Boston Sendoff, April 10th, Catherine Rooney’s in Newark
Save the date, Wednesday before the Boston Marathon, April 10th from 6 to 9 PM for our annual Boston Marathon send-off event (plus basic good time, shoulder rubbing, story-telling party). Location is Catherine Rooney’s, Main Street in Newark. Everyone is invited!

BBQ & Beer Tasting Event for B+ from Jim Steele
I have arranged to have a special event at Twin Lakes Brewery on RT 52 just north of Greenville. Twin Lakes will provide a tour of the brewery and allow us to “taste” beers for 3 hours. Along with the tasting, I will have a BBQ provided by the Slower Lower BBQ team. These guys compete in sanctioned KCBS events and have won several awards over the past few years. I promise they’ll provide some outstanding BBQ, including pulled pork, brisket, etc. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of it!

When: Sunday, April 14th 3-6pm
Where: Twin Lakes Brewery, 4210 Kennett Pike, Greenville, DE 19807
How much? $42.20 per person (why? 42.2K equals 26.2 miles)
RSVP to by April 7th to get your tickets!
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE B+ FOUNDATION

From Jerry Herman

I know a lot of the PCVRC/Rebels like beer runs. In the current Living Well Magazine there is a beer article and I noted that Fordham Brewing in Dover is hosting a 5K run on 4/13. The Builders Dash 5K Run/Walk, it’s at a brewery, there is beer (and soda) afterwards. http://www.centraldelawarehabitat.org/Builders%20Dash.pdf

Group Runs Continue Throughout Winter
As mentioned in the last eBulletin, contact Denise Boyle if you’d like to host a Friday Fun Run when the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, you’re always welcome to our Wed & Thurs 6 pm runs at Delcastle and the Sunday morning Panera (Main Street in Newark) runs. It feels warmer with greater numbers. There is always someone to run with.

Race Results, Reviews and accomplishments:
If we missed your results, please let us know.
From Theresa Kauffman – “My ‘lucky’ Liam paced me to a 2nd place finish in the 50-59 AG at the Lucky Leprechaun 5k in Wilmington in a 23:49. Liam had the Irish luck as he finished right in front of me and got 1st in the 13 & U in a 23:44. That’s with not running over the winter…he starts track at St. Johns this week so I’m in BIG trouble.”

From Hugh Campbell – “My time of 31:27 for Saturday’s 5k [Leprechaun Leap] in this morning’s paper isn’t correct. The Races2Run website was updated yesterday to 27:18.”

From the editor – For many years, Dave McCorquodale faithfully scoured the race results to report on top finishers in the local (and some not-so-local) races. Frankly, Dave took some grief for that from time to time when he missed people’s results, but he kept at it. However, with Dave’s retirement from the news bulletin, unless someone else decides to continue to do that, that feature will come to an end.

However…I will publish any results sent to me at or at . So please continue to send me results “of note” and I will put them in the newsletter. Occasionally, I may be moved to publish a list of all PCVRC runners from a big local race (especially the DDC) but I am not promising this as a regular feature. USATF racers running for the club will have their results published as they are sent to me.

I am particularly interested in acknowledging significant other accomplishments that may not get noticed otherwise – someone who ran a “first” (5K to a marathon, a tri, etc.) or ran in a “destination” race (like a Ragnar, Big Sur Marathon, etc.) So please, tell on your friends! And I am always in need of race reviews!

Having said all that, here are club results from the JCC Five-miler! Please let me know if I missed anyone.

Dan Suher 27:40.5 5:32/M

Matthew Cutrona 28:53.0 5:47/M 1 M 40-49
Kelly Horowitz 33:37.2 6:43/M 2 F 30-39
David Baca 34:12.0 6:50/M 3 M 50-59
Dirk Sweigart 34:16.1 6:51/M

Kristen Stump 34:27.1 6:53/M 1 F 19-29
Dave Farren 34:31.3 6:54/M

Chris James 34:49.0 6:58/M

Sheri Herrman 36:17.0 7:15/M 2 F 40-49
Dan Simmons 36:55.7 7:23/M 2 M 60-69
DJ Farren 37:02.7 7:24/M

