The Caumsett Park 25K/50K Caumsett Park, NY March 4, 2012
Mike Skara 4:03:21 29th Place
I wasn’t even aware of this race until the Sunday before when a friend from some ultras emailed me about it. Everything about it was perfect: a Sunday morn, not far away in Long Island, not expensive, and sponsored by USATF. I figured it would give me a good indicator how my training had progressed in 2012, I could get in a good long run, and I could prepare for my real 50K race in May at which I hoped to PR.

Well, the best laid schemes… I ran my fastest 50K race ever by a ton. Not only is 4:03 more than 30 minutes faster than my previous best 50K, I almost set a marathon PR with 6+ miles left in this event. I’m insanely happy with that performance!

The various circumstances went right for me. Traffic was almost nil and I got there in plenty of time. The weather was cool and overcast with little breeze. The 10-lap course had two hills, but they weren’t insanely steep or overly long. The rest was rolling, constantly up and down, and full of tangents to keep my mind occupied. The organization was very good, as one would expect from a USATF event. There was plenty of the usual ultra fare at the main aid station and the far aid station at the top of the largest hill had fluids. The crowd was sparse, but one volunteer had a huge voice and stayed enthused the whole time.

Here’s the really crazy part: I didn’t go out too fast. I ran with the friend from that email for the first two laps and then let her go. After a short while I met up with someone running the same pace I was and we chatted for the next several laps. With three laps left, I felt good so I picked it up. After a short while, I saw my friend again, so I decided to try to catch her. She had topped me by one mile at the NC 24-hour run one year so I knew she was a good indicator of strength. With exactly two laps to go I had caught her, so I dug for more. My last lap was easily my fastest and I had nothing left after the sprint at the end, so I know I paced it right.

As I often say after my ultras, I encourage others to come out for these events. They’re really fun and much lower-key than high-tension marathons. For this one, you wouldn’t have to go all the way to North Carolina on New Year’s Eve either.

- Mike Skara

Sneaker Factory 10K, Millburn, NJ March 18, 2012
Elizabeth Candela 45:54

Apple Chase 5K/10K Pompton Plains, NJ March 25, 2012
5K Randy Miller 19:37 (1st AG)
George Studzinski 29:08 (1st AG)
10K    Charlie Slaughter 40:41 (1st AG)
    Daniel Smith 41:42
    Frank Russo 43:18
    Mark Frankel 45:20

My fitness has taken a bit of a hit due to health issues in the past four months, but I was very happy with the results. I started out slowly and was able to push hard at the end. I lost a sprint duel with Pat Butcher by half a second, who I tried to chase down at the end. I should’ve paid more attention to Dr Speed at the March meeting.  –   Mark Frankel

Ocean Drive Marathon Cape May, NJ March 25, 2012
   Mick Close 3:49:07 (2nd AG)

I was very happy to make it down to Cape May on Sunday for the 14th annual Ocean Drive Marathon that follows a one way course up the coast through Wildwood, Angelsea, Stone Harbor and Avalon to the finish in Sea Isle City. There’s also a 10 miler that starts together with the marathon and follows the same course but finishes on the board-walk in North Wildwood.

It was fun seeing Sue Palermo and some of the other Fleet Feet winter warriors in the Congress Hall hotel before the race and to run the first 4 miles with Don Manfria. It was also nice meeting Maggie Morin, sister in law of Chris Jawor-ski, who lives in Cape May and showed up with a large “Go Mick” sign.

The field was larger than I expected with more than 1,200 runners split between the two races and slightly more finishers in the marathon (676) than the 10 miler (541). As advertised, the course was mostly flat except for the bridges which pop up every few miles and are not too steep but do provide a bit of a challenge as the race progresses.

The weather is probably the biggest factor in this race, especially the wind, but after a forecast of rain for most of the week, the conditions on race day turned out to be dry and overcast with temperatures in the low 50′s. There was a head wind most of the way, especially in the second half, but it didn’t seem too strong and it could have been much worse.

This was my 40th marathon and one of my most consistent as I managed to hang onto an 8:45 pace for the entire race to finish in 3:49:07 (2nd AG) after passing the half in about 1:54:30.

Many thanks to the Fleet Feet group and all the winter warriors who helped keep me motivated through the winter on those cold Sunday mornings and dark Thursday evening runs!

There are some photos on my Facebook page if you can get to them. Many thanks to Catherine for taking these and for all her support! She had planned to run the 10 miler but was sick the last two weeks before the race.

The race is scheduled for Sunday, March 24 in 2013 if you’re interested in running it. www.odmarathon.org

Urban Environmental Challenge Van Cortlandt Park, NY April 1, 2012
 Tracy Keller, 67.06 minutes
    Elsa Slater, 70:13 minutes

Scotland Run 10K Central Park, NY April 7, 2012
 John Harvey 49:13
Perfect day for a loop around Central Park. This was a new PR for me and my most enjoyable run in NYC ever. Great Scottish festivities and atmosphere.

Cherry Blossom Run 10K Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ April 15, 2012
Larry Czaplewski (3rd AG) … 37:57
    Catherine Smith (1st woman overall) … 38:55
    Michael Gorman … 39:49
    Mike Skara … 41:04
    Glenn Trimboli … 41:04
    Charlie Slaughter (2nd AG) … 41:20
    Amanda King (8th woman overall, 1st AG) … 42:37
    Dan Murphy … 42:38
    Mark Frankel … 45:22
    Gary Peters … 46:04
    Mick Close … 46:35
    Phil Coffin … 47:19
    Gerald Velli … 49:15
    Wayne Carlson … 49:51
    John Harvey … 49:53
    Hilary Fandel … 49:54
    Don Manfria … 50:16
    Bill Wilde … 50:41
    Tom Kelly (3rd AG) … 51:08
    Oriana Tejeda … 52:24
    Andi Robik … 52:29
    Susan Fasciano … 53:14
    Amber Andrews … 53:14
    Karen Patton … 53:28
    George Swiatek … 54:43
    Maria Imas … 55:20
    Martta Kelly … 56:07
    Joe Cozzi … 58:37
    Donna Catiolitti … 1:00:19
    George Studzinski (2nd AG) … 1:00:54
    Gina Imperatore … 1:01:24
    Robbin Jordan … 1:03:23
    Val Kenny … 1:08:05
    Dawn Cascio … 1:11:11
    Carol Ann Manfria … 1:16:13
    Joanne Barone … 1:22:41

