Since our team consists of runners from basically within a 100-mile radius of Poughkeepsie -- as opposed to much of our competition -- we are all dealing with the same messy weather.
Snow. Cold. Wind. Ice.
In a word: WINTER.
There's only one thing to do during this time: Deal with it.
Obviously, safety is a concern. Be aware of black ice. No more trail running, unless it's on snowshoes (I'm sure Jut could recommend some good stuff for you there at his fancy store in New Paltz; I'll get there one of these days, Jut!).
Bundle up, get out there and run.
For those guys who are not from the immediate area, here's what we have in Poughkeepsie (or, at least, at my Hyde Park home): About 9 inches of snow, blowing and drifting, with another 4-6 inches coming on Sunday. And it's pretty darn cold. Didn't get above 20 today. But it should warm up a bit next week.
Watch for ice. Watch for idiot drivers. Stay safe. Go out and run.
More holiday updates early next week ...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A little tougher than the Back Hills
Here is a picture of new blog follower -- and subject of the previous post -- Greg "Reese" Salamone, from his recent glamorous vacation in the Congo.
Here is Greg's description of this photo: Me on the top of Mt. Stanley, the third highest peak in all of Africa at 16,700-plus feet. It's dubbed the hardest hike in Africa, and going with an incompetent guide from the Congo who doesn't speak your language and then lies to you (through your interpreter) and says he's been there before (when he hasn't) makes the hike a whole heck of a lot harder.
Geez. Sounds like fun. I think I'll cancel the family vacation at Lake George for next summer and go there.
Reese to the rescue
Great to see Greg Salamone (aka REESE) commenting on the course post from last night. It's great for several reasons, not the least of which that he is still ALIVE.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
Great news from abroad ...
Below is an email I received from Colin Johnson, budding middle distance star, who is studying abroad in Ireland and heading home very soon. For those who don't know Colin, he was a hockey player in high school; he also ran track, but not that fast (as he'll be the first to admit). But through hard work, he got his 800 time down to 1:59 last spring.
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Monday, December 15, 2008
Of courses
Hello, all. As one former Red Fox Harrier used to say ... What is GOOD?
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Yale season opener, 12.6.08
Finally, after many years, we have found an early indoor track meet in December worthy of wasting a perfectly good Saturday: the Yale Season Opener at good old Coxe Cage in New Haven.
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
Rolek wins in comeback effort
Got this photo courtesy of D.J. Paulson's dad, of our boy Mike Rolek stylin' his way to the finish line in a race I'm guessing was called the "Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K Run."
A nice return to the fold for Rolek, who has been sidelined with a debilitating back/hip/nerve thing for the better part of three months. It was a bummer, because Mike was in great shape in late summer and ready to rip up the fall racing scene. But alas, these things happen.
As with his return from the previous serious injury, here's hoping he learns some lessons from it and returns stronger and faster than ever. You'll recall that after the summer of his discontent in 2007, Rolek went on to have one of the great senior years of running in my time coaching during 2007-2008.
There's still plenty of fast running in that Jersey kid's legs. Slow and steady on the recovery trail.
Thanks for D.J. and D.S. for the photos.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Library
It occurred to me the other day that many (most) of the current team members only have a vague idea about my running. Most probably (and accurately) envision me as a recreational jogger who rarely, if ever, races.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Indoor track, 2009
My favorite season: Indoor track!
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Seniors at VCP
Thanks to John Keenan's mom for taking this photo and emailing it to me last week. It is of our 2008 xc senior class at a frigid Vanny at IC4As, the last time this group will run on the famed 5-mile course as collegians. Hopefully, some or all will be back on the trail as members of the Alumni Racing Team.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cross country thoughts
First of all, congratulations to the Iona College Gaels for their phenomenal runner-up (2nd place) performance at the NCAA Championships. All the talk was of Oklahoma State challenging Oregon, maybe even beating them. Seems everyone forgot LAST YEAR'S runners-up. And now, they are THIS YEAR'S runners-up. Convincingly. We should all be proud to be THEIR runners-up every year at MAACs.
