FOOTPRINT Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
May 2006
www.runnersandwalkers.com
RAW off to the Races By Rita Law “RAW off to the Races” appeared at the 20th Annual Haltom Stampede 5k and 10k for the second year in a row on Feb 11. Twenty-four RAW members showed up to race and a few more were there just to cheer and staff our table in the finish area. Thirteen RAW runners brought home one of the coveted ceramic Buffalo trophies for their age group result. Hèléne “LN” Walker’s mom (Fanny Deleperche) came all the way from France to run her first 5k and WON her age group!
schools always have a big turnout. It starts and ends at the Birdville Stadium and the “lollipop” shaped route gives us back-of-the-packers a chance to see the front runners sail by toward the finish. The course is well marked with good traffic control provided by the city employees. The finish of the race is a fast downhill into the stadium where a lap around the track is either a slightly tortuous reminder of high school track or a chance to feel like an Olympic athlete racing for the finish line. Race results didn’t go as smoothly as we would have hoped…the ”chip on the bib” system together with a haphazard day of race registration meant a bit of confusion and disappointment at awards time. But hey, give those volunteers a break because it was cold out there and they did their best to get all the deserving folks an award. A group of us made it back to the Grapevine IHOP for brunch (sorry Mark for losing you on the highway) where we ate lots of pancakes and eggs and discussed the finer points of how to organize a finish line ― determining that you just can’t beat the popsicle stick method!
This herd of RAW runners prepares to bring home lots of buffalo trophies.
There must be some rule that says no matter how nice a winter we are having in Texas, the weekend of the Haltom Stampede HAS TO BE COLD and this year was no exception. The frigid temperatures and wind really only affected us at the start and finish, since the sun was out on the course to make it a pretty and enjoyable race through the neighborhoods and hills of Haltom City. The Haltom Stampede is a cozy race ― 194 finishers for the 5k and 130 for the 10k. The local elementary and middle
Next RAW off to the Races
Run for Sarah May 13 See the bulletin board for more information.
Look at what’s inside The weather was very cold, but this Race was the one the runners had been waiting for all winter. To do their best and to meet their goals. Read about the Austin Freescale Marathon highlights inside. Austin Freescale Marathon | pages 13-15
The Grasslands Run is unique in North Texas with its extensive trails creating 50 miles of athletic excess. Entrants met their running goals during a stellar day of perfect weather and trail conditions.
Grasslands Run | pages 22-24
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers Club P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099
K2 to you
RAW Board and Committees
Why do you run?
PResident | Kelly Richards President@RunnersAndWalkers.com FiRst ViCe PResident | Courtney Noell VP1x@RunnersAndWalkers.com seCond ViCe PResident | Susan Barnett VP2x@RunnersAndWalkers.com ChieF inFoRMAtion oFFiCeR | Jack Hase CIOx@RunnersAndWalkers.com tReAsuReR | Craig Minyard Treasurerx@RunnersAndWalkers.com oFFiCeRs At LARGe
Joe Luccioni
MAL1x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Noreen Henry
MAL2x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Henry Galpin
MAL3x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Pam Truhn
MAL4x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Bryon Benoit
MAL5x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Steve Rush
MAL6x@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Footprint editoRs
Kelly Carper Erickson & Kevin Wessels rawfreelance@comcast.net
desiGneR | Lorraine Wessels PRoduCtion | Doug Noell
Membership data
How many times have you been asked that question? Probably as many times as you’ve heard, I don’t run unless somebody is chasing me or the dreaded how far is this marathon? Why Alan Culpepper asks our running? It can’t be that it’s fun, after all when is President, Kelly for a picture. the last time you heard someone say, “Hey look at that person running. Wow, that looks like fun! I want to hurry up and get home so I can go running!” It just doesn’t happen. It can’t be because it’s easy. After all our sport is punishment for poor performance by most team sports. When football players miss a tackle, they’re forced to go run laps. When a basketball player fails to defend their net, they’re made to run back and forth across the wood. It’s not sexy, rather it’s sweaty and stinky! So, if it’s not fun, easy or glamorous why do we do it? We probably all had different motives for becoming runners but I bet we continue to run for most of the same reasons. Running is fun, it is a fundamental pleasure enjoyed by the human body and spirit. Running is simple, not to be confused with easy, hardly any equipment is needed, we can run anywhere and at just about anytime. Lastly running is an exciting and diverse sport! We can participate in anything from sprint events to marathons and even beyond. We can even run in the same race as world-class athletes and Olympians! I know I’m a running-geek but no apologies here, I find that super cool! As neat as that is, my favorite people to run and race with are the members of RAW. I always have the most fun right here on the RAW course (or it might be the refreshments and hanging out back at the clubhouse). I hope you do too. The next time someone asks you why you run maybe you should consider responding with, “I like to be RAW.”
Doug Noell
MEMBER
MembershipData@RunnersAndWalkers.com
See you at the lake.
~K2
Calendar of Upcoming Events Check the RAW E-Bulletin Board to verify all events: www.runnersandwalkers.com RAW Calendar Saturday & Sunday Walk/Run | 7am from the clubhouse Wednesday Trail Run | 7am from the clubhouse Friday Trail Run | 7am from the clubhouse Saturday Night Live | 1st Saturday of every month May 6, 2006 5pm at McCallister’s in Southlake June 3, 2006 5pm at Scott’s Landing in Grapevine
2 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
Upcoming Events RAW off to the Races | May 13 Run for Sarah 5K (Go to http://www.runforsarah.com for more info) RAW Awards Banquet | May 13, 6:30pm at Lancaster Theatre in Grapevine (see pg. 6 for details) RAW Board Meeting | May 25, 6:30pm at the clubhouse RAW Luau | June 17 at the Metzger’s Home
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Health and Injury Prevention The number one most important piece of equipment for runners is the correct pair of shoes. What’s next you ask? That answer isn’t clearly defined but ranking right up there and probably the most frequently overlooked item is socks. I was surprised to hear this, too. Just like you would with your shoes, have an expert help you select the proper socks for you. Socks, like your running shoes, have a limited life span. To determine if your socks are wearing out, look for wear patterns. As soon as they’re noticeable it’s time to replace them. Experts suggest buying a block of socks; three to five pair at once. Replace the entire block regularly ensuring all of your socks are in as great of shape as you are. But how do socks prevent injuries? Socks that are worn out loose the padding that provides additional support for your arches and heels, the ventilation features are compromised and the socks are more likely to rub against your skin causing an irritation. Even the smallest skin irritation can cause runners to make a change in their gait. Gait-changes and (muscle) over-use are the two most common causes of injuries among runners. Another pointer from the experts, if you sweat excessively, which is easy to do in the Texas summers, change your socks midway through a long run. Take care of your feet and they’ll take you where you want to go.
January - March club turn-out # of weekends closed days missing data days avg. usage/weekend day weekends only all days
Jan
Feb
Mar
Totals
4 1 2 32 161 211
4 1 0 32 223 296
4 0 0 34 269 369
12 2 2 33 653 879
The largest weekend day turn out this year was 60 on Saturday March 4th. The smallest was 7 on Sunday March 19th due to heavy rain. Record for largest weekend day turn out (since recorded history January 2004) is 61 set on 6/25/05 and again on 11/13/05.
FOOTNOTES•FOOTNOTES•FOOTNOTES•FOOTNOTES
Waco Striders Cross Country 5 Miler Tia Metzger, Courtney Noell, Cindy Lee, Marty Metzger and Alan Englisch proudly display their medals.
CONGRATULATIONS • Congratulations to Carlene Mayfield for being the top female track leader in the 1,600m and 3,200m regional events. She was the only female in the Metroplex to go under 11 minutes in the 3,200m. • Congratulation to Karen Robertson for being awarded “Elite Age Group Status” by USAT. She was awarded AA Honors for her triathlon and off-road accomplishes. • Congratulations to Kelly “5K” Carper Erickson on her engagement to Howard BEST WISHES • Wishing Tony Dominiec a speedy recovery from his knee surgery. • We wish Karen Bosworth a speedy recovery from surgery on her torn ACL. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS • Our thoughts and prayers are with Terry and Nancy Marcott as Terry has been deployed to Iraq. • Our thoughts and prayers are with Cleveland Ray and his family as he fights a courageous battle with brain cancer. CONDOLENCES • Condolences to Roy and Karen Robertson on the loss of Roy’s mother. • Condolences to Mike and Suzi Cope on the loss of Suzi’s mother. LOST & FOUND • Items in the Lost & Found are piling up! If you’ve left something at the clubhouse please check to see if we’ve found it. All unclaimed items are in the white cabinet along the north wall of the clubhouse. THANK YOU • A special thank you goes out to Rick Sanford for organizing the April movie night. • Thank you to all of our first time water duty volunteers.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 3
WACO BEARATHON By Helene “LN” Walker
O
n March 4, 2006, I woke up at 4 am to drive to Waco to run the Bearathon half-marathon organized by Baylor University. My main reason was that this race is a great opportunity to support education. Indeed, the Bearathon race was created with fundraising in mind to help create scholarships for students who could not otherwise afford to attend college. That day, my goal was to finish in 1:52 or under. Little did I know what was to happen! One clue should have been that last year’s results seemed to be a little slow for a halfmarathon. Sure enough, most of us slowed down for about four miles during the course. But enough said for now... The course starts at Baylor University and follows the Brazos River to the west. It’s a beautiful course that crosses the river twice each way, and among other things I enjoyed watching ducks and other fowl cross the path in front of us. The weather was perfect, with just enough headwind on the way back to keep us a little cool. Students from Baylor staffed the aid stations located every mile, and they were much louder than the Wellesley girls (for those of you who have run Boston). There was cheering from the volunteers, the spectators, and even the police officers in charge of traffic, like in Oklahoma City when we ran the inaugural marathon a few years ago. I remember two female volunteers chanting: “We love runners! We love runners!” To which I answered: “We love volunteers! We love volunteers!” By now, you must wonder what could have slowed most of us down. Here is a hint: In comparison, our mile three is flatter than a pancake. Yes, you guessed right! There were steep, long @$# hills right after the Cameron Park (miles 5.5 to eight). I swear the grade was twice as steep as our good ol’ hill on Kimball, just before the mile three marker. That was a real drawback for hill haters like me: Anyway, I kept going up and down those — no comment — hills, and it was enough to kill anyone’s legs. When we came out of those hills, my new goal was to finish under two hours,
and I ended up with a time of 1:59:58. When I took the final curve, and saw the clock displaying 1:59 and change, I just sprinted as fast as I could to get less than two hours! After crossing the finish line, a young student took the chip off my shoe, while another young volunteer carrying T-shirts asked me what size I would like. I did not know that we would receive a second T-shirt! This one is indeed a great shirt, emerald-green with “Bearathon Finisher” on it. The post race feeding frenzy started with hot dogs followed by flavored chips and finished with nice Danish pastries and glazed donuts. There was plenty of water and the healthconscious runners got bananas and green apples (I confess, I could not resist those shiny, scrumptious apples). I would give this race four stars — it was well organized and the volunteers, police officers and crowd were great.
Of course, to paraphrase Osgood Fielding III (played by Joe E. Brown) in “Some Like It Hot,” “Nothing is Perfect.” For one, when I got to Baylor University, I could not see any sign telling me where to go. I spent about 10 minutes driving around campus before finding the orange cones that led me to the start / finish area. Another glitch was the lack of marker at mile 13 (I like to know how fast I can run in that last 0.1 mi). I also regret not having taken my camera with me because Bear the Mascot was welcoming runners and spectators at the finish area. (What do you expect from a tea-deprived hill-hater who has to get up at 4 am, drive over an hour and a half both ways to run only 13.1 miles, four of which being long @$# hills?) But the main issue that I believe they need to address for next year is the lack of age groups. They only have three divisions: Student, 18 to 39, and 40 and over. I would suggest that they get rid of the prizes for the first three in each division (and we are talking $3,600 here that could be put to better use), and switch to age groups to attract more runners. Still, I would give this race four stars because it was well organized and the volunteers, police officers and crowd were great. The course was very beautiful, despite the hills.
LGRAW Partners with the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness & Sports Melissa Johnson, executive director of PCPFS sends her regards to LGRAW and thanks us for joining with them in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Council. The national endeavor to “Get America Moving!” is right in line with what we do as a club– encourage people to get moving with some of us faster “movers” than others! Our name and organization is posted on www.fitness.gov as one of the 50th Anniversary Partners and also as Presidents Challenge Advocates on www.presidentschallenge.org (click on Advocates non-profit). It’s cool to see US on THEIR sites. Also, there’s a link from their sites directly to ours. Look for “way-cool” Presidents Challenge wrist bands, DVDs and brochures on the display table at the club. Encourage kids to go to the website and get involved too! They really enjoy earning the medals. Just don’t tell ‘em its exercise!