Rich Szymanski 39:21.9 7:52/M

Jack Horowitz 39:22.6 7:52/M

Rudy Antonini 47:28.9 9:30/M

Jerry Herman 48:07.4 9:37/M

Lisa Lessner 50:01.1 10:00/M

Alan Fink 58:53.7 11:47/M

John Schultz 02:25.6 12:29/M 3 M 70-99

USATF news – Tom Steenkamer
Tyler Arboretum 10K Trail Race, 4/6/13

The race is the second event in Mid-Atlantic’s Off-Road Series and registration is closed. Race registration is officially closed however we do not have a full team registered! I have secured additional entries for PCVRC and need to get confirmation from club members by this weekend, 3/10! Please attend if possible – all races in the trail series count so we cannot fail to have a full scoring team. Contact me or Rich Szymanski ASAP.
————————————————–

Group Runs Continue Throughout Winter

As mentioned in the last eBulletin, contact Denise Boyle if you’d like to host a Friday Fun Run when the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, you’re always welcome to our Wed & Thurs 6 pm runs at Delcastle and the Sunday morning Panera (Main Street in Newark) runs. It feels warmer with greater numbers. There is always someone to run with.

The Banquet

Thanks again to Rachel Bleacher for the fine arrangements at our well-attended annual banquet at the Hartefeld Country Club. The slate of officers was approved and many well-deserved awards were handed out including a tribute to Don Monagle. Photos are available at http://www.pcvrc.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=18 and all of the award winner’s write-ups can be found at http://www.pcvrc.com/awards2012.php

Race Results, Reviews and accomplishments: If we missed your results, please let us know.

Wow! Hugh sets yet another record! From Hugh himself…

“I was told I should let you know the results of the 3K I ran yesterday at the Delaware Field House. My time was 15:47 vs the inside USATF record of 18:47 and the world record of 17:25. There was some confusion after the race about the need for testing in order to qualify for the records, but that was clarified this morning. Testing is apparently done only at national indoor and outdoor meets.”

An INTERNATIONAL record for our Pike Creek Runner! BTW, he ran the same race on Feb 26th in a time of 16:48 but it was unofficial.

Delaware 5k Club Challenge
On January 10th, 84 members from four Delaware running clubs gathered at Lums Pond State Park for the 2nd annual DE Club Challenge 5k. This year marked the addition of the Dover based Downstate Delaware Striders and Riders along with the Delaware Running Club, Pike Creek Valley Running Club, and the host club – Middletown Athletic Club in this free event.

On a seasonally brisk day with blustery conditions the clubs took to the challenge of the weather, and trails softened by the recent rains. The race is a mid-winter gathering of clubs for socialization as well as some friendly age – graded completion. This year timing and age grade scoring were once again provided by our friends at Nova Timing who graciously volunteered their services, chip timing system and braved the elements to support this event. Thank you Mike, Ed and the rest of the Nova team!

The race was held on the 5k cross country course that provided a combination of flat wide trails, occasional standing water, and some slippery single track over the last mile. The top 5 male, and top 3 female participants age grade averages from each club were used to compute the club score. By the narrowest of margins PCVRC cleared DRC for the win!

In the individual results, Josh Loren was the overall male winner, Jen Watunya the overall female winner, and ten-year old Andrew Avilia from DRC repeated as the highest age grade scorer for the event.

Pike Creek Valley Running Club – 589.18
Delaware Running Company – 588.36
Middletown Athletic Club – 535.32
Downstate DE Striders – 365.46

Afterwards the group gathered @ Shaffer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City for post-race hydration and nourishment. Check out the Club and Nova Facebook pages for photos from the event.

Thanks to everyone who participated and a special thanks to all who contributed to the food drive for Sojourner House.

Chilly Cheeks 7.2 Mile Trail Run (2/24) (combined Tom Steenkamer and Dave McCorquodale):

Last Sunday six members (four women) of the PCVRC USATF off-road team took to the challenge of the Chilly Cheeks in Reading PA. Despite the off road team’s low numbers and injuries (who takes vacation in February?) we survived the annual slop fest on the single track route covering seven miles of hills and rocks of Mt. Penn. This year marked the 2nd year of race sponsorship by La Sportiva and inclusion in their national mountain race series.

