ERC’S NEXT GENERAL MEETING 7:30 pm, Monday, … · ERC’S NEXT GENERAL MEETING 7:30 pm, Monday, ... so that they can stay healthy during this season of good cheer and great food

Keeping Track December 2007 Page 1

After enjoying the Holiday Party(rescheduled for Dec 9), please join us at …

ERC’S NEXT GENERAL MEETING7:30 pm, Monday, January 7

Church Street Café

12 Church Street, Montclair

Park on street or in Crescent Parking Deck behindChurch Street between So. Fullerton & So. Park

Our SpeakerEdward Hemberger will discuss running and rolfing (“puttingyour running on cruise control”). Edward is a physical therapist

who performs structural integration, rolfing, active release tech-nique, and neuromuscular and sports massage. He has worked

with professional cycling teams in New Jersey and San Francis-co. Joining Edward: Dr. Thomas Findley, professor in the De-

partment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UMDNJNew Jersey Medical School in Newark; researcher in integrative

medicine at the East Orange VA Medical Center; and ResearchDirector at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Essex Running Club Newsletter December 2007 Vol. 24, No. 12

PRESIDENT’S CORNER Desmond Duncker

Congratulations to ERC members Aubrey Blanda and Dan

Murphy for putting on the very successful Goodwill 5000-

Meter Run (Nov 17) and Ashenfelter 8K Classic (Nov 22).

Aubrey’s G5K, which once again was run under perfect fall

conditions, went off without a hitch. Dan’s A8K sold out,

which caused some consternation among postregistrants,

but I think it’s great that runners are recognizing Glen Ridge

as the place to race on Thanksgiving morning.

Also congrats to all ERC members who ran a marathon

this fall. I’ve enjoyed reading all their stories, some of which

appear in this issue. In my experience, nothing compares

with the feeling of having completed a marathon after many

months (and sometimes years) of training.

Thanks to Larry Hollander for once again organizing our

annual New York City Marathon bus. Club members, friends,

and others have come to rely on this great means of get-

ting to and from the marathon each year.

Members should make sure that their 2007 marathon

times and other race results have been printed in Keeping

Track. Soon we will begin tabulating these results for the

club’s annual awards, to be announced in early 2008.

I hope that members will also keep running on their list

of things to do over the holidays, so that they can stay

healthy during this season of good cheer and great food.

Happy holidays!

Much to Celebrate!

Laura Gelman had a baby boy, Ari Leon (6 lb 11 oz), Nov 9.

Congrats, Laura, and welcome to the club, Ari!

Also in November, Tom Kelly and Martta Rose announced

their engagement. Great news, you two—congrats!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

! Now. Perfect time to join, or renew your membership in, USATF–NJ.If you join this month, you’re good through the end of 2008, and you

can run for ERC at the Dec 9 USATF–NJ 15K. Info: www.usatfnj.org.! Dec 8. West Essex Trail group run on weekend 2 of ERC’s winter

weekend runs! See page 3 for complete (Dec–Feb) schedule.! Dec 9. USATF–NJ 15K (all-divisions championship race). Page 4.

! Dec 9. Holiday Party (rescheduled from Dec 2).! Dec 21. Deadline to apply for entry into Empire State Building Run-Up,

to be held Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008. Info: www.nyrr.org.

!Dec 31. New Year’s Eve Midnight Run in Central Park (club event).

There may be a car pool, so check the Yahoo e-mail group. Page 4.

! Jan 1. Fleet Feet New Year’s Day run, 8:00 am. John Fabbro will hosthis annual New Year’s Day run starting at the store (603 Bloomfield

Ave). His plan is to run a course similar to one taken in years past—north from the store, back south on Highland Ave, across Bloomfield

Ave to Lloyd, and up Snake Hill to Highlawn Pavilion and the 9/11Memorial in Eagle Rock Reservation. Stopping there will provide a

chance for reflection; there is generally group conversation abouthopes for the new year, and the run and rumination have been a big

hit. The course is about 8 miles and challenging, but it is a great wayto begin the year. John will have everyone back to the store afterward

for bagels, juice, etc. Please let Chip Bearden ([email protected])know if you plan to run so he can give John a head count.

! Jan 1. Good time to send SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope)to Spring Lake 5-Mile Run (PO Box 841, Spring Lake, NJ 07762) to

get application for this very popular shore race, which will be heldMay 24 but will fill up by Feb 15. Info: www.springlake5.org.

! Jan 7. Next general meeting. Box, Page 1.! Jan 12. Fred Lebow Classic (5M), Central Park (club race).

! Jan 27. Manhattan Half-Marathon, Central Park (club race).

Page 2 December 2007 Keeping Track

2007

ESSEX RUNNING CLUB

OfficersDesmond Duncker . . . . . . PresidentAnne Chesny . . . . . . Vice-PresidentCarl Sturcke . . . . . . . . . . . TreasurerMark Frankel . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary

Board MembersCatherine Alessi . . . . . EntertainmentPhil Coffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At LargeChris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . At LargeTom Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At LargeGloria Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . At LargeLynne Mortimer . . . . . . EntertainmentGary Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . USATFMartta Rose . . . . . . . PR/AdvertisingSal Ulto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clothing

StaffChris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . NewsletterAubrey Blanda . . . . . . . . . Photo InsertMartta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . Web SiteElizabeth Simonetti . . . . MembershipKaren Mishler . . . . . . . . . . Honorary

Mailing & Editorial AssistanceDonna & Mick Close

ERC Hall of FameVince Carnevale . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995Larry Hollander . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002George Studzinski . . . . . . . . . . . 2002Lenore Piccoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004

Postal AddressEssex Running Club

P.O. Box 183, Verona, NJ 07044

ERC Online

Web site & membership application:www.essexrunning.com

Join our e-mail group:groups.yahoo.com/group/

essexrunningclub

Send e-mail to the group:[email protected]

Web Site: Martta [email protected]

Membership: [email protected]

Monthly Speakers: Anne Chesny201–869–1708

Club Apparel: Sal Ulto, [email protected]

Advertising: Lynne [email protected]

Photo Insert: Aubrey [email protected]

Newsletter: Chris [email protected]

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK!On Oct 13, I completed my first trail ultramarathon, the fourth Ramapo Mountain Madness 50K.The terrain was challenging—fire roads and technical single-track trails on rolling hills—butthe running on this chilled, sunny day was wonderful.

The course through the woods of Ringwood State Park was one big (50K) loop with anaid station at 2.5 miles and every 5 miles thereafter. I reached the first station in 35 minutes,and then things went kablooey. On a long fire road, another runner called out to ask if I hadrecently seen any flags. (The course was marked with fluorescent orange flags, tied to treebranches.) No, I hadn’t seen any in a while, though we agreed there hadn’t been any junc-tures where we might’ve gone wrong. We kept running in the hope that all would become clear.

Soon we spied a group of similarly perplexed runners standing near a flag at the side ofthe road. They were checking a map the race director had provided (later we’d learn that themap was for a previous year’s course). Additional flags beckoned us off-road, onto a trail,and we plunged ahead, deeper into the woods. When we reached the second aid station, thevolunteer there said he hadn’t been expecting anyone to be coming from our direction.

We refueled, and he sent us off to tackle another section. We ran for a long time, until thecourse disappeared again. The map was no help, so we tried one route, then another, beforetaking a fire road that led to … the second aid station. (Was this a Twilight Zone episode?)The volunteer had learned the course was sabotaged—many flags removed—and other run-ners were lost. To ensure that we six would reach the next section, he ran half a mile with usand then told us to follow permanent trail markers until we hooked up with the flaggedcourse. He also said we’d find another aid station before eventually looping back to his.

My left ankle was sore, and then I hurt it and fell. That ankle would bedevil me for miles.As I slowed, the group pulled ahead, out of sight. I was now out there on my own, mapless,uncertain how to return to civilization. Earlier, the course snafu had been almost humorous,but its possible consequences were starting to gnaw at me. With morning temperatures inthe upper 30s, I didn’t want to be caught outdoors overnight. Miraculously, orange flags keptappearing. I latched onto them and to the thought that they would eventually lead somewhere.

Break time. I took a gel and two acetaminophen, and I taped my right foot to stop a blisterfrom worsening (tip: keep a strip of athletic tape handy by wrapping it around a water bottle).Soon the acetaminophen would kick in, and I’d be up for sustained, steady running again.

Two more lost guys then came down the trail, from the opposite direction. They said theyhad met my group not too far ahead but had decided not to join it because the distance tothe finish was shorter this way. I was tempted to turn and go with them—they had a GPS—butretracing my steps held no allure, and I felt better running wit da group wot brung me andfollowing the volunteer’s instructions. So, I said so long and resumed my run.

I caught up with the group while it was having another powwow about which way to go.We wanted the Cannonball Trail, per the volunteer, and headed where we thought we’d pickit up. Atop a ridge, we ran into a trio of friendly and helpful mountain bikers, who confirmedwe were on the right path … and good-naturedly laughed at our predicament. They askedhow far we had run. I said we didn’t know, but we’d been at it for four and a half hours!

We reached another crossroads, at which point we decided to navigate by map to a lakeen route to the finish. Our going off the (nonexistent) course began with a “careful gambol”down a crazy stretch of the Cannonball Trail—down a long, steep hill covered with cannonball-sized rocks. It was then a relief to squish through swampy grass and squeeze past briars.

The day before, the race director told me I’d be okay carrying one or two bottles of waterbetween aid stations. And I would’ve been, if not for the altered course and out-of-synch aidstations. But now another runner and I were thirsty, our bottles dry. Fortunately, a runner witha hydration backpack had water to spare, though just enough to get us to the next station.

Not the midway station, though. For the third time, we pulled into the station manned byour friend the volunteer. He told us we were 5 miles from the finish. After chowing down,replenishing our water supplies, and swapping getting-lost stories with two runners wanderingin from somewhere else, off we went. (Those two guys headed a different way.)