4 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
RAW in the Kitchen By Bridget Smith It is getting to be almost grill time but I thought I would pass along these two very simple recipes – both are perfect for a quick, light dinner anytime! The first recipe is courtesy of Central Market. It calls for halibut, but any mild white fish will do just fine. This second one I found in some unknown magazine waiting sitting in a doctor’s office somewhere and it has become a Smith family favorite! Spicy Baked Halibut (4 servings, 4.5 – 5 points per serving*) 1 ¼ pounds halibut, cut into 4 portions Salt and Pepper 1 tsp. cumin 1 10-ounce can tomatoes, chopped 2 Tbls. fresh cilantro, chopped 1 small pickled jalapeno, seeded and chopped 12 green olives, chopped 2 tsp. olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish or spray with cooking spray. Arrange fish, skin side down, in the baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Stir remaining ingredients together and spoon over fish. Bake for 12 -15 minutes until barely opaque in center.
Chicken with Artichoke Peppersauce (4 servings, 6 points per serving*) 1 - 6 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts ½ cup roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped 4 chicken breasts ½ - 1 teaspoon salt 6 cloves garlic, pressed 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup dry white wine ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper Drain artichoke hearts, saving the marinade. Finely chop artichoke hearts, toss with roasted red peppers and set aside. Salt the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the saved marinade in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook 2 – 3 minutes each side until golden. Remove from the skillet, set aside to keep warm. Add garlic to skillet, sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining marinade, pepper/artichoke mixture, wine, paprika and ground red pepper – deglaze the pan. Return chicken to skillet, cover and cook about 10 minutes.
First Steps The New Runner’s Guide Runners Speak
splits Frequently measured in miles, timed segments of a run or walk. “For my three-mile run my mile splits were: 9:15, 9:05 and 9:00.”
Equipment, Gadgets and Gizmos One of the beauties about running is that all you really need are a good pair of shoes, socks, shorts and a top (even that’s questionable). So, do you really need a shirt with moisturewicking capabilities and fancy labels like Cool-Max and Dri-Weave? Absolutely! Your favorite cotton T-shirt might feel soft and comfortable until you start sweating and it suddenly weighs five pounds and is as rough as sandpaper. Moisture wicking shirts have specially treated fabrics that pull moisture away from your skin, to the surface of the shirt where it will evaporate more quickly, keeping your skin dry and comfortable. Dry skin is less likely to chaff. Technical shirts, as they are sometimes referred to, also keep their shape even when wet. Go high-tech, look great, stay chaff-free, and save the oldfashioned cotton T-shirt for sitting around in at the clubhouse after your run.
Getting Started: If you have no previous running history, do not exercise on a regular basis but can walk at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes you’re ready to take your first steps as a runner. The key to starting a successful running career is start slowly. • Integrate running into your existing walking program. Start with five-minute spurts of easy running. • Walk briskly for 5-10 minutes then run for 3-5 minutes. Walk another 5 minutes then run again for 3-5 minutes. • Repeat this cycle for a maximum total of 30 minutes the first time. • Continue with this pattern shortening your walk breaks each few days. Soon you’ll be able to run the entire 30 minutes.
*Points are approximate and based on 5 ounces cooked weight for the meat.
Recipe ideas and comments on this column can be sent to Bridget Smith at tex4nazlax@1scom.net.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 5
Your presence is requested
LGRAW Annual Awards Banquet When:
Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Slide show, reception and opening remarks (Beer/wine cash bar) 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Dinner 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Recognition and awards ceremony!
Where:
The Lancaster Theatre 300 South Main Street Grapevine, TX 76051
Special Guest:
Bart Yasso will present his famed slide show
“Never limit yourself to where your running takes you”
Attire:
Everything from casual to formal will be appropriate
Menu:
A buffet including Spring Salad, Greek Salad, Balsamic Chicken, Sliced Smoked Brisket, Potatoes Au Gratin, Broccoli Cheese & Rice Casserole, Pound Cake with Strawberry Topping, Coffee, Tea and Rolls
Cost:
$20 per person (beer/wine cash bar)
Payment must be received no later than May 6, however, please note that Seating is limited and may sell out well in advance! To pay by mail, send checks made payable to RAW to: Marty Metzger, 2152 Brownstone Court, Grapevine, TX 76051 To pay in person, give cash or checks made payable to RAW to: Joe Luccioni, Tony Dominiec, Tia or Marty Metzger
6 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
Running Backwards – RAW the First Year, 1997 Chris Reyher The Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers club was founded by an avid runner transplanted from Southern California by way of New York to Texas. His name is Richard Craft. Richard, a successful businessman, had been an avid marathoner in New York and when he and his family relocated to Grapevine he began looking for the running club that surely must be in the area. There was none. This is where our story begins…
R
ichard Craft was our first club member. He called his new running club The Grapevine Running Club. He talked to anyone who would listen about his new organization until he found a handful of runners eager to join together and grow the club. At the first organizational meeting the goals of the club were discussed such as measuring and improving the trails at the lake and how we needed to attract walkers as well as runners to our organization. That prompted Susan Phillips’ fateful suggestion, “Let’s change our name to Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers. We can call it RAW!” Richard contacted Grapevine Parks and Recreation to ask for their support. About all he got out of that meeting at that time was some encouragement, a pat on the back and an invitation to take a shift staffing the Parks and Recreation booth at the upcoming Main Street Days street fair. Recognizing an opportunity, Richard saw to it that someone from RAW was in that booth all weekend by handing out flyers and asking anyone within earshot of that booth, “Are you a runner? Are you a walker? Would you be interested in joining our running and walking club?” That one event was the springboard that gave RAW the impetus for community recognition and growth. Checks came pouring in and RAW membership zoomed from about 20 to 100. To further reinforce our presence and legitimacy, we began visiting local businesses in the area to promote the new club and ask for sponsorships. Not to ask for money, but to ask to place small attractive informational displays and brochures where their customers could see them and read about RAW. In return, the merchants were offered free advertising in the Footprint for the balance of 1997 and opportunities to have their coupons and promotional information included in our membership information packets. In those days, RAW members were meeting on weekends at 7 a.m. either at the soccer fields or in the parking lot by the softball fields just north of the present clubhouse. More than once we took turns huddling in Richard’s van to stay warm or dry or both. Richard always had some sort
of raffle or door prize of RAW T-shirts, or donated goodies or coupons, just for showing up. He organized weekday runs at Parr Park and early weekend runs for the long distance runners. We also had Tuesday evening workouts at the Grapevine High School track. In June, LGRAW was formally chartered as a non-profit corporation. Membership continued to grow at a steady pace, but we desperately needed a permanent location to have club meetings and shelter from the elements. Just think of it, someone had to bring the filled water barrels, sport drink, brochures, signs, coffee, snacks, and check to be sure the bathrooms were unlocked (the city locked the bathrooms in the park randomly for no apparent reasons). If we wanted to have our “stuff” we had to bring it with us. Finally, in December, we moved into our new clubhouse. Our first attempt at organizing a formal race was done in October in response to a call for last-minute help from the Grapevine Rotary Club. They called it the Grapevine Classic. It was only a modest success. It was a 5K held at the community activities center. We helped with other races, but we soon realized that we needed to produce our own events. Richard always talked about having a one mile race, one way, on a straight, level course. The idea being that it would be totally unique in this area and we would attract major sponsors who would underwrite large purses to attract the area’s elite milers to run possibly the fastest mile ever run by man. That was a bit unworkable, but we did do the next best thing. We called it the Main Street Mile! Every year on Main Street, in early December, Grapevine has their lighted Christmas Parade. This had been going on for years, with a tried and true format, complete with floats, bands, celebrities and politicians. An all-American, apple pie and Chevrolet, very predictable, small town parade. The city services were able to pull this off blindfolded. It was that routine. All we wanted to do that year was to include a one mile fun run on Main Street from Vine Street to Wall Street and back, right
before the start of the parade. We asked to extend the time of the evening’s event 15 minutes. We had the sponsorship and influence of the Women’s’ Division of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. All the proceeds from the race went to their favorite Christmas charity. The city looked for all kinds of excuses not to allow us those 15 minutes complaining about holding up traffic too long, overtime, etc., etc. RAW and the ladies of the Chamber would not be denied. Those few extra minutes became the most fruitful quarter hour in our brief history. The registered participants totaled only about 100. The “race” was completely unexpected by the majority of the spectators. There were three or four competitive runners and the rest were there only to be seen, heard and to savor the electricity of the moment. We were decked out with our Santa hats, bells, lights, spouses and kids and lots of candy and RAW brochures to disperse to the crowd. We started the RAW chant that echoed off the buildings along the way. The spectators had no idea what was coming at them, but they wound up clapping and cheering as we went by…twice! We warmed up those unsuspecting crowds on that chilly evening! The actual parade was much more sophisticated and more in keeping with the season, but for a while, we had Main Street all to ourselves and we did make quite an impression on about 2,000 people. We got our 15 minutes of fame. That event raised our visibility in the community to its highest level to that date. RAW was on a roll! We managed to procure a coveted aid station location at mile 18 for the ‘97 White Rock Marathon. We chartered a 46-passenger bus to ride to the race. Unbelievably, Wilhoit’s agreed to open up at 5 a.m. to serve us donuts and coffee before boarding the bus if we would return after the race for lunch. True to form, RAW set the standard for excellence among all the WRM aid stations that day. As 1997 ended, RAW was growing and flush with success. The following years would bring us even more good things! May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 7
Groupie Withdrawal By Noreen “Diva” Henry
W
ho would’ve thought at 40 –er –a- something, I’d be admitting that I’m a recovering groupie. I know, I know, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I’ve discovered that acknowledgement of my problem is the first step of my recovery. I also found that the more I shared my story, the more I found there were numerous others in the LGRAW running club going through the same groupie withdrawal symptoms that I was. I was surprised how many of us unknowingly become a “groupie.” It starts out innocently as you begin training for a big race. You look for others that are training, too, and run about the same pace and distance as you do. You look for your dealer, Major Mike er, leader to post or email the Eccleston scheduled run each weekend and willingly wake up at ungodly early hours to get your running fix in with your fellow groupies and running distances you never thought possible at paces you never dreamed of. And while you may whine and complain the whole workout, you are grinning from ear-to-ear through each run. Before you know it, you Steven “Dog Dude” Rush start monitoring the message board or email for the plans for next weekend’s run. At this point, you are so into the running camaraderie that you don’t realize you are hooked. You joined the group to train for the “big event,” but the training is really where all the fun is. The big event – is just an excuse to bond with fellow runners… to be, you know, a “Running Groupie.” It doesn’t hit you though, until the big race comes – and goes. For me it was the Austin Marathon where I got to cheer on my fellow groupies. Through running buds, I experienced all aspects of the human running spirit, from the agonies of them hitting the wall and digging deep to just finish… to the indescribable high of sharing in your fellow runners qualifying for Boston! It was the most amazing weekend. But that’s when my real problem began – “withdrawal.” Without a race to train for, the groupies were cut off. No longer getting a training Mark Sparks fix each weekend, you desperately try to rush through the post race recovery and find the next big event to train for just so you can start the groupie runs up again.
8 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
To make sure the rest of you don’t fall into this same trap, I thought it would be best if I shared with you the warning signs of Groupie Withdrawal: □ You wake up at four-freaking o’clock every Saturday morning, without an alarm clock, roll out of that nice warm comfy bed and start the runner’s sleep walk – thinking “gotta run with the groupies.” □ You start replacing GU and Gatorade with Jell-O shots, acting like every day is New Year’s Eve. □ You holler out “Yeeee Haaaa” every time you finish a project in honor of the big-hearted Texas groupie
Julia “JLo” McCloud
□ You start drawing cartoon characters of your fellow groupies so you don’t forget what they look like. □ You head to the clubhouse to hydrate with fruit juice refreshments such as Mimosas and Apple-tinis! □ You start getting paranoid when you see a few of the other groupies running together without notifying you. You think you must have fallen out of the Groupie Loop. □ You screech to a stop, park in the ditch, balancing your car on three wheels, because you thought six was the distance not the start time. □ You start making nick names for everyone in your family....you no longer call your spouse by name, but Weezer and your children will forever be called Spud and Li’l Bit. □ Every time you go to the store you get a case of bottled water...just in case..... □ You shop for a few more snazzy running outfits and matching … er… um… man purses to make sure you will look marvelous the next time the Groupies want to run. □ While driving you find yourself looking to find great places to stash all of the water bottles you just bought. □ You slave away making up a batch of home brew and throw a party just so you can socialize with the Groupies again. Kevin Wessels
□ You take up cycling and swimming so you can join the Tri-Groupies.
If you exhibit any of these signs, put on your running shoes and come out to the RAW Support Club. Know that you are not alone. You are part of what makes this club so unique. You are a Running Groupie.
Kelly “K2” Richards
RAW around the world Babette Derendinger
H
ello RAW! I’m Babette Derendinger, AKA Babs. I was a member of LGRAW from 1999 to 2004. RAW is a fabulous running club. I hope each of you take a moment to appreciate the support, knowledge and friendships the club provides. I look back fondly at my RAW days. They helped me reach many fitness goals as well as provided the groundwork for solid friendships. In July 2004, my husband, two-month old son, Jake and I relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where we welcomed our second child, Sydney, in September 2005. With the winter months behind us, I began to revisit my lifelong hobby: running.
The St. Louis Arch poses with new St. Louis landmark, Babett Derendinger.
