Tom Cali To Receive 2016 LT Michael Murphy Distinguished Citizen Award

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Local real estate professional and avid runner Tom Cali has been selected to receive the 2016 LT Michael Murphy Distinguished Citizen Award. Tom Cali has always believed in giving back to while strengthening our community. He has supported the youth of State College through his involvement as a coach and board member of the Centre Soccer Association, a Cub Scout den leader, a sponsor of the Nittany Track and Field Youth Club, and as a volunteer for Our Lady of Victory School. He is an active supporter of the Center County United Way, the PA Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Team Ream, Coaches vs Cancer, Nittany Valley Running Club, and the Central PA Festival of the Arts. He served on the board of Centre Volunteers in Medicine, and continues to serve that organization as a member of their facilities committee and the Marathoners for Medicine fundraising efforts. Recently, Tom completed two terms of board membership for the Centre County Women’s Resource Center. He has also served on both the Parish and Finance Councils of Good Shepherd Church.

Guest speaker for the event is Colonel Thomas Manion, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), Chairman Emeritus of the Travis Manion Foundation. 

More information on the Navy League, Tom Cali, and details on how to register to come to the banquet, can be found at this link.

Nittany Track and Field Youth Club Announces its Fall Cross-Country Program

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Written by Mark Fedkin Mark Fedkin

Nittany Track and Field youth club invites girls and boys ages 8-18 to participate in the youth cross country training program. Practice starts August 22nd!

The goal of the program is to provide kids with positive exposure to distance running and cross country as a sport. Additionally the program promotes active lifestyle and encourages athletes to set goals and develop skills and commitment to work towards those goals over the season. Both beginners and experienced runners are welcome. The program has been highly popular over the past years, and we would normally enroll 70-80 youth runners each fall.

Here are details in brief:

Practice location: Tudek Memorial Park on weekdays / other parks on Sundays
Practice time: Monday through Thursday, 5:45-7:15 pm // Sunday, 3:00-4:30 pm
Attendance is flexible
Registration: $70 per season (for $50 for second child in the family)
Season dates: 8/22 - 11/20
XC Distances (for meets): 2k (8 under), 3k (9-12), 4k (13-14), 5k (15 and older)
Lead Coaches: Mark Fedkin, Jayson Jackson, Andrew Maguire

Registration: http://www.ntfxc.com/registration.html
You can register online or by mailing printed registration forms.

We will hold an informational meeting for the 2016 fall season on August 18th 6 pm at Tudek Park (first pavilion, near the tennis courts). But you can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. any questions.

Thursday Track Report: Hello-Goodbye

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Written by Bwana Bwana

September 29, 2016

It was cool and crappy, weather that finally felt like Fall, as John Domico, the Distinguished Tom Cali, Bob Cornwall, Lance Bland, Costas Maranas, Dana Todd, CJ Wagner, Joel Niemann, Dan Coughlin, newcomer Lilith, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Attendance was up a bit with the change in temperatures, though the break in the rain right at noon meant that some runners still preferred outdoor running. When will the outdoor track be done? Hopefully before the snow flies. More on that below.

Thursday Track has been going on for almost 25 years. To keep it going so long, we’ve had to rely on attracting new and younger runners to the Crew. But it also means that over the years we’ve had a few sad good-byes. Today we had both. Lilith, a neuroscience grad student, warmed up her wheels with us today. And (sadly) it was the last workout we’ll have with Dana Todd. Dana is not a Thursday Original (a dwindling group), but he’s been with us for quite some time. (20 years?) Dana’s wife took a job at Clemson and Dana has some good prospects down there, though for now he’s a kept man. We hope to see Dana on return visits as he is able. He can fill us in on how ultramarathoners handle the swampy 7 month summers they have there. Best wishes to Dana in his new location!

Bwana gave an old standby we haven’t done in a while: NX400. Run your 400s at mile race pace (or 5K kick pace). Rest is short, about 280 meters, so it’s tough to nail a consistent pace. Do N of 6 (at least).

Not much progress to report on the outdoor track. No workers visible (probably due to the weather. Some line painting is done, but no lane lines yet. Twiddling thumbs….

Minutes of the June 7, 2016 meeting of the NVRC

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Written by Tara Murray Tara Murray

Club officers present: Amy Blake (president), Dave Eggler (treasurer), Marty Mazur (communications director), Tara Murray (secretary/archivist), Marty Klanchar (membership director). 

