31 JULY, 2008
MATT BYRNE NAMED TO 2008 US MOUNTAIN RUNNING TEAM!
One of PRTC's earliest members, Matt Byrne, has qualified for the US Mountain Running Team. Matt will compete with the team at the World Mountain Running Trophy Championships September 14th in Sierre Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Although an official press release has not yet been issued, Matt was offered the spot earlier this week.
Matt earned his spot with great performances at both the Mt. Washington Road Race and the Berry Picker Trail Run in Vail, CO. A newcomer to the sport of Mountain/Trail running, Byrne has made the transition from the roads look easy. At Mt Washington he finished in 6th place, gaining valuable insight into uphill running. That insight would prove invaluable at the Berry Picker Race, where pacing and mental toughness would place him in 2nd, and secure his spot on the team.
20 JULY 2008
New York, NY; Vail, CO
MATT BYRNE MAKES SERIOUS BID FOR US MOUNTAIN RUNNING TEAM AT BERRY PICKER TRAIL RACE; ABBY DEAN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS ON THE TRI SCENE
2-Time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Matt Byrne has set his sights on making the U.S. Mountain Running Team. The team of 6 will compete at the prestigious World Mountain Running Trophy Championships this September in Switzerland. The team is selected from two races, the MT Washington Road Race and the Berry Picker Trail Race.
At Mt. Washington Matt finished an impressive 6th place in his first ever mountain race, narrowly missing an automatic bid for the US Mountain Team. Making the team would require him to race at his peak potential in the Vail, CO Berry Picker race.
The 4.3 mile Berry Picker would prove to be a different animal from Mt Washington, as Matt would call the course "...the most technically challenging course I've ever seen." The racers went out hard over the first section, a rolling 1.3 miles stretch that would be the easy part of the course. Matt stayed conservative, going into the first steep stretch in 6th place.
The next 3 miles would climb over 2000 feet, giving the race an overall grade of 12%! To make it tougher the course consisted of rugged single track with occasional stretches of double wide gravel trails. It would be over this grueling course that Matt began to advance.
All five competitors ahead of Matt knew they would need a good showing to make the U.S. Team. Only the winners spot was assured, the remaining spot would go to committee based on performances at both Mt. Washington and the Berry Picker. Matt pushed hard as soon as the real climbing began, quickly moving into 3rd place. Coming through 2 miles found Matt moving into 2nd place and looking ahead to Simon Gutierrez. Gutierrez, who has qualified for 7 straight Mountain teams, and is 2 time defending World Masters Mountain Running champion, showed his experience with the mountains and slowly pulled away.
Resisting challenges from fellow east coaster Shiloh Mielke, Matt continued on to place 2nd overall. Anyone who has run with Matt knows he has always been tough on hills, but now he has proved it nationally. Matt's 2nd place finish makes him a strong candidate for a spot on the US Mountain Running team whose roster should be announced soon. We'll keep you posted!
Abby Dean Continues to dominate the headlines with her 13th place finish in the Elite Division of the New York City Triathlon. Thousands fought the heat and humidity in what has become one of the premier triathlon events in the country. Last weeks strong showing by Abby would continue with this weeks NYC Tri. Olympic distance means a longer swim, longer bike, and a 10k run. The 1500 meter swim in the Hudson is one of the fastest, and Abby cruised through in 20:32. The 40k bike continued up the Henry Hudson Highway out of Manhattan and through the Bronx, giving riders a hilly tour of the city.
The run would continue on the northern loop of Central Park, and here is where the heat took it's toll on most of the athletes. Abby would add another strong finish to her resume, with one of the fastest runs of the day (37:42).
15 June, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TEAM SHINE AT FATHER'S DAY 5K
On Father's Day, three members of the men's team took part in a charity race that was founded to help "eradicate prostate cancer as a life and quality-of-life threatening disease by helping to advance awareness and research." The race had big sponsors from the Philadelphia area, such as 6ABC. And the race helped raise $93,896 on the day!
Held on Martin Luther King Boulevard at the foot of the Schuylkill River, Ryan, Tim, and Ross used the opportunity to also keep their legs sharp. At the gun, Ryan took the first 800m out quickly. Ross and the eventual winner (an unkown Kenyan - name is not listed in the results) caught up with Fenn after the first half mile. The trio came through the mile in 4:41. Then at the 1.5 mile turnaround, the Kenyan made a big surge. Ryan and Ross were not able to stay even with the leader. The two ran together, each surging briefly to try to help each other recapture the lead. The two passed two miles in 9:35. Fenn pulled away from Ross with about 700m to go and ran 14:55. Ryan described it as a "decent effort for a hot and humid morning." On losing his battle with Fenn in the latter stages of the race, Ross (15:04) reflected that he did not have "a good finish, but since I've been feeling like crap, I guess it was okay. Good atmosphere at the race though."
Meanwhile, Tim found himself behind that trio, yet ahead of the rest of the field. Tim labored from start to finish on his own, but he was fine with that. "I wanted a faster time," Tim (15:56) said afterwards. "But it was hot and humid, and I ran the whole thing alone. But this sets me up to race again this Friday [at the Media 5 Miler].
IN THE WOMEN'S RACE, the overall win was captured by another woman. But the dash for the cash was won by a young and spry Kate Taylor (nee Fonshell). Now 38 years young, Kate showed the talent that made her a U.S. National 10,000m champion in the 1990's. Kate was clocked in 17:34. But Kate was closely followed by no less than three PRTC women! Claire finished a mere six seconds astride of Kate, running 17:40 (a road PR for Claire). Abby showed no ill-effects from her high Spring mileage, running 17:52. New team member Kate Reese rounded out the team results, running 18:39 for fifth place.
1 June, 2008
Sellersville, PA
JOE DARE GRABS THE WIN IN HIS FIRST RACE FOR PRTC
Meet Joe Dare. Joe is a recent graduate of La Salle University. While a student at La Salle, Joe ran some impressive times, including a 14:14 5k and a 29:25. Joe hopes to parley those track times into the speed and efficiency needed to eventually run close to 29 minutes for 10 and qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. You can read all of Joe's stats on the PRTC Bios page.
On Sunday, Joe ran his first race for PRTC. This race was a low-key Summer 5k on the roads. Joe picked up the win and some cash for his efforts. "It was a nice day and a nice course," Joe remarked with optimism. Joe plans on continuing a string of Summer races. He will take to the roads again the weekend of June 21 - 22.
31 May, 2008
Lancaster and Forty Fort, PA; Reston, VA
NESBITT AND BYRNE WIN FIVE MILERS ON THE ROAD; BORGHUIS FINISHES FOURTH IN FOUR MILER
On Saturday morning, Drew Nesbitt, Matt Byrne, and Bart Borghuis all took to the roads in races. Drew was racing the Red Rose Run in Lancaster, Matt was running the Old Fort Five Miler in Forty Fort, and Bart was running the We Got Your Back 4 Miler.
In Lancaster, Drew found hot and humid skies. Drew recalled that "At the start, I noticed most of the usual top-notch competition was missing from the start line. So I took the race out hard - 4:50. 4:53, and 5:15. I was alone with only two miles and some hills to go. I cruised home with some 5:30's and really enjoyed winning one of the biggest races in Lancaster County." Our man was the clear winner by 40 seconds. Drew is taking his fitness to the big stage in a few weeks, competing in the Utica Boilermaker in upstate New York.
In Forty Fort, Matt was not able to employ the same "run away early" strategy, as the eventual second place finisher Chris Wadas ran stride for stride with Matt for the first three miles. "I could still hear his footsteps right behind me," Matt said. "I just wanted to keep up an under-5:10 (per mile) pace. But at around mile four, Chris dropped off the pace a bit. And I was able to hold him off for the win. But Chris didn't fall apart. He stayed close the entire way. He ran a very good race."
In Reston, Bart took part in a big race with a $1000 total prize purse. Such money attracted some fast runners, including some local Africans and top D.C. area Americans. Bart recounted that the field "went out hard, and I just went with it."
The course was run on a hard-top bike trail, but there were some long and shorter up and downs. Bart's recollection of the hard start were accurate, as he split 4:41 and 4:38 for his first two miles! "I think the hard start and some uphills on the way back cost time, but [I] finished in 19:55 for 4th. [I'm] pretty happy. It felt good to average under 5 minute pace. [It was] also, cool to be in an environment where, in these races, the leaders are not too fast that I can't give it a shot, and try to hang with them." Bart's time was good enough to tie him for #8 on the PRTC All-Time list!
To read more about the exploits of our guys on this weekend, click on the links below. These links will also be archived on our PRTC in Print page.
Nesbitt Wins a Muggy Run
Byrne Has Emotion Packed Win
Upcoming:
Since it is a quiet time of year for the team, there are some unusual races coming up for our athletes. Ross is scheduled to pace Bryn Mawr Running Coompany owner Bob Schwelm in a track two mile race to help qualify Bob for the master's two mile race to be held during the Olympic Track Trials in Eugene. Ted is competing in the Philly Tri relay race along with his brothers-in-law. Ted will be covering the 10k running leg of this relay. And in the last weekend in June, Ted and Tim are 'supposed' to run a road 10k in Clare, Ireland while on a trip for a family reunion. But the first night of celebrations is the night before this 10k, so all plans are tentative.
25 May, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
FENN WINS TEAL RIBBON 5k; REESE FINISHES SECOND IN WOMEN'S RACE
For such a small race, the men's field at the Teal Ribbon 5k had two very capable runners on hand. The top two men both ran their collegiate days at La Salle University. PRTC member Ryan Fennelly just graduated from the Jesuit school a few years ago, while Joe Dare just graduated a few weeks ago. Both have stellar 5k PR's, so this was going to be a good one.
The two covered the first mile in 4:44. Then the course had some curves, which apparently confused Fennelly. He soon put himself back on track and made up the difference between he and Dare. Fennelly then pushed ahead and won the race in 15:05. Joe Dare, who was convinced to join PRTC after discussing his running prospects with Fennelly after the race, finished second.
In the women's race, recent addition to the club Kate Reese followed up her stellar Spring marathon with a second place finish here in 18:24.
The club again welcomes not only Kate Reese, but brand new member Joe Dare as well. Look for more information about PRTC's new athletes in the coming weeks.
24 May, 2008
Spring Lake, NJ
NESBITT AND CALLINAN TAKE ON BIGGEST FIVE MILER IN THE U.S.
Drew Nesbitt and Tim Callinan hit the shore on Memorial Day weekend. But these two people didn't have sandcastles on their minds. They had racing. And the Spring Lake Five Miler on the central Jersey shore provides the biggest five mile road race in the U.S. It annually draws uppers of 10,000 participants! And the large size does not negate the quality field that can be found up front.
"The race went great for me; I was really happy with the result. I ran with the top two for most of the race (5 flat pace for 3 miles, 4th in 5:10). But in the fifth mile, I think my inexperience in road racing caught up with me, as I started my kick too early, passed the second place runner, and then faded to fifth."
"I hope to put together a solid Summer. Sorry I don't have much more to add, but hopefully I will have a great result this weekend running in my hometown."
Tim is continuing to find his way back to form after a long layoff. With an extremely modest goal of simply breaking 27 minutes (Tim has only done about three workouts so far), Tim bettered that post by 51 seconds! Tim gave a balanced account of his run, stating that his "splits were 5:10, 5:13, 5:07, 5:20, 5:13. I was just trying to run even the whole way, but my fourth mile was a little slow."
ONE MONTH EARLIER, ON APRIL 26th, ROSS MARTINSON won the Teal Ribbon Ovarian Cancer 5k. Mrs. Martinson (Kerry "I PR'd by several minutes at Broad Street") finished second in the women's race in 20:58!
