Marist Running

Met results from Friday night

2012-01-28T07:04:00.001-05:00

Metropolitan Championships
Friday, January 27, 2012
Armory

Men’s results
60-meter dash
23. Tyler Schwarz 7.31
30. Mike McCloskey 7.43
33. Darren Bushey 7.51
200-meter dash
16. Tyler Schwarz 22.93
29. Mike McCloskey 24.17
33. Darren Bushey 24.40
400-meter dash
23. Dan Conklin 53.66
25. Connor Dodge 54.03
27. Mike Clifford 54.23
Long jump
19. Jesse Aprile 6.13 meters
Triple jump
11. Jesse Aprile 11.75 meters

Women’s results
60-meter dash
21. Danielle Asaro 8.36
23. Nicole Scicolone 8.42
30. Alex McCahill 8.65
200-meter dash
31. Taylor Mead 29.18
32. Christina Turigiano 29.24
800-meter run
19. Kim Bartlett 2:23.21
30. Megan Brady 2:29.60
33. Laura Lindsley 2:37.02
1,000-meter run
19. Rachael Peterson 3:18.70
Mile run
15. Erin Thompson 5:27.51
22. Colleen Smith 5:56.16
3,000-meter run
13. Dayna McLaughlin 11:06.18
16. Kelley Gould 11:33.93
5,000-meter run
13. Rachel Lichtenwalner 19:48.56
60-meter hurdles
19. Alex McCahill 10.56
High jump
17. Siobhan Pokorney 1.45 meters
Long jump
17. Nicole Scicolone 5.06 meters
23. Brooke Kristensen 4.62 meters
Triple jump
12. Brooke Kristensen 10.58 meters

BU Terrier results: Day 1

2012-01-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Great race in the 800, with Bree and Christine running neck and neck the whole way. It was fun to watch.

Congrats to Erin O’Reilly and Becca Denise for strong mile PRs, and to Jackie Gamboli for a solid 1km PR.

Saturday results – women’s DMR and complete men’s – will be posted here late Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.

500-meter dash
23. Colleen Meenan 1:22.97
30, 64.8 (34.8), 1:22.97 (18.17)

800-meter run
26. Christine Coughlin 2:19.30
32, 66 (34), 1:42 (36), 2:19.30 (37.30)
27. Briana Crowe 2:19.52
32, 66 (34), 1:42 (36), 2:19.52 (37.52)

1,000-meter run
13. Jackie Gamboli 3:02.87
34.1, 71.0 (36.9), 1:49.5 (38.5), 2:27.0 (37.5), 3:02.87 (35.87)

Mile run
55. Erin O’Reilly 5:16.38
37.3, 76.5 (39.2), 1:56.0 (39.5), 2:36.6 (40.6), 3:16.6 (40.0), 3:56.8 (40.2), 4:36.3 (39.5), 5:16.38 (40.08)

73. Rebecca Denise 5:25.49
38, 77 (39), 1:59 (42), 2:40 (41), 3:21 (41), 4:03 (42), 4:44 (41), 5:25.49 (41.49)

87. Kara Lightowler 5:35.07
37, 76 (39), 1:57 (41), 2:38 (41), 3:20 (42), 4:02 (42), 4:47 (45), 5:35.07 (48.07)

3,000-meter run
76. Brianna Freestone 11:08.76
37.4, 81.0 (43.6), 2:05.5 (44.5), 2:49.0 (44.5), 3:32.5 (43.5)
4:17.4 (44.9), 5:02.6 (45.2), 5:48.2 (45.6), 6:34.6 (46.4), 7:21.2 (46.6)
8:07.8 (46.6), 8:54.3 (46.5), 9:40.8 (46.5), 10:25.6 (44.8), 11:08.76 (43.16)
Kilometer splits: 3:32.5, 3:48.7, 3:47.56

80. Kathryn Sheehan 11:16.29
38.3, 78.7 (40.4), 2:00.6 (41.9), 2:43.9 (43.3), 3:28.6 (44.7)
4:13.2 (44.6), 4:47.2 (44.0), 5:41.5 (44.3), 6:27.0 (45.5), 7:13.8 (46.8)
8:02.0 (48.2), 8:51.3 (49.3), 9:40.8 (49.5), 10:28.1 (48.3), 11:16.29 (48.19)
Kilometer splits: 3:28.6, 3:45.2, 4:02.49

A sprinter who stayed the course

2012-01-27T23:00:00.004-05:00

I remember the scene vividly:

I was sitting at my son’s Little League practice one blustery and chilly late winter early evening, last March. More accurately, I was sitting in the front seat of my car sipping on a cup of Stewart’s coffee, with my heater blasting out warm air, as my son and his teammates shagged fly balls and fielded grounders on the 35-degree evening.

While sitting in the car, I spoke on the phone with Tyler Schwarz, then a sprinting recruit from Fairfield, Conn. It was one of the more difficult conversations I have ever had with a recruit, and with a recruit’s parents.

The topic was track facilities – or the lack thereof – at Marist College. Obviously, this is a topic that I can talk freely about. But in Tyler’s case, the conversation revolved around the impending construction at the McCann Fieldhouse/Arena, which included the removal of the old 10-lap-per-mile track. This construction project had a profound interest on Tyler and on his college decision.

Tyler started considering Marist in the fall of 2010, and that interest continued with a visit to campus in the late fall. The track-removal became known to me in early March, before Tyler had made his decision. So it was important to me, in the interest of full disclosure, to inform Tyler about this.

We went back and forth. I did not candy-coat things. I told them things would be difficult, but reminded them that most high school kids train outside during the winter. I also reminded them what a great school Marist was, and not to base the final decision solely on facilities.

Tyler stayed the course and attended Marist. Had he decided to go elsewhere, we would not have blamed him. We are glad he kept with his original decision.

Along with his dedicated sprint teammates, Tyler has worked hard and improved under the watchful eyes of Coach Terry Horton. All our sprinters have been doing well. On Friday night at Mets, Tyler ran 22.93 for 200 meters – a breakout personal performance for him, and one of the fastest times in school history.

As a reminder: Tyler is a freshman.

While I was not there to witness it, the texts with the result update can as great and gratifying news as I stood 200 miles away up at BU.

We are glad that Tyler stayed the course, and we are proud of our sprint/field event squad – men and women – for working hard, persevering and making us a more well-rounded program.

Split squad

2012-01-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

Just getting into the Marriott Newton (Mass.) after a long day of travel and competition at the Terrier Invitational at Boston University.

This was one of those rare occasions where we split the squad for the weekend: Some women raced at BU on Friday night, with the women’s DMR and most of the men’s distance squad racing at BU on Saturday.

On Friday night, the remainder of the women’s squad and most of the men’s sprint/jump squad traveled down to the Armory for the Metropolitan Championships (results still pending).

It’s always difficult not seeing some of our athletes compete, but alas we cannot be in two places at once.

Another winning winter scene

2012-01-26T08:09:00.003-05:00

If this picture looks familiar ... well, it is.

BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME AS LAST WEEK'S!

Marist Running Alum Matt Walsh crossed the finish line at Sunday's Long Island Winter Series at Caumsett State Park, a full minute ahead of the competition.

Wrote Walsh: "It was most decidedly warmer (though still sub freezing) than last week, as you might deduce by a considerable lack of layering."

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Will get crackin' with more material as our indoor schedule really heats up in the coming weeks ...

We all grieve

2012-01-23T09:41:00.001-05:00

The off-campus fire in the Fairview neighborhood that claimed the lives of three members of the Marist Family (two current students, one former student) over the weekend is a terrible, unspeakable tragedy.

While no member of our Track and Field Family was directly affected by this tragedy, we all are indirectly moved to tears. Marist is a relatively small, tightly knit community of students, faculty and staff, and we all are deeply saddened for our loss.

Our team members – past, present and future – live in the Fairview neighborhood where this fire struck, so it hits home. But again, it’s a terrible loss for all us here at Marist; we all grieve, and we extend our prayers to the families directly involved.

Man among boys

2012-01-19T13:22:00.003-05:00

You’ve probably never heard of Stephen Chantry. And, if you were at last Friday’s Gotham Cup at the Armory, it’s a safe bet you did not notice him running in the slowest section of the men’s mile in the afternoon.

But rest assured, you should know about Steve Chantry and you should pay attention to his tremendous accomplishments on the track.

I first got to know Steve, a 1972 graduate of Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls, several years ago when I wrote an article about him in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Steve has a masters running resume a mile long (pun intended), and that long-ago story was highlighting one of his many top U.S. masters finishes on the track.

Fast forward a bunch of years to the fall of 2011. A very youthful looking 57-year-old guy jogged up to me at Van Cortlandt Park and introduced himself. He was the dad of a cross country runner at our MAAC rival school, Manhattan College. Yup, you guessed it, it was Steve Chantry. His son is a freshman distance runner for the Jaspers (side note #1: The younger Chantry ran an impressive 3km PR later that night at the Armory Friday!; side note #2: We can forgive the older Chantry for cheering on the Jaspers when we see him at meets!).

Anyway, although Steve went to high school locally, he now lives in Virginia. When I had done the story on him, I interviewed him over the phone and via email. It was nice to meet him in person. Turns out he is still running, and still running as strong as ever.

So it was kind of neat to see this 57-year-old guy, literally a man among boys, getting ready to line up with a bunch of college kids more than half his age – heck, some of them are close to a third of his age!

Steve ran 4:49.36. It is the third time he has broken 4:50 for the full mile indoors. He is one of only three men over the age of 55 to have broken 4:50 for the mile indoors (more details on that below). Think about that for a moment. Let that sink in. That’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.

And, he ran a negative split race, including a monster last lap. Check out his splits here:

35.9, 73.2 (37.3), 1:49.8 (36.6), 2:26.0 (36.2), 3:01.4 (35.4), 3:38.6 (37.2), 4:15.5 (36.9), 4:49.36 (33.86!)

For those of you that live locally and/or read my running column online in the Poughkeepsie Journal, I will be writing about Steve Chantry’s masters running exploits in my Thursday column in an upcoming edition. Here’s a sneak preview of one of the things Steve had to say about his masters running in general and his Armory race in specific:

“Often younger runners or even the general public don't understand the significance of the times run by older runners. Currently, I am one of only three runners over the age of 55 who have ever run sub 4:50 for an indoor mile (I have now done it 3 times). Alston Brown did it once when he set the world record with a time of 4:49.54 and Nolan Shaheed has done it three times with spectacular times of 4:47, 4:45 and a 4:42.89 (the current world record). These two individuals are now in their early 60s and still running fast. Nolan Shaheed is the only over 60 runner who has broken 5 minutes (I paced him to that world record at Cornell two years ago when he ran 4:57.06). As masters runners continue to ‘age up,’ they are getting faster and faster and I suspect that there will be a group of others coming out of the 50-54 age group and into the 55-59 age group that will be toppling my accomplishments. But even then, I am going to keep going after faster and faster times.’’

Amen, brother.

Steve Chantry is an inspiration to all of us middle-aged (and beyond) runners who feel the inexorable march of time. Hopefully, he is an inspiration to college-age kids, who can witness first-hand that their competitive days can continue for decades after they graduate, if they so choose.

Winter winner

2012-01-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

Marist Running alum Matt Walsh ran the Long Island State Parks Winter Series at Robert Moses on a frigid Sunday, winning the 5k going away by 35 seconds in a time of 16:50.

His brief race report via email: “The wind was in my face more than half the race, and it was cold enough that I didn’t warm up or cool down. I was happy enough with the time, considering.’’

Indeed. This picture tells the story, and then some. Brrrrr.

Rolling pin vs. The Stick

2012-01-19T13:19:00.002-05:00

As you would expect with a group of serious, hard-training distance runners, our racquetball court/team room features an interesting mix of heating pads (pre-run), ice bags (post-run) and muscle rollers (pre- and post-run).

By far, the most popular muscle roller would be a device called “The Stick.” Many serious runners have “The Stick,” or a similar product called the “T-Roller.” Basically, you vigorously roll these things on your weary leg muscles to rid the lactic acid and generally provide a massage for them.

Sophomore distance runner Doug Ainscow prefers a more low-tech version of this, using an item that can purchased at your basic Dollar Store: That would be a Rolling Pin. That’s right. Instead of making chocolate chip cookie batter (editor's note/correction: an alert reader pointed out that rolling pins are generally not used to make chocolate chip cookies!) or any other kitchen use for a rolling pin, Doug uses it on his legs.

This sparked a debate over which is more effective. The consensus was The Stick is a bit better because it is more malleable to the muscles. There is no bend to a wooden rolling pin. Either way, both are therapeutic.

Share your thoughts on the subject if you are interested …

Rail trail extension

2012-01-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

In the “nicely done” category by local politicians (seems like this could be an oxymoron to some …), check out this link to a Poughkeepsie Journal article detailing some exciting news for the local fitness community – and our program.

The “gap’’ between the Dutchess Rail Trail and the Walkway Over the Hudson – a less-than-a-mile section of old rail bed that was mired in a political football, with terms like “eminent domain” being bandied about – has now been filled. That chasm will now be linked, which will in effect create a mammoth linear park from Hopewell Junction in the south and east to Highland (and, eventually, maybe beyond to New Paltz!) in the north and west.

When it’s all completed, we’re talking about close to 20 miles, point-to-point of paved, traffic-free bike path. How sweet is that?

We may not have track facilities on campus, but we sure do have some world-class trails at our disposal. Good stuff.

Student teachers

2012-01-17T19:54:00.002-05:00

Things just weren’t the same today.

Oh sure, it was the first day of the spring semester, and the true beginning of our new daily practice protocol: Men’s distance team practice at 11 a.m., followed by men’s sprinters and women’s entire team practice at 2 p.m. This signaled the start of a different routine, but we had begun that procedure during the intersession a few weeks ago.

No. What was different today had to do with who was missing. There are always athletes missing from practice on any given day, due to class conflicts, internships and the like. But today, a good portion of our senior class was absent – and will be absent – as they embark on their student-teaching semester. Today was the first day for student-teachers.

It has happened before, and it is always jarring. Generally, these men and women are heart-and-soul members of our team, athletes that have been regulars at practice for more than 3 years. Several of them are team captains. The absence leaves an unmistakable void.

Again, extended absences like this – when athletes go abroad, especially – take some adjusting to get used to. It’s one thing when someone misses a Tuesday for a bio lab; it’s another entirely when they are off in London or Barcelona or Florence or wherever for months at a time.

But these newbie student-teachers’ absence also signals the reality that their days as student-athletes in our program are numbered, as they slowly transition into the real-world portion of their lives. I am proud of their future entrance into the noble profession of teachers. So many of our former athletes are now teachers and coaches, and it is always so gratifying to see this.

In so many of the personal recommendation letters I have written through the years, the highest compliment I pay to my student-athletes is that I would entrust the care of my own children to them. I feel the same way about all of our new crop of student-teachers. If my children had Ms. ---- or Mr.---- as a teacher – now or in the future – I would be confident they would be blessed with good people in the front of their class.

A long time ago, someone told me that when you have children, their lives amount to a series of goodbyes from the day they are born moving forward: Goodbye to the diaper phase; goodbye at the first day of preschool; goodbye on the first day on the bus; goodbye to the innocence of the holidays; goodbye to being able to pick them up; goodbye to the booster seats; on and on and on and on.

As coaches whose athletes become an extension of our family, the same thing happens from the moment our men and women enter campus as nervous young freshmen. Now that they are confident and successful student-teachers and adults ready to enter the adult world, we are heading into the final phases of goodbyes.

So as our student-teachers get adjusted to student-teaching, and our other seniors get invaluable experience at internships near and far, it brings us a mix of sadness and pride, and also that unsettling perplexity of where everybody went at practice time.

Schab soars in Houston!

2012-01-15T20:50:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Marist Running Alum Mike Schab, who ran a surprise personal-best time Sunday morning at the Houston Marathon – a day after the US Olympic Trials was held there.

Schabby improved on his PR by four minutes with a clocking of 2:41:36. The finish was a surprise to him, because he admitted to not doing a whole lot of training since his excellent NYC Marathon finish back in November.

