Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, July 25, 2024.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

 

Uphill. Uphill. Uphill some more. Uphill. Even further uphill. Uphill. Uphill…uphill.

DOWNHILL!!!!!!!!!!!

“This is currently the ‘Top of the Hill Cratebox Derby, and it was originally the ‘King of the Hill Cratebox Derby’ run by Ron Merkel, Jayson Smith and Todd Jones and multiple volunteers, then it was the ‘Ron Merkel Cratebox Derby’ when Fins and Films brought back the cratebox derby three years ago,” recounted Megan Merkel, speaking of the long uphill-downhill-uphill-again history of Spring Valley’s wooden wonder race, the cratebox derby, a thrilling miles-per hour kiddo ride in a homebuilt racecar on a hill on the south end of town, once again a part of Spring Valley’s Ag Days.

Merkel explained how the derby was towed back to be part of Ag Days after the Fins and Films board of directors sponsored the fast-forward fun for a few years, citing that “this spring, the people at Fins and Films contacted us about the Ron Merkel Cratebox Derby because they didn’t have enough volunteers to make it happen, and they asked if we wanted to take it over.” She continued, “My husband, Shawn, wanted to continue this event, but unfortunately, we were always on vacation. We thought about asking the people at Ag Days if we could do it… it’s Saturday, August 17, and we have about a dozen kids already registered.”

After registration online, the derby begins – if one wants to build a car from the kits available at Ace Hardware in Spring Valley – with constructing a wooden vehicle that can be decorated with everything from standard racing stripes to rainbows and unicorns but most importantly must be roadworthy. Merkel shared, “You do not have to build your own cars. We have the original cars and have kept them in good condition, so kids can borrow a car. The registration fee is $20, and that’s really because we can’t race 100 cars. There are two classes of racers – one for kids six to nine years old and another for kids ten and up. Kids need to bring a helmet… there are flyers around town and at the banks, and on the economic development authority’s website where you can register and pay. We want people to know that registration is continuing to be accepted and that if kids are on the hill and have a helmet, they can participate.”

She pointed out that the young drivers will encounter at least one “whee-eee” moment as they’re launched from the starting trailer on South Washington Avenue, a street over from where Fins and Films held it on the equally steep South Broadway slope, and their departure from that trailer will include a speedometer-clocking rate that just might scare or embolden them and terrify their spectating parents and grandparents. “We’re working together with the Little Huskers race and the fishing contest, which are at the same time, and we will move them in their bracket and continue racing after the parade. The other reason we moved it was that the vendor market is in Spring Creek Park, and there’s the Little Huskers race, and so we’re creating a funnel all the way to Ag Days fun. They’re guaranteed at least two races down the hill because it’s double elimination, so the first time, they can sort of get their nerves sorted out, and the second, they can race. There will be volunteers at the bottom of the hill to help them slow down, and they do not have to pull themselves back up the hill because we will have side-by-sides to do that.”

Merkel commented that racing in the Top of the Hill is more than just an event for the junior drivers. “I think it’s just the fun, the fun of racing. It’s the thrill of racing and to see if you won.” It’s also being cheered by “parents and grandparents” who may be rooting for a youngster, offering a family experience. “It’s making memories, fun summer experiences. Kids can be the talk of the town and have their five seconds of fame.” For more information on the Top of the Hill Cratebox Derby, log onto the derby’s Facebook page or the Spring Valley Economic Development Authority’s website at www.springvalleyeda.org.

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday July 18, 2024.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

 

What do you get when you trek 1,310 miles, go through 120 pairs of shoes, and visit 50 different states?

You get David Phillips running 50 marathons in 50 states!

It was 24 years ago that Phillips first ran in the Med City Marathon in Rochester and he just hasn’t stopped! He’s since ran the 26.2 mile stretch 60 more times, completing his goal of running in each of the states by heading to Anchorage, Alaska and completing the course with a solid 4:49.12 or splits of 11:02 per mile.

First Marathon

“My first marathon was in 2000, the Med City Marathon in Rochester,” noted Phillps of his first venture in the grueling race, where some just don’t finish. “I was active, playing tennis and basketball regularly, but only ran short distances occasionally to stay in shape. I’m not sure what prompted me to start running long distances. There were some difficulties, or changes, in my personal life, so in some ways it was like a midlife crisis, but cheaper and healthier than buying a Ferrari.”