1 May, 2008, Weissensee, Germany; 10 May, 2008, Arlington, VA ; 18 May, 2008, Washington, D.C.
CATCHING UP WITH BART BORGHUIS
For almost two months now, Bart has been living in northern Virginia. But his running heart belongs to Philadelphia. This is where he discovered just how much he loves this sport, and this is where he developed his skills. So we felt it was time to check up on our teammate and see how he is managing his hectic new schedule working at Janelia Farm.
At the beginning of May, Bart traveled to Europe for a short vacation with his new bride and his parents. While in Germany, Bart kept seeing fliers for an upcoming race. So Bart decided to test his strength across the ocean and lined up for the First of May, Weissensee Lauf 6k. Actually, Bart said that the race was somewhere around 6.3k, but that the race organizers didn't seem concerned with certainty about this point, the course was indisputable: one loop around the lake.
At first, he said there was a small group of guys, and that a few looked quick. Bart recalled that "One looked a little heavy, but he wound up being the biggest challenge." The man in question was a mountain runner - with strength to match. Thus, Bart's advantage would be the fact that he is lighter and quicker. Bart won the race and ran the second fastest time in 33 years!
Bart was invited to a celebration afterwards in the town's Schutzenhalle (hall with armor - think of Beowulf). Between the unusual race distance and the reception hall, this was definitely different from races that one would find in the U.S. The prizes wound up being different too, as Bart received a cup and a watch made by a local manufacturer. Victory certainly is sweet.
The very next weekend, Bart was back at it. This time, Bart ran "The Battle of the Boulevard", a 10k in Arlington, Virginia, one of Washington DC's many suburbs. The course started at the Pacers store (a running store in the D.C. area with a racing team), took the runners down to the Pentagon, and then back uphill to the start.
"I knew two of the guys from the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, where finished just seconds apart," Bart explained. Taking the lead in a six man pack, Bart hit the first downshill mile in 4:53. His second mile was a 4:57. Then the runners hit the flats and the pace stayed steady. Bart slowed down some but kept close to the pack. As the runners made their way back on the loop, Bart found himself running stride for stride with frequent racer and Olympic Trials qualifier Michael Wardian. Bart eventually passed Wardian as well as Pacers' Burt Rodriguez, keeping his eyes on the lead runner, Steve Crane.
Bart recounted that with two miles to go, he knew "first place was out of reach. But I kept pushing to the line to stay in front of the other Pacers athletes. It felt great to beat them on their own turf." Bart scored a 10k road PR of 32:16 for second place.
The third and final race of Bart's little circuit, the Capitol Hill Classic 10k was supposed to be on a fast course. But Bart said it was neither flat nor fast "at all." The day was overcast and humid. But the course record holder (Berhanu Zeleeke) was present, so fast times seemed possible.
There were four runners in the lead pack at the beginning, including Bart, as well as Robert Wade and Zeleeke. The latter two runners pushed hard away from the four-man pack. Bart knew that they were running a pace which, on this day, was too quick for him. "I tried to run my own race and PR." Bart didn't wind up setting a new PR from the one he set the previous week, but he said it was "fun to race in downtown Washington D.C., around Capitol Hill and all the buildings. I am trying to use these race to get sharper. I like this distance."
11 April, 2008
Atlantic City, NJ; Philadelphia, PA
PRTC RUNNERS PACE 5k ROAD RACES IN THE CITY AND THE DOWN THE SHORE
As a precursor to the Summer, members of the team traveled to the South Jersey shore on this mother's day weekend. Four of our runners put their feet on the boardwalk for a 5k in Atlantic City. Looking to make her second return to racing in 2008 (Renee Gunning first attempted racing at the Adrenaline 5k, but re-injured herself in the process), Renee showed that the rest and recovery was worthwhile. Renee outlasted friend and former collegiate roommate Sheila Klick for the overall win. Gina Lucrezi was back in town to race for the first time since taking her post at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She finished just outside the top three.
In the men's race, Ryan could not match Renee's performance, having to contend with Kiwi Adrian Blincoe (contending for his second straight Olympic Games appearance in the 1500). Ryan did hit 15 minutes on the nose, though, and picked up second place. Like Renee, her fiancee Bryan Skelly has also been working himself back in to race shape. Just getting on the line is going to help these two move in the right direction. But Bryan knows the work he still has ahead of him, as he missed the winner's circle as well, finishing fourth.
MEANWHILE, CLAIRE KEPT HER RACING CLOSER TO HOME, capturing the overall title at the Philadelphia edition of the Race for the Cure. Claire crossed the line with 17:47 on the clock.
4 May, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
PRTC HAS STRONG SHOWING AT PARADE DOWN BROAD STREET
For the first time in three years, the men's team did not win the team title at the Broad Street 10 Miler. Still, there were good performances turned in by the men and women alike. Add to that a marathon win by a new member of PRTC, and the club seemed to keep its winning ways going.
The weather conditions for Broad Street were certainly favorable, if not optimal. The sky was overcast and it was slightly cool. However, during the race, some runners reported that it was slightly humid, and that the two miles surrounding city hall were somewhat windy.
The race was out fast. Ross said he came through the mile much faster than he planned to (4:45), but he felt comfortable doing it. Tom was als out fast, covering the first mile in 4:53. Both runners wanted to run more even splits, so both of them slowed up their pace. Ross slowed his mile pace back to a 5:04 for the second mile, while Tom ran mile #2 in around 5:00. "I never felt particularly comfortable, though," Tom explained. "I ran with some people in the first half, but it was pretty spread out, mostly due to Ross's strong running in 5th place and those of us behind him not being able to keep up." Ross also noted the difficulty of running alone. ""I thought I was regrouping well late in the race, and I thought I might get the guy in front of me (eventual fourth place finisher Matt Pelletier). But I never caught him," Ross conceded.
Ross covered mile #3 in 4:51 and continued to push towards a sub 50 minute race. Tom was making a valiant effort to achieve his pre-race goal of a 50 minute race, passing the halfway point at 25:01. "But then I started to slow down. I went with Grant Scott and another guy who caught me for a mile or two toward the end. But I started feeling really tired in the ninth mile, lost them, and only ran 5:12 for that mile. I felt a bit better in the last mile." Ross captured fifth place in 49:33, while Tom finished just outside the top ten with a 50:38.
Pat Ward also felt the pressure of going solo after five miles. "After I lost the pack I was with around the 5 mile mark, I started to struggle as I ran by myself into a bit of a headwind. Still, I still ran a P.R. by 42 seconds." Pat smashed his time from last year, which was on a much faster day overall. And if there had been clocks at 8K and 10K, I would have set road P.R.'s for those distances as well!" But Pat wasn't the only member of the men's team to score a PR, as Spencer showed great form, running a personal best 53:24.
IN THE WOMEN'S RACE, ABBY DEAN and SHANNON KLICK ran outstanding races. For Abby, it was a show of resiliency, bouncing back from her phenomenal run at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. "I did not know what to expect since I had literally only done four very short, easy runs since the [Olympic] Trials. I was in 3rd place from the very beginning. I very quickly realized that I was definitely not recovered from the marathon or from being sick. Every mile got slower 'til I was able to hold a 6 min pace for the last 5 miles. I kept thinking a female was bound to pass me, but i never heard the crowd cheer for another woman. At no point did i ever feel good... it was by far the hardest race I have ever done! The race winnings [3rd overall, and 1st Philadelphian] made it all worth it," Abby exclaimed. For Shannon, it was yet more proof that her bast races may come in the longer distances, as she set a ten mile PR. The girls ran 58:38 and 1:01.37 respectively.
BUT ABBY AND SHANNON WEREN'T THE ONLY WOMEN TO RACE THIS WEEKEND, as new PRTC member Kate Bowser captured the victory at the New Jersey Marathon in Long Branch, running 3:04.51. Not only did this give Kate an overall win, but a fine display of marathon potential.
Even when the team doesn't have everyone racing on all cylinders, there is still plenty of depth to post solid performances. We're lucky to have such dedicated athletes.
24 April, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
FENNELLY AND HAXTON HIT ALL-TIME LISTS AT PENN RELAYS
This week, Ryan Fennelly and Tom Haxton raced on the very track that the club does its workouts on. However, Franklin Field has thousands more spectators on hand in the last full weekend in April every year than are sitting watching our guys and girls run repeats.
In the men's 5000m, a pack of approximately six runners broke away from the rest of the field early. Ryan was a part of that breakaway group. Ryan passed the mile around 4:29. He kept an even tempo, never falling off the pace, yet never looking to steer the pack. In the second mile, two Kenyans started to push the issue, looking to disintegrate what little comraderie existed amongst the group. With this, the four or so other runners all had open space to run in a line. Ryan passed 3200m in 9:00. He was definitely on his way to a fast time. Though his pace lagged slightly in the third mile, Ryan was able to use his speed over the last 300m to capture the 3rd best time ever by a member of the club! Ryan's 14:16.57 garnered him 7th place in the Olympic Development field.
After Ryan's race, it was Tom's turn. Tom went out a bit aggressively with a good pack of runners. He covered the first 3rd of the race in 9:30 and hit 5000m in about 14:55. These splits were presenting Tom with the possibility of setting a PR. Unfortunately, Tom did have trouble in the second half of the race. "I ran okay when I could latch onto another runner, but several times during the second half, I fell off the back and then my pace lagged while I was running alone," Tom explained. Despite this trouble, Tom was able to run his best race of the season thus far, stopping the clock at 30:21.12.
Both performances garnered spots on the men's all-time 5000m and 10,000m lists.
18-20 April, 2008
Princeton, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA
DEAN AND LAMBERT POST STRONG PERFORMANCES AT OLYMPIC TRIALS
SUNSHINE, COOL TEMPERATURES, AND A SLIGHT WIND GREETED THE RUNNERS as they embarked on the race that would determine the women's marathon team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The Boston crowd was stunned, as Magdalena Lewy-Boulet capitalized on her peak fitness and made an early break from the field. Knowing full well that the selection process really only had two spots available (as Deena Kastor was considered a guarantee - barring an unusual disaster), Lewy-Boulet pushed the pace early and inspired all the athletes to "jump in at the deep end of the pool." Noting the weather, Meredith Lambert said "The race conditions were ideal - not too warm or windy - and the course was fast and flat."
With all of these conditions in place, big performances, and big PR's to match didn't seem out of the question. It can be dangerous to be out so hard so early (Our eyes out on the course, Jacob Fry, stated at the halfway point that there were many runners who might be in over their heads). But the cool temperatures helped assure that the runners wouldn't overheat. And when the goin got tough for the runners, they simply looked to the crowd! Again, Meredith noted the favorable conditions: "The crowd support was incredible, which actually made me enjoy running on a loop course like that. The course layout was also great because I could see the race unfolding among the leaders as they passed me in the other direction. And with Philly TC emblazoned across the front of my jersey, I heard a lot of 'Go, Philly!' which was very encouraging." Abby Dean agreed with these sentiments: "The crowds were amazing. I heard so many people screaming my name. And when I wasn't hearing my name, I was hearing 'Go Philly!' And just when I thought the crowds could not get any louder, I came through the first loop, which goes by the finish line, and the crowds were even louder! The energy was unbelievable!"
As for OUR athletes, they met those ideal conditions with tough racing. Abby recalled that when the gun went off, "Deena set a slow pace to start. The group finally broke up at the first water bottle station right before mile three. I knew I wanted to be in the top 25, so I tried to put myself in that place from the start. The pace felt comfortable (except for the stitch that persisted the entire race), and I was in a good position."
Abby also provided insight in to the middle miles of this historic race. She recalled that "around mile 14 or 15, the stitch [see previous paragraph] grew larger and a lot worse, and this really slowed me down. I lost the few women I was running with at that time. I struggled from that point on, except for a few points where I tried to focus on picking off as many women as I could. But as I was doing that, other women were doing the same and passing me."
