Freezeroo Series Lives up to Its Name

Transcription

1 The Greater Rochester Track Club Rochester, NY February-March 2010 Freezeroo Series Lives up to Its Name Temps in the Teens at Race #4 The Hearnish 10K Lake Flakes at Race #5 Tom Brannon Memorial More Freezeroo pictures starting on page 14 INSIDE: Rochester Runner of the Year Race Schedule (page 12) You Are What You Eat...Nutrition tips from a local expert for your best spring marathon (page 8) PLUS: Eclectic Runner on the astonishing life of Don McNelly, runnable roads and the sub 2:07 marathon (paqe 6).

2 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President, Deb Wyspianski Freezeroo Director Past President Tom Perry Vice President Doug Jones Vice President, Wilt Alton Merchandise Secretary, Bob Dyjak Spring Track Treasurer Craig Litt Newsletter Traci Walker Equipment, Rick Cronise Race Committee Membership, Roger Howe Race Calendar Matt Davis Advertising Tom Gibson Awards Banquet Pete VanPeursem Webmaster Roger Howe RROY Deb Wyspianski Member at Large Dick Lewandowski The GRTC newsletter is the official news-magazine of the Greater Rochester Track Club. Membership in the GRTC entitles one to receive the GRTC newsletter which is published 10 times per year. Articles and Photos for publication are welcomed and encouraged. Send electronic files to Traci Walker. Photographic files should be in JPG or TIF format. Race Calendar Information: There is no charge for listing a race on the official Rochester Race Calendar. Send with all pertinent race information to Matt Davis. Race Entry Forms can be published in the newsletter for a fee. Send electronic form (in WORD or PDF) to Traci Walker and remit payment of $30 for single page or $45 for two page entry to GRTC. Race Entry Form Restrictions - In order for GRTC to qualify for bulk mailing rates as a not-for-profit organization, the USPS requires that we strictly adhere to the following qualifications: 1. Conditions of awards must be clearly stated. 2. There must be no reference to drawings that might conflict with Postal Service regulations, especially the use of the term raffle. Advertising from commercial sources will be accepted at the rates listed below. Submit ads to Tom Gibson. Size of ad 1 mo. 3 mos. 5 x 7.5 (1/2 page) $50 $135 5 x 3 (1/4 page) $25 $ x 2 (business card) $15 $40 Newsletter Deadline is the 1 st of the month for inclusion in the issue for the following month. For example, articles and race forms for the April issue must be submitted by March 1. Available for Rent - Finishing line clock and Chronomix time recorder at $75 each. Race directors willing to provide GRTC members a $3 preregistration race discount can rent the clock and Chronomix for the discounted fee of $75 for both. Contact a Board member for more info. GRTC Contacts: Individuals are listed under Board of Directors. Online:

3 President s Column I was a competitive swimmer from age 7 until I was about 18. I can recall an awful lot of excuses. There were many funny sayings and funny stories, and some that were not so funny at the time, but at least made good stories to tell about back in the day. I can remember a few of the t shirts I owned. One said Slippery when wet. I think my favorite was Instant swimmer, just add water. I had an excuse t shirt that had random excuses all over it. My goggles leaked, My cap fell off, I got water up my nose. O.K., I don t actually remember what the excuses really were, but my excuse is it was a really long time ago. Those are ones I have used personally along with, Sorry, I forgot my swimsuit (Duh!). The running and triathlon excuses abound now. I recall two personal stories from my youth. I only ran modified cross country for one season in my freshman year of high school. I don t remember much about the practices that we had, but I am thinking we either really didn t learn much about pacing, or I wasn t paying attention (Duh!). I just remember running a lot, and running that hill on Bromley Road over and over. You know, the one in the final Freezeroo in Churchville? Our first race was at Sarah Coventry. I remember charging out of the start. I ran up the first grassy hill panting and was soon trying to ignore the feeling that my lungs were on fire. I think the distance was around a mile and a quarter or half. I stayed with most of the front of the pack for maybe a little over half way. I was dying but determined. I got within 50 yards of the finish line and my legs gave out three times before I crossed it. I think Hitting the wall felt like a very appropriate term. I watched in dismay as one of my teammates passed me as I struggled to get jelly but leaden legs back under me. After crossing the finish line they made us keep walking down a long, long chute to keep our finishing places in order. I complained the whole way and collapsed one step out of the chute. As I lay on the grass looking up, one of my teammates, Keith, kept trying to pull me up and make me keep walking. I just kept whining No, you don t understand. I can t. over and over. The lesson in pacing learned! I have put forth a lot of effort in races since and even misjudged a few, but I have never made the mistake to that degree since. I have however, repeated a lot of the other mistakes. At another race, in Churchville Park, I was starting at the back of the pack. I guess a few of spectators must have been standing directly behind me. I am not sure if it was another runner or the woman behind me, but someone stepped on the heel of my shoe as I took off, and off came my shoe. The funny part was that when I spun around I didn t see it. The woman was wearing a full length skirt and I started pawing at it to see if my shoe was under it while my father yelled at me to go. I have read a lot of running books that were very entertaining. I am sure you can imagine that those who have run ultras would have a lot of stories to tell. Many of those stories start when they have been out there all day and they are delirious or hallucinating. My girlfriend Diane was relating a story to me about an ultra she was running. It was her first 100 miler and it was a looped course. She had already completed several loops and was about 80 miles in when the woman she had been chatting with started calling to her. She was preparing to cross at the water crossing. The other woman called back to her, Diane! What are you doing? Diane responded that she was starting her water crossing. The other woman called back, Diane, get up here and use the bridge! In another 100 mile race she was thankful that she had a guide to help keep her on track for the last several miles of the race. With only about 3 miles left to go she froze in fear. Her guide stopped also and asked her what was the matter. She told the guide that she couldn t go past that big dog. The dog looked rabid and she was afraid to pass it. Her guide was able to convince her that there was no dog there and got her to finish the race. I did my first sprint triathlon several years ago. I was determined to be neat and prepared at the transition. I put out all of my gear neatly on my towel and put each sock in my shoe as I took them off; laying my gear on top in the order I would put it on. It went well into transition at race time but when I completed dressing and went to push my bike out I realized I had put my socks into my running shoes and not my biking shoes. Small details, sigh. A local Ironwoman wrote in a story several years ago about an instance during her race that her bra had broken somewhere on the bike and as she rushed to change into her running gear to start her marathon, she scoped the tent for volunteers about her size and said to one, Give me your bra! One of the funniest quotes I heard recently was from a girl friend who had just completed her first Ironman. She said, You know that a race is too long when your arm pit hair grows back before you finish! I hope this will bring smiles as you think of your own funny stories and those of your fellow athletes. They are often all you will remember of the event years later. In hind sight they may be the best part. Deb

