Since our team consists of runners from basically within a 100-mile radius of Poughkeepsie -- as opposed to much of our competition -- we are all dealing with the same messy weather.
Snow. Cold. Wind. Ice.
In a word: WINTER.
There's only one thing to do during this time: Deal with it.
Obviously, safety is a concern. Be aware of black ice. No more trail running, unless it's on snowshoes (I'm sure Jut could recommend some good stuff for you there at his fancy store in New Paltz; I'll get there one of these days, Jut!).
Bundle up, get out there and run.
For those guys who are not from the immediate area, here's what we have in Poughkeepsie (or, at least, at my Hyde Park home): About 9 inches of snow, blowing and drifting, with another 4-6 inches coming on Sunday. And it's pretty darn cold. Didn't get above 20 today. But it should warm up a bit next week.
Watch for ice. Watch for idiot drivers. Stay safe. Go out and run.
More holiday updates early next week ...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A little tougher than the Back Hills
Here is a picture of new blog follower -- and subject of the previous post -- Greg "Reese" Salamone, from his recent glamorous vacation in the Congo.
Here is Greg's description of this photo: Me on the top of Mt. Stanley, the third highest peak in all of Africa at 16,700-plus feet. It's dubbed the hardest hike in Africa, and going with an incompetent guide from the Congo who doesn't speak your language and then lies to you (through your interpreter) and says he's been there before (when he hasn't) makes the hike a whole heck of a lot harder.
Geez. Sounds like fun. I think I'll cancel the family vacation at Lake George for next summer and go there.
Reese to the rescue
Great to see Greg Salamone (aka REESE) commenting on the course post from last night. It's great for several reasons, not the least of which that he is still ALIVE.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
Great news from abroad ...
Below is an email I received from Colin Johnson, budding middle distance star, who is studying abroad in Ireland and heading home very soon. For those who don't know Colin, he was a hockey player in high school; he also ran track, but not that fast (as he'll be the first to admit). But through hard work, he got his 800 time down to 1:59 last spring.
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Monday, December 15, 2008
Of courses
Hello, all. As one former Red Fox Harrier used to say ... What is GOOD?
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Yale season opener, 12.6.08
Finally, after many years, we have found an early indoor track meet in December worthy of wasting a perfectly good Saturday: the Yale Season Opener at good old Coxe Cage in New Haven.
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
Rolek wins in comeback effort
Got this photo courtesy of D.J. Paulson's dad, of our boy Mike Rolek stylin' his way to the finish line in a race I'm guessing was called the "Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K Run."
A nice return to the fold for Rolek, who has been sidelined with a debilitating back/hip/nerve thing for the better part of three months. It was a bummer, because Mike was in great shape in late summer and ready to rip up the fall racing scene. But alas, these things happen.
As with his return from the previous serious injury, here's hoping he learns some lessons from it and returns stronger and faster than ever. You'll recall that after the summer of his discontent in 2007, Rolek went on to have one of the great senior years of running in my time coaching during 2007-2008.
There's still plenty of fast running in that Jersey kid's legs. Slow and steady on the recovery trail.
Thanks for D.J. and D.S. for the photos.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Library
It occurred to me the other day that many (most) of the current team members only have a vague idea about my running. Most probably (and accurately) envision me as a recreational jogger who rarely, if ever, races.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Indoor track, 2009
My favorite season: Indoor track!
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Seniors at VCP
Thanks to John Keenan's mom for taking this photo and emailing it to me last week. It is of our 2008 xc senior class at a frigid Vanny at IC4As, the last time this group will run on the famed 5-mile course as collegians. Hopefully, some or all will be back on the trail as members of the Alumni Racing Team.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cross country thoughts
First of all, congratulations to the Iona College Gaels for their phenomenal runner-up (2nd place) performance at the NCAA Championships. All the talk was of Oklahoma State challenging Oregon, maybe even beating them. Seems everyone forgot LAST YEAR'S runners-up. And now, they are THIS YEAR'S runners-up. Convincingly. We should all be proud to be THEIR runners-up every year at MAACs.
Amazing stat of the season: Iona's Andrew Ledwith had a higher individual placement at the NCAA Championships (3rd) than he had at the MAAC Championships (5th). Obviously, the NCAA Championship race had a bit more importance to him and to his teammates, and they nailed it. Good for them.
Marist Cross Country 2008: This was a great fall season in which the team met or achieved all its goals. For those of you team members reading this, congratulations on your hard-earned success. For those of you alumni/friends/family reading this, thank you for your continued support throughout the fall season.
With all due respect to past teams -- and I've loved them all! -- this may have been the most fun I have had in a cross country season (I probably say that every year, right?). We were relatively injury-free. Everybody got along great. Everybody did the "little things" off the trail to make sure they got the "big things" nailed down correctly. I do think the racing-ever-other-week schedule worked out really well.
And the added bonus this year was getting to have a more active role in the women's program (more on that later). So in all, I couldn't have asked for more out of the past 14 or so weeks.
We had highlights in pretty much every meet.
Iona MOC: School record by Girma (25:01) and school record by the team (25:45 average), as well as highest team finish ever.
Paul Short: Probably our weakest meet of the year, but we still averaged 25:17 per man in the top-5, which was a program best until ...
Albany: When we won easily and averaged 24:47, the first time in school history we averaged under 25:00.
MAAC: We finally ran well for Mickey, getting a dominant 2nd, three all-MAAC performers (Girma, Conor, Will) and averaging 25:12 on a course that seemed to run a little slow.
Regionals: Top-10. Says it all.
IC4As: Broke the Vanny record by 1 second, despite the slightly longer course and brutally cold conditions, and sent off the Girma-Raucci and Friends Senior Class with one, last memorable day.
Now, I know this blog is men's-team centric. Not sure if any women's team members even read it. I would welcome the ladies to, and will try to include more women's meet details as track season begins in earnest next week.
One observation from this old coach about the women's program: We ran the University Division at ECACs (the women's version of IC4As), and got 4th. Our two lead runners, Addie (2nd) and Kathryn (9th), were in the top-10. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of ladies.
Does this sound familiar? It should. In 2005, the men's team ran the IC4A University Division. Girma place 2nd. David placed 11th. Both were freshmen. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of men.
You know how the past three years have gone for the men's program, with Girma and David leading the way. With two stud freshman ladies and under Chuck's excellent leadership, recruiting and coaching ... well, all I'll say is, just watch and see.
It should be a fun ride, and I'll be glad to hitch along to that wagon.
Final thoughts on the Girma/David Raucci Cross Country Era: It has been pointed out, by me and others, many times how "I wish Girma and David would nail it on the same day" in a cross country meet. They finally came very close to that perfection at Regionals this year, and the result was obvious.
However, the thought occurred to me the other day: In their many cross country races as our 1-2 runners (and they NEVER missed a meet, by the way), one of them ALWAYS stepped up and led the team. So while they rarely nailed it together on the same day, one of them almost always picked up for the other and kept our train rolling along. For four memorable years.
If anyone is interested in the updated VCP School Record List, let me know and I will email it to you.
On to indoor track.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Amazing stat of the season: Iona's Andrew Ledwith had a higher individual placement at the NCAA Championships (3rd) than he had at the MAAC Championships (5th). Obviously, the NCAA Championship race had a bit more importance to him and to his teammates, and they nailed it. Good for them.
Marist Cross Country 2008: This was a great fall season in which the team met or achieved all its goals. For those of you team members reading this, congratulations on your hard-earned success. For those of you alumni/friends/family reading this, thank you for your continued support throughout the fall season.
With all due respect to past teams -- and I've loved them all! -- this may have been the most fun I have had in a cross country season (I probably say that every year, right?). We were relatively injury-free. Everybody got along great. Everybody did the "little things" off the trail to make sure they got the "big things" nailed down correctly. I do think the racing-ever-other-week schedule worked out really well.
And the added bonus this year was getting to have a more active role in the women's program (more on that later). So in all, I couldn't have asked for more out of the past 14 or so weeks.
We had highlights in pretty much every meet.
Iona MOC: School record by Girma (25:01) and school record by the team (25:45 average), as well as highest team finish ever.
Paul Short: Probably our weakest meet of the year, but we still averaged 25:17 per man in the top-5, which was a program best until ...
Albany: When we won easily and averaged 24:47, the first time in school history we averaged under 25:00.
MAAC: We finally ran well for Mickey, getting a dominant 2nd, three all-MAAC performers (Girma, Conor, Will) and averaging 25:12 on a course that seemed to run a little slow.
Regionals: Top-10. Says it all.
IC4As: Broke the Vanny record by 1 second, despite the slightly longer course and brutally cold conditions, and sent off the Girma-Raucci and Friends Senior Class with one, last memorable day.
Now, I know this blog is men's-team centric. Not sure if any women's team members even read it. I would welcome the ladies to, and will try to include more women's meet details as track season begins in earnest next week.
One observation from this old coach about the women's program: We ran the University Division at ECACs (the women's version of IC4As), and got 4th. Our two lead runners, Addie (2nd) and Kathryn (9th), were in the top-10. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of ladies.
Does this sound familiar? It should. In 2005, the men's team ran the IC4A University Division. Girma place 2nd. David placed 11th. Both were freshmen. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of men.
You know how the past three years have gone for the men's program, with Girma and David leading the way. With two stud freshman ladies and under Chuck's excellent leadership, recruiting and coaching ... well, all I'll say is, just watch and see.
It should be a fun ride, and I'll be glad to hitch along to that wagon.
Final thoughts on the Girma/David Raucci Cross Country Era: It has been pointed out, by me and others, many times how "I wish Girma and David would nail it on the same day" in a cross country meet. They finally came very close to that perfection at Regionals this year, and the result was obvious.
However, the thought occurred to me the other day: In their many cross country races as our 1-2 runners (and they NEVER missed a meet, by the way), one of them ALWAYS stepped up and led the team. So while they rarely nailed it together on the same day, one of them almost always picked up for the other and kept our train rolling along. For four memorable years.
If anyone is interested in the updated VCP School Record List, let me know and I will email it to you.
On to indoor track.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Philly marathoners: NICELY DONE!
Great job by Marist Alumni Racing Team members Matt (CT) Szymaszek and Matt (Walsh) Walsh at the Philly Marathon on a chilly Sunday morning. Both ran their maiden voyages at 26.2 miles with smartly-paced, strong debuts.
As Decker wrote in a text shortly after they finished: "They ran brilliantly." I couldn't agree more, but I'll let you be the judge.
CT: 2:45:53. 63rd overall. 5km: 19:32; 10km: 39:21; 15km: 58:59; 20km: 1:18:32; 25km: 1:38:57 (included a 56-second bathroom break!); 30km: 1:58:23; 35km: 2:18:13; 40km: 2:37:24.
Walsh: 2:55:54. 138th overall. 5km: 21:40; 10km: 42:12; 15km: 1:03:24; 20km: 1:23:52; 25km: 1:44:29; 30km: 2:05:15; 35km: 2:26:04; 40km: 2:46:38.
Interestingly, Walsh won the little-known "Matt Walsh" division in the marathon, as he finished ahead of 25-year-old Matthew Walsh of Philadelphia (3:38:55).
Fellow Alumni Racer Justin (Jut) Harris deserves kudos for guiding Walsh in his training, particularly over the last month. And CT did a nice job crafting his training, and then adjusting it accordingly in the past month as he trained through a foot/ankle injury.
Great job fellas: We here at Blog Central are proud of your efforts and look forward to even brighter marathon days in the future.
As Decker wrote in a text shortly after they finished: "They ran brilliantly." I couldn't agree more, but I'll let you be the judge.
CT: 2:45:53. 63rd overall. 5km: 19:32; 10km: 39:21; 15km: 58:59; 20km: 1:18:32; 25km: 1:38:57 (included a 56-second bathroom break!); 30km: 1:58:23; 35km: 2:18:13; 40km: 2:37:24.
Walsh: 2:55:54. 138th overall. 5km: 21:40; 10km: 42:12; 15km: 1:03:24; 20km: 1:23:52; 25km: 1:44:29; 30km: 2:05:15; 35km: 2:26:04; 40km: 2:46:38.
Interestingly, Walsh won the little-known "Matt Walsh" division in the marathon, as he finished ahead of 25-year-old Matthew Walsh of Philadelphia (3:38:55).
Fellow Alumni Racer Justin (Jut) Harris deserves kudos for guiding Walsh in his training, particularly over the last month. And CT did a nice job crafting his training, and then adjusting it accordingly in the past month as he trained through a foot/ankle injury.
Great job fellas: We here at Blog Central are proud of your efforts and look forward to even brighter marathon days in the future.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Banner day at IC4A
Hello all:
Here is what I wrote up for the Marist Web Site (www.GoRedFoxes.com). Figured I'd give you all a sneak preview.
This was a great way to end the best season in school history.
More later in the weekend and/or earlier next week ...
NEW YORK – Seniors David Raucci (Clermont, NY) and captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) closed out their landmark cross country careers Saturday in record-breaking fashion, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to its best team performance in school history at the 100th annual ICAAAA Championships, held at a cold and windy Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Competing for the final time on the famed cross country course, the seniors led the Red Foxes to a third-place finish in the Championship Division, the highest placement in team history. The previous best team mark was fifth place in 2006. En route, the top-5 runners eclipsed the school record for combined time at Van Cortlandt Park by one second, bettering a mark set earlier this fall at the Iona College Meet of Champions.
The Red Foxes trailed IC4A Champions Duke (48 points) and second-place finisher Duquesne (87 points). Marist scored 102 points for third place in the 19-team field.
Raucci placed second overall, the highest individual finish in the Championship Division in school history, in a personal-best time of 25:13 over the 5-mile course. He earned IC4A All-East honors for the fourth time in his career.
Segni, the school-record holder at VCP, was 16th overall and earned his fourth All-East honors with a time of 25:43. Segni and Raucci have been the top-two runners for the Red Foxes for the past four years, and have set all of the cross country program’s school records in the process.
“We’ve never had a 1-2 punch like Girma and David, for four straight years, and we may never will have that again,’’ head coach Pete Colaizzo said. “As a program, we cannot thank David and Girma enough for all they have done to elevate our team and our school.’’
Sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) improved on his VCP best by nearly 40 seconds with his 22nd-place finish of 25:43. That placement earned him IC4A All-East honors. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) lopped 55 seconds off his previous VCP best with his 25th-place finish in 25:54. That placement earned him the final IC4A All-East position in the race. It was the first time in school history that four Marist runners earned IC4A Championship Division All-East honors on the same day.
Junior Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) was 38th in 26:04, rounding out the scoring pack. He was followed by freshmen Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NY), who notched personal-best times of 26:16 (54th place) and 26:35 (70th place).
The top-5 combined time of 2:08:43 was five seconds faster than the combined time at the Iona College Meet of Champions two months ago, with the average top-5 runner time equaling 25:44.6 – the best in the 45-year history of Marist Men’s Cross Country. Saturday’s combined time was run on a course slightly longer than Meet of Champions (5 miles is about 45 meters longer than 8,000 meters). It still represents the fastest combined time in school history.
In addition to the Championship Division result, freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) won the Coaches Association 5-mile race in a personal-best time of 26:53.
The IC4A meet concludes the fall cross country season. The indoor track season begins in two weeks at the Yale Season Opener, Dec. 6, at Coxe Cage in New Haven, CT.
IC4A Championships
Individual results, 5 miles
2. David Raucci 25:13 *IC4A All East
16. Girma Segni 25:43 *IC4A All East
22. Tim Keegan 25:49 *IC4A All East
25. Will Griffin 25:54 *IC4A All East
38. Conor Shelley 26:04
54. Matt Flint 26:16
70. Curtis Jensen 26:35
77. John Keenan 26:44
80. Nick Webster 26:45
89. Matt Janczyk 26:51
103. Joe McElhoney 27:15
107. Alex Emerel 27:19
129 finishers
Team standings: 1. Duke 48, 2. Duquesne 87, 3. Marist 102, 4. Cornell 157, 5. Princeton 183, 6. Columbia 193 ... the last page of team standings blew away in the chilly breeze. There were 19 teams total in the Championship Division.
Coaches Association race, 5 miles
1. Brian Townsend 26:53
4. Sam McMullen 27:13
5. Tom Lipari 27:17
7. Frank Stewart 27:25
10. Pat Duggan 27:40
14. Zak Smetana 27:47
26. Kyle Havard 28:09
30. Ryan Brown 28:20
37. Greg Masto 28:47
38. Kris Geist 28:51
55. Mike Holinko 30:41
66. Alex Lombardozzi 33:25
66 finishers
Here is what I wrote up for the Marist Web Site (www.GoRedFoxes.com). Figured I'd give you all a sneak preview.
This was a great way to end the best season in school history.
More later in the weekend and/or earlier next week ...
NEW YORK – Seniors David Raucci (Clermont, NY) and captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) closed out their landmark cross country careers Saturday in record-breaking fashion, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to its best team performance in school history at the 100th annual ICAAAA Championships, held at a cold and windy Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Competing for the final time on the famed cross country course, the seniors led the Red Foxes to a third-place finish in the Championship Division, the highest placement in team history. The previous best team mark was fifth place in 2006. En route, the top-5 runners eclipsed the school record for combined time at Van Cortlandt Park by one second, bettering a mark set earlier this fall at the Iona College Meet of Champions.
The Red Foxes trailed IC4A Champions Duke (48 points) and second-place finisher Duquesne (87 points). Marist scored 102 points for third place in the 19-team field.
Raucci placed second overall, the highest individual finish in the Championship Division in school history, in a personal-best time of 25:13 over the 5-mile course. He earned IC4A All-East honors for the fourth time in his career.
Segni, the school-record holder at VCP, was 16th overall and earned his fourth All-East honors with a time of 25:43. Segni and Raucci have been the top-two runners for the Red Foxes for the past four years, and have set all of the cross country program’s school records in the process.
“We’ve never had a 1-2 punch like Girma and David, for four straight years, and we may never will have that again,’’ head coach Pete Colaizzo said. “As a program, we cannot thank David and Girma enough for all they have done to elevate our team and our school.’’
Sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) improved on his VCP best by nearly 40 seconds with his 22nd-place finish of 25:43. That placement earned him IC4A All-East honors. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) lopped 55 seconds off his previous VCP best with his 25th-place finish in 25:54. That placement earned him the final IC4A All-East position in the race. It was the first time in school history that four Marist runners earned IC4A Championship Division All-East honors on the same day.
Junior Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) was 38th in 26:04, rounding out the scoring pack. He was followed by freshmen Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NY), who notched personal-best times of 26:16 (54th place) and 26:35 (70th place).
The top-5 combined time of 2:08:43 was five seconds faster than the combined time at the Iona College Meet of Champions two months ago, with the average top-5 runner time equaling 25:44.6 – the best in the 45-year history of Marist Men’s Cross Country. Saturday’s combined time was run on a course slightly longer than Meet of Champions (5 miles is about 45 meters longer than 8,000 meters). It still represents the fastest combined time in school history.
In addition to the Championship Division result, freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) won the Coaches Association 5-mile race in a personal-best time of 26:53.
The IC4A meet concludes the fall cross country season. The indoor track season begins in two weeks at the Yale Season Opener, Dec. 6, at Coxe Cage in New Haven, CT.
IC4A Championships
Individual results, 5 miles
2. David Raucci 25:13 *IC4A All East
16. Girma Segni 25:43 *IC4A All East
22. Tim Keegan 25:49 *IC4A All East
25. Will Griffin 25:54 *IC4A All East
38. Conor Shelley 26:04
54. Matt Flint 26:16
70. Curtis Jensen 26:35
77. John Keenan 26:44
80. Nick Webster 26:45
89. Matt Janczyk 26:51
103. Joe McElhoney 27:15
107. Alex Emerel 27:19
129 finishers
Team standings: 1. Duke 48, 2. Duquesne 87, 3. Marist 102, 4. Cornell 157, 5. Princeton 183, 6. Columbia 193 ... the last page of team standings blew away in the chilly breeze. There were 19 teams total in the Championship Division.
Coaches Association race, 5 miles
1. Brian Townsend 26:53
4. Sam McMullen 27:13
5. Tom Lipari 27:17
7. Frank Stewart 27:25
10. Pat Duggan 27:40
14. Zak Smetana 27:47
26. Kyle Havard 28:09
30. Ryan Brown 28:20
37. Greg Masto 28:47
38. Kris Geist 28:51
55. Mike Holinko 30:41
66. Alex Lombardozzi 33:25
66 finishers
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Freezing in Philly
Best of luck to CT (Matt Szymaszek) and Walsh (Matt Walsh), who will be running the Philly Marathon on Sunday.
Just got off the phone with CT and he informed me the race starts at 7 a.m. Yikes. I checked www.wunderground.com and noted that it will be about 27 degrees at that time. But with a light wind, so actually pretty decent marathon racing conditions.
Unsolicited advice to my boys: Go out at a conservative pace. Don't blow it over the first 8-10km. Stay comfortable. And then it's just a 20-mile hard run. Look at it that way.
Best of luck to them, and any other alums/runners reading this, at Philly.
For those of you coming to Vanny on Saturday morning: IT WILL BE COLD. But dry.
See you soon.
Just got off the phone with CT and he informed me the race starts at 7 a.m. Yikes. I checked www.wunderground.com and noted that it will be about 27 degrees at that time. But with a light wind, so actually pretty decent marathon racing conditions.
Unsolicited advice to my boys: Go out at a conservative pace. Don't blow it over the first 8-10km. Stay comfortable. And then it's just a 20-mile hard run. Look at it that way.
Best of luck to them, and any other alums/runners reading this, at Philly.
For those of you coming to Vanny on Saturday morning: IT WILL BE COLD. But dry.
See you soon.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mud picture #2
Also courtesy of Decker, a little bigger and better photo.
From left: David Raucci, Matt Flint, Will Griffin, Tim Keegan, Girma Segni, Conor Shelley, Joe McElhoney
Proud of my alumni coaches
Been meaning to write a post about this, and I will offer my disclaimer apology up front for anyone I inadvertently leave off this list ...
I've been coaching a long time, this is my 18th year. Obviously, this means I have coached a lot of athletes. And a lot of those athletes have, fortunately, graduated and made productive lives for themselves and those around them.
It's gratifying to me that many of my former runners have become coaches in their own right. In fact, several Section One and New York State cross country and track meets sometimes turn into impromptu Marist Alumni Coaches meetings! And now, many of you guys are sending some of your athletes my way, which makes me a GrandCoach of sorts. Or something like that.
OK. In no particular order, here is a roster of Marist Running Alums that are now guiding young runners all over the Northeast and beyond ...
High school
David Swift: Spackenkill (Mr. Bucket has been there over a decade now)
Pat Driscoll: Tappan Zee
Jason Grady: Rhinebeck (nearly won a state title!)
Gilby Hawkins: Pearl River (also nearly won a state title!)
Mike Nehr: Syosset
Matt Pool: Dover (they even built him a really nice track!)
Louis Caporale: Brewster/Carmel or somewhere over there (sorry Louis, I always forget!)
Joe Scelia: Brewster
Timmy Russo: Somewhere on LI (sorry)
Collegiate
Sean Hopkins: Assistant at Hofstra University
Justin Harris: Assistant at SUNY New Paltz
I am certain I forgot someone, probably a recent grad that I should remember. If so, let me know and we'll do a follow-up post.
I've been coaching a long time, this is my 18th year. Obviously, this means I have coached a lot of athletes. And a lot of those athletes have, fortunately, graduated and made productive lives for themselves and those around them.
It's gratifying to me that many of my former runners have become coaches in their own right. In fact, several Section One and New York State cross country and track meets sometimes turn into impromptu Marist Alumni Coaches meetings! And now, many of you guys are sending some of your athletes my way, which makes me a GrandCoach of sorts. Or something like that.
OK. In no particular order, here is a roster of Marist Running Alums that are now guiding young runners all over the Northeast and beyond ...
High school
David Swift: Spackenkill (Mr. Bucket has been there over a decade now)
Pat Driscoll: Tappan Zee
Jason Grady: Rhinebeck (nearly won a state title!)
Gilby Hawkins: Pearl River (also nearly won a state title!)
Mike Nehr: Syosset
Matt Pool: Dover (they even built him a really nice track!)
Louis Caporale: Brewster/Carmel or somewhere over there (sorry Louis, I always forget!)
Joe Scelia: Brewster
Timmy Russo: Somewhere on LI (sorry)
Collegiate
Sean Hopkins: Assistant at Hofstra University
Justin Harris: Assistant at SUNY New Paltz
I am certain I forgot someone, probably a recent grad that I should remember. If so, let me know and we'll do a follow-up post.
Monday, November 17, 2008
More regionals analysis
This is mostly for those alums/friends of the program that were not at the mudfest at Vanny:
-- Throw away the times. They are meaningless, of no use. The course was a mess, with parts of it under water with puddles. It was impossible to run even remotely fast on it. Interestingly, though, when the men were racing the conditions were not that bad. A bit breezy, but no rain. And, it was insanely warm and humid for this time of year -- mid-60s and sticky.
-- Girma and Conor were not at 100 percent. Girma had been sick all week and had nosebleeds during several of his runs, including Friday afternoon. I was worried his new white singlet would be covered in mud and blood at the same time. He said he had trouble breathing because of his illness, but he "manned up" and got the job done for the team. Conor has had knee pain since before MAACs but it has been barking pretty good the past 2 weeks. He popped some IB before the race and said he didn't feel it, but it was probably a factor in his subpar performance in terms of place. However, there was nothing subpar about his effort. He gutted it out and did a fantastic job for us as 5th man on this day. His status is questionable for ICs.
-- David Raucci was hoping for better, but it was by far his best regional race and he ran tremendously well. His 33 points for our 2nd man was a huge key, as was ...
-- Will Griffin, the fab freshman, who scored 58 points and really held his own against big-time competition over a 10km distance that had us all concerned earlier in the season. No more.
-- Timmy Keegan ran an overall solid performance, as he usually does. He said afterwards it was the hardest race he ever ran. He lost a toenail during/after the race and was in some pain, but he'll hopefully be good to go for ICs.
-- Matt Flint and Joe Mac were disappointed in their races and in not scoring for the team, but they have been strong varsity runners all year and they have one more race to prove it. Matt's race was actually solid and would have been fine for a scoring spot if needed. Again, we are looking for big PR efforts out of them -- and all, at ICs on Saturday.
-- As a team, we finished ahead of two Ivy's (Yale, Brown), which is significant given the caliber of their programs; Army, the Patriot League champ; Boston College; Binghamton and Stony Brook, two strong America East teams; and were just a few points behind the America East champs (UNH).
Now we move on to IC4As, a meet that our program has always attended and where we have some strong tradition. We are hopeful for a strong finish to what has been a solid season. Equally as important, we are hopeful for as many personal-best performances out of the entire squad -- 1 through 25.
And lastly, we are thankful for the efforts of our departing senior xc runners: Alex Emerel, Kris Geist, John Keenan, David Raucci, Girma Segni. They have been part of the best teams in history, and we hope they can be part of a fine send-off at Vanny.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
-- Throw away the times. They are meaningless, of no use. The course was a mess, with parts of it under water with puddles. It was impossible to run even remotely fast on it. Interestingly, though, when the men were racing the conditions were not that bad. A bit breezy, but no rain. And, it was insanely warm and humid for this time of year -- mid-60s and sticky.
-- Girma and Conor were not at 100 percent. Girma had been sick all week and had nosebleeds during several of his runs, including Friday afternoon. I was worried his new white singlet would be covered in mud and blood at the same time. He said he had trouble breathing because of his illness, but he "manned up" and got the job done for the team. Conor has had knee pain since before MAACs but it has been barking pretty good the past 2 weeks. He popped some IB before the race and said he didn't feel it, but it was probably a factor in his subpar performance in terms of place. However, there was nothing subpar about his effort. He gutted it out and did a fantastic job for us as 5th man on this day. His status is questionable for ICs.