Essex was well represented at the Cherry Blossom Run in Branch Brook Park today with over 35 runners in a field of almost 900. It was a spectacular day if rather warm with the sun shining and the blossoms in full bloom. Catherine Smith led the way with her outstanding 1st place finish in the women’s race followed by Amanda King in 8th (1st in her age). Larry Czaplewski was our top finisher in 37:57 (3rd in his age) with Michael Gorman next in 39:49 after he finished top master at the Building Tomorrow’s 5K race in Brookdale Park yesterday. Others winning age group awards were Charlie Slaughter (2nd), Tom Kelly (3rd) and George Studzinski (2nd). We also had Fleet Feet Essex teams in the USATF-NJ Women’s Masters Championship with our 40′s team finishing 7th and our 50′s team 9th. Congratulations to every-one who ran today and sorry to anyone I missed.
Complete results are on CompuScore at http://www.compuscore.com/cs2012/april cherry.htm. – Mick Close

More Half Marathon Central Park, NY April 15, 2012
Aubrey D. Birzon Blanda 1:53:06
I ran the More Half Marathon while most of the Essex Warriors were at the Cherry Blossom. I ran about 30 seconds better than I did the last time I ran it, about 4 years ago. The course was tougher than I’d remembered, especially that second time up Harlem Hill! But overall, a great day for a race! – Aubrey Birzon Blanda

Boston Marathon, Boston, MA April 16, 2012
ERC was well represented today at Boston. Congrats to all our teams (unofficial results for Boston Teams):

Mens Master: 3rd Place
Fleet Feet Essex Racing (New Jersey) 8:42:24
Elliott Frieder 2:43:56
    Jonathan Frieder 2:50:05
    Harold E. Porcher 3:08:23
    Tom Eaton 3:18:55

Mens Open: 13th Place
Fleet Feet Essex Racing (New Jersey) 8:42:05
Justin Scheid 2:39:36
    William Washer 2:55:30
    Paul Kartanowicz 3:06:59

Womans Master: 4th Place
Fleet Feet Essex Racing (New Jersey) 11:11:48
Karen Merz 3:32:38
    Dorothy Auth 3:41:53
    Jennifer Odell 3:57:17

This race usually produces some of the year=s fastest 5K times on the mostly flat, out-and-back course from Living-ston’s Memorial Oval. This is a USATF team race for our wom-en and always features a strong women’s field for the USATF-NJ women’s open 5K championship. Preregister to receive the race goodie bag and tech shirt (new for 2012). Stay after the race for random prize drawings with some valuable prizes.

(Info: 908-902-8587 www.oymp.net)

Monday, May 28 – Ridgewood Run

(10K at 8:45am, 5K at 10:15)

The 37th annual Ridgewood Run organized by North Jersey Masters will be held as usual on Memorial Day on a mostly flat course through the beautiful tree lined streets of Ridge-wood. The race has a very festive atmosphere and there are many amenities including Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Be sure to pre-register as there is no race day registration.

(Info: 973-333-4837 www.ridgewoodrun.com)

During the warm months I find that I can run just about anywhere I want because I don’t need to worry where I’m going to get my hydration from. During the cold months, the water in my tiny bottles tends to freeze easily, so I have to alter my route to pass by some other source of water.

This past winter, for example, I developed a 10.5 mile route that passed by the police station where I live in Wayne at miles four and five. I used to also run a 16 mile route that passed by both the police station (miles two and four) and Willowbrook Mall (mile eight).

Of course, when I used to run at Grove St. we would take turns stashing water. Sometimes we even had to do that in the summer too. Occasion-ally, though, the water fountains actually worked.

Injuries and a lack of time for all of that extra driving have forced me to train closer to home. Since the FuelBelt has given me the flexibility to run almost any route I want, I’ve tried a few up by my house. My current fave is an 11.5 mile route by Pines Lake, some of it overlapping the Brian’s Run route.

I drink much more than I use to, especially on hot days. At Grove St. we went about three or four miles between water stops. Nowadays that seems like a long, although I can’t remember it ever being a problem. I do remember, though, some pretty big problems when I tried to stretch that distance a bit.

Every August I used to go up to my Alma Mater in Rhode Island for training, and would do a long run after the training was over. This was before I had my Fuelbelt. I suppose I could’ve carried water by hand, but since there was water along the way I never felt compelled to bring any-thing with me.

Training would end Saturday night, so on Sunday morning I’d head out from the dorm I was staying at to the West Kingstown Trail (a rail-trail actually) one mile away. I’d stop for water at the adjacent train station, and then run and out and back on the trail. The trail was four miles long, so I would go eight miles between water stops. That was too long. Somehow I slogged through those runs, though, for as much as three out and backs.

I always had great difficulty running the last mile, from the station back to the dorm. Usually extreme dehydration would set in and I’d stagger back. Once a cop saw me. She took me in her car and offered to drive me to a hospital. It was a temporary issue, I responded, and I’d be better after a cold shower and a long nap.

It took me a few years of repeating this cycle before I finally broke down and bought a Fuelbelt. It’s been a great investment. I can’t say it’s completely alleviated the problem, but at least now I can manage to get through most long runs without having to worry about hydration. If it gets too hot and humid outside all bets are off. That’s happened too.

