The Wicked Running Register July 2010
Est. Jan 2010
Priceless
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Having a true faith is the most difficult thing in the world. Many will try to take it from you.” -Steve Prefontaine, American middle and long-distance runner
WRR EXCLUSIVE Read my interview with Doug Bollen regarding the color of the 2010 Wild Turkey 5-Mile Thanksgiving Day Race shirt, at the end of this newsletter.
WICKED KUDOS Congrats to Dave Long who came in first place (out of 332 finishers) at the Team Hoyt 18th Annual 5k Road Race in Waltham on May 28th with a time of 17:32, 5:39 pace. It takes me that long to put my sneakers on, never mind run a mile. Kudos also to Dave’s fit father Joe Long, 71 years old, for grabbing top honors in his age group at the Tufts Marathon Relay on Saturday, June 12. You can never have too many friends, or too many bag stuffers as seen by this photo taken after the North Shore Cancer Run bag stuffing party. Pizza and soda were provided by North Shore Medical Center, which fueled WRC members to make quick work of the task. A special thank you to Julie Arrison (peaking around the corner in photo left), for allowing the group to use the Phillips House for the bag stuffing! All she asked of us was to stay off the antique couch…MILES! From Stephanie Hagyard to WRC members who helped out at the race: “Thank you for volunteering at the first ever (hopefully annual) NSMC Cancer 5K! It was a success with over 400 registered runners 313 of whom finished the race. You all did awesome at your station and we appreciate you giving up some time to help out a good cause on Fathers day! Kind Regards, Stephanie, Tim Clarke & Alison Phelan. Happy 30-39 age group birthday to Melissa Jaynes, whose husband returned from his business assignment in Iraq just in time to celebrate with her and Otis. Robert Guay completed the Rock ’n Roll Marathon in San Diego CA on June 5 in 3:59:10. It was a PR with 10 seconds to spare. Karen Giroux completed the Lake Placid Marathon on June 12 in 4:28:49, placing 11th in her age group. The only thing that stood between Karen and a marathon PR were the slow pokes in front of her in the porta-potti line at mile six. Angel Green had a 5k PR of 27:13 at the Louise Rossetti Race at Lynch Park on Wednesday, June 16. From her Facebook post: “As I walked through the finisher’s chute, I heard someone to the right of me say ‘that's my inspiration’ and before she finished speaking, I looked up and saw she was pointing at me. I'm happy that I can inspire someone.” Way to go! (More on Louise Rossetti later in this newsletter.) From Kathey Moskal: “Congrats to everyone who ran the marathon in Burlington, VT. A special congrats to Shari Hewson who battled it out to finish her very first marathon and to Sarah Carrier who rocked out a huge PR by almost an hour!” (Read more on this marathon under race reviews.) Submitted by TR Ramsdell: “A big shout out goes to our resident statistician/ co-race coordinator/ mad scientist, Dan Barrett, who seems to have picked up a new running buddy along the way (sorry Gail). We would like to welcome Dan's son, Dave, to the running world, and to Wicked as well. Proud poppa ran with Dave in his very first race recently at the Rhody 5K in Lincoln, RI. The fifteen year old edged out the old man at the finish to record a 28:14 @ 9:06 pace. Congrats to both Barretts for a great finish. The first of many more races to come, I'm sure!!” (Photo in the “Like Father, Like Son” section).
Page 2. Tracy McLaughlin also PR’d at the Louise Rosetti Race with 24:29. Congrats, Tracy! First WRC Tufts Marathon Relay Team 26 members of the WRC participated in our first Tufts Marathon Relay Challenge on Saturday, June 12 on a real (NOT CONCRETE) track that saw many great running times, and many great excuses for those who thought their times were not so great. Dave Long started and ended our team marathon, which took a total of 2 hours, 56 minutes, 2 seconds. Overall it was a great team event. We’ll be back!
Front row, L to R: Colin Doherty, Sarah Somogie, Ken Hewson, Kyle Hewson, Miles Fartlek, Annie Rose Willis, Moe Kelly, Beth O’Grady, Tim Short. 2nd Row Kneeling: Stephanie Hagyard, Matt Adams, Alison Rourke. Back row: Jacquie Washburn, Rich Tabbut, Doug Bollen, Kevin Callahan, Shari Hewson, Melissa Jaynes, Scott Carrier, TR Ramsdell, Nicole Short, James DeLuca, Jay McCabe, Jason Matulewicz, Dave Long, Joe Long, Bethany Radabaugh Blow up on left is the interloper from Lowell who crashed our team photo right between TR and James. Is she flashing the peace sign or is that the sign of the horns curse? RUNNING AROUND… Upcoming Races & Official WRC Events Running Around is a listing of local races and running events that have been suggested by club members or emailed to the club by other groups to share with members. These are not necessarily endorsed or recommended events. Only the listings with the Wicked Logo are official Wicked Events or Grand Prix Races. For a more complete listing of upcoming races, see www.coolrunning.com. Saturday, July 3, North Andover July 3rd Road Race. Drummond Field, No. Andover. 5:15 PM - Kid's 2K Fun Run, 6:00 PM - 5K Run/Walk, 6:00 PM - 10K Race. After the race, stay for a cookout and an awards ceremony before the fireworks! 9:00 PM - FIREWORKS! Sponsored by DMSE Sports and the Merrimack Valley Striders. Entry fees: 5K & 10K - $27 before 7/2, $30 Race Day. Kids' 2K Fun Run - $8.00 before 7/2, $10.00 Race Day. Jennifer Tinney Memorial 4th of July 5 Mile Road Race (on July 5 this year) Boxford, MA 8 a.m. Boxford Community Center in East Village, 1 Elm Street. 5 mile Race, 2.5 mile Walk for Fitness, 1 mile Kids Race. Contact: Boxford Athletic Association, USA, 30127 boxfordroadrace@comcast.net Monday, July 12, Wicked Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Salem Senior Center, 5 Broad Street. All members are welcome to attend.
