 | A Few Words With...Marien Bradsher |
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8/5/2009 - by TJ Dwyer |
With little fanfare, Marien Bradsher, who for almost two decades has been a part of the Minnesota running community, recently sold her Twin Cities house, packed up a truck and moved back to her former home state of North Carolina. TJ Dwyer caught up with her to find out what her plans are for this next stage of her life. In this segment of A Few Words With... Marien shares her reasons for returning to her southern roots and her very mixed feelings about leaving Minnesota behind.
Where are you from originally?
"Originally, from Durham, North Carolina. Before moving to Minnesota, I lived on the coast of North Carolina, in Morehead City.
Where did you go to school - high school, college, etc.?
"Most of my school days took place in Durham. I attended college in St. Petersburg (Florida), Duke, Charlotte, and Durham Tech. Somehow I forgot to graduate.
What have you done for a living?
"It never occurred to me that I would ever have to support myself so I was never exactly in a standard career. I worked in a coin and stamp shop for 15 years, the last five years of which I was the owner. Then I worked as a bookseller for five years on the coast of North Carolina. I moved to the Twin Cities and painted houses for a year, before getting hired by the VA (Veteran's Administration) to work as a clerk in the Debt Management Center at Ft Snelling. I joyfully retired November 2007.
When did you first move to the Twin Cities? What brought you here?
"I moved to the Twin Cities Aug 1, 1991. I was told by my sister and her daughter that it was a good place to raise a kid [editor’s note: Marien has one daughter, JoElla Straley], and the little town we had lived in was nice, but limited.
When did you start running?
"I started running the summer of 1978. I just turned 33, quit smoking, and was trying to impress the guy I ended up married to for a couple of years.
What's your favorite distance?
"I am not sure what my favorite distance is. Possibly 10 miles, because that is long enough to test you, but not so long you have to train forever. Now that I am older I am running slower and it doesn't show as much in the distance. Three minutes difference really shows in a 5K!
Favorite ‘version’ of this sport (e.g. cross country, track, roads, etc.)?
"I have come to really enjoy the trail running. There it is more you against the environment rather than the competition. It always reminds me of being a little kid and playing in the woods. Of course there is nothing as much fun as John Cramer's Como Park cross country!
Can you tell me about your work with MDRA while you were here?
"I am not good at staying up late, so I never did my duty on the board of MDRA, which I regret, but they seem to do a great job without me. I think I started volunteering at the Dome the first year I was in Minnesota. Rick (Recker) probably knows better than me, but it was either ‘91 or ‘92.
"That gave me my real tie into MDRA. Then I just fell into helping when I could. John Cramer lined me up to help at Como maybe ten years ago. Anytime I was injured I was available to volunteer. Running has been my social life for years so I like to be around runners and help when I can. The Twin Cities is lucky in having a larger number of runners that are still helping though no longer active runners.
How about specific racing highlights or accomplishments?
"The highlight times of my running in Minnesota would have to be the relay races I ran with my old lady friends. Kathy Benhardus organized us into a team to run Reach the Beach, in New Hampshire; Klondike Trail in Alaska; Great River Relay in Wisconsin-Minnesota; and the Blue Ridge Relay in NC. At the time, or at least by the first night time run, these things are hell, but boy, do you feel good when you are done! And the bonding you do with your teammates is for real. Most of the time I was competition to the ladies on the team, but all that disappears when you do a relay.
You just recently moved from Minnesota, correct? (Late July/early August?)
"I am perched in Hillsborough, North Carolina with friends. I am looking at houses in Durham, Mebane, Roxboro, Asheville...I can't afford Hillsborough. It's too historic. I am here to be warmer and closer to my relatives, specifically my daughter [JoElla turns 29 later this month] who works for NPR (National Public Radio) in Washington, DC.
What are your plans for your new home state? Do you intend to get involved with the local running community? What will you miss about the Twin Cities and Minnesota? What won’t you miss?
"I am going to do my best to continue my running, but it is tough to do as much racing as there is no where near the races available in Minnesota. I will be doing a lot of driving to get to races and it looks like there are way too many 5Ks. Nothing like driving for two hours to run for a half hour.
"It is going to be hard to keep my mouth shut about how much nicer it was in Minnesota. But what I won’t miss are those cold cold days when you wait for it to hit ten degrees to get out the door. It gets cold enough in short spells that I may still be able to run in the snow upon occasion, which I have always found enchanting. But I remember you run in more 40 degree rain which is not much fun.
"I am slowly acclimating myself to the high humidity here. I am told we only have another month to go and then it will dry up. Also I am sorely missing my Como Park which I was blessed to live by.
"Thanks for all you and Chris (Fuller) do to keep running such a strong force in Minnesota. And give my goodbyes to all my friends up there. I do expect to be back now and then and will certainly catch a race or two when I visit." |