Weekly Hill Workout: For The Record...

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Written by Meira Minard Meira Minard

January 14, 2014

i don't write hill reports anymore.  however, i feel obligated to pay tribute to my brothers in suffering today on hillcrest(s). so here's the speed bump version:

Mile high club: tom cali, randy jepson, andrew maguire, mike martin, mikey weyandt, jonathan thurley, ben tolton, lance babb, alex wouden, jim moore.

Loser club: everyone else. except for renz, whose was doing his suffering in private today. oh, and sheakoski, who is allegedly on the other side of the country.

average number of reps: 5.5

high roller: jimmer--who opened a can of seven-up on hillcrest.

random firsts: same-sex ass grab.

and, in an ingenious energy conservation strategy, mike martin actually parked his car in the middle of our hill. we barely made a dent in it though.

Weekly Hill Workout: Down Goes Fraser!

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Written by Mike Renz Mike Renz

December 17, 2013

Or up they went on Fraser, depending on how you look at it.  This week’s Hill Workout included 6, yes six – a new hill record, repeats up the Fraser St hill, between Hamilton and Fairmount Avenues.  Lance Bland was the first one there, beating John Domico, Jonathon Thurley, Meira Minard, Barb and Brent Kelsey, Andrew Maguire and Mike Renz to their first climb.  Mike Martin even decided to show up just in time to miss out on this first trip up the hill.  The workout originally only called for 4 repeats, but the group was hungry for more so they tacked on what they thought would be their fifth and final traverse of one of the steeper climbs in the hood.  Atop the hill, the mighty Domico triple dog dared the crew (in a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple-dare-you and going right for the throat!) to do a sixth trip since it’s bad luck to end on an odd number on the 17th day of a month ending in “ber.”  

This Alberta Clipper proved to be another hoax of misrepresentation by local weather forecasters.  The temp was a balmy 25 degrees, the streets were clear, no snow was falling…and the hillsmen and hillswomen were happily trotting up and down Fraser to pass some time while enjoying the outdoors on this wonderful winter day.

Weekly Hill Workout: 'Twas The Hill Before Christmas

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Written by Mike Renz Mike Renz

December 24, 2013

‘Twas the hill before Christmas, when all through campus,
Not a runner was running, except for this mouse.
The spandex was worn on my legs with care,
In hopes that frozen bells could not be declared.
 
Other runners were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of hill repeats ran through their heads.
And Meira in her ‘kerchief, and Thurley in his cap,
Were slouches inside rather than do some hill’s lap.
 
When out from the tunnel there arose such a clatter,
But it wasn’t Tom Cali with sign! ature pitter and patter.
Up and down the hill, Renz climbed in a dash,
All alone on the hill, maybe ‘cause he’s so brash.
 
The temps has fallen with a dusting of snow,
Giving lustre of midday to all those no-show.
When, what to my light-headed eyes should appear,
Not a damn thing, no eight runners endeared.
 
With this semi-old runner, wanting to be lively and quick,
No one showed at Rec Hall, not even a chick.
I walked all around, no runners had came,
But I whistled and shouted and called them all out by name:
 
Where’s Meira, where’s Thurley?
Where’s Weyandt or Cali?
No Martin!  No Capone!
No Maguire or Mazur!
To the Tunnel I went!
Repeated the hill 4 times!
Hill workouts suck by myself,
Doing repeats without friends.
 
Happy Christmas to all, and to all- you missed out!

Weekly Hill Workout: Hillistic Workout

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Written by Mike Renz Mike Renz

December 10, 2013

Hillistic

/hil ‘listik/

adjective

1. 1. Characterized by comprehension of the sections of a geographical incline interconnected and explicable only by those stupid enough to repeatedly run up and down said geographic anomaly.

It was a real feel of about 17 degrees as Jonathon Thurley, Meira Minard, Ken Davis, Rob Peterson, Sara Noss, Marty Mazur, Barb Kelsey, and Mike Renz set out to repeatedly conquer the Park Ave hill, which runs along the PSU White Course.  It was a very light turnout, possibly due to some runners recovering from this past weekend’s Nittany Half Marathon, or possibly due to the chilly weather.  Whatever poor excuse was instilled into the minds of the non-hill-runners shall be forever considered the wrong decision.

Four was one again the magic number of repeats that most of the crew hammered out.  Thurley received only partial credit for his repeats due to cutting them short, every rep.  But hey, at least he was there doing a workout!  A passing grade is still better than a 0 and detention for skipping class.  Some of the group even set out to trailblaze a new hill for a future workout – Hillcrest Ave.  Suitably named, this hill definitely is more than steep enough to work its way into the ranks of the ever beloved Lunchtime Hill Workout.