4 THE 14 TH ANNUAL BETTER LIFE 5K RUN Honoring long-time running advocate Tom Dutton Sponsored by: and Ravenwood Golf Club SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010 ***RAIN or SHINE*** Pets prohibited 8:30 a.m. START (Registration 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.) WHERE: NEW LOCATION - Ravenwood Golf Club, 929 Lynaugh Road, Victor NY ENTRY FEE: $15 Pre-registration (must be postmarked by April 17), $20 Day of Race REGISTRATION: On-Line at or mail this form with payment to the address below. AWARDS: Overall winners (male and female), Masters winners (male and female) and Age Group winners; plus shirts to the first 150 registered runners. Shirt size guaranteed when registered by April 3. INFORMATION: Call (585) or foundation@thompsonhealth.com. Log on to for additional information, directions, course map, donation and registration forms. LAST NAME FIRST NAME STREET CITY STATE ZIP PHONE AGE (on day of race) BIRTH DATE / / MALE FEMALE SHIRT SIZE (for the first 150 5K runners only): S M L XL XXL (circle one) WAIVER AND RELEASE: In consideration of this entry, I, the undersigned, intending to be legally bound, hereby, for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, waive and release any and all rights and claims for damages I may have against Thompson Health and/or Ravenwood Golf Club, the Town of Victor, Ontario County Sheriff, sponsors and their representatives, successors and assigns for any and all injuries suffered by me in said event. I attest and verify that I am physically fit and have sufficiently trained for the competition of this event. Further, I hereby grant full permission to any and all of the foregoing to use any photographs, videotapes, motion pictures, recordings or any other record of this event for any purpose whatsoever. SIGNATURE: DATE: (parent or guardian must sign if under 18 years of age) Make checks payable to: F.F. Thompson Foundation Mail payment and form to: F.F. Thompson Foundation, 350 Parrish Street, Canandaigua, NY Proceeds benefit Thompson Health

5 Rocket City Marathon By Craig Litt Southern hospitality is on display in Huntsville, Alabama, where the Huntsville Track Club hosts the Rocket City Marathon. The expo featured multiple vendors, including Fleet Feet, and some good bargains on shoes and clothing. Downtown Huntsville is undergoing the first stages of a renaissance, and although I found a couple of fun bars and ate some great barbeque there, the area felt like a ghost town. We are spoiled here with smoke-free establishments. The pre-race pasta dinner provided standard fare (not like Mama used to make) and an entertaining speaker in Bart Yasso. Thanks Dave for the treat. The marathon course lived up to its hype of being fast with no memorable hills. For the first ten miles I zigged and zagged through residential neighborhoods (ODR folks, think of the Hoople neighborhood runs) and for the next five I ran along an uninspiring, flat straightaway on a five-lane highway with one lane for runners. The next six miles took me back to the neighborhoods where we began. The last miles were back along the route out. The enthusiastic crowd support consisted mostly of volunteers manning the frequent water stops. The aesthetics of the course could use some work (Miami s marathon route is much prettier.). Of course, the overcast skies and temperatures in the upper 30's to low 40's didn't help my impression of the route. Nor did the headwind for the first 15 miles. However, in the words of Little Feat s Lowell George, There's a rocket in my pocket, I took seven minutes off my previous best and qualified for Boston. With twice the number of participants as Rochester s marathon, nearly 1,300 runners finished the race. The post race spread included hot soup, bagels with your choice of crunchy or plain peanut butter, cream cheese, bananas, ice cream and moon pies (both chocolate and vanilla). Beat that! Massages were also available and enjoyed. One twist was a lottery after the awards ceremony; the prizes were $100 and you had to be present to win. No, I didn't win. Overall? Friendly people. Good, reasonably priced food and beer. A well-run race on a twisty, turning course with a long, boring straight section in the middle. You might want to run it once, but Rocket City is not on my 'do over' list. DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Race Reports Reminiscences Triumphs Miseries Cautionary tales, or Something funny happened on the way to the race... Nobody appreciates or commiserates quite like your running pals. WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT! Send your magnum opus to walkert@rochester.rr.com Pictures welcome!