It was almost a “one and done” but after some soul searching, Phillips continued on to his next marathon, but in Wisconsin at the Mad City Race in Madison a year later.

“After my first marathon, I wasn’t sure I wanted to run one again as it was quite an ordeal,” added Phillips. “My mother went to watch it and she said I looked green when I met her at the end. It took me another year to sign up again – this time for the Mad City Marathon. I got hooked, though, and started doing two a year or a couple years three if I ran one in the winter.”

Son Offers Encouragement

 Phillips stated that most of his early marathons were close by, except one in Houston, Texas, that he ran with his brother who lives there.

“I have three brothers, one who ran short distances, one who doesn’t run at all and one who used to do marathons, but now runs shorter distances,” said the distance runner. “In 2003, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and in 2005, I ran the New York City Marathon, but the others were all relatively close.”

In 2007, he started venturing out regularly, often meeting a brother to run races in new places.

“We joked about doing them in all 50 states, but it was more of a vague wish then. In 2016, I ran in Sioux Falls, where my son lives, and was tagging along with a pacer, who runs a constant pace to get people to the finish line in a set goal, say four hours for example, when I mentioned to him that it would be nice to do all 50 states.”

South Dakota was state number 23 and Phillips was 51 years old, so it didn’t seem likely he would complete his goal.

“My son was encouraging, saying I could just keep doing what I was doing and would reach 50 by the time I was 70,” added Phillips. “I thought age 70 sounded quite old then and didn’t know if I would still be running marathons when I started approaching that age, so it still didn’t seem like a realistic goal. The next three years I did two each year so I was at 30 states when I retired from the newspaper business and covid hit. I didn’t run any marathons for nearly two years due to the pandemic and even thought that maybe my marathon days were over since it was sort of nice not training, but just running short and medium distances for an extended time.”

Changes Strategy

The other factor working against Phillip’s 50-state goal was that he had all the nearby states covered, so it would have been difficult traveling to the 20 remaining states.

“Then, I heard about ‘Mainly Marathons’, run by two brothers from St. Cloud, who set up marathons in consecutive days in different states in a region,” stated the runner. “Except for Mainly Marathons (MM), nearly all marathons are held on Saturday or Sunday to allow runners to participate without taking time off from work. The MM events are held daily in small towns or state parks and consist of loops, rather than a 26.2-mile stretch. I wasn’t sure I would like loops, so I tried one in western Ohio, a remaining state where I could still drive to participate.”

Phillips stated that the loops were somewhat boring, but it was fun seeing the people, whom he stated were very friendly, plus he saw them often.

“I felt this would work as it would save on travel expenses if I did more than one at a time even though I had never tried that before as my marathons had always been several months apart,” said Phillips. “Next, I tried doing two three days apart. I successfully completed both and then tried two two days apart before running back-to-back marathons and finally four marathons in five days in New England where the states are close together.”

Until recently, Phillips said he never imagined he could ever run 105 miles in five days.

“I ran those marathons slower, closer to a training pace that didn’t take so much out of me compared to a race, so I could make sure I finished each one. In 2021, I ran five marathons, and in 2022 and 2023 I ran seven marathons each year to get to 48.”

It was in January Phillips went to Maui in Hawaii to run his 49th state and on June 22, 2024 he completed his 50th state in Anchorage, Alaska.

“I love puzzles and the 50 states goal became somewhat of a game as I plotted out how to reach my goal,” noted Phillips. “My wife went with me to some of the early marathons, but not so much to those last ones as I was mostly running, so there wasn’t a lot of sightseeing involved. I joked to her before some of the trips (that involved more than one marathon) that I was going on a business trip to knock out more states. I really appreciate that she was so supportive of my goal even though she couldn’t share in the fun on many of them.”

No Easy Task

To accomplish this feat, it takes plenty of dedication, plenty of running shoes and just determination and grit in getting out to run and prepare for any marathon.

“I’d have to say all marathons are hard, which is why so few people attempt them,” pointed out Phillips. “As far as courses, I didn’t see a great range in difficulty on the ones I ran. Some had more hills, which make it harder and some were at 5,000+ feet above sea level, which I didn’t notice having an impact on me at all. The one physical condition that made marathons the hardest was the heat, which is hard to predict.”

Phillips stated that usually marathons are held during historically cooler times (ideal temperatures are 50 to 60 degrees), but weather has a lot of variables and the hot ones definitely brought down his times as the heat and humidity take a toll on the body across 26.2 miles.

