Hello and I hope all is well with everyone. I have been in holiday mode and not blog mode, and it probably will stay that way till after the New Year, at which time you can expect the usual flurry of posts about Marist Running and beyond.
Anyway …
Depending on where you are out in the blogosphere, you got a little snow, a lot of snow or somewhere in between after that powerful Nor’easter that packed quite a wallop. Or, if your name is Billy Hild and you are a Giants' football fan, you were stuck in Green Bay after that white-flag of a loss and forced to drive through the barren Midwest to get home. But that's another story ...
I was visiting family in northern New Jersey, where we got 21 inches. My brother, who lives a little east of where we were, near Newark, reported 31 (!) inches in his front yard. Most folks got about a foot.
It is what it is. It’s winter; it snows; you deal with it. Actually, after the post-storm winds died down, the rest of this week looks nice. I just went out to the mailbox; the sun is out, the snow is melting and it feels downright warm. So this storm should have little to no impact on training for the foreseeable future.
And that’s good news.
The other night while having dinner with my family in New Jersey, my cell phone was buzzing in my pocket. In the span of about 15 minutes, I received 4 rapid-fire texts from excited team members announcing they had gotten a 4.0 GPA for the semester or pretty darn close to a 4.0 GPA. Rules and regulations do not allow me to brag about the specific athletes who garnered the straight-A grades, but I am proud of you all nonetheless.
Nicely done all around!
Keep training hard in the slush, muck and melting snow. If you train in the middle of the day, when the sun is high in the sky, ice will not be an issue (pre-dawn morons like me have to deal with black ice and the like).
And if you have not updated me on your grades, feel free to text me with the good news!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Laps in the "old gym"
Thanks to loyal Marist Track Alum Marty McGowan for his reply to the McCann Marathon post. Marty’s historic Marist insights are always entertaining and welcome. Here is Marty’s story about another guy who liked to run laps around a gym …
This post really got to me (here he goes again, another Dark Ages story). One of the nicest teachers up at Marist was Bob Norman. I never had him for a class, but saw him every day my senior year in the old gym. Bob Norman wasn't a tall guy, but weighed well over 200 pounds by 1972.
Apparently, Mr. Norman had gotten a health scare report from a doctor or two and decided to jog in the gym to lose some weight. This was a revolutionary concept back then. But what he did and when he did it are part of the story.
Mr. Norman cleared his plan with Doc Goldman and Ron Petro, the basketball coach. He was going to run laps in the gym! He began at 3 in the afternoon. Around the ONE basketball court that was in that tiny gym. While students were playing. And he did, day after day.
This big, jovial guy going 94 feet up, 50 feet over, 94 feet back down, 50 feet over. And over and over again, lap after lap. In the spring when April came and outside running was tolerable, he stayed indoors, saying that this was where he felt comfortable. By graduation, Bob Norman had lost well over 60 pounds.
Mr. Norman made it a point to know everyone that came into the gym that year. Yeah, we were young, tough and strong. No way could we do lap after lap around that court. The Marist faculty gave you inspiration even when you weren't looking for it.
When Bob Norman took his sabbatical he went down to Manhattan to work for CBS. While he was there
he met Lowell Thomas, who was ready to retire from broadcasting and was looking for a place to keep his papers. Bob mentioned Marist on the Hudson. You know, that's the building where the outdoor swimming pool used to be … but that's another Dark Ages story.
Editor’s note: The “old gym” that Marty refers to is now Marian Hall. When I first attended Marist in 1982, the “old gym” was called, oddly enough, the “old gym” and was a storage shed for the building and grounds department. My second year at Marist, the “old gym” became Marian Hall.
Editor’s note #2: Bob Norman was a great guy. He passed away several years ago, but was always loyal to Marist in so many ways. He was the original “voice of the Red Foxes” on the radio and was an incredibly avid follower of Marist Athletics. He had a silky smooth radio voice, was an excellent professor of communication with many contacts in the industry (he was instrumental in forming and growing the internship program) and basically was just an all-around good man. One of his sons, Jim "Norm" Norman, was the original Fox mascot (now called "Shooter"); Norm lives in our town, we see him at Little League and Pop Warner games, and he is a season ticket holder at Marist basketball games too. Good stuff!
Editor’s note #3: Marty’s last sentence is of course about the Lowell Thomas building. Many of you probably do not know that there was an old swimming pool on the site of the LT building. I do not remember that, but I do remember the construction of LT, which was completed shortly after I graduated in 1986.
Thanks, Marty, for the great memories …
This post really got to me (here he goes again, another Dark Ages story). One of the nicest teachers up at Marist was Bob Norman. I never had him for a class, but saw him every day my senior year in the old gym. Bob Norman wasn't a tall guy, but weighed well over 200 pounds by 1972.
Apparently, Mr. Norman had gotten a health scare report from a doctor or two and decided to jog in the gym to lose some weight. This was a revolutionary concept back then. But what he did and when he did it are part of the story.
Mr. Norman cleared his plan with Doc Goldman and Ron Petro, the basketball coach. He was going to run laps in the gym! He began at 3 in the afternoon. Around the ONE basketball court that was in that tiny gym. While students were playing. And he did, day after day.
This big, jovial guy going 94 feet up, 50 feet over, 94 feet back down, 50 feet over. And over and over again, lap after lap. In the spring when April came and outside running was tolerable, he stayed indoors, saying that this was where he felt comfortable. By graduation, Bob Norman had lost well over 60 pounds.
Mr. Norman made it a point to know everyone that came into the gym that year. Yeah, we were young, tough and strong. No way could we do lap after lap around that court. The Marist faculty gave you inspiration even when you weren't looking for it.
When Bob Norman took his sabbatical he went down to Manhattan to work for CBS. While he was there
he met Lowell Thomas, who was ready to retire from broadcasting and was looking for a place to keep his papers. Bob mentioned Marist on the Hudson. You know, that's the building where the outdoor swimming pool used to be … but that's another Dark Ages story.