Mark Frankel

www.essexrunning.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/veronalabordayclassic.pdf

Photograph by Tony Bonanno

Recap of Traprock 50K, Penwood State Park, Bloomfield, CT, April 14, 2012

Chris Jaworski (3rd AG) … 6:49:07

A trail race right here in Bloomfield, the heart of ERC country? Sign me up! Oh? What? Bloomfield, Connecticut? Just north of Hartford? Alrighty then. My day would involve about five hours of driving … and almost seven hours of running!

I had read favorable reviews of this race in its first two years and decided to give it a shot this time. Running its hilly and technical single-track and double-track would be good training for a May race on similar terrain, and finishing it would mean I’d be checking off the last of the three “ultra” trail races that take place in Connecticut. The other two are the 26.4-mile NipMuck Marathon and the Bimbler’s Bluff 50K. One thing these races and my head have in common is rocks.

Stairway to Heaven. Photographs by Chip Tilden (chiptilden.tumblr.com), except as noted.

According to Wikipedia, “traprock is a form of igneous rock that … tends to appear in orderly structures resembling piles of blocks, … inspiring the term ‘trap,’ which comes from a Scandinavian word meaning ‘steps’ or ‘stairs.’ … Traprock is the primary constituent of many ridges and other rock outcrops in the Hudson River Valley, such as the Palisades, and [in] southern New England.”

The Traprock course, which used the Metacomet Trail, had a multitude of rocks. They came in all shapes and sizes and degrees of jaggedness and “rollability.” They were packed together in some sections, and jutted up randomly elsewhere. In spots, the trail took an abrupt step down or up, over rock formations that looked how gibberish sounds. Among the other notable sections were a tall, steep hillside of rocks called the Stairway to Heaven; a 1.5-mile stretch of warped and broken asphalt; and areas carpeted with coarse, sharp-edged gravel.

* * *

Wayne Pacileo & Cherie Yanek.

"Hey, Scott Martin!"

Before the race, it was great catching up with ultrarunner friends Chip, Scott, and Cherie, and meeting Wayne (Cherie’s beau) and Bastiaan (another New Jersey runner). A Brit told us he’d be running Boston two days later. Everyone was in good spirits!

At the relaxed prerace briefing, which stretched to 8:45, race directors Steve Nelson and Kevin Hutt welcomed us, and told us that attendance had increased to 200 runners, from 50 in the first Traprock. They described the entire course and added that it was so well marked that, if we got lost, we should just take up road running!

Finally, a moment of silence, and a tribute of music, for ultrarunner Micah True, a.k.a. Caballo Blanco, the White Horse. True, race director for Mexico’s Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, became an inspirational figure after being featured in the book Born to Run in 2009. He died in late March of this year, while running solo in Gila National Forest in New Mexico. As I listened to strains of Vivaldi from a cello, I thought about True and his place in the ultra community … and then of our friend Doug Williams, another runner who left us too soon, and his place in the Essex community. Each of us runners, supported by a community, can find his or her place and can excel, and the community in turn is richer for its members’ participation and accomplishments. How fortunate it is that running brings us together, and that our lives become intertwined so.

I’ll try to run a good race for Doug.

Cellist & RDs Steve Nelson & Kevin Hutt.

Conditions were perfect. A chill on arrival but, within minutes, comfort in short sleeves. An occasional cool breeze that would be welcome as the temperatures rose, from around 50 at the start to the upper 60s in the afternoon. Low humidity, dropping from 50% to 20% during the race. No mud, a plus on a course like this. Clear skies, bright sunshine, shade under the trees.

Aid stations were set up no more than 4 miles apart, so I decided to run with a 20-ounce bottle and refill along the way. As each station was stocked with standard ultra fare, but no gels, I’d carry a few of those too, plus electrolyte capsules, and then replenish from my drop bag at the start/finish.

* * *

Lap 1. We were off! Some small number of yards on pavement—then up! Steeply up the trail! This hill was runnable, but the crowding on its technical single-track meant most of us had to hike it. After reaching the top, the runner next to me said hello. It was Jim. Hey! I’d met Jim at the prerace dinner for the Vermont 50 Mile in September. Now here we were, comparing notes about that race, and talking about other things, while running the Metacomet. Soon, though, I realized the pace was too fast and, letting Jim go, took it down a notch.

50K to go!

A bit later—I don’t recall if it was before or after scaling the Stairway to Heaven—I began feeling I was laboring too much for so early on, and I questioned whether two more laps were doable. I let that thought go, and let the imperative to scan the ground take over. I’d bashed my knee and scraped my arm in a hard fall at South Mountain Reservation a week earlier and was wondering how the knee would hold up here. I did not want to fall and hit it again, either. Best be ultra careful. I watched my step, and the next, and the next and, while doing that, forgot about being tired, about the miles and hours ahead. There were other diversions, too … the scenic valley views from the top of the ridge … the smiles and assistance from the volunteers at the mile 3 aid station … greeting other runners on the out-and-back lollipop loop at the northernmost end of the course … more aid … precarious cliffside running … the mile 7 aid station … the long, gradual uphill run on the paved road and then, after reaching its apex, the long run on the gradual downhill that followed … the sharp right back onto the trail … the final 1.5 miles, retracing the first 1.5 miles … and then the careful, meticulous run down the steep, technical single-track that started it all. After crossing the finish line to get my chip read and split recorded (2:00:15), I made a U-turn, hit the aid station for a refill and a slice of fruit, and headed back out to do it all over again.

Up and at 'em!