Both girls came up with big performances. Meredith came close to a PR, and Abby set a GIGANTIC PR, eclipsing her old PR of 2:45.21 by 3:56! Abby came up with the highest Olympic Trials finish ever by a PRTC athlete, finishing 29th overall in a stunning 2:41.25! This run is also the second fastest marathon performance every by a PRTC athlete from the women's team, second only to Michelle Lilienthal's golden standard of 2:35.51. Meredith followed Abby through the chute with the #7 performance on the all-time list, running 2:48.21.
Both girls were also proud of their performances. Meredith said that "Overall, I was pleased with the race. While not a PR, I met my alternative goal of running under 2:50." Abby's enthusiasm could be felt through her words. "Coming through the finish line was an incredible experience, and I was ecstatic to see that I had knocked off close to four minutes from my previous marathon PR! I really had a great time running this race! Although I am not fond of turns around cones, I really loved everything else about the course! it was a flat and fast course, and doing loops really helped break up the race, and allowed for the biggest crowd support I have ever seen."
The Women's Olympic Marathon Trials also had two former team athletes - Michelle Lilienthal and Veena Reddy. While the last year has been tough for Michelle (she has struggled with injuries and now unfortunately is probably going to wind up married to Jacob Frey), she fought tough in this race. Michelle scraped and pushed for a credible 2:48.46. The people of PRTC, more than many others, know how hard Michelle works and what a difficult year it has been for her. We know the incredible talent she possesses. And we know this was a performance to be proud of. Like Lewy-Boulet, Veena Reddy seemed to time her peak perfectly as well, posting a scintillating 2:38.08.
Great job by all the girls!
EARLIER IN THE WEEKEND, PAT WARD opted for spikes over flats, looking to run a fast 5k at the second Princeton meet. And it seemed like a fast 5k would come. Pat recalled that "the front of the pack maintained a pretty consistent 71-72 second pace, and at least 25 of us all went through 2 miles in 9:36, right on pace for running 15 flat. It was a beautiful night for running, and I was feeling fairly smooth." Unfortunately, this cadence did not continue. "Right after two miles, though, the pack broke up, and I quickly found myself unravelling, running two 74's, then two 76's. I'm happy with the hard effort I put in, and I really raced all the way to the line, so I have no doubts now about my fitness level. Unfortunately, I was hoping a 100% effort would yield a bit more than 15:14.40, so I again left Princeton on a Friday night fairly disappointed."
Ever the optimist, Pat gleaned what he could from his performance and sets his sights on Broad Street, hoping his improved turnover will help him barrel through center city on his way to the Naval Yard. "These last two races have made it clear to me that, with the recent schedule I've had at school, I've been erring on the side of overtraining the last few months. I don't think I've dug myself too deep of a hole, though, and I'm confident that with a modest tapering of the mileage, I'll be ready to roll at Broad Street in two weeks."
RYAN FENNELLY LOOKED TO KEEP HIS TURNOVER READY FOR PENN by stretching out the legs at a local 5k road race that honors Earth Day (Tuesday, 22 April). Ryan cruised through the course, picking up the victory. But Ryan was joined on this morning by a teammate who has not raced in many months. Citing good health, Tim Callinan looked to start knocking of the racing rust by running the Clean Air 5k. Tim still has quite a way to go to 100% fitness, but his effort was good enough on this day to land him in the winner's circle.
15 April 2008
Philadelphia, PA
Q & A With Olympic Trials Qualifiers Meredith Lambert and Abby Dean
This coming Sunday (April 20th), Meredith Lambert and Abby Dean will have their games faces on. At 8AM that morning, the gun goes off the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Marathon Trials. Meredith and Abby will get to mix it up with the very best distance runners the nation has to offer. So let's find out what steps took them to this moment, and what hopes and dreams Meredith and Abby hold in their hearts.
PRTC: Tell us about the steps that took you to a Olympic Trials qualifier.
ML: In the fall of 2006, I ran my first half marathon at the Philadelphia Distance Run. Immediately after finishing, I told myself it would be a long while before I ran a full marathon. After PDR, I spent the rest of my fall training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. At that race, I saw a huge improvement in my time and was amazed at how comfortable I felt. At that point, the idea of running a marathon began percolating in my head. I took a break from workouts for a couple months, and by February 2007, I was itching to start racing again. As I deliberated over whether to do some longer track races or another half marathon that Spring, I figured, "Why not run the full marathon and see if I can get the Olympic Trials qualifying time?" So I signed up for the inaugural Eugene Marathon in April. I decided on Eugene because the course promised to be fast and flat, and I liked the idea of running in a smaller race. Of course, I also just wanted an excuse to visit Eugene. Leading up to the marathon, I ran two workouts a week, combining tempo workouts and long runs, and my peak mileage reached about 90. A month before the race, I ran the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon as a tune-up, and was able to PR there, which was a huge boost to my confidence going into Eugene. Finally, a week before the marathon, I made a concerted effort to taper my mileage, which seemed like the hardest part of all my training. On race day, I went out with the pack running at 6:20 pace. That pace felt comfortable, so at about mile 5 or 6, I broke away with the second-place finisher and her training partner and ran with them through about mile 20. With 10k to go, I felt confident that I could win the race, so I surged ahead and didn't look back (I was really pining for the first-place prize of free Subway for a year!). When I crossed the line in 2:44:39, I was so elated to see that I had fulfilled my goal of qualifying for the Trials.
AD: I think I may have taken as many steps to get to an Olympic Trials qualifier as I have literally taken in running a marathon! My first attempt to run an Olympic Trials qualifier time was back in 2002 in hopes to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Trials. This was when the qualifying time was a 2:48, and my coach and I felt I was in shape to run a 2:48, so I signed up for the Las Vegas Marathon. I did not run a smart race, and finished in 2:50. I attempted to make the qualifying time in a few more marathons, but really struggled with some hip problems, and just was not able to run well. At the end of 2003, after several doctors’ visits, and lots of physical therapy, it became apparent that surgery was my only option of fixing the problem I was experiencing with my hips. Over the course of the next two years, I ended up having a total of three hip surgeries. After the 3rd surgery, I was told that I probably would not be able to run again, and if I did, definitely not marathons. Determined to stay active, I bought a bike and started cycling and swimming. I was not going to give up on running, though, so in the fall of 2005, I made my attempts at running again and started training for triathlons and some running races. After doing triathlons and road races for a little more than a year with little to no problems with my hips, I decided to give the marathon a shot. I signed up for the 2007 Grandmas Marathon, and despite the fact that I was also training for triathlons at the time, I wanted to see if I could make the Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:47. The weather was a little hot, and I was not in the best marathon shape at that point. I ended up running a 2:54, 7 minutes slower than the qualifying time of 2:47. But now my desire to make a qualify time was stronger than ever! I signed up for the 2007 [LaSalle Bank] Chicago Marathon, knowing that it was a fast course with typically cool weather. Unfortunately, Chicago hit a record high with heat that day, and again, I missed the qualifying time. My coaches then suggested I run the Philadelphia Marathon. I thought they were crazy to think I could possibly run another marathon in 6 weeks! I had also planned on doing Half Ironman (70.3) Championships that I had qualified for, but this was a week before the Philadelphia Marathon. Knowing that it would be impossible to do both events, I canceled my travel plans to Clearwater, FL for the 70.3 Championships and signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon. I ended up having a great race in Philadelphia, running almost 2 minutes under the Olympic Trials qualifying time! I am very thankful that I listened to my coaches!
[Editor's Note: Teammates Ted Callinan and Matt Byrne ran the exact same two races as Dean in the Fall of 2003 to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon Trials]
PRTC: What was you build-up to the Trials like?
ML: My build-up this year was very similar to what I did last year. I tried not to make many changes to my training program since it worked so well for me before. Again this fall, I raced PDR and the Philly Half, but I hadn't been following any structured training program to prepare for them. At the end of January, I gradually started increasing the length of my long runs and integrating tempo workouts into my routine. I raced the Virginia Beach Shamrock Sportsfest Half Marathon about a month ago with slightly disappointing results, but I'm optimistic that I was just having a bad day then and that my training has otherwise gone according to plan.
AD: I first had a little bit of down time (about two weeks) after the Philadelphia Marathon. I then focused on building my mileage back up. Once I had built my mileage back up, I did a few weeks of shorter track stuff, followed by a lot of tempo pace and marathon pace workouts. I tried to focus more on quality workouts than quantity. I think my maximum mileage was 85 miles, with most weeks in the 60’s and 70’s.
PRTC: Were there key tune-up races or workouts in particular that you focused on?
ML: The Shamrock Half [Marathon] was a key tune-up race that I focused on. I also ran a couple longer runs at marathon-pace, which have restored my confidence going into the race.
AD: I picked the Caesar Rodney ½ Marathon and the DC National ½ Marathon as my key tune-up races. For workouts, I particularly focused on tempo and marathon pace runs.
PRTC: What about the Olympic Trials themselves? Has the preparation with host committee been exciting? What has it entailed?
ML: Most of the preparation with the host committee has been via Email and the Internet. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as "exciting," but the committee seems to be well organized, and I'm confident that the race should go smoothly under its direction.
AD: The preparation with the host committee has been exciting. One of the first things you had to do was wait for you name to appear on the USATF site’s list of women that have qualified. Once your name appeared, you could “enter “ the Olympic Trials race. I don’t think qualifying really sunk in until I saw my name on that list! One not so exciting aspect of dealing with the host committee was finding out that I needed to have a WADA Therapeutic Exemption form filled out for medications I take for my asthma. After qualifying, I was made aware of the fact that my medications for my asthma were on the WADA Banned Substance List. This required medical records and documentation from my doctor. In addition, I had to have pulmonary function tests performed to prove that I did indeed have asthma and needed the medications that have been prescribed to me. I just got my clearance letter from WADA in the mail a few weeks ago!
PRTC: What are your goals for the Olympic Trials?
ML: My goals are to enjoy the race, practice pack running, run under 2:45, and finish in the top half of the race.
AD: My goals are to finish in the top 25 and set a Marathon PR. In order to try and finish in the top 25, I think I will need to try and race the marathon rather than stick to a goal pace. This could be a little risky, but I think it will be well worth the risk!
PRTC: On an ideal day, around what place and time would you hope is possible?
ML: Ideally, I would like to PR, so I would be pleased with any time under 2:44:39.
AD: On a perfect day, I think I can place in the top 25 and break 2:40.
PRTC: Anything else you want to add?
ML: I'm really excited to be a part of this experience, and I am so glad I made the decision to enter the race. I hope this will be the first of several Olympic Trials for me. Thanks to all the guys who helped out with those Sunday pace runs - if I make the Olympic team, I promise to give you all a shout-out at the press conference!
9 March, 2008
Wilminton, DE
PRTC RUNNERS ROLL ON HILLY HALF MARATHON COURSE
Abby Dean posted her second fastest half marathon ever at this year's edition of the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon. When one considers that this course is rolling, and that Abby is still flat from taking on high volume in preparation for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, things look promising for April! By running 1:20.46, Abby provided a new #7 time on PRTC's half marathon all-time list, right behind her own 1:19.07 from PDR this past Fall! Admittedly, Abby said that she was passed b eventual winner Kathleen Jobes and runner-up Heidi Woflsberger, in the first mile of the race. But Abby ran the course, fighting a headwind, to come up with a brilliant race!
On the men's side, Wylie Belasik and Fran Coyne made a return to racing, both capturing finishing places among the top 20overall! Adrenaline, and its exciting team scoring competition, are less than a week away!
29 February, 2008
New York City, NY
AT FASTRACK, FENNELLY RUNS ... WELL ... FAST
On this leap day, Ryan Fennelly leaped over rankings 7 through 10 on the the club's all-time list for 3k by running a speedy 8:20.79! This was only Ryan's second race of the Winter, but he showed remarkable sharpness. Ryan keyed in on this race for the last several weeks, taking advantage of a fast track and an annually quality field at a semi low-key meet.