Editor’s note: The “old gym” that Marty refers to is now Marian Hall. When I first attended Marist in 1982, the “old gym” was called, oddly enough, the “old gym” and was a storage shed for the building and grounds department. My second year at Marist, the “old gym” became Marian Hall.
Editor’s note #2: Bob Norman was a great guy. He passed away several years ago, but was always loyal to Marist in so many ways. He was the original “voice of the Red Foxes” on the radio and was an incredibly avid follower of Marist Athletics. He had a silky smooth radio voice, was an excellent professor of communication with many contacts in the industry (he was instrumental in forming and growing the internship program) and basically was just an all-around good man. One of his sons, Jim "Norm" Norman, was the original Fox mascot (now called "Shooter"); Norm lives in our town, we see him at Little League and Pop Warner games, and he is a season ticket holder at Marist basketball games too. Good stuff!
Editor’s note #3: Marty’s last sentence is of course about the Lowell Thomas building. Many of you probably do not know that there was an old swimming pool on the site of the LT building. I do not remember that, but I do remember the construction of LT, which was completed shortly after I graduated in 1986.
Thanks, Marty, for the great memories …
One of our "finest" alums
I went down to New York City with the family on Saturday. We had a lot of fun cruising around Manhattan on foot. The city was jammed with people; not a surprise, considering it was the Saturday before Christmas.
Toward the end of our long but fun day in the city, I was able to meet up briefly with Ned Kenyon (Class of 1999), who is now a member of the NYPD – as you can see in this photo taken on 42nd Street near Grand Central. Ned was a loyal member of our program for four years, and he has been an equally loyal alum of the program. It was great to see him, even for a short time.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
McCann Marathon
For a while now, I have had this silly idea -- along with my coffee buddy Krys -- of running a 26.2-mile marathon on the 160-meter McCann Center track. I was even seriously considering this "idea" for New Year's Morning.
But alas, with the home basketball schedule being what it is, the bleachers will be pulled out and a New Year's McCann Marathon will have to wait another year at least.
Here's the thing, though: Somebody you know may have just done a McCann Marathon!
That's right. Our old pal and recent alum David Raucci was at practice on Wednesday. He wanted to see the guys, his old coach and get a few miles in. Well, maybe more than a few.
David ran for 3 hours in the gym. Three hours.
Due to circumstances beyond his control, though, it was not a continuous three-hour run. After 1 hour, 43 minutes, the Student Section bleachers had to be pulled out for about a half-hour. The architects for the upcoming McCann Expansion Project were in the building and they needed to see the bleachers pulled out for whatever reason.
Unfazed, David hung out with the arriving team members, most of whom were stressed out from finals and looking to get a stress-busting run or workout in.
After the bleachers were pushed back in, David resumed his laps and laps and laps and laps for the remaining 1 hour, 17 minutes. He was running in his trusty old Nike Frees, a black pair that was so worn and ripped that the entire side of his feet were exposed. Might as well have been barefoot ...
Later, while lounging in my office eating a sandwich ("I'm starving, coach," he said ... gee, I wonder why?), he said his run probably started at around 7-minute pace but that he picked it up progressively to the point where the last hour or so was at about 6:00 to 6:10 pace.
It did not dawn on me till much later, but our pal had just run the first McCann Marathon -- albeit not continuous, again through no fault of his own.
David is training hard for the spring marathon season. He's putting in mega-mileage.
Please note: Whenever David has the time and inclination to put in high-mileage, mostly aerobic training, the end result is usually a string of eye-popping races. Stay tuned.
Programming note: With the holiday season upon us, and family commitments aplenty, the posts may be a bit more sporadic the next few weeks. I'll try to keep them coming, but there may be some gaps. Sorry, Schabby, I'll do my best.
But alas, with the home basketball schedule being what it is, the bleachers will be pulled out and a New Year's McCann Marathon will have to wait another year at least.
Here's the thing, though: Somebody you know may have just done a McCann Marathon!
That's right. Our old pal and recent alum David Raucci was at practice on Wednesday. He wanted to see the guys, his old coach and get a few miles in. Well, maybe more than a few.
David ran for 3 hours in the gym. Three hours.
Due to circumstances beyond his control, though, it was not a continuous three-hour run. After 1 hour, 43 minutes, the Student Section bleachers had to be pulled out for about a half-hour. The architects for the upcoming McCann Expansion Project were in the building and they needed to see the bleachers pulled out for whatever reason.
Unfazed, David hung out with the arriving team members, most of whom were stressed out from finals and looking to get a stress-busting run or workout in.
After the bleachers were pushed back in, David resumed his laps and laps and laps and laps for the remaining 1 hour, 17 minutes. He was running in his trusty old Nike Frees, a black pair that was so worn and ripped that the entire side of his feet were exposed. Might as well have been barefoot ...
Later, while lounging in my office eating a sandwich ("I'm starving, coach," he said ... gee, I wonder why?), he said his run probably started at around 7-minute pace but that he picked it up progressively to the point where the last hour or so was at about 6:00 to 6:10 pace.
It did not dawn on me till much later, but our pal had just run the first McCann Marathon -- albeit not continuous, again through no fault of his own.
David is training hard for the spring marathon season. He's putting in mega-mileage.
Please note: Whenever David has the time and inclination to put in high-mileage, mostly aerobic training, the end result is usually a string of eye-popping races. Stay tuned.
Programming note: With the holiday season upon us, and family commitments aplenty, the posts may be a bit more sporadic the next few weeks. I'll try to keep them coming, but there may be some gaps. Sorry, Schabby, I'll do my best.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Nice addition to office!
The next time you are in the Track Office here in the McCann Center – with the break coming up, that could be a while – be sure to check out one of the nicest gifts I have ever received. It is a wood carving, sketch and painting done by junior distance runner Ryan Fitzsimons.
