2nd Annual Club Challenge 5K – 2/9 at Lum’s Pond
1 week until the 2nd annual DE Interclub challenge, race, fun run and after party. Please sign up for this free 5k and join in the fun!

The 2nd annual Delaware Interclub 5k Challenge will be held on Saturday February 9th at Lum’s Pond State Park. Web registration available here. Registration opens @ 10:30, Race time 11:30.

New for this year we will be collecting non-perishable food donations to support Sojourner’s Place in Wilmington, DE. Please consider bringing a can of food, box of pasta or similar item to assist Sojourner’s mission to help the homeless.

Post-race will be at the newly renovated Schaefer’s Canal House in North Chesapeake City, MD. Come out to run, cheer or just for the post-race gathering @ Schaefer’s.
Questions contact – Tom Steenkamer

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 6pm 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!

PCVRC highlights from the MA-USATF luncheon:

Received two checks for $300 each: 4th in the Grand Prix and 3rd in the Off-Road Series. Club members in attendance were recognized for their achievements, including Beth Howlett and John Schultz. An announcement was made about Don Monagle, who had won the 80-84 age-group and had planned to attend the banquet before passing away. At the end of the awards, Norm Green, who has served in multiple capacities for MA-USATF for 30 years and is retiring, who presented with a life-time achievement award. A bench is going to be placed in Valley Forge National Park in his honor. Norm in accepting his award pointed out that he had already received a life-time award in 1998.

Hugh: But the big story was Hugh Campbell: His world best age-group(85-89) time of 26:45 in the 5K, plus his national age group record in the 8K (47:40) were the foundation of his receiving not only the age-group award and Masters Male Athlete of the Year, but the Frank Percival Award(Outstanding Athlete). National USATF has named him Runner of the Year(2012) for his age-group. A search of all the age-graded records (dating back to 1989) reveals that his age-grade of 101.93 in the National Masters 5K in Syracuse was the highest age-grade ever recorded by an American athlete in any event. None of the other men over 70 in that race knew who he was and so, when they saw a fellow, with the age 88 pinned to his back, running away from them, they ignored him, figuring he didn’t know how to pace himself. Needless to say, he beat them all.

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

Broad St. Registration 2013
IMPORTANT for anyone wishing to gain entry to Broad St. for this year please read the following procedures. Note that you must renew your USATF membership prior to 2/4/13.

From the Mid-Atlantic USATF long distance committee: The Broad Street Run registration for 2013 will be by lottery. The lottery will be open for registration from Monday Feb. 4, 2013 at 12:01am until Friday Feb. 15, 2013 at 11:59pm.

Similar to last year when race registration reached its maximum in less than one day, we realize that some USATF Mid-Atlantic members may not be selected for entry in the lottery. To address this possibility, the Mid-Atlantic LDR Committee, in cooperation with the Broad Street Run race organizers, have established the following process:

1. This process is only available to 2013 USATF Mid-Atlantic members of record as of Feb. 4, 2013. i.e. the day the Broad Street Run lottery opens. Not sure if you are a member? You can check your membership via the National USATF web site here: Membership Number Lookup

2. USATF Mid-Atlantic 2013 members interested in running the Broad Street Run must enter the lottery! Those who are not selected in the lottery (the race web site indicates all lottery entrants will be notified by email and via published lottery results online on Feb. 19, 2013 after 10:00am) should immediately notify our Grand Prix coordinator, Ed Maher, by email at:

3. Our Grand Prix coordinator will verify the individual’s membership (USATF membership record as of midnight Feb. 4, 2013) and provide the member with a code, specific to that member, which will enable them to register for the race within five days.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of individuals ensuring their 2013 Mid-Atlantic membership is current, prior to Feb. 4, 2013, in order to be accommodated with this process!