Lap 2. During the middle lap, I went through some motivational swings. On the down side, I was starting to feel the first 10-11 miles. My hike up the Stairway to Heaven was just a bit less jaunty this time! On the up side, I now had my own mental map of the course—knew where to go, how long each section was, what to expect when, and, most important, which areas to look forward to for relief. Familiarity began pulling me along. That there was so much variety packed into the course—something different was never too far ahead—was another motivator. I also perked up when I saw Bastiaan … Wayne … Cherie … Scott … Chip … coming from the opposite direction on the lollipop loop. As this lap went on, though … ow, ow, ow! Despite my efforts to pick my foot plants and to “glide” over rocks and gravel, I began to feel every little point and edge through the bottoms of my shoes. After a while, the soles of my feet became swollen and tender, and every now and again they’d start burning—a trail-running sensation I hadn’t experienced before. Doubts about being able to do the third lap were bubbling up. I’d forgotten to leave a thicker soled pair of shoes in my drop bag. Would another pair of socks help? This is what I was wondering while coming down off the trail and into the finish line for the second time. This lap (2:21:22) had taken me 21 minutes longer than the first. No surprise there.

Lap 3. After making the U-turn, I grabbed my drop bag and sat down. I wasn’t sure about continuing, but I was taking my shoes off, pulling a pair of socks on over the ones I was wearing, and lacing up again. I changed to a dry shirt, too. A volunteer asked if I were going out for a third lap. A yes came out of someone’s mouth (mine, I think). I pinned my bib on the new shirt, got up, and stopped at the aid station for a bottle refill and a slice of watermelon. As I turned to leave, RD Steve encouraged me to “go tear up the trail.” I said I would, and with that began picking my way back up that hill … running. However, I had one more good slowdown in me, and it would not be denied. I began tiring … may as well have been going up the Down Escalator to Heaven this time around … and may have begun competing with another runner to see who could walk slower. Then something neat happened. A third runner came up from behind. She was, um, running. I decided to hitch my wagon to hers, and pretty soon was reinvigorated. Farther on, children approached in twos and threes. Each said, “Great job,” and a couple of the boys gave us high-fives. These little cheerleaders had hiked the short distance from the “mile 3″ aid station. We were mighty impressed with them, and what a nice pick-me-up they provided.

At the lollipop turnaround, with about 6 miles left and with my feet still suffering—the extra socks were not helping—I really began to find my legs. Energy had come out of nowhere, and I wanted to run with it. When I asked to pass, the lead wagon said go for it, and I did. I was then running all the sections I had walked during lap 2, and was catching sight of and passing one runner after another, probably a dozen all told. No one passed me, not even whoever was hot on my heels coming down that last hill the final time. I kept my eyes glued to the trail until I bounced out onto the pavement, and then sprinted alone to the finish. My lap 3 time was 2:27:30, which includes the minutes I’d spent adding socks and changing shirts. It strikes me as funny that, though my splits for the last two laps were nearly equal, I felt so much better and faster on lap 3. Feelings can be deceiving, but oh what a great feeling that had been!

* * *

After crossing the line the final time, I kept going. I walked a few steps to a table to claim my finisher’s pint glass, printed with Traprock’s logo, and slogan, Ridges, Rocks, Roots, and Running. Then I stepped over to the grill and the tables laden with food and drink. I had a burger, drank a Pepsi for the caffeine for the drive home, chatted with fellow finishers, and welcomed others in.

Sixty-nine runners started and finished the 17K race. Of the 115 runners who started the 50K, 27 (23%) did not finish. Of the 88 who finished, I placed 48th. Too bad I didn’t win an award—some runners received a plaque with a chunk of traprock on it.

Chip Tilden. Photograph by David Merkt.

Aside from having those foot issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the day and this well-organized, well-run event. Carpoolers got the choice parking spots, close to the start/finish. (I was not one of those people, but I think the arrangement was a good one.) The prerace briefing felt like a family gathering. The course was challenging, scenic, interesting, and very well marked. The volunteers were helpful and cheerful and supportive. The aid stations kept me well fueled. RD Kevin’s emceeing—his quips and fictional biographical factoids for incoming finishers—had me in stitches. And, finally, for a $50 entry fee I received a small goody bag and a nice tech shirt. The race directors said that the money left after expenses will be donated to the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which maintains the trails there.

* * *

Results: http://aratrace.com/traprock-50k-2012/

Photos: http://tinyurl.com/76c3tzf

2010 video tour of trail, including Stairway to Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBoABbsyx2s

2011 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDyU0F1MIOE

Tracy Keller, Elsa Slater, and Justine Krell after running their first Leatherman’s Loop!

Recaps of Leatherman’s Loop 10K Trail Race, Cross River, NY, April 22, 2012

Elsa Slater. On Sunday, April 22, a group of ERCers headed up to Cross River for the Leatherman’s Loop. The weather was a little chilly as we waited for the race to start, but once we took off it was probably close to perfect conditions – around 50 or slightly higher with cloud cover. Because of the recent drought, water crossings were fairly low and there was plenty of mud, but apparently nowhere near the epic conditions that have graced the course in the past. Fellow Loop newbies Tracy, Justine and I got some great tips from Rich Unis on the car ride up, and from Chris, Sharon and Randy as we waited for the race to begin, which really helped us to navigate some of the trickier aspects of the course.

Once we got through the meadow and into the woods the course narrows considerably. It can be hard trying to stay together if you are running with someone else, and it took almost running into a small tree right smack in the middle of the trail to remember to keep my eyes front! While I thought this course was challenging enough as it was, I can see how some extra moisture, which thankfully came later in the day, could turn it into a completely different animal! Speaking of animals, there were dogs galore, and we were able to say hi to Desmond as he ran by with one of his dogs! After some ups and downs in the woods, we got to the first water crossing: about knee deep so not too bad. I quickly learned newbie lesson number 2: to keep my hands to myself in the water crossings (sorry, Tracy!) so I wouldn’t take anyone with me if I fell! Afterwards, things flattened out a bit and we ran through some campgrounds where spectators had gathered to take pictures and cheer the runners on. Afterwards we came to water crossing #2, where after seeing a couple of people stumble and almost submerge to the right, I remembered that Rich recommended we stay to the left, which ended up just being about hip deep. Somewhere in there was the water stop, which marked the halfway point. After running through the mud flats we hit “The Wall” which is described by race organizers as a 45 degree quarry hill that keeps going up and up. Kudos to the bagpiper — the music definitely helps to get you up that hill!