Page 3. Thursday, July 15, 6:30 p.m. 23rd Annual Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5 Miler, BC High, Dorchester. $20 pre entry until 7/11, $25 post. For information see www.lstreet.org. I can attest this is one of the flattest courses you can run, following the water in South Boston. A bit boring because it is out and back on one road, but definitely FAST! Sunday, July 11, 11th Annual Take the Lake 5K Road Race and Walk, Wakefield, 8:30 a.m. Comverse Building, 200 Quannapowitt Parkway, Wakefield. For info contact: James Gerace, jimger@comcast.net Saturday, July 17, 2nd Annual Wicked Kidz Race, 9 a.m. This family event is co-sponsored by the WRC and Salem Park & Recreation. There will be a 1/2 mile and mile kid’s race at Forest River Park in Salem, by the pool area (following the walkway into park). Races start at 9 am, but Wicked will need volunteers to arrive earlier to help with set up and work the races. There will be drinks and snacks for all participants and ribbons for all finishers. Trophies for the top female and male finishers, with medals going to the top three runners in each age group: 6-8, 911, 12-14. Cost of the each race is just $2. For more information about the race or registration, please contact Doug Bollen at dbollen@salem.com, or to volunteer contact Kathey Moskal, katheyatc@aol.com or Paul McCabe, pmccabe1234@yahoo.com. Saturday, July 17th, 2nd Annual Mollys Irish Pub Rugby Run, Lynn, 9:30 a.m. Molly’s Irish Pub, 173 Lewis St. A 3.3 miles along the coastline and through the elegant Diamond District of Lynn. Contact: Dan Solomon bhuddarow@comcast.net Sunday, July 18, Casey’s (Formerly Khory’s) Summer Steamer, 4.13 miles, Somerville, 10 a.m. The Somerville Road Runners invite you to participate in this annual summer celebration, the 19th annual Summer Steamer. This will be the second year the event is hosted by Casey's Pub on Broadway. Proceeds from the race will benefit RESPOND, Inc., the Somerville center providing support for victims of domestic violence. Prizes will be given in all 10-year age divisions, as well as awards for Clydesdales, Fillies, and Wheelchair competitors. Info at signmeup.com. (I’ve run this race- they ain’t kidding when they say STEAMER!) Saturday, July 24th, 1st Annual Wicked Wiffleball Throwdown, Salem Willows Park, Noon. From Nicole Short: “The game will begin at 12:00. We will play 7 innings and awards will be given to the winning team. After the game, we will have a cookout. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs will be provided, and everyone is asked to bring a side dish, supplies, etc. (to be determined later). Family and friends are welcome to cheer you on and enjoy the cookout, but the game is for Wicked Members only. I hope many of you will participate and make this a great event. Who doesn’t love a little friendly competition?” I believe the official deadline to sign up has passed, but if you want more info or would like to be an alternate or cheer on the teams, drop a note to Nicole at shortcakes13@gmail.com. Sunday, July 25th, 1st Annual Salem High 3 and 5k Alumni Run, 9 a.m. Camp Naumkeag, Salem. $20 pre-entry, $22 race day. Proceeds benefit SHS track team. Tuesday, July 27, Yankee Homecoming 5k (6:25 pm) and 10 mile (6:35 pm), Newburyport. You can run the 5k, but only the 10-mile race is part of the WRC race series. For registration info, see http://www.yankeerace.com. This can be a very hot, sunny race so be forewarned to dress scantily, and waterproof those ipods as spectators are known to spray us down whether we want it or not! Friday, July 30th 14th Annual 24 Hour Around the Lake Relay, Marathon, Ultra, Wakefield 7:00 PM Lord Wakefield Hotel, 595 North Avenue (3.17 mile flat loop course around Lake Quannapowitt, certified marathon course) Contact: Noel Clarke (Somerville Road Runners), 1-617-623-5735 24hour@srr.org. Sunday, August 1, 20th Annual High Street Mile, Newburyport 10 a.m. Atkinson Common Newburyport, 1 Storey Avenue. Prize Money. Contact: Chris Kealey 1-978-270-6854 chris.kealey@thermo.com. Sunday, August 8th, 2nd Annual Heritage Days 5k, Salem. 9 a.m. Salem Maritime National Park Visitor’s Center, 2 New Liberty Street. Proceeds benefit Historic Salem Inc. If you have questions about the race or if you can volunteer to help with bag stuffing and race day assistance (registration, food, water stop), drop race director and WRC member Julie Arrison a note at: juliearrison@gmail.com. Saturday, August 21st, Annual Wicked Cookout and Scholarship Presentation, Camp Naumkeag, Salem Willows. Save the date: more information to come!
Page 4. Wednesday, August 25th, Lynn Woods Relay Races. Save the date and watch for information to come!
Friday, August 27, Derby Street Mile, Salem. Competitive Run 7 pm, Family Run 7:15 pm Race starts on Fort Ave & finishes at Pickering Wharf. Entry fee: $14 pre-race day $15 on race day, technical short sleeve shirts given to first 300 entrants. Two races: Enter your choice of family or competitive run. Competitive run 7:00 pm – Top 3 in age groups will receive awards. Family Run 7:15 pm – all runners in family run will receive medals. Post race food and awards at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites. For info see www.salemroadraces.com. This is part of the WRC race series so sign up soon! Sunday, September 19, 4th Annual Lone Gull, 9 a.m. Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester. Sign up soon for this beautiful USATF certified 10k race directed by Wes Lassen of NE Running Company. Please indicate WICKED RUNNING CLUB as your affiliation as this race has club categories as well as individual. Proceeds go to cancer related charities, and they serve the biggest and best race breakfast around! www.lonegull10k.com. Saturday, September 25, Lake Winnipesaukee Relay Save the date! For more information or to sign up for the relay please contact Tim Short (tim.short1@gmail.com) or Rich Tomlins (rrtomlins@gmail.com). Saturday, November 6, 10th Annual Stonecat 50 Mile and Marathon Trail Races, 6:15 a.m. Doyon School, 216 Linebrook Road, Ipswich. Organized by G.A.C., with proceeds to benefit Willowdale State Forest and Bradley Palmer State Park. Entry fee - 50 mile race $70 - marathon $55. There will be no race day entry. All double track, with some single track, trail in Willowdale Forest on a 12.5 mile loop. Applications available for download and mail-in registration August 1. Contact Marty for more info via email at martin.t.sullivan@gmail.com. Ongoing Wicked Group Runs: 1) Monday nights, 6:30 p.m., from Lynch Park. Parking is free after 6 p.m. 2) Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 5:30 “ish” a.m. from Front Street, Salem 3) Thursday nights, Salem Common near Hawthorne Hotel, 6:45 p.m. Post run get together at the Engine House 4) Saturday mornings, 8 a.m. from Forest River Park, Salem. All distances and speeds welcome! Other local weekly runs, free or optional donation: *Wednesday nights, 7 p.m., rain or shine: D5k, Danvers. Details: http://danvers5k.com/about. 5K Timed Fun Run (on the road of Danvers). Wednesday Nights, 7 pm 'ish. BYOB Post Party. Starts at Sweet William’s Garden Center, 141 Pine Street. * Lynn Woods Trail Series, every Wednesday night, 6:30 p.m. There is a long and short run each week, and a kid’s run- new for 2010. For a schedule of distances and more info, see lwrun.org. *Wednesday nights, 6:45 p.m. Weekly 5K “Run The Q” (a.k.a. Wakefield Lake) Hosted by the Mystic Runners. Starts at Lord Wakefield Hotel, 595 North Avenue, Wakefield.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Saturday, July 17, 2nd Annual Wicked Kidz Race, 9 a.m. From Kathey Moskal: “Hey Wicked- Well as you can all see, summer had hit with a vengeance this week and with summer comes the 2nd Annual Wicked Kidz race. We are looking for about 20 volunteers to help make this a success! It is a fun morning that includes lots of little ones learning to enjoy and embrace our favorite pastime- eating! There will be chicken nuggets and sandwiches and even an appearance from the Chick-Fil-A cow!!! Oh yeah and our other favorite pastime - there is also a little race involved! The race takes place July 17th @ 9AM - we would need you there between 8 and 8:30. If you are worried about missing the Saturday run, I am sure that a few of us may be convinced to go for a nice run after the race. Please drop me an email and let me know if you are a willing and able candidate to collect some volunteer points for our own race and cheer some great kids along the way. Thanks in advance and happy running! Kathey, katheyatc@aol.com.” This family event is cosponsored by the WRC and Salem Park & Recreation. LYNN WOODS: The wonderful, volunteers that make this free summer series possible could use some help at the race, particularly at the finish line. If you are able to help out, please arrive before the start at 6:15 - 6:30 and go to the timing truck to get instructions. This is a great way to be involved if Wednesday is your “rest” day or if running in the Woods is not your thing but you still want to be in the middle of the action. For more info, please email Bill Mullen at bill@lwrun.org.
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RELATED (and some unrelated) EVENTS AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS 12 Week Marathon & Half Marathon Running Clinic, Thursdays and Saturdays, July 22-October 7: Thursday nights at Bertram Field Track and Forest River Park at 6:30 p.m., and long runs on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. at Forest River Park and Devereux Beach, Marblehead. Cost: $125. Contact Doug Bollen dbollen@salem.com to register. Best for runners of any level looking to complete a fall marathon or 1/2 marathon. While the main focus is on the longer distances, athletes training for 5k and above will also benefit. Runners will be grouped based on ability. The clinic is coached by Mike Toomey, a USA Track and Field certified coach, head girl’s coach at Marblehead High School, a founder of the Wicked Running Club, and selected as Coach of the Year by The Salem Evening News. INFORMATION SESSION & SIGN UP: Thursday, July 15, 6:30 p.m. Salem Senior Center, 5 Broad Street. Derby Street Mile Running Clinic, Tuesdays July 13 to Aug. 17, 6:30, Salem Common Gazebo, Fee: $40, includes entry into the Derby Street Mile. This clinic is for beginners who have never run a full mile. We will use a walk/run interval training program to prepare you to run the Derby Street Mile on Friday 8/20.Instructor: Karen Giroux, certified USA Track & Field Coach. To sign up contact Dbollen@salem.com or Edunn@salem.com. Comedy Night to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem. Wednesday, August 4th, Moose Lodge, Salem. $10 ticket donation can be purchased in advance from Doug Bollen or at the door. Food and beverage available for purchase. Raffles include Red Sox tickets. Featuring Paul D’Angelo… very funny!