This just proves my long-held theory that, provided you simply maintain your fitness, marathon training type base does not erode and in fact has staying power for many weeks following your original “goal” race. This is why we often recommend a secondary (back-up) marathon race/goal for runners training hard for a specific event.

Schabby’s race by the numbers.

Overall place: 65
Age-group (male, 25-29) place: 21
Half marathon split: 1:20:16
Second-half split: 1:21:20

Here’s a curiously interesting statistic: While Schab’s time is by no means a national-caliber effort, he would NOT have placed last in the US Men’s Olympic Trials race. For proof on this statistical anomaly, click here.

A hearty NICELY DONE to one of the most loyal Marist Running Alums on the planet.

Gotham Cup splits

2012-01-15T20:38:00.002-05:00

Below are splits in relevant events from Friday night's meet.

Thanks to sophomore Billy Hild for assisting with the split-taking duties.

Looking at the long-range weather forecast, it looks like with a few minor exceptions we will have some excellent weather to train in for the next few weeks. Keep the snow-less winter going!

Gotham Cup women’s splits

800-meter run

5. Christine Coughlin 2:20.64
33.4, 69.3 (35.9), 1:46.0 (36.7), 2:20.64 (34.64)

23. Kim Bartlett 2:26.89
34, 72 (38), 1:49 (37), 2:26.89 (37.89)

37. Rachael Peterson 2:34.52
35.8, 74.4 (38.6), 1:54.0 (40.0), 2:34.52 (40.52)

1,000-meter run

15. Briana Crowe 3:04.35
34, 70 (36), 1:48 (38), 2:27 (39), 3:04.35 (37.35)

34. Colleen Smith 3:18.85
37, 75 (38), 1:56 (41), 2:37 (41), 3:18.85 (41.85)

42. Laura Lindsley 3:27.01
35, 74 (39), 1:58 (44), 2:43 (45), 3:27.01 (43.01)

Mile run, seeded

3. Michelle Gaye 5:07.25
37.6, 76.3 (36.7), 1:54.8 (38.5), 2:33.8 (39.0), 3:12.0 (38.2), 3:50.8 (38.8), 4:29.3 (38.5), 5:07.25 (37.95)

Mile run, unseeded

12. Erin O’Reilly 5:24.88
37, 77 (40), 1:39 (42), 2:40 (41), 3:21 (41), 4:02 (41), 4:43 (41), 5:24.88 (41.88)

17. Kathryn Sheehan 5:31.06
38, 79 (41), 2:01 (42), 2:43 (42), 3:25 (42), 4:08 (43), 4:50 (42), 5:31.06 (41.06)

3,000-meter run

12. Katie Messina 10:44.35
39, 79 (40), 2:02 (43), 2:44 (42), 3:27 (43)
4:11 (44), 4:54 (44), 5:38 (44), 6:22 (44), 7:06 (44)
7:50 (44), 8:35 (45), 9:20 (45), 10:03 (43), 10:44.35 (41.35)
1km splits: 3:27, 3:39, 3:38

22. Jackie Gamboli 11:12.60
40, 80 (40), 2:03 (43), 2:46 (43), 3:30 (44)
4:15 (45), 5:01 (46), 3:47 (46), 6:33 (46), 7:20 (47)
8:07 (47), 8:54 (47), 9:41 (47), 10:27 (46), 11:12.60 (45.60)
1km splits: 3:30, 3:50, 3:52.60

34. Brianna Freestone 11:31.65
41, 81 (40), 2:04 (43), 2:49 (45), 3:35 (46)
4:21 (46), 5:09 (47), 5:56 (47), 6:44 (48), 7:32 (48)
8:20 (48), 9:08 (48), 9:57 (49), 10:45 (48), 11:31.63 (46.63)
1km splits: 3:35, 3:57, 3:59.63

5,000-meter run

15. Rachel Lichtenwalner 20:02.83
45, 1:32 (47), 2:21 (49), 3:08 (47), 3:56 (48)
--, 5:31, 6:19 (48), 7:08 (49), 7:56 (48)
--, --, --, 11:06, 11:54 (48)
12:43 (49), 13:31 (48), 14:21 (50), 15:10 (49), 16:59 (49)
16:49 (50), 17:39 (50), 18:28 (49), 19:18 (50), 20:02.83 (44.83)
1km splits: 3:56, 4:00, 3:58, 4:05, 4:03.83

16. Kelley Gould 20:37.06
44, 1:30 (46), 2:16 (46), 3:03 (47), 3:49 (46)
4:36 (47), 5:23 (47), 6:11 (48), 6:59 (48), 7:49 (48)
8:35 (48), 9:25 (50), 10:16 (51), 11:07 (51), 11:57 (50)
12:48 (51), 13:41 (53), 14:31 (50), 15:24 (53), 16:17 (53)
17:10 (53), 18:03 (53), 18:55 (52), 19:46 (51), 20:37.06 (51.06)
1km splits: 3:49, 4:00, 4:08, 4:20, 4:20.06

1,600-meter relay

20. Marist (Briana Crowe 64.3, Colleen Meenan 63.5, Amanda Luccarelli 65.4, Christine Coughlin 64.3) 4:17.95

Distance medley relay

9. Marist (Dayna McLaughlin, Christina Turigiano, Kara Lightowler, Rebecca Denise) 13:11.37
Dayna: 38, 76 (38), 1:56 (40), 2:37 (41), 3:19 (42), 2:02.2 (43.2)
Christina: 67.0
Kara: 33, 69 (36), 1:48 (39), 2:28.0 (40.0)
Becca: --, 78, 2:00 (42), 2:43 (43), 3:25 (41), 4:09 (44), 4:52 (43), 5:34 (42)

Gotham Cup men’s splits

800-meter run

18. Matt Panebianco 2:00.99
29.3, 59.7 (30.4), 1:30.0 (30.3), 2:00.99 (30.99)

1,000-meter run

39. Bryan Buttigieg 2:40.79
31, 62 (31), 1:33 (31), 2:07 (34), 2:40.79 (33.79)

43. Ryan Fitzsimons 2:42.35
31, 63 (32), 1:37 (34), 2:09 (32), 2:42.35 (43.35)

Mile run, seeded

7. Tommy Lipari 4:19.63
32.6, 64.3 (31.7), 1:36.0 (31.7), 2:08.4 (32.4), 2:41.1 (32.7), 3:14.1 (33.0), 3:46.8 (32.7), 4:19.63 (32.83)

Mile run, unseeded

29. Matt Panebianco 4:33.88
32.2, 65.6 (33.4), 1:39.9 (34.4), 2:15.2 (35.3), 2:48.9 (33.7), 3:23.6 (34.7), 3:58.8 (35.2), 4:33.88 (35.88)

3,000-meter run

7. Ken Walshak 8:36.14
33.5, 68.3 (34.8), 1:41.6 (33.3), 2:15.0 (34.0), 2:50.2 (34.8)
3:24.3 (34.1), 3:58.1 (33.8), 4:33.1 (35.0), 5:08.1 (35.0), 5:43.1 (35.0)
6:18.6 (35.5), 6:54.8 (36.2), 7:29.1 (34.3), 8:04.1 (35.0), 8:36.14 (32.04)
1km splits: 2:50.2, 2:52.9, 2:53.04

24. Ryan Scrudato 8:59.24
35, 72 (37), 1:47 935), 2:22 (35), 2:57 (35)
3:33 (36), 4:09 (36), 4:45 (36), 5:21 (36), 5:57 (36)
6:33 (36), 7:09 (36), 7:46 (37), 8:23 (37), 8:59.24 (36.24)
1km splits: 2:57, 3:00, 3:02.24

28. Kevin O’Sullivan 9:03.20
36, 71 (35), 1:47 (36), 2:22 (35), 2:57 (35)
3:33 (36), 4:09 (36), 4:45 (36), 5:21 (36), 5:57 (36)
6:33 (36), 7:10 (37), 7:48 (38), 8:26 (38), 9:03.20 (36.20)
1km splits: 2:57, 3:00, 3:06.20

5,000-meter run

13. Billy Posch 15:36.50
36, 73 (37), 1:49 (36), 2:26 (37), 3:03 (37)
3:40 (37), 4:17 (37), 4:53 (36), 5:30 (37), 6:07 (37)
6:44 (37), 7:21 (37), 7:59 (38), 8:36 (37), 9:14 (38)
9:52 (38), 10:30 (38), 11:09 (39), 11:40 (40), 12:28 (39)
13:07 (39), 13:45 (38), 14:24 (39), 15:01 (37) 15:36.50 (35.50)
1km splits: 3:03, 3:04, 3:07, 3:14, 3:08.50

26. Mark Valentino 15:46.33
36, 73 (37), 1:50 (37), 2:27 (37), 3:04 (37)
3:40 (36), 4:17 (37), 4:55 (38), 5:31 (36), 6:09 (38)
6:46 (37), 7:24 (38), 8:01 (37), 8:39 (38), 9:18 (39)
9:56 (38), 10:35 (39), 11:14 (39), 11:52 (38), 12:32 (40)
13:11 (39), 13:51 (40), 14:30 (39), 15:09 (39), 15:46.33 (37.33)
1km splits: 3:04, 3:05, 3:09, 3:14, 3:12.33

Distance medley relay

8. Marist (Andrew James, Dan Conklin, Ryan Fitzsimons, Kyle Havard) 10:57.75
AJ: 32, 64 (32), 1:37 (33), 2:11 (34), 2:47 (36), 3:20.8 (33.8)
Conklin: 52.2
Fitz: 29, 60 (31), 1:35 (35), 2:07.5 (32.5)
Kyle: 32, 66 (34), 1:42 (36), 2:17 (35), 2:53 (36), 3:29 (36), 4:05 (36), 4:36.9 (31.9)

Gotham Cup: Women's results

2012-01-14T09:06:00.003-05:00

Highlights: Great start to the New Year for the ladies!

--Freshman Danielle Asaro, school record in dash; she tied SR in first meet and shattered it here!
--Freshman Michelle Gaye, third in SEEDED mile in personal-best time. First collegiate track meet of career. A nice start!
--Senior captain Briana Crowe: personal best in 1000 run
--Junior Rachel Lichtenwalner: personal best in 5000 run
--Sophomore Colleen Meenan: personal best in 500 dash

More splits/comments later in the weekend. If I missed or forgot something, let me know ...

NYC Gotham Cup
Armory Track and Field Center
Friday, January 13, 2012

60-meter dash
33. Danielle Asaro 8.19 *school record (old record, 8.27 by Marisa Artiano in 2004 and Asaro in 2011)
40. Amanda Luccarelli 8.35
49. Nicole Scicolone 8.49

400-meter dash
54. Taylor Mead 1:09.84

500-meter dash
23. Colleen Meenan 1:22.70

800-meter run
5. Christine Coughlin 2:20.64
23. Kim Bartlett 2:26.89
37. Rachael Peterson 2:34.52

1,000-meter run
15. Briana Crowe 3:04.35
34. Colleen Smith 3:18.85
42. Laura Lindsley 3:27.01

Mile run, seeded
3. Michelle Gaye 5:07.25

Mile run, unseeded
12. Erin O’Reilly 5:24.88
17. Kathryn Sheehan 5:31.06

3,000-meter run
12. Katie Messina 10:44.35
22. Jackie Gamboli 11:12.60
34. Brianna Freestone 11:31.65

5,000-meter run
15. Rachel Lichtenwalner 20:02.83
16. Kelley Gould 20:37.06

60-meter hurdles
48. Alexandra McCahill 10.30

1,600-meter relay
20. Marist (Briana Crowe, Colleen Meenan, Amanda Luccarelli, Christine Coughlin) 4:17.95

Distance medley relay
9. Marist (Dayna McLaughlin, Christina Turigiano, Kara Lightowler, Rebecca Denise) 13:11.37

Long jump
7. Nicole Scicolone 5.21 meters (17 feet, 1.25 inches)
19. Brooke Kristensen 4.77 meters (15 feet, 7.25 inches)

Gotham Cup: Men's results

2012-01-14T09:03:00.002-05:00

Highlights
--Good night for 3k boys Walshak, Scrudato and O'Sullivan -- all PRs
--Solid day for sprinters, with freshman Tyler Schwarz leading the way with dash PR
--Good day for Sean Ellman in the weight throw. Sean has been lifting intensely during the break but did not do any throw practicing and yet got a season's best hurl. Nicely done.

More splits/comments later in the weekend ...

NYC Gotham Cup
Friday, January 13, 2012

60-meter dash
49. Jesse Aprile 7.29
53. Tyler Schwarz 7.32
56. Mike McCloskey 7.35
63. Darren Bushey 7.39

500-meter dash
32. Andrew James 1:09.41

800-meter run
18. Matt Panebianco 2:00.99

1,000-meter run
39. Bryan Buttigieg 2:40.79
43. Ryan Fitzsimons 2:42.35

Mile run, seeded
7. Tommy Lipari 4:19.63

Mile run, unseeded
29. Matt Panebianco 4:33.88

3,000-meter run
7. Ken Walshak 8:36.14
24. Ryan Scrudato 8:59.24
28. Kevin O’Sullivan 9:03.20

5,000-meter run
13. Billy Posch 15:36.50
26. Mark Valentino 15:46.33

Distance medley relay
8. Marist (Andrew James, Dan Conklin, Ryan Fitzsimons, Kyle Havard) 10:57.75

Long jump
19. Jesse Aprile 5.91 meters (19 feet, 4.75 inches)

Triple jump
21. Jesse Aprile 11.93 meters (39 feet, 1.75 inches)

Weight throw
22. Sean Ellman 10.68 meters (35 feet, 0.5 inches)

Long night at Gotham Cup

2012-01-14T01:28:00.002-05:00

The NYC Gotham Cup, hosted by our good pal Nick McDonough of NYU at the Armory, is one of the best -- but longest -- meets of the year. It is long because it is BIG. Nick does a great job of moving the meet along, but it's just a lot of athletes. So it takes a while. The men's 5k did not START until 10 p.m.

Anyway, official results have yet to be posted, and it is very late/early, so I'll wait to post everything until sometime on Saturday. It will probably just be results and quick highlights at first, with splits to come later.

The biggest highlight of the day was freshman sprinter Danielle Asaro breaking the school record in the 60-meter dash. Nicely done!

There were many other personal-best times on the day and evening, great to see for such an early season meet after a long layoff from track competition for our entire program.

Stay tuned ...

Disney Marathon race reports

2012-01-12T07:28:00.004-05:00

Above are photos from Marist Running Alums Caitlin Garrity and Tom Dixon at the Disney Marathon. Below are their race reports, sent via email. Thank you to both for the info and great job!

Caitlin’s race report: The marathon is definitely a tough and challenging event. During the last five miles I kept asking myself what I was doing out there but I have to say I am looking forward to competing in another. The first marathon is such a learning experience and Disney doesn't make things easy. We left the hotel at 3:15 a.m., and made a slow shuffle to the start line which was about a mile or so from the bus stop. Then we stood in line at the start for another hour and a half before the gun went off. It was a lot of fun and great to see the characters out cheering the runners on but not really a race if you are going for time. We made sure to wear our Marist Alumni shirts and heard a few "Go Marist!"

T-Dix’s race report: I signed up for the marathon in late November after catching the running bug watching Caitlin run a fast half marathon up in Boston. My first day run since the Fox Trot was actually Thanksgiving Day. I have been battling a pretty stubborn IT Band issue since late last year and have had a pretty tough time keeping up any kind of consistency in my running. Fast forward a month and a half, I was able to get in a 15-miler and a 20-mile long run, with a few fartleks between Thanksgiving and Christmas (when I dialed it back in anticipation of the marathon). I ran just about every other day and just mixed in other work on the other days so that I wouldn't put on too much holiday weight. Race Day: Going in my goals were to run sub 3:30, and just have fun with it. The conditions were pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. It was probably around 50 degrees, no wind, not too hot, not too cold. One drawback of the Disney Marathon, it starts at 5:30 a.m. The last bus to the starting line is at 4 a.m., so we had set our alarm for 3 a.m. From around 4:00 when we checked our bags, until 5:30 we were on our feet as we had to do a slow shuffle to the starting line with the other 15,000 + runners. Luckily we were in the first corral so when the race started it didn't take long to settle into a pace. There were Disney Characters, fans, marching bands, and choirs cheering you on a good portion of the way as you make your way through all of the parks. I even heard a group scream "GO MARIST COLLEGE" at one point in the Magic Kingdom. I made it until mile 19 until the IT Band flared up. I was able to fight through the pain until about mile 22 when I stopped to stretch it out for about 30 seconds. I had to use the Porta-Potty at around mile 7 as well. From 22 though the finish the IT Band pain was pretty bad. I contemplated walking at a few points but the desire to get to the finish line and be done with it was a little stronger. I only had 2 miles that were over 8 minutes, the bathroom stop and mile 26 where I hit the wall in Epcot. It is a very fun/ entertaining atmosphere and Disney really puts together a great experience but it is an expensive trip especially if you intend to walk around the parks for a few days. We found that out the hard way as we pretty much limped around the parks for three days after the marathon trying to get the most of our money/ time down there. Overall a good experience. Not sure if it is a marathon I would recommend for those seeking a PR or qualifier, but if you are looking for a fun one, Disney can deliver on that.

