Happy flu year

It’s called “Covid-19” because that insidious virus was first recognized or discovered or whatever in … you guessed it … 2019. Which, for those keeping score at home, is three years ago. This idea that we are “done with” Covid and that Covid is “over” is pure silliness. Are we “done with” or “over” the common cold? Uh, no (well, maybe “done with” because, really, who likes the common cold?). Covid-19 is a coronavirus, and coronaviruses are stubborn little buggers that don’t magically disappear. OK, I’ll stop with the highbrow medical lessons, because in this realm I am most definitely not qualified. Anyway. As we enter 2023, another year, that persistent virus from 2019 is still with us and still part of our lives. We can deny that all we want, but people are still getting sick. You hear and read everywhere about this tripledemic – Covid, flu, RSV. It’s winter, and more people get sick more often in the winter. My friend Eric has all the Covid vaccines – five shots in total in his arm over the past few years – and he still got Covid a few weeks ago. This is not an anti-vax comment, far from it! At 65 years old, Eric needs all the protection he can get. His symptoms were mild. Like (dare I say it?), a cold. He’s fine. Hopefully, we’ll all be fine. But, that’s not how the world works. People are getting sick this winter, in some cases, more severe and more prevalent than others.

On Friday night (December 30), I was supposed to have gone to see my favorite band, Gov’t Mule, at NYC’s Beacon Theatre. One of our JTR bus drivers used to drive for rock bands back in the day and he still has “connections” and he had two eighth-row seats for the Mule on Friday night. He knows I’m a huge Mule and Warren Haynes guy, and he graciously offered to drive down with me to see the show. The Mule’s New Year’s Eve run features three shows – Dec. 29 in Philly, Dec. 30 and 31 at the Beacon. The shows are long, featuring special guests and themes. This year’s theme was to have been Black (Sabbath) and Blue (Oyster Cult). Black and Blue, cover songs from those two iconic bands. As you might be able to tell by these sentences, the shows were postponed at the last minute due to a “medical emergency.” I’ve been scouring the internet and social media to figure out why, and I think I uncovered the truth on a Facebook post by a fellow musician who collaborates often with Warren (the founder and leader of the Mule, and by far my favorite musician of all time). Apparently, according to this post, Uncle Warren (as some fans like to call him) has been laid low by a pretty severe case of the flu. Again, this is hearsay and given this blog’s low readership I’m not exactly “breaking news” here. But if that is the case and that is true, while it’s a bummer to have missed the show – and many other fans had invested far more time and energy into seeing the NYE run than we did – it’s a sigh of relief that it’s nothing more serious. Not that the flu is not serious, but I would hope that a full recovery is likely. Warren is not young (62 years old, to be exact) and he is one of the hardest-working musicians out there – touring constantly. So a severe case of the flu is enough to derail an iconic musician (and band) like this.

What’s the point of these ramblings? Not sure. I guess it’s that, as we enter a New Year, it’s a reminder that it is winter and that we’re going to get sick in the coming weeks and months. Take whatever precautions you are most comfortable with taking – whether it’s vaccines, flu shots, wearing a mask in public places, using hand sanitizer … all, some or none of these things, just putting it out there. See you in 2023!

Talking in Ovals podcast!

 

Check out this link for Marist Running alum Alex Cuesta's track-related podcast called "Talking in Ovals" ... episode #19 features women's head coach Chuck Williams. Highly neat!

Merry Fitness

 

John Ignacz (left, aka "Jiggy") and Gabe Rodriguez, after a Christmas Eve long run in which they covered far more miles (Jiggy = 15, Gabe = 14) than the temperature in central Jersey, where they ran. Gabe sent to me via text, asking if this photo was "blog worthy." Clearly = Yes. Merry Christmas (Merry Fitness!) to all.

