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Thursday Track Crew |
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 Thursdays are track days for a small group of men and women. This is not a formal thing -- the exact workout depends on who's there (usually numbering from fifteen to thirty) and what they feel like doing -- but the group is very reliable about showing up. A typical workout might be something like six 400 meter intervals at 70-100 seconds (that's a pretty big spread, but we get a big spread of ability, too), or a 400-600-800-600-400 pyramid, or laps that include 100m striders, with folks doing more or less, faster or slower. We even got covered in the Centre Daily Times! If this appeals to you, meet under the Rec Hall bleachers at noon, or show your face at the Penn State outdoor track (indoors in winter, at the new Multi-Sport Facility) around 12:20 or so on Thursdays. Say "hey!"
The Thursday Track Crew is a group of runners who suffer from the delusion that regular speed workouts will help them run faster races, even though quite a few in the group are past their prime. And, in fact, the workouts have helped a number of
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 March 2010 14:12 |
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Thursday Track Report: Peacock Strut |
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Written by Bwana
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Friday, 27 August 2010 05:40 |
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August 26, 2010
It was a pleasant, late summer day as Jim Myers, John Domico, Costas Maranas, Lance Bland, John Sheakoski, Tom Hilands, Michael Goldfine, Adam Smith, Rob Shaver, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Jon Oatley, Beth Herndon, Nick Downs, Kevin Becker, Joel Niemann, Jonathan Thurley, and Marty Mazur headed down to Track Hollow. The first Thursday Track after the DCR Draft has evolved over the years into a kind of Peacock Strut. Guys and gals wear their "vintage" DCR team shirts, and now that they know the teams, start some early trash talking. Today it was particularly peacocky: only one girl was at the track, and she isn't in this year's Draft!
And people get down to business. For some, once-a-week two-a-days started last week, even before the Draft, with the start of the Tussey Discovery Series training runs. It would be interesting to catalog how teams whose members did the most two-a-days fared in the DCR over the years. One thing is certain: Tim Aydin's team, "Six Jacks, One Jill, and a Whole Lotta Hills", had by far the best attendance at today's track workout. Five of the seven team members were there, and the only reason it was only five was because two of the team live out of town!
Bwana gave the Crew a longer pace workout challenge: 800-1200-800, do the 1200 at the pace of the first 800, and try to get the last 800 done faster. A good "chugging" workout that'll pay dividends when chugging along on your second Leg of the mOUnTaiNBACK.
Bwana is pretty sure there was some chugging going on elsewhere, since attendance was a little light today. It will no doubt be reflected in the team standings that Tom Cali's team had ZERO attendance. Well, I take that back. Michael Goldfine, for some reason known only to him, proudly sported his pink "Holy Canoli" team shirt from Cali's losing team of last year. Bwana overheard Ron Cunfer at work planning some after-work Nancy-boy prance around the golf course with Lee Culver. Jim Myers, their team's only attending member at the track, will be just as frustrated as he's been every other year. Also scoring Big Fat Zeros were Team Shekinah and Team Petrarca. (Resting on your laurels, Matt?) Represented by one lousy member were Teams Moore and Effrig. Having half a shot, with scattershot attendance, were Teams Domico, Maranas and Mengle. No wonder Beth Herndon has vowed that she and Lauren Phillbrick will be in the Draft next year. They must think it'll be easy pickin's going against such slackers! |
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Thursday Track Report: Math Homework |
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Written by Bwana
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Friday, 20 August 2010 06:29 |
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August 19, 2010
It was warm and sunny as John Domico, Tom Cali, Bob Cornwall, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Jim Moore, Costas Maranas, John Sheakoski, Andrew Webb, Randy Jepson, George Lesieutre, Kevin Becker, Jonathan Thurley, Dave DeGroote, Rob Peterson, Matt Degges, Rob Shaver, Jim Laudermilch, Matt Soccio and Marty Mazur headed for the track. A stag crew. Are the girls boycotting because there are no female DCR Captains this year? Hey, I voted for Meira!
Bwana had the Crew do the algebra workout: NX3X300, where N is determined by a complicated formula involving the heat, phase of the moon, and whether you're running a two-a-day by heading to the Tussey Training Run in the evening. It seemed like many runners solved the equation with N=2, rather than the suggested 3 or 4. Hey, even for those who ended up going to Tussey: Wrong Answer! Strong Two-a-Days will help your mOUnTaiNBACK. And here's an inside tip: there is no restriction that N be an integer. If you're feeling halfway there, do N=2 and throw in a couple more 300s. You could even go transcendental and make N=e or N=pi You'd just need to know where the line on the track is for those.