-- David Raucci was hoping for better, but it was by far his best regional race and he ran tremendously well. His 33 points for our 2nd man was a huge key, as was ...
-- Will Griffin, the fab freshman, who scored 58 points and really held his own against big-time competition over a 10km distance that had us all concerned earlier in the season. No more.
-- Timmy Keegan ran an overall solid performance, as he usually does. He said afterwards it was the hardest race he ever ran. He lost a toenail during/after the race and was in some pain, but he'll hopefully be good to go for ICs.
-- Matt Flint and Joe Mac were disappointed in their races and in not scoring for the team, but they have been strong varsity runners all year and they have one more race to prove it. Matt's race was actually solid and would have been fine for a scoring spot if needed. Again, we are looking for big PR efforts out of them -- and all, at ICs on Saturday.
-- As a team, we finished ahead of two Ivy's (Yale, Brown), which is significant given the caliber of their programs; Army, the Patriot League champ; Boston College; Binghamton and Stony Brook, two strong America East teams; and were just a few points behind the America East champs (UNH).
Now we move on to IC4As, a meet that our program has always attended and where we have some strong tradition. We are hopeful for a strong finish to what has been a solid season. Equally as important, we are hopeful for as many personal-best performances out of the entire squad -- 1 through 25.
And lastly, we are thankful for the efforts of our departing senior xc runners: Alex Emerel, Kris Geist, John Keenan, David Raucci, Girma Segni. They have been part of the best teams in history, and we hope they can be part of a fine send-off at Vanny.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
10th place
It was a memorable day at Vanny, which was pretty much under water due to the mid-morning deluge.
Thanks to the alums that could make it and braved the miserable (but not cold) weather. Special note of thanks to "old" alum Pete Startz (class of 00) for making it out. Great to see you!
We missed Schab, who is recuperating from a major foot injury that occurred at work. If you don't know about it, call or text him. It was pretty gruesome and will keep him out of the Philly Marathon. We hope to see the Schabster -- and many others -- at IC4As on Saturday.
Weather will be COLD for that one. But isn't it always cold at that meet?
More post-race analysis to come on Monday or whenever I have time. A great team effort -- from those on the course and off the course, and from the alums there to support them as well.
See you soon.
Thanks to the alums that could make it and braved the miserable (but not cold) weather. Special note of thanks to "old" alum Pete Startz (class of 00) for making it out. Great to see you!
We missed Schab, who is recuperating from a major foot injury that occurred at work. If you don't know about it, call or text him. It was pretty gruesome and will keep him out of the Philly Marathon. We hope to see the Schabster -- and many others -- at IC4As on Saturday.
Weather will be COLD for that one. But isn't it always cold at that meet?
More post-race analysis to come on Monday or whenever I have time. A great team effort -- from those on the course and off the course, and from the alums there to support them as well.
See you soon.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Rain and wind
Weather forecast for Saturday is calling for rain and wind, but relatively warm temperatures in the high 50s/low 60s. It will be messy. But cross country is an outdoor sport. And sometimes it gets messy.
To all who will be in attendance on Saturday -- racing, doing a hard workout, supporting, or some combination of those -- you will get wet.
Although I am a notorious weather wimp, I am looking forward to Saturday. It will be wet, but at least it won't be cold.
See you on the van, or at Vanny.
To all who will be in attendance on Saturday -- racing, doing a hard workout, supporting, or some combination of those -- you will get wet.
Although I am a notorious weather wimp, I am looking forward to Saturday. It will be wet, but at least it won't be cold.
See you on the van, or at Vanny.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Random team notes
For current team members, a few odds and ends ...
-- Several of you guys have mentioned that you will have papers that need proofreading in the coming days and weeks. As a reminder, please provide me with enough lead time to get it done for you. A 4-hour window for an 8-page paper won't get it done. Proofreading services are offered for one and all, for any subject matter. Alumni: Feel free to post wiseguy comments about my ability to proofread despite my many blogging typos.
-- The Asics shoe order has been placed. Thank you for your prompt delivery of money for the shoes. Hopefully they'll get here very quickly. Thanks to Rickey (Greg Masto) for superior organization with this order. It is appreciated.
-- Keenan and Cocca might be planning a Marist Track Hoodie order in the coming weeks. Cost will be about $25 per hoodie. Check with our fine captains for further details.
-- Hunting (shotgun) season starts on Saturday. This means any and all trail running (Culinary trails, etc.) will be off limits. Don't be stupid. Stay on the roads. If you want soft surfaces, do North Field or let me know and I'll bring you to Vassar Farms, where there are certainly no hunters.
-- Raffle ticket money is due back before Finals Week. If your tickets are sold before then, feel free to bring them to me or Chuck at any time.
See you soon.
-- Several of you guys have mentioned that you will have papers that need proofreading in the coming days and weeks. As a reminder, please provide me with enough lead time to get it done for you. A 4-hour window for an 8-page paper won't get it done. Proofreading services are offered for one and all, for any subject matter. Alumni: Feel free to post wiseguy comments about my ability to proofread despite my many blogging typos.
-- The Asics shoe order has been placed. Thank you for your prompt delivery of money for the shoes. Hopefully they'll get here very quickly. Thanks to Rickey (Greg Masto) for superior organization with this order. It is appreciated.
-- Keenan and Cocca might be planning a Marist Track Hoodie order in the coming weeks. Cost will be about $25 per hoodie. Check with our fine captains for further details.
-- Hunting (shotgun) season starts on Saturday. This means any and all trail running (Culinary trails, etc.) will be off limits. Don't be stupid. Stay on the roads. If you want soft surfaces, do North Field or let me know and I'll bring you to Vassar Farms, where there are certainly no hunters.
-- Raffle ticket money is due back before Finals Week. If your tickets are sold before then, feel free to bring them to me or Chuck at any time.
See you soon.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Race times
The next two Saturdays, we return to our home away from home: Van Cortlandt Park.
Here are the race times for Regionals and IC4As, for those that are interested:
Saturday, Nov. 15, NCAA Regionals: 11 a.m. women; 11:45 a.m. men; there is no JV/open race attached to this meet this year. Women race 6km; men race 10km.
Saturday, Nov. 22, IC4A/ECAC Championships: 9:30 a.m., men and women JV combined; 10:45 a.m., men's varsity (top 12); 11:30 a.m., women's varsity (top 12). The men will be running the championship division; the women will be running the university division and will be returning to this meet for the first time since 2000. Chuck and I plan to make it a regular part of the women's schedule. Men race 5 miles; women race 5km.
Hope to see some of you there. Trust me when I say your continued support and interest in our program is always appreciated and never taken for granted.
Here are the race times for Regionals and IC4As, for those that are interested:
Saturday, Nov. 15, NCAA Regionals: 11 a.m. women; 11:45 a.m. men; there is no JV/open race attached to this meet this year. Women race 6km; men race 10km.
Saturday, Nov. 22, IC4A/ECAC Championships: 9:30 a.m., men and women JV combined; 10:45 a.m., men's varsity (top 12); 11:30 a.m., women's varsity (top 12). The men will be running the championship division; the women will be running the university division and will be returning to this meet for the first time since 2000. Chuck and I plan to make it a regular part of the women's schedule. Men race 5 miles; women race 5km.
Hope to see some of you there. Trust me when I say your continued support and interest in our program is always appreciated and never taken for granted.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Why Kirk is my hero
Did you know?
Those "fancy" arm-warming things that Kirk was wearing at NYC were actually TUBE SOCKS with holes cut in them so he could get them on his arms.
Tube socks: My personal sock of choice, much to the chagrin of current team members and stylish/normal friends. I love my tube socks, and wish they still made them with the three stripes.
I know. I'm a dork.
Have a great day.
Those "fancy" arm-warming things that Kirk was wearing at NYC were actually TUBE SOCKS with holes cut in them so he could get them on his arms.
Tube socks: My personal sock of choice, much to the chagrin of current team members and stylish/normal friends. I love my tube socks, and wish they still made them with the three stripes.
I know. I'm a dork.
Have a great day.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Schab, Uncle Duane, Coach Peach
Final Disney thoughts:
1. Schab. Great to have him crashing in our hotel room and basically being an assistant coach to me and to Chuck. As per Schab Policy, he got about 3 hours' sleep each night on the floor, mostly because he was out till all hours of the night/early morning hanging out with ...
2. Uncle Duane. Uncle Duane! Hopkins' awesome relative. If you want to get a glimpse as to what Sean Hopkins will be like in, oh, 20 years, just give Uncle Duane a call and have a beverage or three with him. (Note: Despite much prodding and arm-twisting, I did NOT go out with UD and Schabby, as per Athletic Department policy. Schab can attest to this). Anyway, Uncle Duane came to Disney and cheered on the Running Red Foxes. Great to have him on board.
3. Coach Peach. On one of our bus rides around Disney properties, a driver who was English-speaking-challenged asked me my name. Pete, I said. Peach, he asked? No. Pete, I said. Peach, he asked? No. You write it down, he said. And so I did. Ah, driver said: Coach Peach! And so, a Disney legend was born. Coach Peach. This, of course, became a recurring theme for the rest of the weekend.
So long, Mickey. See you in 4 years, hopefully, if I'm still doing this.
1. Schab. Great to have him crashing in our hotel room and basically being an assistant coach to me and to Chuck. As per Schab Policy, he got about 3 hours' sleep each night on the floor, mostly because he was out till all hours of the night/early morning hanging out with ...
2. Uncle Duane. Uncle Duane! Hopkins' awesome relative. If you want to get a glimpse as to what Sean Hopkins will be like in, oh, 20 years, just give Uncle Duane a call and have a beverage or three with him. (Note: Despite much prodding and arm-twisting, I did NOT go out with UD and Schabby, as per Athletic Department policy. Schab can attest to this). Anyway, Uncle Duane came to Disney and cheered on the Running Red Foxes. Great to have him on board.
3. Coach Peach. On one of our bus rides around Disney properties, a driver who was English-speaking-challenged asked me my name. Pete, I said. Peach, he asked? No. Pete, I said. Peach, he asked? No. You write it down, he said. And so I did. Ah, driver said: Coach Peach! And so, a Disney legend was born. Coach Peach. This, of course, became a recurring theme for the rest of the weekend.
So long, Mickey. See you in 4 years, hopefully, if I'm still doing this.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Ogden Hills, one more time
Today's workout was a final reprise of the Ogden Mills hills. We did two sets of 5 in tempo style, and top to bottom the times were the fastest they have ever been.
Which is how we expect it to be. Of course, the beautiful late-fall weather (overcast, 60 degrees) made it nice.
As a reminder, fellas, our last two races are at VCP. Vanny. Hills. Remember hills? It's easy to forget, considering our past three races: Paul Short. Albany. Disney. Flat. Flatter. Flattest.
And so, we must reacquaint ourselves with hills. Here's the workout template for the next two weeks:
Wed/Thur: Distance (no hammering already!) and strides
Fri: Bowdoin Park, 2xhilltop; 4x1k flats
Sat: Long run
Sun: Short/off
Mon: Thresh
Tues: Distance
Wed: Extended strides
Thur/Fri: Distance/premeet
Sat: Regionals. Those not racing will do Back Hills repeats at Vanny
That's it for now. Still awaiting the other Mickey pix from Rickey. Send 'em along, bro!
Which is how we expect it to be. Of course, the beautiful late-fall weather (overcast, 60 degrees) made it nice.
As a reminder, fellas, our last two races are at VCP. Vanny. Hills. Remember hills? It's easy to forget, considering our past three races: Paul Short. Albany. Disney. Flat. Flatter. Flattest.
And so, we must reacquaint ourselves with hills. Here's the workout template for the next two weeks:
Wed/Thur: Distance (no hammering already!) and strides
Fri: Bowdoin Park, 2xhilltop; 4x1k flats
Sat: Long run
Sun: Short/off
Mon: Thresh
Tues: Distance
Wed: Extended strides
Thur/Fri: Distance/premeet
Sat: Regionals. Those not racing will do Back Hills repeats at Vanny
That's it for now. Still awaiting the other Mickey pix from Rickey. Send 'em along, bro!
Kirk at NYC
Kirk Dornton (Class of 2004) had a strong run at the NYC Marathon on Sunday (2:39:33). Kirk went for broke, trying to break the 2:30 barrier. He went through 13.1 in 1:14:07 and obviously hit the wall hard in the final few miles.
Kirk placed 124th overall, 111th in the men's field and 44th in his age group. He was well within the top 100 in the field before his pace slowed over the final 4 miles or so. It's a marathon. It happens.
Kirkles stopped by McCann on Monday afternoon. He was a little stiff-legged, but was in good spirits. He went for it and it didn't work out. Good for him. After his strong run at NYC in 2007, he made the determination that if he was racing, he was going to do all he could to bust out a sub-2:30. I like the attitude. He's fired up for another sub-2:30 try in the spring of 2009 at a race to be determined (we have an idea, but it's not 100 percent confirmed).
Anyway, the following photo of Kirkles (I'm guessing in the latter stages of the race) was sent to me by Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club member Bob Kopac.
Feeling right at home
The above photo is of Conor Shelley with his favorite rodent. Vintage Conor, if you ask me.
Anyway, after they announced the All-MAAC runners (top 15 overall individuals), they herded the 30 runners (15 men, 15 women) into the Milk House (Disney's basketball field house), escorted by MAAC officials. I was thinking maybe some random drug testing was going on.
Wrong. Pictures with Mickey for each of the runners. When I get the photos of Girma and Will with Mickey, I will post them here as well.
Monday, November 3, 2008
MAAC at Disney
Hello Blog Followers:
Sorry for the lack of posts as we were busy traveling, etc. I did have a few minutes on Conor Shelley's laptop in the hotel, but it was the day before the meet and there was not a lot to report. For those of you that did not see our men's team results at the MAAC meet, we finished a strong 2nd to Iona -- for the fourth consecutive year, the fifth time in six years and the sixth time overall.
For those that are interested: The years we finished 2nd to Iona include the following. 1998, 70 points; 2003, 60 points; 2005, 73 points; 2006, 52 points; 2007, 61 points; 2008, 55 points.
It could be argued that this was our most dominant 2nd-place finish in history. Iona ran their entire varsity squad. Most VCP years, they will sit out a few of their top-5 men to rightfully prepare for regionals and nationals (they sometimes get grief for this; I understand and respect their decision-making process). This year, being a Disney year, they did not do this as far as we could tell. They swept the top-5 spots, once again proving their dominance. We were hoping to break into the top-5 but could not do so.
However, we more or less swept the rest of the MAAC field. In fact, our second 5 and possibly our second 7 (starting with our 8th man) could well have gotten 2nd place in the field, which may be a testament to this team's depth. That is not for me to decide or judge.
Here are the team standings: 1. Iona 15, 2. Marist 55, 3. Manhattan 118, 4. Loyola 120, 5. Rider 122, 6. Canisius 174, 7. Fairfield 198, 8. Niagara 207, 9. Siena 266, 10. St. Peter's 292.
The course at Disney's Wide World of Sports was flat, flat, flat. Nary a hill to be found. However, most runners I talked to from all teams felt the course either ran slow or may have been long since they felt their efforts should have reaped faster times. Matters little. When you get to the championship portion of the xc season, all that matters is place. Time is secondary.
The race began at 8 a.m., just shortly after the sun rose in Florida. In an unusual scene, the men warmed up in the dark, with just stadium lights showing the way. It was an overcast morning with a slight drizzle and a breeze, a far cry from the blazing weather from the 2000 and 2004 races. The course was slightly altered from the other Disney years, for those alums who remember those races. Again, it can be debated whether the course was faster, slower or in between. My take: A lot slower than 2000; a lot faster than 2004. If that helps.
For those that did not see the results, here are our Marist boys' places and times from the meet on Saturday morning, with commentary as warranted.
6. Girma Segni 24:47.50. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey.
10. Conor Shelley 25:04.91. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey.
14. Will Griffin 25:16.04. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey. Top true freshman in the field (I'm pretty certain of this, anyway).
16. David Raucci 25:23.86.
17. Tim Keegan 25:28.56. A nice PR.
NOTE: Top 5 average time of 25:12.18.
20. Joe McElhoney 25:48.51. About a 4-minute improvement from his 2004 Disney race!
23. Nick Webster 25:58.53. Tremendous effort.
24. Matt Flint 25:58.63.
27. Curtis Jensen 26:10.60. Nicely done.
31. John Keenan 26:17.17.
33. Alex Emerel 26:20.95. PR and wonderful race!
39. Brian Townsend 26:47.67. Great bounce-back effort.
44. Zak Smetana 26:54.21. Huge PR and the race of his life (so far).
49. Sam McMullen 27:01.13.
50. Matt Janczyk 27:01.32.
51. Tom Lipari 27:02.51.
69. Pat Duggan 27:39.27.
75. Frank Stewart 27:49.23.
89. Kyle Havard 28:22.77.
98. Greg Masto 29:00.51.
Much more to come, and maybe even pictures if I can figure that out.
Sorry for the lack of posts as we were busy traveling, etc. I did have a few minutes on Conor Shelley's laptop in the hotel, but it was the day before the meet and there was not a lot to report. For those of you that did not see our men's team results at the MAAC meet, we finished a strong 2nd to Iona -- for the fourth consecutive year, the fifth time in six years and the sixth time overall.
For those that are interested: The years we finished 2nd to Iona include the following. 1998, 70 points; 2003, 60 points; 2005, 73 points; 2006, 52 points; 2007, 61 points; 2008, 55 points.
It could be argued that this was our most dominant 2nd-place finish in history. Iona ran their entire varsity squad. Most VCP years, they will sit out a few of their top-5 men to rightfully prepare for regionals and nationals (they sometimes get grief for this; I understand and respect their decision-making process). This year, being a Disney year, they did not do this as far as we could tell. They swept the top-5 spots, once again proving their dominance. We were hoping to break into the top-5 but could not do so.
However, we more or less swept the rest of the MAAC field. In fact, our second 5 and possibly our second 7 (starting with our 8th man) could well have gotten 2nd place in the field, which may be a testament to this team's depth. That is not for me to decide or judge.
Here are the team standings: 1. Iona 15, 2. Marist 55, 3. Manhattan 118, 4. Loyola 120, 5. Rider 122, 6. Canisius 174, 7. Fairfield 198, 8. Niagara 207, 9. Siena 266, 10. St. Peter's 292.
The course at Disney's Wide World of Sports was flat, flat, flat. Nary a hill to be found. However, most runners I talked to from all teams felt the course either ran slow or may have been long since they felt their efforts should have reaped faster times. Matters little. When you get to the championship portion of the xc season, all that matters is place. Time is secondary.
The race began at 8 a.m., just shortly after the sun rose in Florida. In an unusual scene, the men warmed up in the dark, with just stadium lights showing the way. It was an overcast morning with a slight drizzle and a breeze, a far cry from the blazing weather from the 2000 and 2004 races. The course was slightly altered from the other Disney years, for those alums who remember those races. Again, it can be debated whether the course was faster, slower or in between. My take: A lot slower than 2000; a lot faster than 2004. If that helps.
For those that did not see the results, here are our Marist boys' places and times from the meet on Saturday morning, with commentary as warranted.
6. Girma Segni 24:47.50. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey.
10. Conor Shelley 25:04.91. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey.
14. Will Griffin 25:16.04. All-MAAC. Picture with Mickey. Top true freshman in the field (I'm pretty certain of this, anyway).
16. David Raucci 25:23.86.
17. Tim Keegan 25:28.56. A nice PR.
NOTE: Top 5 average time of 25:12.18.
20. Joe McElhoney 25:48.51. About a 4-minute improvement from his 2004 Disney race!
23. Nick Webster 25:58.53. Tremendous effort.
24. Matt Flint 25:58.63.
27. Curtis Jensen 26:10.60. Nicely done.
31. John Keenan 26:17.17.
33. Alex Emerel 26:20.95. PR and wonderful race!
39. Brian Townsend 26:47.67. Great bounce-back effort.
44. Zak Smetana 26:54.21. Huge PR and the race of his life (so far).
49. Sam McMullen 27:01.13.
50. Matt Janczyk 27:01.32.
51. Tom Lipari 27:02.51.
69. Pat Duggan 27:39.27.
75. Frank Stewart 27:49.23.
89. Kyle Havard 28:22.77.
98. Greg Masto 29:00.51.
Much more to come, and maybe even pictures if I can figure that out.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Vast wasteland
I just want to expand my thoughts about the vast wasteland of middle distance running last track seasons. It was a vast wasteland. That's a fact. As a coach, I take full responsibility and blame for that. It's on me, not on the athletes.
When we graduated DeMarco, Bambi, Quinn, Carroll and all the other record-setting relay runners who made up our great long sprint and middle distance squad for many years, I failed to replenish that area of the team through recruiting and development. That's on me as a coach. So when I referred to that vast wasteland, that points to a failure of mine as a coach and not of the athletes.
Colin Johnson ran 1:59 for an open 800 and was our fastest open 800 runner indoors and outdoors last year. Chuck and I are extremely proud of this! Colin was a high school hockey player and a 2:10ish half-miler in high school. I did my best to dissuade him from running on the team (true story!), yet he kept coming back, kept showing up, kept working hard. I kept telling him he wouldn't make our travel squad. He kept showing up, kept working hard. And now he is a legit sub-2:00 800 guy, and should be a player on some of our relays this year. He deserves all the credit for how he has developed, and so does Chuck for sticking with him and working hard. I was able to work closely with him during the track seasons last year and I grew to realize what a great runner he is, to go along with being the great person we all knew he was all along.
Maynes did break 2:00 on relay splits and came agonizingly close to a sub-2:00 open 800 on too many occasions to mention. He will agree that this is a disappointment and it is a disappointment for me as a coach. It wasn't for a lack of trying on either of our parts, and he was a valued member of the team for 4 years.
I think B-Dix and T-Dix would agree that their senior seasons were up and down and somewhat disappointing as well. Again, not from a lack of trying. And again, it was great to have them on our squad for 4 years and they are missed as well.
Lastly, our 4x400 was just not good all year, indoors or outdoors.
Again, Chuck and I will do our best to change this for the 2009 track seasons.
I defend my choice of words (vast wasteland), and our mission it to change it this year. One step and one race at a time.
Off to the world of Mickey Mouse. I do not have a laptop so no blogging unless there is a public computer at the hotel. If I can, I will. If not, check www.goredfoxes.com for updates on the women's and men's team performances.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
When we graduated DeMarco, Bambi, Quinn, Carroll and all the other record-setting relay runners who made up our great long sprint and middle distance squad for many years, I failed to replenish that area of the team through recruiting and development. That's on me as a coach. So when I referred to that vast wasteland, that points to a failure of mine as a coach and not of the athletes.
Colin Johnson ran 1:59 for an open 800 and was our fastest open 800 runner indoors and outdoors last year. Chuck and I are extremely proud of this! Colin was a high school hockey player and a 2:10ish half-miler in high school. I did my best to dissuade him from running on the team (true story!), yet he kept coming back, kept showing up, kept working hard. I kept telling him he wouldn't make our travel squad. He kept showing up, kept working hard. And now he is a legit sub-2:00 800 guy, and should be a player on some of our relays this year. He deserves all the credit for how he has developed, and so does Chuck for sticking with him and working hard. I was able to work closely with him during the track seasons last year and I grew to realize what a great runner he is, to go along with being the great person we all knew he was all along.
Maynes did break 2:00 on relay splits and came agonizingly close to a sub-2:00 open 800 on too many occasions to mention. He will agree that this is a disappointment and it is a disappointment for me as a coach. It wasn't for a lack of trying on either of our parts, and he was a valued member of the team for 4 years.
I think B-Dix and T-Dix would agree that their senior seasons were up and down and somewhat disappointing as well. Again, not from a lack of trying. And again, it was great to have them on our squad for 4 years and they are missed as well.
Lastly, our 4x400 was just not good all year, indoors or outdoors.
Again, Chuck and I will do our best to change this for the 2009 track seasons.
I defend my choice of words (vast wasteland), and our mission it to change it this year. One step and one race at a time.
Off to the world of Mickey Mouse. I do not have a laptop so no blogging unless there is a public computer at the hotel. If I can, I will. If not, check www.goredfoxes.com for updates on the women's and men's team performances.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A visit from Bambi
What a great antidote for an otherwise gloomy Tuesday: Our old pal Michael J. Bamberger was in town for a lively visit to the McCann Center.
You remember Bambi: The Ayatollah of Schmoozolah. The Mayor of McCann. Everybody's Best Friend.
And, oh yeah: A great former captain and multiple school record holder. When the "Bro of the Boards" graduated with his classmates, out the door walked the best relay teams I ever had the honor to coach. I knew it, too. Last winter and spring was a vast wasteland of middle-distance running without Bambi and Friends. But that will change, my friends. Stay tuned.
Anyway, when you put all his joking and schmoozing aside, there's no one I would trust more with a relay stick in his hand than Bambi. Don't think for a second that he doesn't miss it, either. As he watched the women's team do intervals in McCann (yes, we were inside on this hideous day), he reminisced about ripping out 53-second, workout-ending quarters on that ancient and slippery 160-meter oval.
He misses it. I miss having him around. No really, I do.
Sure, he annoyed the heck out of me as he held court with the current team members, half of whom he never even ran with. He told stories about stuff I didn't even know he did, which of course didn't go over well with his old coach. He knew it, too. It's all part of the Bambi Charm.
Speaking of which: Why does everyone who has ever worked in McCann love this guy? He's like a Hug Magnet! Man, oh man.
Yeah, it was great having Bambi back for the day. Like all alums, he is welcome anytime.
Love ya, BRO!
You remember Bambi: The Ayatollah of Schmoozolah. The Mayor of McCann. Everybody's Best Friend.
And, oh yeah: A great former captain and multiple school record holder. When the "Bro of the Boards" graduated with his classmates, out the door walked the best relay teams I ever had the honor to coach. I knew it, too. Last winter and spring was a vast wasteland of middle-distance running without Bambi and Friends. But that will change, my friends. Stay tuned.
Anyway, when you put all his joking and schmoozing aside, there's no one I would trust more with a relay stick in his hand than Bambi. Don't think for a second that he doesn't miss it, either. As he watched the women's team do intervals in McCann (yes, we were inside on this hideous day), he reminisced about ripping out 53-second, workout-ending quarters on that ancient and slippery 160-meter oval.
He misses it. I miss having him around. No really, I do.
Sure, he annoyed the heck out of me as he held court with the current team members, half of whom he never even ran with. He told stories about stuff I didn't even know he did, which of course didn't go over well with his old coach. He knew it, too. It's all part of the Bambi Charm.
Speaking of which: Why does everyone who has ever worked in McCann love this guy? He's like a Hug Magnet! Man, oh man.
Yeah, it was great having Bambi back for the day. Like all alums, he is welcome anytime.
Love ya, BRO!
Clarification
Thanks to all the comments from the previous post.
To clarify: Cator was the one who actually suggested we do tempo/fartlek on that very specific upper-loop trail/road course that we currently use. Like it or not, the kid gets the credit.
I am well aware of the great job our upperclassmen have done and currently do with showing the newer runners all the fantastic marked and unmarked trails there are to run on around Marist in the south Hyde Park area. If you are disoriented enough and get lost, you might even wind up in my backyard! In fact, on more than one occasion Kirkles has run from Marist to my house and back, almost exclusively on trails, during his marathon-training long runs.
Speaking of which, good luck to our big-footed friend at NYC on Sunday. He'll be running his heart out while we are flying back from Florida.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
To clarify: Cator was the one who actually suggested we do tempo/fartlek on that very specific upper-loop trail/road course that we currently use. Like it or not, the kid gets the credit.
I am well aware of the great job our upperclassmen have done and currently do with showing the newer runners all the fantastic marked and unmarked trails there are to run on around Marist in the south Hyde Park area. If you are disoriented enough and get lost, you might even wind up in my backyard! In fact, on more than one occasion Kirkles has run from Marist to my house and back, almost exclusively on trails, during his marathon-training long runs.
Speaking of which, good luck to our big-footed friend at NYC on Sunday. He'll be running his heart out while we are flying back from Florida.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Cator Loop
Nice job on the tempo cruise ints today at FDR. We just got it in before this nasty, windy and cold weather barrels into the region tonight and Tuesday.
I'm taking a liking to the Cator Loop up top at FDR. The loop is named after the former, personable Marist harrier who unfortunately decided to ply his trade at another "M" school down south. He suggested it to me a few years ago; at first, I resisted, like I do to most new ideas not proposed by me.
But now, it really makes sense for late-season workouts. It's flat and soft, and footing is not an issue like it would be on a lot of leaf-covered trails nowadays in late autumn. And it's easy and quick to get to. Heck, Girma ran to and from the workout today, and I'm guessing he made it back to campus in plenty of time for his class group meeting.
And oh by the way fellas: Your days of Culinary Trails are numbered. Once Hunting Season starts in a couple weeks, we do not venture into any woods at any times. Even Joe Mac and his fluorescent colored hats. Stay out until the guns are put away.
I'm taking a liking to the Cator Loop up top at FDR. The loop is named after the former, personable Marist harrier who unfortunately decided to ply his trade at another "M" school down south. He suggested it to me a few years ago; at first, I resisted, like I do to most new ideas not proposed by me.
But now, it really makes sense for late-season workouts. It's flat and soft, and footing is not an issue like it would be on a lot of leaf-covered trails nowadays in late autumn. And it's easy and quick to get to. Heck, Girma ran to and from the workout today, and I'm guessing he made it back to campus in plenty of time for his class group meeting.
And oh by the way fellas: Your days of Culinary Trails are numbered. Once Hunting Season starts in a couple weeks, we do not venture into any woods at any times. Even Joe Mac and his fluorescent colored hats. Stay out until the guns are put away.
Attention Jerk Squadrons: Read this
Hello Men:
I just received this e-mail (below, in italics) and it sounds like a great event to take part in. I would love to see some of you guys doing this.
And if I am not mistaken, the second day of this occurs right around Jerk Squad time. Maybe you can show up an hour early to JS and put in some community service. Seriously. It sounds great. Here is the email I received. Even if one person does it, it will have been worth posting this. See you soon.
Coach Pete
Dear Marist Community,
It's that time of the year again for the St. Jude Letter Writing Party, Up 'til Dawn! Just like last year, this year's party will be a two night event, Tuesday October 28th and Wednesday October 29th in the Cabaret. The letter writing will begin at 7 PM and will run until 11 PM. Although the event runs for four hours, the entire process of filling out your letters only takes up to an hour. This year, as in years past, the Letter Writing Party includes free food and entertainment lasting the entire night.
For those of you who have never participated in Up'til Dawn before it really is a special event. All you need are 20-25 addresses per person and the physical ability to hold a pen and write! All you need to do is fill out your name on the letter and address the envelope, the letter is pre-written!
This is a huge event for Marist every year because we, as Red Foxes, get the ability to help save lives of children with cancer. Without the funding that we and many other schools across the nation provide, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital could not function in their task of saving the lives of cancer-diagnosed children.
Please take time out of your evening to come out to the Cabaret and help save lives. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Student Government Association at ext.2206.
Thanks and see you soon!
Steve Townsend
President, Class of 2010
I just received this e-mail (below, in italics) and it sounds like a great event to take part in. I would love to see some of you guys doing this.
And if I am not mistaken, the second day of this occurs right around Jerk Squad time. Maybe you can show up an hour early to JS and put in some community service. Seriously. It sounds great. Here is the email I received. Even if one person does it, it will have been worth posting this. See you soon.
Coach Pete
Dear Marist Community,
It's that time of the year again for the St. Jude Letter Writing Party, Up 'til Dawn! Just like last year, this year's party will be a two night event, Tuesday October 28th and Wednesday October 29th in the Cabaret. The letter writing will begin at 7 PM and will run until 11 PM. Although the event runs for four hours, the entire process of filling out your letters only takes up to an hour. This year, as in years past, the Letter Writing Party includes free food and entertainment lasting the entire night.
For those of you who have never participated in Up'til Dawn before it really is a special event. All you need are 20-25 addresses per person and the physical ability to hold a pen and write! All you need to do is fill out your name on the letter and address the envelope, the letter is pre-written!
This is a huge event for Marist every year because we, as Red Foxes, get the ability to help save lives of children with cancer. Without the funding that we and many other schools across the nation provide, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital could not function in their task of saving the lives of cancer-diagnosed children.
Please take time out of your evening to come out to the Cabaret and help save lives. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Student Government Association at ext.2206.
Thanks and see you soon!
Steve Townsend
President, Class of 2010
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Winning form
Team captain and blog-reading regular John Keenan, this one's for you! Photo courtesy of one of my former teammates, Mike Carey, now a Radio Guy in the capital district. Thanks, Mike!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Top-5 average
Last word on Albany:
Yeah, yeah, I know it was a fast course. And smart runners ran tangents to cut serious time. No hills. Road course. Fast, fast, fast. But you still gotta run it.
And ran it we did, to the tune of a top-5 man average of 24:54.5. First time in school history, as far as I know, that our top-5 average was sub-25:00.
For a numbers geek like me, that's pretty darn cool.
On to November.
Yeah, yeah, I know it was a fast course. And smart runners ran tangents to cut serious time. No hills. Road course. Fast, fast, fast. But you still gotta run it.
And ran it we did, to the tune of a top-5 man average of 24:54.5. First time in school history, as far as I know, that our top-5 average was sub-25:00.
For a numbers geek like me, that's pretty darn cool.
On to November.
Disney travel info
A few points of interest for next week's Disney trip:
1. As per athletic department policy (and because it's the right thing to do), men will travel wearing shirt and tie, slacks and dress shoes (no sneakers, flip-flops, etc). We can wear our new warmup jackets on top assuming it is chilly, and plane cabins tend to be chilly as well.
2. That same outfit (or another formal outfit) is required for our post-meet awards banquet at Disney Saturday night.
3. VERY IMPORTANT: Spikes (the actual spikes) cannot be carried on, they must be checked. You can bring your spiked racing flats with the spikes out on the carry-on, but the actual pointy things -- the spikes -- must be checked. Coach Chuck is planning on ordering more replacement spikes and checking them in his luggage.
4. It goes without saying, but I will say it, anyway: The primary purpose of this trip is to run well in our first championship of the month. As a result, we fully expect team members to CHILL OUT on Friday and not go park-hopping in the hot sun at Disney on Friday afternoon. It doesn't mean you need to sit in your room and read a book (although I like the sound of that), but you don't want to tire yourself out walking around. Save that for Saturday ... for AFTER the race.
That's all I can think of right now. More later ...
1. As per athletic department policy (and because it's the right thing to do), men will travel wearing shirt and tie, slacks and dress shoes (no sneakers, flip-flops, etc). We can wear our new warmup jackets on top assuming it is chilly, and plane cabins tend to be chilly as well.
2. That same outfit (or another formal outfit) is required for our post-meet awards banquet at Disney Saturday night.
3. VERY IMPORTANT: Spikes (the actual spikes) cannot be carried on, they must be checked. You can bring your spiked racing flats with the spikes out on the carry-on, but the actual pointy things -- the spikes -- must be checked. Coach Chuck is planning on ordering more replacement spikes and checking them in his luggage.
4. It goes without saying, but I will say it, anyway: The primary purpose of this trip is to run well in our first championship of the month. As a result, we fully expect team members to CHILL OUT on Friday and not go park-hopping in the hot sun at Disney on Friday afternoon. It doesn't mean you need to sit in your room and read a book (although I like the sound of that), but you don't want to tire yourself out walking around. Save that for Saturday ... for AFTER the race.
That's all I can think of right now. More later ...
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Some Sunday thoughts
-- Our women's team continued to improve as we tied for fourth place at the Albany meet. We have still not hit our stride as a team yet, but we're hoping to put all the pieces together for Championship Season. A major improvement over last year at this meet, top to bottom! They are a great group of athletes to work with, and it has made my fall even more enjoyable.
-- MAAC Championships. It is always dangerous to assume. That's all I'll say. Do some research. There are several runners and several teams that are pretty strong out there -- other than the obvious in Iona. We would be foolhardy to take anyone or any meet lightly. Ever. We are good, but we are not THAT good where we can just sashay into a situation and feel we can do whatever the heck we want. It is a Championship. Treat it with the proper respect that it deserves. I would expect nothing less.
-- I wasn't aware of the Web Site Slight (if you don't know what I'm talking about, ask Rolek!) until Rolek and Geist brought it up to me. Rolek, in particular, wrote a stinging note about it. While I appreciate the support, we want to make sure not to be negative toward other Marist programs in the process. Sounds corny, but I feel we are all in it together, and the more teams that succeed the better we are as a school. It just occurred to me that a lot of you reading this probably have no idea what I am talking about. Sorry.
-- We have a lot of history as a program at the Albany meet. Heck, I even ran it back in my slow collegiate days in the early 1980s! The meet literally changes every year, just look at how the course is altered year to year. And you never know who will show up and who will not. I like having it on our schedule. If they keep it on the same corresponding weekend, we will continue to attend and compete. They do a nice job with the meet, and we have a lot of ties as a program to the Capital Region.
-- MAAC Championships. It is always dangerous to assume. That's all I'll say. Do some research. There are several runners and several teams that are pretty strong out there -- other than the obvious in Iona. We would be foolhardy to take anyone or any meet lightly. Ever. We are good, but we are not THAT good where we can just sashay into a situation and feel we can do whatever the heck we want. It is a Championship. Treat it with the proper respect that it deserves. I would expect nothing less.
-- I wasn't aware of the Web Site Slight (if you don't know what I'm talking about, ask Rolek!) until Rolek and Geist brought it up to me. Rolek, in particular, wrote a stinging note about it. While I appreciate the support, we want to make sure not to be negative toward other Marist programs in the process. Sounds corny, but I feel we are all in it together, and the more teams that succeed the better we are as a school. It just occurred to me that a lot of you reading this probably have no idea what I am talking about. Sorry.
-- We have a lot of history as a program at the Albany meet. Heck, I even ran it back in my slow collegiate days in the early 1980s! The meet literally changes every year, just look at how the course is altered year to year. And you never know who will show up and who will not. I like having it on our schedule. If they keep it on the same corresponding weekend, we will continue to attend and compete. They do a nice job with the meet, and we have a lot of ties as a program to the Capital Region.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Albany today
Great day for us.
For those that were not there: It was a two-loop, road course and very fast. Obviously. Weather was sunny and chilly (40s), with a brisk wind. Most of our guys ran very well, in both races. A good primer for another fast course at Disney. That race will be softer (grass/dirt) and warmer (70s, probably).
It's always fun dominating a meet like this, but now we round the bend into championship season (November) and the stakes are higher. We must be ready for the challenges ahead of us.
Here are the numbers from today:
RK Munsey Championship race (Varsity)
Team standings: 1. Marist College 23, 2. Brandeis 91, 3. University of St. Thomas 113, 4. Colgate University 166, 5. University at Albany 190, 6. Middlebury 196, 7. Sacred Heart 222, 8. Adelphi 242, 9. Wagner 266, 10. Rochester Institute of Technology 281, 11. Ramapo 290, 12. Bryant 301, 13. Oneonta 315, 14. Delhi 363, 15. Vassar 365, 16. Harvard 404, 17. Springfield 419, 18. Keystone 451, 19. Siena 498, 20. St. Thomas Aquinas 535, 21. Clarkson 578, 22. Molloy 701.
Individual results, 8,000-meter course
1. Girma Segni 24:35.2 (course record; new course, again)
2. David Raucci 24:38.7
4. Conor Shelley 24:48.3
5. Will Griffin 25:05.1
11. Matthew Flint 25:25.5
19. Tim Keegan 25:37.5
31. Joe McElhoney 25:53.5
38. Curtis Jensen 25:57.0
42. Nick Webster 25:59.4
186 finishers
Men’s Purple race (JV race)
Note: Team standings to follow when I get them.
Individual results, 8,000-meter course
1. John Keenan 25:58.6
2. Matt Janczyk 26:22.0
3. Alex Emerel 26:27.6
5. Sam McMullen 26:33.7
6. Tom Lipari 26:36.0
13. Kyle Havard 27:02.2
14. Frank Stewart 27:03.1
15. Patrick Duggan 27:04.1
22. Brian Townsend 27:13.4
23. Greg Masto 27:17.7
26. Zak Smetana 27:26.1
42. Ryan Brown 27:57.3
70. Kris Geist 28:41.4
106. Mike Holinko 29:56.4
148. Alex Lombardozzi 32:11.9
170 finishers
For those that were not there: It was a two-loop, road course and very fast. Obviously. Weather was sunny and chilly (40s), with a brisk wind. Most of our guys ran very well, in both races. A good primer for another fast course at Disney. That race will be softer (grass/dirt) and warmer (70s, probably).
It's always fun dominating a meet like this, but now we round the bend into championship season (November) and the stakes are higher. We must be ready for the challenges ahead of us.
Here are the numbers from today:
RK Munsey Championship race (Varsity)
Team standings: 1. Marist College 23, 2. Brandeis 91, 3. University of St. Thomas 113, 4. Colgate University 166, 5. University at Albany 190, 6. Middlebury 196, 7. Sacred Heart 222, 8. Adelphi 242, 9. Wagner 266, 10. Rochester Institute of Technology 281, 11. Ramapo 290, 12. Bryant 301, 13. Oneonta 315, 14. Delhi 363, 15. Vassar 365, 16. Harvard 404, 17. Springfield 419, 18. Keystone 451, 19. Siena 498, 20. St. Thomas Aquinas 535, 21. Clarkson 578, 22. Molloy 701.
Individual results, 8,000-meter course
1. Girma Segni 24:35.2 (course record; new course, again)
2. David Raucci 24:38.7
4. Conor Shelley 24:48.3
5. Will Griffin 25:05.1
11. Matthew Flint 25:25.5
19. Tim Keegan 25:37.5
31. Joe McElhoney 25:53.5
38. Curtis Jensen 25:57.0
42. Nick Webster 25:59.4
186 finishers
Men’s Purple race (JV race)
Note: Team standings to follow when I get them.
Individual results, 8,000-meter course
1. John Keenan 25:58.6
2. Matt Janczyk 26:22.0
3. Alex Emerel 26:27.6
5. Sam McMullen 26:33.7
6. Tom Lipari 26:36.0
13. Kyle Havard 27:02.2
14. Frank Stewart 27:03.1
15. Patrick Duggan 27:04.1
22. Brian Townsend 27:13.4
23. Greg Masto 27:17.7
26. Zak Smetana 27:26.1
42. Ryan Brown 27:57.3
70. Kris Geist 28:41.4
106. Mike Holinko 29:56.4
148. Alex Lombardozzi 32:11.9
170 finishers
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Albany on Saturday
For those that are in the area and interested: There are four races at the Albany meet on Saturday.
Women's JV: 10 a.m.
Women's varsity: 10:35 a.m.
Men's varsity: 11:10 a.m.
Men's JV: 11:50 a.m.
Top 9 run varsity. For our team, this means a lot of high quality runners are in the second race.
Hope to see you there ...
Women's JV: 10 a.m.
Women's varsity: 10:35 a.m.
Men's varsity: 11:10 a.m.
Men's JV: 11:50 a.m.
Top 9 run varsity. For our team, this means a lot of high quality runners are in the second race.
Hope to see you there ...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Joey Tat's race report
I found Joe Tarantello's post-Hartford email. Here it is for the world to see ...
hey coach,
I thought I'd let you know how things went and maybe you can post it for the other guys. So overall it went OK I guess. I took your advice and went out slower than goal pace. I came through the half at 1:26:04 and felt absolutely amazing, wasn't hurting at all and just felt fantastic.
So I ran with this other fellow for a while and we were banging out 6:30s very comfortably until mile 22. I would say up until 22 I was on pace for 2:52-2:53 but this is when everything started to fall apart. (Coach Pete interjects: Been there, done that!)
Right after the 22 mile marker both my legs started cramping up uncontrollably and so from there to the finish I had to stop a couple times every mile to stretch, though it didn't do much. Basically I stumbled in the last 4 miles and finished in 2:57.51. I definitely lost a lot of time those last 4 miles but it was just excruciating pain.
I'm not sure if it was dehydration because I felt like I was hydrating enough throughout the race or if it was a lack of enough long runs. I think next time I will throw in a few more 20-22 milers because I think that was the reason. Overall though I'm pleased. I got under 3 and qualified for boston. I'm just a little disappointed because I was on pace for a really good time and breathing wise I wasn't even that tired by the end, it was just my legs that gave way.
It was a learning experience though so now I have more of an idea what to expect for next time.
Coach Pete commentary to Joe T: Again, great job. Your self-analysis/critique is right on the mark. Overall, you had a solid, first-marathon experience and achieved the primary goals of sub-3:00 and Boston qualifier.
However, the lessons are clear: More mileage and more longer long runs. There is no doubt that is the missing ingredient. This is not to say your training was not sound; it was excellent given the time you had. You just need to do more of it, for longer.
Easy to write; hard to do. I have no doubt you'll get it done in the future.
Note to other alums: Feel free to send your post-race reports to me via email and I will post it on the blog.
hey coach,
I thought I'd let you know how things went and maybe you can post it for the other guys. So overall it went OK I guess. I took your advice and went out slower than goal pace. I came through the half at 1:26:04 and felt absolutely amazing, wasn't hurting at all and just felt fantastic.
So I ran with this other fellow for a while and we were banging out 6:30s very comfortably until mile 22. I would say up until 22 I was on pace for 2:52-2:53 but this is when everything started to fall apart. (Coach Pete interjects: Been there, done that!)
Right after the 22 mile marker both my legs started cramping up uncontrollably and so from there to the finish I had to stop a couple times every mile to stretch, though it didn't do much. Basically I stumbled in the last 4 miles and finished in 2:57.51. I definitely lost a lot of time those last 4 miles but it was just excruciating pain.
I'm not sure if it was dehydration because I felt like I was hydrating enough throughout the race or if it was a lack of enough long runs. I think next time I will throw in a few more 20-22 milers because I think that was the reason. Overall though I'm pleased. I got under 3 and qualified for boston. I'm just a little disappointed because I was on pace for a really good time and breathing wise I wasn't even that tired by the end, it was just my legs that gave way.
It was a learning experience though so now I have more of an idea what to expect for next time.
Coach Pete commentary to Joe T: Again, great job. Your self-analysis/critique is right on the mark. Overall, you had a solid, first-marathon experience and achieved the primary goals of sub-3:00 and Boston qualifier.
However, the lessons are clear: More mileage and more longer long runs. There is no doubt that is the missing ingredient. This is not to say your training was not sound; it was excellent given the time you had. You just need to do more of it, for longer.
Easy to write; hard to do. I have no doubt you'll get it done in the future.
Note to other alums: Feel free to send your post-race reports to me via email and I will post it on the blog.
Alumni race results
Sorry for the delay in posting these. I was waiting on more details to fill in some blanks.
At the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in Albany, Steve Hicks debuted with a sterling 2:37:13, good for 2nd place overall and a $300 cash prize. Steve's story of how he got to the exact time goal he was shooting for is very interesting. I will not retell it here, but shoot him a call, text or email and I'm sure he'll fill you in on the gory details.
It was a great day for the Hicks family. Steve's wife and former Marist runner Christine ran the half marathon in 1:40:38.
Steve's dad, William Hicks, sizzled the course in 1:37:41. Steve's mom, Sharon Hicks, ran equally well in 1:51:49.
At the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon:
Matt (CT) Szymaszek (did I spell your name right, dude? I butchered it for 4 years straight!) smoked the half marathon in 1:14:17, and then repped the Marist Alumni Racing Team for several minutes in a TV interview. Nicely done on both fronts, CT, and look out, Philly Marathon!
I reminisced with CT today about how it was just a mere 4 years ago (the last Disney year) when I made that wildly unpopular (and, ultimately, WRONG) decision to leave CT home from the 14-man travel squad to Disney back in 04. Since that time, CT has done nothing but prove me wrong (I'm totally cool with that!) and showed what a marvelous runner and hard worker he is at the sport. Although I did not show the faith in him I should have back in that decision time way back when, I always knew he had it in him, and I am proud to see him continue to blossom in the sport. He has only just begun.
Joe Tarantello had a strong marathon debut of 2:57:54. He emailed me his race report but I have misplaced it (shocking, I know). When I find it, I will post it here. Anyway, a nice job by Joey Tat! Next stop, Boston.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Justin Harris burst onto the multi-sport scene in a big way on Sunday at a duathlon (run-bike-run) called the American Zofingen. The race consists of a rugged (read: crazy hilly and tough) 5-mile trail run at Mohonk Preserve, followed by a crazy, insanely hard 29-mile cycle, and finishing with the same, 5-mile trail run.
Official results have not been posted, at least I cannot find them. Jut trashed the field! He won by 12 minutes and broke the previous race record by more than 15 minutes. His eye-popping run splits were 32:07 and 33:0x (not sure), far faster than anyone expected or has ever done.
Everyone thinks/thought Jut was/is a great runner; what we all knew and know is that Jut is a beast on the bike as well.
Now, the duathlon world knows all about Jut.
Obviously, as always, I am extremely proud of all these results and more.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
At the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in Albany, Steve Hicks debuted with a sterling 2:37:13, good for 2nd place overall and a $300 cash prize. Steve's story of how he got to the exact time goal he was shooting for is very interesting. I will not retell it here, but shoot him a call, text or email and I'm sure he'll fill you in on the gory details.
It was a great day for the Hicks family. Steve's wife and former Marist runner Christine ran the half marathon in 1:40:38.
Steve's dad, William Hicks, sizzled the course in 1:37:41. Steve's mom, Sharon Hicks, ran equally well in 1:51:49.
At the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon:
Matt (CT) Szymaszek (did I spell your name right, dude? I butchered it for 4 years straight!) smoked the half marathon in 1:14:17, and then repped the Marist Alumni Racing Team for several minutes in a TV interview. Nicely done on both fronts, CT, and look out, Philly Marathon!
I reminisced with CT today about how it was just a mere 4 years ago (the last Disney year) when I made that wildly unpopular (and, ultimately, WRONG) decision to leave CT home from the 14-man travel squad to Disney back in 04. Since that time, CT has done nothing but prove me wrong (I'm totally cool with that!) and showed what a marvelous runner and hard worker he is at the sport. Although I did not show the faith in him I should have back in that decision time way back when, I always knew he had it in him, and I am proud to see him continue to blossom in the sport. He has only just begun.
Joe Tarantello had a strong marathon debut of 2:57:54. He emailed me his race report but I have misplaced it (shocking, I know). When I find it, I will post it here. Anyway, a nice job by Joey Tat! Next stop, Boston.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Justin Harris burst onto the multi-sport scene in a big way on Sunday at a duathlon (run-bike-run) called the American Zofingen. The race consists of a rugged (read: crazy hilly and tough) 5-mile trail run at Mohonk Preserve, followed by a crazy, insanely hard 29-mile cycle, and finishing with the same, 5-mile trail run.
Official results have not been posted, at least I cannot find them. Jut trashed the field! He won by 12 minutes and broke the previous race record by more than 15 minutes. His eye-popping run splits were 32:07 and 33:0x (not sure), far faster than anyone expected or has ever done.
Everyone thinks/thought Jut was/is a great runner; what we all knew and know is that Jut is a beast on the bike as well.
Now, the duathlon world knows all about Jut.
Obviously, as always, I am extremely proud of all these results and more.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class ...
The running joke for our near-daily, off-campus practices in the fall is that we have to hustle and get moving because "Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class." Lipari, for those alums and others who don't know, is freshman Tom Lipari, a great guy and a burgeoning distance running talent from (where else?) Long Island.
And while Lipari does, indeed, have 5 o'clock classes for which we have to rush back on most days ... so do several other guys. But again, once I get fixated on some stupid, repetitious phrase, I beat it into the ground with regularity.
Anyway, I was hammering home the "Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class" line pretty hard yesterday, since we went over to New Paltz for mile repeats on the rail trail. This is a rare, midseason foray to New Paltz, since it is time consuming. But it was well worth the rushing over there.
And yes, Lipari and others got back with 22 minutes to spare for their 5 o'clocks. Perhaps a little smelly, but they got there.
The men and women blitzed through the mile repeats at an alarming speed. This is not surprising since the rail trail mile repeats are: 1. straight. 2. flat (the northbound ones were faster and slightly downhill). 3. easy terrain. 4. perfect weather.
And so, everyone hit their splits or faster. We will revisit this workout again soon, but at slightly more challenging venues. This will get us back closer to goal race pace for the longer distances. It was great to get some speed going.
OK. Gotta go. Because ... you guessed it ... Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class tonight!
And while Lipari does, indeed, have 5 o'clock classes for which we have to rush back on most days ... so do several other guys. But again, once I get fixated on some stupid, repetitious phrase, I beat it into the ground with regularity.
Anyway, I was hammering home the "Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class" line pretty hard yesterday, since we went over to New Paltz for mile repeats on the rail trail. This is a rare, midseason foray to New Paltz, since it is time consuming. But it was well worth the rushing over there.
And yes, Lipari and others got back with 22 minutes to spare for their 5 o'clocks. Perhaps a little smelly, but they got there.
The men and women blitzed through the mile repeats at an alarming speed. This is not surprising since the rail trail mile repeats are: 1. straight. 2. flat (the northbound ones were faster and slightly downhill). 3. easy terrain. 4. perfect weather.
And so, everyone hit their splits or faster. We will revisit this workout again soon, but at slightly more challenging venues. This will get us back closer to goal race pace for the longer distances. It was great to get some speed going.
OK. Gotta go. Because ... you guessed it ... Lipari's got a 5 o'clock class tonight!
Foot in the door
Congratulations to senior cross country runner Alex Emerel (Holmdel, NJ) for getting accepted to both Podiatry Schools to which he applied: New York (Harlem) and Temple (Philly).
Alex told me yesterday he is leaning toward "going to Temple," which of course let me to the very easy Jewish puns: Are you "going to Temple" or "going to temple"? Typical, immature coach Pete humor.
Anyway: Congrats to Emerel, future Foot Doctor for Marist Running!
Alex told me yesterday he is leaning toward "going to Temple," which of course let me to the very easy Jewish puns: Are you "going to Temple" or "going to temple"? Typical, immature coach Pete humor.
Anyway: Congrats to Emerel, future Foot Doctor for Marist Running!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Busy weekend for alums
Hello again. Sorry for the delay in posts for you avid blog followers. It was a busy and incredibly successful weekend on the roads and trails for Marist Alumni Runners. I'm proud of you all and of your efforts. I will try my best to summarize everyone's races later in the day or Tuesday, after I get more details.
Again: You guys did some GREAT things out there this weekend!
In the meantime, here is a photo taken from the Iona Meet of Champions a few weeks ago.
Back at you in a bit ...
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Fast forward
I know the majority of this blog's readers are men's team alumni, members, parents, friends, etc. This post strays from the "norm" as I will blog about the women's team today.
As you all know, with Phil's retirement, our Track Family was slightly restructured and I was given a fancy new title.
Coach Chuck is the women's coach, but we work very closely as dual programs and practice together every day. We are each other's assistant coaches, and athletes from both teams know they can talk to each of us any time. Our training approach for both teams is identical. The women do a little less volume for the obvious reason that their race distance is shorter. Otherwise, the training paradigm follows the same model.
It is a lot of fun to be directly involved in the women's program. I can honestly say that I not only enjoy it but it has also reinvigorated me as a coach. It's like a new challenge, after all these years. Again, Chuck is the MAN in terms of leadership of the women's team, but I'm putting my two cents in there as well.
Anyway, we were up there at Ogden Mills on Monday as the women were doing the old guys' hill workout (you know, from the poll question of a few weeks ago). Toward the end of it, as the ladies were banging up the hill, working hard and working together in several packs, I found myself getting pretty pumped up.
This is a TEAM, and potentially a darn good one. And it was exciting.
I must say that this is not intended to be a knock on previous and recent women's teams, or on Phil, who is one of my best friends. It is just that Phil and I did things separately in terms of practices, for whatever reason, and I never felt a part of the women's team -- except on meet days. Now, that has changed, and it's a lot more fun.
As you all know, with Phil's retirement, our Track Family was slightly restructured and I was given a fancy new title.
Coach Chuck is the women's coach, but we work very closely as dual programs and practice together every day. We are each other's assistant coaches, and athletes from both teams know they can talk to each of us any time. Our training approach for both teams is identical. The women do a little less volume for the obvious reason that their race distance is shorter. Otherwise, the training paradigm follows the same model.
It is a lot of fun to be directly involved in the women's program. I can honestly say that I not only enjoy it but it has also reinvigorated me as a coach. It's like a new challenge, after all these years. Again, Chuck is the MAN in terms of leadership of the women's team, but I'm putting my two cents in there as well.
Anyway, we were up there at Ogden Mills on Monday as the women were doing the old guys' hill workout (you know, from the poll question of a few weeks ago). Toward the end of it, as the ladies were banging up the hill, working hard and working together in several packs, I found myself getting pretty pumped up.
This is a TEAM, and potentially a darn good one. And it was exciting.
I must say that this is not intended to be a knock on previous and recent women's teams, or on Phil, who is one of my best friends. It is just that Phil and I did things separately in terms of practices, for whatever reason, and I never felt a part of the women's team -- except on meet days. Now, that has changed, and it's a lot more fun.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Homecoming weekend
Great to see all the alums -- some from 20 years ago, others from a few months ago -- on campus this weekend. The older alums -- Nicosia, Reardon -- commented how "they wished they went to THIS school," referencing how upgraded and sharp the Marist campus is.
This week's poll question is a goofy one and deals with Matt Maynes (class of 08) and his (a-hem) NEW BEARD. Quite a radical look from the Tollander.
I realize this question is limited in scope to those that know Maynes and those that have seen him recently. But this poll was suggested by some alert recent alums.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
This week's poll question is a goofy one and deals with Matt Maynes (class of 08) and his (a-hem) NEW BEARD. Quite a radical look from the Tollander.
I realize this question is limited in scope to those that know Maynes and those that have seen him recently. But this poll was suggested by some alert recent alums.
Blog on, brothers and sisters.
Depth
Just playing around with some of the numbers and results. While it wasn't a banner day for Marist cross country at Lehigh, there were plenty of positive signs. This team has a lot of depth.
Disclaimers:
1. I am factoring Vess' excellent debut race (albeit unattached) in these listings because he is on the team and a big part of what we do now and in the future, regardless of his redshirt status or not for fall 08, which is yet to be determined.
2. I know Paul Short is a fast track and an 8km PR factory, but you still gotta run it.
Having said that: Here are some of the numbers for you to illustrate our depth:
If you take our second 5 runners (runners 6-10), here is what you get:
Matt Flint 25:43
Tim Keegan 25:47
Nick Webster 25:52
Conor Shelley 26:01
Curtis Jensen 26:03
Comment: Average of 25:53.2. A pretty damn good team any year for us.
If you include Vess and Will in our varsity based on their times, here is what you get (for runners 1-5):
Girma Segni 24:27
David Raucci 25:12
Joe McElhoney 25:14
Adam Vess 25:15
Will Griffin 25:23
Comment: A spread of less than 1:00, and a top-5 average time of 25:06.2. Pretty darn good again.
If you simply pull out our freshmen and make them a "team," here is what you get:
Will Griffin 25:23
Matt Flint 25:43
Curtis Jensen 26:03
Tom Lipari 26:28
Brian Townsend 26:36
Comment: This averages to 26:00.6 per man, and would have placed you in front of 12 teams in the varsity race, including three MAAC schools.
I'm proud of these numbers and this depth. While our focus remains squarely on the upcoming month-and-a-half, as a longtime coach I'm always looking ahead and planning.
And as noted optimist Hopkins pointed out to me last week: The future looks bright.
Disclaimers:
1. I am factoring Vess' excellent debut race (albeit unattached) in these listings because he is on the team and a big part of what we do now and in the future, regardless of his redshirt status or not for fall 08, which is yet to be determined.
2. I know Paul Short is a fast track and an 8km PR factory, but you still gotta run it.
Having said that: Here are some of the numbers for you to illustrate our depth:
If you take our second 5 runners (runners 6-10), here is what you get:
Matt Flint 25:43
Tim Keegan 25:47
Nick Webster 25:52
Conor Shelley 26:01
Curtis Jensen 26:03
Comment: Average of 25:53.2. A pretty damn good team any year for us.
If you include Vess and Will in our varsity based on their times, here is what you get (for runners 1-5):
Girma Segni 24:27
David Raucci 25:12
Joe McElhoney 25:14
Adam Vess 25:15
Will Griffin 25:23
Comment: A spread of less than 1:00, and a top-5 average time of 25:06.2. Pretty darn good again.
If you simply pull out our freshmen and make them a "team," here is what you get:
Will Griffin 25:23
Matt Flint 25:43
Curtis Jensen 26:03
Tom Lipari 26:28
Brian Townsend 26:36
Comment: This averages to 26:00.6 per man, and would have placed you in front of 12 teams in the varsity race, including three MAAC schools.
I'm proud of these numbers and this depth. While our focus remains squarely on the upcoming month-and-a-half, as a longtime coach I'm always looking ahead and planning.
And as noted optimist Hopkins pointed out to me last week: The future looks bright.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Paul Short addendum
Also: Our top-5 average time of 25:17 is believed to be a school record. I certainly cannot recall doing anywhere near that. Two years ago at PS, our average was 25:45.
BUT AGAIN: Not a great day for us overall.
Consider that teams we were near (Penn, Lehigh, St. Joe's, Stony Brook) at Iona MOC all were ahead of us, either by a little or a lot. So obviously, we were off from that effort at VCP.
We have been working hard. Maybe too hard. If that is the case, the blame lies with me. I'll take it. That's OK for early October. November is far more important. We now have a mileage/training plan for the next 6-7 weeks. We must implement.
Mostly, we must believe.
Have an excellent evening.
BUT AGAIN: Not a great day for us overall.
Consider that teams we were near (Penn, Lehigh, St. Joe's, Stony Brook) at Iona MOC all were ahead of us, either by a little or a lot. So obviously, we were off from that effort at VCP.
We have been working hard. Maybe too hard. If that is the case, the blame lies with me. I'll take it. That's OK for early October. November is far more important. We now have a mileage/training plan for the next 6-7 weeks. We must implement.
Mostly, we must believe.
Have an excellent evening.
Paul Short
Guys:
Here is what I wrote for the Marist Web site (www.goredfoxes.com). Sounds a lot better than it was. More thoughts later in the weekend. Be safe, be smart, tonight.
coach pete
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) ran a personal-best time of 24:27 for 8,000 meters and placed 31st out of nearly 300 runners in a field stacked with nationally-ranked teams, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to a 21st-place finish out of 45 teams at the Paul Short Run, held on the campus of Lehigh University Friday afternoon.
It was Segni’s first sub-25:00 for 8K cross country. Two weeks ago, Segni broke the long-time school record at the Van Cortlandt Park 5-mile course.
On Friday at Lehigh, the top six Marist runners all notched 8K personal-best times on the Paul Short course. Senior David Raucci (Clermont, NY) was 105th in 25:12. Graduate student Joe McElhoney (Beacon, NY) was 110th in 25:14, a major personal-best time. Freshman Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) rounded out the top-5 scoring pack, with times of 25:43 (154th) and 25:47 (165th). Sophomore Nick Webster (Latham, NY) was 175th in a personal-best time of 25:52.
In the non-varsity race, there were several stellar performances as well. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) burst on the scene with an 11th-place time of 25:23, which would have cracked him into the varsity scoring pack. It was an improvement of nearly 1:30 over his first 8K race two weeks ago.
In addition, seven other runners finished faster than 27:00 on the 8K course, all personal-best times: Freshman Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) 26:03; senior captain John Keenan (Centereach, NY) 26:11; freshman Tom Lipari (Greenvale, NY) 26:28; freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) 26:36; sophomore Sam McMullen (Newton, NJ) 26:45; senior Alex Emerel (Holmdel, NJ) 26:53; sophomore Matt Janczyk (Bristol, CT) 26:55.
The top four teams in the meet – Wisconsin, Syracuse, Villanova and Iona – are all nationally ranked. The Red Foxes were 21st with 565 points. Complete team results can be found at www.paulshortxcrun.com
Paul Short Run, Lehigh University
Marist finishers
31. Girma Segni 24:27
105. David Raucci 25:12
110. Joe McElhoney 25:14
154. Matt Flint 25:43
165. Tim Keegan 25:47
175. Nick Webster 25:52
187. Conor Shelley 26:01
JV race
11. Will Griffin 25:23
47. Curtis Jensen 26:03
56. John Keenan 26:11
76. Tom Lipari 26:28
88. Brian Townsend 26:36
96. Sam McMullen 26:45
105. Alex Emerel 26:53
108. Matt Janczyk 26:55
143. Frank Stewart 27:20
185. Trevor Thomas 27:44
190. Zak Smetana 27:49
193. Greg Masto 27:50
200. Kyle Havard 27:27
269. Kris Geist 29:22
273. Mike Holinko 29:29
Here is what I wrote for the Marist Web site (www.goredfoxes.com). Sounds a lot better than it was. More thoughts later in the weekend. Be safe, be smart, tonight.
coach pete
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) ran a personal-best time of 24:27 for 8,000 meters and placed 31st out of nearly 300 runners in a field stacked with nationally-ranked teams, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to a 21st-place finish out of 45 teams at the Paul Short Run, held on the campus of Lehigh University Friday afternoon.
It was Segni’s first sub-25:00 for 8K cross country. Two weeks ago, Segni broke the long-time school record at the Van Cortlandt Park 5-mile course.
On Friday at Lehigh, the top six Marist runners all notched 8K personal-best times on the Paul Short course. Senior David Raucci (Clermont, NY) was 105th in 25:12. Graduate student Joe McElhoney (Beacon, NY) was 110th in 25:14, a major personal-best time. Freshman Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) rounded out the top-5 scoring pack, with times of 25:43 (154th) and 25:47 (165th). Sophomore Nick Webster (Latham, NY) was 175th in a personal-best time of 25:52.
In the non-varsity race, there were several stellar performances as well. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) burst on the scene with an 11th-place time of 25:23, which would have cracked him into the varsity scoring pack. It was an improvement of nearly 1:30 over his first 8K race two weeks ago.
In addition, seven other runners finished faster than 27:00 on the 8K course, all personal-best times: Freshman Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) 26:03; senior captain John Keenan (Centereach, NY) 26:11; freshman Tom Lipari (Greenvale, NY) 26:28; freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) 26:36; sophomore Sam McMullen (Newton, NJ) 26:45; senior Alex Emerel (Holmdel, NJ) 26:53; sophomore Matt Janczyk (Bristol, CT) 26:55.
The top four teams in the meet – Wisconsin, Syracuse, Villanova and Iona – are all nationally ranked. The Red Foxes were 21st with 565 points. Complete team results can be found at www.paulshortxcrun.com
Paul Short Run, Lehigh University
Marist finishers
31. Girma Segni 24:27
105. David Raucci 25:12
110. Joe McElhoney 25:14
154. Matt Flint 25:43
165. Tim Keegan 25:47
175. Nick Webster 25:52
187. Conor Shelley 26:01
JV race
11. Will Griffin 25:23
47. Curtis Jensen 26:03
56. John Keenan 26:11
76. Tom Lipari 26:28
88. Brian Townsend 26:36
96. Sam McMullen 26:45
105. Alex Emerel 26:53
108. Matt Janczyk 26:55
143. Frank Stewart 27:20
185. Trevor Thomas 27:44
190. Zak Smetana 27:49
193. Greg Masto 27:50
200. Kyle Havard 27:27
269. Kris Geist 29:22
273. Mike Holinko 29:29
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Minnewaska clarification
Just so current team members know: Walsh's Minnewaska Marathon is verboten (that means you can't do it), as long as you have remaining eligibility.
Running marathons while you are in college is not a good idea. Take it from me. I did it. Five times, starting at the age of 19. It is one of the reasons I am a washed-up old runner at age 44. I want you to be a vibrant Marist Alumni Racing Team member well after your Running Red Foxes days are over. If you so choose.
Anyway, Walsh seems very motivated to pull this thing off. At the very least, it appears he is committed to running the darn thing. Good for him.
By the way, alums: Let me know if you are coming up this weekend. And if you are, do not CORRUPT current team members. They (we) are on high alert. They (we) are in season!
Have an excellent evening, everyone.
Running marathons while you are in college is not a good idea. Take it from me. I did it. Five times, starting at the age of 19. It is one of the reasons I am a washed-up old runner at age 44. I want you to be a vibrant Marist Alumni Racing Team member well after your Running Red Foxes days are over. If you so choose.
Anyway, Walsh seems very motivated to pull this thing off. At the very least, it appears he is committed to running the darn thing. Good for him.
By the way, alums: Let me know if you are coming up this weekend. And if you are, do not CORRUPT current team members. They (we) are on high alert. They (we) are in season!
Have an excellent evening, everyone.
Tattoo you
Keenan showed off his fancy new tattoo today at practice.
It's a winged foot, on his back near the shoulder blade. Oh gosh. Another winged foot. How cliched, right? Well, this one is REALLY COOL. The tattoo artist must double as a podiatrist, because the bone detail in the foot part of the winged foot is pretty excellent. Emerel, the soon-to-be podiatry school guy, would be proud.
Used to be tattoos were rebellious and noteworthy. Now, they are kinda ho-hum. I would venture to guess that more than half the team's got a stitch of some sort, somewhere on their bodies.