Some more ups and downs in a particularly beautiful section of this scenic course – tons of really tall pines – to me seemed almost like being in California among the giant trees. And – a sighting of the Leatherman himself – a life size picture of him right on the edge of the trail. Shortly after this section I ran into Sharon, and then saw Randy who had already finished the race and had come back to cheer us on, and then Rich who took some great shots of us at the last knee deep water crossing towards the end of the course.

I can see why this race has such a devoted following. The course is beautiful and a warm relaxed vibe permeated the opening remarks and blessing before the race began. I will definitely be putting my name in again for next year’s lottery. Special thanks to Rich for all the great advice and the great pictures, and especially his help in getting me to the race(“Happy Birthday!”,) and thanks to fellow runners Tracy, Justine, Chris, Sharon, Randy and Desmond for their camaraderie and support that day!

* * *

Tracy Keller. Elsa, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Great recap! It’s amazing how much tougher I feel now than I did on Sunday morning. –I’m hoping for more mud and higher water next year, even though I *may have been* secretly praying for the heavy rains to start earlier on Sunday, so I could have used that as an excuse to get out of this crazy race that is rather intimidating on the front end.

Best advice I got from Rich: Don’t run too close to the person in front of you.–The first few miles we were deep in a solid, single track stream of runners, and when your pushing the person in front of you there isn’t much time to react once you see them hurdle a log or dash over a pile of rocks. Stay on your toes, folks!

* * *

Justine Krell. I can’t really improve on this recap ! The weather ended up being perfect for it – a little chilly in the beginning, but once moving, I warmed up. Running in the woods was a lot of fun – especially since I enjoy the challenge of dodging the rocks and menacing tree roots, twisting through narrow paths, vying for room amongst runners and dogs. Much of the time, the path was only wide enough for two or three runners wide, so unless you were one of the fastest runners, your speed was held in check by the single-file bottlenecks. The up hills were challenging, but not as difficult as I had expected from the tales told by previous Loop runners. I think the dry weather was a double-edged sword – the water crossings were not as challenging as hyped to be, but yet, a lot of the challenge potential (mud and high waters) was missing. Nonetheless, I kept a decent pace (not my best, my hamstring is still tight) and I look forward to running this again ! the advice to look in front of you, not at your feet was definitely the best advice, as well as WALK up the hills ! I saved my energy and made up time on the downhills!

* * *

All medalled out in the nation's capital: Gail Komm, Chris Jaworski, Ellen Kim, Stephen Sundown, Glenn Trimboli

SunTrust Rock ’n’ Roll USA Marathon & Half-Marathon, Washington, DC, March 17

Half-Marathon

Ellen Kim … 2:01:46

Marathon

Stephen Sundown (49th OA, 3rd AG, PR by 3+ minutes) … 3:06:44

Glenn “Chi” Trimboli (105th OA, 2nd AG, PR by 3+ minutes) … 3:16:29

Gail Komm … 3:52:00

Chris Jaworski … 4:16:38

Ellen Kim

My Rock ’n’ Roll weekend in DC was an interesting one. My hips had been troubling me for more than six months, and I hadn’t been able to get in any real marathon training. All I had managed to do was follow a remedial schedule with the goal of rehabilitation. In consultation with my coach, ERC’s Paul Giuliano (a.k.a. Mr. Giggs), I therefore decided to opt out of the marathon. Later, as race weekend was approaching and I was able to slide in a few decent runs, which I irrationally punctuated with a 21-mile trail race, I began to toy with the idea of doing the 26.2 as a training run. This was quickly dismissed by those close to me. Giggs advised me to run just 10 miles at an easy pace, which for me these days is between 9:30 and 9:45. So, I’d go to DC to support Chris, Glenn, and Stephen and get in a fun 10-miler with 20,000 other runners.

Three races were taking place under the Rock ’n’ Roll umbrella—the marathon, which had 3129 finishers; a marathon relay (53 teams, 106 runners); and a half-marathon (16,291).

The weekend, in a word, was seamless. As a group, we rolled with the punches, which included getting lost several times, almost missing the precious prerace carbo-loading dinner, being frosted and toasted by an unreliable thermostat, having the blaring horns of Metro trains wake us in the middle of the night, and misplacing our race-day salt bagels.

Friday evening, after finally finding a restaurant that was serving pasta without a wait, we heartily ate our meals, and then quickly headed back to our rooms.

My new plan was to run the half-marathon at 9:30 pace and at least get a medal for my $90 entry fee. So, now I too was preparing race gear. We runners are a funny lot. We all sorted through our items, tried on our race shirts, adjusted our bibs, played with our fueling options, and, finally, laid everything out for the morning.

A curveball thrown our way earlier in the week was the DC forecast for temperatures nearing 80 degrees. In March?

Game day, we all woke at 5 a.m., changed, ate, and boarded a 6:30 shuttle van provided by our hotel, the Courtyard Marriott. All our prerace rituals were done—except for eating those salt bagels. We realized we’d left them in the car, deep in the hotel’s garage. Unfortunately, there were no other salt bagels to be found within a one-mile radius. Soon, though, bagels would become a distant memory. As we would witness that day, goals could be met and conquered even when prerace rituals were not executed perfectly. Note to selves: Flexibility may be okay.

Now for the half-marathon, which started with the marathon and marathon relay at 8:00. After covering the first 2 miles at a “blistering” 8:45 pace, I got caught up in the crowds and ran the next 2 miles at 7:35. Oops. Must. Slow. Down. Trouble. With. Giggs. And I did. I pulled back and had a wonderful run. I stopped at aid stations, listened to bands, and started running again. This was the first time I felt I had permission to completely relax and enjoy a race without a care about the clock. It was wonderful. I crossed the line a couple minutes over two hours, collected my medal, and headed back to the finish to wait for the boys, and for Fleet Feet Montclair’s Gail Komm, who had traveled to DC separately and was running the marathon.

