From the President:
Lums Pond Fun Run recap
Over 20 club members enjoyed an evening of running and socializing last Friday 6/24, hosted graciously by Jim & Eileen Steele. For many of us, it was our first visit to that park and even Mark Vilardo, who lives just steps from Lums Pond, ran there for the very first time. With a multitude of intersecting trails, our 5K run became an 8K run as a few of us made some wrong turns. But eventually, all were accounted for and we headed to Jim’s place for delicious food & drink on a gorgeous evening. Keep an eye on our events page for future “family friendly” events.
DDC 15K Planning Meeting 7/5
We’re holding another meeting Tues 7/5 at 7pm in the Beer Room. Volunteers are needed, even if just for race day help. Contact Ray if you’d like to attend or have questions/suggestions. See our updated “sponsor levels” info at http://www.pcvrc.com/sponsor.php and share with any company that might have interest.
Caesar Rodney Half seeks committee members
Sue DeNardo, who coordinates CR Half asked PCVRC if anyone would be interested in joining either our Caesar Rodney Half Marathon planning committee or a sub-committee that will be assigned to start working on plans for the 50th running in 2013. “I really need people who know the race and who can give me guidance in areas in which I have little or no expertise.”, she says.
First meeting is July 12th at 5:00 PM. After September, we usually meet every 6 weeks or so for an hour, then once a month between January and March. We do have conference call capability if you are not available in person.
Thanks,
Susan DeNardo
Development Director, American Lung Association in DE
302-737-6414 X17
Race Results:
Miles for Children 5K
17:29 Greg Cauller, 2nd Overall, 1st Master
18:16 Tom Steemkamer, 3rd Overall, 2nd Master
20:03 Lynn Knothe, Overall Female Winner
Greene Turtle West 5K
21:42 Kristen Stump, Overall Female Winner
Baltimore Women’s Classic 5K
22:35 Theresa Kauffman, 3rd 45-49
(New Balance DE stepped up to be the major sponsor of the event)
Kid Shelleen’s 5K for Cliff
17:04 Dan Suher, Overall Winner
17:32 Greg Cauller, 2nd Overall, 1st Master
17:52 Matt Cutrona, 3rd Overall
19:34 Lynn Knothe, Overall Female Winner
1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Marathon
4:30:00 Dave McCorquodale
1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half-Marathon
2:49:55 Carolyn McCorquodale, 3rd 60+, 1st Half-Marathon completed
(See story below)
1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Marathon & Half-Marathon: Dave & Carolyn’s Most Excellent Adventure
I gave the above title to this account mainly because Carolyn, on a whim several weeks ago, allowed me to talk her into participating in the half marathon. The website had advertised that participants had to get to the nine mile point by 2 hours and 45 minutes – making the event very walker friendly. However, Carolyn had not run more than five miles in a race and, through walking and jogging to kill time when I was running a marathon, may have gone only ever gone seven miles. But two weeks before the event we went together for some loops around Delcastle Recreation Area and covered the nine miles in slightly less than two hours. She agreed to sign up, convinced by me that she could cover the half-marathon distance in less than three hours.
I had told Carolyn to employ Jeff Galloway’s run/walk strategy and, for her pace, to spend about half the time running and half the time walking. I intended to also use a run/walk strategy, but more on that later. Carolyn took it seriously and got out quite a few times in the two weeks. Even with only three or four days to go, when I was down to a three mile jog before the marathon, she did about seven miles around Delcastle.
I had run this same event last year outside of Reading, starting in a state park. Because of the hassles there, the race director of Uberendurance Sports, moved the venue to Pennypack Park in Philadelphia. The number pick-up and a shuttle to the start were from a German-themed beer hall, fitting with the theme of the directors. At the pick-up we saw Mark Lozier, who had accompanied his daughter and her friend to the race. They were running the half. Unfortunately, Mark has torn a meniscus (not from running) and is going to need surgery to repair it.
There were a few pre-race problems: I was so preoccupied about Carolyn’s preparation once we got to the number pick-up, that I left my energy flasks in our car and didn’t remember until we got on the bus. Fortunately, Carolyn had a baggie of jelly beans for herself and she graciously gave them to me. During the event, I used them up, but could have taken in more direct energy.
Then there was the bus problem. Actually, lack of a second bus until late – as it showed up at 6:45 with the race supposedly starting at 7:30. We got to the park in plenty of time and then got in another line for the portajohns. By 7:20 we were in our corrals, but the buses were still bringing people to the park. So we stood around for an extra 25 minutes. I was thinking to myself that meant about two and a half more miles of running in 80 degree heat instead of 65 degrees, which it was at 7:30. (The race director has subsequently told me through e-mail that about 25 people showed up at the park, thinking the numbers would be available there. So they had to be bused back to the beer hall and back again.)
When the race finally did start, because of the narrow paved trails, it went off in two waves. That was fine because except for the overall race winners, all awards were going to be based on chip times. Things were a bit congested at the beginning. The course was not closed to the public and we soon discovered that it was open to bicyclists and is very popular with them. Ninety percent of the cyclists were courteous and would announce they were coming or say “On your left”. But there were a few who went tearing full speed ahead, veering around runners as if they were on a slalom course and acting like we were invading “their space”. Fortunately as the crowd stretched out, the passing by cyclists became less dangerous.