6 The Eclectic Runner by Tom Perry Each month in this space I share the best of my recent postings in The Eclectic Runner Blog which appears on the GRTC website ( The content varies widely from month to month, hence the title. Don McNelly Bio Published: The Madman, The Marathoner You've probably heard that Don McNelly has run a lot of marathons. Maybe you've noticed his name among the members of the GRTC Hall of Fame or seen him at the Jungle Jog 5K each July. But how much do you really know about this man and his remarkable life? Fortunately, his friend Juanita Tischendorf has written a comprehensive account of Don's life and especially of his running career. The book, The Madman, The Marathoner, The Life of Marathoner Donald P. McNelly, is available online from Tate Publishing Company for $23.99 paperback or $14.99 as ebook download: Here's a brief blurb from the publisher's press release: "Don McNelly is nearly ninety years old and has run 713 marathons... The normal marathoner runs in two marathons per year. To match Don, a marathoner would have to run fifty-nine years doing one marathon per month...' Don McNelly is the world record holder for the number of marathons completed over the age of eighty. In 1969, he began his long-distance running career in an effort to lose weight after a college friend died of a heart attack. Since then, Don has run in every state and every province in Canada. And true to the meaning of his name, 'ruler of the world,' he has run in France, England, Germany, Portugal, Thailand, Holland, Italy, Argentina, Antarctica, Norway, Mexico, and Japan. In one year alone he completed twenty-seven marathons! The Madman, the Marathoner by Juanita Tischendorf sums up this incredible man's running history, painting vivid and inspiring pictures of race days including what it looks (and smells) like when sixteen men pack into two vans and relay across the country and answering questions that aspiring runners have always wanted to know about what it takes to go the distance. What is the method to Don McNelly's madness? Did he do it all without injury? What does his family think about his running crazy? Is he still running? Find out in The Madman, the Marathoner." Runnable Roads in the Greater Rochester Area The Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map, is now available for free. The map was prepared by the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) using road ratings provided by volunteer members of the Rochester Bicycling Club. Major roads on the map are rated Good, Fair or Poor based on existing road conditions and features such as pavement width and quality, traffic volumes, shoulder width and posted speed limits. While cyclists provided the ratings, roads they judged to be rideable should almost always be runnable. Caveats: Cyclists aren t bothered by excessive road camber. Some roads rated Good or Fair for cycling may have a side slope that is uncomfortable for running long distances. Also, the rated roads are main roads, most useful for efficiently getting to a destination. For runs where the quality of the journey matters most, alternative routes using a series of neighborhood roads and streets may be aesthetically superior. How To Get The Map. The Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map should be available for free at most local bicycle shops. Downloadable copies of the map are also available from the GTC web site: A link to downloadable PDFs of map sections or the whole map is at the bottom of the web page. Continued...

7 Eclectic Runner. continued.. A New Year... and maybe Another Comeback Starting Over. After two months lost to a knee injury (diagnosed as synovitus, i.e., inflammation of the lining of the knee), my orthopaedist cleared me to cautiously return to running just before Christmas. Two short months were enough to lose almost all of my running fitness. My first runs after the long layoff were discouraging...my gait felt awkward, my heart rate was elevated even though my pace was a minute or more slower than what was comfortable previously, and, even with walking breaks every half mile, I was done for the day after only 3 or 4 slow miles. I had hoped for a swift comeback but it quickly became clear even to me that this comeback from two months off was not going to be much faster than my 2009 comeback from two years off. I was going to have to slowly rebuild my base mileage, regain running efficiency and then put in speed work to get faster. Over the first six weeks, I made some progress, getting up to 20+ miles per week with no significant knee pain. Then, on February 1 st, my progress was interrupted with a recurrence of knee pain. I finished an easy six miler with a sore knee. The next day I had to abort my run after only a quarter mile and took the next six days off. Today s (Feb 9 th ) run of only 2.4 miles was enough to trigger the pain again. Next step is to see what my orthopaedist has to suggest. Check out the online version of this story (at to learn what the doctor had to say and whether I am back running pain free. Continued on page Dr. Tina Shores Dr. Colby Shores -Board Certified Sports Chiropractor Helping athletes perform at the next level! New state of the art facility We utilize an advanced technology that scans your spine and delivers a computerized image system giving us an objective assessment. Now on site Acupuncture, Massage therapist & Cold Laser Therapist. ART Certified American Chiropractic Board Of Sports Physicians Call today for an evaluation! 190 Perrin Drive Rochester, NY (585)

8 Top Ten Nutrition Tips for a Spring Half or Full Marathon! Deb Iovoli, MS,RD,CSSD,CDN Spring will finally be here soon! Are you gearing up for a Spring half or full marathon? Maybe it s your first, or just one of many and you re hoping for a PR. If you ve been preparing for the race by following a training plan, make sure your nutrition plan is on target too. Without a good nutrition plan, the perfect training schedule becomes ineffective. As a Sports Dietitian, I ve come up with my top ten nutrition tips to help YOU have a successful Spring half or full marathon! Eat a healthy diet to begin with! Choose a mix of healthy carbs; fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with lean meats and fish, low-fat soy or dairy products, and healthy fats like olive and canola oil, and omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, walnuts, and flax-seed. Include foods with plenty of fiber and go easy on the junk-food, or what I call wasted-calories, those foods high in sugar and unhealthy saturated or trans fats. Drink plenty of fluids every day! Sometimes it s difficult to keep up with hydration, especially after long, hard workouts. A lot of athletes simply do not drink enough during the day. When it s not quite hot outside yet, it is often overlooked. A good rule of thumb: straw-colored urine. Always practice your nutrition plan prior to your race. Remember at race pace things may not agree with you the same as they do during a social run with friends. Go out for a fast-paced interval or tempo run and try a sports gel, sport beans, or carbohydrate-containing sports drink or practice nutrition in a shorter distance race. You ll need grams of carbohydrates per hour, depending on your size. This translates to calories or roughly a 16 oz. sports drink and one sports gel or sports bean pack (~200 calories). Find out what nutrition will be available on the course to try before hand to see if you like it and you can tolerate it. Only use what works in training on race day! If you re a heavy sweater, sodium may be a necessary nutrient for you. Again, practice in training. Choose foods carefully the day or two before a race. No need to carbo load for a half marathon if it will take less than two hours to complete. You ll have enough glycogen (storage form of glucose) for most of the race. For a marathon or for someone that may take longer in the half, however, carbo-loading is effective and needed! Incorporate plenty of healthy carbs in the day or two before the race, making lunch your larger meal the day before. Watch the fiber content, gas-forming vegetables, or any unusual foods during this time also (may be a recipe for GI distress!). Never, ever, try any new food or beverage on race day! Simply having an apple or regular milk versus your usual soy milk in your morning Chai tea, can cause some GI distress, especially combined with pre-race jitters. If you have to travel to the race, you should plan to bring something from home or plan breakfast the night before. This should be something you have had before morning workouts at home. Have a good breakfast. This should consist of some carbs and a small amount of protein but low in fat for optimal digestion. Some suggestions would include; a bagel with peanut butter and a banana, cereal with fruit and milk, oatmeal with raisins and a yogurt. Typically, you ll want to consume about calories at least, again, depending on your size and what you re used to. You ll also want to be well hydrated before the race which would include drinking ~two to three cups of fluid at least two to three hours prior to the race. Coffee is fine if that s your norm, and may provide added benefits during the race. If you re not used to eating in the morning, try drinking your calories in the form of juice or a sports drink. Something is always better than nothing. Don t forget to bring your nutrition to the race. If you are using your own nutrition vs. what the race has available set it out the night before along with your race number, shoes, timing chip, etc.