Haddonfield Adrenaline: Signup for the Haddonfield Adrenaline Run 5K in March will be done only online. The website is runsignup.com. The limit for this event this year is 1,100. Several hundred have signed up already. While there is no rush, the director will NOT be reserving last minute sign-ups for USATF members so sign up in advance.

From Denise Boyle, club fun runs:
We thought it would be a good idea this year to introduce more fun runs! These would include not just 5K’s but 5 milers or 10K’s too. We want everyone to consider participating in these runs since it bring us all together socially for runs, food, beverages and games as well!

As a host, you can use your creativity and design the course of your choosing!

Here are some details. If you are interested in hosting one of these runs, please contact Denise Boyle at

– Runs would be on the third Friday of each month so it would be easy for everyone to remember.

– People can choose if they want to host at their homes or at a local gathering spot near the course.

– Club funding would be available for expenses like beverages and group food (like pizza)

– Dates would be: April 19, May 17, July 19, August 16, September 20

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

New Baby
Congratulations to Austin and Amy Gee on the birth of their son Micah “with amazing speed” on January 8th in Philadelphia. “Long and long and lean weighing 6lbs 5oz and measuring 20in… built like a runner just like his Dad!”

If you know of other events affecting club members, please pass them along.

2nd Annual Club Challenge 5K – 2/9 at Lum’s Pond

The 2nd annual Delaware Interclub 5k Challenge will be held on Saturday February 9th at Lum’s Pond State Park. There is no DE State Parks entrance fee in effect. This year we will be competing with teams from Middletown Athletic (MAC), Delaware Running Co (DRC), and the Downstate Delaware Striders and Riders (DDSR) for bragging rights to the coveted DE Club Championship trophy. Once again the race will be FREE, and chip timing will be provided by our friends at Nova Timing. We encourage everyone to take advantage of the easy online web registration available here. (This will expedite the chip assignments.)

New for this year we will be collecting non-perishable food donations to support Sojourner’s Place in Wilmington, DE. Please consider bringing a can of food, box of pasta or similar item to assist Sojourner’s mission to help the homeless.

We will be running the flat and fast Lum’s Pond 5k Cross Country course. The course is permanently marked and the club’s will add a few more to make sure everyone finds their way back to the finish. Race check in will begin at 10:30 in Area 1 (last parking area.) Race time is 11:30.

Park rest room facilities are located a short jog/walk across the parking lot in area 2. You will also drive past Area 5 restrooms on your way into the park located in the Park Nature Center building. Check out the Lum’s Pond State Park map here.

The race will be scored using age graded results from the clubs top 5 men and top 3 women. While this is a competition it is also a mid-winter gathering of runners of all abilities and we encourage everyone to join the fun. Last year we had over 70 participants on a fine morning @ White Clay. This year I hope we can get a few more club members to participate.

We are planning a great post gathering at the newly renovated Schaefer’s Canal House in North Chesapeake City, MD. Come out to run, cheer or just for the post-race gathering @ Schaefer’s.
Questions contact – Tom Steenkamer

Annual Club Awards Banquet is March 2
Please note Saturday 3/2/13 on your calendar to join us for our annual banquet which will be held at Hartefeld National Country 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 expected to be $30 for members and family of members, $40 for non-members. Watch for more details including speaker bio, menu and online/offline signup.

Race Results: If we missed your results, please let us know.
Icicle Run Ten Miler:
1:04:27 John Costello, 3rd 50-54 (missed him last week)

Road to the Super Bowl 5K:
16:44 Dan Suher, Overall Winner
18:07 Greg Cauller, 1st Master

Congratulations to Annie Lloyd (fiancé of Chris James and future member) on her first marathon at Disney, 4:12:38!

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!

Haddonfield Adrenaline:
Signup for the Haddonfield Adrenaline Run 5K in March will be done only online. The website is runsignup.com. The limit for this event this year is 1,100. Several hundred have signed up already. While there is no rush, the director will NOT be reserving last minute sign-ups for USATF members so sign up in advance.