St. Louis and its suburbs have an active running community. I’ve found runners to be much the same anywhere: chatty, confident, slightly out of the ordinary and very good company. The weather is the best thing about running here. Our weather accommodates all four seasons. It does get plenty warm (Okay, down right hot) in the heat of the summer. It stills cools off at night removing the requirement to wake up prior to the sun to get a long morning run before the heat becomes unreasonable. Winter running can be a challenge. While some love the sound of the crunching snow under their shoes, or the quiet serenity of a lonely trail, and even the smell of the crisp cold air as it enters your bundled body, my warm blooded body
deals with snow for skiing purposes only. I’m an indoor runner (track or treadmill) until the temps hit 65 or higher. My exposure to local running club is still limited. But, those clubs I have run with or spoken to have been nice. I like the St. Louis Track club the best. They can be reached at this website. http://www. stlouistrackclub.com/ Unlike Dallas where White Rock Lake collects most athletes, St. Louis has such a variety of locations to run, there isn’t one hot bed for running. Most people here use the Katy Trail. It runs almost across the entire state (following the old Katy railroad beds) with many places to jump onto the trail. Most “pick-up” locations are associated with some form of park. Here’s the trails website http:// bikekatytrail.com/ Hashing is big here and I’ve heard the Wild in the Woods trail race/run is a lot of fun. I believe it’s in October and is on the clubs website if you wanted to check it out. The other big local race is the marathon in April (http://www. stlouismarathon.com/stl_marathon/ events/Marathon.asp). They make a weekend out of it with fun runs for kiddos ranging from the diaper dash for the under two-years-old group to a half mile event for 10-year-olds. Fleet Feet is the local favorite running store. They work with you in every department to ensure you have the perfect fit from head to toe. Website http://www. fleetfeetstl.com/ From my limited experience in the area I’d say a great event (more than just running) is the indoor triathlon held in March. It’s the largest indoor triathlon in the state. You go from the indoor pool down a hall to a stationary bike then to a treadmill. They have two lengths to choose from. The sprint consists of a quarter mile swim, eight-mile bike and 2.5 mile run and the larger event consists of a half mile swim, 18-mile bike and a five-mile run. I participated in the sprint this year and found it to be very well run especially considering all the added intricacies of participants in three different events. For example, the facility had people to count your laps, others to run/walk with you from the pool to the cardio room, others to program your bike and treadmill, each keeping track of your leg times.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Welcome to all our new members
New members Tamar Ballard Erin Dugan Tami Engle Jacquelyn Fulks Jessica & Rick Hanson Tim Jacobs Ryan Jones Tom Kamm Mary Lessor Brandon Long Rachel McAden Naomi Noy Kalpana Paramesh Troy Pruett Patty Quintero Jenna Ray Greg Vanderwalt
Renewals
Al Angell Dan Banse Jim Baudhuin Phillip & Crystal Beavin Reba Becker & Debbie Carpenter Judy & Larry Branigin Kelly Brittain Betty Brown & Jerry Trimble Tanya Bubash Michael & Tanya Czyz Scott Decker Mike Evans Rick Fogle Henry Galpin Keith & Cathy Hale Family Noreen Henry Doug & Mary Keeffe JW & Susie Keeling Kyle Keifer Don Krell Gregory LaMothe & Family Katherine Loewen Terry Marcott Lee Miller & Family Pat Noell Doug Ryan David & Bridget Smith Dixie Terry Mustafa Varol Ted Winter
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 9
News from the RRCA Road Runners Club of America
First Issue of FOOTNOTES Posted On-line The inaugural issue of the Road Runners Club of America’s on-line membership magazine, FOOTNOTES, was posted on the homepage (http://rrca.org) of their website March 1, 2006. The magazine is designed to educate the running community and promote national, regional and state level running events and activities of RRCA members. The RRCA boast 100,000 hits per month to their website and web traffic has grown by 30% from 2004 to 2005. Based on the RRCA’s web survey, a significant number of our visitors use a national website for training and race information. To this end, the RRCA will produce the quarterly on-line magazine that is accessible to everyone in the running community. We are pleased to bring you the March 2006 issue of FOOTNOTES: FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE RRCA BY THE MEMBERS. We encourage everyone to visit the RRCA website and read the publication on-line, download and print the file to read on the go, or you can order a black and white magazine from the RRCA store at http:// www.cafepress.com/rrca.
Kelly Richards appointed as North Texas RRCA State Representative RRCA Southern Director Ken Bendy recently announced that RRCA President Bee McLeod has approved the appointment of Kelly Richards as North Texas RRCA Rep to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former State Rep Sam Balandran. Kelly, better known as “K2”, brings a wealth of experience in running and club management to the RRCA. Kelly attended the recent 2006 RRCA National Convention in Houston and has shown the drive and “Can Do” attitude required to be an outstanding member of the RRCA’s State Rep team. We have a “Keeper” and expect to see great things in North Texas!
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49th Anuual RRCA Convention The 49th annual Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) convention hosted by the Houston Striders was an informative and surprisingly fun experience. The RRCA consists of 700 running clubs and 175,000 members across the United States. The RRCA provides a national presence for its running community membership. They provide running club and race event insurance, conduct training certifications, And promote sharing of run club best practices. They also provide a channel for companies that want to provide goods and services on a national level.
Steven “Dog Dude” Rush and Kelly “K2” Richards represented RAW at the convention.
Steven “Dog Dude” Rush and Kelly “K2” Richards represented RAW at the convention. They spent the weekend attending meetings, seminars and rubbing elbows with running legends such as Kathrine Switzer, Roger Robinson and Bart Yasso. There was still plenty of time for socializing and daily runs. The Houston Striders did an incredible job presenting their city as one filled with soft-surface parks and wide open green spaces. Especially considering one of Houston’s nicknames is the Concrete City. They showcased the city of Houston by conducting a Houston Tunnel System Walk Rallye that took participants in three-person teams all over and under the downtown area while searching to find answers to a list of questions about the area. This unique tour of the city included visits to several of the professional sporting venues and historic sites in the downtown area. They ran at Rice University, Herman Park and Buffalo Bayou Park (the 2003 USA Cross Country Championships course where scores of the country’s top distance runners competed for spots on the USA team at the World Cross Country Championships). They even ran in the 2006 RRCA National 10k Championship race called the Bayou City Classic 10k. This race attracts everyone from the elite to the eccentric. What makes this race famous and wacky is the centipede division. A centipede team
must have at least six members and all members must be connected during the entire race. They dress up in costumes, some pretty outrageous. Crowd favorites were the Runny Noses led by a box of tissue and the Catholic School Girls, who to the surprise and embarrassment of many men, weren’t all girls but had very short skirts and were led by a male nun. The post race party, which featured ales from hometown St. Arnold Brewing Co. almost made up for the miserable race conditions (mid 70s with nearly 100 percent humidity). During the convention K2 attended seminars on newsletters, new runner programs, injury prevention and small race productions. Dog Dude attended seminars on race safety, hydration, running club websites, and news on running shoes, apparel and gizmos. He’s now probably the most well-informed male on running bars. They are sharing all they learned with our club race directors, Footprint editors, our CIO and webmaster Jack Hase and Pam, our mentor program coordinator. If you have any specific questions on one of these topics please ask. K2 was extremely proud to represent RAW during the Southern Region meeting where she accepted awards and recognition for six of our members. You’ll have to wait until our banquet (see pg. 6) for details.
K2 with Bart Yasso
Probably the best benefit of attending the convention was the networking aspect. They met Bart Yasso, Kathrine Switzer, several vendors, potential race sponsors, race directors, club presidents, RRCA state reps and normal every day runners. There are so many knowledgeable, dedicated people that are passionate about running associated with the RRCA. The RRCA’s motto is “We’re back!” and they believe it. Any runner, regardless of pace or position within the running community would enjoy the convention and are encouraged to consider attending. The 50th annual convention is set for March 2007 in Chicago.
How did you find out about RAW? Back in 1997 RAW had a booth at the Grapevine GrapeFest. I just got in at the end of the charter membership drive.
Tony Dominiec with his wife, Judy.
In Step With Tony Dominiec
Who was the first person you met at RAW or that first showed you the trails or really “took you in”? Our founder, Richard Craft Do you do anything special before or after running or do you have any pre/ post race ritual? Before my run I drink a couple of cups of coffee and after my runs I usually do my stretching and sit-ups.
Why running? At 39 years old and traveling every week, running was the cheapest and less time consuming activity. I could carry my running cloths with me and run every day. Also it took less time away from the family.
Do you have a favorite place to run? The eight-mile loop at the running club.
How long have you been running? I started when I was 39 years old and weighed 206 pounds.
Where is the most unusual or unique place you’ve ever run? Grasslands Mud Run II, in 2005
What has been your fondest running memory? Disney World Marathon
GU, Gel or Gatorade? GU What do you consider your biggest running achievement? Completing 19 Marathons. What running gear would you never travel without? Shoes, shorts and a singlet. I could always run with out socks. What has running taught you about yourself or what have you learned about life through running? It confirmed to me that I could do what ever I wanted to do if I set my mind to it. What would the members be surprised to learn about you? I like to swim with dolphins. Anything else you’d like to add? With the support of my many friends at RAW, I’ve completed 19 marathons. My goal is 20. Once I have my knee replacement surgery and with RAW’s continued support I will reach that goal.
Assisting FEMA to Cure the Biloxi Blues By Guy McCracken
B
iloxi Bay, Missippi, looking from shore toward the calm Gulf waters, it is difficult to imagine a 20-plus-foot storm surges advancing four miles inland, until you turn and look inland to see buildings with two bottom floors totally gone, including their contents; empty slabs where homes and stores had been, debris 20 feet up in the trees or staged in large heaps waiting to be trucked north in an seemingly endless caravan of uncovered trucks; litter strewn for miles along the highways making driving hazardous. As a USCGAUX volunteer I received an email request from Commodore Voss to aid the hurricane victims. I was deployed to the FEMA Training Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia. After five days of processing, orientation, issuance of ID and cell phone, shots, more forms and Community Relations (CR) Training, I was assigned a group of 25 auxiliarists with orders to re-deploy to Biloxi on Sunday, for an evening briefing. Following our 2300 briefing, we were given directions to Camp Vancleave, 20
miles east northeast of Biloxi (one of five FEMA Camps). We arrived at 0130, after clearing security, we were issued a sleeping bag, flashlight, insect repellent, hand sanitizer and a cot location. Our tent (capable of housing 500-plus men/ women) was located in a horse arena that had raised wood floors, a massive steel roof and wood chips scattered around the newly-raked periphery. Constant cool/hot air was provided by large air handlers. No eating or smoking was a tent rule. This tended to keep the insect and fire ant problem almost nonexistent. Shower facilities used “gray water.” Camp chow was surprisingly good and the dining tents almost insect free. Many volunteer and church groups stayed in our tent, while many firefighters from the western states chose to sleep in personal tents within the secure guarded compound. Back at FEMA HQ in Biloxi for 0700 muster, we started intense training in CR field work. We were assigned autos, placed in two-man teams and sent to one of the six devastated counties to contact
the businesses and residents and explain the registration requirements for FEMA, other agencies and the disaster benefits. My counties were George/Stone, the working hours were 12/7. After two months I was reassigned as Strike Team Supervisor of nine AmeriCorps youths. Our Strike Team assignment was Woolmarket, Red Cross Shelter to aid 78 residences in updating and correcting their FEMA files and relocating them to long-term housing, trailers or out of Mississippi. After this task was completed and the shelter was closed, we were reassigned to the Red Cross Shelter in Pearlington, Hancock County. After four months my work assignments were complete and I had been released. For many people, the Katrina/Rita storms caused total devastation, but people are sturdy, resilient, appreciative, and thankful for the USCGA.
May 2006 |
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Secrets to Success: How to compete with the best and win By Cevin “Dr7” Wyatt The 1st Annual “ROCK’N RELAY (Adventure race?) put on by Diane Golden of “Golden Adventures” and Lewis George with “Mellew Productions.” A podium finish, second place in my first competitive running attempt as a middle age beginning runner against Dallas’ best. How did I do it? Simple. Good diet, dedication to training, but mostly by stacking the hell out of the deck. My team roster of five in the open mixed division was: First leg: Laura Hamil, a well-decorated, experienced runner and Boston marathoner. Known to the Dallas running elite “The White Rock Princess.” To watch her run makes the name self explanatory. Third leg: Dr. Bryant Wyatt, my brother and college track star in the half mile. Fourth leg: Sarah Broyles, 24-year-old track scholarship distance runner for Baylor University who replaces her shoes, not because they wear out, but because they melt. Fifth leg and anchor: David Potter, one of the best runners Dallas has to offer, who, when asked to anchor the team said, “Well Okay, but I don’t know if I can do better than slightly under six minutes per mile.” After some debate, we decided to go with David because he is just such a nice guy.