I planted myself about 50 paces from the finish line and waited, expecting Stephen and Glenn to come in around 3 hours. I saw the first male and female finishers. I started to get antsy wondering how our gang was coping with the heat. Then, around 11:07, with the second female finisher still nowhere in sight, I spotted Stephen rounding the corner in the distance. He looked so smooth and strong. As he entered the chute, I begin screaming his name, and the crowd was going wild. Moved by his rock-star performance, I was tearing up and having chills. He’d run a monster time and a huge PR. The announcer called out: Stephen Sundown, 44 years old, Upper Montclair, New Jersey, 3:06:44, 49th runner. “I know him! He’s my friend!” I screamed. I didn’t leave to meet him, as I was worried I’d miss Glenn. Sure enough, some 10 minutes later, Glenn entered the chute, alone, looking stronger than ever. Again, tears and chills. Another monster time and huge PR. Glenn Trimboli, 50 years old, Bloomfield, New Jersey, 3:16:29, 105th runner. His form was perfect chi running, and he looked as though he’d barely worked up a sweat. “I know him, too!”

Chris finished a bit past noon. Glenn and I cheered him on at the finish line. As usual, Chris ran such a strong race. Chris truly is a phenom. In the preceding weeks, he’d completed a string of long-distance races and runs, culminating in a 54-lap (13.5-mile) birthday run just seven days before the marathon. This was another impressive race, and he completed it just as he would another long run: relaxed, humble, and with a huge smile on his face.

Then we met up with Gail at the beer tent, and she was effusive. She’d completed another admirable sub-4 marathon (3:52:00) and was festively decked out all in green and wearing a Kiss me, I’m Irish … And single T-shirt. It was St. Patrick’s Day!

I was shaking my head in awe at all four of these road warriors on this auspicious day.

That evening, while decompressing, Glenn and I went online to check our crew’s official stats. To our absolute surprise, we discovered Glenn had finished second in his age group. And then Stephen: 3rd in his age group. Unbelievable!

This was altogether a successful weekend. What made it even more special was spending time with my dear friends. On our roundabout way out of DC, we managed to squeeze in a major monument tour in a New York minute. It took us longer to get our coffees from Starbucks.

My abs hurt the next day. Not from running, but from laughing so hard. I am so thankful for memories like these—and for being able to run, however far, however fast.

Stephen Sundown

After a disappointing finish in the 2011 New York City Marathon, I wanted to run a redemption marathon within two weeks. Instead, I listened to Higher Reason, the wise Mr. Giggs, and signed up for the USA Marathon, four months down the line. Then, at a beer night celebrating fellow ERC members’ NYCM performances, I promoted the DC marathon to Chris, Glenn, and Ellen. They were taken in by my desperation, and I was able to rally them along.

Training was amazing, thanks to Giggs. However, running during our warm New Jersey winter should have clued me in to what I might expect in DC in March.

Despite bringing printed maps and three smart phones with GPS, we had a tiny bit of difficulty getting to our hotel. We missed an exit or two while distracted by heavy traffic and fun conversation. But arrive we did. The hotel, we noticed, was well equipped. We also noticed it backed right up against a Metro line, which could be a problem for runners the night before a race. When we heard a train pass by quietly, we were relieved.

After checking in, we took a cab to the Armory, where we found an easy packet pickup and an efficient expo. Dinner was another story.

The hotel’s concierge provided a restaurant recommendation that sent us on a two-hour adventure on the other side of town. During the cab ride, Ellen, being the kind, caring soul she is, began offering race-bag swag to the driver, who had a newspaper splayed out on the steering wheel. With the driver becoming annoyed at Ellen’s interruption, we pleaded with her to let him concentrate on driving … or reading.

The recommended Italian restaurant was loud, cramped, dimly lit, upscale, and chic, and offered only one very expensive, tiny-portioned pasta dish—not what any of us had in mind. Our only goal was food that was quick, cheap, and in bulk. Stuffing our pockets with bread, we quickly worked our way out of our reservation and left the restaurant so we could resume our search for pasta, lots of pasta.

With smart phones in hand, we walked from place to place, but every restaurant was packed—it was marathon weekend and St. Patrick’s Day weekend rolled into one. We became nervous but remained in good spirits. We had hoped to eat by 6 p.m., but it was now nearing 8:00. Finally, we came across a unique, self-service pizza-and-pasta restaurant, Vapiano. We quickly carbo-loaded and then took the train back to the hotel.

The little sleep we got that night was disturbed by the 4 a.m. Polar Express barreling through the Metro station. Lots of grumbling and cursing. About an hour later, however, we woke up in good spirits, and got ready and headed for the shuttle van.

When we arrived at RFK Stadium, where both races would start and finish, race personnel were still busy spraying paint on the asphalt in the starting corrals and literally fanning it to dry. As the sun was coming up, so was the heat. At the 8 a.m. start, it was 53 degrees, and the temps threatened to hit the high 70s later on.

Lots of people in corral 1 should not have been there. Glenn and I, starting in corral 2, spent the first mile dodging slower runners. Eventually, the field opened up, and I was able to settle in. There was a nice breeze, and seeing the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument was inspirational. Both times when I was passing the monument, I gazed at it as long as I could to take my mind off the race. I tried to run efficiently, saving my energy for the final 10K surge. I expected more bands, this being a Rock ’n’ Roll marathon and all. Given the heat, I made sure to drink water or pour it on my neck at all the aid stations.