Amazing stat of the season: Iona's Andrew Ledwith had a higher individual placement at the NCAA Championships (3rd) than he had at the MAAC Championships (5th). Obviously, the NCAA Championship race had a bit more importance to him and to his teammates, and they nailed it. Good for them.
Marist Cross Country 2008: This was a great fall season in which the team met or achieved all its goals. For those of you team members reading this, congratulations on your hard-earned success. For those of you alumni/friends/family reading this, thank you for your continued support throughout the fall season.
With all due respect to past teams -- and I've loved them all! -- this may have been the most fun I have had in a cross country season (I probably say that every year, right?). We were relatively injury-free. Everybody got along great. Everybody did the "little things" off the trail to make sure they got the "big things" nailed down correctly. I do think the racing-ever-other-week schedule worked out really well.
And the added bonus this year was getting to have a more active role in the women's program (more on that later). So in all, I couldn't have asked for more out of the past 14 or so weeks.
We had highlights in pretty much every meet.
Iona MOC: School record by Girma (25:01) and school record by the team (25:45 average), as well as highest team finish ever.
Paul Short: Probably our weakest meet of the year, but we still averaged 25:17 per man in the top-5, which was a program best until ...
Albany: When we won easily and averaged 24:47, the first time in school history we averaged under 25:00.
MAAC: We finally ran well for Mickey, getting a dominant 2nd, three all-MAAC performers (Girma, Conor, Will) and averaging 25:12 on a course that seemed to run a little slow.
Regionals: Top-10. Says it all.
IC4As: Broke the Vanny record by 1 second, despite the slightly longer course and brutally cold conditions, and sent off the Girma-Raucci and Friends Senior Class with one, last memorable day.
Now, I know this blog is men's-team centric. Not sure if any women's team members even read it. I would welcome the ladies to, and will try to include more women's meet details as track season begins in earnest next week.
One observation from this old coach about the women's program: We ran the University Division at ECACs (the women's version of IC4As), and got 4th. Our two lead runners, Addie (2nd) and Kathryn (9th), were in the top-10. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of ladies.
Does this sound familiar? It should. In 2005, the men's team ran the IC4A University Division. Girma place 2nd. David placed 11th. Both were freshmen. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of men.
You know how the past three years have gone for the men's program, with Girma and David leading the way. With two stud freshman ladies and under Chuck's excellent leadership, recruiting and coaching ... well, all I'll say is, just watch and see.
It should be a fun ride, and I'll be glad to hitch along to that wagon.
Final thoughts on the Girma/David Raucci Cross Country Era: It has been pointed out, by me and others, many times how "I wish Girma and David would nail it on the same day" in a cross country meet. They finally came very close to that perfection at Regionals this year, and the result was obvious.
However, the thought occurred to me the other day: In their many cross country races as our 1-2 runners (and they NEVER missed a meet, by the way), one of them ALWAYS stepped up and led the team. So while they rarely nailed it together on the same day, one of them almost always picked up for the other and kept our train rolling along. For four memorable years.
If anyone is interested in the updated VCP School Record List, let me know and I will email it to you.
On to indoor track.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Amazing stat of the season: Iona's Andrew Ledwith had a higher individual placement at the NCAA Championships (3rd) than he had at the MAAC Championships (5th). Obviously, the NCAA Championship race had a bit more importance to him and to his teammates, and they nailed it. Good for them.
Marist Cross Country 2008: This was a great fall season in which the team met or achieved all its goals. For those of you team members reading this, congratulations on your hard-earned success. For those of you alumni/friends/family reading this, thank you for your continued support throughout the fall season.
With all due respect to past teams -- and I've loved them all! -- this may have been the most fun I have had in a cross country season (I probably say that every year, right?). We were relatively injury-free. Everybody got along great. Everybody did the "little things" off the trail to make sure they got the "big things" nailed down correctly. I do think the racing-ever-other-week schedule worked out really well.
And the added bonus this year was getting to have a more active role in the women's program (more on that later). So in all, I couldn't have asked for more out of the past 14 or so weeks.
We had highlights in pretty much every meet.