Well, judging by today's turnout, it's obvious girls aren't good at math. But that's OK. Meira will make a great English teacher, as witnessed by her hysterical Hill Reports. Ron Cunfer is OK at math as long as it's binary. But he's been scoring a lot of zeros lately at the track. Lee Culver's strong suite is hexadecimal, or "hex", like the jinx he'll put on his mOUnTaiNBACK team this year. Joel Niemann ran Tussey instead of the Track, so since he did half a two-a-day, his N is 1/2. And Ken Davis is working on his fractions. He hopes to get better than his current half-assed mOUnTaiNBACK trash talking!
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 07:19 |
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Thursday Track Report: I Can See Clearly |
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Written by Bwana
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Thursday, 12 August 2010 20:46 |
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August 12, 2010
It was gray and murky as Jim Myers, John Domico, Tom Cali, Lance Bland, Judd Michael, Costas Maranas, Jim Moore, Bob Cornwall, George Lesieutre, Marty Klanchar, Andrew Webb, Nick Downs, Tim Aydin, Mark Lee, Jonathan Thurley, Kevin Becker, Rob Peterson, Jon Oatley, newcomer Matt Degges, Martha Nelson, Ann Skulas-Ray, Kathy Koetje-Simin, Mark Traband, Michael Goldfine, Matt Soccio, Dana Todd, Dave DeGroote, Adam Smith, Joel Niemann, Lee Culver, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. But it was definitely better than running in the hazy heat of the last few days.
Bwana no doubt astounded newcomer Matt Degges (and will continue to do so, right people?). Matt was wearing an Arkansas Razorback shirt, for which he received muffled boos. But Bwana saved the day for him by noting to all that today is former Arkansas Governor Dale Bumpers birthday, and Matt was just trying to show his home-state respects. Is Bwana clairvoyant? Watch and learn, grasshoppers. It might have been the candles Bwana lit to St. Claire, patroness of clear sight (and of television). Her Feast was yesterday.
Bwana gave a crystal clear workout as the sky darkened more: 3X1000. Bwana, who biked to the track using still-healing hammies, watched in amazement as everyone turned in stellar workouts in a steady rain!
Butt (speaking of hamstrings), despite a big crowd running over hill and dale to get to the track, there was also a bumper crop of people sitting on theirs. Shall Bwana use his clairvoyant powers to see where they were? Ann Marie Oldani was lighting candles to St. Anthony, Patron of Lost Causes, as she tried to dream up believable excuses for both her and Janet Jonson. Ron Cunfer was sitting, staring at his terminal at work as if it were some kind of crystal ball. "Michele" Weyandt was wondering how s/he can get on Bwana's good side for missing track. S/he's relying on 3/4 of a hill workout and organizing a happy hour. Bwana will take a beer with that and call it even. Randy Jepson was observing Bwana's limits on the number of bald guys allowed on the track. The trouble is, those limits only apply on sunny days. And John Sheakoski was auditioning belly dancers at Zeno's! |
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Last Updated on Friday, 20 August 2010 06:29 |
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Thursday Track Report: Hugs All Around |
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Written by Bwana
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 21:23 |
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August 5, 2010
There was a stiff wind blowing through track hollow as John Domico, Tom Cali, Jim Myers, Bob Cornwall, Jim Moore, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Randy Jepson, John Sheakoski, Dave Mengle, newcomer Alex Metcalf, Dave Moore, Martha Nelson, Meira Minard, Jon Thurley, Michael Goldfine, Rob Shaver, Rich Harter, Joel Niemann, Dana Todd, Kirk Rager, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Marty was biking down again, but should be back to at least jogging down next week.
Coach Harry Groves was at the track and got to be part of the action. While everyone was still arriving, Harry gave Bwana the secret to Bwana's much desired recovery: Hills! Coach says runners tend to overstride and the upper leg does not relax enough before hitting the ground. The cure is a shorter stride, and the way to get that is on the hills. The gravity workout is a bonus. He also mentioned that on the track, the best workout for short striding is 4s and 2s. So that was Coach's blessing on Bwana's prescribed workout: the dreaded and hated Fortitude Workout. 4X(400-200) with the 400 hard, short rest, and the 200 harder.
Coach Groves tells some great stories, but he's also much more of a pussycat than he was back in the day. He said he was once asked what the difference was between coaching boys and coaching girls. The answer is that boys do not respnd well to hugs. Boys need a little fear of God to motivate them, from a hardass they respect. I'm not saying Harry was ready to start giving hugs around (though he was admiring today's gold star performer Meira, and not just her short stride). But Harry is smilier than I've ever known him.
But not Bwana. Bwana is cranky and can't wait to get back in the action. Biking against the wind sucks. So Bwana will take his mood out on those who need a little fear factor. No hugs for Cunfer, Culver, Jonson, Hilands, Traband, Oldani, Klanchar, Prins. In the words of the *old* Harry Groves, when asked by his runners if they could ever not show up to the track because of weather "If you see a mushroom cloud go up over State College, wait for the smoke to clear, then get your asses to the track!" |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 12 August 2010 20:46 |
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