NYU hosts FasTrack every year and has provided athletes with an opportunity to capitalize on race fitness at a relatively small meet on one of the better indoor tracks on the East Coast. This year, NYU was trying to help its own cause, employing a pacesetter to help one of its runners (and the eventual winner of the race), Hany Abdallah, break its existing team record of 8:20.52.
The pacesetter did his job, toeing the field through a 4:25 opening mile. At that point, Fennelly took up the pacing duties, helping to assure fast times. Fenn stayed at the front of the pack with 400m to go, as each runner beared down, looking to make a bid for the win. Fenn said the pack became jumbled for a second, before Abdallah shot forward, along with Fenn and two other runners. The results tell the story. The race was won by open runner Chris Heibell in 8:18.97. But Hany broke his school record, running 8:19.65. And Fenn ran his way in to the top three, beating 4th place finisher Brad Dobson by 2/10ths of a second! Now that's racing!
22 February, 2008
Haverford, PA
DREW LIGHTS IT UP ON AND OFF THE TRACK
Yes, we know what you're thinking. "The headline is a little presumptious, isn't it?" Well it's not when you understand the meaning behind it. True, Drew was the first of our four athletes across the line in the 3000m at the Keogh Invitational, but Drew was also metaphorically "on fire" because of his dryer! "Post race, we went home, and I was doing our laundry and caught the dryer on fire!" Drew explained. "After the fire department came and put the dryer out, all we lost were some of her clothes and my PRTC jersey! ... Anyway, we are fine, and my landlord wasn't too upset, so hopefully all is well."
As for the race itself, Drew said he was "definitely pleased with my run and was really excited to run with the guys in a race." The 3000m found no less than four PRTC runners on the starting line. The heat was comprised of exclusively post-collegiate athletes, so it provided an easy visual in terms of matching up three of the top clubs in the area. At the gun, Haddonfield Running Company's Greg Bielecki took the lead. The rest of the field fell in to a line. Between 600m and 800m, our very own Ross Martinson went to the front, looking to help Greg out and make sure the race times were fast.
But there was even more shuffling of places going on behind Greg and Ross. PRTC's Tom Haxton and Drew Nesbitt seemed to be running two on two with Bryn Mawr's Grant Scott and Zach Vaslow Meanwhile, Pat Ward was pacing himself with other Bryn Mawr runners Sean Cavanaugh and Tom Parlapiano, as well as Haddonfield's Dave Welsh.
As the runners entered the last 800m of the race, the athletes upped the tempo, and Greg Bielecki made a bid to close out the race. With two laps to go, the runners were in full flight. Bielecki was in the lead with Ross still holding the number two spot. The final lap held great drama, as the runners tore down the backstretch - looking to scramble the finishing order. By this point, Bielecki was a sure win, closing out the race with a 61 second last lap. In the last 100m, all four runners in the Tom Haxton/Drew Nesbitt group charged just slightly ahead of Ross. Then it was a parade to the finish, with the race proving to have much depth.
Ross and Tom both seemed pleased, as this was only Tom's second indoor race of the year, and the first indoor race in a long tim for Ross! Not short on races this year, Pat was looking to better his PR of 8:36. Thus he was slightly disappointed, but was sure he had done some things right. " We came through the mile in the exact same pace I was running when I ran my PR," Pat noted. "I just wasn't able to close as fast tonight." PRTC was supposed to have even a fifth runner in the race, but Ted Callinan had to pull out about ten minutes before the race when he surprisingly pulled his left calf.
All in all, our PRTC guys ran well. And the team surely showed its depth. It's funny. Just when you think you haven't heard anything about this team in a while, they step to the line and show you what they've got.
9 February, 2008
Bryn Mawr, PA
ROSS MARTINSON BREAKS CLUB RECORD FOR ROAD 5K
PRTC broke out the road flats for the first time this year at cross-town rival Bryn Mawr's Feel the Love 5k. And in the process, Ross ran an incredible 14:36 and broke PRTC's club record for a road 5k (old record = 14:39 by Mike Hatch at Adrenaline Run in 2006)! Ross was able to capitalize on fitness, a relatively fast course, and great weather(with cool temperatures and virtually no wind).
Ross ran the right portion of the course (the side that seemed to be favored by the majority of the top runners in the race). At the start, Ross broke away from a talented pack that included teammates Tom Haxton and Pat Ward, as well as Bryn Mawr runners Grant Scott and Bernie Mueller and Haddonfield's Dave Welsh. Ross passed the mile mark at 4:40 and kept pressing.
By the end, Ross was well clear of the field and anjoying a new club record. Teammate Pat Ward rounded out the winner's circle, producing his fastest ever road 5k by far and continuing to show great fitness. "I'm happy with my race," Pat said afterwards. "I know I'm capable of setting several PR's this Spring." Tom Haxton made showed that he is beginning to shake his brief illness, clocking 15:24 on the day. Finally, Ted Callinan ran his first race since early November, winning the "left loop" of the course, but securing only 7th place overall.
To add more joy to the Martinson household, Ross's wife Kerry PR'd by approximately 50 seconds, running 20:54! This time placed her just 9 seconds asteer of another PRTC spouse (and former PRTC member herself) Clarrise Haxton, who ran 20:45.
In terms of the varied categories that this unusual race offers, here is the breakdown for the team:
Lovers Team Results:
Ross and Kerry = 2nd Place
Tom and Clarisse = 4th Place
Same Sex Team Results:
Ted and Pat = 1st Place
Feel the Love 5k 2008
Ross Martinson, 1st Place, 14:36
Pat Ward, 3rd Place, 15:12
Tom Haxton, 5th Place, 15:24
Edward Callinan, 7th Place, 15:29
3
February, 2008
Boston, MA
BORGHUIS WINS ROAD 10K IN BOSTON
In New England visiting the new in-laws, Bart found a road
10k in Boston on this particular weekend. The race had about 500
people, and featured both a 5k and a 10k. The 10k course was just two
loops of the 5k course. Bart thought the race was quote "fun" and ran
hard to win in a time of 31:18. Bart's new bride, Veena, won the
women's race in 34:52.
There were a few guys in the pack at first, but a mile in, I pulled
away and then kept building distance," Bart recounted. "Through
the halfway point, my lead was about 30 seconds. Then I pushed more and
the guy [in second place] faded to finish in 33:22."
The race, sponsored by Legal Seafoods, was thought to be measured
accurately by USATF; however, runners using GPS to mapped the course
and found it to be 5.97 miles, one quarter mile short. Still, a person
has to run
the race that is presented to him. Bart, ran the race, and Bart won.
2 February,
2008
Haverford,PA
FENN, HAXTON, WARD SHAKE OFF RUST WITH FIRST TRACK
RACE OF 2008
PRTC enjoyed watching several of its runners in action on an indoor
track close to
home. Ryan, Tom, and Pat all decided to start their 2008 racing off
with a small indoor meet at Haverford.
In the mile, Ryan showed a good return to form, and showed his
mid-distance speed. He
narrowly missed the win, finishing just astride of new American citizen
(and U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier) Macharia Yout. Pat doubled back and
continued to sharpen his speed by running the 800m.
Finally, Tom and Ryan also doubled back in the 3000m. The 3000 had a
deep field. Evidence of that can be
seen by Ryan's 8:41 first effort of the year on a flat track only
claiming a 5th place finish. "I'm happy with my mile," Ryan said later,
"but I feel like I never really put myself in that 3k. I led for a good
part of the race, but I wasn't there late." Tom was hampered by
illness, but since has reported that he is feeling better and will be
ready to go at the Feel the Love 5k.
2
February, 2008
East Strousburg, PA
DREW NESBITT PULLS OFF IMPRESSIVE DOUBLE AT FIRST INDOOR MEET
Drew Nesbitt was able to exorcise the demons of his last race
at club cross country nationals by coming up with a big double on very
familiar territory. Drew took part in the Deschriver Invitational at
his alma mater, East Strousburg Univeristy. His old coaches were surely
impressed, as Drew won the alumni mile in a time that bested the open
field. Drew then paced an old teammate through the first 600 of a 1000m
race, peeling off the track at 1:27. Finally, Drew ended the day with
an effort in the 3000m. Drew was not able to pull off a victory in both
of his races, but he came damn close, finishing second in a time of
8:52. Drew was okay with the runner-up position in the 3000, as he said
he "was happy with the solid effort on the day."
26
January, 2008
King of Prussia, PA
DEAN AND CALLINAN NAMED MID-ATLANTIC USATF LDR ATHLETES OF 2007
PRTC was fortunate to have runners claim the USATF
Mid-Atlantic
long distance runner titles for 2007 in both the men's and women's
category.
Abby
Dean won the title after
a spectacular 2007. Abby ran a
gutsy
race at Grandma's Marathon in June. Abby was not able to secure a
qualifying time for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials at this race
only
because of the sweltering heat. Weather once again
plagued Abby and the
rest of the marathon field at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in
October. With time running out, Abby toed the marathon
line for the
third time in six months at the Philadelphia Marathon in November. This
unbelieveable determination paid off. Abby battled fatigue and raw,
overcast conditions on that day to not only PR, but qualify for the
Olympic Trials! She truly deserved this award!
Ted
Callinan won the title by
showing ability at different
distances. Early in 2007, Ted won a four mile road race in Mount Holly
in record time (19:22). He scored points in the USATF Mid-Atlantic
grand prix by placing 5th at Bancroft (the 5k championships) and 7th at
the Blue Cross Broad Street Run (the 10 mile championships). Ted ran
his second Olympic Marathon Trials in November, but was unable to
finish due to two stress fractures.
30
December, 2007
Londonderry, NH
PAT WARD SPICES UP WINTER BREAK WITH A 4TH AT MILLENIUM MILE
On
his way to Manchester Airport for his flight back to Philadelphia on
Sunday, Pat stopped in nearby North Londonderry, NH to run the
Millenium Mile. Pat was glad he decided to do so - scoring a huge PR
and finishing 4th in this annual favorite of serious runners! "The last
time I ran a race this short was nearly four years ago, so I was pretty
surprised with how well this went, especially since I didn't cut back
my mileage at all for the race, and I haven't done any workouts
approaching mile pace," Pat surmised after the race.
Pat started rather conservatively, going through the 1/4 mile mark in
approximately 9th place. After that, he used his strength to just
gradually pick people off. With a 1/4 mile to go, Pat found himself in
4th place and still feeling good, so he made his push to pass the 3rd
place runner (the last money spot). It wasn't to be, as the runner in
third position held Pat off and stopped the clock at 4:07. Pat hit the
tape seconds later at 4:10. Yes, this is a road course, and a net
downhill at that. But Pat's time was far faster than any 1500 or mile
race he has ever run before that it is safe to say this is still a
legitimate improvement at the distance for the young PRTC'er. As Pat
noted, "Despite the course being significantly aided, I'll take a 15
second P.R. in the mile any day!"
8
December,
2007
West Chester, OH
PRTC FOURSOME TAKES ON CLUB CROSS NATIONALS - GIRLS FINISH IN HIGH IN
THE RACE
Claire
posted the third fastest 6k of all time for the women's team,
and Gina cracked the top 50 in the race to post a solid finish as well!
That's some damn fine running by our girls! The weather at Voice of
America Park in West Chester, Ohio was formidable for all the athletes.
There were frigid temperatues and hardened grass, which can certainly
do a number on a runner's calves. Not only that, but the fields for
nationals this year were exceptionally large, boasting 32 teams and 235
runners. Yet Claire ran another great race, finishing 37th overall in
the national championships and ran 21:48 (this performance only trails
the races at last year's edition of the same race run by Gina and
Claire herself!)! Gina's performance will be placed just behind
Claire's run from this day in the top ten!