Iona MOC: School record by Girma (25:01) and school record by the team (25:45 average), as well as highest team finish ever.
Paul Short: Probably our weakest meet of the year, but we still averaged 25:17 per man in the top-5, which was a program best until ...
Albany: When we won easily and averaged 24:47, the first time in school history we averaged under 25:00.
MAAC: We finally ran well for Mickey, getting a dominant 2nd, three all-MAAC performers (Girma, Conor, Will) and averaging 25:12 on a course that seemed to run a little slow.
Regionals: Top-10. Says it all.
IC4As: Broke the Vanny record by 1 second, despite the slightly longer course and brutally cold conditions, and sent off the Girma-Raucci and Friends Senior Class with one, last memorable day.
Now, I know this blog is men's-team centric. Not sure if any women's team members even read it. I would welcome the ladies to, and will try to include more women's meet details as track season begins in earnest next week.
One observation from this old coach about the women's program: We ran the University Division at ECACs (the women's version of IC4As), and got 4th. Our two lead runners, Addie (2nd) and Kathryn (9th), were in the top-10. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of ladies.
Does this sound familiar? It should. In 2005, the men's team ran the IC4A University Division. Girma place 2nd. David placed 11th. Both were freshmen. Then there was a gap to a very capable and improving pack of men.
You know how the past three years have gone for the men's program, with Girma and David leading the way. With two stud freshman ladies and under Chuck's excellent leadership, recruiting and coaching ... well, all I'll say is, just watch and see.
It should be a fun ride, and I'll be glad to hitch along to that wagon.
Final thoughts on the Girma/David Raucci Cross Country Era: It has been pointed out, by me and others, many times how "I wish Girma and David would nail it on the same day" in a cross country meet. They finally came very close to that perfection at Regionals this year, and the result was obvious.
However, the thought occurred to me the other day: In their many cross country races as our 1-2 runners (and they NEVER missed a meet, by the way), one of them ALWAYS stepped up and led the team. So while they rarely nailed it together on the same day, one of them almost always picked up for the other and kept our train rolling along. For four memorable years.
If anyone is interested in the updated VCP School Record List, let me know and I will email it to you.
On to indoor track.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Philly marathoners: NICELY DONE!
Great job by Marist Alumni Racing Team members Matt (CT) Szymaszek and Matt (Walsh) Walsh at the Philly Marathon on a chilly Sunday morning. Both ran their maiden voyages at 26.2 miles with smartly-paced, strong debuts.
As Decker wrote in a text shortly after they finished: "They ran brilliantly." I couldn't agree more, but I'll let you be the judge.
CT: 2:45:53. 63rd overall. 5km: 19:32; 10km: 39:21; 15km: 58:59; 20km: 1:18:32; 25km: 1:38:57 (included a 56-second bathroom break!); 30km: 1:58:23; 35km: 2:18:13; 40km: 2:37:24.
Walsh: 2:55:54. 138th overall. 5km: 21:40; 10km: 42:12; 15km: 1:03:24; 20km: 1:23:52; 25km: 1:44:29; 30km: 2:05:15; 35km: 2:26:04; 40km: 2:46:38.
Interestingly, Walsh won the little-known "Matt Walsh" division in the marathon, as he finished ahead of 25-year-old Matthew Walsh of Philadelphia (3:38:55).
Fellow Alumni Racer Justin (Jut) Harris deserves kudos for guiding Walsh in his training, particularly over the last month. And CT did a nice job crafting his training, and then adjusting it accordingly in the past month as he trained through a foot/ankle injury.
Great job fellas: We here at Blog Central are proud of your efforts and look forward to even brighter marathon days in the future.
As Decker wrote in a text shortly after they finished: "They ran brilliantly." I couldn't agree more, but I'll let you be the judge.
CT: 2:45:53. 63rd overall. 5km: 19:32; 10km: 39:21; 15km: 58:59; 20km: 1:18:32; 25km: 1:38:57 (included a 56-second bathroom break!); 30km: 1:58:23; 35km: 2:18:13; 40km: 2:37:24.