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

2nd Annual Club Challenge 5K – 2/9 at Lum’s Pond
Come to Lums’s Pond on Saturday, Feb 9 for the Club Challenge pitting PCVRC against other area running clubs. It’s a great time to meet lots of other local runners and run or just socialize! Check-in starts at 10:30 am for the 11:30 start and the race is a FREE 5k, chip-timed by NOVA! Last year, over 80 enjoyed the race and PCVRC came out on top by a slim margin. Of course, we retired to a local watering-hole for a post-race party. Age-graded results and we hope to see you there, fast or slow, young or old, new member or veteran. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/398163053601063/ or to Tom Steenkamer or Ray Christensen.

Condolences
PCVRC extends condolences to Doris and Chip Bixler on the passing of Doris’ mother, Doris Westley Hogentogler. http://www.mccreryandharra.com/online_obituaries.php?did=1865

If you know of other events affecting club members, please pass them along.

First 10 Miler
Congratulations to club member Mark Denio on his first ever 10-miler!

Annual Club Awards Banquet is March 2
Please note Saturday 3/2/13 on your calendar to join us for the banquet. Location will be announced in January. 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.

Race Results: If we missed your results, please let us know.
Icicle Ten Miler:
What a great turnout and after-party!

1:00:37 Greg Cauller, 5th Overall, 1st 50-54
1:03:02 Matt Cutrona, 1st 40-44
1:06:34 Epi Camacho, 1st 55-59
1:07:15 Sarah Rusk, 1st 30-34
1:07:38 Tom Jermyn
1:08:31 Kelly Horowitz, 2nd 35-39
1:10:00 Lee Kauffman
1:11:26 Dirk Sweigart
1:11:31 Kristen Stump, 1st 19-24
1:14:06 David Baca
1:16:44 Dan Simmons, 1st 65-69
1:16:46 Sheri Herrmann
1:19:07 Ray Christensen
1:19:32 Dave McSherry
1:20:05 Jack Horowitz
1:20:09 Theresa Kauffman, 3rd 50-54
1:24:05 Rich Szymanski
1:25:08 Jim Steele
1:25:22 Paul Schweitzer
1:27:52 Bruce Hubbard
1:28:14 Dave McCorquodale
1:29:07 Connie Montana
1:35:30 John Hand
1:39:49 Rudy Antonini
1:40:34 Claire Neilan
1:40:34 Tony Chelpaty
1:40:35 Darlise DiMatteo
1:40:++ Andrea Ladany
1:41:00 Tricia Szymanski
1:42:41 Stacey Schiller
1:46:37 Jerry Herman
2:26:53 John Schultz, New State Record, Men 80-84
2:56:18 Mark Denio, 1st ten miler

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!

USATF – 2013 Mid Atlantic USATF racing season from Tom Steenkamer
Hello PCVRC members and welcome to 2013. This year will be my first as the coordinator for the club USATF race team. Coming off our strongest team finish in a couple of years in 2012, I’m already planning on a great 2013!

The MA-USATF will recognize and celebrate club and individual performances from 2012 for long distance running as well as track and field at their annual banquet on Saturday, January 26th, in Wayne PA. Our own Hugh Campbell will be recognized for his outstanding achievements in 2012 including his record setting performances at the Syracuse, NY 5k Championship, and the Rothman 8k. Limited tickets are still available via mail. More information on the banquet is available here: http://www.mausatf.org/pdf/2013-awards-luncheon-invitation.pdf

The USATF 2013 race calendar is now available on the MA-USATF web site for both the Grand Prix (road) and Off-Road (trail). There are no significant changes to the race calendar this year although thankfully the series has finally resolved the concurrent races for Moorestown/Wissahickon, and Radnor/Evansburg.

All club members are welcome to join the fun and compete in these events. Typically we arrange car pools and gather afterwards for post-race refreshment.