9 Nutrition tips continued... Bring something to eat and drink to the race. If you ve had to get up early to travel to the race, it may be four hours before race start from the time you got up. An hour or two before your race start, you may want to consume ~ calories to top of your glycogen. Pre-race carbohydrate amount does vary- some individuals are sensitive to glucose fluctuations. Also, drink another cup of water an hour or two before the race. Pre-race nerves can make your mouth dry too. Some races do have food set up prior to the race but don t take that for granted, bring a nutrition or cereal bar, fruit, jelly sandwich, or sip on a sports drink. Drink enough fluids during the race. Fluids are the most crucial nutrition component during any race. It s easy to forget to drink when it s a chilly Spring morning or you re caught up in the excitement of the race. Drink before you re thirsty. More than just 2% body water loss can lead to heat illness and fatigue. Old recommendations were to drink ~6-12 ounces every minutes but ACSM now recommends a customized plan considering sweat rate and composition, duration of race, clothing, and environment. Lastly, ensure optimal recovery with food and fluids. When you are finished with your race, your first priority should be hydration and replacement of electrolytes. Even if you think you drank plenty on the course, drink a bottle or two of water or sports drink to ensure hydration and replace lost electrolytes, especially if it s a warm Spring day. Beer isn t the best fluid for hydration but I ve been known to celebrate with Sam or Bud after a race, just make sure you drink water first. It s best to start consuming food for recovery within minutes to replenish glycogen stores (carbohydrate) and to aid in repair of damaged muscle tissue (protein) in a 4:1 ratio. For every 400 calories in carbs, eat 100 calories in protein. Examples include; a 16 oz. glass of chocolate milk, yogurt smoothie, turkey sandwich, or a good mix of carbs and protein at the post-race party. Continue to replenish with food every two hours during the day. Okay, there you have it; my top ten nutrition tips (and a few bonus tips in there!). If you practice these tips, it ll be one less thing to worry about on race day, and you ll be on your way to having a successful Spring half or full marathon. More importantly, have fun and enjoy the race! Deb is Rochester s only Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, an adjunct at Monroe Community College as well as Rochester Moms in Motion Team Leader. She enjoys helping athletes become successful with food choices, body weight and composition, for optimal health and performance! djiovoli@aol.com Sore muscles slowing you down? If you experience: Foot or leg cramps Shin splints Knee pain Sore calves or feet Groin pulls Low back pain You may have muscle knots that can reduce your range of motion, weaken muscles, and cause pain. Trigger Point Massage can help! Therapeutic Massage Services specializes in muscle pain problems. I will loosen the knots with massage and show you how to prevent and treat muscle knots so that you can keep on running. Call Now! Albert Dedicke

10 A Sweet December Run by Bill Murphy Ah, the Holidays! You eat too much and exercise too little. After the Christmas feast, however, you might get a little antsy for a run. If, like me, you are in Pennsylvania at the end of December, you might head to the 23 rd Annual Kris Kringle 5 Mile Run in Reading. Besides, the entry form promised post race refreshments of home made ice cream and Godiva chocolates. The course is an out and back and is staged in the parking lot of the St. Joseph Medical Center, on the west side of the city. The race starts and ends on a small hill in the parking lot, with a 0.2 mile uphill followed by a similar downhill. The remaining part of the course is rural and mostly flat, following the Union Canal towpath. For you history buffs, the canal is a contemporary of the Erie Canal, built between the Susquehanna and Schuylkill Rivers. Just a few days before the race, the towpath was covered with snow and ice. On the day of the race, however, the runners were faced with sunny skies and a temperature of 45. This resulted in the towpath beginning covered with mud and most runners ended up with mud-splattered legs. At the start, the race director introduced the 331 runners to Albert Booth. Albert had recently turned 90 and the local running club, the Pagoda Pacers A.C., made him a lifetime member. Furthermore, the race director announced that Albert would have free entry to all races put on by the club. He hoped that would cost the club thousands in entry fees and he challenged the runners to beat Albert in the race. Continued...