Where the half-marathon course split off, the field really opened up. Then I started feeling the heat. Later, at mile 20, exposed to the sun and battling a headwind off the Anacostia River, I faced my hardest 2 miles. My pace began to suffer. I was pumping my arms to get through the wind, my legs were getting tired, and then once I reached the turnaround I did not get the wind at my back. So, all that work and no payback.

Mile 23 was lonely, and the death march began. I kept moving even while runners around me were either taking walk breaks or had nothing left for the challenge. I made it through the hills in mile 24 and then, cresting an overpass, used my downhill momentum to get my legs back. I ignored the pain and pushed through and got my pace down to 6:30. I was now looking for a fight. I pulled up to a guy … no challenge. On a straightaway and on a climb toward the finish, I picked off the final two runners I had been able to spot. Low-hanging fruit. Armed with the confidence that came from having passed everyone I’d seen between the half-marathon turnoff and this point, I was not going to let anyone take me on with the finish line so near. I dropped the hammer, getting up on my toes and finishing as hard as I could, leaving everything on the course.

Dragging myself over to the medals, I knew I had run my own race, a smart race, which is how I was able to get through miles 22 through 25 without stopping. I had succeeded in getting to the final 5K before the temps got too high, too. I am very happy with my performance.

I am thankful to Mr. Giggs for working with me and teaching me race-day execution. Thanks also to Ellen, Glenn, and Chris for a fun and rewarding weekend. Finally, thanks to the Grovers and ERC for the support and good wishes. Good luck to everyone in their spring races!

Glenn Trimboli

At Egan’s last November, Stephen was talking about a March redemption race. The USA Marathon had not been on my radar, but within three beers he had Ellen, Chris, and me on the bandwagon. To get the price discount, we had to register the next day. Gulp. Stephen e-mailed us the event’s web address and came up with an itinerary right then and there. Everyone else had a lame excuse about running some marathon in Boston.

And so my training began, sort of. More than a year earlier, I had converted to midfoot running using the chi running method. The cornerstones of chi running are posture alignment and relaxation, which in combination are the best way to run faster, farther, and injury-free. In a nutshell, the chi running technique includes landing with a midfoot strike, using a “gravity-assisted” forward lean and engaging core strength (rather than leg strength) for propulsion. This approach is supposed to make running easier and healthier for the entire body.

I called my USA Marathon training plan the Experiment #10 Plan, because this would be my 10th race/experiment with chi running within the past year. I had run a PR in each of my previous nine races and wanted another one. The focus of my training was on form more than mileage. I put in my long, fast runs with Tom Eaton, Mike Skara, Harold Porcher, and the rest of the Grover gang, but my weekly mileage was not huge.

On game day, I did not know what to expect, but I committed to race within myself and to maintain my form, and I prayed for a cool morning. Thankfully, the temps and humidity turned out lower than predicted.

As we gathered at the start, we noticed there weren’t many marathon bibs. Turns out we were in the minority, big time—one marathoner for about every five halfers/relay runners. Stephen and I were standing in corral 2 (out of 26), and he was complaining he was too far back! But in retrospect he was right—he definitely should have started in the elite corral.

The gun went off. It took about a mile for the field to calm down. My next 2 miles were at 7:00 pace. Slow down! I tried to run my own race and eventually settled into a 7:20-ish pace. I was happy to drop the halfers at mile 12, as they were a huge distraction. Then the marathoners owned the road … a wee bit lonely road. Many people were still out there running, but now the race seemed small. Many times I’d find myself running completely alone—something I hadn’t expected for such a big event.

I hit mile 20 in stride, feeling great. Just a 10K left. All I wanted to do was maintain pace. At mile 22, however, I started losing momentum, and over the next 2 miles I dropped to 7:33. I began crunching worst-case scenario numbers. Yes, as long as I could keep my last few miles under 8:00, I could still hit a PR. Miles 24 and 25 were the toughest, though—wind, hills, and it was only getting hotter. Thankfully, I was able to keep a sub-8 pace over those difficult miles. Then the adrenaline kicked in, and I picked it up to 7:20 for the final 1.2 miles.

After the race, Steve and I had nearly identical stories about the final 4 miles, except his went faster. I had a great race and couldn’t ask for more. Second in my age group, to wit. LOL! Thank goodness for all the recreational golfers who came out to run in my age group that day!

We had a great crew, the four of us. No stress, no mess, no fuss. Even when desperate to find a place to eat the night before the race, we calmly worked things out. After the race, we took the Metro to another section of town, where we squeezed into Lola’s Barracks Bar & Grill and recovered and celebrated with burgers and brews. Then we returned to the hotel to clean up and rest. That evening, we began searching for more food and were directed to Bacio Pizzeria, owned by a Turkish dude who resembles Andy Kaufman, Taxi’s Latka. The pizza there was the best I’ve ever had. We asked Latka where he got his recipe, and he said from a pizza parlor in Wayne, New Jersey. As his restaurant did not have a permit for tables, we ate our pizza while sitting on the sidewalk, which was fine with us. Latka’s wife then sent us to the Boundary Stone, a great Irish bar just a couple of blocks away. There we had more celebration beer, Harp, a nice touch on St. Patrick’s Day. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

On Sunday, just before heading out for the long drive home, we did our own speed-tour of DC and the cherry blossoms.

We had such a great weekend and couldn’t have hoped for a better experience. We are now considering a marathon in Europe for 2013. Any takers?

Chris Jaworski

On Saturday, I ran more than 26 miles at an easy training pace. Odd, though: Twenty thousand other people were going in my direction, up and down the same DC streets, and not one of them told me I should be moving a lot faster … in what apparently was a marathon race!

I wish I had the training gene. In November, I got on board with buddies Stephen, Glenn, and Ellen because I thought this trip would be fun—and boy was it ever!—but even back then I knew I wouldn’t be training for the road race at the heart of it. My focus is on trail running and racing, and perish the thought of cutting back on those for four months. I also prefer to allow for spur-of-the-moment runs and races, which can easily upend a training schedule.