RUNNING PERSONALS 100 on 100 Recruiting From Bruce Campbell: “Anyone up for a Green Mountain relay? The 100 on 100 is held August 28 from Stowe to Okemo. A friend of a friend is registering a team of 6 and is need of 2-3 more runners. I hope to be one of them. If anyone is interested contact me and I can put you in touch with Janis. bruce.campbell33@verizon.net.” Yes there is a water fountain on the Saturday morning Salem/Marblehead path! Around mile 3ish on the stretch between the Marblehead Post Office and the Temple parking lot, you will see the JCC basketball courts/tennis courts on the left (if you are running from Salem towards Marblehead). Walk up the path to the metal gate leading into tennis area, and you’ll find a water fountain. From TR Ramsdell: Donate Your Sneakers! “This goes out to all of you that have a pile of "slightly used" running shoes taking up space in the bottom of your closet. After you get your 400 or so miles out of your favorite running shoes, what to do with them now? Well, I always "demote" the previous pair to my rainy day runs, and maybe the pair before that to just walking around doing errands. But what about the rest of them gathering dust in the corner? Well just bring them along to the Saturday run at Forest River, and I will recycle them for you. I will actually give them to people to wear them and enjoy them. Just because you can’t train in them anymore, doesn't mean that the shoes aren't still good enough to wear for everyday use. My parents work with shelters and families in need and will give your shoes to someone who may have never had the opportunity to wear such cool shoes, much less previously owned by one of our own Wicked fast members. I'll take one pair, or 20 pair as our own Beth O'Grady recently gave me. Don't just toss them out people. Get a second use out of them. I'm usually at the Sat run. If you don't know me, ask someone else who T.R. is. I'm hard to miss. Thanks!! :o)” Sign up now for the Disney World Half, Full and Goofy January 2011. The half is over 60% full already- this distance closes out quickly! Sign up is also open for the October 17 Bay State Marathon in Lowell.
WICKED GRAND PRIX SERIES By TR Ramsdell OK Wicked. You've had plenty of time off from the series. The last race was wayyy back in April, so everybody should be well rested and on the top of their game. And you're gonna need it for this one. The next race in our series is the Yankee Homecoming race in Newburyport on Tuesday, July 27. While they offer two choices in race length, it's important to note that you must run the 10 miler to be in the series. This has traditionally always been a HOT race, and I don't just mean popular. So lets be smart out there and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I know its a little bit of a haul on a Tuesday night, but lets get as many Wicked members out there to represent! Just think how nice the next race will be. Number 5 in our series is the world famous Derby Mile held on Friday August 20 in Salem. This is the coolest "drag race" you'll ever attend. One mile flat out starting at the Willows, and ending near the wharf on Derby Street. Even the "younguns" are encouraged to come out for this one, as we offer a Family Run as well as the main event. So there you have it. Two great races coming up soon so get ready for some fun. C'mon, who's in?
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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON CORNER In the month of June- which included Father’s Day- the WRC saw some family bonding on the roads. Photo left, David and Dan Barrett at the Rhody 5k June 6, Lincoln RI. Photo right, Kyle and Ken Hewson mirroring each other in the 1st Annual North Shore Cancer Run on Father’s Day… right down to right foot forward, right hand wave! In photo on left: The Long family at the Tufts Marathon Relay, with son Dave and dad Joe participating in the event, and “Mrs. Long” no doubt the wind beneath their wings. In photo right, a late Mom’s Day shout out to Deb, Steve and Liz Touchette and Billy Shea who participated in the GAC Mother’s Day race/run.
SEEN & HEARD “ON THE RUN”
(Photo Below, L to R: Bethany, Jeff, Mara, Tracy & Doug)
From Mara Mendelsohn and Bethany Radabaugh: “On Memorial Day weekend, Bethany Radabaugh, Mara Mendelsohn, Tracy McLaughlin, John McDonough and Jeff Citroni headed into Boston to run the Run To Remember half marathon. This was Jeff and Tracy ’s first half! It was a brutally hot morning and there was lots of discussion about whether or not Tracy should bring a fuel belt. Having heard from others in the past that there are not enough water stops, she begrudgingly decided to play it safe. After making the commitment, the next topic for discussion was whether or not to bring her favorite lip gloss. In the end, she did. The gun went off, and off we went. About a ¼ mile into the run (you know, the absolutely most crowded part of the race), Tracy reached into her fuel belt pocket. We then heard something fall to the ground with a little clatter and Tracy yell "oh sh#t”! We all turned to look at her, thinking she must have dropped her ipod, right? No!!! "My lipgloss”! she yelled. As she was bending over to try and find it in the sea of legs, a nice guy stopped, grabbed it and handed it to her. There was a big sigh of relief. In Tracy 's words..."You never know". It’s always good to be prepared and looking good on the race course...and Tracy does both really well! The kicker to the story is that about half way into the race, Tracy decided she could no longer stand having the fuel belt on her so she handed it to a trooper on the side of the road. It wasn’t until after we all crossed the finish line that it dawned on us that the lip gloss was still in the pocket.” If you see a Boston police officer rockin’ a fuel belt and lip gloss, contact Tracy! Karen Giroux found out her official finish time in the Lake Placid Marathon from Bill Morse who emailed her a very timely congratulations… he was all over it! Mike Higgins finding out the Wicked nice girl in the running clinic is our own Annie Rose, and saying “Is that the What’s Up Wicked” girl? Billy Costa of KISS108 fame hanging out at the Regatta Bar at the Waterfront Hotel. Wonder if the Wicked Women pointing at him and giggling were distracting to him at all.