Walsh: 2:55:54. 138th overall. 5km: 21:40; 10km: 42:12; 15km: 1:03:24; 20km: 1:23:52; 25km: 1:44:29; 30km: 2:05:15; 35km: 2:26:04; 40km: 2:46:38.
Interestingly, Walsh won the little-known "Matt Walsh" division in the marathon, as he finished ahead of 25-year-old Matthew Walsh of Philadelphia (3:38:55).
Fellow Alumni Racer Justin (Jut) Harris deserves kudos for guiding Walsh in his training, particularly over the last month. And CT did a nice job crafting his training, and then adjusting it accordingly in the past month as he trained through a foot/ankle injury.
Great job fellas: We here at Blog Central are proud of your efforts and look forward to even brighter marathon days in the future.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Banner day at IC4A
Hello all:
Here is what I wrote up for the Marist Web Site (www.GoRedFoxes.com). Figured I'd give you all a sneak preview.
This was a great way to end the best season in school history.
More later in the weekend and/or earlier next week ...
NEW YORK – Seniors David Raucci (Clermont, NY) and captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) closed out their landmark cross country careers Saturday in record-breaking fashion, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to its best team performance in school history at the 100th annual ICAAAA Championships, held at a cold and windy Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Competing for the final time on the famed cross country course, the seniors led the Red Foxes to a third-place finish in the Championship Division, the highest placement in team history. The previous best team mark was fifth place in 2006. En route, the top-5 runners eclipsed the school record for combined time at Van Cortlandt Park by one second, bettering a mark set earlier this fall at the Iona College Meet of Champions.
The Red Foxes trailed IC4A Champions Duke (48 points) and second-place finisher Duquesne (87 points). Marist scored 102 points for third place in the 19-team field.
Raucci placed second overall, the highest individual finish in the Championship Division in school history, in a personal-best time of 25:13 over the 5-mile course. He earned IC4A All-East honors for the fourth time in his career.
Segni, the school-record holder at VCP, was 16th overall and earned his fourth All-East honors with a time of 25:43. Segni and Raucci have been the top-two runners for the Red Foxes for the past four years, and have set all of the cross country program’s school records in the process.
“We’ve never had a 1-2 punch like Girma and David, for four straight years, and we may never will have that again,’’ head coach Pete Colaizzo said. “As a program, we cannot thank David and Girma enough for all they have done to elevate our team and our school.’’
Sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) improved on his VCP best by nearly 40 seconds with his 22nd-place finish of 25:43. That placement earned him IC4A All-East honors. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) lopped 55 seconds off his previous VCP best with his 25th-place finish in 25:54. That placement earned him the final IC4A All-East position in the race. It was the first time in school history that four Marist runners earned IC4A Championship Division All-East honors on the same day.
Junior Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) was 38th in 26:04, rounding out the scoring pack. He was followed by freshmen Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NY), who notched personal-best times of 26:16 (54th place) and 26:35 (70th place).
The top-5 combined time of 2:08:43 was five seconds faster than the combined time at the Iona College Meet of Champions two months ago, with the average top-5 runner time equaling 25:44.6 – the best in the 45-year history of Marist Men’s Cross Country. Saturday’s combined time was run on a course slightly longer than Meet of Champions (5 miles is about 45 meters longer than 8,000 meters). It still represents the fastest combined time in school history.
In addition to the Championship Division result, freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) won the Coaches Association 5-mile race in a personal-best time of 26:53.
The IC4A meet concludes the fall cross country season. The indoor track season begins in two weeks at the Yale Season Opener, Dec. 6, at Coxe Cage in New Haven, CT.
IC4A Championships
Individual results, 5 miles
2. David Raucci 25:13 *IC4A All East
16. Girma Segni 25:43 *IC4A All East
22. Tim Keegan 25:49 *IC4A All East
25. Will Griffin 25:54 *IC4A All East
38. Conor Shelley 26:04
54. Matt Flint 26:16
70. Curtis Jensen 26:35
77. John Keenan 26:44
80. Nick Webster 26:45
89. Matt Janczyk 26:51
103. Joe McElhoney 27:15
107. Alex Emerel 27:19
129 finishers
Team standings: 1. Duke 48, 2. Duquesne 87, 3. Marist 102, 4. Cornell 157, 5. Princeton 183, 6. Columbia 193 ... the last page of team standings blew away in the chilly breeze. There were 19 teams total in the Championship Division.