Worldwide Schanz

2012-01-11T20:55:00.002-05:00

Current Marist Cross Country Junior Will (The Thrill) Schanz is en route to Barcelona, where he is studying abroad for the spring semester.

Will has started a blog of his "World Adventures" and the link is here. Given that Schanz is rarely at a loss for words, this could be entertaining to say the least.

Memo to Europe: Ready or not, here he comes!

Gotham Cup time schedule

2012-01-11T20:23:00.003-05:00

Gonna be a LONG day and evening at the Armory, as per usual ...

Here is the schedule of events. Specific entries and heat assignments can be found at www.directathletics.com.

Bus departure: 9:30 a.m.
Van departure for 3k/5k entrants: 2 p.m.

Track events (women, then men)
Note: Time schedule rolls. Meet may move ahead up to 15 minutes. Be alert and listen for your events!

12:55pm 60 Hurdles trials
1:20pm Mile Unseeded Women
1:55pm 60 meter trials
2:35pm Mile Unseeded Men
3:05pm 400m Final
3:55pm 500m Final
4:35pm 800m unseeded
5:15pm 1000m Final
6:00pm Mile Seeded
6:10pm Invite 600 final
6:16pm 800m Seeded
6:25pm 60 Hurdle Finals (top 16 from trials)
6:40pm 60 Dash Final (top 16 from trials)
6:50pm 4x400 relay Final
7:45pm 4x800 relay Final
8:08pm DMR Final
8:30pm Women’s 3000 Final
9:00pm Men’s 3000 Final
9:40pm Women’s 5000 Final
10:00pm Men’s 5000 Final

Field events
1:00pm Men’s and Women’s Seeded LJ (using dual runways)
Unseeded LJ to follow Seeded (4th jump to anyone who would be top 6 in the seeded sections)
12:30pm Men’s Shot seeded (first flight), Men’s Unseeded to follow
Women’s Seeded (First flight), Unseeded Shot to follow
Weight Throws to follow Shot
5:30pm? Men’s and Women’s Seeded Triple Jump Boards w-36’ m-44’
Unseeded Flights of TJ to follow W- boards 28’/32’ M- 36’
Following Dash trials Men’s HJ , Women’s HJ -dual mats
Starting Heights M- 1.86m W- 1.50

LJ/TJand Shot/Weight seeded sections get 4 attempts, anyone in the unseeded who would be top 8 in the seeded section will get a 4th attempt.

Big blue doughnut

2012-01-11T09:14:00.002-05:00

What an inspiring afternoon we had over at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday!

Coach Chuck and I brought the majority of the women’s track team over for a quality workout on the SUNY track. For many ladies, it was their first time on the elevated, three-lane track in the Athletics and Wellness Center at Elting Gymnasium.

Sure, there was the telltale “indoor hack” from breathing warm and dry air while running fast. But the ladies seemed to really enjoy the indoor facility, and the workout that ensued was truly quality stuff. Obviously, our women have been putting in the work at home, as everyone is in great shape.

Losing the McCann track this past year was certainly a blow to our program – I seemingly make reference to it in almost every post here. But having access the Big Blue Doughnut at SUNY – the track is a big circle above the fitness center there – certainly softens the blow a bit.

It’s true that our men’s distance crew will not have much access to the indoor track there, due to scheduling and space. But we will do the best we can to accommodate all of our athletes through the next few weeks of winter.

In the meantime, having the indoor track at SUNY – even on this limited basis -- will be a huge boon to us. No problems, only solutions.

Serious moonlight

2012-01-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

There are many times that I whine about my early-morning jogging habit.

There is very little that is enjoyable about dragging yourself out of bed at 5:08 a.m., to meet my pre-dawn pals for some slow miles. Especially in the dark of winter. Especially with my creaky knees barkin’ at me every day.

But on Monday, as I ventured out the door to meet Artie for our usual slow amble through the Hyde Park neighborhood, we had a truly special morning.

There was a bright, full moon on a clear and cloudless morning. The moon was so bright, you could have sat there on the street and read a book.

We wandered over to the Vanderbilt Mansion grounds and it was truly stunning. The moon cast long shadows on the pavement. The reflection off the Hudson River was breathtaking. We jogged down to Bard Rock to see the moonlight shimmer off the river, which should be frozen at this time of year but is not this year.

Artie said it was “almost romantic,” and I had to agree.

Fast Tony mentioned this morning that he’s meeting some friends tonight for an evening run under the moon to take advantage of it for one last day before the foul weather comes in.

Under the moonlight. The serious moonlight.

The jig is up

2012-01-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

Yeah, another weather post.

It was bound to happen. This unwinter-like weather is coming to an end. Winter weather advisories. Sleet. Freezing rain. Snow. Arctic cold fronts.

In a word: January.

Coming to a track program near you.

It was fun while it lasted.

Thank you

2012-01-11T09:04:00.003-05:00

Many readers of this fancy blog are alumni who have graciously donated to my better-late-than-never Marist Running Fund Drive. My fundraising efforts are not nearly as annoying as the NPR station that I listen to – well, maybe they are, but I will like to think not.

Rest assured that every penny donated goes right back into our program. Alumni donations allowed us, as a program, to send elite level athletes out to the Mt. SAC Relays (and will again this year!), as well as allowing us to bring more athletes to more meets than at any time in our program’s history. And also, our athletes get more “swag” than any previous Marist tracksters.

If you are interested in donating and somehow did not receive my Fundraising Letter electronically or via snail mail, email me at runhed246@hotmail.com or call me at 845 309 3640 and we’ll figure it out.

For those that have helped already: You know who you are. I know who you are. The loyalty is priceless.

From the bottom of my heart: Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!

T-Dix too at Disney!

2012-01-11T09:04:00.001-05:00

As per Rolek’s comment on the previous post … my apologies to Marist Running Alum Tom Dixon (T-Dix), who ran the Disney Marathon in 3:24:32. I was not aware T-Dix’s participation in this event, although it is not surprising and it is certainly inspiring. Nicely done!

Garrity sizzles in Disney

2012-01-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Marist Running Alum Caitlin Garrity for her fantastic finish at the Disney World Marathon Sunday in Florida.

Caitlin ran 3:24:50. She was 394th overall, 52nd in the women’s field and seventh in the women’s 25-29 division. There were 13,478 finishers in the race.

Thanks to Caitlin’s old coach, Phil Kelly, for texting me this result a few days ago.

Nothing "goofy" about this excellent marathon run: Great job, Caitlin!

Stupid van tricks

2012-01-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

With off-campus practice a daily – and sometimes twice-daily – reality, this old coach spends a fair amount of time in the driver’s seat of whichever van we happen to be using on that given day (Side note: My personal favorite is a maroon-colored vehicle I call the “Iona Van,” which sports the Gaels’ colors and has a nice stepping piece leading to the driver’s seat, helpful for my creaky knees).

In my never-ending quest to act irreverent or downright immature, one of my latest tricks is to watch closely as our athletes approach the van and just as they are about to open one of the van doors – bam! – I quickly hit the power locks. Bewildered, they wonder out in the cold why the van door is locked. Until they realize it’s just their goofy coach being goofy again.

So now, it’s a game. The guys will sneak up to the van and try to snatch open the door before I lock it. Or maybe, savvy runners will leave the side door open for the next group of guys coming along. On my end, I tell them to shut the door to keep the heat in, and then I try to lock it at the exact moment they reach for the door handle – further heightening the frustration.

Yeah. All in a day’s work.

Inside-outside blues

2012-01-07T22:12:00.001-05:00

Earlier today was the annual Recover from the Holidays (Fat Ass) 50km race that my old friend Charlie Sprauer and I direct each year at Norrie Point in Staatsburg – that’s up by the Mills Mansion, for those who were wondering. The 31-mile race is something we have put on since 1996.

Today, we had absolutely glorious weather for January 7. Actually, it would have been absolutely gorgeous weather for May 7. Birds were chirping! It was close to 60 degrees. As a result, we had a record of 29 finishers for the out-and-back, 10-lap course.

This was a culmination of some fantastic early January weather, and it could not have come at a better time. With some of our athletes back for winter intersession training – the first time we are here in Poughkeepsie, in the winter, without an indoor track facility in McCann – the warm weather was certainly welcome.

Even still, I have to admit to being a little down and out about the fact that we are schlepping off campus in vans most days for practice. In January.

During the fall, such off-campus travel is a labor of love. We want to – and, most would argue, need to – be running off-road during cross country.

During the spring, it is a labor of love as well, but it’s also necessity. We need to get to the track to get our work in. But outdoor track is such a short season, so such a daily grind has always been tolerable.

Having the indoor track – and practice literally a short walk down a flight of stairs – was always a nice luxury for a cold-weather wimp like me. But those days, as we know, are over for good.

So even though we enjoy this freakishly warm and snow-free weather, it is still slightly disconcerting to be at outdoor training venues in the middle of the winter.

However, whether it is at the track or anywhere else outdoors, we will adjust, adapt, conform and get used to the new routine. We have no choice.

Well, that’s not entirely true!

We do have limited access to the indoor track at SUNY New Paltz. And in our maiden voyages with small training groups on Thursday and Friday, the early reviews are very positive.

Again, we will adjust, adapt, conform and get used to new routines.

While it would be great to see this weather persist, we know it won’t.

Newsflash: We don’t have a track

2012-01-05T09:03:00.002-05:00

Last night, I went to a long and wide-ranging meeting/info session at our local high school. The topic was the possibility of a re-vote on the new track/turf field facility that was voted down by a mere 65 or so votes in the fall (see previous post about that …).

Anyway, the meeting was truly excellent. It lasted about two hours. There were several hundred folks there. The format was such that everyone in the room was able to have their voices heard, if they chose to speak. It was fantastic. Collectively, I think the consensus is that there should be re-vote and that the necessary 70 or so “yes” votes could be garnered.

An interesting and enlightening side note to the evening was the lack of local understanding of our situation here at Marist.

In various small-group discussions, I chimed in quietly with my opinions. In some cases, I identified myself as the track coach at Marist College, and mentioned that facilities (or lack thereof) are and have been a pertinent topic in our lives for decades. So this forum had a lot of relevance for us on several levels – we are aware of lack of facilities, and yes, we have children in the district who will benefit from these improvements in the years to come.

Everyone, bar none, was stunned and surprised at our lack of track facilities at Marist. In some cases, people I have known for YEARS had NO IDEA that we schlep off campus (example: TODAY) for practice most days and that – barring one XC meet at Bowdoin – we are “away” for all our competitions.

The assumption was something like this: Oh geez, Marist is such a nice school, it’s so beautiful, how could it NOT have a track?

Well, we don’t.

This is not breaking news, folks.

And, it’s not exactly like we’re some remote campus. We’re located right on Route 9 -- Main Street for Dutchess County! If there were a track here, don’t you think you’d know about it or see it?

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

Hopefully, we’ll get the re-vote, and it will pass.

Supporting our troops

2012-01-03T11:10:00.003-05:00

Back around Thanksgiving, I wrote a column in Dutchess County’s Finest Daily Newspaper about a special Turkey Trot run in Afghanistan, which was aided by support from my local running club – Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club.

A local soldier, Mark Baaden, commands a troop in Afghanistan and wanted to have a special event for some runners in his unit. After emailing Major Baaden for the article, I came up with the idea of putting together a “care package” for him and his unit consisting of Marist Athletics Team Gear. I solicited contributions from other coaches, and the result was a big box filled with about 30 shirts from our various varsity sports teams.

It took about two weeks for the box to arrive at Baaden’s location on the side of a remote mountain in Afghanistan – he said mail is often dropped from many feet above from a helicopter. You can see the photo above of the men and women in his unit, sporting the Marist gear.

Major Baaden is a recreational runner who participates in MHRRC races when he is home. He is scheduled to return to Dutchess County in April. As with all of our military forces who protect our freedom around the globe, we wish him well and pray for his safe return home.

Our boys vs. Cowboys

2012-01-01T20:49:00.003-05:00

Just got this photo, live from Giants Stadium (or whatever they are calling it these days), of the Marist Running family at the big Giants-Cowboys game going on right now.

From left: Joel "Big Man" Moss; Ryan "Boom Baby" Scrudato; alum Zak Smetana, Billy "Fresh" Hild; alum John Kristie.

Welcome, 2012

2012-01-01T20:42:00.002-05:00

Well, here we are in 2012. Each year, for me, seems to zoom by rapid-fire in a fast-forward-speed blur of activity. There are times when I actually have to think about what year we are in!

Anyway, being firmly ensconced in middle-age, I have become an old Fuddy Duddy when it comes to New Year’s Eve.

Date on the town with my beautiful wife? Nope. Socializing with friends? Negative. Perhaps a trip to the movies? Not a chance.

Rather, here is a typical New Year’s Eve for Coach Pete:
--Into my pajamas shortly after dinner
--On the couch in the den to read a book
--Still on the couch: Maybe a movie or a TV show with the family
--Still on the couch: Asleep by 9:30 p.m., while the rest of my family stays awake to watch the ball drop on TV

Yeah, I know. A thrill a minute.

Well, New Year’s Eve 2011/2012 was a little different for me, thanks to my good pal and frequent coffee buddy Krys Wasielewski.

While having coffee with Krys last week, I had suggested a New Year’s Day jog. No. He insisted on a Midnight Run. Ugh. No way, I told him. I’ll be in my pajamas. I’ll be asleep.

He was relentless; Krys can be relentless with his ideas. He mapped out a 5-or-so-mile loop in the middle of nowhere, where he and Barbara were visiting friends for the evening – you know, like most people do on New Year’s Eve!

Krys even offered to come and pick me up at home, drive me out to the middle of nowhere for the run, and bring me back home. OK, OK, already! I relented. Sure, I’ll do it, I told him. Then, I summoned my early-morning jogging pal Artie; he had no plans, so he was in. His daughter joined us, as did her friend and her parents, who happen to be good friends of ours as well. OK then! We had an actual group run!

We started at about 11:15 p.m., with the idea of finishing right around midnight. Well, it turned out we were not quite done at midnight. The run turned out to be a bit longer than we thought, closer to 6 miles.

In fact, as the calendar turned from 2011 to 2012, we are on a road -- and the specific spot on that road – that is purported to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered fiddler about 100 years ago. I know. You cannot make this stuff up! We were on the bridge on Fiddlers Bridge Road (what, don’t believe me? Google it for yourself!). We stopped in the pitch-black darkness to see if we could hear a baleful and ghostly serenade from the afterlife.

Nothing. Our headlamps probably spooked the ghost of the ancient fiddler.

Instead, we heard the sound of fireworks from a distance. We wished each other Happy New Year, shaking hands and hugging out there on the relatively warm winter evening. We jogged in, and were greeted by Krys’ wife and friend, where we toasted 2012 with hot chocolate and cookies.

Definitely a memorable way to ring in 2012.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Kicking the Bucket ...

2011-12-29T20:52:00.002-05:00

And on the night after Christmas …

Uh. Nah. I’m not gonna try something creative like that.

However, I will tell you about a grudge match race at the Armory … on the night after Christmas.

On Monday night, the Armory Youth, Open and Masters Classic featured a race between an old coach and his former athlete: Mr. Bucket (some know him as “David Swift”) and Mr. Fresh (some know him as “Billy Hild”). As many of you know, Bucket coached Fresh at nearby Spackenkill High School; Bucket ran at Marist on my first teams back in the early 1990s; Fresh is a current sophomore on our team.