Page 7. Shari Hewson sent in this Wicked photo from the Kupenda 5K Trail Race on Saturday, June 5 at Gordon College. L to R: Dave Long, Liz Touchette, Kyle Hewson, Deb Touchette, Dan Sullivan, Steve Touchette. Not pictured but also ran are Kathey Moskal, Shari Hewson, Allison Rourke, Jay Curry, Bill Morse, Patrick Smith and Denise Murphy. Doug was hot to fine Kyle 10 cents for not wearing his Wicked shirt, until he found out it was tucked into his shorts. Maybe next time Doug! Doug Bollen at the end of the 5-mile Run to Remember in Boston, bemoaning the fact that every 5 mile finisher got a medal instead of reserving them for half marathon only. Tim Short and Rich Tomlins trading quips at a Saturday morning run, joking they have their own comedy act, to which TR Ramsdell says “But which one of you is funny?” Robin Lermond, on the comeback trail from her plantar pain- so far, so good! New member Alice Ryan sings in a band called THE KRAMERS, and Michelle Campbell’s hubby Gif has a band called BANG BOX. Maybe we can have our own Wicked battle of the bands! Discussion took place at the Tufts Marathon Relay about blind grip vs. ice cream cone grip… maybe you had to be there. Not to be upstaged by Ron Swanson and Lesley Knope on the sitcom Parks & Recreation, Doug Bollen now has his own Park & Recreation show on Salem Access Television. Nicole Short finishing her 1 mile leg in the marathon relay and asking if she can finally say she participated in a marathon. We say Yes! The competition for Wednesday night runs heats up, as the D5k now features a weekly cook-off. Themes have included chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, stew and spaghetti sauce. I thought we ran to lose weight? The coordinator/announcer of the Marathon relay, Dan Solomon, is the founder of the D5k, when it started at Cody’s as a training run for the rugby team. You heard Colin Doherty had an emergency appendectomy- well apparently this happened while the Bruins were playing Philly in the series, and hockey fan Colin asked the doctor if they could watch the end of the game together before they rushed him in… and they did! Alison Rourke acting on Mike Toomey’s behalf as the flip flop police; apparently Mike believes no runner should wear flip flops as the toe clutching caused by trying to keep the sandal on is no good. Tell that to the Tufts Marathon Relay women’s overall winner who sached away with her trophy wearing her flip-flops. From Shari Hewson: “I saw on FB that Debbie Shahidi was at New England Dragway w/one of her cars - apparently she has four including a '71 Duster. Wicked cool! Also heard on the run: "I wonder what is like to weigh 95 lbs." Response: "I don't know, ask my left thigh". (A group of runners pondering the lightness of our petite member Alison Phelan, but I won’t divulge who made the left thigh comment…)
REVIEW YOUR RUN Bentley School 5K, May 2, 2010. Reviewed by Katarina Reilly “May 2nd was a great day to run. The morning was slightly overcast but the sun was trying to burn through the upper layer of clouds promising a nice afternoon. It was neither too cold nor too hot and was perfect day to break-in my new green shortsleeved running shirt that came with registration. Although I had been running a little all winter, my friend and I signed-up for this race to start training again. The promise of a great summer was ahead. I recognized quite a few fellow Wicked members and met some new ones. There was a nice mix of runners at various levels of experience, including a few kids, which proceeded to kick my butt. The route was familiar if you've run the Turkey Trot and Frosty Four, including a run down and around the Willows. Thankfully I was prepared for the small but steep hill on Memorial Drive (you all know the one). After making it up that hill without walking, although it could barely be called jogging, I
Page 8. thought I was home free. I could hear cheers just down the hill and around the corner. I couldn't help but to pick up my pace a little. This proved to be a little premature, because I still had just under a mile left and the route took a sharp left and went around the back of the school. I kept my pace up knowing that the finish line was just around the corner of the school. It wasn't there. I proceeded around the next side of the school keeping up my pace and still didn't see the finish line. I was then directed to run around the school's playground and could tell by the cheers that the finish line was quickly approaching. I upped my pace just a little and soon saw the finish line. It was a personal record (28:47)! The sun was now out in full force, I helped raise some money to benefit after-school activities for the Bentley school and had a great afternoon ahead of me. I look forward to doing it again next year- 5 Cats!” GREAT HYANNIS 7.25 Reviewed by Julie Arrison “The Great Hyannis Road Race Series featured a 7.25m as well as a 5K & half marathon over Memorial Day weekend. The 2.5 cats are for scenery alone. From what I understand, there were a few lost race registrations, though they were handled courteously. The toughest part of the race was the lack of water stops & the lack of knowledge for course volunteers. If you run it...BYOW! 2.5 cats” Pack Monadnock 10 Miler, June 6th 2010, Wilton, New Hampshire by Senior Report Fred Bollen “GOT HILLS?” Wilton, New Hampshire is about an hour and a half drive from Salem, up Route 93 onto N.H. Route 101 West. Registration is at the Wilton High School where the race starts at 9AM and runs (point to point) into Miller State Park. Cost is $29.00 on-line and $32.00 post. This year it’s part of the “USATF-NE Mountain Running Circuit”, and the “Hockomock Swamp Rat Grand Pricks Series #6”, drawing 359 hard core entrants from all over New England. It is really not a classic mountain race, but a combination of paved and gravel roads traveling up and down several steep hills for the first 8.7 miles. Then, for the last 1.3 miles it is STRAIGHT UP TO THE PEAK of Temple Mountain on a paved road. The Gate City Striders who put the race on claim; the gradation is “as steep as or steeper than the Mount Washington Road Race”. Having run both races, I think they are right. (Go to the race website for a more accurate course description). Anytime you run a race that is part of a USATF-NE series, you are competing against a large number of studs and studettes who place high in their age group IN VERY TOUGH RACES. Thus, a mid-pack runner ends up in the back-of-the-pack or like me a tail gunner. I try to keep things in perspective and leave my ego at home. Also, after finishing the race, you have to WALK back down the mountain to the parking lot for post-race refreshments. Today, tents are set up in the parking lot due to inclement weather. Be sure to make arrangements beforehand to have your car left at the finish by friends or volunteers, cause it’s a long walk back to the start. Course records are Eric Morse 58:35 in 1999 and Kelli Lusk 1:13:35 in 2006. Janet Qualter and Elaine Scadding arrive to meet Debbie and I at the school. They’re both really tough gals (Elaine’s from Charlestown) who registered but could not run today due to injuries. After picking up my number, I search around for Dave Dunham to autograph his book for me, “Only one hill. A History of the Mount Washington Road Race”. (5 CAT reading).
Damn!!!, I left the book at home again. I blame Debbie. Shortly before 9 am, I walk a half-mile from the school to the start. It is raining like Hell. Humid, and 70 degrees. (Temperatures at the mountain’s summit are always 10-15 degrees colder). Several RATS running in the GPS series seem excited about receiving their “atrocious weather race points”. They are a demented lot. The first mile is strait uphill and then the course rolls along until mile 8.7. Then, up a paved road to Temple Mountain’s summit. Suddenly, I start having serious fears about not being in shape for this race. I quickly cast them aside and move on (see race quote below). For the first few miles I run slowly (due to Achilles’ tendonitis) beside two women whom I am unable to pass. They’re running here for the first time and are not fully aware of the last horrendous mile. I tell them and suggest they slow down. They do and I’m finally able pass them. A dirty trick you say? Hey, psychology is important in road racing and a “win is a win” I say. At mile five I pass a farm, and several sheep mock me by “Baaaaaahing” out loud. By now I am waterlogged and my shoes are making a squishing sound. At mile 8.7 I enter The Road to Hell and start walking uphill. I am not alone as everyone in within sight is walking also. Runners in shape enough to RUN up this road are now walking down to get first dibs on the pasta. Finally, 100 yards before the summit, I spy Judy Romvos struggling. In the early 90’s she briefly held the female masters course record (in under 1:30). I conceal my joy at being able to pass her; finishing in 2:03:55 as Debbie, Elaine, and Janet cheer me on. It is nice to have friends who walk up a mountain in the rain and fog even if it’s just to cheer. In the 2001,
Page 9. Eric Fish and I reached the summit cold, wet, and thirsty, only to meet my wife who stood there empty handed clapping. “Hey, if you think I’m carrying your bags up this mountain, you’re nuts”. This year the club brought your bag to the finish line. The post race awards ceremony is held in the parking lot below under a tent and many runners just faded away after eating (perhaps they’re just cold, wet and tired, I dunno). In closing, this race is: tough, a great distance has many course volunteers, and a great pasta feed afterwards. Also, no medals and no B.S. In my humble opinion, I’ll give this race four cats. www.packmonadnockrace.com
RACE QUOTE: “You’re probably going to die anyway, so stop worrying about it”. Gregory Peck, in “Twelve O’clock High”. NEXT RACE REVIEW: Casey’s (was Khoury’s) Summer Steamer, 4.13 miles July 2010 (P.S. from Beth: Gotta love Fred who not only volunteered to contribute his self professed “Race Dribble” column, but is even giving himself future assignments… go Fred!) The Indy Mini Marathon Reviewed by Melissa Jaynes This is a review with a lot of numbers from the number loving treasurer. First off, the Indianapolis Mini Marathon is called a mini and I have no idea why because there is nothing MINI about this race. It is the large half marathon in the U.S. and has MEGA support. I suggest they rename it accordingly the Indianapolis MEGA marathon. There are 33,000 registered runners and the registrations usually closes in early December for a May race... in the Hoosier state none the less (hey, keep your hillbilly comments to yourself, that is my home state people). There were 26 corrals (with more than 40 porta pots every other corral or so) and I highly recommend sending in a recent race time for seeding. I ended up in corral C and it made a huge difference between crossing the line in 2 minutes verses 30 (yup, Z crossed the start 30 minutes later). This is especially important in years like 2010 when the temperatures were in the low 40s with 30 mph winds at the 7:00 AM start (and a need to be in corrals by 6:30). The course winds you around downtown Indianapolis past the Lucas Oil Stadium (yes where those amazing Colts play), the Indianapolis zoo where 3 elephants cheered us on, and out to the Indianapolis 500 speedway. You run 1 full lap around the track covering 2.5 miles (no spectators and mind you it is hella banked) and then dart back out towards downtown. Note: There is no substance besides water allowed on the track so be sure not to open that GU or you will get tossed. . .gotta protect the race car drivers a few days later. Oh, and for you crazy cow lovers there were 4 chick-fil-a cows outside the track. In covering the 13.1 mile course, there are 17 water stops with about 1/2 (that is 8.5) having Gatorade. The finish was spectacular with tons of fans (ok, no exact count as I was a little busy running people, but I can say 3 of them were there from my family), a photo area with a checked background for a posed shot with your metal, metals that were hung from checked ribbons, and tons of food and music. The food did not include corn which you would think in IN might have occurred. Take aways: Despite the huge number of people running, I never felt crowded or slowed by those around me (again, do the seeding). The course is also flat and fast. Spectators and support are awesome (support more than spectators). Goodies were great too with 2 pieces of swag: an okay tech shirt with race cars on it of course but not the best fabric (I am very critical of shirts btw) and an awesome hat with a zipper in the front for a key or id which is GENIUS. Some suggestions if you want to run this race: Stay in a hotel right downtown, allow at least a day to explore Indianapolis and pick up your race packed at a great expo as there is no race day pick up, register early, and be ready for fun. I give this race 4.5 cats for a distance race for Wicked Runners.