Please renew your 2013 USATF membership ASAP (New members designate club ID #0025 for PCVRC). This is particularly important for any club member who wants to compete in the Broad St. Run. After last year’s record sell out (5 hours) the Broad St. race director has announced a lottery system will be implemented for race entry. In order to ensure your race entry for Broad St. your 2013 USTAF membership must be paid by 1/31/13.

The first races of the season are fast approaching. The trail series opens on February 24th with the Chilly Cheeks in Reading. A new name and course await us according to the RD, Ron Horn. Due to the races inclusion in the La Sportiva Mountain race series Ron reports that he has added a few more hills!

Club scoring for the opening weekend of the Grand Prix series will be combined between 2 races. First on March 16th will be the Adrenaline 5k in Haddonfield, NJ, followed by the 5oth anniversary of the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon on Sunday, March 17th. Registration is now open for all of these races.
Happy running!

Haddonfield Adrenaline: Signup for the Haddonfield Adrenaline Run 5K in March will be done only online. The website is runsignup.com. The limit for this event this year is 1,100. Several hundred have signed up already. While there is no rush, the director will NOT be reserving last minute sign-ups for USATF members. So sign up in advance.

Club 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

New eBulletin Editor: Dirk Sweigart
Welcome to the new era of the PCVRC. Long-time editor and member Dave McCorquodale has decided to “hang up his pen” and turn this job over to me, Dirk Sweigart. Dave’s shoes will be very hard to fill so, in some ways, I won’t even try. Dave, THANKS for so many years of chronicling the events and achievements of the club and its members. You’ve done a superb job.

I will do my best to keep this newsletter fresh and relevant to you, the Pike Creek Valley club runner. Feedback, positive and negative, is important to me. This newsletter, along with the website (pcvrc.com) and the Facebook site need to meet your needs. If they’re not doing so, let me know.
Here’s what’s happening…

Condolences
PCVRC extends condolences to Lori and John Culnane on the loss of Lori’s mother last week.

We also regret the loss of Don Monagle, as was noted on our Facebook page:
Don Monagle, member of Pike Creek Valley Running Club since 1984, who was inducted in our Hall of Fame in 2002, passed away on New Year’s Day after ten years with multiple myeloma. Don had received several club awards over the years. He had previously held four age-group state records in the 70-74 age group and currently has three age-group records in the 80-84 age group, setting all of them this past fall while his myeloma was in remission. Don’s last race was the Rothman 8K on November 20. Obituary is at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/delawareonline/obituary.aspx?n=donald-edward-monagle&pid=162095248 and also at Don’s Hall of Fame page at www.pcvrc.com/members.php

If you know of other events affecting club members, please pass them along.

2nd Annual Club Challenge 5K – 2/9 at Lum’s Pond
Come to Lums’s Pond on Saturday, Feb 9 for the Club Challenge pitting PCVRC against other area running clubs. It’s a great time to meet lots of other local runners and run or just socialize! Check-in starts at 10:30 am for the 11:30 start and the race is a FREE 5k, chip-timed by NOVA! Last year, over 80 enjoyed the race and PCVRC came out on top by a slim margin. Of course, we retired to a local watering-hole for a post-race party. Age-graded results and we hope to see you there, fast or slow, young or old, new member or veteran. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/398163053601063/ or to Tom Steenkamer or Ray Christensen.

Annual Club Awards Banquet is March 2
Please note Saturday 3/2/13 on your calendar to join us for the banquet. Location will be announced in January. 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.

Race Results:

New Year’s Hangover Classic 5K:
19:49 Sarah Rusk, 2nd Overall Female, 1st 30-39

I have asked Dave M to continue to supply the newsletter with the names, times and places of runners who place overall in general races and all of the PCVRC running results for the USATF series as he has in the past. But 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!

