With heart racing and limbs aching, Kathyrn Hern crossed the finish line at the Mercedes half marathon in downtown Birmingham for the third time this spring.

Avid runner Kathryn Hern works out several times a week by running the track at Heardmont Park in Hoover. By starting with small runs, Hern worked her way up to running half marathons.

More than 10 miles of pushing her body to its limits had paid off by reaching her goal both physically and mentally.

Racing since graduating college, Hern said the thrill and atmosphere of the race culture took her from 5Ks to half marathons. However, when she first started running in high school, she said she picked up the sport as an after school hobby and later started running cross country and track.

“I guess I wanted to be in a sport,” she said. “I’m not super athletic, but I enjoyed running because you kind of compete with yourself.”

These days Hern hits the running paths in her hometown of Hoover at least weekly for a mental break from her hectic schedule, she said.

“It’s something you can do kind of mindlessly while spending time outside and staying active,” she said. “It’s something you can do for yourself and on your own time.”

More Shelby county residents are finding the lure of running as a way to stay in shape, de-stress and socialize, said Brad Clay, president of the Birmingham Track Club.

Of the club’s 800 members, a large portion are from Shelby County, he said.

“We have members from all different sides of Birmingham,” Clay said. “But lately we’ve seen more and more members coming from the southern suburbs and many of our group runs and activities take place there.”

The track club encourages fitness through running, Clay said. They sponsor 13 races in the Birmingham area throughout the year as well as host group runs and social gatherings for runners.

Clay said the club includes all running skill levels and has many members who join as beginning runners as a way to dive into the sport.

Running is ideal for those who want to get in shape because it’s one of the simplest forms of exercise and can burn the most calories, Clay said.

“For running, most of us have shorts and a tank top or T-shirt,” he said. “All you need is a decent pair of running shoes and you have all you need. If you live in a relatively safe neighborhood, you can just go out the front door and be on a run. Other physical hobbies and sports can be much more technical and require a bigger investment into equipment.”

Clay said his main advice for beginners is take their time and train slowly. Racing in a 5K doesn’t happen overnight, he said.

“Even going out for a three mile run can be too much for people right off the bat,” Clay said. “If you’re overweight, that can be tough on your joints, especially if you’re running on concrete. Often a day or two later, people are so sore they give up too soon. A walk/run approach is a better way to start for beginners.”

Running in a group can also help motivate those just getting started, he said. It’s often in running groups and at races that lifelong friendships are formed, he said.

“Running becomes a social event,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to do a tough work out with a group, even one or two other people. The running community starts to be your best friends. It has a way of getting into your blood.”

Hern said she’s enjoyed making friends at races in and around Shelby County and thinks these friendships are what make up the bulk of the racing culture.

“It’s sort of like a camaraderie, especially with longer races,” she said. “When you see someone with the same finisher shirt as you, you know it’s something really hard that you both accomplished.”

Hern said running has kept her healthy and in-shape but she thinks the mental benefits far outweigh the physical. It’s almost therapeutic, she said.

“For me personally, I don’t run with my cell phone or iPod,” she said. “Running is one of the only chances I can get away with my own thoughts and just let it be quiet for a little while and not be completely accessible.”

Hern still runs 5Ks and longer races several times and year and said she uses it as a way to support worthy causes in the community and also help herself.

“I really like that it’s a way you can support the community and other organizations,” she said. “It’s a neat way you can do something to give back to the community and also do something for yourself at the same time.”

Running tips and tidbits

- To prevent shin splints, build up your shin muscles by walking while balancing on your heels. It may look funny, but will save you pain while running.

-Research shows that the metabolism can remain at its highest level for up to 17 hours following high intensity exercise – like running.

-The blister culprit isn’t always your shoe, but many times your socks. If you wear thick cotton socks while running, they will absorb and hold sweat like a towel. Try alternate socks before you switch shoes, such as the cool-max type socks that wick away sweat, causing it to evaporate more easily.

-A light glaze of Vaseline can also prevent blisters and hot spots on the feet. Blisters come from friction and Vaseline eliminates the friction. Same thing if you are chafing a little on your thighs.

-Vaseline can also be used on women’s sports bras to prevent the elastic from rubbing the breastplate leaving a red line in the center of the chest.

-To avoid injury while training, don’t increase your mileage more than 10 percent per week.