Attendance has been slightly down for the last few meetings. Has the weather on the first Tuesday of even numbered months been particularly nice? Are runners getting their fix of running news and chitchat online? Are people tired of pizza and beer? 

Arts Fest Races. Jake Clements and Dave Eggler gave an update on the club's Arts Fest Races coming up on July 17. There will again be 5K, 10K, and 10-mile races. The courses are set. They will need volunteers for the race and for packet stuffing on July 16. 

Club picnic. Cheryl and Dean Capone are unable to host this year, but Jake and Sarah Clements will again help with food. Stay tuned for details including the date (early August) and location.

Penn State track. The club is unsure about when and if the track will be accessible. It is scheduled to be replaced this summer. For Thursday Track, plan to meet at the Penn State track, and if it is closed we can use the indoor track (although most people have not wanted to run inside when the weather is nice). 

Triathlon training. Amy Blake and a few others have been getting together for group rides and tri training and plan to do some tris together this summer. Contact Amy if you're interested in joining. 

Cherry Run Trail. Marty Mazur intends to plan an outing or two to run the trail and visit Elk Creek Cafe later this summer or early fall.  

NVRC Fall Blood Drive A Success

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Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

Thanks to everyone who came out last week for the NVRC Fall Blood Drive. With your generosity, we collected 19 units, surpassing our goal of 18! Donors enjoyed Pizza Mia pizza, peanut blossom cookies by Meira, movies and great conversation. Anyone who donated will be eligible to give again in early November. Be sure to put our Winter Blood Drive, set for Thursday, Jan. 19, on your calendar. Plan now to make your next donation with the NVRC!
 
Yes, there were winners *beyond* the presenting blood donors, volunteers, and those whose lives may be saved by those donations. Drawing prize winners are:
 
Elizabeth Hay – Run for Shelter 5K entry
Sarah Clements – NV Half Marathon entry
John Hook – mOUnTaiNBACK fleece
Jake Clements – mOUnTaiNBACK mug
Matthew Baran – Webster’s gift card
 
When can you give? As often as every 56 days:  If you didn’t donate on 9/8, you can donate any day this fall up to Thanksgiving Day and be eligible to donate at the Jan. 19 NVRC drive. If you donated a regular unit on 9/8, you can give again between Nov. 3-24 and be eligible at the NVRC drive.

Shoe Donations

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Written by Dave DeGroote Dave DeGroote

The Nittany Valley Running Club collects used running shoes to donate to the More Foundation.  Some local races will have a collection box... check the email discussion group for updates, or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like to drop them off any time. 

Shoes should be "gently used" - shoes you've retired because you have "too many miles" on them are fine, even if the tread is worn.  Those you've been using to garden and cut the grass with for a year, or done a few mud runs in, maybe not.  Here's what the foundation says: "Please send only gently used athletic shoes (running and soccer) in adult sizes 6 – 12.  Please do Not send dress shoes, single shoes, or damaged shoes - heavily stained or with holes/rips."

Here's some more info from the foundation:

We are asking for used athletic shoes to fight poverty, hunger, and global warming

This is accomplished by educating small farmers in the use of the MORE Farming System. This is the entire focus of MORE Foundation Group, a Not-for-profit Foundation registered in Delaware. We are 100% funded from the sale of ‘gently used athletic shoes’. Of the one billion pair of shoes placed in landfills each year we only need a few hundred thousand of those to reach a tipping point. Villagers seek opportunities to prosper, conserve natural habitat and regenerate regions that have been severely damaged. The highly qualified management of MORE Foundation in developing countries teaches small farmers and villages how to create Modular Organic Regenerative Environment’s (MORE).

 

With each 600 pair of shoes the adopted family will receive 12 months of hands-on MORE training. After MORE training is complete the family receives the tools, seeds, trees, and livestock to increase productivity as much as 1000%. MORE Foundation teaches the integrated MORE Farming System as well as small farm business management, rainforest resource conservation, capacity analysis, marketing research, profit center modeling, tribal community development, microfinance lending. As well as training in Co-op set up; how to form a village credit union with self-capitalized expansion. We also provide free medical assistance for the families protecting them from Malaria and other infectious diseases.