On the front, it has the new Marist logo and fox, beautifully illustrated and painted. The logo is flanked on the left by the words “cross country” and on the right by “T&F.” On the back, it reads: “Anything is possible.”
Right now, it is on display, leaning on a big box fan, until I can figure out a better and more permanent way to display it in the office.
Fitz said he had been working on this since the summer months, and it shows. It is truly beautiful, and it means a lot to have it in the office.
Fitz is leaving for home in rural Maine this week, and then departing for London in early January for his semester abroad. The experience – academically, professionally, socially – should be a great one for him.
He will be back in the States in late April, and we look forward to seeing him again. Until then, a daily reminder of his presence on the team will be on the nicest piece of wood I have ever seen.
On the front, it has the new Marist logo and fox, beautifully illustrated and painted. The logo is flanked on the left by the words “cross country” and on the right by “T&F.” On the back, it reads: “Anything is possible.”
Right now, it is on display, leaning on a big box fan, until I can figure out a better and more permanent way to display it in the office.
Fitz said he had been working on this since the summer months, and it shows. It is truly beautiful, and it means a lot to have it in the office.
Fitz is leaving for home in rural Maine this week, and then departing for London in early January for his semester abroad. The experience – academically, professionally, socially – should be a great one for him.
He will be back in the States in late April, and we look forward to seeing him again. Until then, a daily reminder of his presence on the team will be on the nicest piece of wood I have ever seen.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Colin Johnson: Racing in Shanghai
It might not be the record for furthest away from Poughkeepsie racing with a Marist Alumni Racing Team singlet, but 2010 grad Colin Johnson sure gets bonus points for spreading the name of Marist Running to faraway places.
Here is Colin's race report, sent via e-mail ...
Hey Pete,
So I ran the Shanghai International Half Marathon last weekend. The race didn't go exactly as planned. For starters, I was so far away from the starting line that it took me eight minutes from the start of the race just to reach it. After that it was pretty much bumper to bumper traffic for the first 10k.
Once I got some room to run I tried to make up for lost time, and had a pretty decent negative split for the last half of the race, but I still ended up running 1:26. All things considered not too bad, but I felt like I was in shape for 1:17-1:18, so it was a bit of a let down. Given better conditions, I know I would have been able to go sub 1:20 but oh well, there,s always another race!
There's a marathon on the Great Wall in May, which I have been thinking about entering!
I think this is probably a close second to the longest distance from New York that the Alumni Racing singlet has made an appearance. Joe T's race in Australia is definitely a bit further!
I sent you a picture of me post race, with the medal and singlet of course, and some women I met before the race! (Editor's note: NICELY DONE!) Also, another one with a random Chinese guy who stopped us to take a picture with him. That's pretty common here; the Chinese love to pose with pictures of foreigners ... haha its a little weird.
I hope all is well Pete. If I don't talk to you before the holidays then have a great Christmas/New Year!
Colin
Flipper feet
Forgot to post this last week when it was fresh material, but here goes anyway ...
Leave it to fifth-year senior Conor Shelley to exasperate me with yet another "great idea" from the Conor files.
Last week, the stressed-out Conor -- who continues to plug away at his massive Capping Project -- took a little break from his studies to do a workout at the McCann Track.
Conor's Bright Idea For The Day: In order to mimic the barefoot running he so loves during his summers lifeguarding at the beach on Long Island, our guy decided to warm up and cool down from his workout in swim shoes. You know, the kind that middle-aged schmoes like me wear while on vacation in Lake George.
Swim shoes.
And remember, Conor has flipper feet to start with, size 14 or 15, depending on the model he buys.
Flop, flop, flop, flop ... those swimmy shoes slapped their way across the ancient floor in the McCann Arena for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after his fancy workout.
Our conversation before he flopped around was comical. I expressed my displeasure with the idea, if only to make sure that the rest of the possibly impressionable team didn't think I thought it was a GOOD IDEA.
In truth, I was pretty neutral on the whole thing. While it was silly, it was most likely harmless. He switched over to his trusty Nike Frees for the workout. I would have, uh, put my foot down if Conor decided to flop his way through the workout in my vacation footwear.
I guess you could say this barefoot running idea has gained some "traction" for Conor in the McCann Center.
Sorry. Couldn't resist. That one was for you, Krupka!
Leave it to fifth-year senior Conor Shelley to exasperate me with yet another "great idea" from the Conor files.
Last week, the stressed-out Conor -- who continues to plug away at his massive Capping Project -- took a little break from his studies to do a workout at the McCann Track.
Conor's Bright Idea For The Day: In order to mimic the barefoot running he so loves during his summers lifeguarding at the beach on Long Island, our guy decided to warm up and cool down from his workout in swim shoes. You know, the kind that middle-aged schmoes like me wear while on vacation in Lake George.
Swim shoes.
And remember, Conor has flipper feet to start with, size 14 or 15, depending on the model he buys.
Flop, flop, flop, flop ... those swimmy shoes slapped their way across the ancient floor in the McCann Arena for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after his fancy workout.
Our conversation before he flopped around was comical. I expressed my displeasure with the idea, if only to make sure that the rest of the possibly impressionable team didn't think I thought it was a GOOD IDEA.
In truth, I was pretty neutral on the whole thing. While it was silly, it was most likely harmless. He switched over to his trusty Nike Frees for the workout. I would have, uh, put my foot down if Conor decided to flop his way through the workout in my vacation footwear.
I guess you could say this barefoot running idea has gained some "traction" for Conor in the McCann Center.
Sorry. Couldn't resist. That one was for you, Krupka!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Joe Mac's insane plan
Thanks to Geist for the head’s up about Joe McElhoney’s very public quest to run a sub-5:00 mile each day consecutively for 26.2 (27, really) days. You can read all about it (WARNING: The language is quite salty) at Joe Mac’s wildly entertaining blog at this link.