This battle for mile supremacy (1,500 meters, actually, but who’s counting?) was months in the works. Mr. B is becoming a masters competitor in April (holy smokes! One of my former runners turns 40? I’VE BEEN COACHING A LONG TIME!) and he wants to rekindle the old track flame burning inside of him. He admittedly started from scratch a few months ago.

Fresh? He just wants to show Bucket that he’s got more wheels than his old coach.

And that’s exactly what he did on this night. The young legs prevailed. The results will show that Billy Hild (unattached) placed 33rd in 4:26:32, while Jerome Bucket (Marist TC) was 36th in 4:31.08.

From this old coach’s perspective, it shows two things: 1. Fresh has a nice, fancy mile PR to brag about; 2. Bucket has a long way to go, but it’s a good start nonetheless after a long hiatus from true track racing.

My Christmas story

2011-12-29T20:49:00.004-05:00

You never know when life will turn on a dime. One second everything’s normal; the next, there is upheaval.

On the Wednesday before Christmas, I was enjoying being a “classroom dad” in my son James’ kindergarten class for their holiday party. I was helping a bunch of very sugared-up and Christmas-excited kids with some arts and crafts when the cell phone buzzed in the pocket of my jeans.

A quick glance at the missed calls and texts finally revealed a family crisis brewing down in New Jersey. My elderly mother suffered a fall, which turned out to be a compound fracture in her femur (the largest bone in our body).

My mom is 79; my dad is 83. God bless them, but they are OLD. And as many middle-aged folks like me know, part of the deal at this stage of our lives becomes raising your own family while at the same time caring for elderly parents. In no way would I ever complain or whine about this; in fact, it is a blessing to have parents live such long lives.

But jarring news like this is tough at any time, much less the holidays.

Fortunately, my mom was healthy enough to withstand 3.5 hours of surgery on her wayward leg. She (and all of us, as a family) has a long road ahead as she relearns how to walk and to cope with the unrelenting march of aging.

We celebrated the holidays together earlier this week in New Jersey, but it was bittersweet with mom in the hospital. She’ll be there awhile, and as a result, I will most likely be driving a groove into the Thruway and I-287 over the coming months and years, helping my parents in their old age.

The rest of our holiday season at home has been wonderful. The kids are at that magical age for Christmas. And Santa brought my wife the iPad that she wanted. As a friend of mine said, “when Mama’s happy, the whole house is happy.” Indeed.

Me? I’m easy to shop for, because I generally want and/or need nothing. A new book, some free coffee vouchers at Stewart’s and a new umbrella for me to destroy at a windy practice day or lose at some faraway meet, and I’m a happy man.

So that’s my Christmas story for 2011. It gives you some idea as to the lack of posts during the past two weeks. This is usually a lean time of year for posts anyway. I will try to get back in the swing of things after the New Year.

Made it through December

2011-12-29T20:49:00.001-05:00

The texts and emails and calls are pointing to some really good quality training back home, thanks in large part to this uneventful early winter weather. No snow yet! Let’s keep it that way.

We have made it through December without any real winter moments. This is a good thing, indeed! Hopefully, we can breeze through January and February similarly unscathed. I’m not counting on it, but it would be nice.

Merry Fitness

2011-12-24T10:50:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy few days, with the holidays and other things going on, so sorry for the lack of posts. Posts may be scarce for the next few days/week.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Or, as my old college coach used to say back in the day, MERRY FITNESS.

Track philosophy in the morning paper

2011-12-21T09:25:00.001-05:00

While munching on a bagel, sipping my coffee and reading the morning newspaper (yes, I actually still read a printed newspaper at times, in this case Dutchess County’s Finest Daily Newspaper), I happened upon this excellent interview/article with a local track coach, Jim Henry of Beacon High School, published in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.

I’ve only met Jim briefly a few times, and I know him more as “the guy that DJ Paulson coaches with at Beacon” – DJ being a Marist Running alum and one of the first “alums” of my “Track and Field Coaching” class. Anyway, this interview was really well done and had a lot of cool insights, as you will see.

For those of you too lazy to click the link, here is the last question and answer from the interview. I love the question, but I really really love the answer. A true keeper. I share it with you here.

What do you hope the athletes you coach get out of being a part of Beacon track?

Speaking philosophically, there seems to be an attitude running rampant among many students (and a lot of adults if we are honest about it) that can best be summarized by, “What is the least I can do and get away with it?” In the sport of track and field, the answer is, “not much.” If you work hard, you will improve — and I want that message and attitude carried over into the classroom today and life tomorrow.

Conor at Seattle … and back home

2011-12-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

This is a little late, but last week (Dec. 10, to be exact), our very own Conor Shelley competed – and competed well! – at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, held at Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle.

Running for New York AC, Conor was NYAC’s sixth man and placed 78th overall in 31:37 for the 10km XC course. That’s an average of 5:06 per mile. Conor was not too happy with the effort, but it caps a pretty solid first half-year of post-collegiate running. Here is a link to the championship results.

We are glad that Conor latched on with NYAC and we look forward to posting more positive results from him in 2012 and beyond.

Oh! This just in … Conor won the Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K in Bethpage on Sunday, running 15:42 and placing first out of 1,236 finishers. Here is a link to the results from today.

Hicks blog: Episode #9

2011-12-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

Check out Steve Hicks’ excellent video blog chronicling his quest for a sub-15:00 5k. I know, I know: I have been pumping up this blog a lot – and with good reason! It is very well done.

Episode #9 features a workout we gave to Steve. It includes a video streamed from my office, courtesy of sophomore Billy Hild. Steve and Sam are very clever with their editing. Steve pieced together some excellent, vintage photos of me through the years – including a few hideous mullet shots. Nice touch by Steve in picking an Allman Brothers Band song for the background music.

As Steve and Sam plunge headfirst into the Central New York winter, the training (and thus, their Web-isodes) could become a bit more challenging. But I am sure they are up for the challenge.

Check it out. Good stuff. As always.

Trial and error

2011-12-15T22:03:00.001-05:00

As we continue to explore neighborhood loops for quality training days, in our never-ending quest to succeed in the post-McCann Track era, there will be several trial-and-error moments.

On Wednesday morning, the emphasis was on “error.”

I discovered an excellent (or so I thought) neighborhood loop in the south Hyde Park area in which we could do some hard 400-meter repeats with some hills interspersed. The 400-meter part I got down pat; I even wheeled it for accuracy.

The problem: The ups and downs contained a few dramatic “downs” that increased the pounding on our athletes’ legs. Most runners are not inclined to complain about downhill terrain, but this downhill terrain combined with the fast pace made for very unpleasant jarring.

So, we did what we always do: We changed on the fly. Adapt and conform. A quick recalibrating of the wheel, starting at the lowest point of the loop, and the 400-meter rolling workout turned into a 400-meter hill-repeat workout. All uphill. Very difficult, but very doable with more benefit and less downside to it.

Thanks for the few athletes that were there on Wednesday (remember, Finals Week means practice is optional), and thanks for their patience as they acted as de facto guinea pigs on the new neighborhood loop. As we continue in this New World, there will be more trial, and hopefully not as much error.

Farewell to Schanz

2011-12-15T22:02:00.003-05:00

Things will be getting a bit quieter around practice in the coming months. Oh sure, it’s quiet now because the semester has ended and everyone is on their way home. But come January, when the men’s distance team reconvenes, we will be without one of our most loyal (if not vocal) team members in Will Schanz.

In a kind of Shaker Switcheroo, Schanz is going to be studying abroad in Barcelona; meanwhile, his old Shaker teammate and Marist long sprinter Chris Vanzetta will be returning from his study abroad exile in Russia. While we will gladly welcome back Vanzetta, Schanz’s absence will leave a void in the program.

Schanz provides a constant monologue for the team. He may be the only runner I’ve ever coached who literally never shuts up. He talks and he talks and he talks. He talks during workouts. He talks during races. Watching Schanz run a 10km on the track is like a miniseries – wild mood swings and scenes all unfolding over the 30-plus minutes and 25 laps.

I’ll admit that Schanz can get under our collective skin. He can be unnerving to debate; he always has an opinion. When I do not agree with him, he is relentless in his counter-arguments. What’s frustrating is that the dude is almost often correct! This makes it even more frustrating.

But now, Schanz is hopping over that big pond and looking to expand his horizons. We wish him well. But we also know that, these days, the world has shrunk. With Facebook (not me!), email, blogs and of course Skype, Schanz may be a continent away, but he’ll always be with us.

Jason Grady, coach of the year

2011-12-15T22:02:00.001-05:00

We were very proud to pick up Sunday’s Poughkeepsie Journal and see that Marist Running alum Jason Grady was named the newspaper’s Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year. Since Jason has taken over at his high school alma mater of Rhinebeck, he has restored the program to the success it achieved when he was a championship-caliber runner for them more than a decade ago.

Here is some information that was printed on Jason, courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Journal:

Vital stats: Grady coached the boys and girls teams to unbeaten dual-meet records during the regular season. The girls won the Mid-Hudson Athletic League title and finished fourth at the state meet.

Quotable: “For the girls, I was obviously very happy with the 12-0 record and winning the MHAL meet with one of our best meets,” Grady said. “As for the boys, they had a very good year. They’re a highly dedicated team. I will miss the seniors on the team.”

Good stuff, Coach. Keep up the great work!

Weather or not

2011-12-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

The first semester of outdoor training is officially over. We have gotten through the past several weeks relatively unscathed from the wrath of winter: No snow, no ice, no extreme cold. It’s a good thing!

As we continue to plunder through our first indoor track season without an indoor track facility to call home, weather will be a key obsession for us. Being a certified weather geek, this is not a problem. I am constantly analyzing weather Web sites, radars and long-range forecasts.

And although the team will be scattering hither and yon in the coming hours and days, that does not preclude me from taking a peek at the upcoming weather. Here’s the deal: Real winter weather still seems to be avoiding us. If you are a snow-sports enthusiast, this may disappoint.

For the rest of us, it is welcome news indeed. Winter can stay away this year, thank you very much.

Finals week

2011-12-13T17:21:00.000-05:00

It’s Finals Week. During the fall semester, this end-of-semester time is busy and stressful, but not nearly as busy and stressful as in the spring semester, when we are actively trying to close out the outdoor track season.

Right now, for all of our athletes, training continues but the competitive racing season is either on hold (sprinters) or on extended break (mid and long distance runners).

Finals Week is a time to check up with everyone and make sure they are set with Winter Break training schedules. And since I teach two (2!) classes this semester, it also means collecting and grading final papers.

And then … poof! … we are done with another semester. The beat goes on.

Call me Steve

2011-12-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

The other day, I went to a follow-up visit at a doctor’s office. I have gotten to know this doc and he is quite friendly.

I was wearing (surprise, surprise) a gray Marist Track and Field shirt (Nike drifit, I think). He made some comment about the fact that I am always wearing Marist Track and Field gear.

A few weeks ago, my 6-year-old son James made the same comment, calling it my “uniform” and wondering “why do you wear the same thing every day?” And then, he compared me to Steve from Blue’s Clues (pictured above in his THINKING CHAIR), the original adult character on that famous (in our house, at least) children’s show. Steve, you see, ALWAYS wears the same green-striped shirt and khaki pants. Always. In one episode, they show a picture of his closet, which is lined with the same shirts, pants and even green-striped pajamas.

So yeah. Call me Steve from Blue’s Clues. I’m the dude wearing the gray Marist Track and Field T-shirt and the khaki pants. Pretty much every day.

Hmmm. What should my next post be about? Let's see: Better pull out my handy-dandy notebook!

Brother Jasper: Day 2

2011-12-10T21:45:00.002-05:00

A total of five (5) Marist track athletes competed Saturday at the Brother Jasper Invitational at Draddy Gymnasium, Manhattan College: Jumper/sprinter Jesse Aprile, and four distance runners in the 3,000-meter run.

Jesse had a busy day in his first meet of the season. He competed in the long jump, the 60-meter dash and the triple jump. Of the three events, the 60 dash went best for him. Jesse sprinted to a time of 7.27 seconds, a season-best for the Marist sprinters in the early season.

In the long jump, Jesse struggled a bit and had a series of 5.57 meters, 5.83 meters and a foul. His best jump (5.83 meters, 19 feet, 1.5 inches) was good for 10th place.

In the triple jump, Jesse made the finals and got six jumps. His progression: 10.92, 11.82, 11.95/11.89, 12.14, 11.98. His best jump on his penultimate leap of the day (12.14 meters, 39 feet, 10 inches) earned him a sixth-place finish. Not a bad start to the season for Jesse.

In the 3,000-meter run, Joel Moss was fourth, Isaiah Miller (sporting his patented last-lap kick) was seventh, Rob Gorski (in his first-ever indoor track race!) was ninth, and Kevin O’Sullivan (welcome back!) was 10th. Here are the lap-by-lap statistics on our 3km entrants:

3,000-meter run
4. Joel Moss, 9:03.15
35, 70 (35), 1:45 (35), 2:21 (36), 2:57 (36)
3:32 (35), 4:09 (37), 4:44 (37), 5:20 (36), 5:57 (37)
6:35 (38), 7:13 (38), 7:50 (37), 8:28 (38), 9:03.15 (35.15)
1km splits: 2:57, 3:00, 3:06.15

7. Isaiah Miller, 9:16.94
35, 71 (36), 1:47 (36), 2:24 (37), 3:00 (36)
3:37 (37), 4:14 (37), 4:52 (38), 5:30 (38), 6:10 (40)
6:49 (39), 7:27 (38), 8:08 (39), 8:45 (37), 9:16.94 (31.94)
1km splits: 3:00, 3:10, 3:16.94

9. Rob Gorski, 9:19.51
36, 72 (36), 1:48 (36), 2:24 (36), 3:00 (36)
3:37 (37), 4:14 (37), 4:52 (38), 5:30 (38), 6:08 (38)
6:47 (39), 7:25 (38), 8:04 (39), 8:42 (38), 9:19.51 (37.51)
1km splits: 3:00, 3:08, 3:11.51

10. Kevin O’Sullivan, 9:22.24
37, 72 (35), 1:49 (37), 2:24 (35), 3:00 (36)
3:37 (37), 4:13 (37), 4:50 (37), 5:27 (37), 6:05 (38)
6:44 (39), 7:23 (39), 8:03 (40), 8:42 (39), 9:22.24 (40.24)
1km splits: 3:00, 3:05, 3:17.24

One unusual aspect of coaching on the flat-track and obstructed-view Draddy Gymnasium: After seeing our boys go through the start/finish line and yelling out their splits … poof! They disappeared from site for a good 155 meters before reappearing on the finish straight.

Despite this, the general consensus among the men was that the Draddy Gym track was indeed a splendid one for an early-season, flat-track meet. And we all certainly would love to have such a nice facility at our disposal for practice. That’s for sure.

Brother Jasper: Day 1

2011-12-09T21:41:00.002-05:00

Sophomore Sean Ellman competed in the 35-pound weight throw on Friday afternoon at Draddy Gymnasium in Day 1 of the Brother Jasper Invitational at Manhattan College.

Sean had a strong day!

After a rough start last week at Yale -- he participated in the meet despite any event-specific practice -- Sean bounced back with a solid day today at Manhattan.

His throw progression today went like this: 9.71 meters, 9.33 meters, 10.21 meters.

Except for his second throw, where his footwork got a little tangled, it was a good work day for Sean.

He only practiced once this week, in the racquetball court in the back end of the McCann Center, but that practice led to a good improvement from last week. Good to see!

Check back later in the weekend for Day 2 results from Draddy. Don't expect much, literally. With final exams looming, we only have a few athletes going.

Take me out to the ... track meet?

2011-12-08T22:29:00.002-05:00

The next two days, a small contingent -- very small, actually -- will be traveling down to Manhattan College's Draddy Gymnasium for the Brother Jasper Invitational.

Before The Armory was The Armory of modern times, our program scheduled meets at Draddy with alarming frequency. In fact, the MAAC Indoor Championships were held there for many, many years.

