This article came out in the Kansas City Star the day before the Rock The Parkway Half Marathon.  Thanks Pete Grathoff.  He did say I was calling from Southern California.  Actually, it is Northern California.  Otherwise, the facts are right on. 

Here is the link to the article: Kansas City Star Bob Anderson

It was cool to see the start of the article on the home page of the Sports Section.

At the starting line the next morning.  The overall winner (Paul) is in the white jersey on the left.  It was a nice day to race.  This is a ginature event of the KC Running Company.  Beautiful course...there are a few hills...plenty of aid stations...best race medal ever...a fun event.  I finished 101st overall and first 60 plus with 1:33:29.  Race director Troy Fitzgerald, event director Brad Ziegler and PR director Dina did a super job. There is also a 5k.  7,500 runners in total.  It sells out early...

Here the link to the official site: Rock the Parkway April 13, 2013

Photos and stories from Kansas will be posted Monday.  Been a great trip.  Running with my brother and some other people in a few minutes.  The bad weather missed Manhattan too.  It is not raining on our parade...Really liked the Rock The Parkway half marathon.  Troy and Dina who put on the run are great...I wanted to run better but I will take the 1:33:29 and first 60 plus....

 We are leaving tomorrow for Kansas.  Flying to Kansas City and staying in Overland Park where I went to high school (Shawnee Mission West).  Going to do some filming at the school and then at 4pm meeting up with Bruce Gilbert at the track.  He too has been running for 50 years.  He will be running the half marathon in the morning too.  There is a track meet going on and they are going to have me start the 1600m.  That will be fun.

It seems like my ankle issue is behind me and I am ready to race Saturday morning.  It might be raining which would make it interesting.  It looks like a good course and with the right conditions I want to run 1:31 or better.  That should be good enough for first place in my age-group.  Bruce Gilbert (mentioned above) should be second.  But you never know...

After the race we are heading for Manhattan Kansas.  This is where I established Distance Running News.  I am very excited to see my brother Barry and his wife Vicky....can't wait.

I just spoke with Dean Coughenour in Manhattan Kansas.  He is not a runner and probably over 80 years-old now.  Without Dean there may not have been a Distance Running News.  He printed all the copies of DRN once I moved to Manhattan in the summer of 1966.  The last issue he printed was the January 1970 issue with Runner's World on the cover (that is when I changed the name from Distance Running News).  He printed 10,000 copies of that issue.  I put the copies in my 10 foot U Haul truck and headed west for Moutain View, California.  Besides giving me a great price for printing, more importantly he gave me a key to his printing office.  I learned magazine layout working for him.  After going to school (Kansas State) I worked part time at Ag Press in the afternoon.   I then would grab dinner and come back about 8pm and work until 5am putting together Distance Running News.  Dean trusted a 19-year-old kid with a key to his business.  We are going to be speaking with Dean on Saturday afternoon about the early days.

Then we are going to have dinner with my brother and Vicky.  The next morning a group of local runners are meeting at the Holiday Inn off the Campus for a short run.  Not sure how I am going to be feeling...

After talking with the local newspaper, we are heading back to Overland Park.  My high school is celebrating 50 years too.  They invited me to their celebration.  Then we head home.  Catherine, Michael and I have a full plate.

As I was getting ready for this trip I found this shot of Michael when he was little.  The guy holding him is Herb Elliott.  Yes, the Herb Elliott from Australia.  We had Herb over for National Running Week in the 70's.   Mike has been around running his whole life.  It is so great working with him on this project.

Found this shot as I was going through things for Kansas.  Doing a training run with Arthur Lydiard in about 1977.  He was one of the world's top coaches and his solid advice will live forever. I wish I was that thin again... 

Enjoy the run and fellowship, Bob! Too many years ago, our Iowa (Graceland U.-Bruce Jenner alma mater) came down to Lawrence to a multiple-college meet at Allen Field House track. That day I got to meet Jim Ryun, who ran a 3:58 mile, fastest of the year at that point. I
jim barker 4/13/12 6:15 pm

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