Tips courtesy of the Birmingham Track Club and St. Vincent’s One Nineteen

For more information on the Birmingham Track Club, or to join, visit Birminghamtrackclub.com.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

7:30 a.m.

Oak Mountain State Park

200 Terrace Drive, Pelham

Pelham

Individual fees: before May 18, $55; from May 19-June 8, $75

Relay team fees (2 or 3 person): before May 18, $115; from May 19-June 8, $135

Registration closing date: June 8, 2011

Course description: 400 yard swim, 13 mile bike, 3 mile run

Info: 595-8633 or races@team-magic.com.

Run for the Red

Saturday, March 26, 2011

7:30 a.m.

Veteran’s Park

4750 Valleydale Road

Hoover

Registration fee: $25

Registration closing date: Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:59 a.m.

Happy Feet 5K

Friday, April 1, 2011

5:30 p.m.

Veterans Park off Valleydale Road

4700 Jaguar Drive

Registrations closing date: Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 10 a.m.

On-site registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the 5K road course run/walk at 6 p.m. The 5K cross country run/walk will kick off at 6:30 p.m. followed by the awards.

Registration fee: $25 over 14 years of age; $10 under 14 years of age

Info: Hooveral.org/Default.asp?ID=790

Easter Seals of the Birmingham Area – Run 4 a Reason

Saturday, April 2, 2011

8 a.m.

Veterans Park in Alabaster

7305 Highway 119

5K fee is $30, which includes a T-shirt

Registration closing date: Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 4 a.m.

Once you arrive at the park, follow the signs to the back section of the park where you will check in. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Race begins at 8 a.m. All proceeds from this event will go directly toward programs Easter Seals of the Birmingham Area offers to adults and children with disabilities.

Registration fee: $30

Info: Eastersealsbham.org/

Want to take a cool-down walk after the 5K? Join the fun at the Walk With Me event at Veteran’s Park in Alabaster right after the race!

Info: Walkwithme.org/birmingham.

High Country 5K

Saturday, April 9, 2011

8 a.m.

Shades Crest Baptist Church

452 Park Avenue

Hoover, Ala.

Registration fee: $20

Free spaghetti dinner at church the night before the race and free breakfast after the race.

Info: 822-1750 or email jrice@shadescrest.org

Ready. Set. Cure.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

8:30 a.m.

Oak Mountain State Park

200 Terrace Drive, Pelham

Registration Closing Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m.

A relentless 5k for LLS.

Please join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in this inaugural race as we run together to help fight and find a cure for blood cancers. Registration and packet pick-up is at 7 a.m. There will be a post-race drawing for prizes along with free food, drinks and live music by Simone Durand.

Registration fee: Adult registration is $25 until April 30, then $30.

Child (ages 12 and under) registration fee: $12 until April 30, then $15.

Xterra Oak Mountain Mud Runs

Saturday, May 21, 2011

8 a.m.

Oak Mountain State Park

Pelham

This race features 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon distances.

Info: Xterratrailrun.com.

Registration fees: 21K costs $40; 10K costs $30; 5K costs $25; marathon costs $50

Run for Kids 12 Hour Challenge

Saturday, May 28, 2011

7 a.m. start at Veterans Park, Hoover

5K run starts at 8 a.m.

5K, 50K, 12-hour runs and 12-hour relay

100 percent of proceeds go directly to Camp Smile-A-Mile, Alabama’s program for children with cancer.

The 5K, 50K and 12-hour run will all start at 7:00 a.m.

There will be a cookout following the 50K and12-hour runs for all registered participants. Additional meal tickets are available online or can be purchased at race morning registration. For late registration, $10.00 will be added the the event price.

Info: 12hourrunoflove.homestead.com/

Father’s Day 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run

June 18, 2011

Oak Mountain State Park, Magnolia/Sycamore Pavilion

200 Terrace Drive

Pelham, Ala.

Registration fee: $25 for runners over age 14; $15 for runners under age 14; $5 for 1-Mile Fun Run Only (free to 5K runners)

This is a mostly asphalt (short stretch of gravel) 5K run (3.1 miles) that includes rolling hills as well as flat stretches. 1 mile fun run/walk will utilize a portion of the 5K course. Race starts and ends in the parking lot outside the Magnolia/Sycamore Pavilions at Oak Mountain State Park. Unique prizes for top 3 finishers in all age-categories.