The race ended up being a blast! Over 200, five-person teams were signed up for the usual categories: all female, all male, mixed, and corporate. At 8 a.m. the rain came in full, sending flood waters over the course and delaying the start until 8:30. There was even a man calling himself Noah collecting money for something about lumber, but the race was on and team members were at their exchanges. Starting from beautiful Winfrey Point on White Rock Lake, Laura Hamil began at the gun. With no protective clothing, friction keeping her warm, she was at my exchange point so fast I almost got caught huddling under an umbrella. Keeping her pace in the six minute per mile range, I felt embarrassed to take the chip off her ankle to put on mine, but I did and off I went. Running down the trail to lower elevation as the rain came in buckets, the water got deeper and deeper. The trail was lost as the water came up to my mid-thighs. The runners were brought to a walk as we trudged and stomped for over 80 yards just in the general direction we knew to go. A 15-foot-long tree had fallen and was temporarily blocking the path and being washed across the trail. I found myself wondering not only if the timing chip was still on my leg, but if it was waterproof up to one meter. Finally emerging from the rushing river, I trudged on through a 50 yard section of deep water. This time only mid-shin deep and I could actually run by high stepping. Struggling
on to my exchange, finally passing the chip to my brother, Bryant, who shot off in the deluge. Though he would be first to say he has not run much lately, his background told you he knew how to suffer and like it. Running until he nearly lost his breakfast, he finished his leg at seven minutes per mile and was stopped at the exchange being told the police had called off the last two legs of the race for fear of a runner being swept away. Times were stopped after the third leg to the disappointment of us all knowing Sarah and David would have more than made up for my poor skills and brought us into first place. Finishing second in the mixed open class with me being a third of the effort, was pretty good. Being 6′2″ and 210 lbs may have made me the runner of choice to tread through the flowing swamp of three feet deep water. We finished back at Winfrey Point to celebrate with free beer and pizza, and when asked about running in such conditions we all were quick to say, “It was a blast and would not have had it any other way.” I agree, this run will stick in my memory like no other. The organizers are working on a replay. Maybe in July. I say let’s get a RAW (Grapevine Runners and Walkers) team out there and kick butt. I know I will be there with a team I can stack as high as I can get it. I just wonder how Diane and Lewis are going to get it to rain like that again?
Proud Sponsors
Keep your RAW membership current Entry Fee: $50/person Entry Deadline: May 28, 2006 150 entrants will be accepted This will be a time chip timed event. Test your fortitude in this seventh annual sprint distance triathlon that consists of a 300-yard swim, 20k bike ride and 6-k run. (All participants must wear helmets) For more information and registration http://www.trigrapevine.com
12 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
RAW now offers on-line renewals (and new memberships) through Active.com. http://www.active.com/event_detail. cfm?event_id=1310038 Of course you can still renew at the clubhouse or through the mail. Fill out the membership application on pg. 27 and drop it off or send it in.
The Austin “Freeze” Scale By Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki Since December 2002, I have run a total of 27 marathons and ultra marathons. After awhile, some of the races start to blur together, but this year’s “Freeze” Scale marathon down in Austin will always have a special place in my heart. Sure number 28 ended up with a PR, but the thing I will cherish the most about this one were the wonderful moments I got to spent with my good friends at LGRAW. Austin: “It was cold. The race was 26.2 miles. I finished and felt good. I went home and took Advil.” Staci Rivero “I did get a 3:41:13 and qualified for Boston at age 55 next year.” Tom Goodwin “We both shivered our way back to the car, knowing it had been challenging but still fun.” Noel Widdowson “I managed to avoid slipping and sliding across the icy bridges. I heard all the horror stories afterwards of runners less fortunate.” Thomas Okazaki “It all came together that cold Sunday — hard work, months of training, running smart — I re-qualified for Boston. Dave Ball
The past three marathons at Austin were solo jobs. I would just drive into town the day before the race to pick up my race packet, then watch a movie, crash in the car, run the marathon, pick up my finisher’s medal and then drive home. Quick and simple. There is something to be said about sharing special times with friends. Some moments that stand out in this trip include: Being with about 30 members and guests of the LGRAW as we take over a huge section of an Olive Garden restaurant for a wonderful pre-race meal. Going on a road trip with Jim “Capt. Ruby” Rubalcaba, Cindy Lee and Tom Goodwin and actually getting to spend three days in town at the Embassy Suites hotel. My very first shuttle bus ride to a starting line of a marathon. We were fortunate enough to get there early; some runners arrived too late for the start because of icy roads and being stuck in traffic. Actually getting to stroll down 6th street on a busy Friday night and going up bustling Congress Street all the way up to the front doors of the state capitol building of Texas. Using a drop bag for only the second time at a major race and wondering if I would get all my stuff back at the finish again. Surprising Kelly “K2” Richards at the first check point by showing up so fast. I got a real chuckle when I heard her exclaim, “T.O., what the ‘bleep’ are you doing?” Seeing so many members of RAW along the course and cheering each other on during the out and back section after mile 22.
The final charge across the bridge toward the finish and racing another runner as she was starting to leave her pacer to hammer her way home. It’s always a rush to swoosh past the cheering crowds lining the chute at the end, finish strong, and nail down another marathon. The great post race party at the Rivero’s hotel room, complete with champagne and wine to toast many PRs and Boston qualifiers. How exciting!!! The weather was very cold, but this was the one I had been waiting for all winter. I love running fast in these type of weather conditions and I wanted to red-line it to see how much I had improved from last year’s Freescale. I managed to avoid slipping and sliding across the icy bridges. I heard all the horror stories afterwards of runners less fortunate. I always seem to get hungry at around mile 20. This time though, courtesy of K2 and Noreen “Diva” Henry, I had a ”care” package waiting for me. I’ll never forget the look of another runner as I pulled out a can of coke and some Oreo cookies. I remember his eyes growing as big as saucers as he exclaimed, “That’s an old Ironman trick!” That’s right homey! I felt like Popeye getting ready to slam down a can of spinach! I went out way too fast, but it was neat hanging with the 3:15 and 3:30 pace groups until with about seven miles to go. You can always tell when a pace group is approaching from behind by the sounds of thundering footsteps. The first half of marathons have gotten easier as I have done more of them, but finishing off marathons are just as hard. There is a lot to say about having the mental toughness to keep your focus and pace for that long of a distance. This is the value of running with a group on long training runs. It forces you to run an uncomfortable pace and as a result you become a stronger runner. If you want to improve, try running with others who are a little bit faster than you. I still managed a PR by finishing at 3:45:17. No injuries, thank goodness, a great run to build upon and plenty of great memories to remember for a lifetime. May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 13
Dave Ball has his “PR”ayers Answered in Austin
Neither Rain nor Sleet will S
By Dave Ball
By Noel Widdowson and Lauren Wallach
M
L
force field re-formed and I was back with my boys. A new guy with a funky skull cap and a familiar gait appeared. Scott Decker. He saw me first, “Hey… David. How’s…Going…?” (he was panting like a runner on the edge). “Hey Scott,..good to…see you. How are…you feeling?” I replied. “Sucks,” he answered. That’s the last we’d speak. I admired him for running so hard in obvious torture. What guts. Around the capitol building we ran– surreal feeling to run around it and not be a tourist. Scott and I ran together several more miles through downtown until the dreaded “out-andback” section (mile 22-25). Suddenly Scott slipped away somewhere like a man lost at sea without a sound. Some sadist put in this race section at the end on purpose to The first miles were witness pain and agony. Uphill sluggish. My legs felt a bit into the wind, slipping on icy tired and fatigued. Did I overpasses, another overpass, over-train? Did I over-taper? dang. Where the heck is the “Shut up and run David.” turnaround point? Can’t hold I ditched my plastic bag, on much longer. Mile 24 was leaving me with shorts, grueling. ANOTHER hill, my two t-shirts and some socks pace slowed to almost eight over my forearms. “Relax, minutes. Panic? Wait, there’s relax,” I told myself. Finally, the turnaround point! Thank I settled into a 7:27 pace. you, God. Time for a gel, but Keeping my running hat my diaphragm says watch out. securely in place as my May not keep it down. Getting windshield. Somewhere in nauseous, losing focus. A David Ball “executed the plan” while the pack of runners, I found glance down at my watch says battling the morning’s freezing drizzle. a comfortable force field I am on the edge of my goal. area where I could draft. I Have to chance the puke. Had to leaned forward slightly and put everything I am into this last exhausting ran more on the balls of my feet. It was my stretch. But I’d need the gel for fuel. I could over-drive gear. Keeping my form was paying hear the roar of the finish line from here. off. I was executing my plan, running relaxed, Kick-it-in time. There it is—the finish was staying steady and ahead of my need for fluids just across the not-so-short Town Lake bridge. and carbs. I kept monitoring my pace and Surely I’d see my son on the last part of the stayed focused. From time to time, I looked bridge before the finish line. No, can’t see out into the crowd, but kept every ounce of him. I’d like to tell him I loved him as I went energy for running. No waving or high-fives by, but couldn’t see him. Crossed the bridge today. Somewhere near the halfway point, to the final turn. Into the final chute; crowd I heard Lee Miller call out that he wasn’t deafening loud. There’s the clock, but the feeling good and to have a good race. That’s numbers don’t make sense to my overloaded the last I saw or heard from him. It started brain. Run! Sprint! Maximum speed; to feel like a hard race as we entered the UT maximum heart; it’s all right here. The… campus (mile 19). Lots of wind, and noise. crowd…went…white. No more sound. Lift up My force field evaporated and I was exposed. my arms. Cross! (Sigh). Collapse. Sound and The campus seemed awfully big. When I sight return. An attendant caught me as I was attended here almost 30 years ago, did I ever going down. Ahhh, no more running. A cute believe I’d be running a marathon here? No girl comes at me with a medal and lays it over way. That was a different person. The stadium my head onto my neck. Yes, it’s really over. loomed ahead; gusts of wind swooshed past My personal best record time by over a minute its walls into our faces. I needed to draft here. and a half. Re-qualified for Boston. What is it The runners and the crowds were thin. The about God who gives us such enormous gifts? opposite edge of campus meant one thing… It all came together that cold Sunday– hard a huge, long hill climb to the capitol. Could work, months of training, running smart. I keep pace? “Relax David,” I heard a ghost That day, He gave me the best running day of calling. “Pick up your feet, lift your knees my life. slightly, drive your arms.” It worked. My y skin was tingling. My head pounded with anticipation. Lining up at the start line area I always feel anxious, but this was extra tough, because I knew what I was about to attempt... my fastest marathon. I could easily see my breath in the 28 degree air. An 11 mph wind swept past my ankles with the increasing number of bodies packing in tightly. As I peered past the start line beyond the elite runners, I saw what I hoped was the last of the morning’s freezing drizzle. With one minute left before the gun, I silently said a prayer to serve God in any way He saw fit. Just before the gun went off, I heard my coach and mentor, Terry Marcott, whisper somewhere deep in my head, “Execute the plan.”
14 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
auren and I stayed with friends in Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. We hoped turned sour in a hurry. Our friends have a dri very steep angle. The night before the event, t street and for good reason. If we had parked d have climbed the drive because of the freezin looking forward to the event…NOT! We were warm clothes.
After parking the car at the finish (it is linear the Half Marathon finish line, we rode the bu found out that the race was delayed by a half wrecks in the Austin area in a matter of a few I kissed Lauren goodbye at the start…the gun the usual bedlam with the walking and runni this remind me of the Hotter n’ Hell 100?) as the chip sensor mat area. Get up to start pace… it happened. I jumped up on the sidewalk and onto the storm drain concrete top getting back twist before my posterior collided with the ic frozen on top of the storm drain and the slipp sign, “Bridges may freeze in cold weather.” O up, stretched a little and for quarter of a secon went…and have never been in an event where that was a way of staying warm. The only tim at K2 and Noreen…and again seeing them a f beaming them up and back down to the surfa both of them…Amazingly I finished cool but PR for me. It was great to see Lauren coming shivered our way back to the car, knowing it h Of course we expected Austin to be warmer t
Lee Rebodos “bares” the cold and sets a PR at Austin.
T
Stop these Runners
Despite it All – Running My First Marathon By Tom Goodwin
the weekend of the Freescale for balmy weather and things iveway that rises 20 feet at a they suggested we park on the down the drive we never would ng rain that night! We were really e certainly glad we had packed
route with a slight downhill) at s up to the start. At that point we hour as they had over 100 car w hours. Delays were inevitable. n went off and the run start was ng and walking again… (why did the throng bottle-necked through …not too fast but steady. Then d was running along and stepped k into the street. I felt a slip and a cy concrete. That frozen rain had pery cover reminded me of the Okay, 12 miles to go…hmmm…got nd considered retiring. Off I e I was so self-absorbed. Maybe me I remember looking up was few miles later… (was Scotty ace?). It was really great seeing uninjured in 1:43 which is a g in soon after at 2:07. We both had been challenging but still fun. than Grapevine. Not that day!
I
ran approximately nine marathons in training, but had been avoiding running a “real” marathon. In hindsight, I had some very good reasons: 1. Dealing with complicated logistics – Keeping track of a lot of things at once is not my strong point. I do well, very well, when I stay within my limited core of visual and memory skills. 2. I had to solve my energy problem going that distance – I can handle one gel every three miles on the run. 3. The price my body pays – An all-out-effortmarathon is difficult; training runs are safe. 4. Motivation – In a society that is still quite insensitive to people who are different, I have become extremely achievement oriented wanting to make the world a better place. Thrills without practical results don’t mean anything to me. I run to be healthy and spiritually strong, not to impress anyone with record times. But I do things “all out” to test my spirit. My main talent in life is spiritual (religious) – applied with a nontraditional cutting edge experimental approach. Why did I run Austin?
