, in Elkridge, Md); ChesCo Race Fest 13.1M/26.2M/50K (Saturday, March 7, in Wayne); Medal Madness 5K/10K (Saturday, March 7, in New Cumberland); Jig Jog 5K (Saturday, March 7, in Carlisle); Looney Leprechaun Trail 10K/13.1M (Saturday, March 7, in Newtown); Medal Madness 5K/10K/Half Marathon (Saturday, March 7, in Bel Air, Md.); Naked Bavian 20M/40M (Saturday, March 7, in Leesport); Northside Nemesis 30K (Saturday, March 7, in Pittsburgh); South Park Half Marathon (Saturday, March 7, in South Park); Shiver by the River 5K/10K (Sunday, March 8, in Reading); SRG Spring Ahead Half Marathon (Sunday, March 8, in Douglassville); Point of Rocks Half Marathon (Sunday, March 8, in Point of Rocks, Md.); Smoketown Brewery 5K/10K (Sunday, March 8, in Brunswick, Md.).