Christmas ’round here

After all these years, the stop-and-start nature of what we do is still startling. When preseason cross country started in mid-August, it was a mad dash of frenetic, daily activity for more than three months. Daily practices, a few away XC meets, getting the track-only athletes going, recruiting calls, recruiting Zooms, recruiting emails, recruiting visits. The days and weeks go by in a blur during this period. A few days’ break around Thanksgiving, and then we cranked up the machine again for the first few indoor track meets. A side trip to Colorado for much-need reconnection with alums (and, oh yeah, that convention thing). And then? Back home to an empty campus and no practices and no meets for several weeks. Pffft. Just like that, the seemingly constant motion of the late summer and fall has morphed into the stagnation of early winter. Which, of course, will cede into the even more frenetic action of indoor track, which blends right into to outdoor track. It’s difficult to remember to take a breather around this time of year, knowing full well that when we get things going in January, it’ll be four-plus months of daily activity again – practices, track meets featuring endless bus rides and generic hotel rooms, more recruiting (always, always with the recruiting), teaching Public Presentations classes again (oh yeah, that was in the fall as well!)… on and on, the days and weeks will fly by until … until we get to around Memorial Day, and then we pump the brakes and slow back down again into summer mode and a reduction/elimination of daily activities involving our world. After more than three decades of this, and probably a few forgotten blog posts like this one, you’d think I’d get the rhythm of the routine down by now. But every year, it always seems new and fresh. Christmas ’round here looks to be quiet. All the kids will be home (hopefully, pending the crazy upcoming weather and its impact on inbound flights?) and we’ll just do a few day trips to visit family members in New Jersey and Long Island. Otherwise, no major plans. Enjoy each other’s company, recharge the batteries, and plug in and get the engines whirring again for the year that will be labeled 2023. Merry Fitness!

Something to say

For those of you not connected with me (or my wife Heidi) on Facebook and/or who do not live locally, you may have missed the following “announcement” that was posted about the cessation of my weekly running column in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Here is that announcement:

Dear runners of the mid-Hudson Valley: For more than 30 years, I have written a weekly column (“On The Run”) in print and online for the Poughkeepsie Journal. Each week, your stories have informed and inspired, and it has been an honor to be your messenger. The Journal has decided to discontinue the weekly running column. For the first time in decades, I sit at a keyboard without a weekly writing deadline. It is an unusual and unsettling feeling. Through this column, I have made lasting friendships and I’d like to think I have grown up as a writer. I will miss telling your stories. Thank you for reading through the years. The road goes on forever …

The end came abruptly, without much warning, in the midst of yet another round of layoffs within Gannett. Since exiting daily print journalism more than a decade ago (for those keeping score at home? … that was the summer of 2009!), I have obviously been immune from the constant shedding of layers of jobs within the industry. I have been on the outside looking in, but still as a sort-of active participant – filing my weekly running column each week. This weekly column dates way back to the mid/late 1980s (see one of my original column logos), at the nascent stages of my journalism career. Its sudden end has affected me emotionally in a far greater way than I imagined. It really became part of who I am – you know, the guy in the newspaper (or online) every Thursday. Two of our three children were born on a Thursday, and I remember how cool it seemed to me at the time that one of my articles appeared in the newspaper on their actual birth date.

Yes, much of journalistic content has drifted over to digital, including the running column, but the print version stubbornly continued to appear each week. I know for a fact that there are old(er) men and women who still would read my column in “analog” form – you know, the old hard-copy newspapers that have fallen so much out of vogue. I wish I had a way to say goodbye to these loyal readers (alas, the Journal wouldn’t allow a “farewell” column as they felt it would seem to self-serving, and perhaps they have a point). Mostly, I wish the column didn’t have to end. Admittedly, there were weeks when it was a chore to come up with an idea and/or carve out the time to write and file (send it, via email) the column each week. However, during the pandemic, my motivation and inspiration to keep the column going – and keep it fresh with stories of newer runners – was greater than ever. Through virtual races and other individual and group challenges, stories of runners I had never met and who joined the sport later in life began to sprout up each week in the column. It was fun to tell these stories. It’s always fun to tell stories, especially about the endless stream of interesting people in the local community and beyond.

I feel like I still have something to say. Well-meaning commenters on Facebook have urged me to seek a new outlet for this writing, create a blog or add to this blog, explore podcasting, or maybe even write a book. There’s an audience out there, they reason, and it’s just a matter of finding a new home for my content and for that audience. While I appreciate the thought, and I will consider whatever the Plan B might be, there still needs to be space in my mind to mourn the loss of more than 30 years of daily/weekly journalism deadlines. I will continue to write, here and elsewhere. Other doors will open, as this one closes (as many commenters have been fond of saying … and I actually think that’s neat). But still … but still, the end of this column is the end of a really long chapter of my life, one that has followed me like a shadow through the entirety of my adulthood. It will take me some time to get used to its not being there anymore.