The men's race had an even large contingent - with 50 teams and an
astounding 422 runners! In addition, the senior men's race is always
the last one of the day, which means the ground has been thoroughly
chewed up by the four races that were held before this one. Pat Ward
continued his big leaps in racing on this day, clocking 35:09 over the
uneven ground. Meanwhile, Drew Nesbitt laced up his PRTC spikes for the
first time! Admittedly, the race did not go well for Drew on this day,
but Drew seems to embody the PRTC spirit, which means he will be back
to fight another day.
2
December,
2007
West Chester, PA
MARTINSON TAKES ON THE ROLLING HILLS OF WEST CHESTER
Brian's Run in West Chester, PA has been around for many years. And the
race brings out the best of everything. The race is for a good cause
(Brian's Run began in 1978 as a one-time fund raising event to
benefit Brian Bratcher, a West Chester Henderson High School football
player who sustained a life-challenging spinal cord injury at the age
of 15 during a scrimmage.). The race course is challenging (Check out
the elevation of the course - with its many rolling hills.). And the
race field is top notch (It is filled with many foreigners and elite
Americans hoping to dip their hands in to the ten places deep money
pot!).
On this day, Ross placed himself high on the pecking order, finishing
7th place and earning $125 in the process! Ross was surrounded by
foreign runners, making himself only the second American to cross the
finish line.
18
November, 2007
Philadelphia, PA
DEAN QUALIFIES FOR OLYMPIC TRIALS; NESBITT AND LAMBERT PERFORM
GREAT IN FIRST EFFORT FOR PRTC
Abby did it. She stuck with it. Her previous two efforts to qualify for
the Olympic Marathon Trials in April were thwarted by unfavorable
weather conditions. And Sunday at the Philadelphia Marathon wasn't
exactly perfect weather either. But just as Abby had fought back to
line up for her third marathon in the last six months, Abby fought hard
when the gun took off to help make her dream come true.
AT THE START OF THE PHILADELPHIA MARATHON, the runners
were trying to keep warm from low temperatures, a slight wind, and a
bit of drizzle. For Abby, this was her third marathon since June; for
Claire, this was her first marathon ever! And with American women
looking to punch their tickets to the Olympic Marathon Trials to be
held this Spring, the women's field was guaranteed to be deep and fast.
Prior to the race, Abby fleshed out her plans. "My plan was to go out
at 6:20 pace or slightly under and just try to hold it. That morning, I
talked with one of my coaches, and since it was windy, my strategy was
a little different. I would try to not completely rely on mile splits,
but rather pay attention to effort. So when the wind was behind me, my
splits were much faster. I also knew from previous marathons how much
the hills slowed me down. My goal was to try to hit the hills at a
harder effort, knowing that after each one, there was a downhill [on
which] I could recover.
Abby was with a pack of women for the first few miles, but she felt
like their pace was a little too fast for her, so she pulled back. Her
move wound up being a "good thing, because I ended up passing one of
them around mile 9 or 10 and one them around mile 15. By mile 14, my
hamstrings started to cramp up from the cold. I just hoped they would
cooperate for the rest of the run.
Trying to run intelligently, Claire passed the Art Museum area
protected by a small pack of male runners. Claire hit the half-way mark
almost exactly on pace. The clock read 1:23:31 as Claire passed, which
was a bit quicker than she had planned. Claire was staying tucked in,
hoping to use the line of runners as a buffer against any wind that the
runners might face on Kelly Drive. MEANWHILE, IN THE MEN'S RACE,
Tom and Bart were looking to exact some revenge from unfavorable
weather conditions in their previous marathon outings as well. Tom had
enjoyed a speedy recover from the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and had
put in plenty of hard work in the subsequent six weeks. Bart decided to
use the second half of the Fall as an experiment to see if
under-training might help him find a second peak for the season come
race day. As the men's race unfolded, the splits did not suggest a
record day. Running the race that was in front of him, however, Tom
placed himself high on the pecking order in the early miles. Tom was
running in small lead pack, accompanied only by the eventual winner and
runner-up of the race. At eight miles, Tom lost contact with the duo
and ran most of the next 17 miles alone in third.
AS OUR PRTC GUYS AND GIRLD PROCEEDED ON TO KELLY DRIVE, THE
WAIT WAS OFFICIALLY ON.
AS THE FINISHERS STARTED TO CLIMB THEIR WAY FROM LLOYD HALL
BACK UP TO THE ART MUSEUM, the PRTC faithful were looking for
their teammates. As Tom approached the base of the Art Museum with
approximately 750 meters to go, he was joined by Jean-Nicolas Duval and
Chris Nirschel. The two had worked together to reel Tom in. But Tom was
not about to fall from third place down to fifth. He explained that "I
couldn’t match (former steeplechaser) Jean-Nicolas’s furious kick,
but I was able to pull away from Chris for the bragging rights of first
Philadelphian." Bart also hung tough to help bolster a body of marathon
work that will help pay dividends 'down the road.' After our men
crossed the line, our women weren't too far behind.
One woman passed Abby on heading East on Kelly Drive, but Abby ended up
passing two women not too long after that, so she didn't lose her place
for long. Abby recalled that when she reached mile 20, she knew she
felt pretty good and was certain that she could make her goal of 2:47.
"But you never can be sure at mile 20, so I kept trying to maintain my
efforts... When I got back on the Drive, my calves had also started to
cramp up. I knew if I could just get through it, I would make my time.
At that point, I started doing the calculations in my head to see what
pace I could slow down to and still make it. One of my coaches who was
out on the Drive started yelling to me that I could catch some of the
girls ahead and that there were three women chasing me. That changed my
focus, and so for the last four miles or so, I concentrated on trying
to get the women I could see ahead of me. It paid off. I ended up
passing another woman in the last mile!"
Realizing a goal that she has worked very hard towards, ABBY HIT
THE TAPE IN 2:45.21! THE TIME GAVE ABBY A NEW PR AND A QUALIFIER FOR
THE 2008 U.S. OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS TO BE HELD IN BOSTON THIS COMING
APRIL! Claire provided a marathon PR sweep for the women's team,
finishing the race in 3:06.41! Analyzing her race, Claire stated that
she made it to 17 still fairly close to pace and then swiftly
unraveled. "But I'm glad I finished, [and I'm] happy with the effort
and excited for the next phase of my marathon training."
IN THE DAY'S TWO OTHER RACES, PRTC ENJOYED GREAT PERFORMANCES
FROM TWO NEWCOMERS! In the half marathon, former Princeton Tiger
Meredith Lambert showed off her long-distance prowess by finishing
second overall in the women's race. Another relative newcomer to the
club, Wylie Belasik finished seventeenth in the men's race. Citing law
school and a buy schedule, Meredith feels she has been short on
training this Fall, making her performance all the more impressive.
DREW NESBITT STUNNED THE TEAM, finishing fourth overall in
the annually competitive Rothman Institute 8k. The Rothman Institute 8k
has been a long partner to the full marathon and enjoyed deep fields.
Drew had never raced 8k on the roads and took a decisive chop off his
8k PR (25:33) on the day! Drew ran a very impressive 24:40, suggesting
that he can translate his 1500m skills in to mid-distance success. The
start of the 8k found the men's field running extremely conservatively,
passing the mile in 5:00. But Drew, along with Pat Ward, made sure they
kept with the leaders to separate themselves from the masses on Kelly
Drive. Pat continued his full racing Fall by running a PR 25:24!
Overall, PRTC placed many runners in each race and provided great
performances and PRs to boot! It was a great way to represent the team
and running in our hometown.
4
November, 2007
Camden, NJ
DEAN PREPARES FOR PHILADELPHIA MARATHON WITH BEN FRANKLIN BRIDGE
CHALLENGE 10K
On November 18th, Abby Dean will look to right the wrongs that occured
at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in October. On that day in
Chicago, Abby did everything right, but the weather for the athletes
was completely wrong. At start time, the weather was hot and humid. And
the temperature climbed through the race to boot! Despite all that,
Abby finished with a fine 2:56. Unfortunately, 2:56 doesn't get you in
to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to be held in Boston this coming
April. Abby has proven many times before that she is capable, and her
effort in Chicago tells her she can do it again.
So Abby set her sights on the Philadelphia Marathon to be run on
November 18th. As such, Abby scheduled one last tune-up race. The Ben
Franklin Bridge Run 10k would suit her needs perfectly. The race always
has a highly competitive field and is run on a very challenging course.
The race starts at the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden. The
runners climb over the bridge to the Philadelphia side, immediately
turn and climb back over the bridge, before running the last several
miles through Camden and finishing at Campell's Field - home of the
Camden Riversharks!
On this day, Abby found herself finishing 8th overall, but was pleased
with the effort, as all the runners in front of her were international
runners with mid-distance savvy. She was able to get her tune-up in.
The key now is simply to focus on the streets of Philadelphia. For
Abby, the streets of Philadelphia on November 18th could help pave the
way to the streets of Boston in April.
3
November, 2007
New York City, NY
BYRNE AND CALLINAN COMPETE AT OLYMPIC TRIALS; WARD RACES BAD BOY XC
On Saturday morning, two members of PRTC were able to take place in the
fastest and deepest Olympic Marathon Trials ever. Stong winds were
gusting down the streets of Manhattan on this Fall morning, as
Hurricane Noel had taken an unexpected turn back toward the U.S.
coastline. The temperature was nice and cool as the buses made their
way to the starting line at Rockefeller Plaza.
This race was not your typical, quiet road race. Evidence of that could
be seen a full hour before the start. As Ted went out on the streets to
warm up, he saw a group of men running around with their shirts off -
each one covered with a letter spray-painted on to his chest. The
letters spelled out "Brian Sell" - the eventual third place finisher
and member of the 2008 Olympic Marathon Team. Viewed nationally on the
Today show, the opening miles were conservative, as the runners made
their way through the city - running right through Times Square. This
start was somewhat surprising, although understandable, as each and
every runner knew that the rolling hills in Central Park awaited
The field filtered in to the park with fans awaiting. People were
cheering and holding signs everywhere. There were very few spots of the
five mile loop (the first of the five loops was four miles) that did
not have people lining it. With each lap the runners covered of the
criterium course, the crowds at the grandstands grew bigger.
Both of our guys did not have the day they envisioned however. Matty
fought cramps from the third mile to the finish. The cramps were not
constant, Matt explained, as "they would get better, then worse, then
better, then worse. I could never stand up and run pain free for more
than two to three minutes." Matt is not sure why this problem arose,
but thinks perhaps it is due to overhydration. This is understandable
on a day when every runner wants to run well so badly that his or her
preparations can border on overkill.
Preparations is exactly what hindered Ted on this day as well. Ted
started the race further back than Matty, but was looking to run
conservatively and perhaps move up as the race went on. "With the
Summer and Fall I had, I knew I was short on health and fitness. I
hoped that with a conservative start, my strength would show itself and
I could pull through as the race went on. Ironically, I have been
improving in health steadily the last three weeks; I simply ran out of
time to prepare."
UPTOWN, PAT WARD LINED UP FOR A RACE THAT ALSO FEATURED MANY
HILLS, but these hills would be found on the grass. Pat said that
was caught up in some traffic off the starting line, but that he threw
in some surges upon entering the woods and up Freshman Hill. This put
Pat in good position entering the back hills. "In retrospect, I was
probably a bit too aggressive," Pat noted afterwards. "I somehow went
through two miles faster than I had at Franklin Park six days before,
which led me to start feeling pretty ragged over the latter part of the
back hills loop." Pat lost places in the back hills loop, but was able
to recover and take back some of those places leading up to the bridge.
From there, Pat fought hard and maintained his position until the
finish.
"I think this was a better performance than my race at Mayor's Cup. And
since it came after several not restful hours on my feet that morning
in Central Park, I can't complain. I'm glad I decided to race, but I'm
looking forward to pacing myself a bit more evenly at Rothman, and then
gearing up for a strong race at Club Nationals!"