USATF
2013 USA Masters 8 km Championship
Location: Run for the Dream in Williamsburg, Virginia
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2013
Registration Deadlines:
– Jan 1, 2013 – April 30, 2013: $55
– May 1, 2013- May 26, 2013: $60
– At Expo (Woodlands Conference Center) – Friday, May 31, 11-7 pm: $70

PCVRC Dues
Reminder to renew now 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, …) are listed at www.pcvrc.com/joinbenefits.php

Engagement
Congratulations to Dirk Sweigart and Sheri Herrmann on their announced engagement. More and more it appears that Facebook is the go-to medium for up-to-date news. Since both earned free club membership through their participation in MA-USATF events, there is no validity to the suspicion that their engagement was done to cut their dues down to one family membership. 😉

From President Ray:

Renew PCVRC Membership for 2013
Please renew now for 2013. Thanks to the many who took care of it at the Holiday Party. You’re also set if you ran the 4+ races on our USATF team or if you joined for the first time after Sept. 1. Either mail $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. List of some of the benefits (shirt, free food & drink, discounts, …) appears at www.pcvrc.com/joinbenefits.php

Nominate Members for Awards
Your input is needed for potential award winners for 2012. Please submit names and reasons before January 1. It’s OK to nominate yourself if others aren’t familiar with you. See www.pcvrc.com/awards.php for summaries of recent winners.

Annual Club Awards Banquet is March 2
Please note Saturday 3/2/13 on your calendar to join us for the banquet. Location will be announced in January. 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.
__________________________

Note from Dave McCorquodale
This E-Bulletin marks my last time as editor of our online newsletter. I became editor of our Pacer newsletter in late1996, so this wraps up sixteen years of editing.

I remember wanting to help Pike Creek Valley Running Club grow. Writing and editing were my strengths from my high school and college days. (Anyone who is interested could find The Heterodoxical Voice, the local “underground paper” published from 1968 through 1970, which I helped edit, on microfiche at the University of Delaware library. I also have the entire file on my computer.)

So becoming editor of the Pacer was a chance for me to get back to an activity I loved. My writing skills had not been used in years and the renewed writing help me hone them. Some have told me that I’ve written interesting articles lately, as I’ve recounted some marathon experiences.

But starting to edit again was not the same as what I had done decades before. Gone were typewriters and white-out. Instead, I had to use a computer. I had just gotten one in 1996 and had no clue how to use it for editing. To my eternal gratitude, then club president Lois Johnson took the time to come over to my home and give me a couple tutoring lessons about Microsoft Word and Excel programs.

Still, the first newsletters were primitive and full of errors. I was back to using cut and paste in order to make a newsletter. Later, Mark Deshon contributed his professional skills to do computerized layout. The newsletter looked much more professional with a masthead and pictures.
My friend Stew Whisenant contributed his skills as a photographer. The culmination of The Pacer was several professionally printed slick paper editions, done especially for the results of the Delaware Distance Classic.

I will posit that during some of the leaner years for the club (late 1990s – early 2000s) the publication of The Pacer was the main thread holding the club together.

I still have a box full of the extra copies of the old Pacers. I’ll bring them to some club functions and will indicate which have many extra copies so that they can be taken by those interested in such memorabilia.

As time passed, a couple developments led to the decision to switch to an online publication. First more and more people were using e-mail. Second it was a lot of work to prepare a publication and the lead time required meant that, except for planning an event at least a month in advance, all the information being conveyed was “old news”. By 1999 club member Wayne Kursh was posting the results from the races he directed online. Other race directors followed suit. So the idea of posting everyone’s race results in a newsletter was somewhat less important. A monthly newsletter sometimes meant pages and pages of race results. Finally, there was the expense involved in preparing and mailing.

All of those factors led to the decision to transform The Pacer into the Pike Creek Valley Running Club E-Bulletin. Over the years it has gotten to the point that the E-Bulletin has been published on an almost weekly schedule. This has been possible partially because I retired almost six years ago. It remains to be seen what schedule will be adopted by incoming editor Dirk Sweigart. But even as I write this, our methods of communicating are still changing. Now the club has a Facebook page. So anyone can transmit news immediately.