You know, the only time I remotely considered a tattoo -- and I mean, I thought about it for about 14 seconds -- my idea was to get the M/Fox logo on my ankle. Damn. Shoulda done it, would have been a novelty, collector's item type tattoo now that we have the fancy new Fox logos. Right? Right.
Anyway: Just got off the phone with The Wife (that's what I call her in My Other Blog, by the way), and she informed me that I received a big box package at home today. I'm guessing that it contains the Running Pants. FYI.
It's a winged foot, on his back near the shoulder blade. Oh gosh. Another winged foot. How cliched, right? Well, this one is REALLY COOL. The tattoo artist must double as a podiatrist, because the bone detail in the foot part of the winged foot is pretty excellent. Emerel, the soon-to-be podiatry school guy, would be proud.
Used to be tattoos were rebellious and noteworthy. Now, they are kinda ho-hum. I would venture to guess that more than half the team's got a stitch of some sort, somewhere on their bodies.
You know, the only time I remotely considered a tattoo -- and I mean, I thought about it for about 14 seconds -- my idea was to get the M/Fox logo on my ankle. Damn. Shoulda done it, would have been a novelty, collector's item type tattoo now that we have the fancy new Fox logos. Right? Right.
Anyway: Just got off the phone with The Wife (that's what I call her in My Other Blog, by the way), and she informed me that I received a big box package at home today. I'm guessing that it contains the Running Pants. FYI.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Minnewaska Marathon?
Matt Walsh, a regular blog reader, former Running Red Fox and current Alumni Racing Team member, sent me an email a few weeks ago about this crazy race idea he has.
Well, it's not that crazy, really, and it's an idea that had been bandied about by Schab and other nutcases of that era.
And that idea is ... a run from Marist College to our favorite preseason destination, Minnewaska State Park Preserve over in Ulster County. Coincidentally, this run is precisely a marathon distance.
Walsh's idea is to have a fundraising race from Poughkeepsie to Minnewaska, with the timeframe being sometime next spring. Sounds swell to me, but the logistics of it could be daunting. But Walsh seems motivated to get it done.
Hmmm ... I sense ... ANOTHER POLL QUESTION! Sure. Why not?
Well, it's not that crazy, really, and it's an idea that had been bandied about by Schab and other nutcases of that era.
And that idea is ... a run from Marist College to our favorite preseason destination, Minnewaska State Park Preserve over in Ulster County. Coincidentally, this run is precisely a marathon distance.
Walsh's idea is to have a fundraising race from Poughkeepsie to Minnewaska, with the timeframe being sometime next spring. Sounds swell to me, but the logistics of it could be daunting. But Walsh seems motivated to get it done.
Hmmm ... I sense ... ANOTHER POLL QUESTION! Sure. Why not?
Paul Short schedule
Hello all:
Sorry for the lapse in posts. Will try to make up for lost time this week. In the meantime, here is the schedule of races Friday at Lehigh:
11:00am Men's College Brown (DI and ranked non-DI) Championship (7 runners) 8K Race
11:45pm Women's College Brown (DI and ranked non-DI) Championship (7 runners) 6K Race
12:15pm Men's JV 8K Race (All teams- remaining runners)
1:00pm Women's JV 6K Race (All teams- remaining runners)
Sorry for the lapse in posts. Will try to make up for lost time this week. In the meantime, here is the schedule of races Friday at Lehigh:
11:00am Men's College Brown (DI and ranked non-DI) Championship (7 runners) 8K Race
11:45pm Women's College Brown (DI and ranked non-DI) Championship (7 runners) 6K Race
12:15pm Men's JV 8K Race (All teams- remaining runners)
1:00pm Women's JV 6K Race (All teams- remaining runners)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Ogden Hills revisited
Don't mean to skew the poll voting ... but a different take on the Ogden Hills workout worked out quite well for us on Tuesday.
Instead of doing the hills as "repeats" (which turns into a glorified 300-meter speed workout), we did each set as an accelerator (progression) run. Also, "Gary" misses Tuesday practice, which adds a whole new element to the team dynamic. And so, it went really well.
After Tuesday, I would vote "Love It" in a minute.
And I think a lot of the guys would, too.
Let your voice be known!
Instead of doing the hills as "repeats" (which turns into a glorified 300-meter speed workout), we did each set as an accelerator (progression) run. Also, "Gary" misses Tuesday practice, which adds a whole new element to the team dynamic. And so, it went really well.
After Tuesday, I would vote "Love It" in a minute.
And I think a lot of the guys would, too.
Let your voice be known!
Monday, September 22, 2008
A new poll
With a rare, midseason revisit to the usual, first-day-of-practice Ogden Mills hills workout coming up on Tuesday, I thought it would be a good subject for a new poll question.
Most readers of this blog are present or past runners under me since 1991. That has been our traditional first practice workout ever since I started coaching.
It is a mostly love-hate thing with the "Ogden Hills." Some (Rolek?) think the hill is "cheesy."
So I thought it might make for a good poll question.
Feel free to vote or comment on it here.
Most readers of this blog are present or past runners under me since 1991. That has been our traditional first practice workout ever since I started coaching.
It is a mostly love-hate thing with the "Ogden Hills." Some (Rolek?) think the hill is "cheesy."
So I thought it might make for a good poll question.
Feel free to vote or comment on it here.
Iona MOC results
Sorry I didn't post over the weekend. After the great day at VCP on Saturday, I was busy with the Dutchess County Classic road race all day Sunday. Below are the results. More commentary to follow ...
Team standings:
1. University of Michigan 39
2. Penn State 121
3. Iona 153
4. Navy 197
5. Lehigh 205
6. Marist 210
7. Kentucky 211
8. Penn 214
9. Southern Utah 218
10. UMass Lowell 241
11. St. Joseph’s 289
12. Stony Brook 295
13. Boston College 325
14. Stonehill 328
15. Providence 482
16. Marist Alumni Racing Team 486
17. Wayne State 495
18. Toledo 495
19. California (PA) 549
20. Bloomsburg 559
21. Hofstra 564
22. Manhattan 585
23. Ramapo 663
24. UDC 784
25. Dowling 806
26. Mercy 812
27. Cornell, CW Post, KSU incomplete
Marist finishers
9. Girma Segni 25:01.4. personal-best, VCP school record
23. David Raucci 25:19.1. personal-best
38. Conor Shelley 25:33.8. personal-best
82. Matthew Flint 26:25.2. personal-first
86. Tim Keegan 26:28.5. personal-best
93. Nick Webster 26:35.1. personal-best
108. Joe McElhoney 26:42.1
116. Will Griffin 26:49.7. personal first
120. Curtis Jensen 26:51.0. personal first
131. John Keenan 27:01.6
132. Matt Janczyk 27:02.0. personal best
133. Tom Lipari 27:02.3. personal first
139. Brian Townsend 27:05.1. personal first
159. Alex Emerel 27:17.6
163. Zak Smetana 27:21.3. personal best
183. Sam McMullen 27:46.1. personal best
188. Frank Stewart 27:54.3. personal first
205. Patrick Duggan 28:10.9
212. Gregory Masto 28:20.4
229. Kyle Havard 28:47.8. personal first
241. Ryan Brown 29:25.6. personal first
Notes/stats:
-- Top-five combined time average of 25:45.2. School record
-- 9 guys under 27
-- 12 guys between 26:25 and 27:21. Less than a minute. Great depth
-- Every Marist runner under 30:00
-- I was especially impressed with all the "personal-firsts." In other words, I thought as a class, the freshmen ran extremely well for their first time on the challenging VCP course.
Speaking of the course: There was some question among a few alums on the validity of the course because of construction. I believe the course was accurate and possibly even slower than the "normal" course, because the horseshoe-shaped start for the first 600m added two sharp turns that are not normally there.
Visually, it seemed to me the course was accurate. Correcting just the first 600m on the flats (the rest of the course was the same) would seem to me an easy fix, and I think the Iona staff did fine with it. The times were fast but not insane. The weather conditions were perfect, never better for this meet. That, and a national caliber field made for perfect, fast-time conditions.
No asterisks needed, in my book.
Sore calves? I thought so. This happens after racing at the hard Vanny course. Recover well and get ready for some Ogden Hills on Tuesday.
Also: This will be a heavy mileage week as there is no race this weekend. Workouts Tuesday and Friday, mileage and recovery (and ice baths, no doubt) the rest of the time.
See you this afternoon.
Team standings:
1. University of Michigan 39
2. Penn State 121
3. Iona 153
4. Navy 197
5. Lehigh 205
6. Marist 210
7. Kentucky 211
8. Penn 214
9. Southern Utah 218
10. UMass Lowell 241
11. St. Joseph’s 289
12. Stony Brook 295
13. Boston College 325
14. Stonehill 328
15. Providence 482
16. Marist Alumni Racing Team 486
17. Wayne State 495
18. Toledo 495
19. California (PA) 549
20. Bloomsburg 559
21. Hofstra 564
22. Manhattan 585
23. Ramapo 663
24. UDC 784
25. Dowling 806
26. Mercy 812
27. Cornell, CW Post, KSU incomplete
Marist finishers
9. Girma Segni 25:01.4. personal-best, VCP school record
23. David Raucci 25:19.1. personal-best
38. Conor Shelley 25:33.8. personal-best
82. Matthew Flint 26:25.2. personal-first
86. Tim Keegan 26:28.5. personal-best
93. Nick Webster 26:35.1. personal-best
108. Joe McElhoney 26:42.1
116. Will Griffin 26:49.7. personal first
120. Curtis Jensen 26:51.0. personal first
131. John Keenan 27:01.6
132. Matt Janczyk 27:02.0. personal best
133. Tom Lipari 27:02.3. personal first
139. Brian Townsend 27:05.1. personal first
159. Alex Emerel 27:17.6
163. Zak Smetana 27:21.3. personal best
183. Sam McMullen 27:46.1. personal best
188. Frank Stewart 27:54.3. personal first
205. Patrick Duggan 28:10.9
212. Gregory Masto 28:20.4
229. Kyle Havard 28:47.8. personal first
241. Ryan Brown 29:25.6. personal first
Notes/stats:
-- Top-five combined time average of 25:45.2. School record
-- 9 guys under 27
-- 12 guys between 26:25 and 27:21. Less than a minute. Great depth
-- Every Marist runner under 30:00
-- I was especially impressed with all the "personal-firsts." In other words, I thought as a class, the freshmen ran extremely well for their first time on the challenging VCP course.
Speaking of the course: There was some question among a few alums on the validity of the course because of construction. I believe the course was accurate and possibly even slower than the "normal" course, because the horseshoe-shaped start for the first 600m added two sharp turns that are not normally there.
Visually, it seemed to me the course was accurate. Correcting just the first 600m on the flats (the rest of the course was the same) would seem to me an easy fix, and I think the Iona staff did fine with it. The times were fast but not insane. The weather conditions were perfect, never better for this meet. That, and a national caliber field made for perfect, fast-time conditions.
No asterisks needed, in my book.
Sore calves? I thought so. This happens after racing at the hard Vanny course. Recover well and get ready for some Ogden Hills on Tuesday.
Also: This will be a heavy mileage week as there is no race this weekend. Workouts Tuesday and Friday, mileage and recovery (and ice baths, no doubt) the rest of the time.
See you this afternoon.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
A legend returns ...
Wednesday at Vassar Farm, we started what hopefully will be a weekly tradition in the new-look Running Red Foxes. It was the return of Coach Phil Kelly to practice!
Phil just retired at the end of spring track 2008, but he wants to stay connected with the program. We have found the perfect solution: Wednesday practice.
Since Coach Chuck took over the women's team during the summer, we made the decision that the men's and women's teams would practice off-campus together most of the time, as training schedules permit. But on Wednesdays, Chuck cannot make the midday practice because of his full-time teaching position in Wappingers. That would have left me with the task of overseeing two practices at once. While it's doable, it's also very challenging.
Plan A was for Coach Horton to help out on Wednesdays. But starting next week, he'll be working with the track and field athletes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday for preseason practice, and the Wednesday 11 a.m. slot makes the most sense for meeting with those men and women. That's where Phil (Plan B) comes in! Terry and Phil talked about it at the Bowdoin meet, and a match was made: Phil would be our (pardon the pun) fill-in van driver/coach/sidekick for Wednesday practice.
Just like old times.
And so there we were at The Farm, acting like the two immature goofballs we are when we are around each other.
Phil and I coached together for 17 years and more than 50 seasons of competition. While our training philosophies varied a bit through the years, our friendship never wavered. He was in my wedding party. He's one of my best friends. And so this weekly date with Phil takes the edge off not being able to hang out with him on a regular basis at meets and at McCann.
Wednesdays With Phil. Yeah. Pretty cool.
Phil just retired at the end of spring track 2008, but he wants to stay connected with the program. We have found the perfect solution: Wednesday practice.
Since Coach Chuck took over the women's team during the summer, we made the decision that the men's and women's teams would practice off-campus together most of the time, as training schedules permit. But on Wednesdays, Chuck cannot make the midday practice because of his full-time teaching position in Wappingers. That would have left me with the task of overseeing two practices at once. While it's doable, it's also very challenging.
Plan A was for Coach Horton to help out on Wednesdays. But starting next week, he'll be working with the track and field athletes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday for preseason practice, and the Wednesday 11 a.m. slot makes the most sense for meeting with those men and women. That's where Phil (Plan B) comes in! Terry and Phil talked about it at the Bowdoin meet, and a match was made: Phil would be our (pardon the pun) fill-in van driver/coach/sidekick for Wednesday practice.
Just like old times.
And so there we were at The Farm, acting like the two immature goofballs we are when we are around each other.
Phil and I coached together for 17 years and more than 50 seasons of competition. While our training philosophies varied a bit through the years, our friendship never wavered. He was in my wedding party. He's one of my best friends. And so this weekly date with Phil takes the edge off not being able to hang out with him on a regular basis at meets and at McCann.
Wednesdays With Phil. Yeah. Pretty cool.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Vassar Farm wins
The poll is complete and Vassar Farm prevails. Which is good, since that is our practice venue on Wednesday. There were some groans today when that was announced. But alas, everyone had a chance to voice their opinions.
See you at The Farm.
See you at The Farm.
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