We did it! Swimming with the polar bears on 1/1/12

Natasha and Sandra 

On Friday December 30, 2011, after a colleague at work told me that she and a couple of her lifeguard friends would go for a swim on New Year's day with the Polar Bear Club in Coney Island , I proceeded to shoot an email to the PPTC Forum to see how many takers I could persuade to join us upon such short notice.

Low and behold, the response was immediate, Marcy Greenberg was in. Janine Acquafredda, Michael Ring and Pat Perlo were too!. The positive responses kept pouring in. I was psyched!

Janine offered to drive us there. Michael Ring who only had four spots to spare in his own vehicle offered rides as well to anyone who wanted to take part in this new year's adventure.

After completing the BRRC midnight run and partying at a friend's house on Coney Island Avenue on December 31, 2011, Natacha and I woke up bright and early and arrived at the K of C Hall on 10th Avenue off Prospect Park South West . Hey, we even got there on time. Upon entering the room, I could tell the day was going to go my way. There was lots of food as always and Tom Meany, Ann P and Julio Z were there to make sure all was fine and dandy.

After the award ceremony and after Ruth Garsky was awarded her medal (I was thrilled for her! ) we walked to Bartell Pritchard in front of the Connecticut Muffin to hook up with Janine whom we had never met in person and with whom I had only communicated via the PPTC Forum. She was in a  black Volvo with John her husband in the passenger seat up front. Janine's girlfriend led the way in her own car with her husband and her two beautiful little girls.

After a brief introduction in the car, Janine and I  started to speak as if we were old friends.

When we arrived at Coney Island, we could see the masses of people and we knew we were in trouble. Parking space seemed sparse. We could not find a spot in the street.  We tried a parking lot and that was full also. We ended up finding a parking space almost four to five blocks away . Where's the valet parking when you really need it !

Once we left  the cars, people started to greet us with 'Happy New Year' and congratulated us for going to take a dip. Some folks were already drinking and behaving like people who might be already drinking. Everyone was having fun.

After strolling on the boardwalk, we got down to business. We walked across Coney Island's sandy beach and took off our coats, robes and started to take pictures. Some of us even sported our PPTC shirts.

Janine and her best friend could not wait and so at about 12:58 pm , folks with similar intentions  started  screaming and shouting all psyched  to take the plunge. The crowd roared and bursts of animal-like  cries were heard as folks started to run into the water. Some screamed, others yelled and shouted words that I can't mention here. Natacha and I went in quietly. On our way down into the water we saw Tom Tobin and his wife and son. We saw Robert from BRRC. Tom courageously dove in while we slowly walked into the water. Natacha ran out and I went in and squatted down to get my shoulders wet. All of a sudden, my tired and achy legs no longer bothered me . I felt great. The aches and pains dissipated. The cold water was the  remedy. I got out and asked a bystander to take pictures of us but lo and behold she didn’t know how to use my simple camera! I then went back into the water again while  Tom Tobin took some pictures of us. We ran out of the water and then for one last time we went back in again and laid down in the water and got our entire bodies wet!

What a feeling! What a blast! What chilly water! We did it! What a way to welcome 2012!  I feel rejuvenated!!

-- Sandra Ferrari

2012: THE BEST YEAR EVER!, by Ruth Gursky

For me, 2011 was a year of many firsts: starting with my first Harry's Handicap and winning a medal for finishing 42nd out of 47 runners (an act which convinced me to join PPTC because of its positive attitude toward back-of-the-packers)...making the Celebrate Israel Run (my dream) a reality...getting 3 race photos of me posted on the NYRR website...and culminating in this year's Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, in which a group of friends and I WON the "Best Costume" award as the "Sisters of St. Emerald's" minutes prior to the start of the annual 4-mle annual fun run. (I'm Sister Granola, the Jewish nun!)

 

How can I possibly top that?  Well, with less than 5 hours of sleep and running on achy, tired legs, I ran my second Harry's Handicap, and guess what? I came in FIFTH PLACE in a field of over 40 runners!

 

This has renewed my faith in PPTC's attitude toward its speed-challenged members...and I now totally believe that in 2012, ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!

 

Best wishes to all of my new PPTC friends for a Happy, Healthy & PR-filled 2012!

 

Ruth Gursky

Oops - More Inside Loop!

Let's hope that Chris O'Brien's foot stress fracture heals well and allows him the time to train for the marathon in Ireland in 2012 that he's so psyched for.

Yves Roger was psyched to see the more than 60 PPTC runners at the Staten Island Half. For how fast PPTCers ran at this race and others as well, check out the Race Results page.