28
October, 2007
Boston, MA
WARD KEEPS GETTING FASTER - COMPETES AT B.A.A. MAYOR'S CUP
Using frequent racing as a way to prepare for USATF Fall Cross Country
Championships, Pat Ward raced yet again this weekend. This time, Pat
was back on 'home turf' in a way, racing in New England. And as can
often be found in New England, there was energy and excitement
surrounding the annual B.A.A. Mayor's Cup. Pat provided us with a full
acount of the race. And since he was there, we'll let him tell the
story:
The course was a bit soft from some rain in the preceding
days, and there were some strong wind gusts, but the tempeature was
perfect and it was a sunny day. I have seen some faster days at the
Franklin Park, but I've also seen days that were much slower. I would
say it was an average, fair day for judging times.
I found the opening pace pretty quick for me, but I got out decently
well (4:54, putting me around 80th). I then focused on moving up
through the pack over the 2nd mile. After 5K, I pretty much defended my
position through to the finish.
I'm happy with the race at this point. I went through 5K almost as fast
as I raced the Parkway Run 5K a month ago. I seem to be improving with
every race, and if can keep this up, I'll be hitting my collegiate
P.R.'s soon enough. I'm excited about th rest of the season, especially
Club Nationals!
--> be sure to
check out this interview with Abby D. and Tom H. on the press page!
<--
Saturday's
Olympic Trials Marathon is perhaps the most important race in
American Distance running history. After spending years trying to get
itself out of the doldrums of world distance running, USATF, USOC, and
the NYRR are about to stage one of the most hyped races in memory. With
an incredible grassroots push from websites such as Flotrack.com,
Chasingglory.com, and phillytc.com the OT marathon has become the point
mark where US distance running no longer talks about how we are coming
back as a distance power, but shows that we are a distance power! The
Philadelphia Runner Track Club is excited to be a part of the statement
with two of its runners toeing the line in front of St. Patrick's
Cathedral on Saturday morning.
Both Matt Byrne and Ted Callinan will be lining up for their second OT.
This second go around was just as tough as the first. Ted, Matty, and
several other PRTC runners lined up at the 2005 Twin Cities Marathon
looking to get a qualifier from day one of the qualifying window. They,
along with pretty much everyone else, were befallen by an untypical
humid day for Minnesota. It was okay though, there were to still be
other chances.
In January of 2006 though Matt broke his tail bone. He struggled and
fought his way back to form setting his sights on the 2006 Steamtown
Marathon to take a second shot at qualifying. A former winner of the
race, and a hometown native, Matt had intimate knowledge of the course.
He used it to his advantage and not only qualified for the Trials but
also won the race! His 2:21:50 was almost a challenge to the rest of
the team to join him in NY for the trials.
Three week's after Matty's romp through coal country Ted lined up at a
very chilly Chicago Marathon (remember I said 2006, not 2007). Wanting
to exact revenge for missing the trials by 2 seconds at the 2003
Chicago Marathon, Ted worked hard every step of the race to ensure he
would qualify. He would need to as he only had 4 seconds left on the
clock when he crossed the finish line. Watching the finish line on the
internet, fellow qualifier Mike McKeeman said he "you are allowed to
qualify for the Trials without giving yourself and the rest of us a
heart attack the final 200m as the clock ticks toward 2:22."
Mike joins several other local runners lining up for the trials this
weekend. Jacob Frey, a frequent member of PRTC workouts will be lining
up for his first trials. Bobby Cannon, a recent Haverford College grad,
will join a long line of Tom Donnelly coached athletes that have lined
up for an Olympic Trials race. New citizen Macharia Yuot will be
returning to NY for the third time this year to race.
PRTC and Puma are excited and proud to have Ted and Matt representing
at such an amazing event. We wish them, and all the local qualifiers,
the best of luck on Saturday!!
NYRR.org
ChasingGlory.com
USATF OlympicTrials-Marathon-Men 2007
27
October, 2007
Philadelphia, PA
FENNELLY AND BORGHUIS GO 2 - 3 At BOBTOBERFEST FIVE MILER
Ryan continued his mid-distance racing, and Bart made a return to
action after Steamtown at the Bobtoberfest Five Miler. The race started
at Blue Bell Park above Forbidden Drive. The first half mile went
downhill through Rittenhouse Town. The morning of the race, there was
significant rain, to the point that it called the race in to question.
But eventually the sun came out, and the rain drained away from the
main trails. Bart opened up with a 5:12 first mile. He said that he
felt good early in the race - especially considering it was his first
race since the Steamtown Marathon.
Villanova alumnus Tom Parlapiano and Fennelly were locking horns at the
front of the race. Two miles in to Forbidden Drive, the course took a
180. At this point, Bart passed two runners and moved in to 3rd place.
Bart was able to maintain his position, but was not able to make up
more ground on the two leaders. In the late stages of the race, the
course climbed back uphill. This, coupled with the fact that this was
Bart's first post-marathon effort, made his legs start to feel heavy.
The order stayed the same until the finish line. Parlapiano 1st. But
our guys put up solid performances, finishing 2nd and 3rd.
After the race, all the participants celebrated Halloween and the month
of October with Bobtoberfest! Yes, you guessed it. The race was named
after none other than Bob Shwelm! The winners received carved pumpkins,
and in Octoberfest fashion, there were plenty of hot dogs and
sauerkraut after the race!
13
October, 2007
Gloucester, NJ
Ward Recovers from Inuries - Returns to Racing
Showing the return to form that provided him with a PR at the Jefferson
Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run, Pat Ward lined up for a 5k that
boasts deep prize money and a talented field. Ted joined him, looking
to sharpen his turnover after injuries had delayed his focus on
speedwork throughout the Fall.
This impressive 5k, called the Heroes to Hero 5k. It honors the lives
of the firemen from Mt. Ephraim and Gloucester City, who died in
responding to a fire alarm on the 4th of July several years ago. The
course follows the route the firemen took the day of the fire and
passes the homes of the men involved in the tragedy. In trying to
maneuver their way from Mt. Ephraim to Gloucester quickly and avoid
main roads, the firemen took smaller, side roads. Thus, the course the
runners take in this race is extremely twisty, with plenty of 90 degree
turns.
Though windy, the weather was still favorable - sunny and a bit cool.
At the gun, the runners charged ahead. It seemed to be one of those
races where people went hard in to the wind at the beginning and then
were penned in to their position, thanks to the constant turns and
pushing winds.
"I am happy with this race," Pat said afterwards. "I am looking to get
my turnover going, and hopefully this will set me up to run well at
Mayor's Cup." Pat will be racing the B.A.A. Mayor's Cup at venerable
Franklin Park on Sunday, 28 October.
7
October
Chicago, IL; Scranton, PA
PRTC MARATHONERS SURVIVE SAUNA-LIKE CONDITIONS
Many people know about the conditions by now. The heat and humidity
took its toll on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. The conditions were
so bad that race organizers actually canceled the race after four
hours! The following is an official press release from race officials:
Due to the rising heat index and higher than expected temperatures,
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski
and Medical Director Dr. George Chiampas, in cooperation with city
officials, have implemented a contingency plan, as a precautionary
measure, to effectively close the Marathon course at the halfway point.
Runners who have not reached the halfway point by approximately 12:00
p.m. will be diverted back to Grant Park via Halsted and Jackson...
Participants are asked to take advantage of medical personnel, cooling
buses, runner drop out buses, water, Gatorade and other means of
support en route back to Grant Park.
Amazingly, our runners posted great performances considering the
conditions. Abby was 15th overall and the 7th American in the field!
Tom finished 30th! Ross finished 45th! These finishes are in a field of
45,000! And our athletes posted these performances on a day when many
people couldn't even keep their feet going! It was brutal. Tom
recounted that he "forgot to Vaseline my nipples and decided I needed
to get that jersey off my skin around 18 miles in. Around the same
time, I ran by a bank sign that read 86 degrees! Actually, Tom and Ross
stuck together through the half-way point, as they were a few ticks
over 1:11. This pace puts them outside of qualifying, but not with a
strong second half. Of course, that would be a strong second half on a
day where conditions were much more favorable. "At least I know that
there was nothing I could have done to run 2:21 here today," Tom
considered. "We had a nice group there going for it."
Abby looked to defy the odds as well. She kept on pace for a qualifier
for a long time. Eventually though, the heat was just too much. Before
the race, Abby said she truly felt she was "in 2:45 shape. Of course,
that did not leave me much room to adjust my pace for the heat. I read
that the temperature was 88 degrees by 10 AM. Anyway, I really
struggled to get into a rhythm from the start, and I never felt good at
any point. By mile 13, I was slowing down and was not sure if I could
get the pace back. By mile 18, I knew there was no way I was going to
make the time."
MEANWHILE, BART HAD COOLER CONDITIONS, but not by much. Months before,
Bart decided to take his shot at a Fall marathon closer to home, opting
for the promising Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA. Despite its small
size and lack of a deep field, Steamtown has been beneficial to many a
runner (not excluding past champion and PRTC member Matt Byrne).
Steamtown annually offers cool conditions, as the race takes place
north of the Poconos. It also provides a quick course ... as long as
the runners remember to not let themselves go too much in the first ten
miles (which is literally a net downhill).
Bart has made great leaps in his training and fitness, capped off with
a stint in Mammoth Lakes, California. This day could definitely have
seen Bart post a PR worth a couple of minutes. But Bart was going to
feel the sapping effects of humidity as well. Bart said he felt decent
at the start, but his splits were not coming to him as he would like.
He started the race in the mid to high 5:30s, but quickly began a
concerted effort to bring his splits down. Bart found himself passing
and then being passed by other members of the lead pack.
Before reaching mile 20, Bart knew that a goal time of approximately
2:25 was not in the cards. The weather conditions just wouldn't allow.
Still, Bart gamely fought on, looking to crack 2:30. "But my legs felt
drained," Bart explained. Add the weather conditions to the distance,
and that feeling is certainly understandable. Still, by the end of the
race, Bart managed to finish in the top ten and post a career PR!
ON A DAY WHEN HEAT AND HUMIDITY BLANKETED MOST OF THE COUNTRY and
severely affected two of the biggest races in the country (there was
one death each reported at both the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and
Army 10 Miler), PRTC and Puma want to express how proud they are of
their athletes. These athletes' times and their finishes are both
testaments to their character.
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon 2007
Men's Team
Tom Haxton, 30th Place, 2:34.38
Ross Martinson, 45th Place, 2:38.43
Women's Team
Abby Dean, 15th Place (7th American), 2:56.24
Steamtown Marathon 2007
Bart Borghuis, 10th Place, 2:32.04 *PR*
6
October, 2007
Lititz, PA
LUCREZI RIPS ROAD 5k
Gina has definitely returned to form, posting a smoking fast time at a
small, low-key race called Hartz Fall Blast 5k. Gina took first place
in the race with a time of 16:21. But as a true PRTC runner and person
of character, Gina confessed that the course felt short to her. She
"felt like it was a little short. We (Gina and her friend Drew) mapped
it out with gps, and got 3.03-4 miles. So for a true 5k, I was probably
closer to 16:40 or so." Still, this is a big PR for Gina, as even the
converted time would eclipse some 17 seconds from her previous best!
Gina recounted her victory, recalling that she "ran it solo after the
first mile. I just kept thinking 'Run hard, run harder.'. But I didn't
really feel like I was going that quickly. Despite how big of a
performance Gina posted, she said that she still has "some bigger
plans."
Hartz Fall Blast 5k 2007
Gina Lucrezi, 1st Place, 16:21 *PR*
29
September, 2007
Philadelphia, PA
PRTC RUNNERS TREK DOWN BEN FRANKLIN PARKWAY
Abby and Tom were using the Parkway Run as a last tune-up before their
Fall marathons. Meanwhile, Ryan and Pat Ward were looking to sharpen
their mid-distance skills. On a beautiful early Fall morning, PRTC put
four athletes in the Parkway Run.