So I did my thing.

Frequented the trails at South Mountain and Watchung reservations. Jumped at the chance to run for the first time at Rockefeller State Park Preserve and Manasquan Reservoir. Meandered on long runs through Essex and Passaic counties. And entered two trail races: a 25K on Staten Island in December, and the 33-mile Watchung “50K” in January. I ran strong all the way at Watchung, and found my own redemption there, having DNF’ed that race twice before.

What is the opposite of redemption? Injury! My right knee began aching a few days after Watchung, and I found myself needing to take extra time off after each run, then a full week. Should I skip the marathon? Not if I could help it. I had committed to the trip with my friends and didn’t want to back out of that. Plus, I wanted to be there for Stephen’s triumph.

The knee began responding to rest, and I began testing it again. I ran 12-plus miles on February 10, and the 13-mile Fleet Feet prediction run two days later. At South Mountain a week after that, I did two days in a row, 10 miles each day, and felt … whole again. At last I was back to running without consequence—so now, of course, I wanted to run a lot. Perhaps I also wanted to catch up on “training” and to feel better prepared for the marathon. Well, there was still time to sneak in the Febapple 21-mile trail race in South Mountain; a weekend of trail running (Saturday) and road racing (nearly PR’d in the E. Murray Todd Half-Marathon on Sunday); and, seven days before DC, the pi ce de résistance, my birthday run of 54 laps (13.5 miles) around a Nutley track, with Ellen, Glenn, Phil Coffin, Sharon Morrissey, and Randy Miller helping me celebrate with shared laps, shared brewskis, or both.

Yes, now I was ready for the USA Marathon!

Despite the crowds on the narrow streets, and the volume of some of the music acts, which made it hard for me to concentrate, I ran well through the first half, matching my PR marathon pace to the second. And yet, I wanted to stop. Somehow I resisted the strong pull to the left, toward the half-marathon finish and medal, and turned right for another 13-plus miles. What a relief to be free of the crowds, and at least temporarily free of the din of the bands.

Two miles farther on, I was thinking what a mistake it had been to keep going. Now there was no easy bailout point, the warmth was getting to me, and I was tiring. My right knee began stiffening up, too, and a pain began creeping up into the sole of my left foot. To get to the finish, I decided to do two things—first, break the remaining distance down into 2-mile increments (run aid station to aid station), and, second, walk through each station to give my knee a change-up in motion. Those measures helped. In addition, at some point I unexpectedly began feeling as though I were on a training run, not in a race. For some reason, that shift in perspective helped, too. It left me thinking that finishing was only a matter of when, not if.

I was done in 4:16:38. I’m not pleased with that time, but it was no big surprise either, given what I did and didn’t do in the preceding months and weeks. I should also mention two possibly contradictory race-day oddities: minor dehydration (salt-streaked face), despite having taken what I thought were enough liquids, and no cramping.

Balm for the day: Each race is training for the next one.

The USA Marathon is billed as the only marathon run entirely within Washington, DC. The course took us through downtown and past the National Mall. What I loved about this race was running the rolling hills of the city and taking in the views, of the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Anacostia River, and several lovely neighborhoods. I believe we also ran past the White House and Union Station, but my eyeballs must have been pointing elsewhere. The aid stations were good, and I even enjoyed several of the music acts!

But what made this weekend most special was spending it with Stephen, Glenn, and Ellen … celebrating the stellar, PR performances by Stephen and Glenn, and the good runs by Ellen and me … and bopping around the city as the Fab Four, laughing much of the way. We followed tips on where to eat and how to get around by Metro, and made some great finds. It seemed we always ended up where we were meant to be!

There is one highlight I must mention before closing. As we were filing out of Lola’s Barracks with our finisher medals hanging from our necks, a big group of people at a table surprised us with a huge cheer and high-fives. Damn, that felt good!

March 11, 2012

The first USATF-NJ Championship race of the year was held Sunday, March 11, at Johnson Park along the Raritan River in Highland Park/Piscataway. The course was almost the same as the old Equinox Run that used to be held at the same location, two and half loops around the park on the roads and bike paths, mostly flat with quite a few turns. We didn’t have a large turnout for the Fleet Feet / Essex teams but we had several award winners and our men’s masters 50′s team finished 3rd. Congratulations to everyone who ran today and we hope more people will try to join the teams at future events.  – Mick Close

Team Results:

Men’s Open Team – 6th (Justin Scheid, Paul Kartanowicz, Larry Czaplewski, Daniel Smith, Dave Gurniak, Craig Van Doren, Mick Close, Tom Kelly)
Men’s Masters 50′s Team – 3rd (Larry Czaplewski, Daniel Smith, Dave Gurniak, Craig Van Doren, Mick Close, Tom Kelly)
Women’s Masters 40′s Team – 6th (Amanda King, Aileen O’Rourke, Martta Kelly, Val Kenny, Bev Salerno)
Women’s Masters 50′s Team – 4th (Amanda King, Martta Kelly, Val Kenny, Bev Salerno, Sue Palermo)
Individual Results:
Justin Scheid (4th overall) … 1:06:18
Paul Kartanowicz (5th AG, PR) … 1:16:31
Larry Czaplewski (3rd AG) … 1:17:49
Daniel Smith … 1:25:04
Charlie Slaughter (3rd AG) … 1:25:35
Dave Gurniak … 1:34:55
Craig Van Doren … 1:35:50
Mick Close … 1:35:52
Tom Kelly (4th AG) … 1:52:41
Amanda King (2nd AG) …1:29:47.
Aileen O’Rourke (5th AG) … 1:35:34
Martta Kelly … 2:00:39
Val Kenny … 2:13:09
Bev Salerno … 3:08:04
Susan Palermo … 3:12:02

Individual, team and age graded results are posted at http://www.fasttracktiming.com/.