1. Jim Rubalcaba made it real easy for me, so I had few excuses. 2. I became convinced that I could use my run training to further my spiritual toughness training. 3. My interest in health and fitness encourage me to experiment in different areas and learn more about life.
Now to the Austin Adventure.
Kirsten Keats and Karen Bosworth
Tom Goodwin, Staci Rivero and Mark Sparks
1. Training a. went extremely well and my instinct told me that at Austin (an easier marathon) I could go for a 3:30 – an eight minute pace marathon. 2. Before the Race a. Weather forecast was not clear so I had an issue figuring out the right running outfit to wear. b. A cough and runny nose got worse despite my strict diet and carbo-loading. (I always eat healthy.) c. Freezing rain on race day caused traffic accidents, the trip in a hot bus took a lot longer than planned, and the race was delayed one half hour. d. I drank my bottle of water for race but wasn’t able to refill it.
e. Due to the cold, misty weather I decided to cut off the sleeves of a cheap raincoat and wear it over my longsleeved t-shirt and RAW singlet. The coat had pockets and I made stupid decision to put gels in them, not in my shorts. 3. Race Starts a. I lined up with the 3:30 pace group. All was well except my legs seem to have trouble warming up. b. I ran the first mile with a very crowded 8:45 pace group. To make up this deficit the group ran sub-eights for many miles to come. I trusted the pace group since that should have been a comfortable pace for me. c. I took my first gel somewhere near mile three but water stops were unpredictable to me and mile signs not clear so I did the best I could. Had learned to take gels without water. My raincoat pocket broke, forcing me go back and retrieve gels from the road than I had to catch my pace group. Gels went in my back short pocket. I tried to stay cool and ignore what had happened, but then the second pocket on my raincoat broke. I did not retrieve those gels. Also one gel in back pocket seemed to be missing later. I did not like what was happening but I was carboloaded so thought I might be fine. I told two runners about what happened and was given one small cube gel plus a honey gel. I went a long way in the race without taking gels; the race station give me one at around mile 22. Water stops went well; I got lots of water — more than my body wanted. Less was needed without as many gels. d. The results — A race with two periods: the first 20 miles at close to an 8:00e pace and a six-mile end of race period averaging 10 minute miles. I did end the race strong when I guess that “mile 22 gel” helped me. I pushed through the torture at the end with all the mental toughness I could muster, saying to myself, “This is where you earn your race time” over and over to myself. So I did get a 3:41:13 and qualified for Boston at age 55 next year, but I did not feel it was a good race time-wise. I had more energy in my training runs and not being able to use my game plan, I had so carefully created and applied in six training long runs was not good. Being somewhat sick at the time of the race was not good either. But when things go wrong it is great for testing oneself spiritually. So in that regard it was an extremely successful race.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 15
Speed and Motivation Drive Father and Daughter to Running Sucess By Thomas Stewart Perception is always personal, as is motivation. And perception is, from time to time, the antithesis of motivation. It’s taken me 40-plus years to learn that fact and sometimes I’m still not absolutely convinced. In high school I was fast, and I knew it. It seemed odd to me that my high school track coach didn’t see it that way. I remember, to this day, one of our last conversations. “Stewart,” he said. “You need to be a miler.” “Coach,” I said. “I’m the fastest guy in Tyler, Texas. You clocked me in the 440. Heck coach, a 53 second 440 means I’m fast and you know it.” “Stewart, 53 in a 440 won’t get you anything unless you can hold it for a mile.” “Coach, I’m a sprinter. I’m not a distance guy.” “Stewart, your problem is you lack motivation. If you want a scholarship, you’d better listen to me.” I thought about that conversation a lot as I worked nights and weekends putting myself through college. I thought, “Even if he was right and I lacked motivation as a high school runner, surely no one could question the fact that it took motivation to work my way through college.” I graduated. And for five days the world held its breath waiting for me to decide what I was going to do with myself. On the fifth day the induction notice came. Uncle Sam needed me! “This can’t be right,” I thought. “I’ve worked hard. I can’t be drafted.” Linda, my wife of two years, said, “With the baby coming, we can’t live on a private’s pay.” “Okay baby, don’t worry. I’ll do something.” The Army recruiter said, “Boy, have we got a deal for you. If you volunteer for Officer Candidate School, you won’t have to go for 120 days. You can be around for the birth of your baby...But, it’s a hard course. You’ll have to be motivated.” “Motivated,” I thought, “Hell, how hard can it be? After all, I just finished working
16 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
my way through college. And after all, I was once the fastest guy in Tyler, Texas.” My daughter, Staci Leigh, was born in September. I reported for duty in February. I carried my freshman 15 and 15 more to boot camp. But hey! How hard could it be for someone as motivated and formerly fast as me? “Private, you’d better get your fat ass moving, or I’m going to move you to the extra exercise squad.” Surely his stop watch was wrong. It couldn’t have taken me 10 minutes to do an eight minute mile. No way!!! I was the formerly fastest thing in Tyler, Texas. “Stewart, maybe my boot up your a__ will give you a little motivation.” Not only am I not fast. I’m not motivated??? How can that be? I’m the former....Oh well, you know the rest. In July, after completing basic training, I reported to Officer Candidate Class 24-69 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was 30 pounds lighter. And, you better know, I WAS FAST. “Candidate Stewart, we have a little thing we call the JARK, here at OCS. Basically, candidate, you carry your weapon at port arms and you run up that mountain and back. It’s 4.2 miles. Any problem with that, candidate? Are you properly motivated?” “Holy Crap!! Four point two miles. I’m a sprinter!! I’m not a distance guy!! Am I properly motivated?! What kind of an idiot is properly motivated to run 4.2 miles up a G__ D____ mountain carrying a seven pound rifle. These people are nuts!!!” “Run, Candidate!!!!” “Yes Sir!!! Up THE HILL!!!” This can’t be happening. I’m a sprinter!! I’m not a distance guy!!! Thirty-two minutes later. “I forgot to mention, CANDIDATE!!!! You have 30 MINUTES to make it UP and BACK!!! IT TOOK YOU 32!!!! Every time you don’t make it, YOU RUN TWO MORE!!! ARE YOU MOTIVATED, CANDIDATE?” Three years later as I was leaving the Army, my commanding officer said, “Sorry you’re not staying with us Lieutenant Stewart. I hope you take something positive
from your military experience.” “Oh, yes sir. I’ve learned a lot about motivation,” I said. “By the way, Lieutenant, those Greens look like they’re getting a little tight on you.” “Yes sir, but I think I’ve run my last mile. I’m gonna be a civilian, now. Civilians walk. And besides, if I ever run again, it’ll be short runs. You know I was a sprinter once.” Fast forward 25 years. “Mister Stewart, we all put on a little weight over the years, and that makes our blood pressure go up. You’re going to have to start exercising. I suggest about 30 minutes of running every other day. That ought to do it.” “Okay, Doc. You know, I used to be a track guy...a sprinter, as a matter of fact.” “Oh yeah. Well, that was a long while back, wasn’t it, Mr. Stewart? I hope staying healthy is motivation enough to get you going again.” Ten years and a lot of miles later, my daughter, upon recovering from brain surgery, suggested we run a marathon to celebrate her recovery. “Sure baby, that’ll be great. Of course, you know I’m really a sprinter. I’m not a distance guy. But I think this will give me enough motivation to prepare for a marathon.” Six months later, in January 2003, she finished the Walt Disney World Marathon an hour ahead of me. I’m certain my chip wasn’t calibrated correctly. After all, I’m a sprinter. This January some nut at Walt Disney World suggested they give a special medal to anyone “Goofy” enough to run a half marathon on Saturday and a marathon on Sunday. I had to do it...even though I’m a sprinter, not a distance guy, and I wasn’t properly motivated. In February, my daughter, Staci Leigh Stewart Rivero, qualified for The Boston, at the Austin Freescale Marathon. SHE’S FAST!!!! But then, after all, her father is a sprinter.
Giving back to the sport
Keep up that contagious RAW spirit, and if you see action worthy of nomination for our next issue, forward to me at marty@metzgerconsulting.net and include “Giving Back To The Sport” in the subject line.
By Marty Metzger Okay, none of you bothered to submit a nomination for this issue, so I submitted three nominations that all win! I thought about nominating myself, partly to make a point about submitting nominations, but thought better of it.
1st runner-up
Starting with the runner-up, I was reading John Bush’s Bold in the Cold article in the previous issue, when I realized that John’s comments about Ray’s efforts would make a fine nomination. “Ray Harris worked many long hours to design a [new] course that utilized the new paths recently constructed in Oak Grove Park east of the clubhouse...” Like many others, Ray helped with both set-up and tear down on race day, but he really excelled by riding the lead bike. Trying to keep the leaders going in the right direction was a big challenge, as the lead runner was so far ahead of everyone else, that they couldn’t see him. Imagining the impact if the second runner and everyone behind them missed a turn, Ray decided to alternate between leading them, and leading the lead runner. Good hustle, Ray!
runner-up
Speak of the angel, my lovely wife, Tia (Metzger), isn’t the overall winner, but she is this month’s uncontested runner-up. (Hey, I don’t want to hear it – your spouse would’ve been considered too if you would’ve submitted the nomination! Yes, I know she’s won before, but did I mention she gave me a reclining sofa for Christmas? Okay, I guess that’s giving back to a sport of a different sort.) Volunteering at the Bandera aid station all day and well into the early morning hours was quite a bit more demanding than volunteering a few morning hours at a typical road event (which she also does on a regular basis, usually managing the food preparation), but that’s not the best part. Think back to the last time you ran a PR distance at an event. What did you do for the next couple of hours after that? At the East Texas Ultra Run, after running a PR event distance of 15.5-plus miles over rough terrain, Tia remained on her feet cheering the other runners, crewing for me before and after my last loop, retrieving a piece of Teri Lee’s gear, and even cleaning up the course after the event. I’m a lucky guy, and this club and our running community are quite fortunate to have Tia.
winner
The overall winner of this issue’s Giving Back to the Sport award, is one of our modest, very low-profile, ultra-elite members. A few of us know that this member is one of the few women in the world to complete The Grand Slam Of Ultra Running, a series of four 100 mile trail runs completed over a three month period. But that’s not what this award is about. Despite running a gazillion training miles, “Lethal” Letha Cruthirds gave up an entire weekend in January to volunteer at a Bandera aid station from start to finish, then a week later worked a water station with her daughter at our recent Bold In The Cold, and THEN, a week after running 100 miles at Rocky Raccoon, she gives up another entire day to volunteer at the East Texas Ultra Runners trail run! She’s also someone who motivates others to stretch beyond their perceived boundaries, because when someone like Lethal Letha says, “You know, I really think you could run (something you only dreamed about)…”, it really means something. And finally, as Steve Martin would say, “Come ON man, can’t you see she’s secksee?!”
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he semi-annual Keep Grapevine Beautiful organized park clean up took place on Saturday, March 4. Sunshine and warm temperatures made for an overall turnout of more volunteers than usual who pitched in to collect everything from car doors and tires to enough styrofoam to float a battleship. A lower than normal lake level abetted the collection efforts. As usual the hot dogs, chips, sodas and especially the M&M cookies provided at the end of the day made the hard work worthwhile.
Keep Grapevine Beautiful
Park Clean Up
RAW was represented by the usual clean up day suspects, including Kat and Josh Loewen, Gary, Steven Rush, Guy McCracken, Ray Harris, Marty Metzger and Henry Galpin. We would encourage more members to pitch in this fall as this is quite a visible and meaningful activity for the community. In the meantime, everyone should keep in mind that RAW has taken on the responsibility for clean up of Horseshoe Trail on a day-to-day basis. Your active participation in this effort is greatly appreciated by all those using the trail.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 17
Pick and choose from the list below for a flawless race report. With limitless options you can ensure a unique race report for years to come. So as not to be caught using this template in future articles, our humble author’s name has been withheld.
My Latest Marathon I was really looking forward to running ________(1), since I’d tried to qualify only a couple of months earlier but didn’t quite make it due to ________(2) When we got up in the morning, the weather was really ________(3). Of course, when the gun went off, I ________(4). I was running really well, the first few miles my splits were ________(5), which was pretty good considering that I ________(6) last night. At the half way point, my ________(7) was causing a problem, because it had ________(8), so I ________(9) Nobody feels great at mile 20 and this was no exception. My ________(10) was so ________(11) that I ________(12). Once I crossed the finish line, I realized that I had finally ________(13) and I gave thanks to ________(14). I’m looking forward to telling everybody about it on our next run. (1) Austin / New York / Tow Path / Oklahoma City / Sunmart / White Rock / Hound Dog Hustle (2) laziness / bonking at mile 3 / falling in love with an aid station volunteer and stopping (3) wet / hot / cold / green with a hint of teal (4) took off like a bat out of hell / shit my pants / struggled five minutes just to get to the starting line (5) 4:50 / 6:17 / 8:30 / eleven and change (6) partied late / got laid / ate spaghetti / danced ‘til 3
RAW to the Rescue! By Marty Metzger
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(7) knee / hip / ankle / intestines / genitalia (8) blisters / swollen / cramped up (9) struggled on / drank extra Gatorade / had sex with an aid station volunteer (10) foot / tongue / stomach / genitalia (11) bloated / dry / wet / purple (12) barfed / had to walk / made out with an aid station volunteer (13) finished / qualified / stopped coughing up blood (14) my family / my friends / the giant pumpkin
Steven “Dog Dude” Rush home for a flyer Melissa had: If you have questions about wildlife, call the DFW Wildlife Hotline 972-234-WILD or log on http://dfwwildlife.org.
he fresh road-kill opossum in the middle of Snakey Lane was hard not to notice as RAW passed on the first Saturday in April. Stick with me, there’s a happy ending. It takes a lot to gross-out my nurse wife, Tia. As she walked by at 6:30 am, she notices that parts are hanging out of its belly. Tia says, “Lorraine, it’s her babies! Look, they’re moving!”