Showing good fitness for Chicago, Abby placed 2nd female overall. She
trailed only Olympian Carmen Duma-Hussar. More impressive than her
actual race, perhaps, is what Abby did in addition to it. "Although the
5k was disappointing, I did have to do three more miles at marathon
pace immediately afterwards and they felt very easy, so hopefully that
is a good sign for the marathon."
The men were met with a quality field. Still suffering nagging
tightness in one hamstring, Ryan was able to place 4th in 15:23.
Meanwhile, Tom and Pat ran close to each other placing two more PRTC
runners in the top ten.
The Parkway Run 2007
Men's Team
Ryan Fennelly, 4th Place, 15:23
Pat Ward, 7th Place, 16:04
Tom Haxton, 10th Place, 16:09
Women's Team
Abby Dean, 2nd Place, 17:52
16
September, 2007
Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI
PR'S A PLENTY AT PDR; GINA RACES US 5k CHAMPS
The starting gun on this Sunday morning sent the runners off into a
cool, crisp, and clear September day in Philadelphia. The temperature
intimated that fast times were definitely possible on this day.
Strangely, the lead runners maintained a pedestrian pace through the
first two miles. "It was weird," Brian Skelly said. "For the first two
miles, I was right there with the international guys." Before long,
though, the racing began in earnest.
A slight wind accompanied the runners through center city and the first
portion of Martin Luther King Drive. On the women's team, Claire and
Abby placed themselves high in the pecking order during the race.
Moreover, all three members of the women's team were on PR pace on this
day. On the men's team, Brian and Tom placed themselves high in the
pecking order as well.
As Brian made his way towards the Art Museum, it seemed certain that he
would better his half marathon PR. He did just that. Though Tom
certainly ran much faster than his recorded time at the Caesar Rodney
Half Marathon last year, today was officially a PR as well. Finally,
there was Pat Ward, who was determined to live up to his prediction
last Thursday of a PR. When Tony Reavis of Elite Racing asked Pat what
his half marathon PR was, he said "1:13 - UNTIL SUNDAY!" He was right.
So if you're keeping count, that's a sweep, ON BOTH SIDES! Each member
of the women's team AND each member of the men's team PR'D at the 30th
anniversary of the Jefferson Hospital Distance Run. If running is
supposed to be about always pushing yourselves to improve, then the
example demonstrated by our teams on this day is certainly noteworthy.
THE STARTING GUN WAS ALSO FIRED IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,
where Gina took on the top mid-distance women in the U.S. at the road
5k champs. Still under-raced, Gina posted a solid performance, running
17:26.
Philadelpha,
PA
8 September, 2007
SKELLY AND PRTC WIN EDITION 4 OF BATTLE ROYALE
The sunny, hot, and dry weekends continue in the Philadelphia area. And
though it's not fun to race in the heat, a small but talented field of
men laced up their racing spikes at venerable Blemont Plateau to 'heat
up' Battle Royale. The race included the usual suspects, including
PRTC, BMRC, Breakneck TC, Philadelphia Athletic, Philadelphia Masters,
and several open runners.
Though most people in this field are probably pointing towards longer
distances this Fall, a shorter, harder effort can provide great benefit
for the racers, as it helps them to focus on form and efficiency - not
to mention good ol' fashioned fast racing!
From the gun, Brian Skelly seemed determined to keep his winning streak
going. He did just that. Brian Skelly led from start to finish. But
Brian's race was still exciting, as his control was impressive. More
importantly, places 2 through 10 changed places several times.
The field completed the 'Flagpole Hill loop,' completing a little over
a mile before heading toward Parachute Hill. At this stage, PRTC had
several runners in Skelly's jetstream, including Fennelly, Haxton, and
Ross. But BMRC was looking to keep it close, as veteran Tom Parlapiano
was keeping close contact with this group. Tom would soon be joined by
teammates Zack Vaslow, Shawn Cavanaugh, Bernie Mueller, and Ryan Walsh.
After coming back out to the park area, the runners would make one more
complete circuit. After running Parachute Hill a second time, the
runners would emerge from the woods, kicking towards a finish chute
approximately 200 meters straight ahead. On the second loop, several
runners negotiated their way up the pecking order, including
Breakneck's John Garton, as well as master's runners Chuck Shields and
Bob Rimkis.
As the runners started to file in, it became clear that our guys worked
hard, as the order of runners 2 through 4 shuffled order. Fennelly
showed his mid-distance prowess, holding off a charging Tom Haxton, who
was only two seconds in arrears.
Bryn Mawr showed tremendous depth by filling places five through seven
and nine through ten. Fortunately, it wasn't enough, as Pat Ward came
through and made the day for PRTC! Making his way through some nagging
injuries, Pat put his fitness on the line and gutted out a great
performance, finishing 11th overall in 22:53!
And so there it was, PRTC went up won the day. It was a great race,
completing with Bob holding the trophy to show the runners as they made
their way up Flagpole Hill the second time. With music and Bob Kennedy
signing autographs for the youth races, the race had a festive
atmosphere.
PRTC wants to thank all the people who made this race possible for the
fourth time. WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT! The people include:
BMRC Proprietor Bob Shwelm (How can you not love that guy?) Puma
Running Rep. Bryan Poerner (He keeps PRTC in their shoes) PRTC runner
Tim Callinan for coordinating with Bob and Bryan Jason Yaffe for
recording the Battle Royale IV results
But even more than these people, we simply want to truly thank ALL the
people who came out to race and watch, as well as the other employees
of BMRC who helped out. With input from different parties, this race is
really not a race that belongs to PRTC or BMRC. It belongs to the
people who come out for the race each and every year. Make sure you all
have a great Fall cheer each other on!
Full Battle Royale IV Results
Belmont Plateau, Philadelphia, PA
Open Race (4 miles)
1.Bryan Skelly PRTC 21:13
2.Ryan Fennelly PRTC 21:36
3.Tom Haxton PRTC 21:38
4.Ross Martinson PRTC 21:43
5.Zack Vaslow BMRC 21:51
6.Tom Parllapiano BMRC 21:54
7.Shawn Cavanaugh BMRC 22:09
8.John Garton BTC 22:23
9.Bernie Muller BMRC 22:31
10.Ryan Walsh BMRC 22:35
11.Pat Ward PRTC 22:53
12.Matt Vavala PAC 23:29
13.Chuck Shields PAC 23:33
14.Joe Canney BTC 23:37
15.Jason Bull BMRC 23:49
16.Steve Metraux PAC 24:19
17.Bill Rimkis PAC 24:24
18.Jeff Hayes PAC 24:45
19.Kevin Forde PAC 24:56
20.Larry Rechtin 26:40
21.Neill Clark PAC 26:47
22.Kevin Saint Clair 30:48
23.Steve Clark 31:08
24.James Howe 31:30
25.Jim O’Neil 32:05
Avalon,
NJ; New Haven, CT
2 & 3 September, 2007
SHANNON WINS TIM KERR 7 MILER; TIM RUNS IN U.S. 20K CHAMPS
Though September 3rd was "Labor Day," in which people are not supposed
to work, Tim was working hard. He was working hard through the streets
of New Haven, Connecticut that is. New Haven is annual host to the U.S.
20k road championships. This year, it was also host to plenty of
sunshine and high temperatures. That's good if you're on the beach, not
quite so goos if you're practically racing a half marathon on the roads.
Tim came through in fine fashion however. Tim improved on his finish
here from 2005 by a whopping 2:30! Posting 1:07.38 in 2005, Tim
returned this year to finish in 1:05.03! "I felt like I ran smart," Tim
noted. This assesment plays out when one observes the 10k splits in the
race results. While Tim ran steady, there were runners who went out
well ahead of him, only accede ground to Tim in the late stages of the
race.
The beginning of the race has a slight upward grade and makes several
turns in the early miles - before looping the course down toward the
waterfront. Just when a runner can lose focus in the middle miles of a
race (in this case miles six and seven), the field finds itself out in
the open with no shade. Taking into consideration the weather
conditions mentioned previously, that was going to put the pressure on
the elite field to keep their 'cool.' And that's just what Tim did.
"Actually, I felt good down by the waterfront. I am happy. That time
converts to a nice PR for me at half marathon." Setting a nice PR at
the longer distances bodes well for Tim as he prepares to lace up his
shoes at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
Closer to home, Shannon paced the women's field at the Tim Kerr 7 Miler
the day before Tim's race. Shannon has been training for the half
marathon since late June. Before then, she only ran ten miles a few
times. She decided that she wanted to set a goal and have something to
work towards. Because she tends to compete better in longer races,
Shannon's coach and brother Brian, suggested racing PDR.
Tim Kerr was Shannon's first attempt at a race over 10k. "I think I ran
pretty conservatively and have more to give. I am feeling good for PDR.
The race went out, and I went through the first mile in the 6:20's,
just trying to stay relaxed, which probably helped."
Race conditions included sunny skies and temperatures in the high 70s
and low 80s. The race starts out one block in from te beach in Avalon.
The runners make their way on to Dune Drive and race toward Stone
Harbor, before turning around and heading back to the race staging
area. Shannon explained that it was "actually hard to focus because a
lot of us had trouble finding mile markers. I didn’t even see it
after 2 until 5 again. My pace was 6:31 (45:37). I’m hoping I can get
that faster next time. It would be nice to stay relatively close to
that come PDR. I have been getting my miles up a tad, hoping it helps."
Tim Kerr 7 Mile Island Run 2007 Shannon Klick, 1st Place, 45:37
Stratton Faxon New Haven 20k 2007 Tim Callinan, 24th Place, 65:03
Stone
Harbor, NJ
26 August, 2007
RACING COUPLE COMPLETES SUMMER WITH ANOTHER DOUBLE VICTORY
Yet again, Brian Skelly and Renee Gunning romped through a Summer road
race en route to victory. This time, the couple raced down at the
Jersey shore in the Stone Harbor Lion's Club 10k. Brian ran with
teammate Ted Callinan for approximately two miles before pushing ahead
on his own. Brian and Ted were chasing one runner that was running the
5k (run concurrently with the 10 over the same loop). Despite the sun,
heat, and humidity, Brian maintained the lead he built up between miles
2 and 4 to score an individual victory. Ted gave the men's outing a 1-2
finish.
When the two men hit the turnaround to run the 5k loop in reverse, they
could see Renee, who was literally only a place behind in the race
overall! Renee captured the 5k title easily, using the race as
speedwork for her upcoming race at the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia
Distance Run. Conversely, Gina Lucrezi used the 10k to work on her
strength to prepare for her upcoming race at the CVS Downtown 5k in
Providence, Rhode Island. This race serves as the USATF 5k road race
championships. Gina scored a convincing victory as well.
As for the rest of the team, the short-term goal is the fourth edition
of the Battle Royale, which will be held on Saturday, 8 September at
Belmont Plateau. This race will mark the true beginning of the Fall
racing.
28
July,
2007
Philadelphia, PA
PRTC SWEEPS TOP THREE SPOTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN AT SUMMER RUN IN
THE GREEN
It won't be long before our guys and girls are hitting the big Fall
racing season. But for now, they are enjoying some low-key, yet
competitive races to keep their spikes sharp.
Just as challenging as the field for the Run for the Hill of It race
may be the terrain. The race takes place in Valley Green, which is a
common training locale for our runners. The 'Green' is a wide dirt
trail that undulates from Lincoln Drive out to the horse stables in
Chestnut Hill. There are no major hills on this trail, but the rolling
hills make it hard to run fast and maintain a solid rhythm.
But today some PRTC athletes showed just how well they know this trail.