I was aware of Joe Mac’s “Mecca Marathon,” because I like to keep tabs with our boy through his rambling, X-rated blog. But I hadn’t checked it in about a week, and I was not aware of the somewhat cult following this crazy challenge now has -- Geist said it’s front-page news on Let’s Run (LRC link here).
What I love about Joe Mac’s deal is that he is not letting this very public challenge get to his training. He could, but he is not. Mac is cranking the mileage, and I’m proud of him. He’s doing the sub-5:00 at the end of the prescribed day’s leg-thrashing. He could make it easier on himself. But he’s not. Of course, I’d like to see him take a “down” day each week – you know, maybe a light 6-7 miler followed by his Mecca Mile – but Joe Mac knows one gear: Full tilt. If there is something worth doing, it’s worth over-doing. That’s pretty much how Joe Mac operates.
I’m all about streaks, so I fully endorse this bizarrely masochistic plan. Bless his crazy heart. I hope he pulls it off. He’s got the cajones to do it. Stay tuned over in the Land of Bennu …
I was aware of Joe Mac’s “Mecca Marathon,” because I like to keep tabs with our boy through his rambling, X-rated blog. But I hadn’t checked it in about a week, and I was not aware of the somewhat cult following this crazy challenge now has -- Geist said it’s front-page news on Let’s Run (LRC link here).
What I love about Joe Mac’s deal is that he is not letting this very public challenge get to his training. He could, but he is not. Mac is cranking the mileage, and I’m proud of him. He’s doing the sub-5:00 at the end of the prescribed day’s leg-thrashing. He could make it easier on himself. But he’s not. Of course, I’d like to see him take a “down” day each week – you know, maybe a light 6-7 miler followed by his Mecca Mile – but Joe Mac knows one gear: Full tilt. If there is something worth doing, it’s worth over-doing. That’s pretty much how Joe Mac operates.
I’m all about streaks, so I fully endorse this bizarrely masochistic plan. Bless his crazy heart. I hope he pulls it off. He’s got the cajones to do it. Stay tuned over in the Land of Bennu …
Alumni at USATF XC today
Thanks to Mike G for sharing this photo of Marist Running Alums (left to right) Matt Walsh, Mike Guarascio and Sean Hopkins from Saturday’s USATF National Club Championships in North Carolina.
Check these results – there were some amazing runners there!
As for our Marist Alums … Hopkins (Sayville Runners) led the way with his 181st place finish in 32:46.7 for the 10km course. Walsh (Bellmore Striders) considered it an “off” race for him, but still got another XC PR with his time of 33:43.7. Mike G (Greater Boston) had a strong showing with his 35:46.4.
Nicely done, men!
Billy the Marine?
Sir, yes sir.
Can you picture freshman Billy Hild – yes, the same Billy Hild whose idea of the “bench press” is “benching the bar” – as a Marine? The few, the proud?
Apparently, one Marine recruitment guy thought so. He stopped Young Freshington and tried to get him to join – WHILE BILLY WAS ON A RUN!
Billy likes to carry on the Bucket Tradition of bringing back trinkets from his daily mileage. Back in the day, his old Spartan coach Mr. B used to bring back such treasures as Marlboro Miles (of course!), tools (including a pretty sweet Swiss Army knife), books (including The Bible), a sideview mirror and even (with the help of Dirt Baird) an entire bulletin board, which hung in my old office for years.
So far, Billy’s contributions had been admirable but a bit less creative. However, the business card of a Marine recruiter who tried to solicit him to join them while he was running … well, that’s a good start, and a good story.
If Billy starts doing 100 push-ups a day (that would be approximately 100 more than he currently does …), maybe he can become part of the few and the proud. For now, he should probably stick with distance running, going after Schab’s Tower record (48 + 5, for those keeping score at home), and bringing back conversation-piece items.
So far, so good.
Can you picture freshman Billy Hild – yes, the same Billy Hild whose idea of the “bench press” is “benching the bar” – as a Marine? The few, the proud?
Apparently, one Marine recruitment guy thought so. He stopped Young Freshington and tried to get him to join – WHILE BILLY WAS ON A RUN!
Billy likes to carry on the Bucket Tradition of bringing back trinkets from his daily mileage. Back in the day, his old Spartan coach Mr. B used to bring back such treasures as Marlboro Miles (of course!), tools (including a pretty sweet Swiss Army knife), books (including The Bible), a sideview mirror and even (with the help of Dirt Baird) an entire bulletin board, which hung in my old office for years.
So far, Billy’s contributions had been admirable but a bit less creative. However, the business card of a Marine recruiter who tried to solicit him to join them while he was running … well, that’s a good start, and a good story.
If Billy starts doing 100 push-ups a day (that would be approximately 100 more than he currently does …), maybe he can become part of the few and the proud. For now, he should probably stick with distance running, going after Schab’s Tower record (48 + 5, for those keeping score at home), and bringing back conversation-piece items.
So far, so good.
Winter mode, part 2
Whoops. Spoke too soon.
Two days after my previous post, our group morning jog took place on a bone-numbing 8-degree morning. Yikes! I guess winter’s arriving early around these parts.
This morning, I met Fast Tony for a great run! We started later than normal (7 a.m.) and ran across the Walkway bridge – something our team does almost daily, but a rare treat for this pre-dawn runner. I had no idea how beautiful that Walkway extension over on the Highland side is. Wow! Great stuff! Reminds me of the Mohawk Hudson Marathon course. Straight and mostly flat. My kind of running.
Two days after my previous post, our group morning jog took place on a bone-numbing 8-degree morning. Yikes! I guess winter’s arriving early around these parts.