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The 50th Anniversary of the Mount Washington Road Race Reviewed by Bill Morse “As you stand on the starting line of the Mt. Washington Road Race, the race course instructions announced are the same each year. Runners are told that "the race starts here, finishes on the summit....and there's only ONE hill. A cannon then sends competitors on their way for the 7.6 mile trek up the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,288 ft. For fifty years this icon of New England running has continued to excite, challenge, and perhaps moreover humble the running community. This year, I returned to the "rockpile" for the 29th consecutive time to run for the "red and white", keep my "streak" alive, and meet an old friend (more about that later). As usual, the weather this year was indeed a factor. By 9:00 am, an hour before race start, the temperature at the base of the mountain was almost 80 degrees and the summit was nearly 60 degrees. I knew for sure that my projected time of running sub-1 hr. 40 mins. was not going to happen. I instead expected to run 10-15 mins. slower because of the heat. Soon after 10:00 am, the approximately 1000 runners started "up" what some say is the toughest road race on the planet. It didn't take long to realize that this was going to be a very "warm" run. The first half of the race is below the tree line where, although there is shade, the trees also prevent breezes from coming off the mountain even as you near 4000 feet. Reaching the half way point seems to take forever when "heat" is a factor. I passed the 1/2 way clock at around 49 minutes, my 2nd slowest time to that point but I knew that once above tree line on hot days it usually feels like someone turned on the "air conditioning". Not so, this year...it seemed like it was only slightly cooler once above the trees and moreover, now the full exposure of the bright sunshine was becoming a factor. Luckily, eventually the cooler breezes "kicked in" slightly and I started feeling a bit better. I seemed to be passing quite a few runners who obviously had "blown-up" due to the heat below. I continued to feel stronger so tried running faster, but soon felt some cramping coming on in the legs, so backed off. Fortunately, the cramping soon stopped. Reaching mile 6, I began to concentrate on the truly spectacular views that the day was providing...some of the best I've ever seen, with crystal clear views at Mt. Adams and Mt. Madison to the north. The views helped alleviate some of the agony that all runners usually experience by this point. Soon the summit house appeared, and I began the last notorious assault up the 22% grade to the finish. I missed breaking 1 hr. 50 mins. by a few seconds but was glad that I didn't totally succumb to the heat. I was feeling ok! I headed to the summit house, quickly changed into dry clothes, brought to the summit by my ride, and then headed back to the base for food. This year's Mt. Washington race was very different from the first time I ran the race. The temps. on the summit that day in 1982 were in the low 20's and I ran the entire race with full winter running gear, including gloves and a hat. Also, in 1982 a first class stamp was .20 cents, gas at the pump was slightly over $1.00, and Barack Obama was 20 years old. (ok I really don't remember this stuff...researched it). But one thing remains remarkably steadfast, namely the relationship that I have with my "old" frien....Mt Washington. Despite the heat, cold, wind, ice, sleet, rain, snow and whatever else this race has thrown at me over the years this spot in New Hampshire has allowed me to be successful, at least by my definition. This race and I are so insignificant when compared to the fact that "my friend" was "born" about 300-350 million years ago and has its present formidable shape from the last ice age about 14,000 years ago. Once a year my "friend" reminds me to be disciplined, hard working, and thankful but most of all why friendship is so important! Glad I could bring the "Wicked" singlet to the finish line and thanks to "my friend" for giving me the strength one more time! Next year!?” (Bill didn’t say, but this sounds like a 5 cat review to me!)
1st Annual Run to Home Base 9K by Tim Short Being a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox (Look out Yankees, here we come!) I never in a million years thought that the Sox would ever win a World Series in my lifetime. My dad always told me not to fall in love with the Sox as they will always break your heart. They certainly did that back in the fall of 2003! But winning a championship in 2004 (The year that I met my soul mate and now wife!) and 2007 was proof that the curse had really been broken. I’m sure every Red Sox fan has had their own personal dream of coming around third base and running to home base scoring the winning run in a tied game against the Evil Empire in the bottom of the 9th inning. Well, on May 23rd I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the 1st Annual Run to Home Base and got to live that dream to some extent.
Page 11. The Run to Home Base 9K gets it’s name from The Home Base Program which is a new philanthropic partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital dedicated to improving the lives of New England servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress disorders and/or traumatic brain injury through clinical care, innovative research, education, family support and community outreach. For more information about The Home Base Program please visit http://www.runtohomebase.org/what-is-the-home-base-program. The race was a fundraiser event, which meant that I needed to raise $1000 before race day. Through some very generous donations made by members of the Wicked Running Club, my family, co-workers and other friends I was able to raise $1585! Thank you everyone in Wicked Nation who donated to my fundraising campaign. The day before the race I went into Fenway Park to grab my bib number and bag. Along with getting a technical t-shirt, runners also got a very nice baseball hat with the Run to Home Base logo on the front of the hat. The bag was also full of the typical advertisements and flyers that you normally see in big races. The bag pick up was very well organized and I was in and out in about 5 minutes. Race day came and I was thrilled to be part of something bigger than just how fast I was going to run the race. And that’s the real message behind the Run to Home Base 9K. Giving back to the people that protect and defend this country and their families. One good thing about having the race start at Fenway Park is that there is no shortage of bathrooms. Always a plus when someone needs to hit the bathroom a few minutes before the gun goes off, and I know we’ve all been there! No fun waiting in a line 20 deep before a big race! The race actually started out on Yawkey Way at around 8:15 am and the gun went off and I was happy to start running. The course was fairly flat taking us out over the Mass Ave Bridge then onto Memorial Drive Memorial Drive, then under Mass Ave underpass, back over the Mass Ave Bridge, right on Boylston Street, Right onto Lansdowne Left into Fenway Park, pass the historic Green Monster and down the third base line and finally touching home base. The course was very well marked and there was a good amount of spectators cheering on the runners. There was also plenty of water on the course which I was thankful for as it got pretty hot by the second half of the race. Runners actually finish right by the Green Monster before slowing down before reaching home base to bask in the glory of touching the very plate that so many all star players have done in the past. There was also a free-bagged lunch waiting for runner who finished, yum! I would highly recommend running this race next year to everyone in the Wicked Running Club. It’s not only a great time but it’s for a really great cause. It would be awesome if we could create a team and help each other fundraise! Regardless of what people think of the decisions of our elected officials and the policies of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, the men and women of the United States Military and their families give so much without asking. It was truly an honor to run in support of those individuals who have and are serving our country. I’m giving the 1st Annual Run to Home Base 9K 5 out of 5 Cats, this race had it all and I can’t wait to run it next year!