Boston Marathon

“A lot of running a marathon is mental so I did have some marathons with ideal conditions that just didn’t end well and I never understood why. The one marathon in which everything came together as far as weather, a flat course, quality training and a good mindset throughout the race was in Detroit in 2008. I had my fastest time ever and I qualified for the Boston Marathon, which uses qualifying standards for entry that not a lot of runners can meet. Qualifying and running Boston was my greatest accomplishment until the 50 states, something I never envisioned the first several years of long-distance running.”

 Training

Phillips said the training dwarfs the actual marathon. The schedule is usually 16 to 18 weeks with increasingly long runs once a week, usually on Saturday morning.

“I usually start with a 10-mile run at the start of training, then it gradually goes up until it peaks at 20 miles about a month before the marathon with a taper just prior to the marathon,” said the Spring Valley athlete. “In between the long runs, are shorter runs several days. When I was younger, I ran six days a week, then scaled back to five and now run four days a week. I still put in over 30 miles a week during training.”

Shoes played another factor, as running so many miles can break down a running shoe somewhat fast.

“I run through shoes pretty regularly. The recommendation is to replace them after about 300 miles and I have been averaging 1,500 miles of running per year, so that’s about five per year. I don’t hit the pavement hard, so there is little visible wear on my shoes, but when I re[1]place them I can tell the difference in the cushioning.”

The other factor is how much can a body take?

“I’ve never had any major physical problems,” said Phillips, who feels blessed. “I did have a hamstring injury before my Georgia marathon and my doctor told me not to run, but I already had the plane ticket, hotel reservation and marathon entry so I went with the plan of walk-running the course. My goal was to finish and not make my hamstring any worse, which I accomplished. I’m lucky that I have never had any knee or other major issues as many of my friends have had to take significant time out or drop running due to injuries.”

Nothing Better Than Scenery

Phillips pointed out that he ran 1,310 miles in 50 states with plenty to see.

“I ran underneath the massive redwoods in California, through all five boroughs of New York City, on the high desert of Navaho land in New Mexico and Arizona, though many neighborhoods of Chicago, along the Atlantic Ocean coast on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where the Wright Brothers first took to the air in a plane, off the Gulf of Mexico just yards from the water in Mississippi, in the higher elevations of Colorado, Utah and Idaho, and so many other places,” stated Phillips. “It isn’t just the destinations, though, as I’ve learned I can do so much more than I ever dreamed just by putting in the effort to try. It’s been quite an amazing journey all with the power of just putting one foot in front of the other – well over 2 million times through the 50 marathons.”

As far as most interesting runs, there were some views and obstacles only a marathon runner can take in.

“In Hawaii, I ran in Maui, which was still recovering from the awful fires the previous year,” noted Phillips. “The organizer had to change the course slightly so it didn’t end in Lahaina, much of which was still blocked off for renovation. The race started at 5 a.m. to beat the heat in Hawaii so I wore a headlamp the first couple hours of the marathon until the sun rose about 7 a.m. When daylight came, there was some great scenery and I even saw whales migrating off the coast.”

In Alaska, the marathon was held in Anchorage.

“No headlamps there as the sun did set, but it never got completely dark at night. The course was mostly on a trail through deep forests. I saw a moose at mile two about 30 yards off the trail, but no bears, which are often a problem on that course. It is ironic that the only time I saw a bear was in Connecticut on a fairly urban course. There was another bear sighting, although not by me, in the New Jersey marathon, which was in the rugged northern part of the state.”

How it Started

As for how Phillips started running, it was just, sort of, by punishment.

“The one year I played organized basketball in school, running (wind sprints) was used as a punishment if practice didn’t go well, so it is ironic that I would be running for fun, but long-distance running does bring me satisfaction in and of itself, not because it leads to better race results. It is sort of a meditation as I let my mind wander during runs,” commented Phillips as to how the initiative started. “When I worked, it was a good release after busy days at the office. I also wrote many stories in my head as I was putting in miles after work. There is also that feeling of accomplishment. Long runs may take a toll on the body, but mentally they lifted me as I had a satisfaction of completing an arduous task.”

Phillips noted that it has given him more confidence in his abilities and a better perspective on life as I take a longer view of things now, realizing all those little problems don’t usually matter in the long run (no pun intended).

