‘It’s like a vacation’

LAKEWOOD – At some point after the 2007 Chicago Marathon, Michele Hartwig wanted to go farther than 26.2 miles.

It was then that she joined the ranks of so-called ultra runners, those who run races of 50 or 100 miles. Along this lengthy path, she has found success and recently was sponsored by a British shoe company.

Hartwig, a 42-year-old mother of two, had so much fun training for and running in the Chicago event that she quickly signed up for more marathons. Although always athletic, she was more into golf than running before that. Thereafter, she became involved in even longer distances and started training on the trails at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake.

Since then, she has participated in several ultra-running events, including Howl at the Moon, a 41.5-mile race, and the Dogwood Canyon 50K.

In February, she was the first woman to cross the finish line at Dances with Dirt Green Swamp, a 50-mile race in Dade City, Fla. She finished the race in 10 hours and 41 minutes.

Although many find a 10-hour race about as appealing as a root canal, for Hartwig, the race “was beautiful.”

She didn’t set out to win the Florida race. In fact, her plan at the outset was to keep running and not get lost. Once she was out on the trail – trudging through the mud, scaling fences, and trying to follow a series of ribbons tied to trees – Hartwig got “in the zone.”

For ultra runners, that’s when running feels more like walking.

“It was really fun; it’s like a vacation,” she said.

Winning the Dances with Dirt Green Swamp event was a thrill, but Hartwig said she also had become enthralled with the ultra-running social community – a group that always stops to help a fellow runner, even if it costs them the race.

After the victory, Inov-8, a British company that specializes in off-road running and extreme sports products, offered to sponsor Hartwig.

Hartwig is a passionate advocate of ultra running and trail running and said anybody can get started.

“Don’t be intimidated by the distance,” she said. “It’s about finishing and enjoying the run.”

Hartwig is even looking to share her love for trail running here.

She plans to volunteer at a trail running class offered by the Crystal Lake Park District this summer at Veteran Acres Park. Going from July 6 to Aug. 6, there will be classes for both beginner and intermediate-level runners, said Joe Davison, athletics supervisor for the park district. Aimed at both neophytes and veterans, the trail running class will be a first for the park district, but Davison said he expected it would be a hit.

“Trail running is a new way to get in those miles and keep it interesting,” he said.

The trail running program will cost $40 for residents and $55 for nonresidents, Davison said. For information on the program, call the Crystal Lake Park District at 815-459-0680 or visit www.crystal
lakeparks.org.