University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Alumnae Take On Marathon
10/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Once a Gopher, always a Gopher.
Another great example of this was shown when two Gopher softball alumnae recently took part in the Twin Cities marathon full of support from former teammates and coaches.
Erica Meyer who played from 2012-15 and is an undergraduate assistant on the coaching staff this season finished her first ever marathon while Dannie Bloom (Skrove) played from 2009-12 and finished her second marathon after doing Grandma's Marathon last June.
"Running and training for the marathon taught me that whoever said, `Your mind will quit a thousand times before your body will' was absolutely right," Meyer said. "If you can keep your mind in check, you can do anything. The possibilities are endless."
"I think Erica Meyer said it perfectly, `Your mind will quit before your body will.' Our minds are powerful things," Bloom said. "Over my career as a Gopher Softball player I was pushed harder than I ever thought I could go. Our coaching staff instilled in us girls that if we worked hard every single day, had our minds right when we showed up for practices and games and gave one hundred percent of what we had that day then we could accomplish almost anything."
Meyer decided to do the marathon when a friend from grade school asked her to sign up.
"I said yes without even thinking about the consequences," Meyer said.
A love of running was not a factor in Meyer instantly saying yes. "Running is not my thing; I do not enjoy running, nor do I believe in running for fun."
What made Meyer decide to say yes that day was the opportunity to take on a new challenge. As soon she signed up she was instantly joined by her dad and brother. The three of them alongside her childhood friend all ran most of the marathon together. Meyer also had two cousins who ran the marathon.
Bloom decided to do the marathon after her husband Kyle decided to do it for his first time. "It was fun to train together. The excitement leading up to the marathon as it gets closer is the best and it makes some of the long training runs easier to do."
Both Meyer and Bloom were flooded with support from family, friends and former teammates.
Bloom said there were three other alumnae in support in Katie Schober (Dalen), Heidi Carls and Whitney Erickson along with having plenty of family there cheering Kyle and herself on.
"Having so many people there that cared about us was awesome, and truly helps carry you through 26.2 miles," Bloom said.
"The amount of support I received was overwhelming," Meyer said. "My mom, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were all there. Beyond that, Coach Allister, Coach Merchant, Coach Wiley, Macy (Merchant) and five former teammates came with signs to cheer me on or bike alongside me."
Meyer went on to add that she did not think she could have done it without their support. "Having them there gave me something to look forward to along each part of the course. It also made me realize that I have the best support system in the world. Gopher Softball is a family, and I learned that they will always be there for me, even though I can no longer put on a Gopher uniform."
Bloom echoed Meyer's words. "Having my Gopher family there was awesome. It just shows how close of a family Gopher softball is. To have such strong connections with an awesome group of girls and our coaching staff is priceless. The friendships continue long after graduation and our playing days."
While former teammates and coaches were all over the course of the marathon cheering on their teammates, Paige Palkovich took it to another level. The plan before the marathon was that she would run mile 20 with Meyer but she ended up running about the last four miles before actually getting asked to leave the course.
"It was a very special experience to be able to cheer Bert (Meyer) on and provide some extra motivation for her during that last stretch," Palkovich said. "Watching her accomplish an incredible feat like that after all of her diligent training this summer was impressive, but not at all surprising to those of us who know the hard worker she is."
Both Meyer and Bloom pointed to their experiences with Gopher softball as motivation for the marathon.
Bloom now has a job in sales and still uses lessons she learned from her time with Gopher softball. One example she gave is to keep pushing on when things get hard in the job such as somebody saying no to a sale.
"I could give you a list that goes on for pages of what I learned about myself and lessons from my career that have helped me be successful post playing days," Bloom said. "It shows how truly special the program is as a whole. The coaching staff, teammates and support staff truly care about us girls and Gopher Softball."
Meyer said her four years as a Gopher Softball player completely transformed her mindset as an athlete. "You have to make a conscious effort to feed yourself the correct thoughts if you want to be successful. You have to make it a habit."
Advice like that is what Meyer will bring as an undergraduate assistant on the Gophers coaching staff this season.
"Playing four years of softball at the University of Minnesota is a gift. As the famous quote goes, `we are entitled to nothing and should be grateful for everything.' Keeping this in mind as they (the players) approach each early morning lift or team practice will help them make the most out of their time in a gopher uniform, and when they look back, they will be proud of what they accomplished."
Below are some pictures from the marathon
Dannie and her family after the marathon
Erica with family and friends
Dannie and husband Kyle enjoying an ice bath