This morning, I met Fast Tony for a great run! We started later than normal (7 a.m.) and ran across the Walkway bridge – something our team does almost daily, but a rare treat for this pre-dawn runner. I had no idea how beautiful that Walkway extension over on the Highland side is. Wow! Great stuff! Reminds me of the Mohawk Hudson Marathon course. Straight and mostly flat. My kind of running.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Winter mode
This morning, my usual jog had to be extra early because my wife and daughter were going on a field trip to NYC for some chilly holiday fun. As I was fumbling in the 5 a.m. predawn darkness for my jogging clothes, I could not find as many layers as I was hoping for in the laundry room. Too lazy to go back upstairs for more layers, I headed out the door.
My first reaction in the dark: Hmmm. Not bad. Not too cold. No wind. Plus, I was only doing a short half-hour jog, so the extra layers wouldn't be necessary.
Upon returning, I checked the temperature: 26 degrees.
You know you are in "winter running mode" when 26 degrees is "not bad."
While on the subject of cold-weather winter running: While shivering outside in a fire drill at the McCann Center last night, another Marist coach asked me if our athletes were "done running outside for the season." She meant well, really. I kept my "inner Hopkins" at bay, avoided sarcasm and explained to her nicely that it really isn't that bad running out in the cold.
And then I told her what I will tell you, about our winter running policy: Athletes that choose to run on the treadmill or the McCann track for their distance are welcome whenever either is available.
And this: Runners who prefer to run outside in all conditions are permitted to do so, as long as it is safe. This means: If the roads are slick, icy and snow-covered, no one can run off campus. If it is unsafe to drive cars, it is really unsafe to run on roads that you share with those same cars.
For the hard-core, Schab-types that just HAVE to run outside, even in blizzards, we will allow this provided no one leaves the safe confines of the Marist campus. For most, this means multiple repeats of the Campus Mile. The grounds team at Marist keeps the roads in tip-top shape, even during storms, during the winter months.
So bundle up, layer up and get ready for several months of cold-weather runs.
My first reaction in the dark: Hmmm. Not bad. Not too cold. No wind. Plus, I was only doing a short half-hour jog, so the extra layers wouldn't be necessary.
Upon returning, I checked the temperature: 26 degrees.
You know you are in "winter running mode" when 26 degrees is "not bad."
While on the subject of cold-weather winter running: While shivering outside in a fire drill at the McCann Center last night, another Marist coach asked me if our athletes were "done running outside for the season." She meant well, really. I kept my "inner Hopkins" at bay, avoided sarcasm and explained to her nicely that it really isn't that bad running out in the cold.
And then I told her what I will tell you, about our winter running policy: Athletes that choose to run on the treadmill or the McCann track for their distance are welcome whenever either is available.
And this: Runners who prefer to run outside in all conditions are permitted to do so, as long as it is safe. This means: If the roads are slick, icy and snow-covered, no one can run off campus. If it is unsafe to drive cars, it is really unsafe to run on roads that you share with those same cars.
For the hard-core, Schab-types that just HAVE to run outside, even in blizzards, we will allow this provided no one leaves the safe confines of the Marist campus. For most, this means multiple repeats of the Campus Mile. The grounds team at Marist keeps the roads in tip-top shape, even during storms, during the winter months.
So bundle up, layer up and get ready for several months of cold-weather runs.
Monday, December 6, 2010
More on the Yale meet
As promised, here are some more random notes and commentary on Saturday’s season-opening track meet at Yale.
Men’s meet:
Weight a minute!: Hey! Whaddya know? We have a Weight Thrower! That’s right. Freshman Sean Ellman, a local kid from Arlington HS, threw the 35-pound weight for the first time on Saturday. And, when I say “first time,” I really mean “first time.”
We ordered Sean a new 35-pound implement from MF Athletics a few weeks ago. It sat in its shipping box in my hopelessly cluttered office. Until Saturday. Sean brought the box, opened it up, and threw it at the meet. Note: Practicing such an event at the McCann Center is not an easy task. But we have some potential solutions!
Anyway, Sean did well. He has a pretty good one-turn throw in the circle. We will need to get that up to at least two turns. Marist alum, school record holder and loyal blog follower Peter VanAken has graciously offered his expertise in helping Sean. Talk about selflessness: About 7-8 years ago, Peter – a longtime coworker of mine from my days at the Poughkeepsie Journal – volunteered to teach Adam Waterbury, perhaps our best thrower in D1 program history, how to throw the 35-pound weight. The teacher did a pretty good job: Adam went on to break Peter’s longtime SR in the event!
Hopefully, he can have similar success with Sean, who is a great guy to have on the team. We’ll get him working hard in the weight room, and working with Peter in any nook and cranny in McCann that we can find. Note to Peter and Sean: We may even be able to secure the racquetball court for practice?!?! We’ll “weight” and see. Ha! Couldn’t resist …
--Losing his lunch: Junior sprinter Mike McCloskey had a pleasant surprise in the 60-meter dash. After a strong dash in which he had one of the better starts I have seen in quite a while, he contentedly returned to the bleachers to have his lunch. Much to his surprise, just as he was digging in, it was announced that his time was the fourth fastest and that he had qualified for the finals!
So much for lunch! He scurried back to the infield, put on his spikes, and proceeded to rip out a 7.31-second time, a PR of .01. As teammate Dan Conklin astutely pointed out, if Mike does that for 100 more meets, he’ll have improved by a full second. Thanks for the math lesson, Dan. Nicely done, Mike!
--Strong day for Josh: Kudos to junior sprinter Josh Lopez for his strong day. Josh ran well in the 500-meter dash (note: I erroneously noted this as a PR, it was not; my bad), and then ran a strong 400 relay leg on the 4x400. Josh is one of the hardest workers we’ve got, and it was great to see.
--No style points: Countering McCloskey’s great start, freshman Taylor Bombard had one of the poorest starts I have ever seen, in the 60-meter hurdles. Despite this, he ran a solid race and has transitioned up to the higher hurdle height pretty well. Taylor needs to get over the fact that even the fastest hurdlers bang those things around. It’s a noisy event. There are no style points. My oldest son Joey, who for the third year in a row acted as my assistant coach for the day at this meet, asked if “points were taken off” for knocking down the hurdles. They are not. And so Taylor, bash away. Just get to the finish line as fast as you can.
