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Running Against the Numbers 

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Running is a numbers game. Whether we’re logging miles, tracking a running streak, chasing a personal record or a Boston qualifier, or measuring our heart rate or cadence… there are numbers everywhere. As runners, it’s how we gauge progress. 

Numbers also motivate Charlotte’s chapter of Black Men Run. Through running, the group wants to encourage Black men to take on healthy lifestyle habits, inspire one another, and change health outcomes for their peers. 

“It’s about men’s health,” says Charlotte’s Black Men Run captain Greg Washington. “Our group is trying to reverse the trend of black men with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.” 

According to the CDC and the American Heart Association, the statistics for African American men’s health are striking: 

⁃ African American men are 20% more likely to die of heart disease than non-Hispanic White men

⁃ African American men are more likely to have high blood pressure, but less likely to have it under control than non-Hispanic Whites

⁃ African Americans are more likely to struggle with obesity and diabetes, risk factors for heart disease, than their White counterparts

The American Heart Association says a healthy diet and regular exercise can limit risk factors, and Black Men Run is literally taking that message to heart.

“Black Men Run is a national organization with a mission to promote health and wellness among African American men and uses running to create ‘A Healthy Brotherhood,'” says BMR National Co-Captain Rafael Ortiz. “Our goal is to reduce the alarming health conditions the disproportionately affect Black men, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.”

The national organization started in Atlanta in 2013, and Washington formed Charlotte’s chapter shortly after that — after seeing a man in a BMR jersey cross the finish line at a race his wife was running.

“I was not a runner,” Washington admits. “When my wife didn’t have anyone to run with her, she’d drag me out!” He enjoyed the gym and cardio HIIT workouts more, but fell in love with running the more he did it. He started a Black Men Run group in Charlotte by spreading word of a Saturday morning meetup, which he often ran by himself at first. But then word got around.

Now Washington sees around a dozen men for the Monday night runs on Toby Creek Greenway, and two dozen or more for the monthly Saturday runs on Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

Two years ago, their BMR relay placed first for men in the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Last year, the group raised money to buy a flat screen TV for video announcements at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center on Central Avenue. Men from the Center often joined BMR on their outings.

Of course, COVID-19 has limited their runs and their numbers, but Washington makes sure if they gather, runners wear masks before and after running, keep 6 feet or more apart, and avoid the post-run celebratory hugs and high-fives. National and regional meet-ups at races have been canceled, but the spirit and brotherhood are still there for men wanting to join them locally. 

Men don’t even need to be runners. Washington wants them to come out and feel the encouragement.

“If someone wants to walk, we’ll make sure someone walks with them,” says Washington. “I’ll walk with them.” He often stops to talk to people who cheer them on along their route, telling them about the group and asking if they’d like to be a part of it. “Your distance, your pace” and “No man left behind” are their mantras. Most feedback from passersby is positive, he says.

“Our Charlotte chapter has been one of the strongest and most committed groups,” says the BMR National’s Ortiz. “They continue to inspire others and form great partnerships in the local running community.”

And right now, looking ahead to virtual races and keeping a leaderboard on Strava keep everyone motivated. The group agrees on a few virtual races, even sending BMR medals to finishers. They’d like to host a series of their own.

But Washington agrees the idea isn’t to win or even race — it’s to bring men together for a brotherhood of better health. 

“I like camaraderie with the guys and goal setting,” he says. “The mystery of the race got me hooked.”

To learn more: blkmenrun.com or Black Men Run CHARLOTTE on Facebook.

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Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Seeks Runner Input for Virtual for 2020 Event

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Charlotte, NC — The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon will happen, albeit virtually, in 2020 — and runners will have a say in what this year’s virtual event looks like. RunCharlotte, the marathon’s production and management company, announced the move today with an invitation for runners to participate in a Facebook live event to discuss what they’d like to see in a virtual event.

“Runners are a resilient breed,” said Tim Rhodes, Race Director for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. “We’re used to overcoming obstacles, digging deep, and managing unique situations on-the-fly. This is no different. We’re ready to embrace the opportunity with the Charlotte running community, our partners, and friends!”