Once The Armory became reinvigorated more than a decade ago, we stopped going to meets at the then rather drabby Draddy Gymnasium. However, our good pal down at Manhattan, long-time head coach Dan Mecca, was raving about their new track at Draddy. He invited us to take part in their meets. We caught a glimpse of it at the end of XC season (the MAAC XC banquet was held at Manhattan). It looks very nice!

Anyway, we wondered why the meet was named after Brother Jasper, which led us to the discovery of the Manhattan athletic program's unique nickname (the Jaspers), which led us to this link ... which led us to the amazing discovery that Brother Jasper invented the seventh inning stretch in baseball!

Being a purveyor of useless baseball knowledge, I find it amazing that in my 47 years I never knew this story. Click on the link to see how Brother Jasper invented the seventh inning stretch.

And click back here later in the weekend to see the smattering of Marist Track results from the Brother Jasper Invitational at Draddy Gymnasium.

My soaking wet boys of winter

2011-12-07T22:39:00.001-05:00

Up late grading papers tonight, my cell phone buzzes with a three-part series of texts. Must be Schanz, I thought – he of book-length texts.

But alas, it was our old pal Walsh, who was doing a workout with our old pal Conor Shelley, who will be representing NYAC at Club Nationals this weekend.

Here’s what Walsh had to say.

Me to Conor tonight: “How cool do you think Pete would think this is, two of his guys, different generations, running fartlek at 4:30 pace in the December rain after each having worked 8 hours today?

Conor to me (Walsh): Awesome. Man. Wait. You know, I think this is the first workout you and I have ever done together! High five!

Nicely done.

Dream job … for a few minutes

2011-12-07T22:38:00.002-05:00

Many times a year – especially on a spitting cold rain day like today – I walk past the pool deck, point down and say something to the effect of: “In my next life, I will be a swim coach. Preferably at a school with a pool. Like Marist.”

Think about it, from my perspective. Swim coach. Yeah. This is GOOD. For starters, it’s INSIDE. Warm. No spitting cold rain. Secondly, it’s always toasty warm on that pool deck. Third point: Forget about this hard-easy stuff of coaching runners. In the pool, it’s hard-hard-hard! Recovery is for wimps in the pool. No pounding, no problem! Intervals every day! Fourth: Did I mention it’s really warm and humid on that pool deck? Oh yeah, I did.

Well, this afternoon, for a few minutes anyway, I got my wish. I was a swim coach. Posch was lifeguarding and he witnessed this surreal few minutes of Swim Coach Pete.

I have known Director of Swimming Larry VanWagner for as long as I have been in Poughkeepsie. We have an excellent relationship. I respect the heck out of him, and the Aquatic Empire he has truly built at Marist. Plus, he lets me aqua-jog in the deep end during his team’s practices, when the pool is otherwise closed. Sometimes, he’ll even put on classic rock while I am aqua-jogging.

Anyway, today I was walking by the pool deck, and he excitedly waved me down. He was flyin’ solo on the deck. No help. He thrust a soaked kickboard with a wet workout sheet plastered to it, explained the dizzying myriad of numbers, and told me to “coach lane 6.” I had no idea what I was doing, but I got the hang of it quickly. Lanes. Times. Intervals. I’m a track coach. I can figure this stuff out.

Here’s the interesting thing: In Larry’s workout, there really was not much recovery! These Lane 6 Swimmers were supposed to do a 200-yard interval (I think) every 2:35. The fastest guy finished the interval between 2:25 and 2:30. Yikes! That gave him all of a few seconds to “rest” before starting the next one. Several women in the lane were not so fortunate, and they just had to keep going and going. That’s not interval work. That’s torture. Maybe this is the swimmers’ version of a tempo run. Hey, what do I know? I’m not a swim coach.

After a few minutes of this, one of Larry’s part-time assistants strolled in and onto the pool deck. I was quickly relieved of my duties. Dream job over. Back to freezing outside for the next few months. It was fun while it lasted.

Tracking the vote: Update

2011-12-07T07:27:00.001-05:00

The numbers tell the story. No new track in our area. At least for now.

Proposition #3
Update Athletic Field/Track Facility & Gymnasium Bleachers
Yes: 1231
No: 1295

Baila, mis hermanos

2011-12-06T20:54:00.002-05:00

Wow. Let's see. I had about a hour and half before my final night class of the semester, in which I planned to grade papers for the Sports Reporting class. How did I make use of this possibly productive time?

Not by grading papers.

Instead, I was in the Goletti Theater to watch six esteemed members of our men's cross country team in their dance class. Yes. Dance class.

The fine fellows included: Walshak, Hughes, Scrudato, Brendan, Meegan and Quimes. What a combo.

We watched them nimbly and not-so-nimbly go through their paces up on stage. It was at times interesting, amazing and downright funny.

It helped that their dance teacher had them working and practicing to a soundtrack that only I could love: Mostly Santana, a little Allman Brothers, and Paul Simon. Lovely! Just lovely.

The verdict? All of our guys tried hard. They really did.

It pains me to report that the dudes with the best moves were Scrudato and Hughes, with Walshak following closely behind. Quimes may be the self-proclaimed GOAT on the running course, but he was lagging a bit behind on the dance floor. Not bad, but not up to the other guys' standards. Sorry, Q!

Brendan was solid ... and Meegan? Meegan did the very best he could out there. He really did.

It took guts for our guys to take the stage in front of their friends and coaches. I really should have been grading papers, but I'm glad I watched them dance.

In honor of their fine class performance, I offer you the following link to a great Santana song called "Dance Sister Dance."

Tracking the vote

2011-12-06T20:48:00.002-05:00

"School budget vote" is a phrase that evokes many varying emotions. Most of them negative.

In our town, there was a budget proposal vote today. As usual, I got to the polls as soon as I could after my morning jog.

Normally, two subjects you do not discuss openly are politics and religion. But this vote wasn't really about politics for us. It was about common sense.

Duh!

One of the proposals on the table was for a new track and field complex (among other athletic improvements) at the high school that my kids most likely will eventually attend.

Geez. Let's see. My oldest son just completed his first year of modified cross country, so a track at his future high school is something he most likely would utilize -- and not just in gym class. My daughter is a cheerleader. Right now, she cheers in the fall on the old cinder track at the high school. And my youngest son James? He's still in kindergarten, but he asked me yesterday if he could run for me at Marist if he was on the team. So there could be some running in the future for him as well (although his current sport of choice is bowling; go figure).

Oh yeah. We are running a D1 program without an outdoor track facility. A brand-new, state-of-the-art track a few miles up the road? Check. I think I voted yes. Don't you?

Hopefully, much of the rest of my town was in agreement.

Boring basketball? We’ll take it

2011-12-04T20:21:00.001-05:00

Our program is hosting a dozen recruits this Sunday to Monday. As we like to do on these recruiting weekends, our guests attended a home basketball game – today, it was the men against Rider University.

Home games at the spiffy new McCann Arena are a pretty cool spectacle. For our family, today had an added incentive as our daughter Natalie participated in the Dance Team clinic and halftime presentation (thanks to our pal Sean T. McMann for supplying the halftime photo here!).

Anyway, today’s game was not that entertaining for our guests. Pretty boring, actually, as it was a 20-point blowout.

A-ha! But here’s the catch: This time, the home team won! That surely hasn’t been the case for the men the past few years, but alas this is a new year and a truly reinvigorated program that is fun to watch. Hopefully, our guests enjoyed the fun as well. We’ll take this kind of boring all year!

Cagy scoreboard

2011-12-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

Venerable Coxe Cage at Yale University, where we had our lid-lifting meet on Saturday, is one of the coolest venues around.

Steeped in history and character, this building looks like a big, old greenhouse with its mostly glass-paneled roof and sides, to go along with the ancient brick structure. It was built in 1928 and has undergone many renovations (see complete history here), the most recent of which included the addition of the four-lane banked oval.

The renovation also included a new digital scoreboard. This scoreboard posted results, and also flashed witty aphorisms like this: Afraid of the hurdles? Get over it!

Nice.

Yale Season Opener today

2011-12-03T19:27:00.001-05:00

Indoor track started today at Coxe Cage on the campus of Yale University.

Today’s highlights:

--Freshman sprinter Danielle Asaro made her presence immediately known by tying the 2004 school record in the 60-meter dash (Marissa Artiano) in the preliminary (8.27 seconds). In the final, she finished eighth in 8.28 seconds. Nicely done!
--Transfer Nicole Scicolone got third in the long jump in 5.28 meters (17 feet, 4 inches), a very good early-season jump, especially considering her lack of event-specific practice. Welcome aboard!
--For the men, our three 60 dashers (Mike McCloskey, Tyler Schwarz and Darren Bushey) all sprinted to personal-best marks. Welcome to freshman Tyler Schwarz!
--Special kudos to McCloskey and Bushey, who definitely earned their meal money today! They did their usual 60 dash and 200 dash double, but gamely added a 4x400 leg at the end of the day to allow our other 400 men some extra work. Thanks, guys!
--Senior captain Tommy Lipari had a strong early-season day with a 4:22 mile and a solid 2:01 anchor leg in the 4x800.
--Sophomore Arquimedes DelaCruz was the highest finisher on the day, second in the 5k in 15:07. Our boy Q needs some rest, after a long and successful XC season, a very excellent Turkey Trot last week and now this. An eventful and successful 2011 of running!

Here are the results and splits from today.

Yale Season Opener
Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Saturday, December 3, 2011

Women’s results

60-meter dash
8. Danielle Asaro 8.28 (8.27** in preliminary TIES SCHOOL RECORD in that event! Set by Marissa Artiano, 8.27, 2004)
12. Nicole Scicolone 8.43
13. Amanda Luccarelli 8.45
17. Alexandra McCahill 8.67

200-meter dash
22. Danielle Asaro 28.05
26. Amanda Luccarelli 28.38
30. Alexandra McCahill 28.52
31. Christina Turigiano 29.01

800-meter run
3. Christine Coughlin 2:26.58
34, 71 (37), 1:50 (39), 2:26.58 (36.58)
8. Rachael Peterson 2:34.48
35, 73 (38), 1:54 (41), 2:34.48 (40.48)

Long jump:
3. Nicole Scicolone 5.28 meters (17 feet, 4 inches)

Men’s results

60-meter dash
10. Mike McCloskey 7.31
11. Tyler Schwarz 7.33
13. Darren Bushey 7.37

200-meter dash
20. Mike McCloskey 23.83
21. Tyler Schwarz 24.08
23. Darren Bushey 24.15
24. Mike Clifford 24.27

400-meter dash
14. Connor Dodge 53.07
23. Mike Clifford 54.55

1,000-meter run
5. Bryan Buttigieg 2:44.46
31, 64 (33), 1:38 (34), 2:12 (34), 2:44.46 (32.46)

6. Adam Osowski 2:48.05
31, 64 (33), 1:40 (36), 2:14 (34), 2:48.05 (34.05

Mile run
4. Tom Lipari 4:22.18
32, 64 (32), 1:36 (32), 2:09 (33), 2:42 (33), 3:16 (34), 3:48 (32), 4:22.18 (34.18)

5. David Marthy 4:33.19
34, 66 (32), 1:37 (31), 2:11 (34), 2:45 (34), 3:20 (35), 3:58 (38), 4:33.19 (35.19)

8. Billy Posch 4:42.03
35, 67 (32), 1:41 (34), 2:16 (35), 2:52 (36), 3:30 (38), 4:06 (36), 4:42.03 (36.03)

9. Andrew James 4:42.31
32, 68 (36), 1:45 (37), 2:22 (37), 2:58 (36), 3:35 (37), 4:10 (35), 4:42.31 (32.31)

11. Brian Gordon 4:45.97
33, 69 (36), 1:45 (36), 2:22 (37), 2:59 (37), 3:36 (37), 4:12 (36), 4:45.97 (33.97)

12. Billy Hild 4:48.23
34, 69 (35), 1:46 (37), 2:24 (38), 3:01 (37), 3:37 (36), 4:13 (37), 4:48.23 (35.23)

5,000-meter run
2. Arquimedes DelaCruz 15:07.46
35, 71 (36), 1:46 (35), 2:21 (35), 2:57 (36)
3:32 (35), 4:08 (36), 4:43 (35), 5:20 (37), 5:56 (36)
6:33 (37), 7:09 (36), 7:46 (37), 8:23 (37), 8:59 (36)
9:36 (37), 10:13 (37), 10:51 (38), 11:27 (36), 12:03 (36)
12:39 (36), 13:16 (37), 13:53 (37), 14:32 (39), 15:07.46 (35.46)
1km splits: 2:57, 2:59, 3:03, 3:04, 3:04.46

4. Mohamed Eid 16:29.03
37, 74 (37), 1:53 (37), 2:32 (39), 3:10 (38)
3:48 (38), 4:26 (38), 5:03 (37), 5:42 (39), 6:21 (39)
7:01 (40), 7:40 (39), 8:19 (39), 8:59 (40), 9:39 (40)
10:20 (41), 11:00 (40), 11:41 (41), 12:22 (41), 13:03 (41)
13:44 (41), 14:28 (44), 15:10 (42), 15:50 (40), 16:29.03 (39.03)
1km splits: 3:10, 3:11, 3:18, 3:24, 3:26.03

3,200-meter relay
2. Marist 8:14.17
David Marthy 29, 59 (30), 1:31 (32), 2:00.83 (29.83)
Billy Posch 30, 61 (31), 1:34 (33), 2:07.74 (33.74)
Andrew James 29, 61 (32), 1:33 (32), 2:03.62 (30.62)
Tommy Lipari 28, 59 (31), 1:30 (31), 2:01.71 (31.71)

1,600-meter relay
6. Marist 3:36.85
Dan Conklin 52.60
Connor Dodge 53.13
Mike McCloskey 54.97
Darren Bushey 55.76

Weight throw:
11. Sean Ellman 8.54 meters (28 feet, 0.25 inches)

Indoor track, here we come!

2011-12-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

I always used to brag about how much the indoor season was my favorite. Back when we had a track in the former McCann Fieldhouse (now the spiffy McCann Arena!), practice most days was a snap: Log off my email account in the office, walk down the stairs and voila! … start practice.

Obviously, things are a little more complicated now.

But with the start of our indoor track season of competition tomorrow at Yale, I do have to say that I’m very much looking forward to coaching inside. The indoor season has a certain feel and an intensity to it, with spectators and coaches alike right on top of the action on the track; it is definitely a departure from cross country.

One major stressor that is eliminated: Weather conditions. Perhaps, more than anything else, this is what makes indoor track appealing to both athletes and coaches alike.

Check back later this weekend for details and results ...

Facilities update: Give us an inch …

2011-12-02T20:18:00.001-05:00

It has the feel of a tunnel; it’s just a big hallway, really. But we’ll take whatever we can get.

In the new McCann Arena, there is an odd patch of unused space behind one section of the student bleachers on the north end of the building. It’s a little more than 8 feet wide – a nice big lane!

We put our heads together and determined that this just might be a good place for our sprinters to practice their block starts, and maybe an area for our horizontal jumpers to practice by jumping into their mats. We will roll out our bulky, black portable runway mat, spike up and have at it.

It’s enclosed; it’s tiny; but it should work! Give us an inch … and we’ll use it.

Facilities update: A SUnNY disposition …

2011-12-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

On Friday morning, Coach Horton and I traveled to SUNY New Paltz to check out the indoor track facility at Elting Gymnasium. We met our good friend and Marist Running Alum Justin Harris, now the assistant cross country coach for the Hawks.

The indoor track over there is very excellent! It is a raised, three-lane track, painted in SUNYNP blue. It is quite interesting, as the shape is best described as a circle. There are really no straightaways, but also really no sharp turns either. It’s a nice, gradual bend the whole way, and the inside lane is 9 laps to the mile. Lovely, just lovely! We are hoping to finalize a partnership with our Ulster County friends to make use of the indoor track at times during the winter months.

The accommodation of our needs by others in the regional community is something for which we are forever grateful. Our friends at the Land of Fresh (Spackenkill) have always been very welcoming to us through the years. We have truly blessed with the support of Vassar Track Coach James McCowan for the regular use of our higher education neighbor’s fine outdoor facility, and now we hope to forge a similar relationship across the river.