11 After the race, the runners crowded into the hospital cafeteria for the post race treats. There, on one table, rich creamy ice cream was being scooped from huge tubs into bowls for the runners. On the next table, Godiva chocolates were being dispensed from giant bowls containing assorted flavors. Many runners would make sundaes by dropping the chocolates on their ice cream. Others would fill paper cups with the treats. Still others would simply use the chipmunk-cheeks technique. There seemed to be an endless supply of both ice cream and chocolates. More traditional fare like pizza, bagels, and Krank d sports drinks was also offered. Most runners, of course, sampled everything. Overall winners received $50 gift certificates to A Running Start, a local running store. Runners-up received $25 gift certificates. Santa hats with attached miniature sleds were handed out to the age group winners. The age category was inscribed on the ornamental sled. In addition to the individual awards, there were also some team competitions between various local schools. All runners received a hoodie with a running Santa logo and a pair of gloves. On my ride home, I was happily stuffed with ice cream and chocolates. I was also thankful that I managed to finish just ahead of Albert, yet he still managed to beat a couple of the other kids. So if at the end of the year you have a sweet tooth and legs in need of a run consider a race named Kris Kringle: (

12 2010 Rochester Runner of the Year Series Sponsored by Innovative Edge Sports and the GRTC March 13 Johnny s Runnin of the Green 5 Miles March 28 Fleet Feet Spring Forward 15K 9.3 Miles May 23 Medved Lilac 10K 6.2 Miles June 10 Charlie McMullen Mile 1 Mile June 20 Medved 5K to Cure ALS 3.1 Miles July 3 Fleet Feet Firecracker 5 Mile 5 Miles July 24 Medved 10 Ugly Men 5K 3.1 Miles August 14 Jenny Kuzma Memorial Bergen 5K 3.1 Miles September 4 Fleet Feet Summerfest 12K 7.45 Miles October 16 Run for Hospice 5K 3.1 Miles November 25 Race with Grace 10K 6.2 Miles

13 RROY SHOWCASE Fleet Feet Sports Spring Forward Distance Run 15K Join us for the 2 nd race of the RROY Series March 28 th at 8:30AM Stewart Lodge, Mendon Ponds Park Started in 2003, The Spring Forward Distance Run was a 9.5 Miler at the time. Race Director and Owner of YellowJacket Racing, Boots, decided to start the event because it was a distance that didn t really exist locally at the time. With the abundance of 5K s, Boots wanted something longer, so we decided early Spring would be a good time frame as it would be a great tune-up for longer Spring Events. It so happened the weekend was when the clocks changed for daylight savings, hence the name Spring Forward was created. Interestingly, the first year was the day Rochester saw its last ice storm. On the eve of Spring Forward we called the park to make sure the event was a go. The news channels had braced us for a strong ice storm, but at that moment the park said everything was a go and the park was perfectly fine. Spring Forward 12 hours to race day morning as Boots and I and our crew, headed to the park, perfectly fine was not the word anymore. Driving down Clover Rd past downed lines, trees, treacherous iced roads, we made our way to the Beach Lot. Of course after moving tree limbs from the road (no lie), so we could get to the parking lot. The silence in the parking lot was ridden with breaking tree limbs and crackling ice. So we stood in the center of the lot, hoping nothing would fall on us. Indeed by that point, we knew there was a State of Emergency and this first time race had to be postponed. But, we waited until start time, because we knew people would be crazy like us and still try to drive to the race and we wanted to be there to break the obvious news. Lo and behold, about 50 people showed up, and we sadly had to tell them the race was postponed due to the State of Emergency. However, as runners do, they want to get the run in, so off many of them went onto the slippery course. Fortunately we have not encountered an ice storm since, but when it was during daylight savings we always had those who showed up an hour late because they didn t set their clocks. We also changed the distance to a USAT Certified 15K (9.3 Miles) if you look closely you can see in the logo where we changed the 5 to a 3. Now that daylight savings is in early March, we decided to keep the event around the same timeframe and forego moving it as the title of the race suggests. Now under the umbrella of the multitude of events produced by YellowJacket Racing and sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports, Spring Forward is our long distance season opener. Still a great tune-up for the longer spring events with its undulating hills and beautiful downhill Mendon Ponds landscape finish, the Fleet Feet Sports Spring Forward Distance Run 15K, is something to put on your race radar. Join us this year for the 8 th running and hopefully with wonderful Spring like weather conditions. Registration/Race Info at or Article Written by Ellen Brenner (Co-Owner of Fleet Feet Sports & YellowJacket Racing) RROY race directors: If you d like your race to be featured in the RROY Showcase, send your article to the newsletter editor at walkert@rochester.rr.com before the 10th of the month prior to the month of your race.

14 Freezeroo Series Freezeroo #2 1/1/2010 Mendon Ponds Park 7.5 miles (#2) MEN 1. Ryan Pauling 2. Dave Bradshaw 3. Matt Avery WOMEN 1. Jen Malik 2. Rebecca Duberry 3. Amy Fakterowitz Freezeroo #3 1/16/2010 Don Curran Memorial 5K Irondequoit (#3) MEN 1. Dave Bradshaw 2. Ryan Pauling 3. Matt Roberts WOMEN 1. Karen Blodgett 2. Rebecca Duberry 3. Jen Malik

15 Freezeroo #4 1/30/2010 Irony, thy name is Oven Door Runner... The Hearnish 10K Powder Mills Park. Perinton (#4) MEN 1. Dave Bradshaw 2. Ryan Pauling 3. Matt Tytler WOMEN 1. Rebecca Duberry 2. Jen Malik 3. Victoria Roderiguez