The race start was relocated this year to accommodate some trail closing and began with mad 400m sprint out of the parking lot and around the ball field before runners had to bush whack (aka – make their own trail) their way up a steep slope back to the start. Then it was off to the hills of Mt. Penn. We almost lost one our ladies at mile two as Andrea Rubinoff took a misstep and found herself heading to the ground. Most of the impact was negligible but she did catch a branch just above the right eye. A bit shaken, she was assisted to her feet by a couple of other runners, but was determined to push on. Finishing the race and getting some ice, she wore a nice black ring above the eye lid by the time we finished rehydrating at the Leiderkranz with a couple of frosty ones. Also limping home was Epi Camacho, who pushed on despite a calf strain sustained mid race.

Thanks to those who turned out, including a welcome new club member, Paul Randolph.

Race Results:

Chilly Cheeks 7.2 Miler:

Time, – Age Grade
1:01:37, 54.60 Paul Randolph
1:08:51, 53.49 Epi Camacho
1:12:04, 49.54 Lisa Jalot
1:18:00, 44.21 Meggan Hain
1:27:32, 49.30 Andrea Rubinoff
1:32:36, 42.52 Lorri Fencer

Wawa CF Stair Climb (53 stories, 1019 steps):

16:15 John Schultz, oldest finisher.

Glassboro Ten Miler:

1:12:20 Lee Kauffman, 3rd 50-54
1:31:42 Dave McCorquodale, 2nd 60-69
2:34:40 John Schultz, 2nd 70+

After a windy event, first time participant Lee Kauffman said, “I must say that is was not the easy flat fast race I thought it would be. The rolling hills and head wind did take the ‘Race’ out of ya.”

Links for Club Members
PCVRC Coming Events: http://www.pcvrc.com/eventlist.php
PCVRC News Bulletins: http://www.pcvrc.com/news.php

Please patronize our sponsors!

New Balance Brandywine & Christiana stores offer a 20% discount to current club members. www.NBretail.com
M&T Bank offers personal & business banking, credit cards, mortgages, investments. www.mtb.com
Foot Care Group provides comprehensive care and treatment of the foot and ankle. www.FootCareGroup.org
Harvest Market provides organic and natural foods, nutritional supplements, and natural health care products. www.HarvestMarketNaturalFoods.com

Sign up for Annual Club Awards Banquet March 2
Registration for our banquet is still open but absolute final day to RSVP is Sunday afternoon. See menu choices and register either online with credit card, or download form to send check at www.pcvrc.com/banquet.php

Top 10 reasons for attending PCVRC banquet:
10. Gather with a group of runners when they actually smell good.
9. Enjoy food & atmosphere at Hartefeld National Golf Club.
8. Hang out with “the fast girls”.
7. Meet new club members. Meet veteran club members.
6. The club is subsidizing cost for members.
5. Hear guest speaker Kim Chitty, Executive Director of Girls on the Run Delaware.
4. Free t-shirts & classic PCVRC gear to those in attendance only.
3. Over 20 members to receive club glasses for notable achievements.
2. 9 awards to be presented, with remarks from the recipients.
1. Our 88 years young age-group world record holder will be recognized.

USATF news – Tom Steenkamer
Club members are strongly encouraged to renew their USATF membership for 2013 ASAP. Renew online and avoid the rush on race day! Remember your USATF membership must be current in order to be counted in our club standings.

Off-road series
The Off road series begins this weekend. The first race in the Off-Road Series is the Chilly Cheeks 7.2, this Sunday!

Register Soon for Tyler Arboretum 10K Trail Race, 4/6/13
The race is the second event in Mid-Atlantic’s Off-Road Series. Members who plan to run should get their entries in soon before the race closes out, which has happened the past two years. Race info and registration is available here.

This race continues to grow in popularity each year due its wide, run-able trails and of course the beautiful grounds of the arboretum. I have begun a discussion with the off-road series coordinator about ensuring entries for USATF members but I recommend that anyone interested in running register soon.