“I’ve also learned about perseverance, grit, resilience and commitment,” added the harrier. “The once-a-week long runs also became social events as I usually run with the Rochester Running Club, which sets up a course with aid stations Saturday mornings during spring and fall training. I’ve become good friends with some of the runners who have about the same pace as I do. I don’t do it for weight control or longevity, but feel it has improved my all-around mental and physical health.”

On a side note, Phillips added that he finished one marathon with a hernia, which wasn’t caused by the running, but the surgery – the only time he had surgery in his life – keeping him off his feet for more than a month.

“I felt lethargic without the constant movement/activity,” added Phillips. “When I started running, I couldn’t even get to a mile before I felt winded. It felt awful, but since I had so much experience with running I knew it would get better the more I ran. It did help me understand why some people never begin running. If I thought every run was going to be like that first one, I would never continue, either.”

Keep On Trekking!

As for what’s next?

“I’ll keep running, but I’m not sure what goals I will have, if any,” continued Phillips. “I’ve had a lot of suggestions, though – run the seven continents, other countries, do the states again, but none of those appeal to me. I’ll turn 70 in seven months, which doesn’t feel as old as I thought it would when I was 50, but I realize I have lost a lot of speed and the longer distances take more out of me so my most likely goal is to just keep moving because that is where the magic happens.”

Publisher In His Blood

As for Phillips’ personal life, he and his wife, Pam, have lived in Spring Valley since 1981 and they have two grown children in Lisa and Greg.

Due to his father moving “quite a bit” while Phillips’ was growing up, he finally settled in Spring Valley in 1974, while David was still in college out east. He had purchased the Tribune.

Meanwhile, Phillips eventually went to college in the midwest and graduated with a degree in the humanities and a minor in communications.

“During college, I helped at my father’s newspaper during summers and became interested in journalism as a career,” noted Phillips. “After college, I moved to Boston, then Orlando, Fla., where I free-lanced for a suburban newspaper, and then Houston, Texas, where I worked for a suburban paper and then in a public relations department of an oil tool company.”

It was in 1981 that he moved back to Spring Valley when an opening at the Tribune came up, took over as editor and soon began purchasing the paper from his father, who died in 1988, at which time he became publisher.

“I later purchased several other community newspapers east of Spring Valley,” said Phillips, who had numerous weekly publications and a shopper before retiring in 2020 just as the pandemic started. “I was very active in the community and am still on the SV Economic Development Authority, serving as president this year, and am in my third term (second consecutive) as president of the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club. I was a founder of the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation and still serve on one of its committees. I also organize two running races in Spring Valley each year during city celebrations and I previously served on the board and as president several years of the Rochester Running Club.”

So, in the road of life, Phillips just seems to give back as much as he’s run, showing plenty of mileage for a community he’s grown to love.

All in all, just an outstanding accomplishment and something area runners will be talking about for years to come!

 

Article and Photos Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

 

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, July 11.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

 

Lovejoy Come on, guys and gals, get in your little deuce coupe and get downtown.

There’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on, and it’s also about to get fiery.

“This is our eighth annual Fins and Films, and there’s a wide variety of events – a car show with lots of cars, trucks and bikes, a flyover, the drive-in movie as part of Kids’ Night on Friday, the mini pinup and greaser show on Friday, live music, food trucks and stands, the pinup show on Saturday, and new this year, the ‘Night of Fire’,” stated 2024 Fins and Films Board President Doc (Josh) Shipton, anticipating Spring Valley’s annual car culture convention complete with classic rides and campers, an outdoor movie, a pinup show with lovely ladies dressed to the nines and tens, and the riskier excitement of cars throwing fire from their exhaust pipes so that some bystanders may clutch their pearls and others may have to reread the “do not try this at home” warning.

Shipton highlighted that Fins and Films was founded in 2017 by Spring Valley resident Greg Melartin, a lifelong car tinkerer and collector who saw potential in Spring Valley’s drive-in movie and automobile history for his dream car show – one at which anyone who has any kind of vintage transportation may choose to put it on display, no matter the condition, and educate others on how vehicles changed how people live their daily lives. Fins and Films has gained the attention of car collectors from across the tri-state area and beyond, as well as promoting Spring Valley’s businesses and providing a midsummer hometown vacation for anyone interested in the shine of chrome and the rumble of engines. Shipton noted, “I think there will be about 100 cars at the show this year – we have someone from Grand Meadow who’s bringing ten to twelve of his cars. We’ve got a bunch coming from Prairie du Chien, Des Moines, from the Twin Cities.”

