The Magic in the Shore Acres Park.
What a Lake Michigan Park Taught Me About Running
The first time I laced up for cross-country, I came here—to Shore Acres. A park of sand dunes and shoreline, where every route is uphill, and the lake air carries you forward if you let it. Hard work in, reward out. Simple as that.
As a determined sixth grader, I ran two miles with my coach on these trails most days of my first summer here. Every hill begged me to stop, to walk, to give in. I never did. Somewhere between the dunes and the long climbs, I found grit and determination. These trails didn’t just train my legs—they taught me how to meet the impossible until it wasn’t anymore.
For 14 years, I have been running through these trails, and I keep coming back. It is my safe haven where I fell in love with endurance sports. I know each trail like the back of my hand. I wouldn’t have traded my summers in this beautiful place for anything. Shore Acres was my teacher, and each year I continue to learn from her tough yet beautiful landscape.
Shore Acres in December
From 2007 to 2021, Shore Acres has given me lessons during my training seasons that I won’t ever forget:
With practice, it will become easier, and you will get better.
Marry the hills. They are the tough bumps in life that you will learn to overcome. They will give you that stunning view you were looking for in the end. (I became a hill repeat lover in workouts due to this place.)
You’ve got the grit it takes to maneuver all types of surfaces you encounter. Sand, gravel, mud, dirt, concrete, and water (aqua jogging).
Keep fighting to run with the big dogs. One day, you will be just as great to those you looked up to.
You can always do one more than you think. Hill repeats, gravel loops, sprints, mile repeats. You are better than you think.
You can bond over being vulnerable while training. Whether that be during a workout with a partner, learning to run at a faster speed on trails with a group of boys, or running with new people, such as the next generation of runners. This place will get you in unexpected ruts, but you will overcome them as a team.
This is a place where magical things can happen. Training here in the summer helped me run 19:28 as a high school D4 freshman. I also had the opportunity to travel with my team at Michigan State University, where I improved in every distance due to the base training here.
I still run these trails. I still learn from them. And every time I crest a dune and catch the lake breeze, I’m reminded: this is where it started. This is my home away from home.