Pennypack Park is very pretty. It’s amazing to realize we could run a 13.1 mile loop in Philadelphia and only spend a block or two actually running next to a street on the sidewalk and never actually crossing a street although the path went under a few. However, the race website had advertised the course as flat. Wrong! It’s rolling, with a good number of steep inclines on each loop. When I started the race, I was going to walk a minute for every eight minutes of running. But when I started to get to the serious inclines several miles into the first loop, I altered my thinking and simply walked the steep inclines whenever they came along plus I walked through the water stops, taking a cup of water and of Gatorade and drinking both. This strategy was working for me – at least for the first half. I was doing the running sections faster than I normally would have and giving my running muscles a break during the walks.
Right after the mid-point of the loop, we turned onto a trail section which was about a mile and a quarter along. As trails go, it was pretty technical, with a good number of rocks, gravel and even some railroad ties to prevent erosion on some steep downhills. During the first loop, a young woman fell in front of me on this trail. She got right up and continued with only minor scrapes. But I was hoping Carolyn took care through here.
After completing the first loop, I started calculating when I might see Carolyn returning. I had figured about right: I was at 15 miles in 2:24 and she was returning at 11 miles a minute later. We were both relieved to see the other was all right. I said that she’d be done in about 2:50. (She finished in 2:49:55.) That was probably the high point of the run for me. Shortly afterward I noticed how much warmer I was feeling than previously as it was then about 10:30. Still after the few instances when we had to run in the open for any length of time, I counted myself lucky that most of the event was in full or partial shade. Nevertheless, my miles started getting slower and slower.
When for the second time I turned onto the trail section, affectionately named Mount Cuckoo by the race director, I immediately noticed how tired all the little muscles around my hips were. I knew I had to do much more walking in this section. for if I tried to run. I would inevitably trip from not lifting a leg enough to avoid an obstacle. It took me six minutes longer to cover the two mile section that included this trail the second time as opposed to the first time through.
Having survived “Mt. Cuckoo” a second time, it was a mere five mile slough back to the finish. Instead of running at a nine thirty run/walk pace, I was now down to about an 11:30 average. I had gotten what energy I could out of the jelly beans, but I knew I was mostly out of glycogen and running on fat reserves (yes, even a skinny beanpole like me has some). Even though I was much slower than early in the race, my breathing sounded like I was in the last few yards of a sprint. I started wondering if I could get under 4:30. At 25.1(equal to 12 on the first loop), I had a bit less than 12 minutes to get under 4:30. I managed to go under 11 minutes the last mile and had about 51 seconds to run the last tenth. I did it in 50 and my watch read 4:29:59. So did the computer printout. Although the fraction of a second was rounded up to 4:30:00, I know I got under it. Ah, life’s small victories!
Then there was the uphill walk back to the entrance of the park where a bus waited. It seemed an interminable wait to accumulate about ten people before the bus went back to the restaurant. The awards were in a large pavilion area out back. One ticket got the runner a bratwurst with sauerkraut and another got a free beer (Dunkelweisse for me). The half marathon awards had already been done, but they didn’t have all the results and had only gotten one deep in the women 60+. After the awards ended I approached the director and said we thought Carolyn had placed in the age-group. He graciously gave her a cuckoo clock – taking our word for it. As it turns out, Carolyn did take third place.
I think completing this event marks the beginning a new phase in Carolyn’s running. If I am not mistaken, I’ve detected the telltale signs of the runner’s high in her as she has been bringing up bits of observation about the race since it ended. The thrill of the accomplishment is lingering and changing her view of distance running. By the way, I should mention she felt no ill effects from the event – no soreness at all. Now, when we travel someplace where I want to run a marathon, she’s got the option of doing the half rather than trying to kill four hours plus waiting for me.
I hope this account hasn’t seemed too self-indulgent. I would recommend this event (either distance), especially if you don’t mind running inclines or some fairly technical trail. The bus glitches, I assume, will be straightened out by next year. The venue is right up I-95 on Academy Road, about an hour from northern New Castle County. (In a follow-up e-mail the race director has already agreed to change the award system to 5-year age-groups from 10 -year.)
Comment on the run/walk strategy: If anyone saw the latest Runner’s World issue, Galloway’s method of taking walking breaks was discussed. The length and timing of breaks varies according to how fast one is as a runner: faster runners take short breaks spaced farther apart while slow runners can spend as much as half the time walking. According to the advice, I should take breaks for about one minute for every eight minutes of running. What I noticed, at least for the first fifteen miles, was that when I ran, I felt comfortable going faster than I normally would. But the rolling course and the rising heat of the day certainly distorted the final result. I was able to jog a few miles on Tuesday, whereas normally it takes me another day or so after a marathon before I attempt any running. I intend to try this strategy again on easier courses and cooler days. Despite the conditions, I ended up with about the same time that I ran at the Delaware Marathon, where I did not take walking breaks. So I’m encouraged to try it again.