Keybank Vermont City Marathon, May 30, 2010 by Shari Hewson (Photo: Alison Rourke, Alison Phelan, Shari Hewson, Melissa Jaynes, Sarah Carrier)
“Ladies, I have found a marathon I think we should do – how about the Vermont Marathon?” Such was the basic content (slightly paraphrased) of an e-mail from Sarah Carrier. Ahhh, in my typical fashion I jumped in with both feet – sure, what could be more fun than to train in the winter for a spring marathon?! Why not? Bring it on!!! So started the journey of several of us who were training for Vermont. Those ready to travel to Vermont included: Melissa Jaynes, Alison Phelan, Allison Rourke, Team Touchette (Deb. Steve and Liz), Billy Shea, Sarah Carrier and me. I was impressed with this race from the start. Registration was easy, we received numerous e-mails and one week before the race we received an e-mail advising that the Vermont weekend was “green” and we would not receive inserts in our race bag. In the e-mail we were provided links to the inserts and coupons we could receive – simply print the ones you want and save trees! We stayed at the Hilton which was great because the start was almost right outside our hotel.
Page 12. The Expo was efficient and everyone was so friendly. The shirts were nice (it is all about the clothing after all) and I must admit I am a little bit of a shopaholic at Expos – you can get really great prices! Kyle had a great time drinking his way through the Expo and Kyle, Sarah, Allison and I did a “revelation” at the Green Mountain Coffee booth. The morning of the race was slightly overcast with comfortable temperatures. After much discussion about clothing, eating and three wardrobe changes I was ready to head out to the start. Butterflies began multiplying tenfold in my stomach as I snaked my way through the crowds with Alison Phelan and Sarah Carrier. I was clutching Sarah’s hand so tightly I am surprised she still had circulation. Well, this is it, here we are, ready for the start. I started chatting with a couple people at the start and we shared our excitement for the race and wished each other luck. I was also very emotional while waiting for the start. Kyle and Kenny and our friends were there but this was another first for me – my first marathon without my parents there to cheer me on. Well, I know they were there in spirit. The crowds at the start were incredible, and as we continued the route we were not disappointed – the cheers, smiles and words of encouragement were awesome. As many of you know I am directionally challenged so my memory of the course may not be entirely accurate but I know we went down Church Street at least twice and I was able to see Kenny, Kyle and Natalie. There is also an “out and back” aspect and as I was heading out, I saw Allison Rourke, Alison Phelan, Sarah, Billy Shea and Steve Touchette. It was great to be able to see my friends and cheer each other. When I came to the dreaded “Battery Hill” at mile 14-1/2 (approx.) I was in awe at the drummers that were there at the bottom beating their drums in a rhythmic wave and their movements were incredibly choreographed. Kyle and Allison Rourke met me at the bottom and walked me up most of the hill – another emotional moment. Although I have always done well when it came to pacing I really blew it at this marathon. I am sure many factors attributed to this but bottom line I really began to suffer at mile 16. Even though I was not so happy at this point I was still thrilled when we passed through a block party at mile 17 and all the neighbors were out cheering and providing refreshments. At mile 18 I could not believe it when the song on my iPod was R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts Sometimes” – really?!?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! I was really hurting at that point and finding no humor in this song so why I felt the need to play it four times is beyond me! At mile 19 I remember thinking that there was no reason on this earth why I would ever need to do this again. Kenny met me at mile 25 to run me in – another emotional moment. The people at the water stops and along the bike path as I started running to the finish were incredible – cheering words or encouragement every step of the way. I could feel the tears building and I knew I was ready to cry – this was really happening . . . I was going to finish my first marathon. I could see the finish and began sprinting toward the end. The announcers were talking about a woman who really had a lot at the end and was sprinting to the finish. I thought, “wow, who is that” and when I heard them call my bib number and name I was ecstatic – what a thrill! I finished my first marathon with my family and friends there to share the experience. It doesn’t get much better than this! Things to note about this race: incredibly well organized and supported; everyone was so friendly; plenty of water and refreshments (yes, I pretty much ate my way through this marathon!); NO bandits – this is strongly discouraged and I think people honor this request; water stop tables had signs clearly marked “No Bib No Service” – awesome! At the refreshment tent at the end it was the same thing – only runners were allowed and your bibs were marked indicating you had gone through. Only downfall is that they had run out of the recyclable grocery bags – hmmm, how did that happen? This was an awesome weekend – complete with Ben and Jerry’s ice cream – Vermont is beautiful, the course was great and the support phenomenal. I would rate this 5 cats.
LOCAL RACE HISTORY by Bill Mullen “Long before the current generation of Salem races, the city hosted two of the “not to be missed” events on the summer road racing calendar - the Salem Heritage Days 10K and the Mack Park 10 Miler. Summer road racing looked a bit different three or four decades ago. Distances were longer – frequently 10Ks and 10 milers. The fields were almost entirely male (alas). Charity events didn't exist. Entry fees were very low or non-existent. Many races were held mid-week in the evening and traffic control for back-of-the-packers often left a lot to be desired. Heritage Days 10K was usually held on a mid-week evening while Mack Park was on a Friday. In the results for 1970 that I found in the long forgotten Long Distance Log
Page 13. magazine, they were held within a few days of each other. The Heritage 10K started and finished at Salem Common and included Essex St, Flint St, Bridge St, Washington St., a trip around Riley Plaza, Canal St., Loring Ave., Lafayette St., Derby St., a trip towards Salem Willows, back on Essex St, then Congress, and a finish on the Common. Registration was held at the old Armory (now the Visitor's Center). The 1973 results that I found had Bill Rodgers (before his first Boston win) finishing 2nd and a young Alberto Salazar (maybe only a HS sophomore) back in 24th place. (See end of newsletter for results clipping). Mack Park started and finished at the top of Mack Park – making for a fast downhill first mile and a painful finishing mile. The course went into Peabody to Wilson Square, down Pulaski, to Danversport, to Water St., to Rt. 62 into Beverly, winding its way to the Salem-Beverly Bridge, to Bridge St., and then on to the finish at Mack Park. Mack Park was also known to be a tad long - perhaps 10.2 or 10.3 miles. With the races starting at 6:30PM in August, back-of-the-packers at Mack Park were sometimes finishing in dusk on busy streets. Other summer mainstays that I remember were: - Newburyport 10 Miler with a downtown start at the old YMCA. The basics of the course haven't changed much over the years, but somewhere along the way this became a mega race. - Ipswich 10 Miles (and maybe 5 Miles as well) - Lynn – Bennie's Pizza 10 Mile Handicap and the Italian-American Club 10 Mile Handicap - Beverly 10K starting and finishing at Beverly Common with downtown portions on Rantoul and Essex Streets - Danvers 10K - starting and finishing at the old High School 6) Haverhill Sons of Italy 10 Miler–hazy, hot, humid, and hilly with a Sunday early afternoon start”
Louise Rossetti: Carrying On Louise Rosetti (left) with husband Peter (who passed away in 1993) and daughter Suzanne. Many of us know Louise Rosetti as a regular fixture at races over the years, and many wicked women run her yearly race, but some are not aware of the tragic circumstances that got her involved in the sport, first as therapy for her, now as inspiration to the rest of us. The following is from web link: http://www.windsorparkstories.com/OLD/reviews.html
“The sudden death of a loved one is often devastating for those close to the individual. Rebounding from the loss can be even harder. The story of Louise Rossetti, however, is a true-life tale of a woman who lost her youngest daughter in a brutal murder just outside of Phoenix, AZ, but then pulled herself together and carried on with her life. In an episode of Windsor Park Stories, Rossetti recounts the day her soon to be 26-year-old daughter, Suzanne, a Scottsdale, AZ resident, disappeared while on her way to meet her parents before their flight home to Massachusetts. Newspaper reports stated Suzanne had been raped, robbed and killed by two men who had helped her after she locked her keys in her car. At one point, while waiting for her to show, Louise Rossetti and her husband had seen Suzanne inside her Pinto station wagon with the two men, but they were unable to keep track of the car. "We never saw her again after that," Rosetti said. "She was just a perfect person. I knew that something serious was wrong, and I just had that sinking feeling inside me that we're never going to see Suzanne. And we never did." Phoenix police said the two men brought Suzanne to the Superstition Mountains, outside of Phoenix, stoned her and buried her under rocks. Suzanne's death came as a devastating blow to Rossetti, the rest of the family and to those who knew her. Even today, Rossetti said she still misses Suzanne, who she described as generous and kind and having many friends. "When I run I think of her, because she was also a runner," Rossetti said. "You just miss her so much. Part of my life is gone." But in coping with Suzanne's death, Rossetti found a reason to continue on positively with her life -- for her own good and for the sake of her family. "You have to be realistic, you have to pull yourself together," Rossetti said. "You just have to carry on because you have other family. You have to try to be strong. You cry when you're in bed by yourself at night. When you're alone you can vent your own emotions, but try to be strong to the other people around you. You just try to carry on." Rossetti's story is a motivational guide, a story of hope and survival for those who have also been torn by the death of a loved one. It teaches us not only how to cope with death, but also how to continue on with life.” (We love you Louise XO!)
