If you've got two good legs, a few hours a week and a whole lot of willpower, SE Michigan has got pretty much everything you need to maintain a constant level of runner's high.
For an easy interactive planning tool, visit
www.walkjogrun.net, which contains a calculator to figure both time and calories burned as a function of distance and mile-per-hour pace. Users can also view routes on a map by distance, name, and zip code and plot new ones over any terrain, be it pavement, grass, or trail.
PLACES TO RUN
For suggestions from those who regularly pound the pavement (or dirt) check out:
http://www.favoriterun.com/
Belle Isle – 3 miles of Detroit riverfront, starting at the foot of the MacArthur Bridge, taking a loop around the island's paved perimeter, coming back over the bridge: www.ci.detroit.mi.us/recreation
Kensington Metro Park – in Brighton, an 8 mile hilly paved loop around Kent Lake: www.metroparks.com
Island Lake Recreation Area – in Brighton, a 4 mile paved path, plus 14 miles of moderately hilly woods and field trails: www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails
Hines Drive – an 18 mile, mostly flat stretch borders parks from Northville to Dearborn: www.waynecounty.com/parks/hines.htm
West Bloomfield Nature Trail & Preserve – 4 miles of flat trail, plus 2.5 miles of moderately hilly woods trail: www.westbloomfieldparks.org
Independence Oaks Park - 6 mails around the perimeter of the park. Scenic and undulating course, well maintained, a couple of challenging hills if you take the nature trail: http://www.oakgov.com/parksrec/ppark/independence.html
Potawatomi Trail in Pinckney State Recreation Area (18 miles NW of Ann Arbor) -- Over 24 miles of forested trails: http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=484
Gallup Park, Ann Arbor - 1.35 and 1.65 mile loops, plus two one mile long out-and-back trails that run along the river with quarter-mile markers. For a special treat, duck into the nearly hidden entrance to neighboring Furstenburg Nature Park and run through the nature trails: http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us/CommunityServices/Parks/Parkdescriptions/Gallup/gallup.html
Maybury State Park, just west of Novi - 8 miles of paved trails that wind through forest land, slopes range from rolling hills to flat straight-aways. Also has 5+ miles of dirt trails for reserved for running/hiking: http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=469
FEATURED RACES - 2007
For a complete list of upcoming races and race results around the state
visit: www.runmichigan.com
April 28 & 29: Trail Marathon
Half-marathon, and Road Ends 5K
www.trailmarathon.com
Stay in the Shade's Holly Trail Run and Hike
"Jolly Hilly Holly" - Holly, MI - Oakland Cty
6M trail run, 2M hike
http://www.stayintheshade.org/runsandhikes.htm
June 3: Dexter-Ann Arbor Run
Half-marathon, 10K, and 5K
www.dexterannarborrun.com
June 15: Zanglin Downriver Run
8K, 1 mile
www.zanglinrun.com
June 24: Motor City Triathlon
features 2 options:
1.5K swim, 40K bike ride, & 10K run or
500M swim, 20K bike ride, & 5K run
www.3disciplines.com
August 26: Crim Festival of Races
10 mile, 8K, 5K, and 1 mile
www.crim.org
September 8: Dances With Dirt 100K Relay & Ultra Marathon:
50 mile ultra marathon, 50K ultra marathon, 100K relay
www.runningfit.com
September 29: Running Fit 20 Mile Training Run
www.runningfit.com
October 22: Detroit Marathon
full marathon, half-marathon, 5K, and team relays
www.detroitfreepressmarathon.com
November 2: Night of the Day of the Living Dead 5K Run: www.twodogsrunning.com
November 13: Wayne County Lightfest 8K Fun Run/Walk: www.waynecounty.com/events
November 22: Turkey Trot and Mashed Potato Mile:
10K, 5K, 1 Mile
www.detroitturkeytrot.org
COACHING and RUNNING GROUPS
Two Dogs Running (Ann Arbor): www.twodogsrunning.com
Running Fit 501 (Ann Arbor): www.runningfit501.com
Stoney Creek Running Club (Macomb & Oakland Cty): http://www.stoneycreekrunningclub.org/login.php?page=home
Motor City Striders (Detroit): http://www.motorcitystriders.com/
Downtown Runners/Walkers of Detroit: www.downtownrunners.com
Northville Road Runners: www.northvilleroadrunners.org
Griff's Track Club (Ypsilanti): www.griffstrackclub.org/Griffstrackclub.html
RETAILERS
Total Runner: www.totalrunner.com
Hansons Running Shop: www.hansons-running.com
Running Fit: www.runningfit.net
Tortoise And Hare: http://www.tortoiseandhare.com/
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