16 Freezeroo #5 2/13/2010 Tom Brannon Memorial Valentine s 8-Miler Greece (#5) MEN 1. Nick End 2. Dave Bradshaw 3. Matt Tytler WOMEN 1. Karen Blodgett 2. Jennie Donofrio 3. Rebecca Duberry For complete race results and overall series standings, visit

17 Rochester Flower City Challenge Saturday, April 24th River Challenge Duathlon/Paddle Triathlon (individual or teams welcome) Location: Genesee Waterways/Ice Rink Sunday, April 25th Flower City Half Marathon & Mayor s Family 5K Location: Blue Cross Arena Race/Registration Information at Monroe Avenue Rochester, NY (585)

18 Eclectic Runner continued from page 7... Marathon Performance Breakthrough When I ran my first marathon, the world record was 2:08:34, set by Australian Derek Clayton at Antwerp, Belgium on May 30, Clayton was the first man to run the marathon in under 2:10. In the late 60s and 70s the top men in the marathon were from Europe, Australia, North America, Latin America and Japan. Fast forward to the 1990s Ethiopian Belayneh Dinsamo held the record from 1988 to His 2:06:50 on April 17, 1988 at Rotterdam, Netherlands, took the record under 2:07 for the first time. Fast forward to the present...the world record is now 2:03:59, set by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie at the Berlin Marathon on September 28, Last year there were 104 performances of 2:10 or under that s 104 marathons run faster than the world record of 40 years ago. Even more astounding, as the graph (from The Science of Sport website) shows, in 2009 there were 25 performances by 20 individuals that were faster than the world record of only 12 years ago. And in only three years, the number of sub-2:07 runners went from 5 in 2007 to 20 in Sub-2:07 Marathon Performances Just as striking is who ran those fast marathons last year. Look at the 20 men who ran under 2:07: 13 are Kenyan, 4 are Ethiopian and 3 are Moroccan. That s it no runners from the traditional running powers of only a few decades ago no Europeans or Russians, no one from North or South America, no Japanese or Koreans, no one from Australia or New Zealand. Open up the analysis to runners who ran 2:10 or faster and the pattern is the same: 64 Kenyans, 27 Ethiopians, 3 Moroccans, 3 Americans (Hall, Ritzenheim and Tegenkamp) and single runners from a handful of other countries. Reasons for the East African dominance of the men s marathon (and the longer track races) are discussed in some depth in a recent posting on The Science of Sports blog:

19 Eclectic Runner... Project Update: Auburn Trail Extension The planned extension of the Auburn Trail between Fishers Road and Railroad Mills Road was on hold most of 2009 awaiting completion of an environmental impact study. Regular readers will recall that this section of the proposed multi-use trail goes through a wetland section of the Irondequoit Creek Valley on an elevated railway bed. Several environmental and nature groups, a neighborhood association and the Oven Door Runners have all requested design modifications for the section through the wetlands, i.e., from the Collapsed Culvert over Irondequoit Creek to Railroad Mills Road. Chris Smith of Fisher Associates (the engineering firm planning the project) reported project status to the Victor Town Board on October 13, 2009: A late summer environmental study has been performed in addition to one done in the early summer. No additional endangered animals or plants were identified. Smith reported that the few twinleaf plants near the path could be safely moved out of the way of construction. Regarding the requested design modification to reduce the trail width to 3-feet wide through the wetlands section, Smith reported that the requested 3-feet wide trail is not wide enough for safety and cannot be financed with the available federal funds. He stated that the federal funders could give a waiver from the 10- feet wide standard to only 8-feet wide and that the trail must be at least 8-feet wide to meet relevant portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Representatives of the Genesee Valley Audubon Society, Rochester Butterfly Club, Burroughs Audubon Nature Club and others addressed the Town Board, again calling for a trail no wider than 3-feet and maintaining that the ADA requires only a 3-feet wide path. The advocacy groups and the project planners appear no closer to agreement. The next step is for Fishers Associates to revise the project plan, followed by another as yet unscheduled public hearing. NEW: Highland Park / Canalway Trail The Highland Park / Canalway Trail Project is a joint venture between the Town of Brighton and the City of Rochester. The proposed trail highlighted on the map will be a mix of new multi-use trail and marked bike lanes on existing streets. The route will connect Brighton Park and the Erie Canalway Trail with Highland Park (solid green line on the map) and continue on to connect Highland Park with the Genesse Riverway Trail (dashed blue line on the map). Following is the project schedule: Project Initiation January 2009 Develop Alternatives May - June 2009 Public Meeting July 1, 2009 Trail Design & Approvals July - Spring 2010 Bid & Award Project Summer 2010 Trail Construction Fall Spring 2011 Cont d on page Proposed Highland Park / Canalway Trail

20 RROY Age Group Winners 2009 GRTC Hall of Fame Inductees Dale Ladd (left) Derck Frechette (right) Carolyn Kreissen and Deb Wyspianski Coach Mike Reif and Dessert

21 Women s RROY Winners 2009 Men s RROY Winners 2009

22 Eclectic Runner continued from page NEW: Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge The Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge, crossing the Genesee River just north of the U of R campus, hasn t seen any railroad traffic since the 1970s. Now there s a very good chance it will be open to foot and bike traffic by September This rails to trails project has secured $1.2M from a matching state program. The State will pay $600,000 and the City matches this with $600,000. The project funding is reportedly considered "old" money and should be sheltered from current and future state budget cuts. The project schedule is as follows: Solicit a Design Consultant Jan - Feb 2010 Undertake site reconnaissance and survey Feb - April 2010 Begin preparation of alternatives April - May 2010 Host Citizens Advisory Meetings May - June 2010 Layout alternatives June-July 2010 Host public meetings August 2010 Finalize concepts Sept 2010 Finalize design Sept - Jan 2010 Issue Construction Contracts Jan 2011 Construction phase April 2011 Open Bridge Sept 2011 Once opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic, the bridge will provide another link between the East- and West-side river trails. The Genesee Transportation Council has a detailed report on the project at: Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge Feedback Questions? Comments? Suggestions for future columns? Send to tperry01@rochester.rr.com