WICKED REVIEWS Beach Street Cafe in Manchester, reviewed by Shari Hewson: “Alison Phelan and I went on a bike ride Sunday morning down Route 127 to Manchester. We stopped at the Beach Street Cafe for a little something to eat to re-fuel. We were able to park our bikes right outside and had a seat by the window where our bikes were clearly visible. The menu has a nice variety and excellent prices. It is made very clear on signs in the restaurant that it is a "cash only" establishment. However, if you only have your ATM card do not fear - there is an ATM machine across the street outside of the pharmacy. We both ordered the one egg, home fries and toast selection for $3.95. You can have your egg cooked any way - I ordered mine medium/well hmmm, guess I forgot what I was ordering. We each had a drink and the total with a nice tip came to approximately $14.00 not bad Great place to stop, eat, relax, admire the view and be waited on by a very friendly wait staff. Also, the bathrooms are spotless. Rating: 5 cats!”
Page 14. I’M ALSO A FARMER. This month’s feature member is WRC rising star Kerry Phelan. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am 16 years old and have been running since I was 11. When my mom picked up running again about 6-7 years ago, I picked up the sport about a year later. I started to run XC for St John’s School, and am going to be a junior at Hamilton Wenham Regional High School, as a choice student from Peabody. At Hamilton I run XC in the fall, train by myself and with my mom in the winter, and run mostly the 2-mile during outdoor track in the spring. I live with my mom (WRC member Alison), my 12 year-old sister Natalie, and my yellow lab Jack. My dad, who’s a Salem Police Officer, lives close by. My favorite WRC runs are the Tuesday/Thursday 5:30 runs during the summer. To get ready for the XC season, I love to train in Lynn Woods and compete in the Wednesday races. You said you are also a farmer, what’s that all about? During the summer I work as a paid intern for a non-profit organization called The Food Project, a group that owns farmland in Lincoln, Dorchester, Lynn, Ipswich and Beverly. Produce is donated to local food pantries, sold at the farmers markets in Marblehead, Gloucester, and Lynn, and given to locals through CSA shares. Besides farm work, we are given the chance to learn about the community and agriculture issues the world faces (hunger, the food system, inequalities) and once a week we are given the chance to help out at a hunger relief organization (Open Door in Gloucester, My Brothers Table in Lynn, and Beverly Bootstraps). Last winter I also joined the DIRT Crew: Dynamic Intelligent Responsible Teenagers, where we did many things including planning a garden for Gloucester High School, working at Open Door food pantry, and going on a retreat to the Heifer Project to help out with the care of their animals donated to families in need. If you were interested to hear more about our impact and mission statement you could visit http://thefoodproject.org/. I hope I gave you plenty of information, and would love to give any answers to questions you may have. Well, if you don’t make a career as a farmer, perhaps you should go into sales. Have you thought about what you might like to study in college? Right now in school I have been really interested in the science courses I have taken. I enjoyed taking Biology last year and Chemistry this year. Next year I plan to take an Anatomy and Physiology course along with Physics. My hope by taking these courses I will be able to decide if I really want to pursue a career in science and maybe incorporate some things I learned from the organic farming. Right now I am considering getting a degree in teaching and maybe also a degree in sport medicine. Its been a loooong time since I was 16. Aside from running what sort of things do you do to chill out? Well aside from running, homework, and working, my friends and I try to hang out as much as possible. In the summer, I often take the train to Hamilton and go to the beach, bike riding, or swimming. At home, I spend my free time by my pool and working on my summer reading. Occasionally, I will go to the mall to see a movie (recently I saw Toy Story 3) or I will go on Facebook with my friends. So your dad is a police officer, that must be a big hit with potential boyfriends… Having a father as a police officer always makes any relationship (friends, boyfriends) interesting. Being a police officer he has the ability to run anyone’s license plate on the station’s computers and find out information on the owner of the cars license plate. This ability has not only amazed some of my friends, but also made them nervous. Also, whenever I talk of a guy or am friends with one, my dad never fails to ask hundreds of questions. However, I know he only wants to be protective which I already expected from a cop so I am not bothered by it as much. Plus knowing most of the cops in Salem benefits my family in the long run. Tell us about your running successes this past season, and any tips you might have to offer the rest of us. This past track season for me was great. Now that I officially have established that my main race is the 2 mile, my 2 mile training has made my times drop. My race time has greatly improved from a 12:35 at the beginning of the season, to an 11:47 PR and I placed in every race. Also, besides my time drop, the rest of my team also had a successful season. A good portion of the track team and I moved on to division 4 states, and walked away with a first place trophy. A week later, 7 members of the girls’ team qualified for All States where we performed pretty well. Overall our season was a success and our coaches were thrilled. We all owe a lot to them since even on the hottest or rainiest days they pushed us to train. If I had to give any advice, it would be to always push yourself past what you think is possible. As my coach Steve Sawyer always tells his running team, “Don’t be lazy, run like crazy!” What is something we might be surprised to know about you? Something interesting about me is besides growing food, I also used to cater for my dad's part time catering business. His business called "Two Guy's Cooking" catered for different events throughout the area. Mostly, I was in charge of helping out with the preparation of the food, and setting up the food at different areas. A little over a year ago, I even catered for a large wedding reception and was able to act as a server to the tables. It seems as though food has always been a strong part of my life, which makes being a farmer a lot more fun!
Page 15. What is your favorite race and why? My favorite race would probably have to be the 2009 division 4 XC states at Franklin Park. Not only do I always enjoy running Franklin Park's course, but the 2009 state meet was interesting. For one, our top runner Alison Lanois was unable to participate due to having the swine flu, and yet we still came out with another championship. Also, during the entire meet we experienced chilling rain and flooding throughout the course. I remember clearly the splashing through deep puddles, and seeing people slip and slide in the mud. When our team still came out on top for the 5th time in a row and happy, despite all the elements and swine flu, I realized why I loved XC and my team. Thanks Kerry! Who will be profiled next month? Maybe you!