Road series – Broad St Run (Ed Maher)
As mentioned in the January Mid-Atlantic Newsletter and posted in this link from our Grand Prix page on the Mid-Atlantic web site, Mid-Atlantic members desiring to run Broad Street were instructed to enter the lottery and if not selected in the lottery and a Mid-Atlantic member as of midnight on Feb. 4, 2013 (same day the lottery opened), instructions are provided for a process that will still enable them to enter the race. This is very similar to the process used last year when some of our members were not able to enter the race before it filled up and registration closed.

Please spread the word to any in your clubs that were not selected in the Broad Street lottery and met the Mid-Atlantic membership condition. I am Mid-Atlantic’s POC for this. It’s been quiet so far.

I recognize that there were also club & corporate team and charity affiliation registration options so perhaps between success in the lottery and other avenues many of our members have been registered.

Thanks, Ed

Group Runs Continue Throughout Winter
As mentioned in several eBulletins, contact Denise Boyle if you’d like to host a Friday Fun Run when the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, you’re always welcome to our Wed & Thurs 6 pm runs at Delcastle and the Sunday morning Panera (Main Street in Newark) runs. It feels warmer with greater numbers. There is always someone to run with.

Race Results and accomplishments: If we missed your results, please let us know.

Race Results
DJ and Dave Farren ran a 10k (turned into a 6 mile) race in Miami. 232 finishers in a very cold day for Miami, 50 and windy
41.29 Dave Farren, 1st in 45-49 (9th overall)
43:29 DJ Farren, 1st in 14&U (16th Overall)

Valentine Couples Run 5K:
17:46.2 Greg Cauller, 2nd Overall, 1st Master
20:30.5 Lynn Knothe, 1st Overall

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Lover 5K:
23:34 Theresa Kauffman, 1st 50-59

Theresa reports that this race in Dover was a “Yummy first time event, which was really well done and different.” Chocolate treats from the culinary students of Deltech were served after the race.

George Washington’s Birthday Marathon Relay (3-person teams):
3:23:++ Bean Runners(David Baca, Joe Richardson, David Noddin), 13 out of 75+ teams, 2nd male masters.

George Washington’s Birthday Marathon:
4:36:14 David McCorquodale, write-up is posted here: http://mccorq.blogspot.com/

I am particularly interested in acknowledging significant other accomplishments that may not get noticed otherwise – someone who ran a “first” (5K to a marathon, a tri, etc.) or ran in a “destination” race (like a Ragnar, Big Sur Marathon, etc.) So please, tell on your friends! And I am always in need of race reviews!

Sign up for Annual Club Awards Banquet March 2
Registration for our banquet is now open. See menu choices and register either online with credit card, or download form to send check at www.pcvrc.com/banquet.php

Please sign up as much in advance of 2/22 deadline as possible. Event starts at 6 pm on Saturday 3/2 at Hartefeld National Golf Club in Avondale. We had 70 people last year and would like to see as many as possible, especially if you haven’t fit in many club events! It’s also important since we’ll be electing club officers. Cost is $30 for members and family of members, $40 for non-members. We’ll announce the guest speaker shortly and will also provide info on give-aways that you must be present for, so don’t miss our big event!

The following members will be receiving awards at the banquet: Hugh Campbell, Tom Steenkamer, Jim Steele, Ray Christensen, Sarah Rusk, John Schultz, Beth Howlett, Tricia Szymanski, Jim Durkin, Dan Simmons. Don Monagle will also be receiving an award post-mortem.

The following members will be recognized for notable achievements in 2012: Carla Anderson, David Baca, Denise Boyle, Epi Camacho, John Costello, Jay Coughenour, Mark Denio, Carol Feole, Jordan Fridman, Carol Giampietro, Meggan Hain, Jerry Herman, Sheri Herrmann, Andy Jacubowitch, Kelly Jones, Lisa Jalot, Lee Kauffman, Bob Klezsics, Lynn Knothe, Andrea Ladany, Josh Loren, Don Ropp, Stacey Schiller, Dirk Sweigart, Lenora Wagner

Delaware 5k Club Challenge
Last Saturday morning 84 members from 4 Delaware running clubs gathered at Lums Pond State Park for the 2nd annual DE Club Challenge 5k. This year marked the addition of the Dover based Downstate Delaware Striders and Riders along with the Delaware Running Club, Pike Creek Valley Running Club, and the host club – Middletown Athletic Club in this free event.