23 RACE CALENDAR DATE EVENT DISTANCE CONTACT COST REGISTRATION LOC March 3, :30PM Fleet Feet Snow Cheap Winter Trail Series Mi Fleet Feet Rochester RACE LOC $45 for the series Riley Lodge, Cobbs Riley Lodge, if register by January 7th or $10 per ter, NY Rochester, NY Hill Park, Roches- Cobbs Hill Park, race March 7, 2010 Polarcat race Cavalry Lodge Mendon Ponds Park March 7, :15am March 13, :30am March 13, :30am RIT River Rd. Running Club Open Indoor Track Series Hornell YMCA 5K Run for the Shamrock Run and Walk Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 miles March 20, 2010 Buffalo State Bengal 5-K Run and Fun Walk Mulitple Events Bill Kehoe willopus@aol.com between 10am&4pm Bill Quinlisk See Website billqxc@verizon.net om 5K Dan Galatio djgalatio@hornellymca.com Mi. Bill Kehoe willopus@aol.com between 10am&4pm 5K Tom Koller kollertc@buffalostate.edu Individual races Cavalry Lodge $10, 6- race series Mendon Ponds $50. Park All registration is on race day $15 for preregistration by 3/15; $20 day-of race Hornell YMCA 12 Center St Hornell NY Rochester Downtown Radisson Hotel $18 / $22 Buffalo State Sports Arena Cavalry Lodge Mendon Ponds Park RIT's Gordon Field House Start and finish at the Hornell YMCA Rochester Downtown Radisson Hotel Begins on campus, 1300 Elmwood Avenue March 27, :00am 7th Annual Kyle's 5K Run/Walk Running for a Memory 5K Donna - Race director Donna.coggins@gmail.com Pre: $18 by 3/24, $20 after & day of Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave. Roch, NY On-line at Race Website or at race (day of) Pittsford Barker Rd Middle School, Pittsford, NY March 28, 2010 Spring Forward 8:30am 15K - RROY Race #2 15K Greg Buzulencia $20 if Preregistered by events@fleetfeetrochester.co m March 23rd; $22 from March 24th thru April 4th and $25 day of Fleet Feet Sports 2210 Monroe Ave Roch NY Stewart Lodge Mendon Ponds Park April 11, :30am Daniel's 5 K 5k Dan Giblin race director dgiblin@rochester.rr.com $16 for preregistration by 4/4; $20 day of race Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave. Roch, NY Churchville- Chili Central School District 139 Fairbanks Road Churchville NY April 11, 2010 Rochester River Run/Walk 5k 5K Susan A. Sullivan susan_sullivan@urmc.edu $20 pre-registered runners; $15 preregistered walkers Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave. Roch, NY Genesee Valley Park April 17, 2010 TBA UR Well Race for Health 5K Xuan Wang xwang.roch@gmail.com TBA by Fleet Feet On race website, Genesee Valley mail-in forms, or Park day-of at race location

24 DATE EVENT DISTANCE CONTACT COST REGISTRATION LOCATION RACE LOCATION April 18, :00am April 21, :30pm April 24, :30am Parkinson Canal 5 km Kevin P. Lucas 5 km Run & Walk info@usatf-niagara.org Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Trail Series #1 Flower City Duathlon & Triathlon 4-7 Mi Greg Buzulencia events@fleetfeetrochester.co m K Greg Buzulencia Run/20 events@fleetfeetrochester.co Mile Bike/ m Paddle OR 5K Run $18 pre-register by April 14th; $20 day of race $10 Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY Meridian Centre Park, 2025 Winton Rd. S, Brighton, NY Devil's Bathtub Shelter, Mendon Ponds Park Genesee Waterways Center on Elmwood Ave. April 24, :00am Muddy Sneaker 20K Trail Run 20K Mort Nace, Tim Ratowski goose@roadsarepoison.com $30 Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area, Italy, NY April 24, :00am NCA 5 Miler 5 Mile and 1/2 mi.- 1mi. Fun Run Chris Boshnack chris.boshnack@northstarchri stian.info $20.00 Greece Canal Park April 24, :30am Uganda 5K 5K, 1K Dara Tent daraceleste@gmail.com April 25, :30am 14th Annual Better Life 5K Run 5K F.F. Thompson Foundation foundation@thompsonhealth.com $15 for preregistration by 4/22; $20 day-of race On-line at Ravenwood Golf Lynaugh th.com by 4/22 or Road, Victor NY at race on 4/25 April 25, :30am Flower City Half- Marathon and Mayor's Family 5K 1/2 Marathon, 5K Greg Buzulencia events@fleetfeetrochester.co m War Memorial - 1 War Memorial Sq May 1, :00am May 1, :00am Greater Buffalo 13.1 miles Brian McElroy brianmcelroy1@verizon.net Track Club-Grand Island Half Marathon Brighton Recreation and Parks FUN FIT FIVE K Run/Walk 5K Katie Kogler katie.kogler@townofbrighton. org $35 until March 10, $40 March 11 to April 30, $45 May 1 $18 by 4/23 $20 after 4/23 Brighton Recreation and Parks 220 Idlewood Road Rochester NY Beaver Island State Park, Grand Island, NY Brighton Recreation and Parks 220 Idlewood Road Rochester NY May 1, :00am Race for the Vase 5K 5K Erika Asquino or Karen Emmerling easquino@honeoye.org (585) $20 if received by April 29th - $25 thereafter. Students under 18 may register for only $12 Honeoye Central School Cafeteria Honeoye Central School, 8528 East Main Street, Honeoye, NY, 14471