Every year in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, thousands of birds, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, beavers, raccoons, and other native animals are unnecessarily orphaned, injured or euthanized. If you find a baby bird, rabbit, squirrel or other wild animal, call the hotline to learn how to re-unite it with its parents.
Minutes later, I met up with Tia and Lorraine on the trail. I was not terribly moved upon hearing the story. Then Tia demonstrated how the poor little babies were laying in the street wiggling (good luck getting her to repeat the demonstration, I’ve been trying all afternoon without success). I’ve had occasion to call animal control in the past, and was not impressed with the results. What about an animal rescue group? There must be some sympathetic group out there.
I call the number and am disappointed to get a recording, but after a few sentences I hear “Press one to speak to a volunteer.” The volunteer asks a lot of questions, then said, “Oh yeah, they have to be fed every two hours!” Fortunately, she calls me back in 10 minutes with the name and phone number of someone at an animal hospital in McKinney who rehabilitates and releases wildlife. Now 10:30 am, she checked them out, happy to see the babies are about four inches long, not counting the tail. One had fallen or climbed out of the pouch where I could see its face, it was SO CUTE!
So I hurried home to return with gloves and some old race t-shirts in a box. It was 8:15 am and the babies were still in the middle of the road. About six of them had their heads tucked inside their mother, and were squirming to get back in. There was a bunch of movement indicating there were more inside, and I later learned that a typical litter is 13 – very unlucky in this mother’s case. I went to the clubhouse to look for advice and Alan Walker points out that the mother isn’t ripped open. Opossums are marsupials (figures that an Aussie would recognize a marsupial) and have a pouch like kangaroos. I then followed
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There were nine babies, and all are doing very well. They’ll be bottle fed indoors for a month, then bottle fed outdoors for a week, then one month of living outside in cages and eating whatever Opossums are supposed to eat, and then they’ll be returned to nature! We will try to keep you posted, tune in to the next edition of the Footprint for an update. Same RAW Channel, same RAW time. But be careful, somewhere out on Snakey Lane, there’s probably an angry, hungry vulture, also with young to feed.
A Brit Comes to Texas
O
ctober ends. Three months of suitcase-living is over. Phew, time for some serious winter training on the rolling hills of southern England….the phone rings… “Er I don’t know how to put this,” says the boss, “but you’re assigned to a project based in Dallas starting next week……thought you ought to know immediately….” Well, you can either give up your sport or try to find some way around the situation. Running is a sport that crosses boundaries and the previous year I’d spent some evenings as a guest with a small club in central France while working there and had great fun with their slow training runs – and rather less fun with their very aggressive interval sessions. (Les Auvergnats, LN.) Before I left UK I did a quick Internet search, firstly for road races and orienteering events in the Dallas area. Not finding much, I followed the link from “Bold in the Cold” to the organising club – LGRAW. Wonder what they’ll be like?? First weekend in Texas: I noted, with despair, the 8am start from the clubhouse and sketched out the map – look out for “GRO., BAIT, ICE, BEER.” Well I can cope with one of those, understand two more but am still bemused by GRO. I arrived in glorious November sunshine and somewhat sheepishly introduced myself, explaining the accent was really Nebraskan…. No hiding place, someone called over a larger than life Club President (!) who promptly took over. Welcomes dispensed with, we rapidly dropped into talk of distances, pace, goals, etc., etc, – runners really are the same everywhere. The usual club notices ritual, a formal welcome and introduction of new members and we’re off for the run. Comfortable pace to start, but some differences with UK club running: the weather – you don’t get high 70s in November in the UK. The surface – a trail is off-road in the UK not a manicured hardtop. Water/sports-drink stops – unheard of outside races – you must either carry yours. Run over, there was a great atmosphere as people chatted, stretched, wound down, (ahem) drank beer. Would I be back? Yes. So that’s how it started. Since then I’ve been out regularly with LGRAW doing eight-twelve miles every three weeks or so. I’ve enjoyed a real trail run on the North Shore from the quizzically named MADD shelter (you should all do more of these) and slipped off to Grasslands where I broke every safety rule in the book J and had a ball. A wonderful Club Christmas party -everyone was so welcoming and friendly – infinitely better than either the TV movie or “yet-another-bar” with work colleagues. Oh yes, I also have become a proud owner of a purple shirt – I have yet to race in it though – but do promise to, eventually, and I’ll find a suitable heritage landmark in front of which to be photographed. Regrets? Only one – failing to realise that the Bandera run really wasn’t very far away by U.S. standards. Time to head home now and say farewells to the friendliest running club I’ve come across. Keep to your founding ethos and you’ll be around forever. Oh, and never be afraid to go along to a club in a strange place, you never know what you might find, even in England! Best back to blighty now and see if my home club, Haywards Heath Harriers remember who I am. If I’m back in Dallas, I’ll definitely try to find a way to run with you guys again – even if it means a 6am Wednesday start!!
Beginning Running Program
By MarkfromEngland
Lets run!
Become a mentor in the Beginning Running Program! Share your running expertise, advise and recommendations to a beginning runner and get them off on the right path.
Why not sign up? • You could be mentoring the next running superstar • Take pride in your accomplishment when your protege crosses the finish line • Someone new who has not heard all you running tales If interested in becoming a mentor or know of a beginning runner, contact Pam Truhn at LetsRun@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Planning a trip and need a running route? Map out and measure a route from the largest database of running routes in the country. Log on to www.usatf.org/ routes to map out a route anywhere in the USA.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 19
Warm Weather Starts Bicycling Season By Marty Metzger
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ast season, a few of us have drove all the way out to Weatherford to cycle with the Ft. Worth Bicycling Association www.fwbaclub. org because their rides are always well organized, fun and are the best example of what a “no drop” ride should be. So when word came that FWBA was having a ride from Grapevine on March 5,
where we were convinced to break our strict training diets so that Betty wouldn’t have to throw away any of those hubcap-sized cookies. Initiated by the change to Daylight Savings Time, the BRAw (Bike Run And walk) group held our first annual season kick-off event at Rick Fogle’s house on April 2, signaling the start of our 6:30 p.m. Monday night rides on April 3. We discussed fond memories of last season. The clubhouse is the default starting location for Monday night rides, but check with one of our 62 riders, as last year we had a waiting list of people wanting to host from their home. The Monday night rides are more social rides than training events, usually riding 15–18 mph for about 15–25 miles through the parks and sometimes to the hills in Trophy Club and back. We also meet at local weekend events working our way up to the legendary Hotter Than Hell tour
Members from LGRAW and the Ft. Worth Bicycling Association line up for March ride.
one of those warm winter days that is perfect for cycling, I thought the photographer would have to back up to the next block there were so many of us. Interestingly enough, the 30 and 50 mile ride options were hosted by Betty Brown and Jerry Trimble, who happen to be members of both LGRAW and FWBA. Once again, true to their reputation, the group stopped at every major turn to make sure that everyone was there and even adjusted the return route to minimize the blasting headwind. The finish line was back at Betty and Jerry’s
Forced to Run a Triathlon By Jeff “Barney” Barnhart
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kay, maybe I wasn’t forced or coerced into running a sprint triathlon by Lee Miller, Alan Walker and even Noreen “Diva” Henry. Truth be told, my body was the primary influence on moving me to train and participate in one. Why you ask? Remember, you asked...It all started in the fall of 2005. I had just completed my first half marathon. Shortly after that my running started to suffer for some unknown reason. To keep the story relatively short, the problem was with my legs. Halfway through a six to eight mile run, severe fatigue would set in my legs. Several visits to my doctor and a battery of tests (MRI, x-rays, stress tests, blood pressure testing, etc.), all came up negative with nothing to explain the fatigue.
The problem wasn’t the fact I couldn’t run long distances, it was that running had become unpleasant and down right no fun. My solution to the problem was cross training. I started with biking. I purchased a used road bike and began riding on the weekends. For me this was easy and very enjoyable. After several weeks of riding, I thougt, I might just be able to do a triathlon. This had been
20 FOOTPRINT | May 2006
BRAw kicks fof 2006 with a ride and dinner.
in August, and we plan (Okay, Armand plans almost all of them) our own weekend rides. There was even talk of riding to Denton for brunch and then either riding back or catching a SAG wagon back.
a goal/wish of mine for many years, but with active kids and middle age setting in the goal seemed unattainable. I figured it was now or never and I chose now. I targeted the Iceman Sprint Triathlon in Southlake because of the short driving distance.
my distance to 500 yards without a rest. Now I began working to remove the breast stroke out of my workouts and I found the key was to breathe on every other stroke. It worked and I was now swimming up to 1,500 yards at one time and 3,000 yards in a workout.
The big problem was that I have never been a good swimmer. I could at one time run a sub-17 minute 5k, but put me in a pool, try to swim 50 yards and I am coughing up a lung and sinking to the bottom. But with all the problems in running, I figured this was the year to give it my best shot and really work on the swimming aspect of the sport.
With swimming and biking checked off, next came running. With two weeks until race day, I’d gotten my quarter mile splits back down under two minutes. I figured I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for my first attempt at a tri.
In early January, I started secretly swimming during lunch at the Carroll High School pool. No one knew, not even my family. The first week was slow going since I wasn’t able to swim more than 75 yards at one time, I was hanging on the wall grasping for air. I figured that like running, the key to swimming was to build up endurance and distance and the rest would fall into place. The second week things started to get much better. By doing the breast stroke, I was swimming 100 yards at a time and 800 yards a workout. By the third week, the workouts included swimming 300 yards at a time and over 1,000 yards per session. I began to think, “Hey, this might just work out.” But I was still swimming mostly breast stroke. By the fourth week I was swimming 1,000 to 1,500 yards each workout and had extended
It is always said no one ever does anything alone, in my case this is very true. Special thanks to my family for supporting me on the weekend mornings when I took off to bike for two hours and for not asking, “Dad aren’t you too old to start doing something like this?” Thanks to Firemen Ken for selling me his old bike. Thanks to Lee Miller for all the advice and information and listening to all of my stupid questions. Thanks to the Diva for continuously giving me a hard time and pushing me in the way only she knows how. Thanks to Rick Stanford for his support and providing me a new nickname that I hope I can live up to and thanks to Byron at the pool for helping me through all of the workouts. Not matter how I finish or even if I finish, the training has been very rewarding and I finally proved to myself I can swim more than a length of a pool. My advice to you if you think you can’t do something is just give it a try and you might succeed or even like it.
Grab your grass skirts, pooka beads and Hawaiian shirts for the annual
RAW
Lu au Saturday, June 17 at 6:00 pm Metzger’s Home
See the bulletin board for further details. May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 21
Grasslands From the Race Director By Suzi Cope
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he Grasslands Run is unique in North Texas with its extensive trails creating 50 miles of athletic excess. I created the event eight years ago out of desperation after moving from ultra running Mecca in Northern California. Terrain comparisons are not kind to the Grasslands, but the event offers all the endurance challenges and adds some interesting texture along with Texas size hospitality.
broken by Todd Reynolds and a field of 60 followed him. The half marathon record fell to Jeff Burrows, leading a field of 140. The Grasslands Run 50-mile record of 6:25 is held by club member and perennial volunteer Scott Eppelman. Scott stayed home to care for his twin baby boys, while new mom Kelly Eppelman ran the half marathon. With perfect weather and trail conditions we could not help
Runners are treated to RaceReady Coolmax shirts, frequent aid stations featuring SUCCEED! Electrolyte replacement and post race Texas barbecue sandwiches. The awards include Montrail shoes and hats for winners, belt buckles for 50mile finishers and Grasslands medals to all. Age group winners in all three events got RaceReady running hats with the NTTR logo. First 50-mile virgin finisher was Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers member Jack Hase, in second place over all. First virgin in each distance got a Fuel Belt or Dirty Girlz gaiters.
Chris McConnell collects his thoughts at the start of the 50-miler
The post race picnic was spread over the campground and barbecue beef was served on buns donated from Sara Lee. Frito Lay supplied aid stations with chips and Reddy Ice of Alvord came through to chill the beverages. The Salinas brothers, Santos and Mario, each finished the 50 running up the American flag lined chute. On leave from Iraq, Mario was awarded the camouflage pattern gaiters from Dirty Girlz.
wonder if the window was open for a 50-mile course record. New NTTR member Ryan Loehding gave it a shot. His effort resulted in a fine 6:42:30 win, proving again that Scott set a very tough benchmark in 1999.