Rhodes agreed a virtual event isn’t anyone’s first choice, but added runners have experienced enough virtual races by now to know what they’d like to see.

The decision on this year’s events was made in consult with the team at Novant Health, the marathon’s title sponsor and official medical care provider.

“As a sponsor of the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, and as healthcare providers, we are committed to the health and safety of our community,” said Dr. Lisa Rentz, Director of Novant Health Event Medicine and lead physician for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. “For that reason we fully support the decision to postpone the 2020 marathon. We are working diligently to provide the safest experience possible for all our participants and look forward to seeing you in 2021.”

Registrants for the 2020 event will have plenty of options. Runners may engage in a virtual event this November, defer their registration to the November 2021 event, or donate their registration fee to the event’s beneficiary, Novant Health’s Hemby Children’s Hospital.

“Committing to a virtual event was not a decision that came easily— we explored every possible option,” added Rhodes. “But with so much uncertainty around events and with everyone’s health in mind, we feel this is the best and safest move to make.”

The 2019 Novant Health Charlotte Marathon was bigger than anticipated; the 26.2-mile race reached capacity, as did the half marathon, and marathon relay. In all, just shy of 6,000 people from 40 states and 8 other countries took to the start line for the 15th annual series of events.

About the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon:

Since 2005, the Charlotte Marathon has capped the year of road racing here in the Queen City. A community-wide celebration of health and wellness, the marathon is a showcase of iconic Charlotte views and historic neighborhoods, winding through uptown, Dilworth, Wilmore and the Gold District, Plaza-Midwood, NoDa, and South Charlotte. Renamed the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon in 2016, the event and its participants have contributed nearly $200,000 to support programs at Novant Health’s Hemby Children’s Hospital.

For more information about the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, see www.runcharlotte.com

Media contact: DC Lucchesi dc@well-runmedia.com 704-577-8459

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How Much is Too Much?

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Pandemic or not, a runner’s gotta run, right? Here’s some news that may let you breathe more easily during this pandemic: Exercise can keep you healthy from respiratory illness. But before you go pouring on the miles, know this, too: more miles doesn’t necessarily equate to more immunity.

“The research actually goes back a long time,” says Dr. Karan Shukla, “as far back as the early 1900’s.” Dr. Shukla is a physician at Novant Health Randolph Family and Sports Medicine in uptown Charlotte. If the name sounds familiar to runners, it’s because he’s also served in the medical tent at the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon for the past three years. He knows medicine, and he knows runners.

Dr. Shukla says some of the first research about exercise and immunology came from the Boston Marathon more than a century ago, but great advances were made during the onset of another worldwide health crisis — the AIDS epidemic.

“We were able to look really deeply into people’s responses from a molecular standpoint, and understand its effects on how people feel,” says Dr. Shukla. So should we stay active? “Yes,” he replies emphatically. We’ll tell you why, but be sure to stick around for his corollary explanation of more-is-not-better, too.

First: Get moving. The research supports it, and it has immediate effects.

“With daily exercise, we see enhanced immune systems to defend against pathogens,” says Dr. Shukla. “It stimulates your circulation and distribution of immune cells, and increases anti-pathogenic cells in your system.” He references the “J Curve” effect in studies of respiratory illness, where results on a graph briefly fall, then rise quickly and steeply.

“With moderate to vigorous exercise, you see dramatic decrease in respiratory illness,” he says. “We see an increase of our bodies to perform immuno-surveillance — to be on guard.” Dr. Shukla says research shows exercise has a profound effect on cells in our mucus and saliva, and our respiratory tract. “This is an important cell to defend against illness,” he says, especially flu-like and respiratory illness.

So exercise is good; modern science again confirms what your mom said all along. But all the way back in the 1600’s, Shakespeare warned us, “you can have too much of a good thing.” Research shows that’s true, too. The takeaway? Don’t go beyond what you are currently conditioned to do, at least at first, says Dr. Shukla, or you may do more harm than good.

“There needs to be a fine line drawn between a healthy amount of activity, and an unhealthy amount of exercise,” says Dr. Shukla.

