4111r.3t $ 1 1;3 tirr ir ON rill , Jr,' °. * • • . 4 Op • i r "Anybody running beats anybody walking, and anybody walking beats anybody sitting." — Tom Bunk, cartoonist are not her strong suit, she said she relied on the runners themselves to measure their own mileage and do- nate money to One Fund Boston on their own. Meanwhile, she worked on the big picture, "encouraging people to run, have fun and come together as a community while benefitting the greater good," said Silverstein, who began running two years ago and hasn't missed a day since. The fact that the run was merged with a Federation-sponsored Run for Israel 5K on the same day at the same place only made it better, she said. Silverstein runs in a group on week- ends, meeting at 9 a.m. every Monday morning on the trail, rain or shine. "I consider running as a com- mitment and medium of surprise, pushing physical, mental and spiritual growth," said Silverstein, who has two boys and a supportive husband. She does strength training at the Jewish Community Center to stay injury-free, but she'd rather be run- ning. "Sometimes running gives me a good endorphin rush, while strength training rarely does:' In addition to her daily runs, she runs with and supports 32 other women. "I run with them, support them via text messages and encourage them to pay this forward to encourage others to run," she said. Kimberly Schon of West Bloomfield is one of those 32 women. She logged 13.5 miles that day in preparation for the Stony Creek Half Marathon. Schon has been running on and off for about three years and calls it a way to refocus. "It helps me relax, and it's also a nice way to have some 'me time," she said. She runs on the treadmill during the week because baby-sitting for her three kids is offered at the gym. "I much prefer to run outside," she said. "Running on the treadmill www.redthreadmagazine.com Ed Kozloff (with microphone) at the Run For Literacy that was held on Detroit's RiverWalk April 28 "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single oy." — Zen Judaism does not give me the same feeling as outside:' THE ORGANIZER Encouraged by his seventh-grade teacher at Detroit's Cerveny Junior High School in 1956 to go out for track, Ed Kozloff has led a life of learning, teaching and running. He became captain of Cooley High School's track and cross-country teams and an All-City runner. He ran track and cross-country at Wayne State University, ran the first two Motor City Marathons in 1963 and 1964 (which became the Free Press Marathon in 1978) and eventually became the race director of the Free Press Marathon and at least 1,000 other races. "My very active running years ended in the mid-1970s, after I became an officer in the Motor City Striders in 1972," he said. "I have been the presi- dent since 1975, and believe it is the longest tenure for a major running club in the United States." At one time, the Striders had 1,400 members and were one of the five largest clubs in the country. Starting in 2005, the club reduced its schedule and is involved in about eight races a year. The group of about 100 people no longer meets to run together. "Our basic function is to conduct the races that are still on our sched- ule," said Kozloff, who lives with his wife of 45 years in Huntington Woods. "We also award two scholar- ships to a boy and girl high school runner from the Detroit Public Schools:' Kozloff taught health, physical edu- cation, social studies and science for 36 years with the Warren Consoli- Miriam Silverstein at the Heart of Detroit 5K with her son Aryeh, 6. dated School System and has been a cross-country coach at Schoolcraft College for five years. He has won numerous civic and running-related honors, including City of Huntington Woods Citizen of the Year; Michigan Runner Maga- zine Runner of the Year and Runner of the Quarter Century; Road Run- ners Club of America President of the Year; Amateur Athletic Union of the United States Long Distance Run- ning Chairman of the Year; Teacher of the Year, Beer Junior High School, Warren Consolidated Schools; and high score and record performance in the U.S. Army Reserve Basic Training fitness test. Although he no longer runs, he considers running an activity with no limits. "Unlike other sports, there are no losers," he said. "The sport — and the run — is within oneself. Try to improve the distance you can run, try to improve your time. Weather is not a limiting factor — too hot, too cold, runners adapt and enjoy their run if it's training or racing:' RT RED THREAD I June 2013 35