As I make way for Dirk, I’ll add that I won’t stop writing. As some know, I have a blog, http://mccorq.blogspot.com/, where I post some of my marathon articles. I generally do that when the articles go into more details other than the running and when the article focuses too much on me. Some may feel that during my time as editor, I’ve focused too much on me. Probably true, but I like to write, and ME is my main subject. I’ve pleaded over the years for others to put down their thoughts. Lately we’ve gotten that sort of contribution to the E-Bulletin. I hope it continues.

Dirk has also asked me to continue on as the person who collects the race results. I’m happy to do that as I am somewhat of a numbers geek. But remember that unless I’m instructed by the board of the club to proceed differently, I’ll continue to post only certain results UNLESS ASKED BY A PERSON to list a result. I explained that policy recently, so I’ll assume there is no need to repeat it here. Keep my address, , is you might want to report a running time for the E-Bulletin.

My goal in becoming editor was to help PCVRC grow and thrive. I feel I helped do that. The club is much, much more vital today than 16 years ago. Part of any organization remaining vital is for newer members to step into leadership roles. My stepping down as editor is part of an exciting transition that is coming to the leadership of the club this coming year. I still see the potential of the club to grow exponentially, but that won’t happen if the entire leadership appears to be a generation and a half older than the youthful runners the club hopes to attract.

Having started late(age 48) as a runner, but having been a runner for 20 years with still relatively few physical problems to stop me from running, I count myself extremely lucky. I consider running the activity foundation of my health. I think most people who’ve run for a while get that. You can see it in a glance from a runner going the other way. Someone you’ve never seen before can momentarily give a nod of acknowledgment that you and that person are part of “the running tribe”, which affords you the health that so many these days don’t have. Ultimately, I want to see that “tribe” expand. Anyone who runs is simultaneously intensely involved in personal activity, but setting an example for others by his or her mere presence.

For several reasons I’ve gravitated toward doing marathons as my preferred race. A main reason is that doing long runs are the foundation for doing marathons and my weekly Sunday long run is the most important run of the week for me. It is during longer runs that I get into a groove, an almost mediative state, where you are in the moment, aware of the signals from your body, but mostly free from the daily worries that occupy the rest of one’s life.

Many of my long runs have been in White Clay Creek State Park. It’s during those runs, out in a natural setting, when I’ve had experiences I would describe as spiritual. I coined a phrase: The Church of the Long Run. So, yeah! I’m a true believer and I’m out to convert others. As Neil Young said so eloquently (I ignore the fact that he was singing about an old car and slightly alter the lyrics):

Long may you RUN!

Long may YOU run!
Although these changes have come.
With your warm heart beating,
In the sun,
Long MAY you RUN!
________________________

Race Results:

Here I’ve departed from my usual policy of not listing every club runner in a 5K. There were no results to report and this event, quickly organized to raise funds to support the community of Newton, brought an impressive club turn-out.

Newton Charity 5K Run:
17:46 Greg Cauller, 5th Overall, 1st 50-59
18:33 Matt Cutrona, 2nd 40-49
19:27 Epi Camacho, 2nd 50-59
19:45 Sarah Rusk, Overall Female Winner
19:45 Kelly Horowitz, 2nd overall Female, 1st 30-39
20:15 Lynn Knothe, 3rd overall female, 2nd 40-49
20:35 Kristen Stump, 1st 19-29
21:08 Dave Farren
22:13 Dave Baca
22:27 DJ Farren, 3rd 1-13
22:50 Jack Horowitz
22:56 Andrea Ladany
23:32 Liam Kaufmann
23:36 Theresa Kaufmann, 2nd 50-59
25:14 Connie Montana
25:32 Bruce Hubbard
25:33 Darlise DiMatteo
26:32 Denise Boyle
29:36 Vince McIntosh
43:40 Ralph McKinney