He added, “This is not your typical car show. Most car shows, people bring their cars, walk around, talk with their friends about cars and then go home. This car show has pinups, live music, a burnout contest – that’s my favorite because it’s something that you don’t see every day. You’re filling the whole area with a smoke screen, and you can hear the roar of an engine.”

This Friday, July 12 is Kids’ Night at Fins and Films, with vendors and food, a kids’ carnival, photo booth and Sharp Sound DJ. The mini pinup show, a gathering of simply adorable young ladies and greaser gentlemen, takes the downtown stage at 7:00 p.m., allowing for applause for every cute and sassy participant. An airplane flyover buzzes historic downtown Broadway as pilots venture approximately 500 feet from the pavement to salute the people below. Being that it’s the evening devoted to little ones, the kids’ dance party starts at 8:00 p.m. and sock hops until 9:00 p.m., at which time the Fins board of directors fires up the movie projector and shows the animated movie “Elemental” and movie-goers grab a blanket or chair and pull up to the big screen to enjoy a flick under the stars.

The cruising and grooving continue on Saturday, July 13 as Fins grass drags participants and spectators take an 11:00 a.m. drive to Ostrander for drag-racing on a field on the outskirts of town. The flag girl signals the race start at 11:30 a.m., and from there, it’s anything goes as the mud flies. Once the wild ride’s done, it’s time to return to Spring Valley for good eats from the likes of the Popcorn Wagon, Stellar 181, a cotton candy and mini donut cart, and most downtown eating establishments keeping regular hours. Fins and Films has traded its annual cratebox derby for daredevils rolling down South Broadway for a Pinewood derby for those who still like a good hotrod race, but this one’s on a much smaller scale. At 1:00 p.m., there’s a vintage market, the car and truck show, a roller rink for guys and gals who want to lace up and coast, and live music by Bob Schlief. More aviators will nearly scrape the ground as another flyover happens at 2:00 p.m., and Spring Valley quartet “Sister Luv” – Xena, JLee, Elsie and Michelle, daughters of Amanda Watson – appear on the music stage to offer all the oldies at 3:00 p.m. Next, it’ll be time for hot wheels at 5:00 p.m. as the burnout contest skids and smokes its way into impressive view. Speaking of hot – or just plain cute – a long lineup of ladies hailing from near and far are set to enchant an audience during the pinup show at 6:30 p.m., and the contest’s winner gets the “Miss Fins and Films 2024” title and sash. Band “Mercury 3” fills the air with good tunes at 7:30 p.m. between the pinup show and the “Night of Fire.” Shipton remarked that the first-ever “Night of Fire” is slated to start at 10:00 p.m., and while he gave few details about the full spectacle, he is certain that there’ll be a spark of interest, as “it started with Christmas on Broadway when Greg was spitting fire…and it kinda escalated from there.”

Sponsors of the 2024 Fins and Films activities include Bloomfield Mutual Insurance, Bluff Brothers Brewing, Carr’s Bar & Grill, Chateau de Chic, Chevrolet of Spring Valley, Edina Realty, English Electric, Essig Agency, First National Bank, Grand Meadow License Bureau, Home Federal, Kingsland School Parents, LWJM Tax, Marburger Insurance, Matt’s Body Shop, McConnell Electric, Mettler Chiropractic, Minnesota Metals, NAPA, S&S Bait Shop, SATA USA, Scott’s Auto Works, Shiny Hiney, Some Like It Hot, Southland Auto, Stellar 181 Taphouse, Stier Steel, Sunshine Foods, Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce, Spring Valley Dental, Spring Valley Lifetime Eye Clinic, Spring Valley Sales Company, Spring Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), TJ’s Liquor, Tracker Industries, United Fund of Spring Valley, Valley Diner, Valley Lanes, Valley Overhead Door, and Wolf’s Den of Ostrander. Admission to Fins and Films 2024 is free, as Fins and Films is a nonprofit organization that strives to educate about motorized history and its effects on the world, from how people got to work to how they spent their weekends at the drive-in movies. For more information, log onto the Fins and Films Facebook page, or find Fins and Films on Snapchat or Instagram. Shipton invited anyone and everyone to get downtown because there’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on, and better yet, it’s fun for the short quarts all the way up to the gallons because “it’s all family friendly, with neat people and a really fun atmosphere.”

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325