Maybe the long, cold winter will be a little less cold anyway …

In between

2011-12-01T10:03:00.002-05:00

This December time period is an unusual sort of middle ground for our program. We are in season; but not quite. We are training really hard; but not in the full, in-season mode. We have meets; but everyone is equally focused on capping papers, projects and finals.

As a distance-running coach, this time of year can be a bit odd. It’s time to renew and get back to hard work, but with the knowledge that last week (for most) was an off week. As a result, we cannot drill the high volume training just yet. But don’t worry. We will. And we will ramp up there -- very, very soon.

And so it was that we were at, of all places, the Vassar Track on Wednesday. Obviously, Coach Horton and the sprinters were there because, well, that’s what we do on Wednesdays, and there was no snow on the ground, and most of us from that group are racing Saturday at Yale. December is a mini coming out party for our sprint crew, which has been working extremely hard for several months with Coach Horton and also in the Fitness Center with Coach Clancy.

But the distance men? Many of whom were on only their third day back in training? Even Hughes, the dedicated foot soldier who never questions our training methods, was wondering what the heck was going on.

As he (and others) soon found out, most of the non-racing distance men were not really doing a “track workout” per se. As I said out there in the cold and wind, it was like we were “playing track.” There’s no snow on the ground yet (thank God for that); our ability to get on a track has an expiration date (the first major snowfall), so I figured why not?

It was chilly out there, but this we must get used to. As we enter our aforementioned “Brave New World” we will have to learn to adapt along the way.

‘Tis the season …

2011-12-01T10:01:00.001-05:00

From what I have heard, a longstanding Marist men’s running tradition continued last night with the exchange of names for the xx-th (not sure how many years) annual Jerk Squad Secret Santa. I’m glad the “Jerk Squad” tradition – Wednesday evening food and fun at the Cabaret – has endured through several generations of Marist Running.

This Sunday/Monday, we will have a whole boatload of recruits coming up; hopefully, they will see the tight-knit (if not bizarre) unit we have here, and they will want to join in the fun on the run as members of the Running Red Foxes starting in the fall of 2012.

On a sort of unrelated note: My youngest son James (you know, the kid who wrote the Thanksgiving Letter posted here last week) is quite excited about the Holiday Season, but he shows it in an odd way. Our little guy is a big fan of SpongeBob SquarePants; he darts around the house, singing “Oh Krusty Krab, oh Krusty Krab, oh how I love you Krusty Krab” … to the tune of “Oh, Christmas Tree.” Also, he said that Patrick on the show reminds him of his old punching-bag buddy Conor Shelley. Interesting.

Sub-15:00 blog reminder

2011-12-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Here’s a friendly reminder to check back frequently to Steve Hicks’ excellent video blog, linked here. This week's episode has an excellent "Ode to Hopkins" theme to it. Some classic old photos in there!

Hicks, a proud Marist Running alum, and his Syracuse running buddies are chronicling weekly workouts in their attempt to break 15:00 for 5k as post-collegians.

I don’t want to jinx things, but I think that Hicks is well on his way to achieving this goal. He has established a nice base, and his first few workouts/races have gone pretty well – in the humble opinion of this old coach.

The videos are funny and entertaining, and promise to get more interesting as the long and dark winter establishes its inevitable foothold in Central New York.

Check it out, and keep coming back each week (don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll remind you …)

Updated/final schedule for Yale

2011-11-30T20:23:00.002-05:00

Indoor track season starts on Saturday with the Yale Season Opener at Coxe Cage.

Here is an updated and final order of events for the meet.

Field Events –
9:00 AM – Men’s Weight Throw followed by Women, followed by Men’s Shot
9:00 AM – Women’s Shot
10:00 AM – Women’s LJ Followed by Men’s LJ, Followed by Women’s TJ, Followed by Men
10:00 AM – Men’s High Jump – Followed By Women
12:00 PM – Women’s Pole Vault followed by Men

Running Events –
11:15 AM – Women’s 5000m
11:40 AM – Men’s 5000m
12:00 PM – Women’s Mile
12:10PM – Men’s Mile
12:20 PM – Women’s 400m
12:30 PM – Men’s 400m
1:00 PM – Men’s 60h Trials
1:10 PM – Women’s 60h Trials
1:20 PM – Women’s 60 Trials
1:30 PM – Men’s 60 Trials
1:45 PM – Women’s 60h Finals
1:50 PM – Men’s 60h Finals
1:55 PM – Women’s 60 Finals
2:00 PM – Men’s 60 Finals
2:05 PM – Women’s 1000m
2:10 PM – Men’s 1000m
2:15 PM – Women’s 500m
2:25 PM – Men’s 500m
2:35 PM – Women’s 800m
2:40 PM – Men’s 800m
2:45 PM – Women’s 200m
3:05 PM – Men’s 200m
3:20 PM – Women’s 3000m
3:30 PM – Women’s 4X800m Relay
3:40 PM – Men’s 4X800m Relay
3:50 PM – Women’s 4X400m Relay
4:00 PM – Men’s 4X400m Relay

Brave New World

2011-11-28T09:01:00.003-05:00

Today begins the long journey called track and field for our entire program. Cross country season is over and it is time to focus full attention on track, with our first indoor meet in just a few days (Saturday) at Yale.

The warm, mid-60s weather for today is a welcome blessing and we will enjoy every minute of it, as we did this weekend. In fact, other than some rain on Tuesday night, the weather this week looks pretty solid for late autumn.

Good thing, as we enter the no-safety-net period of practice for the next few months. Yes, that’s right: With all due respect to Aldous Huxley, we are venturing into a Brave New World of indoor track training -- without our trusty old indoor track in the McCann Center for intervals or just solitary indoor laps of mileage. We’ll be outside pretty much every day (Where? Not sure, but stay tuned!), and we will adjust in the best way we can.

Cheatin’ winter

2011-11-28T09:01:00.001-05:00

My Monday morning routine goes something like this: Up at 5:05 a.m., dress to run, out to warm up the car for my short drive to meet Fast Tony and Not So Fast Artie for our jog. Only when I went out to warm up the car this morning, it did not need much warming. It was 52 degrees! Wow!

Went back inside and changed from running pants to shorts. Shorts! On Nov. 28! This is probably the last day for a while in which shorts will be appropriate in the pre-dawn darkness.

Fine with me. A day like this feels like we are cheating winter, stealing one last warm day before the cold sets in for good.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T13:14:00.001-05:00

OK. I was going to do a heartfelt Thanksgiving post, telling the blogosphere all that I am grateful for. But today, I’m going to do something different.

First off, I am thankful and grateful for the many blessings in my life. But I believe that I have those feelings year-round, and not just on a given day. This late summer/fall was an up-and-down rollercoaster for us in many ways, and it put clearly into focus all for which I am grateful.

So rather than another post from me, instead I am going to share with you a Letter to God by my 6-year-old son James. James is in kindergarten. Please remember that when you read this letter. He dictated it to his 9-year-old sister Natalie, who typed it up on the computer.

Here is James’ Letter to God.

Dear God,

Thank you for making us helpful.

Thank you for the world. Thank you for the sky and ground. Thank you from all us Colaizzos for our wonderful family. Thank you for Moms and Dads and Grandmas and Grandpas.

Thank you for tissues. Thank you for school. Thank you for myself. Thank you for all the things I love. Thank you for Mario times video games. Thank you for Legos.

Thank you for fields and the clouds. Thank you for when I was in heaven before I was a baby. Thank you for the animals at the zoo. Thank you for God.

Love,
James

P.S. How did you make the world?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Indoor track schedule

2011-11-23T12:53:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving Week provides us with one of the few, in-semester breaks from practice and competition during the academic year. The other one is Spring Break in March. Other than that, we are usually in-season in terms of practice and/or competition.

I hope everyone enjoys this week off. But really, our sport never ends.

We will be down at Bowdoin Park on Saturday for the NXN Northeast and New York Regional XC meet. I'm certain several current team members will be there, checking out their former teammates in yet another big XC race.

In the meantime, as we look ahead, here is our indoor track schedule for 2011-2012.

Saturday, December 3: Yale Invitational

Saturday, December 10: Brother Jasper Invitational at Manhattan College (weight throw on Friday)

Friday, January 13: NYC Gotham Cup, Armory

Friday, January 27: Mets at Armory (split squad, mostly women)

Friday/Saturday, Jan 27-28: Terrier at Boston University (split squad, mostly men)

Friday/Saturday, Feb. 3-4: New Balance Collegiate at Armory (selective; qualifiers only)

Friday/Saturday, Feb. 10-11: Valentine at Boston University (women on Friday; men on Friday/Saturday)

Friday, Feb. 17: MAAC Championships at Armory

Thur, Feb. 23: Armory Collegiate Challenge at Armory (selective; qualifiers/last chance athletes only)

Sat/Sun, March 3-4: ECAC/IC4A Championships, Boston (qualifiers only)

More Philly results

2011-11-21T21:23:00.002-05:00

In addition to the previous post, please note the following Marist Running Alum results from Philly on Sunday:

-- In the half marathon, Liza Grudzinski was 29th overall in the women's race in 1:23:01. Liza was fourth in the 30-34 age group. Nice race!

-- In the marathon, sorry for missing Chris Camp, who finished his fifth marathon in 3:19:15.

Putting it all together

2011-11-21T05:17:00.001-05:00

Among the many alumni and friends in attendance at Saturday’s emotional season- and senior-ending IC4A/ECAC cross country meet at Van Cortlandt Park, the surprise guest of the day was Marist Running (class of 1997) alum Tim Russo.

We have not seen Russo in years, but he remains a big part of our program in a second-generation manner. Like many of our former athletes, Timmy is now a coach – at Harborfields on Long Island. Our women’s lead runner, Michelle Gaye, is a Harborfields alum and one of Russo’s former charges. Timmy was at Vanny to watch Michelle and to see his old Running Red Fox team in action.

It was great to see him, recall old times and share coaching stories. We talked about the bittersweet ending to his team’s fall XC season. They had a wonderful season overall, but fell short on one team goal, due to the excellent performance of a rival school.

But then Timmy said something that made this old coach smile, laugh and grimace at the same time, something to the effect of: “You know Pete, we just weren’t able to get everyone, 1 through 5, to put it together on the same day.”

Oh yeah, bro? NO KIDDING! Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of XC coaching (in fairness, Russo has been at it for a while). His lament is all too common; it is what drives us batty and keeps us coming back for more, year after year after blessed year.

Putting it all together. It’s that elusive goal. In my time coaching the men’s XC team through several decades, I can only think of a handful of meets where this happened.

Most recently, it was at the 2010 NCAA Regional in Connecticut, thanks to one of the most clutch single-person performances I’ve ever witnessed by our fifth man Nick Webster. Granted, 1 through 4 nailed it as well, but Web’s race was what closed the deal.

The other one that comes immediately to mind is the 2000 IC4A Championships. Marist Running Alum and Bronx neighbor Greg Salamone, a regular Vanny visitor, was a huge part of that championship effort. But again, the clutch, fifth-man day of Pat Driscoll is what I remember most as sealing the deal for us and bringing home our team title.

I’m sure there were a few other times as well. But the point is this: It happens very, very infrequently.

In our best meet this year for the men, the MAAC Championships, we put together the fastest five-man combined time in the nearly 50 years of Marist XC at Van Cortlandt Park. A school record. Never happened before. You would think that was a perfect day, where it all came together, 1 through 5. You would be wrong. That’s how difficult and how rare it truly is.

So yeah. I told Timmy it does not happen much at all. If it happens once in a season, consider yourself blessed. I pointed to my facial hair (mostly gray) and my actual hair (mostly … none) as proof to what trying to get a team to “put it all together on the same day” can do to you. It’s a labor of love, one that Russo has done and will continue to do, and one that we will keep plugging away at for as long as we can.

Philly Marathon results

2011-11-20T20:21:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Marist Running Alums for strong performances at today’s Philadelphia Marathon:

--David Raucci went out hard in an attempt for a personal-best time in the low 2:20s. It did not work out, but he still finished 45th overall out of more than 10,000 finishers, in 2:40:34.

--Joe Tarantello basically equaled his PR with a time of 2:47:39 (84th overall). Joe’s PR is 2:47:07. This is an excellent showing, considering Joe reported he has been sick the past two weeks and entered the race at less than 100 percent. Nice effort!

--Three cheers to first-time marathoners Alex Emerel (2:55:53), Colin Johnson (3:02:07) and Teddy Marak (3:26:33). All three guys admitted to going out too hard and paying the price for it later. Common mistake, men! Live and learn. I’m proud of you all.

Updated VCP top individuals all-time

2011-11-20T20:18:00.002-05:00

Below is a more streamlined take at the best-ever Marist men at Van Cortlandt Park.

For more than 20 years, Jerry Scholder's 25:25 mark from the 1976 IC4A meet was the Holy Grail of Marist Running ... a seemingly untouchable record.

Quimes DelaCruz's outstanding run on Saturday now makes him the sixth runner to eclipse that former long-time record.

This streamlined list includes only the single best time by each individual to crack the 26:30 barrier in their career.

Van Cortlandt Park sub-26:30 list, all-time (through 2011)

1. Girma Segni 25:01.4 09/2008
2. Will Griffin 25:03.4 10/2011
3. Matt Flint 25:04.0 10/2011
4. Mike Melfi 25:11 10/1998
5. David Raucci 25:13 11/2008
6. Arquimedes DelaCruz 25:17 11/2011
7. Jerry Scholder 25:25 11/1976
8. Conor Shelley 25:33.8 09/2008
9. Kirk Dornton 25:38.1 11/2002
10. Ken Walshak 25:47.8 11/2010
11. Tim Keegan 25:49 11/2008
12. Don Reardon 25:51 10/1987
13. Mike Nehr 25:52.2 11/2001
14. Pete Pazik 25:54 09/1984
15. Ben Hefferon 25:58.6 11/1998
16. Jason Grady 26:02.8 09/2000
17. Matt Cole 26:02.9 10/1978
18. Jamal Padgett 26:03.5 11/2001
19. Greg Salamone 26:03.9 10/1999
20. Mike Rolek 26:04.0 09/2007
21. Ron Gadziala 26:05.2 10/1978
22. David Swift 26:07 09/1994
23. Justin Harris 26:10.9 11/2006
24. Geoff Decker 26:12.5 10/2003
25. Curtis Jensen 26:12.6 11/2009
26. Bob Coufal 26:14 11/1977
27. Adam Vess 26:14.2 10/2009
28. Fred Kolthay 26:15 11/1976
29. Glen Middleton 26:15 10/1984
30. Steve Hicks 26:18 10/2004
31. John Keenan 26:18.4 10/2006
32. Pat Driscoll 26:18.6 11/2001
33. Tom Lipari 26:19.1 10/2011
34. Marty Feeney 26:23 10/1992
35. Brian Townsend 26:27.5 10/2011
36. Tom Williams 26:27.8 11/2006

Updated VCP team lists

2011-11-20T20:15:00.002-05:00

Saturday's meet represented the sixth-fastest team finish in school history ... pretty impressive considering of our lead runners (Matt Flint) did not finish the race.

Here's the updated list ...

