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Written by Mark Fedkin

Nittany Track and Field youth club kicked off the Fall cross country season this week. By now we have an enthusiastic crowd of up to 40 kids of various ages to train with the program!

Currently we are looking for more volunteers to help coaches to run the practices. This will mainly involve looking over small groups (age groups) of kids on an easy run or a workout, help with setting up games, stretches, etc. You do not need any special coaching experience for participation – maybe some patience and readiness to communicate to the youngsters.

Please e-mail me if you would like to help ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). It can be as little as one night per week, but a lot of fun is guaranteed. The NTF Club has practices Monday through Thursday 5:45 to! 7:15 pm near the State College High School (cross country course behind South building). Please feel free to stop by and check us out.

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Written by Martin Mazur

The Nittany Valley Running Club has hosted All-Comer outdoor summer track meets for adults off and on over the years. There will be no All-Comer meets in 2011. But that doesn't mean the tracks will be empty! Stop by the State College Area High School track on Tuesday evenings and watch the NVRC-sponsored Nittany Track and Field Youth Group work out. They're the future stars of the local running scene. And stick around afterward until dusk for an adult track workout mentored by Bree Studenka and Jayson Jackson. And, as always, the Thursday Track Crew takes over the Penn State Track over the lunch hour.

Check back next year for the All-Comers Meets! 

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Written by Martin Mazur

Girls on the Run is a volunteer-led program that helps 3rd through 8th grade girls uncover their extraordinary potential, demonstrate courage, and generally embrace being "fantabulous." GOTR weaves training for a 5K run with fun, experience-based lessons that improve self-awareness, build a collection of positive experiences and inspire life-changing confidence through accomplishment. After a year of research, community interviews and preparation the Steering Committee of seven members received news on Monday, August 1 that all their hard work had paid off. You can find out more about the Centre County GOTR chapter, and how you can help, here.

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Written by Mike Casper

May 24, 2011

Spontaneity (or zero planning) has its virtues. Today’s advance hill discussion was a single FYI sent out less than half an hour before noon. Though not calculated this way, this boosted my chances of running solo hills on the path behind the high school. Thus I focused on nature and how I felt and not on shrinking figures climbing ahead of me. I’m just getting into speed and hills again after months off, so rep speed is a very relative term. The water gizmos at the revamped pool across Westerly Parkway were all gushing away for one or two onlookers – and of course to get all the drivers-by talking and planning for the grand opening. To optimize climb time and minimize flats, I stuck with just the pathway ascent, leaving off the flat yardage to Westerly as well as the flat-ish macadam between the path and the next bumps of road. This allowed the climb and recovery times to be nearly similar, while the climbs felt better and better and got faster. I did 11. The path went from mostly wet to mostly dry in 30 minutes, just from the heat of two feet.

So, no aspersions to cast, but I do wonder who else was making multiple ascents somewhere . . .

[Note: Judd Michael and Jon Oatley did another impromptu hill workout on Park Ave... -Ed.]

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Written by Martin Mazur

The Tuesday Evening track workout, run by Bree Studenka with help from Jayson Jackson, is moving to 7 PM. They can do it earlier now because the Nittany Track and Field Youth Club, which Bree and Jayson help coach on that track, is done for the summer. It's a good thing, since the sun is setting noticeably earlier these days. Come on out to the State High track for a great evening workout!

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Written by Martin Mazur

Girls and boys, ages 8 to 18, with or without track experience are invited to join the program.The practice starts May 2nd at the State College High School Track. Hours will be 6:15 to 7:45 pm Monday through Thursday (except holidays). Attendance is flexible. The season will run until July 21st. We will hold an Informational meeting on Friday, April 29, 6:30 pm, at the High School track for athletes, coaches, and volunteers.The form and information for athlete registration can be found on our registration page: http://mysite.verizon.net/ntfxc/registration.html

The mission of the NTF’s track program is to provide qualified instruction and a fun environment for kids of virtually all ages to try different track and field events, learn the basics of athletic training, gain fitness and new skills, and develop discipline to pursue personal goals. Learning and training are emphasized above the competition or scores, although track meets are also included as part of learning experience. And of course, fun, game activities, new friends are great bonuses that kids will get by participating in the Club through the summer.

Check out the current updates on the Club website: http://mysite.verizon.net/ntfxc. Please spread this information to anybody who you know may be interested. If you have questions about NTF, contact Mark Fedkin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 814-876-0461