Coaches Association race, 5 miles
1. Brian Townsend 26:53
4. Sam McMullen 27:13
5. Tom Lipari 27:17
7. Frank Stewart 27:25
10. Pat Duggan 27:40
14. Zak Smetana 27:47
26. Kyle Havard 28:09
30. Ryan Brown 28:20
37. Greg Masto 28:47
38. Kris Geist 28:51
55. Mike Holinko 30:41
66. Alex Lombardozzi 33:25
66 finishers
Here is what I wrote up for the Marist Web Site (www.GoRedFoxes.com). Figured I'd give you all a sneak preview.
This was a great way to end the best season in school history.
More later in the weekend and/or earlier next week ...
NEW YORK – Seniors David Raucci (Clermont, NY) and captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) closed out their landmark cross country careers Saturday in record-breaking fashion, leading the Marist College men’s cross country team to its best team performance in school history at the 100th annual ICAAAA Championships, held at a cold and windy Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Competing for the final time on the famed cross country course, the seniors led the Red Foxes to a third-place finish in the Championship Division, the highest placement in team history. The previous best team mark was fifth place in 2006. En route, the top-5 runners eclipsed the school record for combined time at Van Cortlandt Park by one second, bettering a mark set earlier this fall at the Iona College Meet of Champions.
The Red Foxes trailed IC4A Champions Duke (48 points) and second-place finisher Duquesne (87 points). Marist scored 102 points for third place in the 19-team field.
Raucci placed second overall, the highest individual finish in the Championship Division in school history, in a personal-best time of 25:13 over the 5-mile course. He earned IC4A All-East honors for the fourth time in his career.
Segni, the school-record holder at VCP, was 16th overall and earned his fourth All-East honors with a time of 25:43. Segni and Raucci have been the top-two runners for the Red Foxes for the past four years, and have set all of the cross country program’s school records in the process.
“We’ve never had a 1-2 punch like Girma and David, for four straight years, and we may never will have that again,’’ head coach Pete Colaizzo said. “As a program, we cannot thank David and Girma enough for all they have done to elevate our team and our school.’’
Sophomore Tim Keegan (Huntington, NY) improved on his VCP best by nearly 40 seconds with his 22nd-place finish of 25:43. That placement earned him IC4A All-East honors. Freshman Will Griffin (Columbia, CT) lopped 55 seconds off his previous VCP best with his 25th-place finish in 25:54. That placement earned him the final IC4A All-East position in the race. It was the first time in school history that four Marist runners earned IC4A Championship Division All-East honors on the same day.
Junior Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) was 38th in 26:04, rounding out the scoring pack. He was followed by freshmen Matt Flint (Queensbury, NY) and Curtis Jensen (Atlantic Highlands, NY), who notched personal-best times of 26:16 (54th place) and 26:35 (70th place).
The top-5 combined time of 2:08:43 was five seconds faster than the combined time at the Iona College Meet of Champions two months ago, with the average top-5 runner time equaling 25:44.6 – the best in the 45-year history of Marist Men’s Cross Country. Saturday’s combined time was run on a course slightly longer than Meet of Champions (5 miles is about 45 meters longer than 8,000 meters). It still represents the fastest combined time in school history.
In addition to the Championship Division result, freshman Brian Townsend (East Setauket, NY) won the Coaches Association 5-mile race in a personal-best time of 26:53.
The IC4A meet concludes the fall cross country season. The indoor track season begins in two weeks at the Yale Season Opener, Dec. 6, at Coxe Cage in New Haven, CT.