Top team performances in school history at Van Cortlandt Park (through November 2011)

1-MAAC Championships, October 28, 2011
Will Griffin 25:03.4
Matt Flint 25:04.0
Arquimedes DelaCruz 25:32.0
Tommy Lipari 26:19.1
Ken Walshak 26:25.4
Total time, top 5: 2:08:23.9
Average time: 25:40.6

2-ICAAAA Championships, November 20, 2010
Matt Flint 25:11.5
Arquimedes DelaCruz 25:25.4
Will Griffin 25:32.6
Ken Walshak 25:47.8
Tim Keegan 26:32.6
Total time, top 5: 2:08:29.9
Average time: 25:42.0

3. ICAAAA Championships, November 22, 2008
David Raucci 25:13
Girma Segni 25:43
Tim Keegan 25:49
Will Griffin 25:54
Conor Shelley 26:04
Total time, top 5: 2:08:43
Average time: 25:44.6

4. Iona Meet of Champions, September 20, 2008
Girma Segni 25:01.4 (school record)
David Raucci 25:19.1
Conor Shelley 25:33.8
Matthew Flint 26:25.2
Tim Keegan 26:28.5
Total time, top 5: 2:08:48.0
Average time: 25:45.6

5. MAAC Championships, October 27, 2006
Girma Segni 25:17.0
David Raucci 25:38.7
Conor Shelley 25:46.1
John Keenan 26:18.4
Justin Harris 26:40.0
Total time, top 5: 2:09:40.2
Average time: 25:56.0

6. ICAAAA Championships, November 19, 2011
Arquimedes DelaCruz 25:17
Will Griffin 25:38
Ken Walshak 25:55
Tommy Lipari 26:31
Mark Valentino 26:35
Total time, top 5: 2:09:56.0
Average time: 25:59.2

7. ICAAAA Championships, November 18, 2006
David Raucci 25:32.9
Girma Segni 25:37.5
Justin Harris 26:10.9
Conor Shelley 26:12.5
Tom Williams 26:27.8
Total time, top 5: 2:10:01.6
Average time: 26:00.3

8. MAAC Championships, October 26, 2007
Girma Segni 25:21.0
David Raucci 25:29.8
Mike Rolek 26:04.0
Conor Shelley 26:16.5
John Keenan 26:56.7
Total time, top 5: 2:10:08.0
Average time: 26:01.6

9. Metropolitan Championships, October 6, 2006
Girma Segni 25:15.5
David Raucci 25:45.2
Conor Shelley 25:54.4
Justin Harris 26:33.1
Mike Cator 26:43.2
Total time, top 5: 2:10:12.9
Average time: 26:02.6

10. ICAAAA Championships, November 17, 2007
Girma Segni 25:36
David Raucci 25:38
Mike Rolek 26:10
Conor Shelley 26:19
Adam Vess 26:49
Total time, top 5: 2:10:32.0
Average time: 26:06.4

11. ICAAAA Championships, November 18, 2000
Mike Nehr 25:58.7
Jason Grady 26:04.7
Jamal Padgett 26:09.7
Greg Salamone 26:11.6
Pat Driscoll 26:28.6
Total time, top 5: 2:10:53.5
Average time: 26:10.7

ECAC Championships results

2011-11-19T17:03:00.001-05:00

This was an exciting finish to a positive and upbeat season for us on the women’s side.

We had four ECAC All-East finishers, most in school history according to Coach Chuck.

Like the guys, the times were slowed a bit by the strong southwest wind.

In general, this was a nice and sunny sendoff to a group of seniors – women and men – that will be near and dear to our hearts for a long, long time.

ECAC Championships

University Division
Team standings:
1-Albany 109, 2-Marist 119, 3-Towson 159, 4-Sacred Heart 176, 5-Delaware 195, 6-Monmouth 197, 7-Rider 205, 8-Fordham 212, 9-Bucknell 228, 10-George Mason 231, 11-Binghamton 237, 12-Fairfield 242, 13-Central Connecticut 247, 14-St. John’s 346, 15-Temple 421, 16-Holy Cross 459, 17-Seton Hall 470, 18-Longwood 485, 19-Hofstra 498, 20-Hampton 499, 21-NJIT 548, 22-Siena 641

Marist finishers, 5-kilometer course
2-Michelle Gaye 18:15 *ECAC All-East
18-Erin Thompson 18:47 *ECAC All-East
21-Katie Messina 18:59 *ECAC All-East
24-Briana Crowe 19:02 *ECAC All-East
54-Erin O’Reilly 19:25
81-Brianna Freestone 19:46
86-Becca Denise 19:50
91-Kathryn Sheehan 19:53
112-Elizabeth O’Brien 20:08
130-Colleen Smith 20:23
141-Tara Nuccitelli 20:31

Coaches Race
2-Kara Lightowler 19:42.4
13-Dayna McLaughlin 20:19.8
17-Allyson O’Brien 20:26.5
19-Alex Davis 20:32.0
32-Laura Lindsley 20:47.5
39-Miy Mahran 21:24.9
40-Rachel Lichtenwalner 21:25.5
51-Kim Bartlett 22:39.5

IC4A Championships results

2011-11-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

This was a solid finish to our season. Times were slowed by a stiff southwest breeze.

Quimes DelaCruz ran a strong PR and is now sixth all-time at Van Cortlandt Park (I will update the all-time lists later and post them in the coming days).

Will Griffin ended his stellar XC career with another All-East performance. Ken Walshak and Mark Valentino ended the season with their best races of the fall.

Again, overall a strong finish to what has been a mostly positive season. More analysis and thoughts in the coming days …

Great to see all the alumni, family and friends gathering under our tents for an awesome food spread.

IC4A Championships

Championship Division
Team standings:
1-Princeton 50, 2-Albany 121, 3-LaSalle 145, 4-Syracuse 168, 5-Duquesne and St. Joseph’s 190, 7-Georgetown 192, 8-Liberty 192, 9-UMass 221, 10-Central Connecticut 223, 11-UConn 233, 12-Marist 241, 13-Boston College 273, 14-Iona 360, 15-Columbia 367, 16-George Mason 378, 17-Rider 380

Marist finishers, 5-mile course

8-Arquimedes DelaCruz 25:17 *ICAAAA All-East
20-Will Griffin 25:38 *ICAAAA All-East
41-Ken Walshak 25:55
85-Tommy Lipari 26:31
91-Mark Valentino 26:35
99-Joel Moss 26:58
108-Brian Townsend 27:06
118-Mike Nicoletti 27:19
137-Mohamed Eid 28:04
DNF-Matt Flint

Coaches Race
7-Nick Salek 27:29
10-Rob Gorski 27:38
12-Ian Dorset 27:41
15-Billy Hild 27:46
16-Ryan Fitzsimons 27:50
17-Tommy Lappas 27:54
18-Nick Hughes 27:55
23-Ryan Brown 28:25
32-Kyle Havard 28:45
34-Brian Gordon 28:50
37-Will Schanz 28:54
38-Bryan Buttigieg 28:55
45-Doug Ainscow 29:25
46-Mike Keegan 29:27
47-Ben Windisch 29:30
52-Adam Osowski 29:55
55-Brendan Green 30:23
60-Dominick Corradi 31:09

An evening with JT

2011-11-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

If my wife, and others of our age group and older, were to read the title of this post, they would probably think I am about to write about a James Taylor concert. Nope! Sorry to disappoint.

Rather, I am writing about a splendid reunion we had last night with a long-lost member of the Marist Running Family. John T. Lasker (JT), class of 1997, was in town last night on Official Business for ESPN, where he works in programming and acquisitions for ESPN’s digital and TV platforms. He was here to see the new McCann Arena’s first home basketball game – women vs. Villanova – and to check out the stunningly high-tech Control Room up near our offices on the second floor of McCann.

After his Official Business portion of the trip with Marist’s Director of Athletics Tim Murray, he stopped by my office and we caught up on old news and new business, since his long-lost days as a Running Red Fox back in the mid-1990s. Minutes turned to hours as we discussed his running days and his immensely successful career at ESPN.

Sure, he was here to check things out for current and future multimedia partnerships with Marist and the MAAC. But he is also part of the Marist Running Family, and the reunion was a wonderful experience. He will always be one of “our boys” – although, some of “our boys” are now in their mid-30s and beyond!

Like all alums of our program, we remain proud of everything they have accomplished in the time they were here, but especially in the time since they have departed. Even though 14-plus years have passed since JT wore the black singlet (Oh! It’s true! We did wear black back in the day!) of our program, time melted away as we chatted about the past, present and future.

It is my sincere hope that, 14 or so years from now, some member of our current team will come back to McCann in some official or unofficial capacity, sit in the office and talk about the past, present and future with (by then) a truly old man.

Walk this way?

2011-11-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

Check out this really interesting story about racewalking (wow, never thought you’d see “really interesting” and “racewalking” in the same sentence, did you?) from today’s New York Times.

A woman in upstate New York apparently is as good or better than most men in long-distance (50-kilometer) racewalking. Unfortunately for her, there is no 50km racewalk for women at the international level. Here’s hoping that, with her success, it can become an event.

This is one of those chicken-egg arguments: The standard line is, “well, there is insufficient interest in 50km racewalking for women.” But, if you do not offer it, how can there be interest! Right?

Final trails

2011-11-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe, but today was essentially the final cross country practice, off campus, of the long season.

On a relatively mild mid-November day, we traveled up to the FDR Library for a short, timed fartlek session on the Cator Loop. It worked out perfectly, as we got the warmup, workout and cooldown in before the heavy rain came.

And so what began more than 12 weeks ago during the summer months and preseason week comes to a close. Another XC season will be in the books after Saturday’s IC4A/ECAC meet.

There is always a bit of sadness with the ending of one season, but it is mixed with the hope of new seasons and new starting lines to come.

But first, one more starting line -- in the grass on Saturday, at Van Cortlandt Park.

Let us pray

2011-11-16T10:40:00.002-05:00

Love this photo, courtesy of freshman Mark Valentino, of some guys kneeling in prayer before a recent XC race.

Our long cross country season journey ends on Saturday at Van Cortlandt, at the ECAC/IC4A Championships.

Hope to see you there.

IC4A/ECAC time schedule for Saturday

2011-11-14T21:38:00.001-05:00

Races in which we are entered are in bold:

9:30 a.m.: Coaches' Association Races (men/women combined)
10:30 a.m.: IC4A Championship Division race
11:15 a.m.: ECAC Championship Division race
11:45 a.m.: IC4A University Division race
12:30 p.m.: ECAC University Division race

Hope to see you there.

Alums shine at Stockade-athon

2011-11-13T20:38:00.002-05:00

Marist Alumni Running was well represented at Sunday’s Stockade-athon 15-kilometer race in Schenectady.

Brittany Burns sported an elite bib number and lived up to the pre-race billing by getting fifth overall among women and second in her age group. Brit finished in 58:02, a 6:14 pace over the course that she said was “more challenging than I thought.” She added that she was pleased with her finish, as well she should be!

Nick Webster, running now for the Albany Running Exchange, placed 11th overall and third in the 20-24 age group (the first two finishers in the age group were 1-2 in the race). Web ran 50:49, an average of 5:28 per mile; an excellent effort.

Brit also saw her former teammate, Lisa D’Aniello, who had a strong age-group performance as well. Lisa was fifth in the 25-29 division in 1:06:04, an average of 7:06 per mile for the 9.3-mile course.

Great running, everyone!

A different kind of cross country

2011-11-13T20:36:00.004-05:00

Just received this email and these photos from Marist Running Alum (and proud 1,000-meter record holder, 2:28.56 for those keeping score at home) Bryan Quinn. Quinn, now a proud member of NYPD, participated in the Tri-State Tough Mudder down at Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

Here is the email he wrote to go along with these fancy photos:

“I’m writing to inform you that we have taken the Marist Alumni Racing team to the next level! Myself, along with Mike Bamberger, Chris Baum, and Matthew Szymaszek (correct spelling) aka CT, competed in the Tri-State Tough Mudder 12 mile race with 32 obstacles spread throughout. The course was designed by British Special forces and its proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Foundation. IT WAS ABSOLUTE HELL! We ran through mud, jumped in freezing cold water, swam up and under obstacles in the middle of lakes, climbed over walls, and through tunnels. The race took about three hours to complete, but was worth every second of it, especially since I had some fellow Marist Alums by my side! Hope you have a good laugh at the pictures!"

Chillin’ age-group win for Caitlin

2011-11-13T20:36:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Marist Running alum Caitlin Garrity of Watertown, Conn., for winning her age group at the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton, Mass., today. Caitlin won the 20-29 division in 1:30:10.4, an average of 6:53 per mile for 13.1 miles.

Great job, Caitlin!

More thoughts on regionals

2011-11-13T08:36:00.001-05:00

Legendary football coach Bill Parcells was fond of saying, “You are what your record says you are.” Or something like that.

In the sport of cross country, however, there are no “season records” … just meet finishes. And so “you are what your record says you are” takes on a different meaning, and sometimes the outcome is cruel and possibly unfair. However, it is what it is.

These thoughts come one day removed from a stinging regional meet for us. Our body of work indicates that we are not the 20th best team (men) or 23rd best team (women) in our region. But on this day, that is what the record indicates, and we have to live with that.

But, does it have to define a program? Not necessarily. I still believe in the “body of work” theory in that you look at the collective process and results over the course of months and maybe even years.

The NCAA Regional meets can produce some unusual occurrences in cross country. One injury, one illness, one off day from one runner … and chaos ensues. Although I am not a huge follower of our sport, even though I coach it, I am aware that the 2011 regional results produced some highly bizarre occurrences – individually, but especially team-wise.

As programs, all we can do is prepare our absolute best, physically and mentally. After that, there is some element of luck involved.

Again, we are not trying to make excuses. We were not “unlucky.” We were not unprepared. The results did not pan out as we had hoped. Not even close. Maybe it was an anomaly.

Do we really believe that our women’s program, which has made such wonderful strides this season under the expert guidance of Coach Chuck, has not improved at all over the 2010 showing? Of course not! But the regional standing says so. It’s one day, hardly a way to define a program, right?

Do we really believe that our men’s program, featuring some of the finest distance men in the program’s long history, is 10 spots worse than the 2010 team? Of course not! But the regional standing says so. It’s one day, hardly a way to define a program, right?

But in our sport, we do not have team records as a way to put things in a longer view.

The body of work for 2011 cross country – women’s team, men’s team – has been solid and consistent (men) to downright inspiring and hopeful (women). One day puts a damper on it, but it does not have to spoil it.

Here’s hoping we can put a wrap on 2011 XC, at IC4A/ECAC, with a more positive note for our program.

Marist alumni sweep on LI

2011-11-12T23:18:00.002-05:00

This according to a text this afternoon from Conor Shelley: He and teammate Pat Duggan made it a Marist Alumni Racing Team sweep at the Rockville Centre 5k and 10k today on Long Island.

Conor won the 5k and Duggan won the 10k. More official results/times when I get them.

Also, a quick shout-out of good luck to Marist Running alums Brittany Burns and Nick Webster, who will be running the Stockadeathon 15km on Sunday in Schenectady.

Sub-15:00 video blog

2011-11-12T23:15:00.001-05:00

Marist Running Alum Steve Hicks has asked me to share the following video blog with Marist Running Blog readers. This is a really cool idea!

Steve ran 15:08 at Marist for 5,000 meters, and he has not given up hope of breaking 15:00 for the 5km barrier. Steve is a medical school student -- in fact, he is in a rigorous MD/PhD program at Upstate Medical in Syracuse. We are very proud of his accomplishments, and fully support and encourage this zany effort at a sub-15:00.

Here is the link to the initial video post on this blog, one that will be worth following over the coming weeks and months.

NCAA Regionals: Women's results

2011-11-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

NCAA Northeast Regional
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Audubon Golf Course, Amherst, NY (University at Buffalo host)

Women’s results
Team standings:

1-Syracuse 116, 2. Boston College 127, 3. Cornell 137, 4. Columbia 151, 5. Providence 163, 6. Yale 144, 7. UConn 168, 8. Iona 179, 9. Stony Brook 195, 10. Dartmouth 238, 11. Brown 241, 12. New Hampshire 274, 13. Vermont 345, 14. Harvard 353, 15. Boston University 429, 16. Army 518, 17. Colgate 525, 18. Albany 577, 19. Holy Cross 608, 20. Quinnipiac 631, 21. UMass 639, 22. Binghamton 642, 23. Marist 653, 24. Sacred Heart 679, 25. Buffalo 753, 26. Central Connecticut 738, 27. Fairfield and Rhode Island 774, 29. St. John’s 813, 30. Fordham 825, 31. Canisius 879, 32. Hofstra 967, 33. Niagara 983, 34. Manhattan 1003, 35. Siena 1070, 36. St. Bonaventure 1104. Hartford and Northeastern, INC

Marist finishers, 6,000-meter course

71. Michelle Gaye 22:23.0 (6:01 pace)
91. Katie Messina 22:45.1 (6:07 pace)
151. Briana Crowe 23:46.6 (6:23 pace)
169. Erin Thompson 24:05.2 (6:28 pace)
174. Rebecca Denise 24:11.0 (6:30 pace)
175. Brianna Freestone 24:13.1 (6:30 pace)
177. Erin O’Reilly 24:15.4 (6:31 pace)

We entered today’s meet at a significant disadvantage without our lead runner from MAACs, Addie DiFrancesco. Addie entered the MAAC meet with an upper leg injury. She was able to get through it and she was able to run her best race for us en route to a second-place finish at the conference meet.