Info: Alabamawaldorf.org/

The Good Race 5K Walk/Run

Saturday, June 25, 2011

9 a.m.

Chelsea Park

Registration fee: $15 for runners or $10 for t-shirt only

Registration closing date: Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 11:59 p.m.

All ages are welcome. All profits will be given to Compassion International toward their Child Survival Program. The first 100 race participants are guaranteed a race t-shirt and a race-themed rubber wristband.

Info: Chelseacreekcc.org/

30th Annual Peavine Falls Run

Monday, July 4, 2011

Upper Picnic Area, Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham

Registration fee: $5

8.2 mile course; 7 miles on hilly paved road and 1.2 miles on mountain bike single track dirt trail through woods

Info: 835-0030 or email rikmelansun@gmail.com

Calera Eagle 5K/10K and 1-mile fun run

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Calera High School

100 Calera Eagle Drive, Calera

Registration fee: $25 for 5K; $30 for 10K; kids’ fun run is free

This is the fourth year for the 5K; we are adding a 10K route, which will branch off the 5K route and then return. Both races finish along Calera Eagle Drive, a private four lane road perfect for your cheering section. All proceeds benefit the Calera High PTO. All winners (1st-3rd) will receive gift certificates to local businesses. Age divisions are as follows: 1-12, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50 and up (all categories are separated into male and female divisions). You may also visit the school’s website and print out an entry form and mail it in if you choose to register that way.

Info: Shelbyed.k12.al.us/schools/cahs/5Krace/

Anne Abear, of North Shelby, grew up surrounded by hot rollers, nail polish and hair dye. In the third generation of hair stylists in her family, Abear said she started working with hair when she was just 8 years old.

As an adult, Abear worked in several different salons, constantly surrounded by potent chemicals and their accompanying fumes. She soon noticed her profession was having a negative effect on her health in the form of constant migraines and frequent fatigue. She said she could only attribute the symptoms to her work at the salon.

“When I was in there I was so sick,” she said. “I’d get migraine headaches and fatigue. I just couldn’t be around it. I was sick all the time. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to stay in the business.”

Torn between her health and her passion, Abear made the decision to branch out in a new direction to combine the two.

Abear is now the owner of the new Studio Red at Edenton, an all-organic hair studio featuring safe alternatives to chemical beauty treatments.

Walking into Studio Red is similar to entering any up-scale, luxury salon in Birmingham. However, in Abear’s salon there is no lingering smell of potent hair chemicals and no dizzying scent of nail polish and chemical remover.

Abear said these absences are what make Studio Red unique.

“We have the safest salon in Birmingham,” she said. “There’s not another one in the state of Alabama.”

She said her Organic Color Systems is the key difference at her salon. With a fully stocked color bar, customers have access to just as many beauty options with no health side effects. She said the system uses no parabens, is 100 percent vegan and is used by more than 10,000 salons in Europe.

“The results of our hair color is prettier than regular dye,” Abear said. “It will make your hair look like it was when you were 11 years old. It will be shinier and there will be no irritation.”

Customers who are looking to be pampered won’t need to look further than Abear’s popular “organicures.” Similar to regular manicures and pedicures, Abear’s version uses organic polish and remover with no chemical fumes.

With pricing on par with other non-organic salons, Abear said she believes it won’t be long before these services are offered at more salons in the state.

“I think this is a niche that is going to be the wave of the future,” she said.

Studio Red is located at 1011 Edenton Street in the Edenton community off U.S. 280 and Valleydale Road. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 991-2099.

The advertisements for shape-up shoes – those walking shoes with the extra-thick, curved soles – are unavoidable, both on the airwaves and in the pages of newspapers and magazines.

Many brands of shape-up shoes, including this pair of Sketchers, are available at Rack Room Shoes in Alabaster.

Such ads say the shoes, available from many major shoe brands, will tone up leg muscles, provide a lower-body workout, improve posture and help wearers lose weight just by walking. But do they really work?

Podiatrist Shane Burchfield of Family First Foot Care in Columbiana said he does not recommend the shoes to his patients because they can produce the same problems as high-heeled shoes.

“What the shape-up shoes do, they don’t let your heel go all the way to the ground. If your heel can’t touch the ground, then you’re basically walking on the tiptoes or the forefoot,” he said. “It can cause knee pain, ankle pain and hip pain. It can cause a lot of problems.”