Remember some years ago when PPTC road tripped to Virginia Beach for the the Rock 'Roll race weekend events? This year it was rolling out of bed and making it to the Grecian Shelter area of Prospect Park for the 730am start of the Rock 'n Roll 10k on October 22nd. It was a grand day for PPTC indeed, in the park , on the roads, and on the awards podium, PPTC rocked !

The second session of the current speed training go-round saw the Thursday's group getting rained on big time at the Red Hook Track. The good news was that the workout rocked as usual with coach Tony and Charlene also getting very wet in the rain. No sitting in their car on the sidelines for these two. Can the indoor workouts at the Park Slope Armory in mid-November be that far away?

And speaking of indoor armories, the 2012 Millrose games will be conducted at Manhattan's 168th street and B'way Armory and not at Madison Square Garden come early next February

And speaking of changes in venue, by the time youre reading this, perhaps you realize that the meeting place for the PPTC monthly general meetings has been moved. As one member who prefers to remain anonymous put it, ''Well, at least you can now order up something besides physical therapy!" Many thanks to NY Sports Med for all their past hospitality. Hey, sustenance, sustenance, three cheers for liquid sustenance!!

Tom Tobin thought that driving the baggage car was probably a lot easier than running in the wet and sniffly conditions the day of the infamous ''last ten miles'' PPTC group run. Many thanks to Tom, Anne and all the others Mike thanked for making this PPTC annual event happen.

Tom Byrnes was not stranded in London hoping that some of the PPTCers on his email list would send him a few bucks to get home. Let's face it, sometimes you know when you've been hacked and when you're hacked , you're hacked. Thanks to MSN Support , especially Patrick in India, for all the help. If you're hacked and you're an MSN subscriber, call MSN support to get your password reset . This will give you the chance to reopen your email account and by changing your password from the reset, you'll have your email life back again.

But if I was stranded and broke, you would send money, wouldnt you? Well, I know who wouldnt but we'll let that be .

Inside Loop

Posted in December

Who ran what finishing times at New York couldn't include the valuable volunteer contribution of PPTC members and friends to the efforts of the United States Anti Doping Agency and its work with doping control for athletes whose finishing positions had been selected at random at this event. Thanks to PPTC's Wayne Bailey, Trey Heard, Sandra and Natacha Ferrari, and Marc McKennis. Up close and personal with PPTC were top finishers Geoffrey Mutai, Emmanuel Mutai, Firehiwo Dado of Ethiopia, and Ana Dulce Felix among others.

January 2012 will see another indoor track meet coming to Madison Square Garden. Not the Millrose Games but reminiscent of the days when there were actually three major indoor meets in the Metropolitan area, Millrose , Vitalis, and Mobil. As they say, back in the day....

Seeing Priscilla Muller starting her run into the wind on PPW and 1st street one Saturday in early November brought back some beautiful memories. We miss you Bob!

Citytri's Brooklyn Prospect Park Duathlon Sunday on November 13th found both Marc Crowther and Tom Byrnes on the awards podium stand taking home age group trophies. Thanks to the young men and women volunteers from the Lefferts Garden Association for helping Directors George and Alexandra Regan make this events a huge success. It almost seemed that the water cups wouldn't hit the ground before a vol would be there to catch it on the fly.

Lots of great suggestions on the open forum site for anyone looking for a spring 2012 marathon. Been there, done that, a marathon in the fall and then another in the spring. Training through the winter to use it before you lose it!

Word from Aunt Susan Tomasi off the beaten tredmill is that PPTCer Pete Tomasi has to hustle to cross the finish line with his son Harry in local races these days. I'm sure that if the clan was still living in Brooklyn, Harry would be a valued member of Sean Rice's Prospect Park Youth Runners!

Mid-November saw Tony Watson's Tuesday and Thursday speed workouts moving in to the YMCA's Park Slope 15th street Armory indoor track! Track is back! With the installation of seating on the upper tier of the facility, can an indoor meet be long off? Marc Crowther's interest in a not so invitational all comers mile seems to be looking good!

Will Abrams running with a group a chatty youth runners at the base of Lookout Hill puts Will back on the radar! Will's sub 3:08 at NYC put the smile on his face and I'm sure is a source of inspiration to the young runners he was training.

Lynda Mules was hooked up with the Prospect Park Alliance via the NYRR volunteering to clean up our park.This seemed to be an ideal option for the 9+1 marathon credit. According to the Prospect Park Alliance, the group got an "astronomical" amount of work done. For Lynda the highlight, though, was working along a stretch on the course duathlon. "I knew the event was taking place but was pleasantly surprised that I was able to cheer for the participants while I raked leaves." Linda seems to be saddling her ability to bike with her prowess on the roads into her thinking about a duathlon in the not so distant future...