--Let’s make a deal: The above photo, taken by distance runner Ryan Fitzsimons (side note: Our deal was that I would not post his rather desultory 5,000 race splits in exchange for this really cool photo!), is of fifth-year senior Conor Shelley and freshman Isaiah Miller, in the 800-meter run. Isaiah took the old guy to school, beating him by two seconds. In fairness to Conor: He was running on a double, after a decent mile; and, as he pointed out to me this morning, Go-Saiah cut him off shortly after this photo was taken. I do not recall that. But hey, all is fair in racing. Thank you, Fitz, for this awesome photo – one of the coolest track photos from our team that I have seen.
--Pick up the pace!: I have never seen the usually mild-mannered freshman distance runner Mike Clausen so pissed off than he was after his 3,000 race – which, all things considered, was a strong effort. Clausen had good reason. The early pace was ridiculously slow. In fact, after 100 meters, I commented to Fitz or whoever was standing next to me that it looked like the start of a marathon. Very slow. The pace remained rather pedestrian through 1600, when like a bolt out of the blue the lead runners shifted gears, leaving poor Clausen high and dry.
Now, Clausen’s a good runner. But he cannot go from 36-second laps to 31-second laps, which is what the leaders did. Mike hung on gamely in no-man’s land. We’re hoping to get him in a more reasonable race later in the winter.
Most importantly, this was a great comeback effort. Just two weeks prior to Yale, Mike was lying in a hospital bed with meningitis – now, before I start a major health scare, it was VIRAL meningitis, the much less severe form of the terrible illness. This obviously cost him his final XC race (IC4A), but he obviously bounced back quickly, too. Good stuff.
Women’s meet:
--Welcome back, Jackie!: Great to see sophomore Jackie Gamboli back on the track and running fast again. Jackie has had a lot of bumps in the road. She ran all of last winter season with mono. Her second-place finish Saturday in the 800 in 2:18.61 was not a PR, but it was faster than she ran all last winter, and shows she is well on her way back. She redshirted XC this fall, too, so it has been a long time coming for Jackie. Great stuff!
--Old vs. new: Speaking of great stuff, the women’s 3,000 race was awesome. We welcomed back graduate student Brittany Burns for the beginning of her fifth and final year of eligibility. Britt ran a strong and consistent race and had a nice kick en route to her first-place finish in 10:15.00. She caught and passed our freshman phenom Kiersten Anderson, who had a strong second-place finish as well. Kiersten was upset at her race. But really, she was coming off a long and hard XC season in which she was as dominant and consistent a lead runner as our program has ever had. Making that transition to the track is difficult, but she ran a time that was just a few ticks off the Junior National qualifying time, which she most certainly should get at some point in the winter.
The really cool thing was seeing the time-tested veteran and fifth-year grad student working hard in the same race as our next generation of Lady Foxes. Britt has had a great career here and has been a wonderful team leader. I’m sure we will be talking the same way about Kiersten in a few years. For me, it’s just neat seeing the past and present coming together in the same race, and we’re fortunate that we’ll probably see that a few more times in the next 5 months or so.
--Who's who: OK, here we go again. It took this old coach about 2.5 years to figure out the difference between twins Tom and Bryan Dixon, who graduated last year. I was able to decipher twins Elizabeth and Allyson O’Brien (current junior distance runners) a little quicker. Now, we have the jumping twins of Kristen and Shannon Vogel, who hopelessly I will confuse for quite a while, I am certain! Both ladies are great long and triple jumpers, and that will add variety and points to our team. Just don’t ask me who is who – at least for a few more years.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks for reading, as always.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Best line of the day
Again, I promise: I will post some analysis, anecdotes and other random thoughts from today's meet, at some point on Sunday/Monday and beyond. Right now, I'm too tired to delve into this.
Plus, I want to check out all the New York newspaper sports sections to read about the new Jeter contract! It's quite creative!
Anyway, before doing this, I had to share with you all the best line of the day, uttered innocently enough by Coach Terry Horton as the long day was reaching its conclusion with our multiple, seemingly haphazard but fun 4x400s for men.
Fifth-year senior Conor Shelley -- already sleep deprived from working on his capping project, and whipped from his mile/800 double -- was pressed into duty as a filler leg in a 4x400. Like most guys, Conor was delighted to play sprinter for a little while.
He got all excited when he realized that he decided that he could/would split a 56-second leg. Certainly not a desirable goal. But why 56 seconds? Because the number 56 holds a special place for Conor, since that was the address of that dreadful abomination of an off-campus house -- now rightfully unoccupied and abandoned -- known as "Sunset."
All during his extended warmup in the infield, he was flashing hand signals indicating his desire to run "56." When I explained this whole story to Terry, his simple line made me laugh:
"Geez, I wish he lived at 49 Sunset."
Indeed.
Plus, I want to check out all the New York newspaper sports sections to read about the new Jeter contract! It's quite creative!
Anyway, before doing this, I had to share with you all the best line of the day, uttered innocently enough by Coach Terry Horton as the long day was reaching its conclusion with our multiple, seemingly haphazard but fun 4x400s for men.
Fifth-year senior Conor Shelley -- already sleep deprived from working on his capping project, and whipped from his mile/800 double -- was pressed into duty as a filler leg in a 4x400. Like most guys, Conor was delighted to play sprinter for a little while.
He got all excited when he realized that he decided that he could/would split a 56-second leg. Certainly not a desirable goal. But why 56 seconds? Because the number 56 holds a special place for Conor, since that was the address of that dreadful abomination of an off-campus house -- now rightfully unoccupied and abandoned -- known as "Sunset."
All during his extended warmup in the infield, he was flashing hand signals indicating his desire to run "56." When I explained this whole story to Terry, his simple line made me laugh:
"Geez, I wish he lived at 49 Sunset."
