Nittany Valley Running Club!

The Musser Gap Greenway Trail - A Great Collaboration

Details: Written by Amy Blake Amy Blake

October 17, 2014

I just returned from the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Musser Gap Greenway. The Musser Gap Greenway is the result of a collaboration between the ClearWater Conservancy, Penn State University, local government bodies, and many other local organizations. The Greenway connects downtown State College (via Whitehall Road) to the Rothrock State Forest at Musser Gap. It was very exciting to hear about the collaboration of all the different groups that brought this project to fruition. Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included Katie Ombalski of the ClearWater Conservancy, Representative Scott Conklin, Jim Steph (Centre Region Council of Government), Jason Albright (DCNR Bureau of Forestry) and Nick Jones (Penn State Provost). It was great to hear them all speak and you could tell that they were all passionate about the project and what it brings to the community. The Nittany Valley Running Club organized a group to meet up and attend the ceremony. When it concluded, we provided instant gratification for the project organizers by running back to town via the Greenway! An exciting and beautiful addition to the community and an exciting event to a be part of.

Photo from ClearWater Conservancy Facebook page.

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NVRC runners break in the Musser Gap Greenway Trail

NVRC Supports 2014 United Way Day of Caring

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

For the 2014 United Way Day of Caring, Cheree Jones and Sheryl Balkey organized a crew of bushwackers for the fourth year in a row. The project was again the golf course perimeter bike path/jogging path, this time along the northwest side of the Penn State Blue Golf Course. There were saplings, bushes, brush, assorted shrubs, and unruly tree branches that were clogging and cluttering the path. The volunteers were: SF& Company (12 volunteers), Joe Hughes--Penn State Golf Courses PGA General Manager/Head Golf Professional, Sheryl & Seth Balkey and Cheree Jones. The crew cleared the way so that runners have a clear treadway and golfers can see runners so they can yell "fore!". The NVRC chipped in to pay for some food and refreshment. Here are a few pictures.

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The clean-up crew.

A Women's Running Blog With Added Spice

Details: Written by Marty Mazur Marty Mazur

As one of the webmasters of the NVRC site, my name is plastered all over it. And because of this, I get emails several times a year from out-of-towners looking to join one of our Weekend Group Runs. Recently, we hosted a couple of ladies on a 10 mile run through Spring Creek Canyon. The two sisters, 'Salty' and 'Cinnamon' are among the authors of a group blog, Salty Running. By my count, there are ten authors, each with a "spicy" handle. (In keeping with their blog style, they'll remain anonymous here, too). They're all women, and the writing tends to center on women's running, but I'm sure there's something of interest to everyone. Recent topics include some of the usual runner talk: training, olympic predictions, marathons, ultras; but also some spicier topics: running and pregnancy, a runner's guide to bouncing boobs, pre-race sex, and recently, 5 Types of Running Guys. In that last post, Salty talks about the kinds of guys women have to put up with, especially since the ladies are usually outnumbered on group runs. The thing is that Salty ends the article with a really nice shout-out to the NVRC and her experience on our group run. It seems we "flunked" all the tests! Give the blog a visit.

Marathoners For Medicine Team Surpasses $500,000 In Donations for CVIM

Details: Written by Jaimie Wright Jaimie Wright

The Marathoners for Medicine team raised over $50,000 in 2014 in donations for Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM), a local organization that serves and advocates for medically underserved residents. The 2014 tally brought the grand total to over $500,000 since the team began fundraising. John Domico started the Marathoners for Medicine team in 2003 when he ran the Boston Marathon and raised $1,500 for CVIM. The next year, he asked a few friends from the Nittany Valley Running Club to join him, and the Marathoners for Medicine team was born.

Twenty-six runners participated on this year’s team by competing in a spring marathon or half-marathon. Tom Cali led fundraising efforts with $7,500.00 raised for CVIM.

The Penn State Cross Country Club also joined this year’s team, with six club members raising $1,620.00. Other team members included graduate students, Penn State faculty and staff and other Centre County residents. Sue Paterno, PSU Track and Field Olympian Greg Fredericks, and Penn State Women’s Volleyball Coach Russ Rose served as honorary coaches this year.

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NVRC Marathoners For Medicine In Action With New Coach

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The NVRC Marathoners for Medicine is a group of runners dedicated to running and to raising money for Centre Volunteers in Medicine. CVIM is a non-profit clinic that supplies quality medical and dental care to local residents who have no health insurance. For years, the Marathoners For Medicine have had Joe and Sue Paterno and Olympian Greg Fredericks as their honorary coaches. This year, the teams will be running to honor the memory of JoePa, and will be coached by Greg Fredericks, Sue Paterno, and Russ Rose, Penn State's legendary women's volleyball coach.

Once limited to runners who qualified for the Boston Marathon, Marathoners for Medicine is now open to participants in the Boston (April 16) and Pocono (May 20) Marathons and the Pittsburgh Marathon and Half-Marathon (May 5). Go to the CVIM site. Find out about this worthy organization. Meet some of the runners, many of whom I'm sure you know. Please consider making a donation to CVIM through the Marathoners for Medicine in the name of one of the runners (or in the name of all participants).

Treasurer's Report - May 2014

Details: Written by Dave Eggler Dave Eggler

Download the May 2014 Treasurer's Report here. This report contains information for 2003 through 2013 inclusive.

2nd Krush Speaker Series Talk - March 19

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The second talk in the Krush Program Speaker Series will be held on Monday, March 19 at St. Joseph's Catholic Academy at 901 Boalsburg Pike in Boalsburg. Artie Gilkes and Olympic hopeful Rebecca Donaghue will give a talk titled Drills To Improve Running Economy. Information is here.