After revisiting the very first aid station, and with just 2.5 miles left, some in our group putthe hammer down. I took a moderate pace, as I wanted to finish uninjured and without anydetours. (I had learned that running a sabotaged course increases one’s chances of gettinginjured and lost—it’s hard to look down when you have to look up so much, and vice versa.)

Crossing the line and receiving a very nice finisher’s medal felt extremely good. I alsotook home a snazzy red short-sleeved tech shirt with RMM 50K printed on the back.

Did I cover 50K? More? Less? I don’t know. I was out there for 6:48:31. That’s in keepingwith the 5:56:52 I spent doing the Nipmuck Trail Marathon (26.4 miles) earlier this year.

Many of the nearly 50 starters, including a group of 15, got lost. The people in our groupwere great to run with and a big help to one another. They turned a bad situation around,made it a good day of running and orienteering, transformed misadventure into adventure.That was something to behold, and never mind the race. I was ultra-exhausted and happy.

A 50K is one thing I wanted to do before turning 50 next year. A 50-miler is another. It’smore intimidating, yes, and I’ll have to be better prepared for the unexpected. That meansGPS, hydration backpack, map with course highlighted, … —Chris Jaworski


YEAR-ROUND GROUP RUNS

Sat & Sun 9:00 am (�) West Essex Trail Run, Verona

Sun 7:00 am (q) Fleet Feet Sports, Montclair (FF Long Run)

Sun 7:00 am ([) Grove Pharmacy, Montclair (Grove Street Long Run)

(�) West Essex Trail Run, Verona. Sat & Sun 9:00 am. Meet near tennis courts in Verona High

School parking lot at corner of Fairview Avenue and Sampson Drive (Sampson is a one-way street, soapproach from Grove Ave). The unpaved trail’s round trip from Verona to Little Falls is approximately

6 miles. The trail is blazed, and mile markers are posted on trees.(q) Fleet Feet Sports, Montclair (FF Long Run). Sun 7:00 am. Meet at Fleet Feet (603 Bloomfield

Ave) for runs on 1 or more of 3 loops (each is 6–8 miles) at paces ranging from 7:30 to 9:00 per mile.([) Grove Pharmacy, Montclair (Grove Street Long Run). Sun 7:00 am. Meet at Grove Pharmacy

(123 Grove St) for runs of 4 to 20+ miles. We will try to find a pace and a distance for you.

Questions: Wondering if anyone will show up for a run? Need to confirm a start time? Looking tobuddy up for a certain distance or pace? Visit our Internet (Yahoo) bulletin board to get answers about

attendance, times, conditions, routes, alternative plans, distances, paces, and other items of interest.

Internet (Yahoo) Bulletin Board: Join the board at groups.yahoo.com/group/essexrunningclub andthen post messages there and/or send e-mail to [email protected].

INCLUDED WITH THIS ISSUE OF KEEPING TRACK

Running Your Way, our fun photo-and-advertising supplement, produced by Aubrey Blanda

WINTER WEEKEND RUNS

ERC schedules a m ix of hosted runs, holiday events, road trips to NYC races, and trail runs each winter (Dec–Feb).

More details appeared in the Nov issue. Groups m eet at 9:00, unless noted otherwise. P lease RSVP.

12/112/2

West Essex Trail (�)Millburn American Red Cross 5K—10:00 am.

12/8

12/9

West Essex Trail (�)

USATF–NJ 15K Championship—8:30 am car pool from Grove Pharmacy—page 4.ERC Holiday Party—6:30 pm.

12/15

12/16


Barbara Parzatka, 700 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange 973–736–8079From Montclair: Take Bloomfield Ave west to Verona Park traffic light, turn left ontoLakeside Ave, turn right at 2nd light onto Eagle Rock, go 2.5 blocks, #700 beige housewith brown trim on left, park on side streets before or after house.

12/22

12/23

Elizabeth (Betsy) SackheimHot Bagels Abroad, 1129 Broad St, Bloomfield(just north of Watchung Ave, near Brookdale Park)


12/29

12/30

12/31

1/1


Aubrey Blanda, 173 Hawthorne Ave, Glen Ridge 973–748–3692From Verona: Take Bloomfield Ave east to Glen Ridge, turn right at light onto Ridge-wood Ave, left at light onto Washington St, 1st right onto Hawthorne, #173 on left.

Emerald Nuts Midnight Run (4M), Central Park—page 4.

Fleet Feet New Year’s Day Run (8M), Montclair—8:00 am—page 1

JANUARY & FEBRUARY! Jan 5 (W est Essex T rail), Jan 6 (Paul Maloney 973–226–0268), Jan 12 (W est Essex Trail), Jan 13 (Sharon

Morrissey 973–226–2118), Jan 19 (W est Essex Trail), Jan 20 (Martta Rose 973–744–3677 & Tom Kelly), Jan 26

(W est Essex Trail), Jan 27 (Manhattan Half-Marathon, Central Park).

! Feb 2 (Andi Robik 973–580–1076), Feb 3 & 9 (W est Essex Trail), Feb 10 (Val Kenny 973–857–3432), Feb 16

(W est Essex Trail), Feb 17 (Susan Palerm o 973–325–5127 & W ayne Carlson), Feb 23 (W est Essex Trail), Feb

24 (Landsdown Trail [towpath] and/or roads near Robert Lewin & Evette Pitre’s Hunterdon Running Shop).

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Jennifer Carbone . . . . West OrangeBarbara Memoli . . . . . . . . . Montclair

YO, RUNNERS OF YORE!

Do you have vestigial wings on your

feet? Have you been around the block… a few million times? Or, more to the

point, were you running in 1983, whenERC was founded, or earlier? If so,

Keepng Track wants to hear from you!

As the club’s silver anniversary drawsnear, some of us have started to won-

der what the running scene was like 25years ago, and how things have since

changed. We’d love to have you shareyour stories, observations, and insights!

If you can throw a historical light on our

sport or our club, please contact EditorChris ([email protected]). Thanks!

NEW LOGO & CLOTHING!

At the Nov 5 general meeting, EssexRunning Club introduced its new logo

on its new clothing!

Now being sold: long-sleeved T-shirtsand singlets featuring the new club logo.

T-shirts cost $10, singlets $20.

Later this winter, we will offer new- logowarmup jackets as well as polo shirts

featuring our 25th anniversary emblem.

For you traditionalists, ERC still has instock some long-sleeved T-shirts, sweat-

shirts, hats, and ear warmers bearingour “antique” logo. You can now get

these classics at half price!

See shirts, singlets, hats, sweatshirts,and other items at meetings and at

www.essexrunning.com. Between meet-ings, please contact me, Sal Ulto, the

Clothing Director, at [email protected].

ERC COOKBOOK SOLD OUT!—Martta Rose

POETRY CORNER

Donna Close

On the Warpath

Jealous of our flight,Wild turkeys on the warpath

Try to attack us at the passBut, we runners are much too fast.


USATF–NJ Gary Peters

As of Nov 29, ERC is still in 9th place over-

all in the USATF–NJ Grand Prix, and this

year we’ve been fairly consistent in fielding

teams in a variety of age brackets. Current

team standings: Open Men and W omen

(both 9th) and 40s Men, 40s W omen, and 50s Men (all 5th).

Now we have just one race left, the USATF–NJ 15K all-

divisions team competition on Dec 9 (see “At the Races”).

Regarding the Grand Prix individual competition, sever-

al members reside within the top 15 of their respective age

groups: Robyn Silverman (14th), Mike Kalthoff (12th), Bill

W ilde (11th), Phil Coffin (10th), Mark Frankel (10th),

Beverly Salerno (9th), Mick Close (8th), Heather W elch

(7th), Gary Peters (5th), Martta Rose (5th), Debbie McNally

(4th), Tom Kelly (3rd), Sharon Morrissey (3rd), Charlie

Slaughter (3rd), George Studzinski (3rd), Larry Czaplewski

(2nd), and Lynne Mortimer (2nd). These individuals have

contributed to many of our team successes this year.

And our own Ed Kelly is the outright leader in the Total

Points category—having raced 50 times in Grand Prix

events and accumulated more than 21,000 points! This

total places him ahead of several perennial super racers.

In addition, his having reached the top position with approxi-

mately 10 fewer races than the fellow in second place dem-

onstrates the quality of Ed’s races. Congrats, Ed!

AT THE RACES Mick Close

USATF–NJ 15K Sun, Dec 9

This year’s final USATF–NJ championship

race is a 15K held in Mercer County Park in

W est W indsor. The looped course is over

mostly flat roads and paved trails.

There are team competitions in all categories (men,

women, open, masters), and the race is a wild card in the

individual points competition (so it can be run for 500, 700,

or 800 points). If you’re not a USATF member, you can join

online (www.usatf.org) or at the race. Join now, and your

membership will be good for all of 2008.

W e plan to have a car pool leaving from Grove Pharmacy

at 8:30 am. The race starts at 11:00, but the park roads will

be closed at 10:00. A postrace celebration is planned for a

nearby establishment. Info: 973–334–8900 (USATF–NJ) or

www.compuscore.com.

Midnight Run, Central Park Mon, Dec 31

Consider joining thousands of other runners in Central Park

on New Year’s Eve to usher in 2008 with speed and style!

Featuring a costume parade, dancing, and fireworks, this

4-miler is more a party than a race. Count down the min-

utes to midnight, and then count down the miles to the fin-

ish. Deejay and dancing at 10:00 pm, costume parade at

11:00, race at midnight. Info: 212–460–4455, www.nyrr.org.

FINISH LINES

Lions Club 5K, Stone Harbor Aug 27

Sharon Morrissey (5th W, 1st AG) . . . . 22:58The real race was the 10K, so I was 5th female

(won a crystal vase) plus double-dipped in age.

Ramsey Day 5K Sep 8I ran as one of Bill’s Buddies for a Ramsey friend

who passed away this year and who had alwaysrun and placed in this race. My friend was a

fabulous husband, father, and friend with a greatsense of humor. Kathy, his wife, placed my trophy

(for 3rd female overall) at his graveside. He isvery much missed. —Sharon Morrissey

Dunellen Run for Education 5K Sep 29

Emily Ginder (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:29My goal this year was to run faster than 29:30,

and I did it by 1 second on this flat course. I feltbetter at the end than at the beginning. When

my pace at 2 miles indicated I could reach mygoal, I sped up for the last mile and passed other

runners. I usually slow down then! This race waswell run, though it was delayed 15 minutes be-

cause walkers who started 30 minutes earliertook longer than expected to finish a mile.

Newark Corporate Run 5K Oct 3

Emily Ginder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30:19A new start line, a different first half, and a better

organized race with plenty of water and juice.

Fall Spectacular 5K, Harrington Park Oct 6

Emily Ginder (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30:09This is one of my favorite races—well run with

plenty of water and food. The day was unusuallyhot for October, so the water was needed. The

course is hilly, but nothing terribly strenuous.

Manhattan Beach 10K, Calif Oct 6Greg Neal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44:22

Yes, Essex Running Club is being representedthousands of miles away, in southern California.

Since July, I’ve been super busy starting myown ad agency out here—doing work for MGM

Studios, Weather Channel, Food Network, andDisney. That’s left me less time than desired to

run, but I’m still putting in about 30 miles a week.It’s great that I can log all my miles along the

Strand of the Pacific Ocean, just 3 blocks away.My first race since President’s Cup in Mill-

burn was the Manhattan Beach 10K, and 2007marked the 30th anniversary of this hugely popu-

lar event. Seventy-four people have run this raceevery year since 1978. A neighbor and I ran at

tempo pace together, which was nice. It wasalso nice to get back into a race after a busy

summer and fall. As my schedule lightens up, I’llbe returning to speedwork.

And then I will see some of you in November2008, as I deferred my New York City Marathon

until then.

Bay State Marathon, Lowell, Mass Oct 14

Mark Frankel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:40:49New training, new tactics, old result.

I was confident going into this marathon thatI’d finally be able to break 3:30. Early on, though,

I found myself so far off pace that I then wastedvaluable energy trying to get back on, and didn’t

succeed until the halfway point.As we rounded over to the second loop of

this double-loop course, a breeze picked up. I’mpretty bad running into the wind, so I gave up a

lot of ground. Once again, I had to try to get backon pace, but by mile 23 everything broke down.

I basically ran/walked the next 2 miles and thenjogged the last one in.

The finish was a bit of a tease, taking usaround the outfield of a baseball stadium. Great

for spectators but not for runners. I was glad tobe finished, though.

CPL Breakfast 5K Run, Cranford Oct 20

Ed Kelly (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:04Emily Ginder (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:52

Breeders’ Cup Fanfest 5K, Oct 20

Monmouth Park Race TrackHelene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27:49

Shark Run 5K, Bayhead Oct 21

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26:52


Terri Roemer Paramus Run Oct 21

5K

Ed Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:09Tom Kelly (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23:53

Martta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27:19

10KEd Kelly (PR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:27

Joshua Carnes (PR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44:39Tom Kelly (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47:51

Howie Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:38Martta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52:14

Andi Robik (PR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53:53Ed Trieste (PR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:00:49

The weather was a mixed bag. For me, tempswere near perfect for the 10K at 9:05 am but

uncomfortably warm for the 5K at 11:15, andthere was no cloud cover.

More than 350 people did the 10K, and over500 the 5K. Some insane people, such as Tom

Kelly, Ed Kelly, and yours truly, ran both. Thatwas the first time, in my 10 years of running, that

I did back-to-back races on the same day. It isunlikely I will do that again. I was happy with my

10K time, but my second race suffered terribly,as my legs were not fresh.

Tom, on the other hand, has done back-to-back races at Paramus several years, not only

racing them but placing in both! This year, hewon 3rd in age in the 10K and 1st in the 5K.

Andi Robik PR’d in the 10K, no easy feat onthis course (some wicked hills). Congrats, Andi!

All ERC members who stayed for the rafflewere rewarded with prizes or goodies. Ed Trieste

won a Ridgewood Running Company $25 giftcertificate; Ed Kelly won a box of sports supple-

ment drink (the way he’s been running, heprobably doesn’t need it!); and I won a 7-gallon

Gatorade cooler, which I donated it to Tom’s son,who coaches Little League. —Martta Rose

This race was also a PR for me in my short 10K

history. Since I was not so bold as to run bothraces, I got to witness the fine finishes by the

5Kers. It hit me that I’d never seen 5K leaderscross the finish line—usually I’m in the back of

the pack—and I was impressed. —Ed Trieste

I had no idea there are hills in Paramus! (Beforethis race, all I’d ever seen of the town was Ikea

and the Garden State Plaza.) The postrace foodand festivities were among the best. Sponsors

ranging from Starbucks to Wendy’s were hand-ing out free food. I had lots of fun, and I’d love to

run this race again next year. —Joshua Carnes

Hot Chili Challenge 8-Mile Trail Run, Oct 21Kittatinny Valley State Park, Andover

Wayne Carlson (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 57:17Robert Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:03:12

Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:08:15Susan Shore (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:14:43

I had fun and a good run at the Chili Challenge,even after my 50K last weekend (see p. 2). My

time wasn’t recorded, so the result I’m reportingis what I heard called out when I finished.

This was my third Chili Challenge, and thethird time I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe because

it was my first trail race, back in 2004. Maybe

because Mare Galeos is such an outwardly appre-ciative race director. Maybe because the course

is so three-dimensionally interesting, and scenicwith its bright fall colors. Probably all of the above.

I fully expect I’ll run this race every year, no mat-ter what else is going on. —Chris Jaworski

Seaside Half-Marathon, Seaside Hgts Oct 21

Phil Coffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:39:57Laura Messina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:12:02

Robert Giaimo Memorial 5K, Fairfield Oct 27

Ed Kelly (12th OA, 3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . 20:39Emily Ginder (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:56

For two years in a row, it rained! (The course isflat and could be enjoyable without rain.) The

goody bag is great, and runners get a cool Hallo-ween long-sleeved shirt. Hot dogs, hamburgers,

and other food and drinks are available postrace.Nice trophies, too! Unfortunately, I left early and

didn’t get mine for 3rd in age. —Emily Ginder

Dover Renaissance 5K Oct 27Susan Palermo (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 35:07

This was my best event yet. I placed 2nd in ageand incorporated more running into my race.

As I passed a group of spectators (middle-aged, overweight men), one said, “These are the

ones who gave up, the walkers,” or something tothat effect. I did not respond or look over but was

struck by how rude he was and how he reallydidn’t know what this is all about.

He did not realize it’s about fun, determina-tion, and camaraderie. He did not know or real-

ize that we walkers get the same support, ap-plause, hoots, and hollers as if we were among

the first to finish. He just did not know.I was proud of placing 2nd in my age group,

accepted congrats from the crowd, and realizedmore than ever just how much fun I’m having.

Newark Academy Off-Road 5K, Oct 27

LivingstonJoshua Carnes (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:58

I usually enjoy early Sunday morning races, butI thought this one was sub-par (first in a while).

The course was on campus, which meant littleroad running and lots of running through wet

grass and mud puddles and on oddly angled hills.Age-group awards were given only to the

1st-place finisher. I came in 3rd, but my age wasnot recorded. The postrace ceremony could use

some improvement, too. Although I enjoyed my-self for the most part—and the money that was

raised went to a good cause—I’ll probably passon this event next year.

Safe Dating Challenge (5K), Oct 28

Convent StationEd Kelly (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:49

Trick or Trot (4M), Long Branch Oct 28

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:13I was very happy with my time, which fell in the

same range as the time I ran in my first 5K,earlier this year. The postrace party at the Celtic

Pub was a lot of fun.

USATF–NJ 8K XC Championship, Oct 28

Deer Path Park, ReadingtonGary Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32:49

Phil Coffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:25Debbie McNally (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 37:14

Sharon Morrissey (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . 37:53Tom Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:47

Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:02George Studzinski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:14

Martta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:31This race was one of those A–1 running experi-

ences: gorgeous fall weather (colors! sun! chill!wind!) and great course (dirt! grass! only seven

roots to avoid tripping on!). Great cheering, too,from the ERC women, who ran earlier, and from

Debbie McNally’s two sons. Our 40s Womenteam took 4th place (7 teams), and our 40s Men

team took 7th (8 teams). —Chris Jaworski

It was a great day for running, and I had a won-derful time with my boys. During this two-lap

race, they figured out how to run back and forthbetween two spots in order to see me go by four

times total. When the women’s race was over,they showed me where to stand so we could

cheer for Gary, Phil, Tom, Chris, and Dr. George,along with Sergio Cano and runners we didn’t

even know. The kids loved calling out the namesof people as they ran by. It was really fun. That’s

all I was hoping for today. —Debbie McNally

This was my first cross-country event. I’m hooked.Throughout the race, a guy kept taking my photo,

and I couldn’t figure out why. After crossing thefinish line, I was approached by my brother, who

lives nearby. He thought it bizarre that I hadn’trecognized him photographing me. Anyway, the

great thing about cross country is that apparentlythey give out lots of awards to the top runners. In

this case, the top 8 females received awards, soI managed 3rd in age—contributing to my goal of

placing in a race of every distance. I still have a10-miler and a 20K to go. —Sharon Morrissey

Marine Corps Marathon, Arlington, Va Oct 28

Ira Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:37:58Great weather, great atmosphere, great people.

Run for Runaways 5K, Nov 3

Duke Island Park, BridgewaterEd Kelly (1st AG, PR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19:56

Emily Ginder (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:27This was my second best time of the year and

my best time on a certified course. The park wasgreat, the course flat and scenic, and there were

indoor restrooms. I had heard this race had greatfood, but there was nothing but horrible-tasting

nutrition bars. For the first time in a while, I ate ameal when I got home! —Emily Ginder

Morris Mauler 5K, Nov 3

Lewis Morris Park, Morris TownshipChris Jaworski (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 27:35

Jennifer Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:46I missed the last two Maulers (Nov 2006, Jun

2007), so I was eager to get back to this “tough-est, nastiest, meanest 5K race in New Jersey.”

The course is part-trail, part-cross-country, a


little pavement, and all grueling, leg-rubberizing

fun. If the climb up the steps that are cut into thehillside isn’t enough, and if the climb up the ski

slope isn’t enough, well, you get to repeat bothof those the second time around. Yes, 2 loops =

4 you-may-as-well-be-walking hills!In the five times I’ve approached the Mauler,

my time expectations were never very high. Par-ticipants usually take several minutes more to

finish this 5K than any road 5K. But this morning,I set a different goal—to run up each of those

four hills. Previously, I had been able to conqueronly the first (and I had to run/walk the others,

sometimes with hands on thighs). However, dur-ing the early going, my legs were tired.

Hill 1. Up steps. Check! But at the top mylegs were wobbly, so I had to take care, or else

they might go out from under me on the downhill.Hill 2. I started slow up the ski slope; another

runner passed me; and then I passed that runner-turned-walker, started hearing the cheers of spec-

tators at the top (e.g., “Way to work the hill!”),and was up and over ... surprised I had made it.

Hill 3. I can usually pass others going down-hill, but, on the downhill leading to the steps, two

runners shot past me. The noive! Soon, however,when I was faltering running up the steps and

considering the Walk of Failure, I spotted thosepassersby (reduced to walking) and thought, “No

way am I going to quit this hill now.” And I wasup and over. Then, more wobbly-legged running,

down the back side of the hill.Hill 4. I struggled to get to hill 4, never mind

climb it. But, I resisted the urge to rest at the bot-tom and kept my legs working all the way up.

One or two guys passed me between hill 4and the finish, and I missed my course PR by 9

seconds (set when I ran/walked up three, maybeeven all four hills), but I didn’t care, or at least I

wasn’t crestfallen, because ... those mountainswere now molehills!

One hundred thirty-eight runners finishedthis 9th Mauler. Coach and race director Dave

Hoch had a nice barbecue going for the postraceparty—the usual burgers, hot dogs, snacks, and

drinks, but also veggie burgers and a steaming,spicy, very tasty vegan chili soup. It was a nice

way to end a fall morning that was overcast,windy, chilly, and great for running.

I set out writing about low expectations for agood finish time. Well, I usually expect the same

for awards. Was I surprised when my name wascalled for 2nd in age! At first I flashed on a Maul-

er at which I won 3rd in an age group of only 3runners, but this time I was 2 of 13. Cool.

I recognized Jennifer by name in the resultsbut, alas, not in person at the race.

Next Mauler: spring 2008. —Chris Jaworski

I didn’t see any messages about this race, so Iassumed no one from ERC would be there.

I signed up for this race having never heardof it before, but I liked the idea of the challenge.

I didn’t do great but still better than I thought Iwould. (I had wondered if I’d finish in under 40

minutes—I’m not very fast on flat surfaces.)I ran up the steps the first time and felt fairly

good. Then I hit the ski slope. By the time I got

to the top, I thought I would pass out, throw up,

and have my lungs explode all at once. It wasnot a good feeling. But I pressed on, and, when

I hit the steps the second time, I walked (Justkeep going … just keep going …). But when the

ski slope appeared the second time, I decided togut it out (Just do it … just do it …). I literally put

my head down and willed myself to run (jog) upthat hill. I had gotten two thirds of the way up

when my vision started to blur and fade. I figuredif I didn’t slow down and walk, I might not make

it to the top at all. When I got there, my fiancérelayed two important pieces of information: (1)

I wasn’t last (goal 1), and I could break 39 min-utes (goal 2, sub-40). I sprinted to the finish and,

according to him, half-raised my arms in a weaksign of triumph (I have no memory of doing that).

It was an awesome race, and, even thoughmy quads don’t like me very much today, I will

be back for the spring Mauler. —Jennifer Hall

Olympic Marathon Trials, Central Park Nov 3Dan Murphy, my son Tyler, and I ventured into

the city this morning to watch the trials. We hadtickets for the finish at Tavern on the Green, so

we dumped our jackets there and, wearing ourrunning gear, worked our way out to the course.

Other than the wind, it was a perfect day forrunning, with crisp air, energy everywhere, TV

crews and cameras, and people streaming intothe park. The crowds were not just runners in

town for the bigger race tomorrow, or curiousNew Yorkers out with their dogs, but dozens of

family members supporting, as Runner’s Worlddescribed it, those “labor-of-love unsung heroes,”

without sponsors or coaches, who had alreadyrealized their dreams simply by qualifying.

We found ourselves having as much funcheering the front-of-the-packers with familiar

names on their bibs (e.g., Meb, Ritz, Khalid,Abdi) as cheering runners #88, #123, and #127,

because one ran a shoe store in Kentucky, orqualified in Grandma’s Marathon, or had a broth-

er who was spectating and beaming with pride.We crossed the park at 72nd Street to see

them at mile 6 and then did a counterclockwiseloop and a zigzag to see them at miles 9, 12, 14,

and 17. It was cool watching the race develop,not only in so many places but so closely and

intimately. Sometimes we came within inches ofthe runners as they cut corners, ran near curbs,

and even acknowledged our cheering.Standing next to the mile 17 water tables, we

saw who was running with ease and who wasstruggling to survive. It was hard to keep in per-

spective that even guys 10 to 20 minutes behindthe lead, some of whom were almost lapped in

the end, were still on pace for 2:30 marathonsand would crush most of us in our local races

(which even Murph acknowledged).We didn’t know at the time how tragic the

event would be for Ryan Shay, the runner whocollapsed and died, but his death reminded us

how fragile life can be for all of us.We watched the lead pack dwindle from 6 to

4 to 3 to just Ryan Hall, no one for almost 2minutes, and then Dathan Ritzenhein. We saw

other racers, like Brian Sell and Khalid Khannou-

chi, steadily moving up. After seeing the pack

pass mile 21, we returned to the grandstands.Our friends on the course, whom we were

now about to see for the seventh time, appearedon two large-screen TVs complete with play-by-

play announcing. We learned Hall had increasedhis lead by hammering a 4:40-per-mile pace. As

he came into view for the final 200 meters, thecrowd went nuts. You could tell that this deeply

spiritual and quiet young kid was moved by thethundering ovation, and that this moment was

sending chills up and down all our spines.Wrapped in American flags, the three win-

ners took their victory lap, again high-fiving thecrowd through the final 200 meters. They hugged

one another, their wives, even a new baby.For US running, it was a great day. Having

for first alternate a former two-time world recordholder with a 2:05 under his belt isn’t bad either.

—Tom Daniels

Ron Wolfson and I were volunteers at the trials.Our job was to monitor the 72nd Street cross-

walk by Central Park West.The race was exciting, especially Ryan Hall’s

making mincemeat out of the competition. Whenhe passed us on his last loop, around mile 22,

he was almost a minute ahead of everyone else.We couldn’t get near the finish, so we hung

out where the athletes exited. Khalid Khannouchiwalked right past, looking as if he had run a 5K,

not a marathon. It was odd to see back-of-the-packers hurting and grimacing in pain and yet

finishing around 2:30. —Mark Frankel

Bergenfield 5K Nov 4Ed Kelly (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:40

After the Leaves Have Fallen 20K, Nov 4

Lake Minnewaska State Preserve, nearNew Paltz, NY

Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:55:58Robert Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:57:41

After the Morris Mauler on Saturday, I can hardlybelieve I ran this 20K on Sunday!

ERC member Robert Stack and I went northfor what was billed as “one of the most beautiful

runs anywhere.” The drive took an hour and 45minutes, and the start was at 11:00 am. At the

registration table, we met Gavin and Howard,two New Jersey trail-running friends. Then I

spotted New York Flyer Tim, and we chatted abit. I thanked him for telling me about the After

the Leaves race, as the views on the drive to thepark, and then the breathtaking ones from the

mountaintop where the race was staged, hadalready been well worth the trip. Soon after that,

New York Flyer Judith and I bumped into eachother. Judith had biked to the race—6 miles, I

think, and up some pretty steep hills. Awesome.Everyone seemed rarin’ to go!

Before the start, I had wimpily dressed myupper body for the mid to upper 40s chill: long-

sleeved cold-weather top, short-sleeved tech shirtover that, gloves, warm cap. Then the sun peeked

through, and I ran to the car to ditch the gloves.Then I ran back to the car to swap the cold-

weather top for a light long-sleeved tech shirt.


(Those two runs constituted my warmup!) Then,

standing at the starting line, I still felt overdressed,so I tied the long-sleeved shirt around my waist

and went with just the short-sleeved shirt. Goodthing—I would’ve roasted out there!

I was tired at the start—still feeling the effectsof the Mauler—but off I went.

The first leg of the course, about 5 miles ofrolling hills, with an overall upward climb around

the glacial Lake Minnewaska, had plenty of cliff-side sights, spectacular yet serene. Gavin and I

climbed and talked a bit before he went on ahead.Then I found myself running with Howard. We

paced each a long while.At the mile 5 water station, we stopped for a

cup, turned around, and saw Robert. The threeof us headed out for the next 2 to 3 miles, follow-

ing the shoreline of Lake Awosting. I don’t knowwhence came my lakeside energy, or the ease

with which I kept pushing while wanting to quit,but that running felt like some of the strongest

I’ve ever done. I was leading and, I imagined, be-ing tailed by Howard and Robert, though I never

heard them or looked back.Next I began climbing up toward the mile 8

water station. Somewhere along the way, I feltthe sole of my left foot turning hot, strained, and

sore. I was hoping I wasn’t doing something nastythat I’d regret in the coming weeks. Then I felt

that perhaps the sole was being pinched by myshoe, so I sat down, removed the shoe, mas-

saged the foot, and put the shoe on again, butwith looser lacing. Surprisingly, that solved the

problem instantly. But while I was sitting trailsidewith my shoe off, Howard and Robert and sev-

eral other people passed me. I got up and tookoff after them, making up the gap on the uphills,

which apparently I’m kinda good at.Howard and Robert were waiting at the water

station. The air turned cold there, on the moun-taintop, so I threw on my long-sleeved shirt for

the final 4 miles. While a volunteer was bendingmy ear, and Robert and I were gazing at the

magnificent view of mountains in the distance,Howard scooted ahead. Robert and I then left

together, but I soon pulled away and then didn’tsee him until the finish.

This last leg of the race was a downhill ridealong the side of the mountain. I followed the

esses and switchbacks and came upon onescenic panorama after another. Keep your eyes

on the trail, Chris! I stayed inside, away from thecliffs. I slowed down while running alongside and

passing other runners and whenever mountainbikers and hikers approached from the other

direction (it was a popular day for an outing). Thefinish arrived sooner than I had expected.

The After the Leaves course was on fairlywide carriage trails (packed dirt and gravel), which

provided few opportunities to turn an ankle ortrip—a nice change of pace from both paved

roads and the rooty, rocky stuff.After the Leaves has the prettiest course I’ve

run, easily living up to Tim’s description, which inthe days before the race had been corroborated

by three people, including Gavin and Howard.Mountains, cliffs, lakes, and trees every which

way—it was like running through a postcard!

The race director, who finished 5th, asked

me to include the following in this recap: “Thisrun is a dual fundraiser, first for the Kingston High

School girls XC team in Kingston, NY, and thenthey turn around and donate $500 to the Josh

Feldt Memorial Scholarship Fund at Wallkill HighSchool in Wallkill, NY. Josh Feldt, who was born

with Down syndrome, wasn’t expected to live 6hours, then 6 months, yet he lived till he was 22.

He graduated from Wallkill and was active as amanager for many of their teams. Kids through-

out the league knew and loved Josh. In a way,he taught everyone he came into contact with

how to live and enjoy life.” —Chris Jaworski

City of Oaks Half-Marathon, Nov 4Raleigh, NC

Joshua Carnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:40:06This should have been called the City of Hills Half-

Marathon! Despite the many elevation changes,however, the race was outstanding!

The course wove through suburban Raleigh,past North Carolina State University, into down-

town Raleigh, around the state capitol, and back,ending with a loop around the Carolina Hurricanes’

arena, where my fiancée Anna and my dog KCwere waiting for me.

Crowds were better than I had imagined, fluidstations were adequate, getting in and out of the

state fairgrounds was easy, and we were able topark a stone’s throw from the finish line.

I ran the half instead of the full because I’malready signed up for the Outer Banks Marathon

(Nov 11) and didn’t want to overdo it. But giventhe hills, I’m glad I opted for the half anyway. I

recommend this race to anyone looking to checkNorth Carolina off his or her list. I had a blast!

New York City Marathon Nov 4

Doug Taliaferro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:15:31Karen Merz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:22:57

Scott Wickham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:25:47Jen Lanterman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:29:45

Peter Connell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:30:54Mick Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:36:05

Sharon Morrissey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:41:49Chip Bearden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:52:12

John Fabbro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13:19Aubrey Blanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16:35

Scott Flood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:27:46Laura Halstead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:41:33

Mike Wojcio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:56:17Eileen Percevault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:09:18

Patricia Elwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:13:49Michael Topper (1st marathon!) . . . . 6:18:19

It was another memorable day on the streets ofNew York in the world’s largest ever marathon

(38,000+ finishers). The weather was about asgood as it gets, especially at the start. The fields

were world-class and the finishes exciting, withtwo runners going head to head in each race.

England’s Paula Radcliffe (2:23:09) came out ontop for the women, and Martin Lel from Kenya

(where else?) led the men with his 2:09:04.It was also a good day for ERC’s contingent.

We had a full bus leave Grove Pharmacy about6:40 and make it to the start on Staten Island by

7:30, giving us plenty of time to get ready for the

10:08 start. Big thanks to Larry Hollander for

organizing the bus again and for putting up withmany worried calls from anxious runners.

This year, the Fort Wadsworth staging areaseemed much better organized, with many more

portapotties and less congestion in the corrals.It was fun to hang out and take everything in,

talk to runners from all over the world, and enjoythe beautiful morning. We were allowed onto the

bridge about half an hour before the start. Soonafter a few speeches, the singing of the national

anthem, and a moment of silence in memory ofRyan Shay, we were on our away.

The run over the Verrazano Bridge was amaz-ing, with a clear blue sky and the views across the

harbor all the way to Manhattan. One of the bestparts of the race is next, in Brooklyn, where run-

ners’ spirits are high, crowds cheer, and bandsplay all up Fourth Avenue to the Brooklyn Savings

Bank at mile 8. The course then winds throughother sections of Brooklyn before crossing the

Pulaski Bridge into Queens at the halfway point,followed a couple miles later by the more chal-

lenging climb over the Queensboro Bridge intoManhattan just past the 16-mile mark.

Coming off that bridge is one of the biggestthrills—runners are hit by a wave of sound—but

then the 4-mile trek up First Avenue can seemquite long. At mile 20, runners cross the Willis

Avenue Bridge into the Bronx. It was fun to seeGenie Temmler holding the ERC banner in her

usual spot here. After a mile in the Bronx, run-ners cross the Madison Avenue Bridge back into

Manhattan and go 3 miles on Fifth Avenue be-fore entering Central Park at 90th Street. The

long uphill on Fifth, followed by the rolling hillsdown the east side of the park, can be challeng-

ing at this late stage, as they were for me today.Runners finally reach Central Park South with a

mile to go, and, after Columbus Circle, it’s not farto the finish line at Tavern on the Green, always

a welcome sight. —Mick Close

I dedicated my NYC Marathon to my friend Juli-anne, who has two small children and was diag-

nosed with breast cancer at age 37. I lost mymother and mother-in-law (both in their 50s) to

this disease, so for me being healthy is a trueblessing. Early in training, though, I just wasn’t

into it; I felt that, had I not committed to my friend,I wouldn’t follow through. But I continued training

and made it to the starting line. I ran with Juli-anne’s name on my hat and shirt and, after the

race, met her and her family. It was a beautifulday to celebrate life. —Sharon Morrissey

Dear Sharon. I really am struggling to

compose myself as I write this note ofthanks for running the NYC Marathon

“for me.” I cannot imagine a greater hon-or. I know we both hate this disease and

the joy it saps from so many lives. I knowwith all my heart that your mom was a

great lady, and her compassionate soullives on in you. Love, Julianne.

It was a perfect day for a marathon, and every-

one we saw looked terrific. Congratulations, all!PS: Inevitably at least one runner sees our Go


Essex banner and asks if we are from England.

This year, two Brits ran by dressed as bobbieswith helmets reading Essex England. They

asked if we were from the “real Essex,” and ofcourse I said yes. So I asked if they were real bob-

bies, and of course they said yes. Neither theynor I will ever know the truth. —Genie Temmler

In the grand scheme of things, my 3:29:45 is a

respectable time, but it’s not what I trained for. Ithink I might have some bad marathon karma.

My bus from the Meadowlands broke down.We had to wait 30 minutes for another to pick us

up, and that one was freezing. No heat!At Fort Wadsworth, I got on the baggage-

truck line at 8:45 and was stuck there until 9:50!Some geniuses decided to put fences around

the trucks and set aside a small area for gettingin and out. The guys in charge said it was our

fault we were stuck. The crowd got angry andtold them to remove the fences, but they couldn’t

or wouldn’t. The crowd seemed about to rebel.I broke out and sprinted across the staging

area and through crowds to get to the start. Afteralmost being denied entry (I was late because of

the baggage situation), I raced up to the bridge.The beginning of the race was good. Nice

weather. I quickly stripped off my arm warmersand gloves. I made a pit stop around mile 7 and

hit the halfway point at 1:39. At mile 14, I got aside stitch that persisted, and then last year’s

stomach cramps returned. Luckily, the crampswere not as bad this time. Around mile 15, the

inside of my left knee got tight. Tightness turnedinto pain, which traveled up the inner thigh and

into the lower abdominal muscles. It was like apainful twisting. The tightness and twisting were

so significant that my leg literally felt shorter.At mile 20, the discomfort had me making

noises out loud. At mile 21, I stopped to stretch,which only made me feel worse. But I was deter-

mined to finish no matter what, so I kept running.I think the last mile is a cruel joke. You see the

25-mile marker and pick it up. You think you aregetting close and then see 800 meters (seems a

lot longer that 800). I also think the uphill finishstinks. Who runs well uphill after running so far?

On the back of my medal are Alberto Sala-zar’s words: “A triumph of the will over all limits.”

That truly characterized the final 5 miles of myNYC Marathon. It was a real gut-check for me. I

am proud to say I made it! —Jen Lanterman

The situation at the baggage check at the startwas deplorable. I gave myself an hour to check

a bag and move to the start, but getting throughthe human logjam took 55 minutes, and then I

could not get to my start area on time.Because of the delay, I began far back in the

crowd (and later missed seeing friends at allthree of our planned meeting spots). My left knee

hurt almost right away, so I took a bunch of Advil.For me, crossing the Verrazano Bridge was

the best part of the race. I ran on the upper sec-tion and had a grand view of the river and the

fireboats sending up sprays of different colors.But I was so packed in that weaving around

slower runners was insane. After 10K, my friend

Brian and I gave up and slowed way down. Noth-

ing to do but enjoy the crowds, goof around, high-five kids, all that. But that got old, and it was still

crowded. Finally we crossed the QueensboroBridge, where it was dark, and I accidentally

stopped my watch while trying to adjust it. I didn’tnotice what I’d done for 1.5 miles.

The course never really opened up. At mile17, we saw spectating friends and stopped to

talk. Brian decided he was done (his foot hurt)and left with them. I kept going, but my entire left

leg was really hurting now.I got a big boost seeing Genie at mile 20.

When we entered the Bronx, the Rocky themestarted blasting, and I got all teary-eyed.

I was moving okay, slow but steady, until Fifthand 90th or so. That’s where I tripped on a cement

patch, maybe 5 inches wide and 1 inch high, andwent flying, landing on my right side. Now I felt

more balanced: Both right leg and left leg hurt. Aguy helped me up, and I kept going. I finally fin-

ished in 4:16:35, after my slowest last mile ever.On the bright side, water/Gatorade tables

were well stocked and tended, and NYRR volun-teers and the crowds were fantastic. I wore my

Spingoddess shirt, and so many people scream-ed that name that I felt like a celebrity.

The Berlin Marathon put NYCM to shame,though. I guess I’m not into so much chaos, noise,

and stinky smells. Hey, Mary Wittenberg, howabout some ropes and directional arrows, and a

few volunteers with bullhorns at the baggagecheck? Berlin had 40,000 runners and no grid-

lock. I’m sure NYC can do it too.Good news: I have no desire to run another

marathon for a long time! —Aubrey Blanda

Last year, baggage check was a breeze: dropyour bag off in 2 seconds. This year, I was sitting

and reading a book when a man told me I shouldcheck my bag ASAP because the line was hor-

rendous. I thanked him but thought this must behis first NYCM and he must be nervous. (Now

that I’m a veteran with all of two under my belt,I’m the epitome of calm.) I went back to reading.

Then another man walked up and said the queuewas horrible and I should check my bag now.

When I got to the baggage area, I could not be-lieve the crowding! We stood as human sardines

and did not move for what seemed forever. I ex-pected people to get ugly, but most remained

calm until a genius finally made the executivedecision to move the fence. Fortunately, the rest

of the day was much better. —Laura Halstead

Richmond Marathon, Va Nov ?8K: Catherine Alessi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:25

Marathon: Lynne Mortimer (PR) . . . . 4:11:52I’m back from Richmond—the marathon I said I

wasn’t running, or running without a number, orwithout a chip, or some such nonsense. Despite

putting in the training, I was not feeling good aboutmyself and was debating what to do. At the last

minute, my dear friend Catherine Alessi talkedme into going and “going for it,” and I’m glad I did.

Cath and I drove to Baltimore on Thursdayand then Richmond on Friday. What a nice city!

We stayed at the Omni, the signature hotel. The

expo was right there. We took a bus tour of the

course—always good to know where the hillsare—and even went to the pasta dinner.

At Richmond, the marathon is small (5000runners) and the 8K big (6000).

Our hotel was right by the start and finish—what a blessing. I woke up at 6:30, and the day

dawned crisp, cold, and damp from evening-into-morning rain, but it was not hot (thank you, God).

Feeling good, I lined up with the 4-hour pacegroup, knowing I had 5 minutes of leeway for my

4:05 Boston qualifier.My first marathon, Philly, was a debacle. It’s

one thing to limp through a 5K but quite anotherto limp through a marathon. I had no idea what

to expect in Richmond. I was just happy I wasn’tinjured and it wasn’t hot, and so I didn’t care

about hills (they weren’t terrible, but this wasn’ta flat, fast course, either).

The headwind on the St. James River Bridgewas brutal—it kept up for about 3 miles—but,

again, it wasn’t hot, so I was happy.I felt good the entire way—ran strong, effi-

ciently planned walk breaks at water stations, didaway with them gradually and then completely in

the last 5K to 10K, and ended up knocking 24+minutes off Philly and coming within 6 minutes of

going to Boston! Although I didn’t make it thistime, I’m hooked, and I’m getting closer, and for

a not so easy marathon and not so perfectweather, I’ll take the improvement!

After stress fractures and many setbacks,Cath ran an excellent 8K! —Lynne Mortimer

Wounded Heroes 5K, Mountain Lakes Nov 10

Emily Ginder (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32:22If you love hills, do this race. Except for about

half a mile, we ran either uphill or down. Top fin-ishers received American flags—a nice touch.

The course had pictures of wounded soldiers,which helped keep my mind off upcoming hills!

Everyone’s time seemed slow. Was the courseslightly longer than 5K, or did we just go slow on

the hills? I suspect a combination of the two.

Harold Schumacher Rotary Nov 11River Run 5K, Little Falls

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27:19First time running in cold temps was a challenge.

A good feeling to run a race in my own town. Wellorganized, and I won a color printer in the raffle!

Giralda Farms Run, Madison Nov 11

5K: Paul Kartanowicz (2nd AG, PR) . . . 19:44

10K

Larry Czaplewski (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 37:00Ed Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:54

Debbie McNally (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 46:18Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:45

Howie Brown (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:46Ed Trieste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:02:02

Outer Banks Marathon, NC Nov 11

Joshua Carnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:06:44The Outer Banks (OBX) Marathon has a mostly

flat and quite good course, which starts in thetown of Wright Brothers acclaim, Kitty Hawk, and


finishes in the Dare County seat of Manteo.

Included are a loop around Kill Devil Hill (homeof the Wright Brothers national memorial), 3.5

miles of woodland trails, two bridges, and sever-al nice residential areas. The crowds I saw in the

four small shore towns through which we passedwere a welcome surprise. The wind was a bit

rough on the larger bridge but mostly not as badas anticipated. I missed a PR by 2.5 minutes but

had a great time nevertheless. Postrace festivi-ties were top-notch, and the finisher’s medal was

unique, though relatively small and conservativecompared with others. Two thumbs up for OBX!

Manasquan Turkey Trot (5M) . . . . . . Nov 17

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42:42Felt great, seemed to do better with this longer

race, and loved the shore and the scenery.

Goodwill 5000-Meter Run, Montclair Nov 17Carl Rocker (6th OA, 2nd masters M) . . 18:16

Charlie Slaughter (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . 19:09Paul Kartanowicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:17

Doug Williams (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:19Mick Close (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:36

Ed Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:52Karen Merz (1st W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:00

Tom Daniels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:18Wayne Carlson (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 21:24

Debbie McNally (1st masters W) . . . . . . 22:05Tyler Daniels (age 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22:19

Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22:22Roosevelt Lucas (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 22:27

George McIntyre (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . 23:24Hilary Fandel (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23:52

Heather Welch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24:18Ron Yurman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25:50

Julie Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28:21Tim Caputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28:48

Ed Trieste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:26Emily Ginder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30:28

Amy Zavadil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31:34Club member Aubrey Blanda did an amazing job

directing the Goodwill 5000 from the MontclairArt Museum. There were 465 finishers in the 5K

(up from 366 last year), and the large crowd keptregistration tables busy right up until race time.

For the second year in a row, we had a beauti-ful, cool, crisp, clear morning, and the fall colors

were a nice backdrop for the spectacular coursethrough the historic estate section of Montclair.

There’s a fast first mile south on South MountainAvenue before the hills of the middle section and

the finish up and back along South Mountain.The long-sleeved T-shirts, similar to last

year’s, featured a different George Inness paint-ing (After the Storm, 1868). Goody bags includ-

ed Powerbars and other items. After the race,there was plenty of Starbucks coffee, hot choco-

late, bagels, bananas, and Krispy Kremes.The club provided a lot of the volunteer help

and was also well represented in the race, withexcellent performances by Karen Merz (1st OA,

21:00), Deb “Zebra Girl” McNally (1st masters,22:02), and Carl Rocker (2nd masters, 18:16). We

also had several age-group award winners.Many thanks to Aubrey and all ERC volun-

teers for this wonderful event! —Mick Close

Without a doubt this race would not have been

possible without the help of Essex Running Clubmembers … Catherine Alessi, Dave Benfield,

Wayne Carlson, Mick Close, Phil Coffin, TomDaniels, Desmond Duncker, Karen Feenaghty,

her hubby Patrick, Steve Fleisig, Mark Frankel,Chris Jaworski, Tom Kelly, Laura Messina, Shar-

on Morrissey, Lynne Mortimer, Mike Perry, JoanPerzanowski, Martta Rose, Genie Temmler, and

Heather Welch. Your time and hard work are verymuch appreciated by all involved in this event! In

addition, there weren’t enough Mission peoplehelping, so registration and course marshaling

truly could not have happened without you!Special thanks to Dan Murphy and John

Fabbro, whose time and expertise on all thingsracing make this event work.

My apologies to the club for not mentioningits membership table during the race!

The turnout blew me away, as did the gener-osity of those who donated clothes and food.

Many club members are running Ashenfelternext week, so I’ll try to help Dan with the weath-

er. It’s harder than you think. —Aubrey Blanda

It was great to be able to go into the museum tostay warm before and after the run. This event

has had great long-sleeved shirts, which I enjoywearing all year round. —Emily Ginder

Swamp Devil Run, Basking Ridge Nov 18

5K: Ed Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20:29

15K

Larry Czaplewski (6th OA, 1st AG) . . . . 55:59Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:15:24

Tom Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:17:13Adrian Dunner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:18:44

George Studzinski (1st AG) . . . . . . . . 1:22:36Martta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:23:14

Beverly Salerno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:39:14Who should I see at this race but the indefatiga-

ble Aubrey Blanda, one day after her Goodwillrace. Aubrey was one of several women leading

their Girls on the Run in the Great Swamp Devil5K. What a precious sight to see those little girls

hugging one another and smiling their big toothysmiles before heading out for their runs!

I hit my second best 15K time today, a dayafter my second best 5K time (Goodwill 5000).

—Chris Jaworski

Despite cold, drizzly weather, the Swamp Devilturnout was great, and several ERC members

posted good times. There were also about 250Girls on the Run members, ages 8 to 11, from

various towns. It was amazing to see their en-ergy as they ran what was for most their first

race of any kind. My apologies to any runners Ihit in the face with the GOTR balloons I was

carrying in the 5K! —Aubrey Blanda

Not my best effort, but, considering I hadn’t runin 3 weeks and am coming off a piriformis injury,

I’m pleased. A big shout-out to club masseuseextraordinaire Barbara Parzatka. If not for her, I

would not have been able to run this race at all.—Martta Rose

Philadelphia Marathon Nov 18

8K: Bernadette Lancaster . . . . . . . . . . . 44:31

Half-Marathon

Andi Robik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:03:59Donna Cataliotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:09:35

Phil Giannuario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:26:08

MarathonRandy Miller (qualified for Boston!) . . . 3:17:36

Tom Eaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:20:04Glenn Trimboli (qualified for Boston!) . 3:25:31

Jennifer Carbone (new member!) . . . . 3:28:58Rob Gerin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:36:21

Chip Bearden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:40:15Rich Unis (1st marathon!) . . . . . . . . . . 3:46:56

Beth Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:19:58Aileen O’Rourke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:26:23

Nina Miller (1st marathon!) . . . . . . . . . 4:54:37Bob Temmler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:24:48

Genie Temmler (1st marathon!) . . . . . . 5:49:38Fleet Feet’s Elliott Frieder finished 8th overall, in

2:30:59. —Mick Close

I could feel the good NJ vibes all the way downin Philly! But, methinks I did too many long runs

prepping for Chicago, because my hip startedhurting four weeks ago, and it really hurt over the

last 8 Philly miles. My knees weren’t happy, either.Those miles were tortured, with way more walk-

ing than running. I can’t believe Laura stayed withme from mile 14 to mile 26, and then there was

Phil at mile 26, waiting in the rain to cheer meon. I just cried and cried when it was over. Bob

ran a 3:15 marathon when he was 40, but yes-terday he took 5:25 and said it was the hardest

thing he ever did. Ah, youth … enjoy it!The experience was incredible, the emotional

support was incredible, the good thoughts wereincredible, the physical support from Laura and

Phil was incredible. I don’t think I will ever askmy old body to do a marathon again, but I am

without doubt glad I did this one. It is amazing tome that all you real runners pull out all the stops

even for pokies like Bob and me … aww, nowI’m gonna cry again. —Genie Temmler

I had a great time at Philly. I was running with a

group that picked up the pace around mile 11. Ididn’t realize I was running faster until the others

pulled out at 13 for the half. Those fast miles 11to 13 caught up with me at mile 24. Good news:

I was aiming for 3:40, but with the great weatherI was able to finish in 3:36. —Rob Gerin

Ashenfelter 8K Classic, Glen Ridge Nov 22

Ridger Romp 1 MileTommy Morrissey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:16

Marissa Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:38Abby Morrissey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00

8K

Rollin K. Deas (age 19, 11th OA, 2nd AG) 26:31Larry Czaplewski (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 28:55

Carl Rocker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29:35Charlie Slaughter (2nd AG) . . . . . . . . . . 31:24

Larry Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32:11Jeff Burrowes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32:12


RACE RESULTS

We in the Essex Running Club sure dolove our numbers (race dates, distanc-

es, times, age-group places). These de-lightful digits tell terrific tales, too! Close

finishes, personal bests, comebacks—oh, the humanity, the drama!

That’s why we hope you’ll submit your

race results to Keeping Track eachmonth. Often, either Mick Close or

another ERC member will include yourdata in a Yahoo group e-mail (later

printed here, in “Finish Lines”).

If you don’t see your result, send it in ane-mail either to the ERC Yahoo group

([email protected])or directly to the editor of Keeping Track

([email protected]). There’s anothergood reason to do all this, after all …

Each calendar year’s race results are

compiled for use in selecting the win-ners of the ERC Annual Awards, pre-

sented each spring.

Only results reported in “Finish Lines”are eligible for awards. ERC members

who want their results counted are ulti-mately responsible for making sure

they’re published here.

Gary Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32:40

Paul Kartanowicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:15Peter Connell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:21

Mark Frankel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:32Doug Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:38

Phillip Fandel (age 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33:45Karen Merz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34:08

Ed Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34:36Tom Daniels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35:26

Tom Eaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35:26Glenn Trimboli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35:26

Wayne Carlson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35:58Sharon Morrissey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36:09

Rollin E. Deas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36:43Tyler Daniels (age 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37:04

Steve Fleisig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37:37George Mcintyre (3rd AG) . . . . . . . . . . . 38:15

Jim Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:23Tom Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:23

Carl Sturcke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:47Chris Jaworski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:02

Grant Van Inwegen (age 10) . . . . . . . . . 39:10Greg Van Inwegen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:12

Bill Wilde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:16Hilary Fandel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:35

Heather Welch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:46Karen Feenaghty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39:47

Marty Baum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40:52Joe Westcott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:11

Martta Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:33Andi Robik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:37

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:50Sam Flood (age 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:51

Scott Flood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41:52Dean Gorman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42:17

Sarah Sheridan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42:57Lynne Mortimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:45

Eileen Percevault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:53Michael Topper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44:09

Rameka Whitehurst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44:19Rich Unis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45:30

Tom Caputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45:43Amy Ulto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46:04

Jeff Matthews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46:14Nina Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48:02

Kyle Tevlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48:02Phil Giannuario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:02

Laura Messina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:12Donna Daniels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:23

Julie Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:26Patricia Elwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:46

Kate Rados . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49:46Eileen McGovern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50:22

Lauren Daniels (age 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . 51:03Amy Zavadil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53:59

Dave Benfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53:59Charlie Lorber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54:21

Dawn Cascio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55:03Susan Palermo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:02:39

Marissa Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:02:39Race director Dan Murphy’s anti-rain dance

worked, and temps were in the mid to upper 50sthis morning, so runners and walkers turned out

in droves for this classic! The 8K had 1035 fin-ishers, including 66 ERC members, spouses, and

teens. Still more members ran, cheered, and/orvolunteered on what was a great day for racing

and simply being outdoors.

Rollin K. Deas, Larry Czaplewski, Charlie

Slaughter, and George McIntyre won age-groupawards in the 8K. Congrats! And we did A-OK in

this USATF–NJ Open 8K Championship. OurOpen Women team placed 5th, and our Open

Men teams 6th and 9th.Several people were racing this distance for

the very first time. Hooray for (if memory serves)Tyler and Lauren Daniels, Joe Westcott, Kate

Rados, and Heather Welch’s friend Ann(e)!Love love love the long-sleeved tech shirts!

On this day, I’m thankful for being part of theEssex Running Club! —Chris Jaworski

The race sold out at 8:15 am. I’m sorry that many

runners could not get a number/chip/shirt/goodybag for this year’s A8K. The event reached criti-

cal mass very early, despite my best efforts toestimate how many runners would participate.

We had 1300 numbers, 1250 chips, 1150 shirts(I guaranteed 1000), and 1200 goody bags. The

chips represented more than a 25% bump overlast year’s total finishers, so I thought I had things

really covered. By the way, and curiously, Compu-score recorded only 1035 finishers (hope we didn’t

lose 215 chips). Every attempt was made to re-cycle no-shows—a nightmare task for the volun-

teers in charge of registration … who did a re-markable job fixing a situation for which I am to

blame. Rest assured that I have learned fromthis year’s snafu and will make changes so it

won’t happen again. —Dan Murphy

Helene Scarnegi’s 3 × 5 CardI must be crazy because I decided to run three

5-mile races in three days. My goal for the dis-tance is a flat 40 minutes. The Ashenfelter was

my best for many reasons, but mainly becausethe weather was a treat, and I felt great. I ran

pretty well in the others and enjoyed all three.Ashenfelter 8K Classic (Nov 22) . . . . . . 41:50

Born to Run (5M), Freehold (Nov 23) . . 44:59Westfield 5-Mile Turkey Trot (Nov 24) . . 43:28

Westfield 5-Mile Turkey Trot . . . . . . . Nov 24

Charlie Slaughter (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . 31:44Howie Brown (1st AG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38:48

Helene Scarnegi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43:28

Dirty Bird 15K Trail Run, Nov 25French Creek State Park, Birdsboro, Pa

Carl Rocker (10th OA, 2nd AG) . . . . . 1:08:38Chris Jaworski (439 out of 458!) . . . . 2:08:45

It was great meeting up with Carl prerace andpostrace! I should’ve known by his other athletic

achievements, but he’s also a top-notch trail runner.While chugging up the first long hill, I got

sandwiched between two passing runners andhurt my foot—which then turned into a rock

magnet that would not be fooled even by deepleaf-cover. The rest of my “race” consisted of

slow running and limpy walking, and even thewalking left me wincing at times. Along the way,

I kept thinking (a) I used to be able to fly downthese hills, and (b) I should’ve stayed home this

time. Grateful that the final half-mile or so wason paved road, I slowly ran it in. My finishing

time was 27 minutes off last year’s 1:41:51. Per-

haps the oddest and most disappointing aspect

of this 15K race is that I wasn’t tired at the end—I had a lot of energy left and no way to expend it.

I had to sit with that energy (not a happy passen-ger!) on the long drive home, made even longer

by holiday traffic (3 hours 20 minutes).I’m glad that’s the last trail race for a while.

—Chris Jaworski

NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K, NYC Dec 1Jeff Burrowes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:02:52

Joshua Carnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:10:28Karen Feenaghty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:19:17

Aubrey Blanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:22:56Andi Robik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:23:49

Jim Enslin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:34:13Aside from the wind, the sun made for a beauti-

ful run through Central Park, as the cold seemedto disappear once I got going. This race helped

me clear a big mental block I've had, since theNYC Marathon, about running more than 6 miles,

though it's obvious I've lost the speed I devel-oped over the summer. Track work does make

a difference! And that hot chocolate after therace was really, really good. —Aubrey Blanda

I had a great time at my first race of winter. I’ve

now done this NYRR event four times, but this isthe first at sub-8 pace, so I’m definitely happy.

Unfortunately, I could not stick around for thenamesake hot chocolate, but I still had fun.

—Joshua Carnes


Ryan Shay, 1979–2007

Mark Frankel

Ryan Shay, a top US marathoner, died at age 28 of a heart

attack at the US Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials on Nov 3.

Shay was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the fifth of eight

children. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where

he went on to become a nine-time All-American, as well as

the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) cham-

pion in the 10,000 meter in 2001.

At Notre Dame, he gained a reputation as a very hard-

working runner. Joe Piane, longtime Notre Dame track and

cross-country coach, wrote for the school’s online tribute,

“The hardest thing to do as a coach was hold Ryan back.”

Shay competed in the 2000 US Olympic Trials in the

10,000 (finishing 10th) but, on graduating Notre Dame in

2002, immediately turned to the marathon. He joined Team

USA California, which included future Olympic medallists

Meb Keflezighi and Deena Drossin.

In 2003, his first year as a marathoner, Shay won the

USA Marathon title, and shortly thereafter he set a 2:14:29

PR. But then injuries began to plague him. According to his

official biography on the USATF W eb site, “after a tremen-

dous 2003 campaign that saw him win the USARC [USA

Running Circuit] series in 2004, overzealous training caused

a hamstring strain that hampered Shay throughout that

season. He placed 23rd at the Olympic Marathon Trials and

10th in the 10,000m at the Olympic Trials later that sum-

mer in Sacramento.”

He recovered, but those injuries hampered him in the

marathon the rest of his life. However, he continued to be

successful at other distances. In 2004, he won American

championship titles in the half-marathon, which he also

won in 2003, and in the 20K. A year later, he won the Ameri-

can 15K Championship.

After a disappointing finish at the 2005 NYC Marathon,

Shay met Alicia Craig, an elite 10,000-meter runner, at Rosy

O’Grady’s in Manhattan. They began to exchange pleas-

antries, from a distance, and then in January 2006 spent

time together at the Team USA California training center.

Sara Hall, wife of Ryan Hall (winner of the Men’s Olympic

Trials and one of Shay’s former training partners), was a

bridesmaid at Shay’s wedding in July. Sara Hall was a good

friend and former Stanford teammate of Alicia Craig. The

couples were also very close, and the four friends went on

a “fun run” in Central Park the day before the trials, accord-

ing to the Shay online tribute.

At the trials, Shay stepped off the course around 5.5

miles into the race and collapsed shortly thereafter.

According to the New York Daily News, the cardiologist

who tried to save Shay said the athlete suffered a massive

heart attack and “probably died before he hit the ground.”

Shay’s coach, Joe Vigil, who has a doctorate in exercise

physiology, said he regularly tests all his athletes and never

found anything wrong with Shay.

At age 14, however, Shay was diagnosed with an en-

larged heart. The Daily News reported that Shay was told

in spring 2007 that his heart rate was so slow he’d eventu-

ally need a pacemaker.

“Exercise can be a trigger at any point if you do have an

abnormal heart,” said Jonathan Drezner of the University

of W ashington to the Daily News. “W hen you’re told at 14

that you have an enlarged heart and then that he needed

a pacemaker—clearly his enlargement was abnormal.”

“There’s nothing wrong with an enlarged heart if it’s the

right kind,” Vigil told USA Today. “Sometimes you don’t know

why things happen.”

Former ERC Member Woody Littman on

Something New, Something Burro’d

“W oody Littman,” ERC’s Judy W eiss-Brown told Keeping

Track, “was a longstanding club member who retired and

moved to Colorado to ski, run, hike, bike, and”—well, let’s

let W oody pick up the story from there:

I thought this would interest Essex runners who like extreme or

different types of runs. The burro (donkey) racing out here inColorado is done on trails. Courses range from 8 to 29 miles,

and most gain anywhere from 500 to 3000 vertical feet. Burrosmove as fast as 8 minutes per mile, but they will run your pace

if you can control them. You have to start and finish with sameburro. Your burro has to carry 35 pounds and can carry your

water and food, but you cannot ride it. This year’s winner of the29-mile race up 2500+ vertical feet finished in about 6:20. A lot

depends on having a good burro. The photo is of a friend and me[right] on a run. I hope to do a race next year with this burro.

Be a good animal, true to your animal instincts. D.H. Lawrence

When you experience the run, you … relive the hunt. Running isabout thirty miles of chasing prey that can outrun you in a sprint,and tracking it down and bringing life back to your village. It’s abeautiful thing. Shawn Found

The true stations of joy are on the road which lies through simpleendurance. Rainer Maria Rilke

Stillness is what creates love. Movement is what creates life. Tobe still and still moving—this is everything. Do Hyun Choe

Traveler, there is no path, paths are made by walking.Antonio Machado


New Logo for Essex Running Club

Several months ago, Dan Murphy suggested that ERC might

want an updated logo for its 25th anniversary, and he pro-

vided several new designs for consideration. The old stylized

running figure (see p. 4) was so 1983, after all, and the old

typeface was looking pretty tired as well.

There was much to like about Dan’s designs, and the

ERC Board formed a committee to either select one, or to

create a new one, that would best reflect the character of

the club, and best meet its needs.

The committee, working with designer/ERC member

Kyle Tevlin, essentially preserved the look of the text por-

tion of one of Dan’s designs, while substituting in a new

graphic element, a naturalistic human figure.

The new logo (text plus figure) is bold, suggestive of

speed, and more modern looking, and it will reproduce well

printed in a single color (which keeps costs down) on differ-

ent media (e.g., newsletter, W eb site, apparel). One of its

best features is that it’s immediately recognizable both at

a glance and at a distance—a distinct advantage when

trying to pick fellow club members out of a crowd!

Thanks to Dan for the impetus and inspiration, and to

the committee and Kyle for their deliberations and fine-

tuning of the design that you see at the top of this page.

In an upcoming issue, we’ll unveil a special emblem for

our anniversary (“25 Years Running”). —Chris Jaworski

RACES: DEC 2007 & JAN 2008

Compiled by Mick Close. Club/Team races in bold print. Some dates and times tentative—call to confirm. NBGP = New Balance Grand Prix.

12/8 Sat 9:00a Rutgers Big Chill 5K (New Brunswick) 5K 732-445-046212/9 Sun 9:30a Joe Kleinerman 10K (NYC) 10K 212-860-4455

12/9 Sun 10:00a Toys for Tots (Freehold) 5K 732-431-262712/9 Sun 11:00a USATF–NJ 15K Championship (West Windsor) 15K 973-334-8900 NBGP: 500/700/800 pts

12/15 Sat 9:30a Holiday 4-Miler (NYC) 4M 212-860-445512/15 Sat 1:00p Beach Blast 5K (Newton) 5K 973-383-7933

12/29 Sat 1:00p Polar Bear Race (Asbury Park) 5M 732-222-908012/29 Sat 4:00p Ramona’s Run (Perth Amboy) 4M 732-442-0335 NBGP: 500 pts (2008)

12/31 Mon Midnite Emerald Nuts Midnight Run (NYC) 4M 212-860-445512/31 Mon Midnite Midnight Run (Long Branch) 4M 732-578-1711

1/1 Tue 11:00a First Day 5K (Fairlawn) 5K 201-791-0101 NBGP: 500 pts

1/1 Tue 11:00a Resolution Run 5K (Hillsborough) 5K 908-285-0383 NBGP: 500 pts1/1 Tue Noon Hangover Run (Westfield) 5K 866-841-9139 NBGP: 500 pts

1/1 Tue 12:30p Hamilton Hangover Run 5M 609-890-8343 NBGP: 500 pts1/5 Sat 10:00a Freezing Cold Hash Run (Edison) 4–6 M 732-572-0500

1/6 Sun 10:00a Winter Race Series (Freehold) 5K 732-431-26271/12 Sat 9:00a Fred Lebow Classic (NYC) 5M 212-860-4455

1/13 Sun 10:00a Winter Race Series (Freehold) 5K 732-431-26271/20 Sun 10:00a Winter Race Series (Freehold) 5K 732-431-2627

1/27 Sun 10:00a Winter Race Series (Freehold) 5K 732-431-26271/27 Sun 8:30a Manhattan Half-Marathon (NYC) 13.1M 212-860-4455

Online race applications and related information: www.compuscore.com (CompuScore), www.nyrr.org (New York Road Runners Club),

www.oymp.net (On Your Mark Productions), www.raceforum.com (Metro Race Forum), www.active.com/running (Active.com).

MARATHONS: SPRING 20083/16 Sun 8:00a Shamrock Marathon & Half-Marathon (Virginia Beach) 26.2, 13.1M 757-412-1056

3/30 Sun 9:00a Ocean Drive Marathon (Cape May to Sea Isle City) 26.2, 10M, 5K 609-523-0880 NBGP: 26.2 (500 pts), 10M (500 pts)4/6 Sun 8:00a More Women’s Marathon & Half-Marathon (NYC) 26.2, 13.1M 212-860-4455

4/21 Mon 10:00a Boston Marathon 26.2M 508-435-69054/26 Sat 7:00a Country Music Marathon (Nashville) 26.2, 13.1M 615-742-1660

4/26 Sat 7:30a Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon (Louisville) 26.2M 502-584-63835/4 Sun 6:30a Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon 26.2, 13.1M 513-721-7447

5/4 Sun 7:30a New Jersey Marathon & Long Branch Half-Marathon 26.2, 13.1M 732-578-17715/4 Sun 8:00a Pocono Mountain Run for the Red Cross Marathon 26.2M, 5K 570-992-4113

5/4 Sun 8:00a Long Island Marathon 26.2, 13.1M 516-572-02485/18 Sun 7:00a Delaware Marathon (Wilmington) 26.2, 10M 302-654-6400

5/18 Sun 7:00a Cleveland Marathon 26.2, 13.1M 216-378-01435/25 Sun 7:00a Buffalo Marathon 26.2, 13.1M 716-694-5154

5/25 Sun 8:00a Vermont City Marathon 26.2M 802-863-8412

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ERC’S NEXT GENERAL MEETING 7:30 pm, Monday, … · ERC’S NEXT GENERAL MEETING 7:30 pm, Monday, ... so that they can stay healthy during this season of good cheer and great food