Indeed.
Holiday Hild runs a nice PR!
Congrats to freshman Billy Hild for his fantastic third-place finish at today's Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club's Holiday Run 5-mile race in Wappingers Falls.
The pride of Mr. Bucket's Spackenkill Spartans ran a personal-best time of 28:05 for the 5-mile course. He was hoping for faster. But a quick glance at the results and you'll see that he was truly in no-man's land. All things considered, a fine performance from my most loyal blog follower on the team.
Also, check this link to see Billy Fresh in the awards photos.
Nicely done, Mr. Freshington!
The pride of Mr. Bucket's Spackenkill Spartans ran a personal-best time of 28:05 for the 5-mile course. He was hoping for faster. But a quick glance at the results and you'll see that he was truly in no-man's land. All things considered, a fine performance from my most loyal blog follower on the team.
Also, check this link to see Billy Fresh in the awards photos.
Nicely done, Mr. Freshington!
60 seasons, and counting ...
Don't know why I thought of this ... with the beginning of yet another season -- indoor track -- I decided to count up how many distinct seasons I have now coached since Phil and I embarked on our grand adventure back in the spring of 1991 with our first meet at the remote locale of Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.
Counting that truncated club season that spring, this marks the beginning of my 60th season of coaching. Wow. That's a lot of bus rides, van trips, meal money, etc.
My oldest son wondered aloud if I would make it to 100 seasons. Good question, bro! The short answer: If I live long enough and if Marist is nice enough to keep renewing my contract for the next 13-plus years, I'll make it to season 100 sometime close to my 60th birthday.
In the meantime, all this talk is nonsense when compared to Assistant Coach (and longtime Arlington coach) Terry Horton. If Terry were to dare count up all the seasons he has coached -- cross country, track, football maybe? -- it's a pretty safe bet it would be close to or exceeding 100.
It never ends.
Counting that truncated club season that spring, this marks the beginning of my 60th season of coaching. Wow. That's a lot of bus rides, van trips, meal money, etc.
My oldest son wondered aloud if I would make it to 100 seasons. Good question, bro! The short answer: If I live long enough and if Marist is nice enough to keep renewing my contract for the next 13-plus years, I'll make it to season 100 sometime close to my 60th birthday.
In the meantime, all this talk is nonsense when compared to Assistant Coach (and longtime Arlington coach) Terry Horton. If Terry were to dare count up all the seasons he has coached -- cross country, track, football maybe? -- it's a pretty safe bet it would be close to or exceeding 100.
It never ends.
Yale results from today
Here are results from today.
Not a bad season-opener!
More highlights and commentary soon.
Just wanted to post these quickly.
Yale Invitational
Coxe Cage, Yale University
Saturday, December 4, 2010
60-meter dash
7. Mike McCloskey 7.31
14. Darren Bushey 7.43
21. Neal Viets 7.93
22. Brian Lochner 8.06
200 dash
11. Mike McCloskey 23.87
13. Mike Clifford 24.12
15. Darren Bushey 24.23
17. Neal Viets 24.89
18. Taylor Bombard 25.07
400 dash
13. John Kristie 52.96
14. Connor Dodge 53.06
16. Chris Coscio 53.21
18. Dan Conklin 53.52
500 dash
6. Josh Lopez 1:09.27
800 run
5. Isaiah Miller 2:00.74
27, 57 (30), 1:29 (32), 2:00.74 (31.74)
7. Conor Shelley 2:02.03
29, 58 (29), 1:29 (31), 2:02.03 (33.03)
9. Andrew James 2:04.77
27, 58 (31), 1:29 (31), 2:04.77 (35.77)
Mile run
5. Conor Shelley 4:26.48
32.7, 65.2 (32.5), 1:39.2 (34.0), 2:12.3 (33.1), 2:45.4 (33.1), 3:19.4 (34.0, 3:53.5 (34.1), 4:26.48 (32.98)
3,000 run
3. Mike Clausen 9:23.56
41.6, 78.0 (36.4), 1:54.6 (36.6), 2:30.9 (36.3), 3:06.8 (35.8)
3:43.7 (36.9), 4:20.1 (36.4), 4:57.4 (37.3), 5:34.0 (36.6), 6:11.8 (37.8)
6:50.4 (38.6), 7:29.7 (39.3), 8:08.7 (39.0), 8:46.9 (38.2), 9:23.56 (36.66)
1km: 3:06.8; 2km: 6:11.8 (3:05.0); 3km: 9:23.56 (3:11.76)
5,000 run
4. Ryan Fitzsimons 16:35.46
No splits posted at request of the athlete.
60 hurdles
9. Taylor Bombard 9.47
4x400 relay:
Marist A (Chris Coscio 54.17, John Kristie 52.95, Connor Dodge 52.49, Isaiah Miller 54.53) 3:34.16
Marist B (Josh Lopez 53.27, Phil Krupka 53.89, Alex Cuesta 54.12, Conor Shelley 56.38) 3:37.96
Marist C (Mike McCloskey 56.71, Darren Bushey 56.57, Mike Clifford 56.02, Andrew James 54.63) 3:44.09
Weight throw
10. Sean Ellman 10.52 meters (34 feet, 6.25 inches)
Women’s results
60 dash
11. Amanda Luccarelli 8.42
13. Meghann Cocca 8.66
200 dash
18. Christina Turigiano 28.50
19. Amanda Luccarelli 28.51
21. Meghann Cocca 28.60
400 dash
8. Hayley Harnett 62.89
500 dash
11. Nicole Weir 1:24.69
12. Ailish Rowley 1:26.46
800 run
2. Jackie Gamboli 2:18.61
32, 67 (35), 1:42 (35), 2:18.61 (36.61)
8. Rachael Peterson 2:37.53
36, 75 (39), 1:56 (41), 2:37.53 (41.53)
3,000-meter run
1-Brittany Burns 10:15.00
39, 81 (42), 2:03 (42), 2:45 (42), 3:27 (42)
4:08 (41), 4:49 (41), 5:31 (42), 6:13 (42), 6:54 (41)
7:35 (41), 8:16 (41), 8:57 (41), 9:36 (39), 10:15.00 (39.00)
1km: 3:27; 2km: 6:54 (3:27); 3km: 10:15.00 (3:21)
2-Kiersten Anderson 10:19.73
38, 79 (41), 2:00 (41), 2:41 (41), 3:22 (41)
4:04 (42), 4:46 (42), 5:28 (42), 6:10 (42), 6:52 (42)
7:35 (43), 8:16 (41), 8:57 (41), 9:39 (42), 10:19.73 (40.73)
1km: 3:22; 2km: 6:52 (3:30); 3km: 10:19.73 (3:28.73)
4x400 relay:
9. Marist A (Hayley Harnett 61.49, Christina Turigiano 65.48, Nicole Weir 64.46, Jackie Gamboli 61.38) 4:13.05
Long jump
7. Kristen Vogel 4.81 meters (15-9.5)
9. Shannon Vogel 4.37 meters (14-4)
Triple jump
10. Kristen Vogel 9.96 meters (32-8.25)
12. Shannon Vogel 9.68 meters (31-9.25)
Not a bad season-opener!