Mile high alums

As I currently sit in the Denver airport in a multiple hour delay in my return flight to LaGuardia, such vagaries of travel cannot dampen the positive vibes felt last night when I reconnected with three Marist Running alums for dinner at a sports bar at the Gaylord Rockies. Sean Hopkins (Class of 2005), Colin Johnson (Class of 2010) and Ryan Fitzsimons (Class of 2012) all took time out of their busy lives to meet up for dinner and drinks and great conversation. Even though these men were loosely connected (or not at all connected) during their time at Marist, they have forged post-graduate connections here in the Mile High City. Colin is the glue bridging them both; even though he and Hopkins were never in school together, they have grouped up a few times for runs and races out here. And Colin and Fitz did share a few years together on the team, so it was easy to rekindle their friendship. How they all wound up in the Denver area generally, and in that restaurant last night specifically, speaks to the randomness of life. It was great to catch up with all of them and hear how they are doing and what their plans are for 2023 and beyond. Spoiler alert: They have some big plans for some very long distances in the coming year. I’m proud of them all. It was gratifying to learn that they still avidly follow the blog, so of course this post is a natural offshoot of that! Their kind words about the blog have motivated me (even if temporarily) to post more in this space. And, with recent developments, it may well be the only outlet to flex my writing muscles, at least for the time being. OK! Here’s hoping we go from bored at the gate to board(ing) the plane, soon.

Sky high

I’m writing this from Room 9119 at the Gaylord Rockies hotel and convention center in the Denver area, here for the USTFCCCA Convention – the annual convention for collegiate track/cross country coaches. Conventions are what conventions are: Meetings, symposiums, networking, and a lot of socializing. Those that know me well may have noted that among this short list of activities none ranks high in my world. But alas, I do my best to get to the convention every year. There are conference and regional sessions that I believe are important; and, most importantly, any legislation that comes up for voting can only be voted upon here, on site. And so, I attend. But still … I do my best job of dodging as much of the above activities that are not “required” – whatever that means. So far, so good.

I spent the better part of two days nowhere near Denver. Oh sure, I flew into Denver on Sunday afternoon, walking outside to the surreal feeling of 62 degrees in December. In a city that is a mile above sea level! Soon enough, I would experience winter. My good friend Bob Sweeney was there to pick me up and jettison me far away from the convention. And really, far away from everything! Bob lives in Leadville, an old mining town deep in the Rockies. Leadville has the highest elevation for an incorporated city in the United States, sitting at a bit above 10,000 feet. It is known for that, as well as for endurance races such as the Leadville Trail 100-miler. With the convention being in Denver, this gave me permission to finally overcome my travel inertia and pay a visit to Bob and his wife Sue, who have been living in Colorado for nearly 15 years.

Bob is a one of my best and oldest friends. Sitting around drinking coffee and talking for hours on end could have hijacked my entire stay there. I have a very low bar for satisfaction and I would have been fine with that. However, we did get out and do some stuff. Alert followers of the blog may recall that Bob is a world-champion pack burro racer – racing with donkeys. I got to meet his partner in racing, Yukon, and Yukon’s backyard companion Ray. Bob thought it would be a good idea to take Yukon and Ray out for a easy jog/walk with the strange visitor from New York State. This, of course, filled me with great trepidation. I’m a falling hazard. I’m not particularly athletic. And, like most people on this planet, I have no experience in how to handle and manage a 400-plus-pound animal with a mind of its own. “Just hold onto the rope and follow Ray,” Bob said. “And if he goes too fast, let go.” It turned out to be a fun experience on a sunny and brisk morning. We did more walking than running; Bob managed my inexperience well and for the most part Ray cooperated. We did a little more than two miles on snowy dirt roads, and met some neighboring donkeys along the way. That turned about to be the biggest challenge – getting a distracted Ray back on the road back to Bob and Sue’s house and not stuck commiserating with the neighborhood asses.