Brooklyn Marathon runner Gary Wang ran the first half with Pieter, Tom, Mike, and Peter and they all looked great. Hope the second half went just as well. What a great race....a great atmosphere with lots of people cheering out there. I hope this is the first of many more. The Achilles Marathon in the park last run over 11 years ago evaporated after only two runnings due to logistical reasons so lets hope that this year's version of a Brooklyn Marathon continues in the park and perhaps is taken to the streets!

Meanwhile, in Philly, PPTC's Helen Dole ran a 3:07 and Matt Strawn a 3:15. Helen writes that she received at least twenty "Go Prospect Park!" or "Go Brooklyn!" along the Philly course. As she now has experienced for herself, PPTC is very well known beyond just the five boroughs! This was Matt's third marathon and he sees areas where he can pare down his time even further.

Thanks to PPTC Money Man Doug Olney for reporting in that for the first time ever, the Turkey Trot has sold out.The event reached the 2,500 participant limit the Monday before the race at JackRabbit Sports. I wonder who was the lucky 2500th entrant?

As Bill Rodgers once told me, see you on the roads.

News from Early Fall

PPTC ranting and raving about Chris O'Brien, Clair Dougherty and Stacey Ullman's completing September's Mighty Hamtpons Triathlon out on eastern Long Island's South Fork, a mile swim, 40k on the bike, and a 10k run. Welcome to the ranks of PPTCers who've tried triathloning for the first time Clair and Stacey.

PPTC sympathies go out to the family and friends of Dennis Trott. Dennis was one of PPTC's hard core ultra- marathoners back in the day. Rest in peace Dennis Trott. Let's keep Dennis and all the other deceased members of PPTC in our thoughts and prayers.

Past PPTC President Bobby Fisher's fall 2011 bike events included the Golden Apple Ride 65miles on 9/4, the Escape New York 66mile ride on 9/24, the Twin Lights Ride 75miles on the next day 9/25, the Pumkin Patch Peddle 62miles on 10/2 and The Tour de Bronx on 10/23. 'Lotsa' rides, 'lotsa' miles, but remember too, it's 'lotsa' fun! From a runner's point of view, cross training at its best. From behind the bar , of a road bike that is, the ride is what it's all about.

Great to see Richard Weaver firing up at NYRRC's Fifth Avenue Mile, one for his grandkids to be proud of! Go grandpa Rich!

There's a lot to be said for racing the smaller out of town marathons, avows Tyrone Sklaren. Venturing to Hartford in October, Tyrone found the event much more to his preference than races with casts of tens of thousands . The smaller field and more room on the road to actually see the route of the course ahead was much more to his liking. PPTC on the move in Hartford Connecticut! One thing about out of town races, if you go and wear the PPTC colors , on a singlet or a tee shirt, guaranteed that someone will step up out of the crowd and start the gab about having lived in Brooklyn, having parents or relatives who lived in Brooklyn, and maybe even having stopped by Prospect Park once.

On her Facebook page she says "I should never stop running, no matter how busy I can get from the move. I am a better version of myself when I run." We miss you CoCo!

Thanks to Bobby Fisher for sharing the news that at October's Brooklyn Triple Crown Award dinner PPTC won three of the four team awards presented, Open women, Masters women, and Masters men. Don't fight boys and girls over who gets to keep the trophy in their house until 2012's Awards dinner.

Harry's Handicap

The New Year is fast approaching and with it your best chance to beat runners you can’t catch or even see at other races – that’s right Harry’s Handicap and a chance for glory are back! Conceived over 40 years ago by PPTC founder Harry Murphy – this loop of the park prediction race is open to members and their guests and starts and finishes on the main loop at 10th Avenue near Prospect Park Southwest.

Check in at the Knights Of Columbus Hall on 10th Avenue between PPSW and 16th street from 8:30-9:30 AM. After the race come back for a pot luck buffet and please bring something! Non-Members are asked to donate $5. For members, this is all absolutely free. Free!

Please sign up now and predict your pace at www.nycruns.com/pptc In the tradition of Harry Murphy, the race directors reserve the right to handicap you accordingly.