IC4A Championships
Individual results, 5 miles
2. David Raucci 25:13 *IC4A All East
16. Girma Segni 25:43 *IC4A All East
22. Tim Keegan 25:49 *IC4A All East
25. Will Griffin 25:54 *IC4A All East
38. Conor Shelley 26:04
54. Matt Flint 26:16
70. Curtis Jensen 26:35
77. John Keenan 26:44
80. Nick Webster 26:45
89. Matt Janczyk 26:51
103. Joe McElhoney 27:15
107. Alex Emerel 27:19
129 finishers
Team standings: 1. Duke 48, 2. Duquesne 87, 3. Marist 102, 4. Cornell 157, 5. Princeton 183, 6. Columbia 193 ... the last page of team standings blew away in the chilly breeze. There were 19 teams total in the Championship Division.
Coaches Association race, 5 miles
1. Brian Townsend 26:53
4. Sam McMullen 27:13
5. Tom Lipari 27:17
7. Frank Stewart 27:25
10. Pat Duggan 27:40
14. Zak Smetana 27:47
26. Kyle Havard 28:09
30. Ryan Brown 28:20
37. Greg Masto 28:47
38. Kris Geist 28:51
55. Mike Holinko 30:41
66. Alex Lombardozzi 33:25
66 finishers
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Freezing in Philly
Best of luck to CT (Matt Szymaszek) and Walsh (Matt Walsh), who will be running the Philly Marathon on Sunday.
Just got off the phone with CT and he informed me the race starts at 7 a.m. Yikes. I checked www.wunderground.com and noted that it will be about 27 degrees at that time. But with a light wind, so actually pretty decent marathon racing conditions.
Unsolicited advice to my boys: Go out at a conservative pace. Don't blow it over the first 8-10km. Stay comfortable. And then it's just a 20-mile hard run. Look at it that way.
Best of luck to them, and any other alums/runners reading this, at Philly.
For those of you coming to Vanny on Saturday morning: IT WILL BE COLD. But dry.
See you soon.
Just got off the phone with CT and he informed me the race starts at 7 a.m. Yikes. I checked www.wunderground.com and noted that it will be about 27 degrees at that time. But with a light wind, so actually pretty decent marathon racing conditions.
Unsolicited advice to my boys: Go out at a conservative pace. Don't blow it over the first 8-10km. Stay comfortable. And then it's just a 20-mile hard run. Look at it that way.
Best of luck to them, and any other alums/runners reading this, at Philly.
For those of you coming to Vanny on Saturday morning: IT WILL BE COLD. But dry.
See you soon.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mud picture #2
Also courtesy of Decker, a little bigger and better photo.
From left: David Raucci, Matt Flint, Will Griffin, Tim Keegan, Girma Segni, Conor Shelley, Joe McElhoney
Proud of my alumni coaches
Been meaning to write a post about this, and I will offer my disclaimer apology up front for anyone I inadvertently leave off this list ...
I've been coaching a long time, this is my 18th year. Obviously, this means I have coached a lot of athletes. And a lot of those athletes have, fortunately, graduated and made productive lives for themselves and those around them.
It's gratifying to me that many of my former runners have become coaches in their own right. In fact, several Section One and New York State cross country and track meets sometimes turn into impromptu Marist Alumni Coaches meetings! And now, many of you guys are sending some of your athletes my way, which makes me a GrandCoach of sorts. Or something like that.
OK. In no particular order, here is a roster of Marist Running Alums that are now guiding young runners all over the Northeast and beyond ...
High school
David Swift: Spackenkill (Mr. Bucket has been there over a decade now)
Pat Driscoll: Tappan Zee
Jason Grady: Rhinebeck (nearly won a state title!)
Gilby Hawkins: Pearl River (also nearly won a state title!)
Mike Nehr: Syosset
Matt Pool: Dover (they even built him a really nice track!)
Louis Caporale: Brewster/Carmel or somewhere over there (sorry Louis, I always forget!)
Joe Scelia: Brewster
Timmy Russo: Somewhere on LI (sorry)
Collegiate
Sean Hopkins: Assistant at Hofstra University
Justin Harris: Assistant at SUNY New Paltz
I am certain I forgot someone, probably a recent grad that I should remember. If so, let me know and we'll do a follow-up post.
I've been coaching a long time, this is my 18th year. Obviously, this means I have coached a lot of athletes. And a lot of those athletes have, fortunately, graduated and made productive lives for themselves and those around them.