On a seasonally brisk day with blustery conditions the clubs took to the challenge of the weather, and trails softened by the recent rains. The race is a mid-winter gathering of clubs for socialization as well as some friendly age – graded completion. This year timing and age grade scoring were once again provided by our friends at Nova Timing who graciously volunteered their services, chip timing system and braved the elements to support this event. Thank you Mike, Ed and the rest of the Nova team!

The race was held on the 5k cross country course that provided a combination of flat wide trails, occasional standing water, and some slippery single track over the last mile. The top 5 male, and top 3 female participants age grade averages from each club were used to compute the club score.

By the narrowest of margins PCVRC cleared DRC for the win! Club results are here, and individual results are here.

In the individual results Josh Loren was the overall male winner, Jen Watunya the overall female winner, and 10yr. old Andrew Avilia from DRC repeated as the highest age grade scorer for the event.

Pike Creek Valley Running Club 589.18
Delaware Running Company 588.36
Middletown Athletic Club 535.32
Downstate DE Striders 365.46

Afterwards the group gathered @ Shaffer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City for post-race hydration and nourishment. Check out the Club and Nova Facebook pages for photos from the event. Thanks to everyone who participated and a special thanks to all who contributed to the food drive for Sojourner House.

USATF news – Tom Steenkamer
Club members are strongly encouraged to renew their USATF membership for 2013 ASAP. Renew online and avoid the rush on race day! Remember your USATF membership must be current in order to be counted in our club standings.

Off-road series
The Off road series begins in less than 2 weeks. The first race in the Off-Road Series is the Chilly Cheeks 7.2 Mile Trail Run on Feb. 24. Race info and registration is available here. Please drop me a note if you plan on racing so we can organize ride shares.

Register Soon for Tyler Arboretum Race, 4/6/13
Registration for the Tyler Arboretum 10k Trail Run on April 6 is already half-way to the 400-runner limit. The race is the second event in Mid-Atlantic’s Off-Road Series. Members who plan to run should get their entries in soon before the race closes out, which has happened the past two years. Race info and registration is available here.

This race continues to grow in popularity each year due its wide, run-able trails and of course the beautiful grounds of the arboretum. I have begun a discussion with the off-road series coordinator about ensuring entries for USATF members but I recommend that anyone interested in running register soon.

Road series – Broad St Run
The Broad Street Run registration for 2013 will be by lottery. The lottery is open for registration from Monday Feb. 4, 2013 at 12:01am until Friday Feb. 15, 2013 at 11:59pm.

All runners MUST register for the lottery. If you are not selected by the lottery process there are a couple of provisions that may permit entry. See the Broad St. and USATF websites for more information.

Group Runs Continue Throughout Winter
As mentioned in the last eBulletin, contact Denise Boyle if you’d like to host a Friday Fun Run when the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, you’re always welcome to our Wed & Thurs 6 pm runs at Delcastle and the Sunday morning Panera (Main Street in Newark) runs. It feels warmer with greater numbers. There is always someone to run with.

Race Results and accomplishments: If we missed your results, please let us know.

Congrats to Denise Boyle and Mark DeNio on their first cross-country events. And welcome to the “Haas tribe” – Dan, Quinn, Lainey and Griffin – who joined and ran for the club on the same day!

I am particularly interested in acknowledging significant other accomplishments that may not get noticed otherwise – someone who ran a “first” (5K to a marathon, a tri, etc.) or ran in a “destination” race (like a Ragnar, Big Sur Marathon, etc.) So please, tell on your friends! And I am always in need of race reviews!

Board Meetings: PCVRC Board meetings are scheduled for these dates in 2013 – Mar 19, Apr 23, Jun 18, Aug 06, Sep 17, Nov 12. Board meetings are open to all members – we do ask that you contact a board member of your interest to attend before the meeting to confirm the date and location. All meetings are at 6:30 pm.