At the end of a long day the volunteer staff is reduced to a dozen, and the sun goes down while we clean up, pack up and wait. The wait is for the final 50mile finisher. This year we were waiting for Steve Hall. Steve missed the cutoff for loop three last year in his attempt at 50-mile. This was his year, and he was earning the finish the only way you can, one step at a time.
Another tough act to follow is Jay Freeman’s attendance streak. Jay’s 50-mile finish was number eight. The only other perfect attendance record is held by my husband Michael, who works the race and has completed the half marathon sprint each year. His finish time reflects a brilliant strategy to avoid endless event related chores.
The scoring crew was getting a little silly, and I suggested we embellish the finish line with the remaining aid station ice bags. In the dark we built a glacier across the line and added red glow sticks, a blue flashlight and a white one to enhance the patriotic theme. The statement was sort of “when hell freezes over, Steve Hall will finish a 50,” and he did!
Math whiz, Jack Hase, figures with two loops down, he has 25 miles to go. Susan Barnett, Judy Dominiec, Staci Rivero, Cindy Lee, Tony Flesch and Kelly Richards are impressed.
Finally we had an entrant this year who found the trail’s sand base layer much to her liking. Lisa Smith-Batchen is returning to the six day Sahara desert race (Marathon Des Sables) next week. Her win at Grasslands 50-mile was a perfect training run. Without a world class event on the horizon, other entrants met their running goals during a stellar day of perfect weather and trail conditions. North Texas Trail Runners club members were the main source of volunteers, and created a large portion of the 42 finishers in the 50-mile event. The marathon course record was
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Reba Becker proudly wears her finishers medal.
Stan Ujka races to a 2nd place finish in the half marathon.
U.S. Soldier Becomes a Trail Runner at Grasslands By Marty Metzger
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he weather is perfect, the trail is in ideal condition and by mile five or so the 50 mile crowd had sequenced itself and settled into conversation pace. “Have you ever done this before?” asks Santos Salinas, the guy behind me. He’s running his first 50 miler, so I answer a question or two for him, and Okay, maybe a few more that he didn’t ask. “That’s my brother Mario up there, also running his first 50 miler while he’s here on leave from Iraq.” We were trying to keep up with him, and then just trying to keep him in sight. Somewhere along the trail, a huge black pig, wild boar, hog kind of critter about four foot tall in the middle of its back, maybe five feet long and a few hundred pounds, races out of the high grass on the left in front of us, right across the trail and into the high grass on our right. Not quite as big as the many cows we saw, but if this thing were any closer I’m sure we would have felt the ground thumping. We trotted along, cautiously watching the grass on the right and hoping that whatever it was wouldn’t decide to come right back. So much for the challenge of trying to keep the heart rate under control!
Marty: Your brother said this is your first 50 miler. How did it come about that you found this event, and what did you think of it? SFC Mario Salinas: I’m from Ft. Worth, and came home on leave to visit family. Some of our little group here is with the Ft. Worth Running Club, and we were going to run one of the shorter distances when Santos suggested that we give the 50 miler a try. I liked it better than I thought. Marty: What was your time, and what other events have ou done? SFC Mario Salinas: I finished in 10:01:55, just missed breaking the 10 hour mark. I did my first marathon last December, the Honolulu Marathon in Iraq. We couldn’t all go to Honolulu, so the Honolulu Marathon officials brought their event to us, bringing over t-shirts, leis, banners, everything. All the services participated; we had generals, privates, civilians, and Iraqi soldiers running, about 250 of us total. There would have been far more, but there were security concerns that postponed the event. Marty: Your FIRST marathon was just three months ago!? How much running do you do on a regular basis? SFC Mario Salinas: Yes, sir, I run about six to eight miles a day, around the various compounds inside Camp Victory. The buildings are Saddam’s former palaces and private hunting grounds that were stocked with exotic animals, and it’s all very scenic. Marty: Well, it’s obviously working for you. How long have you been over there, when are you due to leave, and what’s next? SFC Mario Salinas: Seven months, I’m scheduled to go back to Ft. Drum in five months, and I’m trying to get transferred to Ft. Hood, so I can be closer to home. Marty: Where else have you served? SFC Mario Salinas: I was in Afghanistan, Bosnia and in Iraq in ’91 for Desert Storm.
Army Veteran Marty Metzger interviews SFC Mario Salinas, who was on leave from Iraq.
Marty: What is your specific job there? SFC Mario Salinas: I’m the Battalion S4, managing logistics.
Marty: From your personal perspective, how are things going over there? SFC Mario Salinas: Pretty well, we’re doing a lot of good. We’ve had some people injured, but no one in our battalion killed, thanks to the terrific body armor, and one of our guys made these bullet-proof shields for the HUMVEE turrets. Our mission is to train the Iraqi forces, and they’re picking it up really quick. When we arrived, we were the ones out front, and the Iraqi soldiers supported us. Now, they’re out front, performing most of the patrols and we’re supporting them and acting as a reaction force when needed. Given this progress, there is no unit scheduled to replace us when we leave in five months, and some of the units that recently deployed, are located in Kuwait as reaction forces, rather than living in Iraq. I know the President just said that we’d be there when the next President takes office, but people don’t seem to understand that with the progress being made, it will be far fewer troops, and in more of a support role.
Marty: How long have you been serving? SFC Mario Salinas: 16 years, sir.
Marty: Thank you for the interview, and again for your service. I hope to see you again at some future trail run!
Many conversations and new friendships later, I finally caught up with the soldier after crossing the finish line. “Hey, HooAH! Congrats on your finish.” I thanked him for his service and asked if he’d be interested in granting an interview. The quiet, modest soldier agreed with a smile. Marty: We have a lot of veterans in our club, a few members currently serving, and I’m sure we’ll all find your story fascinating. Let’s start with Name, Rank and Serial Number. SFC Mario Salinas: Sergeant First Class Mario Salinas, US Army, 45 years old, from Ft. Worth. I’m assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division based in Ft. Drum, New York, and presently deployed to Camp Victory, near Baghdad International Airport, Iraq.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 23
Sunrise to Sunset: 50 miles at Grasslands and a pocket full of goals By Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki
Grasslands: Never been to the place until last year as a volunteer working the finish line. Yeah, I had heard about this wonderful trail run by reading articles about it in the “award winning” LGRAW Footprint. In fact, I finally got to meet many members from both LGRAW and NTTR for the very first time in person on that day.
It’s important to have multiple goals on race day and having the ability to make adjustments as the day wears on.
Up to that point, I had not yet run my first trail race. But I got my first glimpse into the world of trail running. Despite all the rain and mud, I was chomping at the bit, wishing I was out there with everyone else. Well, that was a year ago; the big day had come again at last. I felt like I had won the weather lottery! What a picture-perfect day to run a 50 miler. The skies were clear and sunny with low humidity. I was told that the trails were in as good of shape as they had ever been. I had run the very rocky and hilly 100K at Bandera back in January. That being said, I still wasn’t sure what kind of time I could run a 50 miler on a more running friendly surface at Grasslands. There were other issues. My training routine was badly disrupted this past month due to moving. Also my stomach was acting up the night before. Despite taking some Imodium, this nasty problem would come back to haunt me at Grasslands. The start of the race was exhilarating. I got to hang out with some of the leaders for a short time, including Matt Ellis,
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Jack Hase and the eventual overall women’s winner Lisa Smith-Batchen. After that, it was all downhill baby. I quickly found out I didn’t have my A,B or C games, so after 10 miles I knew it was going to be struggle to pull this one out. I did think the trail markings overall were good. As long as you kept your head up and made an effort to pay attention, especially at the intersections, I never strayed off course. It warmed up quickly and I shed extra clothing and my fanny pack after the first loop. The aid stations looked well stocked so no need to carry the extra weight. I slammed down a bottle of chocolate boost, grabbed some pretzels and was on my way again. I had no problem finding my drop bag. It must have been the biggest one there. Too bad they don’t give prizes away for that. I quickly found out eating Fig Newton’s didn’t agree with my stomach. So I basically stuck to drinking flat cola and pretzels at the aid stations. My right foot was bothering me a lot, too. These Hardrock Montrails had served me well, but looking back now, I really should have bought a new pair for this race. It’s only the second loop and I am power walking a lot. I am getting really concerned about making the 5 p.m. cut off time for the start of the fourth loop at mile 40. When you do a 50 mile event you have to be prepared to run all day long. I was feeling bad, but I was determined to make it to the finish. One thing I really enjoy about trail running is the interesting characters that you meet. I had the honor of finally meeting Rene Villalobos. The man is a machine! He enters about every marathon and ultra run scheduled in the state of Texas.
It was uplifting to here the cheers and words of encouragement each time I arrived back into camp. I sure needed it at the start of the third loop! This was the toughest one of all. You have already gone 25 miles and now you’re going back out for some more. Also it’s another 15 mile loop, so it seems to stretch on forever into the afternoon. There are two very tall radio towers that are not too far from the base camp. I was always trying to look for them to get some idea of where I was. It was always more uplifting to be running toward the towers than away. As the day wore on, a steady stream of runners would pass by, until the last half of the third loop. I was pretty much on my own after that. I felt like Tony Stewart of NASCAR trying to nurse his car with a bad engine into the finish. I remembered Rick Sanford’s advice and power walked through the sandy sections. It reminded me of Redondo Beach in LA, but without any bikiniclad girls. Climbing out of some the steep gullies, I could only imagine how tough it would have been to scale these sections in the rain and mud of last year. The color red never looked so good! I am now on the last loop and trying to pick up the pace. Only 10 more miles! I always love it when you hit the single digit markers to the finish. Unfortunately, my stomach is really starting to act up now. I always dreaded this moment would finally come on a very long trail run. With about four miles to go, I couldn’t stand it any longer. Time to go find a good “porta bush!” I’m feeling much better now. The sun is starting to sink toward the west. I am starting to get flashbacks from Bandera
Thomas Okazaki returns to base camp to fuel up for his next loop.
as the daylight starts to dim. Time to make haste and get this over with! You know it’s getting late when you start seeing glow sticks being hung out. You know it’s really getting late when you start seeing the sweep riders on horseback heading out. I also wanted to hurry and get back to camp before Marty Metzger ate up all the hamburgers! Sunrise to sunset. As I hit the last mile, it’s hard to imagine I am almost nearing the end of another long adventure. I feel lucky to be alive and have the good fortune of still being able participate in fabulous events like this. The clock at the finish line reads about 11 hours, 10 minutes and 48 seconds. With this being my first Grasslands, I have a better appreciation of how difficult it is to run under 10 hours to qualify for Western States, even though the new standard for 2007 is now 11 hours. On the flip side, it pays to stay the course and finish what you started no matter how bad you may feel. It’s important to have multiple goals on race day and having the ability to make adjustments as the day wears on. Life is about choices and using your knowledge and experience in making the right call. See you on the trails.