More highlights and commentary soon.
Just wanted to post these quickly.
Yale Invitational
Coxe Cage, Yale University
Saturday, December 4, 2010
60-meter dash
7. Mike McCloskey 7.31
14. Darren Bushey 7.43
21. Neal Viets 7.93
22. Brian Lochner 8.06
200 dash
11. Mike McCloskey 23.87
13. Mike Clifford 24.12
15. Darren Bushey 24.23
17. Neal Viets 24.89
18. Taylor Bombard 25.07
400 dash
13. John Kristie 52.96
14. Connor Dodge 53.06
16. Chris Coscio 53.21
18. Dan Conklin 53.52
500 dash
6. Josh Lopez 1:09.27
800 run
5. Isaiah Miller 2:00.74
27, 57 (30), 1:29 (32), 2:00.74 (31.74)
7. Conor Shelley 2:02.03
29, 58 (29), 1:29 (31), 2:02.03 (33.03)
9. Andrew James 2:04.77
27, 58 (31), 1:29 (31), 2:04.77 (35.77)
Mile run
5. Conor Shelley 4:26.48
32.7, 65.2 (32.5), 1:39.2 (34.0), 2:12.3 (33.1), 2:45.4 (33.1), 3:19.4 (34.0, 3:53.5 (34.1), 4:26.48 (32.98)
3,000 run
3. Mike Clausen 9:23.56
41.6, 78.0 (36.4), 1:54.6 (36.6), 2:30.9 (36.3), 3:06.8 (35.8)
3:43.7 (36.9), 4:20.1 (36.4), 4:57.4 (37.3), 5:34.0 (36.6), 6:11.8 (37.8)
6:50.4 (38.6), 7:29.7 (39.3), 8:08.7 (39.0), 8:46.9 (38.2), 9:23.56 (36.66)
1km: 3:06.8; 2km: 6:11.8 (3:05.0); 3km: 9:23.56 (3:11.76)
5,000 run
4. Ryan Fitzsimons 16:35.46
No splits posted at request of the athlete.
60 hurdles
9. Taylor Bombard 9.47
4x400 relay:
Marist A (Chris Coscio 54.17, John Kristie 52.95, Connor Dodge 52.49, Isaiah Miller 54.53) 3:34.16
Marist B (Josh Lopez 53.27, Phil Krupka 53.89, Alex Cuesta 54.12, Conor Shelley 56.38) 3:37.96
Marist C (Mike McCloskey 56.71, Darren Bushey 56.57, Mike Clifford 56.02, Andrew James 54.63) 3:44.09
Weight throw
10. Sean Ellman 10.52 meters (34 feet, 6.25 inches)
Women’s results
60 dash
11. Amanda Luccarelli 8.42
13. Meghann Cocca 8.66
200 dash
18. Christina Turigiano 28.50
19. Amanda Luccarelli 28.51
21. Meghann Cocca 28.60
400 dash
8. Hayley Harnett 62.89
500 dash
11. Nicole Weir 1:24.69
12. Ailish Rowley 1:26.46
800 run
2. Jackie Gamboli 2:18.61
32, 67 (35), 1:42 (35), 2:18.61 (36.61)
8. Rachael Peterson 2:37.53
36, 75 (39), 1:56 (41), 2:37.53 (41.53)
3,000-meter run
1-Brittany Burns 10:15.00
39, 81 (42), 2:03 (42), 2:45 (42), 3:27 (42)
4:08 (41), 4:49 (41), 5:31 (42), 6:13 (42), 6:54 (41)
7:35 (41), 8:16 (41), 8:57 (41), 9:36 (39), 10:15.00 (39.00)
1km: 3:27; 2km: 6:54 (3:27); 3km: 10:15.00 (3:21)
2-Kiersten Anderson 10:19.73
38, 79 (41), 2:00 (41), 2:41 (41), 3:22 (41)
4:04 (42), 4:46 (42), 5:28 (42), 6:10 (42), 6:52 (42)
7:35 (43), 8:16 (41), 8:57 (41), 9:39 (42), 10:19.73 (40.73)
1km: 3:22; 2km: 6:52 (3:30); 3km: 10:19.73 (3:28.73)
4x400 relay:
9. Marist A (Hayley Harnett 61.49, Christina Turigiano 65.48, Nicole Weir 64.46, Jackie Gamboli 61.38) 4:13.05
Long jump
7. Kristen Vogel 4.81 meters (15-9.5)
9. Shannon Vogel 4.37 meters (14-4)
Triple jump
10. Kristen Vogel 9.96 meters (32-8.25)
12. Shannon Vogel 9.68 meters (31-9.25)
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