Studies of ultramarathoners, marathoners, and runners who are logging 26-50 miles a week show an increased risk of upper respiratory infections or flu illnesses after heavy exertion, like a race. This is caused by an interplay of factors, says Dr. Shukla, like increases in the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol, and a disfunction in the ability of the immune system to circulate its fighter cells to the body’s tissue compartments like skin, muscles, and respiratory tracts under duress.

In some runners, an increase in heavy or intense exercise, like running a marathon, led to between 2 and 6 times the upper respiratory infections 1-2 weeks after the race. Another study found a statistically significant difference in respiratory illness between marathoners and those who walked at a moderate or intense pace for 30-45 minutes at a time.

Does this mean you should give up running longer distances, or even building up to more mileage? Nope!

“If you usually run 26 miles a week regularly, you’re conditioned to tolerate those stressors and it shouldn’t have a significantly negative impact on your health,” Dr. Shukla reassures us. “We want people to maintain their level of conditioning.”

So if you’re used to going the distance, go the distance. If you’re just starting out — or starting back — do it gently.

“Pacing yourself and incrementally increasing distance would be the safest way to get to your goals,” he says.

Building mileage is a practice in patience. The old “10 Percent Rule” (increasing mileage 10 percent each week) may not be for everyone. If you’re new to running, shoot for consistency first; such as a month or two of running 3 or 4 days per week before adding mileage. More experienced runners may have the foundation to safely add more than 10 percent each week. Experts agree – and so do we – that all runners should add supplemental strength and stretching exercises to their routines, no matter their mileage goals.

From Teen Mom to an MBA: One Woman’s Mission to Raise Kids the Way She Wasn’t 

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Shay Hunt is a woman with a plan. In fact, when she was 16 — a time when most kids are worried about school, sports, getting into college, or getting their driver’s license — Shay was making plans to start her non-profit to help kids, because, “I wish more people had taken more time when it came to raising me.”

Shay didn’t come by this plan easily. At 14, in Johnsonville, SC, Shay became a teen mom. It’s not an easy way to do things, but Shay says she had a whole village around her, encouraging her to stay in school, work towards her dreams, and still enjoy her childhood. And in 9th grade, she had a life-altering experience — she took an accounting class.

Yes, accounting. It clicked a light bulb on in her head.

“Now I understand why my family struggles. Now I understand why my community struggles. We don’t have this information,” she recalls thinking. “I wanted to be able to learn that skill and bring it back to my community.”

And that started the plan — to give back to her community, to repay what they had done for her as a teen mom. She was determined to use accounting as her path to make it happen, since without money or knowledge, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her mission.

She worked two jobs to get her degrees in Accounting and Business Administration while raising her young son. She kept going to get her Master’s of Accounting and Business Management. She also got married, gained a bonus daughter, had another child, and got a good job. She pursued a career in finance for 20 years, knowing it would enable her to follow her passion to help others. She raised her children by seeking out opportunities to expose them to more experiences than she had seen growing up. She helped other parents do the same.

In 2018, she switched gears from her business career.

“It was never my plan to stay in corporate America my whole life,” she says. She followed her inner voice to “do what you were created to do” — to help others, and inspire children. The time was right for her and her family. She was mentally prepared.

She created Raise a Child of the Carolinas, the name she thought up at 16 when she first envisioned her plan.

“Our goal is to expose children to things they aren’t exposed to,” Shay says. “Our target is communities who don’t have the opportunities others have. I know where the resources are.”

RACC follows a project-based STREAM model (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Math) to teach kids real-life skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, college and career readiness, and physical fitness. Camps are centered around learning a discipline and taking a field trip to see its practical use in a business. And in most summers, there are also fun trips to pools, water parks, or spraygrounds.

Of course, if you’re going to take 10 – 30 kids anywhere, you need reliable transportation — a good set of wheels.

The church that hosts the RACC program allows them to use their 15-passenger van, but it’s not big enough for all of the kids. Some have to ride with counselors or in private cars. And to make matters worse, the church van broke down.

Shay figures this is as good of a time as any — while programs are on hold — to raise money for some new wheels. Her careful research shows she needs about $30,000 to make it happen.

“You have to be mobile to have upward mobility,” says Shay, noting Charlotte has been known to need some help in this regard. “When COVID allows us to take kids places, we want to do that.”