Remember to renew your PCVRC membership for 2013 if you have not already. Mail your $25 check payable to “PCVRC” to PCVRC, PO Box 3259, Wilmington, DE 19804 or pay $26 online by credit card at www.pcvrc.com/join.php. Consider inviting someone new to join. Some of the benefits (shirt, free food & drink, discounts, etc.) are listed at www.pcvrc.com/joinbenefits.php

From Andy Shearer, Middletown Athletic Club (MAC) – 2nd Annual Club Challenge 5K – 2/9 at Lum’s Pond
This is the weekend! 73 people are pre-registered as of today… very nice. The course is a bit soft but hopefully we get a cold and dry week out of this one and firm things up a bit. But hey, it IS cross country! “Be one with the mud”.

Just a reminder to your runners that the bathrooms in areas 2 & 5 will be open but not in area 1. Area 5 is the first area on the left past the guard shack so I’d recommend that as a stop in to anyone. Area 2 is about a 600m jog from the starting area, so no big deal.

Please also a reminder that, as with White Clay, the trails are public use and as such, are open to anyone with a dog, cow, horse, bike, pig, and family of 17 out for a weekend stroll.

I will have sharpees to mark hands, should anyone have difficulty recalling that red means turn left and yellow means turn right. I am bringing the finishing chute for set-up and also have a display timer, unless they are not needed. I will also grab about 4-5 cases of water but otherwise, folks are on their own for post run refreshments. The weekend weather (which will change 9 times between now and then) looks seasonal (high of 41) so as long as Friday’s showers are either light or non-existent, we’ll have a good day… but not too good.

Anything I am forgetting? Oh, I will do a course once-over on Friday and check for markings, etc… It’s a pretty easy course to navigate, with only one or two spots where the unattentive could end up in Jersey.

See you this weekend… have fun and, as we say in MAC, don’t suck!

Andy Shearer

Sign up for Annual Club Awards Banquet March 2

Registration for our banquet is now open. See menu choices and register either online with credit card, or download form to send check at www.pcvrc.com/banquet.php

Please sign up as much in advance of 2/22 deadline as possible. Event starts at 6 pm on Saturday 3/2 at Hartefeld National Golf Club in Avondale. We had 70 people last year and would like to see as many as possible, especially if you haven’t fit in many club events! It’s also important since we’ll be electing club officers. Cost is $30 for members and family of members, $40 for non-members. We’ll announce the guest speaker shortly and will also provide info on give-aways that you must be present for, so don’t miss our big event!

Group Runs Continue Throughout Winter
As mentioned in the last eBulletin, contact Denise Boyle if you’d like to host a Friday Fun Run when the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, you’re always welcome to our Wed & Thurs 6 pm runs at Delcastle and the Sunday morning Panera (Main Street in Newark) runs. It feels warmer with greater numbers. There is always someone to run with.

Race Results and accomplishments: If we missed your results, please let us know.

Run to the Plunge 5K, Saturday Feb. 2, 2013, Rehoboth Beach

Jim Durkin: 28:07 (DE 1st Place 70+)

I am particularly interested in acknowledging significant other accomplishments that may not get noticed otherwise – someone who ran a “first” (5K to a marathon, a tri, etc.) or ran in a “destination” race (like a Ragnar, Big Sur Marathon, etc.) So please, tell on your friends! And I am always in need of race reviews!

Matt Cutrona on the USA Cross Country Championships:

This is my first time posting, but I recently participated in a running event that has left me feeling rejuvenated and inspired. I traveled to St. Louis last weekend to run in the USA National Cross Country Championships. This also served as the USATF Master’s National Championship race. I’ve never ran in a cross country race before but 1) I’m a USATF member, 2) I’m competitive and 3) I had enough miles for a free flight. I was mostly intrigued by the event because a lot of my favorite elite professional runners were going to be racing and I wanted to see them; Shalane Flanagan, Kim Conley, Deena Kastor, Sara Hall, Matt Tegankamp, Dathan Ritzeheimer. The list goes on. I previously worked in Sports Marketing and have met a lot of athletes from the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB. I never felt star struck. But put me within 10 feet of an Olympic runner and I fall apart. So, I found myself boarding a plane on Friday to Missouri. And yes, you can carry cross country spikes on a plane with no issue. Just not tooth paste.