It's gratifying to me that many of my former runners have become coaches in their own right. In fact, several Section One and New York State cross country and track meets sometimes turn into impromptu Marist Alumni Coaches meetings! And now, many of you guys are sending some of your athletes my way, which makes me a GrandCoach of sorts. Or something like that.
OK. In no particular order, here is a roster of Marist Running Alums that are now guiding young runners all over the Northeast and beyond ...
High school
David Swift: Spackenkill (Mr. Bucket has been there over a decade now)
Pat Driscoll: Tappan Zee
Jason Grady: Rhinebeck (nearly won a state title!)
Gilby Hawkins: Pearl River (also nearly won a state title!)
Mike Nehr: Syosset
Matt Pool: Dover (they even built him a really nice track!)
Louis Caporale: Brewster/Carmel or somewhere over there (sorry Louis, I always forget!)
Joe Scelia: Brewster
Timmy Russo: Somewhere on LI (sorry)
Collegiate
Sean Hopkins: Assistant at Hofstra University
Justin Harris: Assistant at SUNY New Paltz
I am certain I forgot someone, probably a recent grad that I should remember. If so, let me know and we'll do a follow-up post.
Monday, November 17, 2008
More regionals analysis
This is mostly for those alums/friends of the program that were not at the mudfest at Vanny:
-- Throw away the times. They are meaningless, of no use. The course was a mess, with parts of it under water with puddles. It was impossible to run even remotely fast on it. Interestingly, though, when the men were racing the conditions were not that bad. A bit breezy, but no rain. And, it was insanely warm and humid for this time of year -- mid-60s and sticky.
-- Girma and Conor were not at 100 percent. Girma had been sick all week and had nosebleeds during several of his runs, including Friday afternoon. I was worried his new white singlet would be covered in mud and blood at the same time. He said he had trouble breathing because of his illness, but he "manned up" and got the job done for the team. Conor has had knee pain since before MAACs but it has been barking pretty good the past 2 weeks. He popped some IB before the race and said he didn't feel it, but it was probably a factor in his subpar performance in terms of place. However, there was nothing subpar about his effort. He gutted it out and did a fantastic job for us as 5th man on this day. His status is questionable for ICs.
-- David Raucci was hoping for better, but it was by far his best regional race and he ran tremendously well. His 33 points for our 2nd man was a huge key, as was ...
-- Will Griffin, the fab freshman, who scored 58 points and really held his own against big-time competition over a 10km distance that had us all concerned earlier in the season. No more.
-- Timmy Keegan ran an overall solid performance, as he usually does. He said afterwards it was the hardest race he ever ran. He lost a toenail during/after the race and was in some pain, but he'll hopefully be good to go for ICs.
-- Matt Flint and Joe Mac were disappointed in their races and in not scoring for the team, but they have been strong varsity runners all year and they have one more race to prove it. Matt's race was actually solid and would have been fine for a scoring spot if needed. Again, we are looking for big PR efforts out of them -- and all, at ICs on Saturday.
-- As a team, we finished ahead of two Ivy's (Yale, Brown), which is significant given the caliber of their programs; Army, the Patriot League champ; Boston College; Binghamton and Stony Brook, two strong America East teams; and were just a few points behind the America East champs (UNH).
Now we move on to IC4As, a meet that our program has always attended and where we have some strong tradition. We are hopeful for a strong finish to what has been a solid season. Equally as important, we are hopeful for as many personal-best performances out of the entire squad -- 1 through 25.
And lastly, we are thankful for the efforts of our departing senior xc runners: Alex Emerel, Kris Geist, John Keenan, David Raucci, Girma Segni. They have been part of the best teams in history, and we hope they can be part of a fine send-off at Vanny.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
-- Throw away the times. They are meaningless, of no use. The course was a mess, with parts of it under water with puddles. It was impossible to run even remotely fast on it. Interestingly, though, when the men were racing the conditions were not that bad. A bit breezy, but no rain. And, it was insanely warm and humid for this time of year -- mid-60s and sticky.
