TRAVERSE CITY -- Two years, two records.
Marybeth Reader, who set a new women's mark last May in the Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon, added the Bayshore Half-Marathon record to her list of credentials Saturday.
Reader, a nurse at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, finished the 13.1-mile race in 1:24.36. Amy Marshall was second in 1:29.07.
Nick Krus, who runs for the Playmakers race team out of Lansing, set a men's course record in 1:09.26. Teammate Scott Schmick was second at 1:11.25.
Despite setting new marks, Krus and Reader said they could have done better.
"I ran about 1 minute and 15 seconds faster three weeks ago at Indianapolis," Krus said. "I was coming into this pretty confident, but it was a little warmer here than I expected. I was hoping for 40 to 45 degrees. But it was 55 at the start. I run much better in the cold."
Reader, meanwhile, is just rounding into racing shape after an injury-filled year.
"I'm so sad because I ran faster for the marathon last year," she said. "But I paid serious dues after that marathon. I had eight months of injuries. I'm just coming back."
Reader's injuries included two stress fractures, the last of which occurred in February.
"I took all of February off, trained for Boston and ran a disappointing 2:59 (at Boston)," she said. "When I thought of doing Boston I thought of doing much better. But considering I only had about seven weeks (of training) with the taper, I was, 'Well, OK.'"
Earlier this month, Reader finished second among masters runners in the Fifth Third 25K.
"I just can't seem to break the 6:30 pace," she said. "I was hoping to do that today, but I think I was too tired from Boston and Fifth Third. My focus now is on getting faster."
Reader was plenty fast Saturday despite a glitch.
"I'm not a coffee drinker and I had these power gels that have caffeine," she said. "But guess what? They were in my shorts pocket and the zipper was stuck. So I didn't have any caffeine. I was sort of frustrated I couldn't get to my packets. So these shorts are going in the fire. That was an issue for me. I don't know if it's psychological or what, but I sort of felt I needed the sugar because I didn't eat a big breakfast."
Nonetheless, Reader was just glad to be back.
"I love this course," she said. "They always paint nice weather here. I don't know how that happens. The water is like glass. No wind. It's wonderful."
Reader said she expects to run the marathon again next May.
"My distance is the marathon," she said. "My split for the full marathon was faster than it was for half today. This is not my distance. I don't know how to run it."
In the men's race, Krus and Schmick ran together for the first five miles.
"For some reason, he dropped off," Krus said.
Schmick said later he had "stomach problems."
Krus ran a "pretty even" race, his pace ranging from 5:09 to 5:20.
"I had a 5:24 at the end, I died off a little," he said. "I started hurting at 11 (miles). My blisters started really getting to me."
Krus broke the course record set in 2007 by another Playmakers teammate, Jake Crowe (1:09.36).
"I'll be able to bug him about that now," Krus said, smiling.
Dave Bussard (1:14.44) and Reader were the masters winners.
Print this story
E-mail this story