Unfortunately, Addie’s injury got worse instead of better, and she had to shut it down and not travel to Buffalo with us for the regional meet. This was a tough hurdle to overcome.

The wind was just as brutal for the women’s race. That swirling wind caused breathing issues for one of our stellar freshmen, Erin Thompson, and that was a big factor in her tough effort. I give Erin a lot of credit; when we saw her a little before the mile mark, she was in agony and it was uncertain in my mind whether she would finish. But she gutted it out for the team, and made us all proud.

Everyone else ran reasonably well for us. Michelle Gaye was our leader once again, and she ran great out there. Katie Messina continued her phenomenal junior season with another strong race. The rest of our ladies did the best they could – Briana Crowe ran another solid regional race, and Becca Denise, Brianna Freestone and Erin O’Reilly worked well together in a pack.

Again, we were hoping to do better as a team. But there were a lot of positives to take out of today, and there is much to look forward to in the coming days, weeks and months with our program.

NCAA Regionals: Men's results

2011-11-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

NCAA Northeast Regional
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Audubon Golf Course, Amherst, NY (University at Buffalo host)

Men’s results
Team standings
1-Syracuse 54, 2-Iona 72, 3-Columbia 96, 4-Providence 108, 5-Brown 178, 6-Dartmouth 182, 7-Buffalo 215, 8-Cornell 216, 9-Boston University 292, 10-Connecticut 371, 11-Yale 386, 12-Northeastern 397, 13-Fordham 415, 14-Boston College 418, 15-Harvard 425, 16-Army 436, 17-Central Connecticut 443, 18-Albany 444, 19-UMass 506, 20-Marist 523, 21-New Hampshire 559, 22. Binghamton 561, 23. Vermont 584, 24. Stony Brook 657, 25. Fairfield 710, 26. Colgate and Hofstra 718, 28. Canisius 869, 29. Manhattan 887, 30. Siena 922, 31. Quinnipiac 956, 32. Niagara 971, 33. St. Bonaventure 1052. Sacred Heart, Maine, Wagner, LIU, Holy Cross, Hartford INC

Marist finishers, 10,000-meter course
54. Arquimedes DelaCruz 32:44.8 (5:17 pace)
72. Will Griffin 33:00.6 (5:19 pace)
117. Ken Walshak 33:42.9 (5:26 pace)
130. Matt Flint 33:54.3 (5:28 pace)
170. Tom Lipari 34:45.6 (5:36 pace)
184. Brian Townsend 35:09.9 (5:40 pace)
194. Justin Tampellini 35:29.0 (5:43 pace)

To say this meet was incredibly disappointing would be an understatement. We had such high hopes entering this meet, and this group of four seniors running in this meet have meant so much to this program for so long. To finish as poorly – as individuals and as a team – really stings.

Why? Why did it happen?

WHO KNOWS?

The conditions were very difficult. The wind was strong and extreme. The course was wide open, and the wind was a definite factor. But of course, it was a factor for all 39 teams entered in the race.

We felt our preparation was sound. We have had a solid season, and we were coming off a very solid performance two weeks’ prior at MAACs. So what happened? Again, there are no easy answers; in fact, no answers at all.

Fortunately, in our sport and in life, where there is another starting line there is another opportunity. Where there is another starting line, there is always hope for better days.

And so we look ahead to Saturday at our home away from home, Van Cortlandt Park, for the IC4As. Our whole team will be together again, and we will hope to end XC 2011 in a lot better form than today’s meet went.

Another starting line, more hope for success. In front of family, friends, alums, etc. Today’s meet hurts, that’s for sure. But such is life.

Snow kidding ...

2011-11-11T14:38:00.002-05:00

Well, what do you expect?

It's Buffalo. It's mid-November. It snows.

We just got back from previewing the course, and we were greeted by the proverbial "wintry mix" of snow, sleet and freezing rain. But it really was not that bad at all. It was not accumulating snow and it wasn't terribly cold.

And the weather on Saturday is calling for sunny and windy conditions and temperatures near 50.

We'll take it.

The race route is on a golf course, and it is flat. Very flat. It is well marked, with every kilometer and every mile noted.

The folks here at UBuffalo have been very nice and very accommodating. So far, so good.

Video from Bowdoin Park

2011-11-11T10:36:00.002-05:00

Check out this video taken from last Friday's Section 1 State Qualifier at Bowdoin Park.

It is of Marist Running Alum Justin Harris, a good friend of our program and former school record holder in the steeplechase. Jut is now a professional triathlete and assistant XC coach at SUNY New Paltz. He was at Bowdoin recruiting, and it was good to catch up with him down there.

In this video, he discusses his past and present athletic career -- he had a wonderful running career at both John Jay High School and Marist -- as well as his efforts to recruit athletes to the D3 program at SUNY.

Good stuff.

Shufflin’ off …

2011-11-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

We are about to head to Buffalo for the NCAA Regional meet on Saturday. Our travel plans are to leave today, arrive in Buffalo late tonight, and check out the course on Friday.

Race times Saturday: noon for men; 1:15 p.m. for women.

In my 21 years of coaching (and 30 years as a mid-Hudson Valley resident), I have never once ventured to Buffalo, so I am looking forward to the trip. Especially since no blizzards are in the forecast (that could change, of course).

More from western New York in the coming days …

Walsh’s race report

2011-11-08T11:09:00.003-05:00

Below is a full NYC Marathon race report from Matt Walsh. A few notes from his old coach:

--As I read this, it was gratifying to note all the Marist support for him along the course and at the finish. Great stuff!
--It is important to note that, had their been a “Matthew Walsh” division, our guy would have rocked it once again (as he did at Philly three years ago). The two other “Matthew Walsh” entrants in the race ran times north of 5 hours. Useless information? Perhaps …
--If you were to note Walsh’s splits, his slowest miles were the first few miles, which is an excellent strategy. While his final few miles were a bit slower than his belly-of-the-race pace, it was still faster than his first 5km pace. So it was a nicely executed race on a big-city course that is considered challenging.

Here’s the race report.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that we would have a pack of local guys running from the onset. I knew I would be running with my friend Sal Nastasi and Schab, but we had a few other guys with us as we traversed the bridge into Brooklyn. At around the apex of the bridge, we ran into our old friend Scotty La, who was really happy to see us and wished us well.

It continued to be 5 of us until Sal's buddy from college, Brian Cronin, had a calf explosion (he was hurt coming in) around 8k. Shortly thereafter our friend Chris Koegel (his sister was a Marist Soccer player) decided for the sake of his race that he was going to back off the sub-6:10 pace. Sal and I felt great through Brooklyn and Queens, running side by side, and Schab was tucked in right behind us. Around the first bridge in Queens was where we saw the most enthusiastic fan of the day - Chris Camp.

I think we lost Schab a little after the 59th Street Bridge, where we saw P-Diddy. At this point I felt great, I had a total runner’s high, and Sal and I were urging one another to stay in control. I kept up with the water, and my form felt great. Other notable Marist alums cheering were John Balsamo and Mark Fernandez, who I smiled and waved at. Once the crowds fizzled around mile 18, Sal and I said we were going to work together and ride the rest of the race out. Nothing hurt, all systems were running well.

My first "uh-oh" thought was coming into the Bronx as I pulled out my last Gu. We didn't attack the hill, but suddenly I had no quads. I held pace, but I don't really remember this borough all that much. Coming back onto 5th, I caught up to Sal (who had maybe 10m on me) but this was short lived as I couldn't stride out. He put 2 minutes on me in the last 10k.

At this point, my GPS watch was not really working (I think it lost accuracy on the 59th, truth be told) so what was once a godsend in keeping me on pace was now disheartening as I thought I was running minutes slower than I actually was. It didn't really matter, though, because I couldn't really see it anymore and I stopped bothering to check. Also, my mind was playing tricks on me - I saw the Empire State Building and thought I was approaching from the south (!) for some reason, which was a huge burden to carry until I realized the park was much closer than (falsely) anticipated.

I saw my father right before I entered the park and just tried to stay smooth and strong. This is where I thought much of what you wrote to me about standing tall and proud - although any fans (Conor, Laura, Shane, Curtis, Colin) would tell you that my eyes were anything but happy or proud. (It should be noted that when Schab passed these same fans, he smiled and waved). I passed the water stations without taking any more water because I physically wasn't bonking and in fact I stopped foaming, but my quads were rocks.

The nicest thing the NYRR ever did was put up the "mile to go" sign right after 25 as it made counting down the last 1k or so much easier. I actually had somewhat of a kick, as I put time on a rival LI runner in the last 400 meters which made me exceptionally happy.

Sal wound up running 2:41 but paid the price physically with muscle spasms. I was pretty good afterwards, but that was short lived as intestinal issues plagued me until around 5 p.m. Curtis and Colin were good sports though, and hung out with me and a few other friends while I was in the hurt locker; they were repaid by being treated to dinner by my friends sister and having a posh Upper East Side apartment to watch the Giants win in while drinking free beer. So it worked out for them!

Schab on the Today Show!

2011-11-08T11:09:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Greg Salamone for pointing out to me that Marist Running Alum Mike Schab was on the Today Show this morning, discussing his NYC Marathon.

I texted Schab, chiding him on not letting me know (side note: I was preparing for/teaching class at the time, so it would not have mattered), but he pointed out that it was a spur of the moment decision on the show’s part.

No worries. Glad that Schabby was able to share the story of his great race with the world.

Smokin’ Joe

2011-11-08T11:07:00.003-05:00

Today we mourn the loss of boxing legend Joe Frazier, who died of cancer at 67. “Smokin Joe” was one of the athletic giants of my childhood. Back in the 1970s, heavyweight boxing was a BIG DEAL and being Heavyweight Champion was about the most important individual title in sports.

Smokin’ Joe and Muhammad Ali had a great and bitter rivalry over the years. Frazier always lived in the shadow of the more bombastic Ali. But as Dave Anderson points out in his excellent New York Times column today, behind the bluster one could make the argument that Frazier was the better boxer in his prime.

Frazier was known for his intense work ethic, his relentless style in the ring and his humility outside the ring. As runners and as people, these are admirable qualities. Fortunately, Smokin Joe and Ali made up over the years.

Both men were part of the soundtrack of my youth; their frailty and mortality remind us all of the relentless march of time.

Election Day

2011-11-08T11:07:00.001-05:00

Today is Election Day. It is my sincere hope that all of you reading this voted or will vote. Even college students can and should vote – even if it means absentee ballots. Oftentimes, those ballots are the decision-makers in close elections!

Back when I used to work at Dutchess County’s Finest Daily Newspaper, Election Day was (and probably still is) a BIG NIGHT. I always enjoyed it because there was FREE FOOD available later in the evening.

One of my former colleagues there pointed out that, most years, Election Day weather is unseasonably warm and nice. Because he was a day-shifter who had to work the night shift on Election Day, his routine would be to play 9 holes of golf during the day before work. He always reported great golfing weather – odd for November in the Northeast.

Today is no exception, as it is sunny and mild. Nice. We’ll take it.

NYC in pictures

2011-11-07T21:31:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club photographer Bob Kopac for snapping this shot of Mike Schab. It appears to be in the later stages of the race.

And thanks to team member Kathryn Sheehan for capturing Matt Walsh in a comfortable post-race pose.

Also, sorry for the omission: Marist Running Alum Charlie Williams finished in a strong time of 3:17:32, and vows to aim for a Boston qualifier his next time around. Charlie also ran into my Junk Yard Dogs friends on the starting line -- out of 47,000 runners, amazing that they would recognize a Marist Alumni jersey in the crowd.

Take your shoes off!

2011-11-07T21:29:00.002-05:00

Today, on an unseasonably warm early November day, several men did a workout that I call "extended strides" on North Field. As a perfect follow-up to a recent post, many men took their shoes off and darted through the plush green grass barefoot.

It was quite a sight to see, and also enlightening as a coach. Watching guys run barefoot really accentuated their running form -- the good and the bad.

This was one of the final times this would be possible, so it was a great opportunity for the guys.

Quick NYC results

2011-11-06T17:23:00.004-05:00

Congrats on the following in the Marist Running universe who ran NYC today:

Matt Walsh, 2:43:35
Mike Schab, 2:47:30
Anthony Ferreri, 2:59:10
Brian Sheehan, 3:09:28

Walsh and Schab are alums of the program.

Ferreri is my friend and morning run partner. Today's time is a personal-best for him.

Brian Sheehan is Kathryn Sheehan's dad, and my new hero. One year removed from knee surgery, Mr. Sheehan runs 3:09:28, and does it in a NEGATIVE SPLIT! Nicely done!!!

These times are unofficial and may be updated later.

More details, results and commentary when I get more information ...

Barefoot link from Schanz

2011-11-06T07:08:00.003-05:00

Sorry to pummel you with links ... but I like to read, and hopefully you do too.

Thanks to Schanz for sending me this link to a New York Times Magazine article about barefoot/minimalist running by Christopher McDougall, author of the book "Born to Run." This article is not a rehashing of that book but rather a further exploration into the science of minimalist running. It's actually quite interesting and a good read.

Here at Marist, we have always dabbled in the minimalist thing. Back in the 1980s, my various coaches had us doing barefoot strides surreptitiously on golf courses we were not supposed to be using for running. I recall it feeling weird but exhilarating at the same time. Fast forward about 20 years, and of course we were exposed to the barefoot thing as two Rauccis have come through our program.

My feelings on the Minimalist Movement are mixed. I understand the science, but the reality is a bit more harsh. As the article points out, just because you take your shoes off or wear the Vibram Five Fingers or Nike Frees that does not instantaneously mean you will start running "naturally" with the correct footfall. In fact, if you continue to heel-strike plod like me, and you are wearing minimalist shoes ... you will get hurt.

Fortunately here at Marist, we have North Field, an excellent training ground for the Minimalist Movement. Unfortunately, being November, North Field is well on its way to becoming a grassy tundra.

Anyway, enjoy the article. I will post NYC Marathon updates as I can (will be traveling to New Jersey to visit family today, and Internet access might be spotty).

Enjoy the nice weather ... one week after the not-so-nice weather.

Feeling their pain

2011-11-05T06:51:00.002-04:00

I was down at Bowdoin Park for the Section 1 state qualifier on Friday afternoon. It was a great day at the park -- a bit windy and chilly, but what the heck for early November. There are a lot of very good runners in Section 1, and I was there to do some recruiting.

At this meet, and at another state qualifying meet on Long Island, two alumni of our program who are now high school coaches had disappointing days as their respective teams did not qualify for the state championship meet. In both cases, they were hopeful to do just that, and it did not work out.

When I go to these meets in a recruiting capacity, I am not there to "root" for anyone. I'm just checking things out. But I could not help but hope for my guy's team to win the meet. Inside, I was pulling for him and his squad.

Even though these guys are now in their 30s and have now established a track record of coaching success, I still consider them "my boys" and I want the best for them. It is gratifying to see them -- and many other Marist Running Alums -- coaching in the high school ranks.

Curtis is famous

2011-11-05T06:48:00.002-04:00

I do not get Runner's World Magazine, but apparently our very own Curtis Jensen's picture was in there. I guess there was a story about a Lehigh runner, and they found an old photo in which Curtis is going stride-for-stride with him. Pretty cool.

Even though Curtis is no longer a member of our team, he is still a part of the Marist Running family.

And now he's FAMOUS!

Thanks to Marist Running Alum Alex Emerel for emailing me this photo.

Excellent article on women's running

2011-11-04T20:27:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Marist Running Alum Colin Frederickson for sending me the link to this excellent article on grantland.com about the rapid ascent of female distance running.

The author of this article, Katie Baker, is an excellent writer whose work C-Fred and I both enjoy on grantland.com. Her topic is relevant, with Sunday being the NYC Marathon. And she does a great job of reporting and writing on this complex topic.

You can crunch numbers any way you want, but the bottom line is this: Women's running has come a long way in a short generation, and it's great to see.

Best of luck to all those running NYC on Sunday ... including Marist Running Alums Walsh and Schab.