-- Girma and Conor were not at 100 percent. Girma had been sick all week and had nosebleeds during several of his runs, including Friday afternoon. I was worried his new white singlet would be covered in mud and blood at the same time. He said he had trouble breathing because of his illness, but he "manned up" and got the job done for the team. Conor has had knee pain since before MAACs but it has been barking pretty good the past 2 weeks. He popped some IB before the race and said he didn't feel it, but it was probably a factor in his subpar performance in terms of place. However, there was nothing subpar about his effort. He gutted it out and did a fantastic job for us as 5th man on this day. His status is questionable for ICs.
-- David Raucci was hoping for better, but it was by far his best regional race and he ran tremendously well. His 33 points for our 2nd man was a huge key, as was ...
-- Will Griffin, the fab freshman, who scored 58 points and really held his own against big-time competition over a 10km distance that had us all concerned earlier in the season. No more.
-- Timmy Keegan ran an overall solid performance, as he usually does. He said afterwards it was the hardest race he ever ran. He lost a toenail during/after the race and was in some pain, but he'll hopefully be good to go for ICs.
-- Matt Flint and Joe Mac were disappointed in their races and in not scoring for the team, but they have been strong varsity runners all year and they have one more race to prove it. Matt's race was actually solid and would have been fine for a scoring spot if needed. Again, we are looking for big PR efforts out of them -- and all, at ICs on Saturday.
-- As a team, we finished ahead of two Ivy's (Yale, Brown), which is significant given the caliber of their programs; Army, the Patriot League champ; Boston College; Binghamton and Stony Brook, two strong America East teams; and were just a few points behind the America East champs (UNH).
Now we move on to IC4As, a meet that our program has always attended and where we have some strong tradition. We are hopeful for a strong finish to what has been a solid season. Equally as important, we are hopeful for as many personal-best performances out of the entire squad -- 1 through 25.
And lastly, we are thankful for the efforts of our departing senior xc runners: Alex Emerel, Kris Geist, John Keenan, David Raucci, Girma Segni. They have been part of the best teams in history, and we hope they can be part of a fine send-off at Vanny.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
10th place
It was a memorable day at Vanny, which was pretty much under water due to the mid-morning deluge.
Thanks to the alums that could make it and braved the miserable (but not cold) weather. Special note of thanks to "old" alum Pete Startz (class of 00) for making it out. Great to see you!
We missed Schab, who is recuperating from a major foot injury that occurred at work. If you don't know about it, call or text him. It was pretty gruesome and will keep him out of the Philly Marathon. We hope to see the Schabster -- and many others -- at IC4As on Saturday.
Weather will be COLD for that one. But isn't it always cold at that meet?
More post-race analysis to come on Monday or whenever I have time. A great team effort -- from those on the course and off the course, and from the alums there to support them as well.
See you soon.
Thanks to the alums that could make it and braved the miserable (but not cold) weather. Special note of thanks to "old" alum Pete Startz (class of 00) for making it out. Great to see you!
We missed Schab, who is recuperating from a major foot injury that occurred at work. If you don't know about it, call or text him. It was pretty gruesome and will keep him out of the Philly Marathon. We hope to see the Schabster -- and many others -- at IC4As on Saturday.
Weather will be COLD for that one. But isn't it always cold at that meet?
More post-race analysis to come on Monday or whenever I have time. A great team effort -- from those on the course and off the course, and from the alums there to support them as well.
See you soon.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Rain and wind
Weather forecast for Saturday is calling for rain and wind, but relatively warm temperatures in the high 50s/low 60s. It will be messy. But cross country is an outdoor sport. And sometimes it gets messy.
To all who will be in attendance on Saturday -- racing, doing a hard workout, supporting, or some combination of those -- you will get wet.
Although I am a notorious weather wimp, I am looking forward to Saturday. It will be wet, but at least it won't be cold.
See you on the van, or at Vanny.
To all who will be in attendance on Saturday -- racing, doing a hard workout, supporting, or some combination of those -- you will get wet.
Although I am a notorious weather wimp, I am looking forward to Saturday. It will be wet, but at least it won't be cold.
See you on the van, or at Vanny.
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