Lake Run summary - Where: Lake Bloomington - When: 9 a.m.Saturday - Men's records: 7.5 miles - Rick Cummins, 1994, 36:54;4.37 miles - Jeff Jacobs, 1988, 20:54. - Women's records: 7.5 miles- Mary Toohill, 1998, 45:46; 4.37 miles - Wendy Little, 1987,24:18.Proceeds benefit: Habitat for Humanity of McLean County
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NORMAL -- Sherry Detloff was tricked.
Her friend, Shari Bell, said lots of people entering the 5Kdivision of the 2001 Mitsubishi 5K/Half Marathon road race in Normalwould be walking the course.
'When the race started,' Detloff remembers, 'everybody wasrunning, nobody was walking and I was too embarrassed to be the onlyone walking.'
So the resident of Normal ran a little and walked a little andthus was born a distance runner, who now at age 50 will beparticipating in her third Lake Run at 9 a.m. Saturday at LakeBloomington.
The 23rd annual event, which has 4.37- and 7.5-mile divisions, isexpected to draw more than 1,000 runners. Detloff has entered the 7.5-miler for the first time.
'You have to keep setting goals for yourself,' said Detloff, whoworks in the State Farm purchasing department. 'My goal is always tofinish. That is my goal for the 7.5-mile Lake Run.'
Detloff stayed with a combination of walking and jogging the firstfew months of her running career.
'I joined the Lake Run Club in the fall of 2001 so that I couldget their newsletter, which I now write a monthly column for,' shesaid.
In February of 2002, Detloff joined the Lake Run Club's Catch theWave program for rookie runners preparing to run the 4.37-mile LakeRun.
'When you start running, the prospect of running 4.37 miles justsounds impossible,' Detloff said. 'Our first night of Catch the Wave,we walked five minutes and ran two minutes three times. Every weekyou build up your running time and decrease your walking time.'
Detloff finished 386th out of 559 in the 2002 Lake Run, averaging10 minutes, 16 seconds per mile for a time of 44:54.3. She improvedto 316th last year in 42:42.2. Now comes the longest race of herlife.
She did a trial run of the 7.5-mile course two weeks ago.
'It was just terrible,' she said. 'It was awful. I walked morethan I ran. But my (Ride the Wave) team leader was so encouraging. Hesaid, 'I'll run with you next week.'
'You are never left behind. You are never left alone. There isalways someone running with you.'
The social aspect of running has been a big draw for the outgoingDetloff, who makes the first impression of an energetic and cheerfulperson.
She says running has left her surrounded by positive, optimisticand supportive people.
'The camaraderie is fun,' she said. 'It's always more fun to me torun in a group than by myself.'
The fun of sports wasn't available to Detloff as a youngsterbecause schools didn't have sports for girls. She's making up forlost time now.
'I'm at the point in my life where my kids (Jason, 24, and Rachel,16) are older,' said Detloff, who is married to Steve Detloff. 'Theyrequire less of my attention. I don't have to spend my time drivingthem around.
'I've finally got time to do something for myself. I've hadfriends who are very encouraging as far as running goes.'
And some have thought she was crazy because she runs outdoors yearround.
'I run with groups from the Lake Run club on Tuesday and Thursdaynights during the bad weather and that keeps me going, gets meoutside and gets me through those long, dark winter months,' shesaid.
Detloff averages 15 miles per week on an every-other-day schedule.She lifts weights on days she doesn't run and she's found exerciserelieves stress.
'I figure running is cheaper than a psychiatrist,' she said with alaugh.
Detloff smiles at the memory of her first race and the friend whotricked her into entering.
'If she hadn't done that, I never would have started running,'Detloff said. 'Learning something new or trying something new likerunning gives you the confidence to try other new things.'
Leaders of the pack
Among the top runners expected to race Saturday are Lisa Menningerof LaGrange, who has won the 7.5-miler a record five consecutiveyears. She came within five seconds of breaking the course recordlast year, clocking 45:51.
Former Brigham Young University runner Amy Cooper, 23, is enteredin the 4.37-miler. She won this year's Eureka Spring Classic 4-milerin 24:42.2.
Men's contenders include Verona's John Collet in the 7.5-miler andEl Paso's Mike Heffron in the 4.37-miler.