The team swept the podium positions for both the guys and girls! In the
men's race, Matt, Tom, and Ryan were accompanied for the first by a
high school phenom who clocked 8:50 for two miles last Spring. As the
race wore on, though, our guys showed their endurance. In the last
stages of the race, Matt was able to provide a bit of daylight between
he and Tom. Matt was pleased with the win and nearly broke fellow
teammate Brian Skelly's course record of 25:12! Tom continued to show
excellent fitness this Summer in finishing second. Fenn was able to
shake off his disappointment from Club Nationals to take third overall
in a solid 25:34. And though Pat has kept his mileage high this Summer,
he showed enough speed to stop the clock at 26:48.
The women's race brought some other encouraging highlights, as Megan
continued her return to fitness, finishing second overall! Megan
trailed only race winner and fellow teammate Claire, who posted a
finishing time on this tough course that is good enough for #6 on the
club's all-time list! Shannon Klick rounded out the women's sweep by
running 32:12. Great work by all our runners!
14
July, 2007
Gettysburg, PA
LUCREZI RETURNS TO RACING WITH A WIN!!!
Gina Lucrezi decided to test the racing waters quietly at a road 5k in
Gettysburg, PA. But Gina had serious competition in the form of Heidi
Wolfsberger and Phebe Ko. Add to that rolling hills the entire way, and
Gina certainly bit off a lot for her first race.
But Gina pulled through for an encouraging win. Entering the late
stages of the race, Gina was in third. And as the top three girls
entered the last half mile of the race, Gina and Heidi Wolfsberger were
both trailing Ko. Coming around the last turn before the final stretch,
Gina pre-empted Wolfsberger's move, passed her, and kept charging until
she put Ko in her rearview mirror as well. Yes, Gina bit off a lot for
her first race, but apparently it was not more than she could chew.
13
-
15 July, 2007
Randall's Island, NY; Belmar, NJ
HAXTON TURNS IN FAST TIME AT BELMAR; FENN AND COLLINS RUN CLUB
TRACK CHAMPS
Racing for the team this past weekend began on Friday evening at the
Randall's Island track in New York. Fennelly was toeing the line for
his first 1500m in quite a while. Fenn was throwing himself in to the
deep end of the pool, racing the 1500m at the USATF Club Outdoor Track
Championships. Fenn slipped at the start and found himself back around
12th place. The pace was apparently tame, as the runners
seemed content to make it a sit-and-kick race with 300m to
go. As the runners entered the last lap, Fenn did try to work his
way out of the box and advanced several places. Fenn wanted more, but
placed 9th overall. On Saturday afternoon at the track championships,
Matt Collins raced the 400m hurdles. Unlike the 1500m, the times
for this event were very fast. Like Fenn, Matt wanted more out of his
race. Matt ran a solid effort, posting his third fastest time
since joining the club!
A FEW HOURS BEFORE MATT COLLINS RACED, Tom and Bart laced
up their shoes for the Belmar 5 Miler. Tom and Bart were just south
down the coastline from Matt Collins, but found fast runners a-plenty
at their race as well. A large contingent of Ethiopians that train in
West Chester County, New York certainly raised the level of this year's
race in Belmar. While in Summer training, Tom was able to run an
outstanding time of 24:43 - a time that would have won the race in
previous years! Tom went out hard, passing the first mile mark with the
leaders in a swift 4:40. When the pace further increased after two
miles, he knew he should simply run his own race. Still feeling
somewhat fatigued from the Utica Boilermaker 15k, Bart was not
unsatisfied with his finishing time of 25:35. More Summer racing to
come!
4
& 8 July, 2007
Pitman, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Utica, NY
BIG RACES A PLENTY ON THE LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Brian Skelly started the holiday racing for PRTC, returning close to
home for the annual Pitman Freedom 4 Mile Road Race. Brian has won
there many times over the last several years, and this year was no
exception. What might be the exception is Brian's time. Brian avenged
his second place finish from 2006 with a vengeance, running 20:30.
While this time won't rewrite the record books, Brian's effort on a
humid day over a hilly course is definitely worth recognition.
BRIAN'S FIANCEE, RENEE GUNNING, was racing slightly
further from center city Philadelphia. Renee took part in one of the
nation's biggest 10k road races - the Atlanta Journal-Consitution
Peachtree Road Race. Like many other races PRTC runners take part in,
this race is big. The overall size of the race is big, and the names at
the front are big too. You know you're in a big race when you have an
escort following you as you make your way through the race (Renee
reported that she had as much after the race). Just like Brian, Renee
ran an extremely strong race. She broke her own club record by six
seconds, recording a shade over 34 minutes for 10k! Renee missed
setting a PR for herself by two seconds. Renee finished tenth pace
in a truly international field.
SPEAKING OF INTERNATIONAL RACES, Bart Borguis and Michelle
Lilienthal also took part in a very big race on this long Summer
weekend. Rather than dealing with heat and humidity of Atlanta though,
these two were dealing with the challenging hills of upstate New York.
Bart and Michelle ran in the Utica Boilermaker 15k.
Alhough Michelle did not break her own club record of 52:37, she
was the 13th overall/fourth American in 53:34. This was good dry-run
for Michelle, as she will be running a marathon very soon.
Unfortunately, Michelle will not be able to wear her PRTC/PUMA uniform
for this marathon, but we'll give her a pass, as Michelle will be
wearing a USA VEST IN THE PAN-AMERICAN GAMES!
Meanwhile, Bart's effort places fifth on the men's all-time list. Bart
ran a very solid 49:16, eclipsing his own PR for the distance by one
minue and six seconds (Bart ran 50:20 at the Zevenheuvelenloop
in The Netherlands last year). Friends and training partners of
PRTC also took part in this big race. Saucony runner Jacob Frey placed
14th overall and second American, running 46:31. Speaking of fiancees,
Veena Reddy (engaged to Bart Borghuis) finished 15th overall and the
next American after Michelle, running 54:36.
15,
16 & 17 June, 2007
Duluth, MN; Philadelphia and Media, PA
PRTC SUMMER RACING IN FULL SWING - OVER TEN MEMBERS RACE
IN THREE RACES OVER ONE WEEKEND!
The racing weekend began on an overcast, cool evening and ended on a
hot humid morning. On Friday night, three members of the team lined up
for the annual Media 5 Miler. Although the race is held in a pictureque
town that also serves as the county seat, the runners had hills galore
with which to contend.
The prize money at Media hs been increased slightly in the last few
years, enticing more quality runners to pen this race in to their
calendars. Bryan Skelly led the way for the team on this evening,
finishing less than a half minute behind former world class
steeplechaser Elarbi Khattabi. Fighting the second finishing spot for
PRTC, Bart tracked down Tim as the duo sped toward the finish line in
the downtown area. Tim was just a few ticks behind, providing the team
with a good one-two punch. Bart and Tim finished 5th and 6th
respectively.
Many months (and one baby) later, Megan Gallagher tested the waters by
tackling this undulating course. Her performance was positive, as she
finished 11th overall in 33:08.
ON SATURDAY MORNING, Steve Gourley and Abby Dean did not
have the same cool temperatures. Even more daunting, these
two athletes were racing over five times longer than their teammates
did the night before. The conditions hampered the entire field. And
despite the fact that Steve had a good Spring, the conditions made his
attempt at an OT qualifier in his inaugural attempt seemingly
impossible. Still Steve perservered. Afterward, he reflected on his
race:
"I ran alright through the half and up to about 16 or 17. I started to
decline considerably after that and really tanked the last 10k.
Primarily, I don't think I kept up my mileage enough the last 6 or 7
weeks before the race. I also got very dehydrated and cramped up pretty
bad around 21. My legs started to get pretty wobbly and the finish
couldn't come soon enough. I greatly underestimated how much water
I should have taken in the night before and during the early stages of
the race. It's definitely a different animal that may take a few
tries to get it right. I'm pretty sore now, but hopefully I'll be able
to get out for some easy runs later in the week."
Abby did not run the exact time she was looking for either, but managed
to keep her 'cool' on a humid day and turn in a rather impressive
performance, all things considering.
FINALLY, A SLEW OF MALE PRTC RUNNERS and female
member Renee Gunning took part in the Run 4 Your Life 5k on a hot and
steamy Sunday morning. This race helps raise funds for research in to
prostate cancer. The race was out-and-back, using the typical course
used on MLK Drive.
Despite its small size, the race had a solid field, particulary on the
men's side. Several runners jockeyed for the lead until the turnaround.
Then Ryan Fennelly put more pace in to the race, utilizing his
speed on the way back to the Art Museum. Tom Haxton broke out of a
slump to givie Fenn the closest run for his money. In the end, though,
Fenn had his second road 5k title in the month of June. Two other team
members who had raced in Denver with Fennelly - Matt Byrne and Brian
Skelly - also placed high in the race.
8
June, 2007
Bryn Mawr, PA
FENNELLY PACES FIELD AT SHUT UP AND RUN
After a one year hiatus, the Bryn Mawr Running Company brought
back its Main Line event - Shut Up and Run 5k and road mile. Though the
race is the brainchild of store proprietor Bob Schwelm, he was not able
to witness the start this year, as his wife Meranda went into labor a
short time before the gun and delivered Bob's first child - Ruby!
When the gun DID go off, PRTC runners put themselves into high
positions in the race. The course is definitely challenging, as it head
East towards Haverford, takes a hairpin turn and redirects West towards
Villanova. Then when the runners find themselves at the lowest point on
Lancaster Avenue down near the McDonald's, they must make yet another
hairpin turn and clim back to the store.
At the finish, PRTC runners captured both the men's and women's overall
win. Renee added to her string of road victories, while Ryan Fennelly
punctuated a long return to form by besting the field on this hot and
humid evening. Tim also displayed a return to form following his
appendectomy, as his finish rounded out the winner's circle on the
men's side. And Dave Hobbs showed that he is a quick student of the
sport, as he finished a solid 13th overall.
Next year, we're sure Bob will be the official starter again ... maybe
with baby Ruby in his other arm!
2 June,
2007
Albany, NY
GUNNING 2ND AMERICAN AT FREIHOFER'S
Ludmila Petrova, Nicole Aish, Caroline Bierbaum. These are some of the
big names that Renee Gunning took down at Freihofer's 5k. This race
always has a truly international field. And Renee held her own,
finishing 12th overall and becoming the second American in the 2007
edition of this race. Renee finished the race in a tight pack of four
runners that occupied only fifteen seconds of the clock between them.
This is another fine performance from a true talent on our deep women's
field.
20
May, 2007
Denver, CO
MEN'S TEAM PLACES FIFTH AT RELAY NATIONAL CHAMPSIONSHIPS
For the first time ever, the men's team participate in the USATF
National Club Relay Marathon Championships. And right off the bat, the
team finished "in the money," so to speak. The men's team finished
fifth overall and earned $1,000!
The race was definitely going to be a challenge for our club that is
located basically at sea level (literally just over an hour from the
Atlantic Ocean), as the race was staged in the thin air of Denver. Add
national powerhouse clubs like Hanson's/Brooks, Wisconsin Runner, and
Boulder Running Company/Adidas - and the guys had their work but out
for them. The relay featured two 5k legs, two 10k legs, and one 12k
leg. Bryan Skelly kicked things off for the club, running the first of
the two 10k legs. According to the guys, they all seemed to run
relatively similar legs in terms of effort. "No one seemed to run an
unbelieveable leg," Matt Byrne said afterwards, "but we all ran solid
legs." The guys held fourth place at one point in the relay, but
finally finished in fifth.
This makes the second weekend in a row in which the team competed in a
national championship. We're very proud to say that the club places our
runners in the national championships and most competitive races we can
find. This not only helps our individual runners reach their full
potential, but says a great deal about the club as a whole as well.
12
&
14 May, 2007
Grand Rapids, MI; Swarthmore, PA
LILIENTHAL 3RD IN NATIONAL 25k CHAMPIONSHIPS
Once again, the range o |