If you’ve got a good pair of shoes and want to help Shay go that extra mile, you can take a walk or run just for her. On Labor Day weekend, RunCharlotte is hosting the Run Charlotte, One Charlotte 1-mile virtual challenge to help RACC buy an activity bus.

“In Raise a Child of the Carolinas, we saw an opportunity to connect the Charlotte running community with a young nonprofit that’s already making a difference… and has the potential to do so much more with just a little bit of help,” said Tim Rhodes, president and founder of RunCharlotte.

Rhodes said he felt a 1-mile event would be approachable for most everyone, no matter their running experience. And that approachability is what he hopes can drive donations and help buy that bus.

You have all weekend to do it, and you can even donate extra dollars, or buy a shirt to help RACC teach kids to become responsible, actively engaged, global citizens and leaders.

“This is my way of giving back,” says Shay. “You can grow up to be whatever you want to be and accomplish what you want to accomplish. Use the people around you to help.”

That’s you, Charlotte!

9 Ways Celebrate Global Running Day Virtually

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By Lindsay McClelland

Races may be canceled, but running certainly isn’t! Global Running Day is on June 3 every year and this year, it looks a little bit different than in years past. Luckily, as runners we’ve been able to rely on this sport during the coronavirus crisis. And although the group runs and races look different, we’re still able to connect as a community and celebrate the sport we love so much. So lace up those running shoes discover the many ways you can celebrate Global Running Day virtually.

Join a Strava Challenge

Use Strava to give yourself a challenge. Either join an existing challenge or use this special occasion to hit a new PR on a local segment! Strava’s a great way to connect with your local running community while competing against your friends.

Try a Virtual Race

Whether you’re a miler or an ultra runner, there’s a virtual race for everyone these days! Find a race that suits your fancy and give yourself a challenge. Running virtually is certainly different than in a mainstream race setting, but it can be equally as rewarding. Get creative by drawing mile markers with colorful chalk and creating a finish line out of toilet paper or ribbon!

Call in a Run with a Friend

Running solo can get a bit lonely so instead of yet another run alone, call a friend! Plan your runs together and use the miles to catch up via phone.

Wear Your Favorite Race Shirt

Celebrate the day by wearing your favorite race shirt (the Charlotte Marathon…hint, hint). Use your run to remember the highs of finishing that race and snap a selfie post-run!

Organize Your Race Medals

If you haven’t embarked on a home improvement during quarantine, now’s the time! Use Global Running Day as a time to organize your race medals. If you find medals that you no longer want to keep, donate them to an organization like We Finish Together to give them a second life.

Listen to a Running Podcast (on the run!)

Connect to the greater running community by listening to a running-focused podcast. We may be biased, but we love the Running Around Charlotte Podcast! A few other top picks include: The Rambling Runner, I’ll Have Another, Ali on the Run, The Morning Shakeout, and Running For Real.Grab your favorite pair of headphones and enjoy some inspirational stories on the run. 

Run for a Cause

Instead of running for yourself this Global Running Day, run for others. Dedicate your miles to an organization that means something to you and the sport. RunningWorks is a greal local one that uses running to benefit society.

Watch a Running Movie Marathon

Not feeling up for any mileage? Enjoy a different take on the marathon — a movie marathon! The Charlotte Marathon put together this great piece on all the best running movies from Forrest Gump to the more recent Brittany Runs a Marathon.

Donate Your Gear

Use Global Running Day as an opportunity to pay it forward. Do that spring cleaning you’ve been putting off and go through your old running gear, including shoes! Donating your old gear to Goodwill, Girls on the Run, or a local high school’s track team can be a great way to give someone else an opportunity to enjoy the sport.

Support Your Local Running Store

COVID-19 has been hard on local businesses and running stores are no exception. Celebrate Global Running Day by keeping your dollars in your community. If you need new running shoes purchase them locally instead of on Amazon and take advantage of curbside pickup so you can keep social distancing!

While this Global Running Day may not be filled with sweaty group selfies, we can still celebrate. Running is a sport that we’re so lucky to have during this uncertain time, so enjoy each and every mile!