RAW RACE RESULTS Please e-mail your race details to thomas “t.o.” okazaki at tokaz007@hotmail.com
From 5Ks to uLtRAs February 4, Grapevine, TX
Fillie trot 5K
Mark Miller: 15:57, 1st Overall Matthew Barnhart: 23:43, 1st AG, PR February 4, Huntsvile, TX
Rocky Raccoon 100
Letha “Lethal” Cruthirds: 25:52:43, Awarded 500 mile jacket February 4, Waco, TX
Waco striders Cross Country 5 Miler Marty Metzger: 51:11, 3rd AG Doug Noell: 55:27 Cindy Lee: 1:00:14, 1st AG Tia Metzger: 1:02:36, 2nd AG Courtney Noell: 1:09:11, 3rd AG Alan Englisch: 1:13:30, 3rd AG John Bush: DNF-Injury February 11, Tyler, TX
east texas trail Run 25K Jack Green: 2:55:41, PR Teri Lee: 3:46:15, PR Tia Metzger: 3:46:18, PR
east texas trail Run 50K Marty Metzger: 6:26:59
February 11, Haltom City, TX
haltom City stampede 5K*
Yolanda Hopping: 19:20, 1st AG Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki: 19:59 Gary Howsam: 21:56, 3rd AG Bridget Smith: 23:04, 3rd AG Helene Walker: 23:35 Laurie Lukanich: 24:30 Ray Harris: 26:38 Tom Zack: 29:25 Alan Englisch: 29:44, 3rd AG Guy McCracken: 51:58 Janet Dixon: Result Unavailable
haltom City stampede 10K*
Mark Miller: 34:26, 1st AG Ken Hall: 35:47, MMW Duncan Stewart: 36:37, 1st AG Jeff Garber: 37:41, 2nd AG Yolanda Hopping: 44:35, FMW Steven “Dog Dude” Rush: 44:50 Kelly “K2” Richards: 45:54, 1st AG
Karen Bosworth: 54:19, PR Susan Barnett: 54:23, 2nd AG Laurie Lukanich: 58:49 Bridget Smith: 59:03 Rita Law: 1:04:30 Don Rios: 1:13:22 February 11, Southlake, TX
Jogging For Johnson 1 Mile
Matt Loewen: 5:11 Josh Loewen: 7:03
Jogging For Johnson 5K
Matthew Barnhart: 24:21, 2nd AG February 19, Austin, TX
Freescale Austin Marathon*
Lee Rebodos: 3:00:31, PR Scott Decker: 3:15:30, PR David Ball: 3:15:59, PR Stacie Sauber: 3:18:04 Dan Cole: 3:29:19 Mark Sparks: 3:30:30, PR Major Mike Eccleston: 3:32:12 Thomas Goodwin: 3:39:55, 1st Marathon Staci Rivero: 3:40:34, PR Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki: 3:44:56, PR Jim “Capt. Ruby” Rubalcaba: 3:47:08 Kevin Smilie: 3:48:20 Tony “Flash” Flesch: 3:55:42, PR Rick Sanford: 3:58:23 Adrienne Stipe: 4:05:42 Julia McCloud: 4:06:15 Cindy Lee: 4:21:29, PR Pam Truhn: 4:22:02 Joy Townsend: 4:28:44 Elsa Camara: 4:37:42, 1st Marathon Dan Banse: 4:41:21 George Rivero: 5:11:51
Freescale Austin half Marathon*
Rick Hanson: 1:14:41, PR Robert Fowler: 1:27:15 Steven “Dog Dude” Rush: 1:38:09, PR Noel Widdowson: 1:43:52 Lori Cerami: 1:45:18 Kevin Wessels: 1:50:48 Todd Weber: 1:53:00, 1st Half Marathon Cevin Wyatt: 1:57:58, 1st Half Marathon Susan Barnett: 2:01:43 Karen Bosworth: 2:05:14 Kirsten Keats: 2:05:14 Lauren Wallach: 2:06:01 Rhonda Houston: 2:08:16
February 19, Ft. Worth, TX
Cowtown Countdown 5 Miler Stan Ujka: 34:21, 1st AG
February 25, Ft. Worth, TX
Cowtown Marathon*
Duncan Stewart: 2:57:08, 1st AG Paul Gerba: 4:06:26 Steve Grady: 4:15:09 Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki: 5:12:13
Cowtown half Marathon
Ken Hall: 1:18:39, MMW Stan Ujka: 1:25:25, 2nd AG Todd Roper: 1:49:44 Laurie Lukanich: 1:58:00, 2nd AG Bridget Smith: 1:58:00, 3rd AG Ross Darrow: 2:04:25 Vern Lumbert: 2:08:26 Ted Amyx: 2:10:18 Mary Keeffe: 2:12:21
Cowtown 10K*
Mark Miller: 35:20, 1st AG
Cowtown 5K
Kat Loewen: 22:42, 1st AG Gary Howsam: 22:42, 3rd AG March 4, Waco, TX
Bearathon half Marathon Hèléne Walker: 1:59:58 March 4, Lewisville, TX
Lewisville special olympics spirit 5K
Yolanda Hopping: 19:37.7, Overall Female Winner March 4, Dallas, TX
trinity River Levee 10K Cross Country Run
Ken Hall: 38:02, Overall Winner Gregory “Spareribs” LaMothe: 47:19, 3rd AG March 11, Houston, TX
Bayou City Classic 10K
Kelly “K2” Richards: 46:56.6 Steven “Dog Dude” Rush: 48:58.6 March 11, Westlake, TX
Run the Ranch 5K
Mark Miller: 16:48.1, 1st AG, 2nd Overall Lee Rebodos: 19:28, 1st AG
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 25
RAW RACE RESULTS continued
March 11, Dallas, TX
st. Paddy’s day dash down Greenville 5K Noel Widdowson: 22:55 Lauren Wallach: 27:37
March 18, Grapevine, TX
KLtY Feed the Children 5K
Gregory “Spareribs” LaMothe: 20:54, March 25, Decatur, TX
Grasslands trail Run 50 Miler
Jack Hase: 7:39:35, 2nd Overall, 1st 50 Troy Pruett: 7:57:32, 1st 50 Miler Doug Ryan: 9:00:41 Chris McConnell: 9:25:05 Marty Metzger: 10:21:06, PR Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki: 11:10:48
Grasslands trail Run Marathon
Ted Amyx: 5:56:06, 1st Trail Marathon
Grasslands trail Run half
Stan Ujka: 1:30:36, 2nd Overall Alan Walker: 1:31:18, 3rd Overall Kevin Wessels: 1:54:35
Dale Mauger: 1:54:52 Doug Noell: 1:55:44 Kelly “K2” Richards: 1:56:41, 1st AG Tony “Flash” Flesch: 2:01:46 Reba Becker: 2:02:13 Hèléne Walker: 2:03:01 Tim Roche: 2:06:34 Kirsten Keats: 2:14:01, 2nd AG Staci Rivero: 2:14:02, 3rd AG Susan Barnett: 2:20:24, 2nd AG Cindy Lee: 2:20:28 Courtney Noell: 2:29:38, PR Rita Law: 2:30:16 Alan Englisch: 2:40:09 Tia Metzger: 2:43:01, PR Lorraine Wessels: 2:43:01 Joe Luccioni: 2:43:32 Kelly Brittain: 2:47:26 Debbie Carpenter: 2:49:46 Michael Cope: 3:21:40 Kelly Eppleman: 3:24:05 Tony Dominiec: 3:24:30 March 25, Flower Mound, TX
Rev up Your spirit 5K
Lee Rebodos: 18:58, Overall Winner March 25, Ft. Worth, TX
Run to Joe’s 5K
Mark Miller: 16:34, 1st AG, 2nd Overall
March 26, White Sands, NM
Bataan Memorial death March Adrienne Stipe: 5:01:31 Carl Stipe: 5:04:24
*Please note that both the marathon and 10K course at Cowtown were approximately a quarter mile long due to a detour made by race officials due to flooding from heavy rains on race morning. Also due to inclement weather conditions, there were technical glitches in the timing system at this event. Inclement weather also caused havoc with the chip time results a the Freescale Marathon in Austin. And finally, there was a problem at the finish line at the Haltom City Stampede where some participants were not recorded in the order that they completed in their respective events, creating some discrepancies on the final result list used to announce and distribute age group awards. LeGend
Gregory “Spareribs” LaMothe: 21:58.2, 2nd AG Kat Loewen: 22:52.3, 1st AG Gary Howsam: 23:13.7, 3rd AG Kim Danahy: 27:30.1 Sarah Smith: 28:10.1
PR-Personal Record AG-Age Group MMW-Male Masters Winner FMW-Female Masters Winner
Please e-mail your race details to Thomas “T.O.” Okazaki at tokaz007@hotmail.com
East Texas Ultra Runners 50K and 25K By Marty Metzger
O
ver the past three years, my wife Tia and I have enjoyed camping in beautiful Tyler State Park and had heard about the fun and challenging trail runs. We decide to signup. The best part of the day was Tia “OK, I guess I AM a runner” Metzger’s distance PR, as she finished her first 25K event looking fresh enough to run another one. Texas weather was the biggest wildcard going into this winter event. In 2004, there was a mild snow storm that prevented some from making the hour and a half hour drive from Dallas. Now, after a Friday marked by heavy rainstorms, just 90 of us toed the line on what would soon be a clear and sunny day of 32 degrees. It would have been much more difficult, had it not been for the regal pines that blocked much of the 20 mph wind chill factor. The one inch of rainfall drained remarkably well, leaving the trails in excellent condition; imagine stiff sponge covered with a layer of pine needles. Paul Stone solidified his reputation as a highly respected Race Director, backed up by well-organized, highly experienced
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volunteers who cheerfully spent their day standing in the face of sub-freezing wind. Special guest star, Red Spicer came in from Amarillo to rally the NTTR aid station and warm things up by serving homemade brandy he claimed was from the hills of North Carolina. Just beyond that station, the trail went up and down some terrain that looked like it also came from the hills of North Carolina, so when in Rome... The terrain is significantly more difficult than the Rockledge Rumble on Grapevine’s north shore, yet much easier than Bandera, and very similar to the Waco Trail Run. When I felt I was finally in condition for the challenge last year, it conflicted with another event, so 2006 found me particularly eager. I’ve felt that my training went to a new level this season, I was hoping for a PR despite the difficulty of the course. The 50K course was a very well-marked, 10.4 mile loop, often climbing one stack of switchbacks up the face of a hill, only to wind down another set that leads to yet another set that climbs another piece of the
same hill. There were many places where I thought I was catching up with someone, repeatedly seeing them just a few meters through the trees, only to learn that they were more than half a kilometer down the trail. The first loop was fast, fun and exciting. The second loop became work, and I motivated myself by day dreaming that I was Batman, being chased back to Da Nang...by Klingons. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!! I found myself appreciating that the Tyler trees are further apart than Waco trees, so I didn’t have to turn my endurance-capacity fuel tank sideways to slalom through the tighter turns. I took a short break after the second loop, and then felt much better on the third loop than I did on the second. At mile 23, I figured I was about 15 minutes ahead of my PR, but the third time through those “Carolina hills” had them looking more like the Rockies, and I finished three minutes short of my goal but still an hour faster than my last two 50Ks. Like my other favorite trail runs, this one had big, juicy, cheeseburgers at the finish line. Did I say that I love trail running?
LAKE GRAPEVINE RUNNERS & WALKERS CLUB
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I know that participating and volunteering to work in club events can be potentially hazardous. I assume all risks associated with running, walking, and volunteering to work in club events. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts, and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for membership, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Inc., Road Runners Club of America, and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims of liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in club activities. I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use any photographs, motion pictures, recordings or any other records for any legitimate purpose.
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Signature _________________________________ Date___/___/___ Mail completed application and payment to LGRAW, P.o.Box 2982, Grapevine, tX 76099 or drop in the mailbox at the LGRAW Clubhouse.
Keep your membership current
RAW now offers on-line renewals (and new memberships) through Active.com at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1310038 You can still renew at the clubhouse or through the mail. Simply, fill out the membership application and drop it off or send it in.
Whether training or racing…always look good…get your RAWear now! NEW spring arrivals: singlets, Cool-Max hats and shorts NEW safety wear: long sleeve bright yellow shirts Sweatshirts Shorts Singlets Cool-Max hats Long-sleeve shirts Beanie Caps Socks Gloves
$40 $20 $20 $15 $15 $10 $5 $2
Contact Kelly “K2” Richards to make a purchase.
May 2006 |
FOOTPRINT 27
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099
PRSRT STD A U.S. Postage PAid Grapevine, TX Permit No. 243
shARe With A VisitoR oR neW MeMBeR After reading this issue, drop it off at the clubhouse for visitors to get to know us.
Ask Spareribs By Gregory “Spareribs” LaMothe
A
s a devout man of faith, I receive many letters from people who are simply trying to find ways to become better people and give something back. The following letter, which I responded to yesterday in my syndicated newspaper column, gave me an opportunity to combine some running-related help with my own deeply held beliefs.
Dear Spareribs:
My wife and I had a pretty big fight last night about my frequent racing and the expense. She said, “You spend $25 on these races and what for? You never win anything!” I was hurt and she is angry. I know you are great about helping others. Any ideas? Signed, Tom in Westlake Dear Tom:
I’m sure sorry about the family discord. Maybe I can help by sharing some of my recent race experiences in the hope it gives you some ideas. Recently I was on an airplane and listening to the very important and valuable pre-flight instructions that they always give you. Our flight attendant was a young man named Byron. Although his accent made him difficult to understand, I believe he said, “Put yo mask on fuhst, den hep yaw chald.” Byron inspired me to grasp that to help others, you have to help yourself first. Here is how you might do that and help solve your problems with your wife. I ran a race in Arlington last year called “Feed the Hungry.” The entry fee was
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only $10, so you might start by finding similar, less expensive races like this one. In addition to the entry fee, runners were asked to bring some canned food. This was easy, as I just rummaged through my pantry and grabbed a can of water chestnuts, a favorite of the poor. (You could contribute anything, dented cans, foods past their expiration date or even nothing. I quickly noticed that they don’t check.) But here’s what happened after the race. While they were calculating the race results, they had all this canned food on a picnic table and no one was paying attention to it! I grabbed a plastic bag and loaded up. You can imagine how happy my wife was when I came home with 18 cans of Wolfgang Puck soup, white albacore tuna (in water!) and a number of other high-priced items. Now that race was certainly worth the ten bucks, as you can easily see. As to winning races Tom, you need to pick the right ones. Last year I was running the Long Beach Marathon and not doing too well, when I looked to my right and saw all these people on
a parallel road going the other way. I remembered the course map showed a big turnaround a couple of miles ahead. It was a no-brainer to jog down the side street, emerge where the runners were going the other way, as if I had just gone off to the side to relieve myself, stop to “tie my shoe” and jump back into the race, saving myself a good four miles. No way would I have won my age group had I not found that short cut. I knew that I had heard a voice from up above calling, “Spareribs, find the right path.” My family was so proud that I won. Today that first place trophy sits right on my mantel, and is one of my most treasured possessions. And after all, isn’t that what life is all about? So you see Tom, if you want to make peace at home, while improving your situation, you have to not only hear the higher calling but also focus on doing the right thing. These opportunities are put there for a reason that is larger than you or me. Good luck in your next race and in getting help by helping yourself. -Spareribs