Question of the Month –What is your favorite race distance and why? John McDonough: Half marathon because I can’t do a full one anymore! Bill Mullen: While doing some of the research for the old Salem Races I hit upon some of my own ancient history results and found the answer to my favorite distance question. It has to be 10 Miles. I've won very few races over 40+ years racing, but two that I can remember were a 10 Miler in Merrimac, MA in the late 1970s and a 2-man 10 Mile Relay in Virginia in 1969 (!) results of that race here. This variation of a 10 Mile Relay was run on the track with two runners alternating 880s. My teammate was Ian Keller – A Scottish Medical student or intern whom I barely knew. My vague remembrance is that I was in oxygen debt and pain all the way. With my teammate hammering out 2:20 repeats I didn't have time to recover between my 880s. Even at that I can't believe that I was able to do 10 x 880s averaging 2:33. This kind of race – along with other events like the 1 Hour Track Run, 10 Mile Track Run, 2 person 20 Mile Track relay, Devil take the hindmost (kind of a knockout event – dropping the trailing runner each lap), and Running Pentathlon (5 Mile, 2 Mile, 1 Mile, 880, 440 – all in one afternoon) have just about disappeared from running. Tim Short: The 5 miler has always been a favorite race distance of mine. I first fell in love with this distance back in my hometown of Amesbury with the Heartbeat 5 miler. It was a great summer time race that all of my friends would run and it also had a great after race party. I’ve always felt that 5 miles is a very manageable race distance to run. It’s a little longer than a 5k which allows me to ease into the race with a decent pace, but shorter than the 10 miler which means that I won’t be out on the road for over an hour. Typically I’ll run a 5 mile race around 30 minutes, depending on the course and the number of hills that the race has. It’s also a race distance that doesn’t require lots of weekly training miles. Anyone that is running around 3550 miles a week can easily run a decent 5 miler. Throw in some Mike Toomey speed work outs and the 5 mile race can easily become a very fun time! Since moving to the Salem area my favorite 5 miler has become the Danvers Kiwanis 5 Miler. The course offers some decent rolling hills and nice down hills at the end of the race. Plus there always seems to be a great group of Wicked Runners that show up. It was also my first race wearing a Wicked Singlet! Kenny Hewson: My favorite race distance is the mile. Nothing like one and done! Can't wait for the Derby Street Mile. Rich Tabbut: My favorite race distance is 5 miles. It is long enough to make the high school and college age kids go past their comfort zone and short enough for for my 30 miles per week training schedule to be competitive. Kathey Moskal: Toss up between 10K and half marathon. 10K because you can really challenge yourself to push past your limits and still recover in a reasonable amount of time. 1/2 because the long runs for training are a blast, but the training is still manageable without consuming your entire life the way marathon training does. A half is still an amazing accomplishment! Melissa Jaynes: Half marathon. I love the half distance because you really need to train, run smart, and feel like you have covered a good distance while maintaining the ability to recover more quickly than a marathon and run them more often. Plus, there are some great half marathons all around New England: New Bedford, Applefest, Hyannis, Covered Bridges, Hampton (fall and spring) to name a few. One of my favorite half marathons is the Indy "mini-marathon" in Indianapolis, IN. It is the largest half marathon in the U.S. with 33,000 entries and closes in December for a May race. See my review for more details. Kyle Hewson: 5K is my favorite race distance b/c it is the only distance I have done : ) Shari Hewson: I think I would have to say half marathon b/c the routes are usually scenic and enjoyable. Also, this distance allows you a couple miles to warm up, a couple miles to get in the groove and a final couple miles to hopefully finish strong!
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS WICKED? It’s all about Miles Fartlek this month (what else is new?). Left: Mile bemoans the fact he finished his half marathon in 16 hours because his legs are only 4 inches long. (We are sick of your excuses Miles, start representing!). Top right, Miles is dehydrated after claiming first place in the newly created Cat category in the 1st Annual North Shore Cancer Run. That’s what you get for putting Miles on the committee folks! Left, Miles inhales some pizza at the end of the Tufts Marathon Relay. Thanks for saving some for the runners… Have you worn your Wicked pride someplace exotic or exciting? Send a photo along to bethogrady@yahoo.com.
WICKED TRIVIA: 1) Who in Wicked drives an older style black Volvo and has a WRC sticker and motorcycle sticker on their back window? 2) Which WRC member was a theatre major at Hofstra University before transferring to Suffolk for law?
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DOUG BOLLEN: Beth: Have you decided on the color of your 2010 Wild Turkey shirts? Doug: Yes. Beth: Would you like to share this exciting news with the WRC? Doug: No. Well there you have it, guess you’ll find out at the bag stuffing!
PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE by Tim Short With just a few more days until the July 4th celebrations start I thought I would let everyone in Wicked Nation know about another great event that the Wicked Running Club will be hosting in July! First though, a Wicked Awesome Update! The 1st Annual North Shore Cancer RUN was a great success. We had over 400 registered runners and just over 300 finishers. It was great to see so many Wicked Runners there helping out and volunteering for the race. It really makes a difference when you have a ton of people helping out; it’s the difference between a good event, and a great event. I’m interested in hearing any feedback from those who either ran in the race or participated as a volunteer. Let me know what you thought went well, what you think should be improved and any other opinions that you might so that we can make the 2nd Annual North Shore Cancer RUN an even bigger success! You can send your thoughts to me at tim.short1@gmail.com. On July 17, the Wicked Running Club and Salem Park & Recreation Department will host the Second Annual Wicked Kidz ½ Mile & 1 Mile Race. This great race is a chance for Wicked to give back to the community and what better way to do that than having a race that is all about the kids. The Wicked Kidz Race will be held at Forest River Park at 9 am. Once again, Chic fil A will be sponsoring the race! This means there will be tasty nuggets for the kids, and yes the Chic-fil-A cow will be making an appearance as well. There will be trophies to top male & female finishers; Medals to top 3 in each age group; ribbons to all finishers. Shirts will be given to the first 75 registered runners. Oh and talk about a great value, each race only costs $2.00! There will also be day of registration.
Page 17. For more info about the 2nd Annual Wicked Kidz Race visit http://wickedrunningclub.com/wicked-kidz. If you are interested in volunteering the morning of the race please contact Kathey Moskal (katheyatc@aol.com) or Paul McCabe (pmccabe1234@yahoo.com). The more volunteers we have the better the event will be! Last year we had close to 100 participants so if you know someone that is interested in running, let them know. It’s going to be a great time for all the runners and it’s a great feeling to be able to give back and host a great event for the kids of the North Shore. Keep on running Wicked Nation! Tim Short, President
WICKED CONTACT INFORMATION: There are about a gazillion ways to stay in touch with Wicked, just a few options are below: Got a question? You can e-mail the Board at:
BOARD MEMBERS: President: Tim Short, tim.short1@gmail.com Vice President: Rich Tomlins, rrtomlins@gmail.com Secretary: Alison Phelan, alphelan2@aol.com Treasurer: Melissa Jaynes, melissa.jaynes@gmail.com Membership Coordinator: Annie Rose Willis, Annika729@aol.com Clothing Coordinator: Michele Campbell, michelejcampbell@yahoo.com At Large: TR Ramsdell, mopartr@comcast.net, Shari Hewson, shewson@cellsignal.com, Peter Raymond, pote259@yahoo.com.
WRC VOLUNTEERS: Volunteer Coordinators: Kathey Moskal, katheyatc@aol.com and Paul McCabe, pmccabe1234@yahoo.com Wicked Grand Prix: TR Ramsdell, mopartr@comcast.net or Dan Barrett, Daniel.J.Barrett@Comcast.net Social Director: Shannon O’Donnell, shannonmaryod@gmail.com Newsletter Contributions: Beth O’Grady, bethogrady@yahoo.com Wicked Website: wickedrunningclub.com. Website Questions or Problems: webmaster@wickedrunningclub.com Wicked is also on Twitter and Facebook!
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RANDOM PHOTOS FROM THE 1st ANNUAL CANCER RUN
Wicked Trivia Answers: 1) I have no idea but I parked next to them in the Cheesecake Factory parking lot on a Saturday night ☺ 2) Shari Hewson- now that’s a big surprise!