Oh, so about the elevation. I did wake up with a splitting headache on Monday morning – a common altitude side effect but also may have been partially due to dehydration. Other than that, day-to-day activities didn’t seem much different. Until Tuesday morning, when Bob took me out for a 3-mile jog right before our trip into the Denver area for the convention. Tuesday was cold and snowy – standard-issue Leadville weather. Bob took me on a snow-covered trail, and we went straight uphill for 1.5 miles. My lungs burned. My legs burned. At sea level, I’m a mediocre at best hill climber, actually probably not even that good. At 10,000 feet? Pfffft. My wheels were spinning as my breathing maxed out and Bob suppressed laughter and occasionally broke into a fast walk, which pretty much coincided with my lung-searing shuffle. My breathing maxed out but I’m glad I got to experience a run in Leadville. I’d like to come back in warmer weather and run on some dirt roads that are not covered in snow so I could get a better gauge of the true effect of this high altitude on my “normal” run pace. The 3-mile jog came in at around 12 minutes per mile. Yes, altitude was a major driving force to this stumbling pace. But also, the snow-packed trail, while runnable, proved to be less than ideal for my awkward gait. Definitely a memorable experience and I’ll have to try jogging here in Denver to see how much of a difference it is! As high up as Leadville is, Bob and Sue’s house is surrounded on either side by huge mountains – most of them near or above 14,000 feet of elevation. This sort of Rockies scenery makes the Catskills and the Adirondacks look like speed bumps in comparison. Definitely glad I was able to make the trip out there and thankful for Bob’s willingness to transport and entertain me.

After a few meetings on Tuesday afternoon here at the convention, my avoidance strategy continued. Rather than attending the Hall of Fame dinner and reception at the convention center on Tuesday night, I opted to meet Marist Running alum Katie Messina for dinner in the area. It’s difficult to fathom that Katie (Class of 2013) graduated nearly 10 years ago already. She and her husband Nathan moved out to the Denver area a little more than a year ago so it was good to be able to connect with her for a few hours. Will be hoping to do the same tomorrow night, with a few other Marist Running alums who now live in the Denver area.

Wagner meet: Men's results - SMR school record

This was a great way to end the 2022 calendar year -- with another school record on the track. We will aim to keep rewriting the record board in 2023. Today's record was in the rarely-run sprint medley relay, with the team of freshman Amari Mathis, junior Ryan Bahnsen, sophomore Easton Eberwein and sophomore Tyler Perry breaking the six-year-old mark in the event by 1.52 seconds. 

 

Other highlights: John Ignacz had a great mile/3km double; Gabe Rodriguez, Steven Viera, Jack Parsons, Ian Wiesinger and Alexander Pattison all notched personal-best times in the 3km; pole vaulter Noah Brown had a strong day (one jump away from his school record mark), despite a fall of very little event-specific practice (unless you count skydiving!).

 

We can't wait to see what 2023 will bring. Neat! 

 

Wagner College Seahawk Shootout

Friday, December 9, 2022

Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex

Staten Island, NY

Men’s results

60-meter dash

21-Amari Mathis 7.16

300-meter dash

25-Easton Eberwein 36.44

32-Ryan Bahnsen 36.77

1,000-meter run

12-Jacob Anderson 2:42.27

Mile run

6-John Ignacz 4:24.30

8-Brendan Dearie 4:25.66

18-Neel Viswanathan 4:39.31

3,000-meter run

2-Gabe Rodriguez 8:35.72

Kilometer splits: 2:53, 5:44 (2:51), 8:35.72 (2:51.72)

5-Steven Viera 8:46.38

2:58, 5:54 (2:56), 8:46.38 (2:52.38)

7-John Ignacz 8:51.39

2:59, 5:53 (2:54), 8:51.39 (2:58.39)

8-Jack Parsons 8:52.07

2:58, 5:53 (2:54), 8:52.07 (2:59.07)

9-Daniel Czop 8:56.24

2:58, 5:52 (2:54), 8:56.24 (3:04.24)

10-Ian Wiesinger 8:58.38

3:02, 6:05 (3:03), 8:58.38 2:53.38)

11-Alexander Pattison 9:11.84

3:02, 6:08 (3:05), 9:11.84 (3:03.84)

16-Jon Kittredge 9:21.24

3:02, 6:07 (3:05), 9:21.24 (3:14.24)

17-Christian Locker 9:22.58

3:04, 6:13 (3:09), 9:22.58 (3:09.58)

Sprint medley relay

2-Marist (Amari Mathis 22.0, Ryan Bahnsen 22.9, Easton Eberwein 49.62, Tyler Perry 1:56.61) 3:32.41 *school record; old record 3:33.93, 2016

1,600-meter relay

19-Marist (Jacob Anderson 55.59, Neel Viswanathan 55.48, Ian Wiesinger 57.89, Steven Viera 55.09) 3:44.04

Pole vault

7-Noah Brown 4.25 meters (13 feet, 11.25 inches)