25 DATE EVENT DISTANCE CONTACT COST REGISTRATION LOCATION RACE LOCATION May 2, :00am May 2, :30am Medved Madness Trail Race Scrubs & Stethoscopes 5K Run/ 5K Walk 15 mile solo race or form a 3 person relay Mort Nace or Greg Crego greg@medvedrunwalk.com Stephanie Von Bacho Stephanie _vonbacho@urmc.rochester.edu solo: $25 pre reg/ $30 race day; Relay: $30 per person pre reg/ $35 per person race day Stephanie Von Bacho Medved Running and Walking Outfitters or at the race site $20.00 preregistration by 4/21; $25 after 4/21 Mendon Ponds Park, Hopkins Point Lodge Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave. Roch, NY On-line at Race Website or at race (day of) May 8, :00am Allegany Adventure Run-Trail Runs 6K, 13K, 22K Mark Lawrence heartrateupinfo@yahoo.com $20-30 Allegany State Park's Summit Trailhead Ski Lodge Allegany State Park, Salamanca, NY May 8, :30am Run for the Young 5K Joanne Church church@dor.org ext $18 by 4/26, $20 Day of: St. Lawrence Church, by 5/7, $25 day of 1000 N Greece Road, Rochester St. Lawrence Church, 1000 N Greece Road, Rochester May 9, :05am Pink Ribbon Run 5K 5K for Women Bix DeBaise bixdebaise@yahoo.com $20 preregistered, $25 race day pre-register at Ontario Beach Park, 1 Beach packet pickup at Avenue, Rochester NY BCCR, 940 University Ave, Rochester on May 6th, 7th, and 8th, or register at the event on race day. May 14, :45pm Williamson Apple Blossom 5k & 10k 5K & 10K Dan Sackett dansac5@aol.com m.com/forms.html $15 pre-entry, $20 day of race, $10 always for students (18 and under) Williamson middle school, Maple street Williamson middle school, Maple street May 15, :00am Run for Fun K run and a 1 mile walk Kate Proctor kcrevelling@cprochester.org (585) ext $15 before April 16th/$20 after CP Rochester CP Rochester (3399 Winton (3399 Winton Road South, Henrietta, NY 14623) rietta, NY 14623) Road South, Hen- or online at May 15, :00am Mind the Ducks Shelley Viggiano prptyofjesus@yahoo.com $60 postmarked by 4/15/10, $75 postmarked by 5/12/10. Seneca Park Zoo May 19, :30pm Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Trail Series #2 4-7 Mi Greg Buzulencia events@fleetfeetrochester.co Fleet Feet Sports, Onondaga Lodge, 2210 Monroe Ave, Webster Park Rochester, NY

26 DATE EVENT DISTANCE CONTACT COST REGISTRATION LOCATION May 22, :00am Aurora House 5 Mile Race with Pace 5 Mile Joe Blakely jblakel1@rochester.rr.com fundraising.html 5 Mile Runners, $18 post marked by May 15, $22 after or day of race. RACE LOCATION Village of Spencer-Villagport DPW cerport DPW of Spen- Grounds, see map Grounds, see map on website. on website. May 22, :30am Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon 2mi/10mi/1mi/ 10mi/2mi & 2mi/10mi/1mi Greg Buzulencia events@fleetfeetrochester.com Late entrance fee (postmarked 4/16-5/12) : $75 Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY Beach Lot, Mendon Ponds Park May 23, :00am Medved Lilac 10K and/or 10K & 5K Family 5K Fun Run Dan Medved dan@medvedrunwalk.com $18 pre reg/$20 Medved Running Highland Park race day; 10K and Walking Outfitters and 5K Special: Run both distances: or at the race site $27 pre reg; $30 race day May 29, :00pm Fly by Night Duathlon run-bike-runbike-run jeff@musselmantri.com Jeff Henderson (director) (1.8mi each run, 10.2mi each bike) $55 (individual) $90 (team of 2) oneline only: flybynightdu.com Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, NY May 29, :00am 9th Annual Sunset House 5K Run/Fitness Walk 5K Ann Cunningham annecc1@frontiernet.net $18 by 5/22; Post: Irondequoit United Irondequoit $20 Church of Christ, United Church of 644 Titus Avenue; Christ, 644 Titus Forms at website: Avenue 5k.org May 30, :30am May 30, :30am June 3, :00pm Bridgman 5k 5k Matt Ward $15 pre-reg by wardm@canandaiguaschools.or 1/27 : $18 day of g race Celebrate Commemorate JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge 5K Jack Sutliffe sut@rochester.rr.com Mi Jane Iaculli rochester@jpmorganchasecc.com Mail to : 2153 Brickyard Road, Canandaigua, NY $18.00 LaFayette Park, West Main Street, Waterloo, NY Canandaigua Academy 135 East Street Canandaigua, NY LaFayette Park RIT, Rochester, NY June 4, :00pm June 5, :30am 2nd Annual Fight 5K Against Violence 5k Woods Walk & Trail Run 10M, 10K, & 5K Bill Kehoe willopus@aol.com Margaret Cherre, race director director@pfeiffernaturecenter.org $20 for registration RECEIVED by 5/20; $25 5/21-6/4 NO ONSITE REGISTRATION register online or by mail Staybridge Suites Hotel 1000 Genesee St Yubadam Road, Portville, NY June 5, :00am 2nd Annual RSD River Ramble 5K Bill Keanan BKeanan@rsdeaf.org Rochester School for the Deaf, 1545 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY