waveny park x-country series

I volunteered last night at the local cross-country series. Jim was away on vacation so my friends Kathy and Gail were the race directors and they needed help!! So I collected scoretags at the end -its funny how easy racing looks when you are just standing around. I had run 5 miles that morning and swam a mile -wayy too much already for my tender achilles. Am extremely nervous about how it will hold up for VT as the rest of my body feels strong, trained and ready to go...but I also have to be prepared for the fact that I could further strain my achilles on the ups and downs and may have to drop out --that's life -it's only one race..I will try. I am going to need Frank, Rob and I to work together in the middle of the night as the last 30 miles could take 10-11 hours. A full moon will be out!!!!!

Marty's poem from Utica Boilermaker Road Race

Boilermaker Logo


My friend Marty, race director extraordinaire (and teacher, RD and coach during school year:)went up to Help with a National road race, the July 13 Utica Boilermaker 15K...
here is his answer to my question 'so how was Utica'??

I did not run
I did not jog,
I did not toe the start, nor blog.

We laid out the 'mats'
despite the gnats,
then came out, Rats!

Mike and I were in charge of the 10k split,
which also was the 5k start,
we had over 11,000 chips,
which registered perfectly!

Then we went to the party, and were back stage with the band and the VIP's

yes- like us!

hahaha --
Marty

dso concert at Governor's island -July 11

I decided to go to this concert (as was invited by running friends) the night after driving into Radio City music hall with Christine so it was 2 late nights in a row!! But more than worth it, even if I did miss the Norwalk summer series this a.m. (let me just say that I shouldn't have raced it anyway --I just missed seeing our friends, and maybe helping Don out). This Friday night concert was a special outdoor concert on Governor's Island, at the very tip of manhattan. It was a perfect night to take a ferry ride over to the island and chill out and relax and listen to some Grateful dead music The distressing part of the concert was driving in -the FDR was bumper-to-bumper with traffic heading over the Queensboro bridge to LI...then free and clear sailing and got a parking spot right near the ferry --it was so much fun going over, with tye-dyed concert-goers -young and old alike!! Plenty of kids and 20-some kids --most of the males wearing tye dye!!! And, we got to see all the waterfall sculptures. We got to the concert area and Green tea leaf was playing -I had a beer and read and talked to Paul, an ardent dso fan ---the band came n at 7:30 and was awesome, but the set not as good as Westbury (last may 29)--ramble on rose, playin in the band, estimated prophet were some of the really good ones --about 10:15, during a long drum solo, it was time to take the ferry back!!! No traffic coming home-and thank goodness I had that nice parking spot:) The ferry ride view of the lighted bridges and buildings was phenomenal.

Waveny Park 2-person relay -July 8, 2008

I had a 'fun' evening last night at New Canaan's Waveny Park 2-person relay.
At the very last minute we shuffled around teams so that I ran with Francoise, and John Gibbons ran with Rob. Frank ran with his daughter Katie, and Francoise's daughter Mia ran with her little friend Amy, and Amy's mom. All the girls were good to come out on such a hot night. Francoise ran well (7:30s or better!) and I ran @7s so for the 3 times 1 mile each relay we finished in 43:30. We won our age division (female 100 over) since no one else was in it ---the female 80-99 was fast and faster!! The co-ed divisions were also tough --not sure how Frank and katie and rob and john did but we all ad a good time. The one mile route was tough -grassy and rocky in parts but a nice loop -each partner takes turns running a mile so it is a hard workout ---during the break, you can catch your breath, get some water and even socialize. It's a good speed workout, no matter who your partner, and a fun time! Unfortunately for me, the age-graded 5K is tuesday after the VT 100--no go on that!!!

photos from Putnam County Classic

Putnam County Classic follow-up

Thank you to all my friends who came out and ran this race, including Rob, Don, Frank, and Pam, Barbara and to all the volunteers/supporters and my co-race director, Lee, who is so great to work with! and she has 2 grandbabies about to be born!!!
(Had one of them come July 4, it would have been me and her husband ed).
The race was a big success (although we missed the new canaan and Milford races).
We had 300 finishers, according to Karen and her race scoring committee. I gave Frank a ride and we arrived at 6:30 --he helped unload t-shirt boxes (we ran out as I stupidly only ordered 275), and watermelons and soda from Lee's car --as 7 a.m. approached, the race registration table started to get busy. Lee brought July 4 decorations from the party store -stupidly I forgot to put in the car my cheering pom poms. . At 7:30, we had quite a long line but since race day reg was $20, it was fairly easy to make change! Frank went to the trailer and got last year's Ts as we were running out of new ones. Alex and his HAM radio volunteers came, introduced themselves and what a big help they were right off the bat! First, they pointed out that the ambulance was late, so we called (it was on its way). Then, they produced a course map that was great ---the club didn't have one, so the policeman took 2 copies of theirs! At about 7:45, we helped with reg. and then soon it was time to line up --a light rain was falling so we were concerned with that but otherwise it was good weather for running! better than hot. Ed, Lee's husband, started the race after calling to make sure the bathroom line was clear and all runners were at the start ---Ted's daughter and I got a ride to the corner of 6N, where I happened to see My brother Bobby's salsa truck coming to the race finish!! Robert stopped traffic for us, by simply stopping his truck!! so all the runners could go through on the busier street. Then I helped with mile 7, and saw Frank, Rob, Don and pam in the last mile. Took a photo of 'old glory' ---the HAM guy biked by and around, and then the bike sweeper called and said a teenager had sprained her ankle and couldn't walk -so I told the policeman and he had the other officer give her a ride ---then I went to the finish where saw all the food spread out -we went through 14 dozen bagels and 15 watermelons....awards were fun and then clean up was fairly easy -I was out of there by 10:45! lee and I learned alot for next year but thankfully everything went smoothly --photos to be posted sunday.

Putnam County Classic 8 miler race -July 4, 2008

Hard to believe that it is July 3 already and the big racing day of July 4 is here!
I am co-race director of the July 4 Putnam County Classic 8 miler, starting at 8 a.m. in front of Mahopac High school ---I am so happy that friends are coming up to run, when they have closer races: Frank (see his 2003 race report on his blog -
www.rundangerously.blogspot.com, Rob, Don and Pam are all running -yippee!!! For any last minute entrants, you can find flyer/directions on www.runner.org
.....
We should have a good race this year --this event has been going on for 31 years, and we have dedicated volunteers!, and the weather promises to be good. Lee and I have been working constantly this past month and all the pieces are in place -of course whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, so I expect some glitches. Just las night I found out that we needed more cash, boxes for water stop cups, pens for registration and more flyer copies! We will have t-shirts and ice cream coupons for all entrants and water stops in 6 different locations -plus food after the race. My brother Bobby's salsa will have chips and dip! The lake course is also beautiful, save for one trafficy area ---here is our 2008 t-shirt, modeled by my cat! You can see our sponsors -Bikeway, Coldstone cremery (they also donated ice cream coupons to all entrants),Mahopac national bank and Bobby's salsa.