Burchfield said people with flat feet or high arches are more prone to problems from shape-up shoes.

“For a certain segment of the population, they’re fine. For people with really flat feet or really high arches, they can cause problems,” he said. “There is no certain shoe that you should put on everybody. If you have all the people in the same shoes, then half of the people are in the wrong shoes.”

The shape-up shoes can negatively affect people who are overweight or older than 35. When people pass the age of 35, their Achilles tendons begin to shrink, and the shape-up shoes can put more pressure on those tendons, Burchfield said.

He recommends those looking for athletic shoes consult their doctors to find out what kind of shoes they should buy. Those wearing the shape-up shoes should watch out for knee, hip, ankle or heel pain, which are often the first symptoms of problems.

Burchfield said even setting aside possible injury issues, he’s not convinced the shoes are effective.

Reebok EasyTone shape-up shoes may not appear different from regular tennis shoes at first glance, but have a springy addition in the sole that claims to make the difference.

“These shoes can help some people, but I’m not really convinced they do everything they say they’ll do,” he said. “These shoes are kind of a gimmick. You don’t really need to play with that, in my opinion.”

However, personal trainer Rob Hackett, owner of Fitness Together in Greystone, said his clients have benefited from using shape-up shoes. He said his clients have only used Masai Barefoot Technology, or MBT, brand shoes.

“That brand has served my clients really well,” he said. “They train in those shoes. They’re everyday shoes as well as tennis shoes to train in. From the data I’ve gotten with the clientele, the shoes really strengthen their posture and really help tone their leg muscles.”

Hackett said it’s hard to tell how much the shoes benefit wearers, but he’s confident they make a difference.

“The females that have been wearing them here have been successful with a combination of exercise and the shoes,” he said.

When 25-year-old Vincent resident Ryan Davis climbed onto his first bull seven years ago, he had no idea what was coming.

In the few seconds after the gate opened allowing the bull to run free, Davis experienced one of the biggest adrenaline rushes in his life.

“I always think back to the first time I rode. You just have no idea what to expect. Will it be harder than I think or easier than I think?” Davis said. “It’s a big adrenaline rush.

“Your body only produces so much adrenaline, so the more you ride you learn to control those emotions,” Davis added. “Your heart gets to pounding. It’s definitely different from every other sport out there.”

When Davis was attending Vincent High School, most of his free time was spent playing for the school’s baseball team. Though he had friends who regularly rode bulls, the extreme sport was not something he initially was interested in.

“I didn’t have any interest in it until I graduated from Vincent,” he said. “I had a buddy who was into bull riding, and I picked it up from him.

“I just really liked the competitive part of it,” Davis said.

But when Davis began strapping himself to the top of 2,000-pound bulls, his parents were less than thrilled.

“You know, to begin with, most of my family was pretty supportive,” Davis said. “My dad didn’t want me to do it at all.

“But nobody really says anything about it anymore,” Davis added with a laugh.

Over the past seven years, Davis has ridden dozens of bulls and won between 15-20 rodeos.

Every year, Davis said he tries to raise his percentage of successful rides.

“I honestly wouldn’t have a clue how many bulls I have ever ridden. I’ve won a lot of rodeos, though,” he said. “One of my big goals is to ride 50 percent of the bulls I get on.

“If I get on 40 bulls this year and I stay on 20 of them, I’ll be doing pretty good,” Davis added.

Though seasoned bull riders may seem to stay on every bull they strap themselves to, even rodeo veterans often have trouble staying on the violently bucking animal.

“We have finals every year. If I can say on 50 percent of the bulls I try, I will be in the top 15 for sure,” Davis said. “Professional riders, they may ride five or six out of every 10 bulls they get on.”

Monetary rewards from bull riding can be high, but Davis said cash is not the reason he rides.

“The most I’ve won in a year is $12,000. But you really have to be consistent if you want to make money off this sport. And it’s really expensive to get to the top levels of competition,” he said.

“For me, it’s more of the competitive nature and knowing I beat someone else,” Davis added. “If you don’t love it, you better just stay at home.”

Davis has been getting thrashed around by angry animals for nearly a decade, but bull riding is not a hobby he plans to give up anytime soon.

“Everyone wonders when the day will come when they just can’t do it anymore. I’m not at that point yet,” Davis said. “You don’t think about that, because you don’t ever want that day to come.

“I guess that day will just get here when it gets here.”

Getting enough sleep is important, but many of us aren’t getting near enough it – and that can lead to other health-related issues.

Dr. Michael Connolly, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Shelby Baptist, points to lack of sleep as the cause of many daytime problems.

“The average person should probably get seven or eight hours of sleep per night,” said Dr. Michael Connolly, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Shelby Baptist.

Connolly said getting less than that amount each night can lead to problems at work as well. If you’re not getting seven to eight hours a sleep, you’re not alone.

“A lot working people are getting more like six or seven hours instead of the seven to eight hours,” Connolly said.

Getting less than seven or eight hours a night can lead to problems, from work-related issues to loss of memory, to trouble concentrating to decreased immunity.

Getting the recommended amount of sleep is important, Connolly said, and it’s hard to “catch up” on missed sleep.

“You really can’t catch up on missed sleep,” Connolly said. “You can refresh yourself. If you have four hours one night and eight hours the next, then you’re going to feel better. What we call a sleep debt, you can’t really pay that one off.”

Connolly said it’s important to keep as regular a sleep schedule as possible. An erratic sleep schedule can affect the body’s rhythms, he said.

Some people have found that taking certain over the counter medications, such as Benadryl or Goody PMs, for examples, can help the falling asleep process. So long as this is done in moderation, Connolly said it’s OK.

“If you do anything in moderation and take [something along those lines] because you’ve had a bad night or two, I think that’s fine,” he said. “But if you do it on a nightly basis, then it becomes habit forming.”

If a habit is formed, it can lead to anxiety and frustration when somebody tries to stop taking those medications then can’t asleep, Connolly said.

Drinking alcohol to help fall asleep is not a good idea.

“The alcohol will wear off and you find yourself awake in he middle of the night,” Connolly said. “At 3 o’clock in the morning you’re waking up and wondering why you’re awake.”

“People that are having sleep disorder we reaqly advocate no caffeine after about 6 p.m. If you’re not used to it then it certainly can disrupt your sleep.”

Caffeine intake can also lead to sleep-related issues.

“People that are having sleep disorders, we really advocate no caffeine after about 6 p.m.,” he said. “If you’re not used to it then it certainly can disrupt your sleep.”

For somebody who thinks he or she might have a sleeping disorder – or something more severe than a couple restless nights and there – Connolly said the first step is to see your primary care physician, who can check to see if there’s a treatable medical condition leading to sleeping problems.

“Your primary care doctor may feel you have a primary sleep disorder and then refer you to a sleep specialist,” Connolly said.

2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 can black eyed peas

1 can white shoepeg corn

2 cans chopped green chilies

1 small can chopped black olives

1/4 cup chopped green olives w/ pimento (optional)

1 small bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and chill overnight. Drain and serve with Tostito or Frito Scoops.

Fresh Garden Vegetables and Herbs with Bowtie Pasta

Makes 4 servings

1 lb. uncooked bowtie pasta

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup diced summer squash

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bowtie pasta per package directions.

2. In a large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add all vegetables except tomatoes; sauté until tender, yet firm. Add tomatoes and fresh herbs.

3. Remove vegetables from skillet, and serve over pasta. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Recipes contributed by the Shelby County Extension Office

Growing vegetables and herbs in the backyard isn’t just for grandmothers who can produce and farmers who sell at roadside stands. Growing and eating fresh produce could help change the health of Americans in a time when diet-related illnesses are stealing more lives than ever before.

Students at the University of Montevallo work in the community vegetable gardens and learn the dietary advantages to growing their own food rather than eating out.

Dr. Michael Patton, a professor of philosophy at the University of Montevallo, developed a college-level class addressing this very issue. The idea began when he took a trip to Paris.

“It just so happened my blood sugar was getting a little high, and my doctor took my blood sugar right before I went on a trip to Paris several years ago,” Patton said. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to die while I’m in Paris, and I’m certainly not going to eat some fruit.’

“My blood pressure went down. All of the food in Paris is locally grown, not out of the can or box, and there’s these great markets everywhere,” he added. “I didn’t even try to change my portions or restrict my diet, and I got better. They call it the French Paradox. The French eat cream, meat and cheese, and they don’t have any of the associated medical illnesses. I’m teaching that in a class.”

Patton aims to teach his students about alternative dietary options in a society addicted to fast food.

“The students started learning how awful their diets are, and if they just eat what tastes better and what’s in season and what they grow themselves, they can save themselves a world of hurt,” he said.

Master Gardener Sandra Jones, a retired registered nurse of 30 years, saw the effects of diet through her patients. In the Master Gardner program, she said she saw the connection between growing fresh produce and health.

“I learned in the Master Gardener class about strawberries. You do not realize how many pesticides are in strawberries,” she said. “So in gardening on your own, you can control the amount of pesticides if you want to do organic farming. You have control of what comes into your body if you’re growing your own vegetables to cook.”

Patton also commented on the tradition of consumers buying produce from supermarkets alone.

“In the supermarkets these days, you can get asparagus year-round. Asparagus is only in season for three weeks,” Patton said. “That’s just disrupting patterns of farming all over the world.”

Patton, as he encourages his students to change their eating habits, recognizes the distinct difference between past generations and the current one.

“We’re just a generation or two away from everybody growing their own food,” he said. “And now, people don’t even know how to put a seed in the ground.”

Birmingham resident Morgan McDaniel spends her days helping Spain Park High School student-athletes heal from past injuries and prepare for future battles as the Jaguars’ athletic trainer.

McDaniel, also known as “Pearl Harmher,” spends her spare time throwing elbows and tripping up foes in an attempt to afflict pain against roller derby opponents as a member of the Tragic City Rollers. Tragic City Rollers is an amateur, all-female, flat-track roller derby league in Birmingham.

McDaniel, who also teaches health education courses at Spain Park, uses the roller derby competition as a way to exercise and have fun at the same time. Dressed in roller skates, knee pads and a helmet, as well as the sport’s traditional stockings, short shorts and a tight-fitting top, “Harmher” punishes foes trying to move past her during bouts at the Skates 280 facility off of U.S. 280.

With No. 99 written with a black marker on her triceps, “Harmher” leaves her derby foes feeling black and blue. The next day, McDaniel recovers from her own wounds and nurses student-athletes with similar bumps and bruises back to health for the Jaguars’ big games.

McDaniel, a Smackover, Ark. native and a 2008 Southern Arkansas University graduate, is in her third year as a health education teacher and athletic trainer at Spain Park. “Harmher” begins her second season as a blocker with the Tragic City Rollers in March.

Five minutes with Morgan McDaniel

Tragic City Rollers blocker Morgan McDaniel nurses wounds during her day job at Spain Park HIgh School and afflicts wounds on her roller derby opponents at night.

What sparked your interest in roller derby?

“A roommate of my mine brought home a flier and I was like, ‘What is roller derby?’ We checked it out online and we went and actually watched a bout in October of ‘09 and I was like, ‘Yes, this is for me. I’ve got to learn how to do this.’ The next week I went to practice and just stuck with it. I loved it. It’s a little bit addicting, actually.”

How did you pick your roller derby name and number?
“My name is ‘Pearl Harmher.’ That was chosen because my family is Hawaiian. I was trying to stick with the whole Hawaiian thing. Instead of Pearl Harbor, it’s ‘Pearl Harmher.’”

What was the most challenging part of getting into roller derby competition?”
I really hadn’t skated since I was about 10 years old, so I was really worried about skating. The first thing they do is teach you how to fall correctly. You’re going to fall whether you’re an experienced skater or a new skater. It’s kind of like riding a bike, it came back to me. It was baby steps. In a few months I felt comfortable being on skates again.”

What is your highlight of your roller derby career?
“I think just making that initial really good hit. It wasn’t penalized. Knowing that I did it right and helping our team win. That was it for me. I’m a very competitive contact person. When I finally learned how to hit properly and initiated it in a game and went through with it, ‘I was like, wow, that’s how that feels? That’s awesome.”

What advice would you give other women considering roller derby as a hobby?
“Do it. Try it. There’s no sport like roller derby. You push yourself so hard and you think, ‘I thought I would never be able to do that.

What is in your ipod?
“Lil’Wayne, Drake, Jason Aldean, Paramore”

What are your favorite movies?
‘Remember the Titans’, ‘Transformers’, ‘A League of Their Own’

What is your favorite book?
‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins

What is your favorite quote?

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”
-James Dea

A short guide to roller derby:

Roller derby participants stake out one of three positions on the oval track — jammer, blocker or pivot.

The jammer plays the most important role as the scorer on the team. The jammer’s objective is to get past a pack of skating opponents to earn points for the team. If the jammer cannot get past the opposing team’s pack of blockers, no points are scored by the team.

The jammer’s teammates attempt to knock foes down in order for the jammer to get through a pack of opponents. Blockers try to keep the opponent’s jammer from breaking through its line of defense. The pivot helps guide the pack of blockers around the track, helping the pack be in the best spot to help its jammer or block the opposing jammer.

Roller derby skaters simultaneously play offense and defense as they skate around the pack. The team who can help its jammer break through the defense the most times and rack up the most points during a bout is declared the winner.

As Karen Mitchell sorted her clothes in the laundry room in at her apartment complex in Mobile one sunny day in 1976, she immediately felt something was wrong.

But with a pile of laundry to clean and several other concerns on her mind, Mitchell turned her attention to the task at hand, ignoring the feeling of suspicion and danger in her gut.

“My focus wasn’t on anything going on around me. I didn’t know it, but I was being watched,” Mitchell said. “If I had been more attentive, maybe I could have kept it from happening.”

After finishing in the laundry room, Mitchell made the trek back to her apartment unit. As she walked up the stairs, she noticed a man following closely behind.

Mitchell said she had heard of women being attacked in broad daylight, but she never imagined she would be targeted.

“I never pictured myself as being a victim. When I was in high school, we had several classes warning us about things like this, but I never really paid attention,” Mitchell said. “If that man had knocked on my door, I would have opened it without even looking to see who it was. That’s how naïve I was.”

But the man following her didn’t knock on the door. As Mitchell entered her apartment, the knife-wielding predator came in with her. After attacking Mitchell violently, the man forced her into his car.

“I never thought about anything like that ever happening to me,” Mitchell said. “But the next thing I know, I’m in this violent attack.”

After the man kidnapped Mitchell in his vehicle, she began plotting her escape. Every time the man stopped the car, she contemplated running from him as fast as she could.

When the perfect opportunity presented itself, Mitchell sprinted from the vehicle and into her bank.

Though the incident occurred more than 30 years ago, it is something Mitchell will never forget. It is also something she has been helping other women combat ever since.

“I was so unnerved after the attack that I would have to go sit with my husband at work during the day. I was such a basket case,” she said. “God was with me the day of the attack. Four other women had been abducted by this man, and I was the only one that escaped.

“It happened a long time ago, but it is something that really stays with you,” she added.

Soon after the incident, Mitchell’s family urged her to take a martial arts class to help her deal with the pain of the ordeal. Though she was a bit apprehensive at first, the classes almost immediately improved her self confidence and ability to fight off an attacker should the need arise again.

“Being prepared and being confident is a good defense in itself,” she said. “People tend to not attack people who look like they know what’s going on.”

After Mitchell saw the benefits of martial arts, she decided to open her own taekwondo gym, which is currently located near the Pelham Police Department off Philip Davis Street.

Mitchell and fellow self-defense trainer Richard Coon agree being aware and remaining confident during everyday life is one of the most important aspects of remaining safe, especially for women.

“We do a lot of scenario-based training. The guy we have portraying the bad guy actually looks, acts and talks like a bad guy for real,” said Coon, who has more than 20 years of martial arts experience and teaches lessons at World Class Taekwondo in Inverness.

“We teach them that, even though they are afraid and scared, they know how to use their body to overcome the threat.”

Should an attack occur, Coon and Mitchell teach their students to act aggressively, fight for a cause and use any amount of force necessary to end the attack.

“I was a timid person. I never wanted to hurt anyone’s feelings. But if you are attacked, you have to forget all that and attack back with lethal force,” Mitchell said. “They are trying to take you away from your family, take something from you or take a loved one away from you. Your life is worth fighting for.”

“Everyone needs something that tells them ‘This is why I’m fighting,’” Coon said. “Your goal has to be ‘How can I survive this?’”

World Class Taekwondo and Karen Mitchell’s Impact Martial Arts regularly hold self-defense classes for all ages. For more information, call Mitchell at 664-4422, or World Class Taekwondo 981-9636.