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that it was COLD. About negative 5 degrees wind chill. I drove straight from the airport to the course so I could get a preview. It was covered in snow. I laced up the spikes and set out on my first loop of the course. About a half mile in, I passed a contingent of Asics runners and had my first Olympic athlete sighting, Sara Hall. She was the defending champion. We gave each other the courtesy runner’s head nod as we passed each other. COOL! I kept on running. There was a section of the course where the hill was slanted. I ran it once and then realized it would be better if I took a different line and ran near the bottom of the hill where it was flat. I decided to back track and run that section again. As I turned around, I see two female runners approaching me. I notice the Nike gear. Yup, the best female marathoner in the US, Shalane Flanagan, and Nike Oregon Project team member, Emily Infeld. I latched on to them and ran a few loops of the course. The whole time I’m thinking I’m running with the best marathon runner in the United States. AWESOME!

Saturday was race day. The snow from the previous day had melted and the course was in great shape. There was an open community run at 8:30 followed by the Women’s Master’s Championship at 9:15. My race was at 10:00. The weather was pretty nice, 25 degrees, sunny with a stiff breeze. There were about 130 men in the race. I was hoping to come in the top 60. The race was an 8K. It was basically a 4 loop course which had a nice flat section, a downhill section and 2 modest hill sections. There were some tree roots to contend with too. My biggest fear going into the race was being lapped by the leaders. I listened intently to the race announcer during the race indicating where the leaders were and was always happy to hear they weren’t closely approaching. I LOVED running the course. It was the most fun I’ve had in a race in a long time, probably because I didn’t put any expectations on myself. I ended up running the 8K course in 29:45, good for a 30th overall place and a 76.49 age group ranking. I’ll take it. It was time to watch the professional Women’s Open race.

It ended up being a two women race between Shalane and New Balance’s, Kim Conley. They pulled away from the rest of the field on the first loop and ran together for about 7K before Shalane put a gap on Kim and won the National title. The great thing about watching cross country is that you can literally get within 2 feet of the runners and see them about 15 times during a 5 mile race. As I was cheering for the runners, I yell “Go Sara” as Sara Hall passed. Two seconds later the guy next to me starts cheering for Sara. Yup, I was standing next to Ryan Hall, one of the best current US male marathon runners. NUTS!

I really wanted to meet Kim Conley. One, because she runs for New Balance and I run for the Delaware New Balance team. And two, she is cute. I ran into her a few times at the race but didn’t have a chance to talk to her because I guess if you come in 2nd place you have to take a drug test. I thought it would be strange if I waited outside a porta potty. So, back to the hotel I went.The next stop for me was the after race party which was at a small hotel bar. I was sitting at the bar for about a ½ hour making small talk with whomever stopped by. Runners are cool. I turn my head and see a woman 2 feet from me with a New Balance back pack. Yep, Kim Conley. I thought I was cool since I had my New Balance back pack too. I went over and congratulated her on the race, made some small talk and did the picture thing. INCREDIBLE! I decided to call it a night. It was all too good to be true. I walked a block back to my hotel and decided to go into the lobby bar. Of course, Shalane Flanagan is sitting there eating an ice cream sundae. WHY NOT??

The experience of being in the presence of all these Olympians and elite runners left me excited to get back to training. It has reignited my passion for running. I can’t wait to run the NYC Half Marathon in 6 weeks. As Shalane tweeted an hour before winning: “Be Inspired. Be Inspiring”. It worked.

Board Meetings: PCVRC Board meetings are scheduled for these dates in 2013 – Mar 19, Apr 23, Jun 18, Aug 06, Sep 17, Nov 12. Board meetings are open to all members – we do ask that you contact a board member of your interest to attend before the meeting to confirm the date and location. All meetings are at 6:30 pm.

Remember to renew your PCVRC membership for 2013 if you have not already. Mail your $25 check payable to “PCVRC” to PCVRC, PO Box 3259, Wilmington, DE 19804 or pay $26 online by credit card at www.pcvrc.com/join.php. Consider inviting someone new to join. Some of the benefits (shirt, free food & drink, discounts, etc.) are listed at www.pcvrc.com/joinbenefits.php