Tyrone Slarken - from Injury to BQ

It was 7:00 a.m. Friday August 29, 2010; right before the Labor Day weekend. I was doing a fast tempo run around the outside of Prospect Park. Near Lincoln Road I tripped and *fell hard onto my left side. I tried to move, but the pain was excruciating. *A nurse on her way to work saw me sprawled on the sidewalk and called *911 - and my wife. The EMT’s arrived about 20 minutes later, and took me *to the Kings County trauma unit. I had a broken hip; one clean break in the *upper femur. I was operated on soon afterwards; a metal pin was inserted *in my leg connected to the bone with titanium screws.

After the operation the surgeon (a marathon runner himself) told me the *operation went very well. He said I could start running again in six months. *I left the hospital the next day, and the day after that I was at work. I used a walker to get around. I went to physical therapy three times a week before work, and the other days I did the therapy exercises on my own at home. In a couple of months I graduated to a cane, and I could go to the gym and take spinning classes. After a few weeks I didn’t need the cane, and I could walk on the treadmill, and around the park. I was cleared for running after the six months of rehab; I ran a couple of races in March-and I strained my hamstring. Six weeks more of spinning and walking, but it became clear what my running goal would be. I wanted to qualify for Boston again.

A fall 2011 marathon could qualify me for 2013 - when I would be 65-meaning a qualifying time of 4:10 - but I knew with the new qualifying procedures I had to run under four hours to make sure I got in. I followed Brad Hudson’s masters plan – three running workouts a week and one or two spinning classes plus weight and core training on off-days.

I ran a 1:49:43 half-marathon four weeks before my goal marathon - ING Hartford in October - so I had a decent shot at it - but I still had to do it.

Marathon day weather was good with temperatures in the 50’s. I stayed behind the 3:55 pacer for 22 miles, feeling pretty good. Then, suddenly, I wasn’t feeling so good. The mind was fine; the arms were pumping - but I felt like someone had tied 10 pound weights to my legs - and I was slowing dramatically. Every time someone passed me, and it happened quite a bit, I was afraid it was the 4:00 pacer passing me. It felt like the grim reaper was stalking me. But I kept on going (though I did not want to).

I crossed the finish line in 3:57:58. I was the happiest guy in the world. My journey was complete. The story of the broken hip was over. I was just a runner again.

Figuring out how I could run a little faster next time; maybe I should take Tony’s class again; maybe I could get a PR; a new age group for 2012; just a runner again. And it feels great.

Annual Awards Shindig

We are so excited to celebrate with our team members at the annual PPTC Awards Celebration which will take place on Thursday, February 2, 2012 7-10pm at the Abigail Brooklyn Cafe.

For the second straight year, this event will be an after-work reception in order not to interfere with weekend running activities. A reminder and more details about the venue, date and time will be sent via PPTC Bytes and posted online closer to the date.

The Awards committee is taking nominations for the following awards:

•The Bob Mueller Award for a member over the age of 50 who is a top runner and who has served the community (including at volunteering at least one PPTC event in the past year);*

•The PPTC Comeback Runner of the Year for a runner who battled injury and/or illness during 2010-2011, yet managed to race well during the past year;*

•The New Member of the Year to someone who has joined PPTC since July 2010 and contributed both in races and to improving our community; and*

•The Outstanding Single Contribution Award given to a club member who has improved club image, operations or provided a unique opportunity for member participation.

Please send your nomination with the name of the award, the member's name and a short explanation of why the person you are nominating should be considered to no later than January 15, 2012.

One final reminder: if you will qualify for the Run Brooklyn *(see the rules on pptc.org), please enter your races in the *Member Racing History Database by January 15, 2012. *The raffle for the $100 cash prize will take place at the *Awards Celebration.

NYC Marathon Wrap-Up - From Mike Ring

According to NYRR’s records, 71 members of the Prospect Park Track Club finished the NYC Marathon this year! We had a few runners under 3 hours, many in over 5 hours, and dozens in between.

PPTC does a lot to get our members and our community ready, to the start line, and recovered at the end:

The "Last 10"

This run has always been available to friends of PPTC members, but for the second year in a row, we opened it up to the public.

Running the miles 16 -26.2 of the marathon is not as easy as it sounds when the City does not close the roads. The tricky part is getting from Manhattan to the Bronx. On Marathon Sunday, runners just take the road, but on any other day one has to use the pedestrian lanes. However because the Willis Avenue Bridge is still under construction, the pedestrian lanes are incomplete. So Cecil Burgin and I had to do a little reconnaissance in the week before the run. We took a pleasant walk over the bridge. We took photos and drew arrows. Then we walked back to Manhattan and had a nice lunch. Nobody got lost.

We had about 150 people RSVP that they were going to join us so we expected 300. However, the weather ranged from a cold mist to a 40° horizontal deluge, so only about 150 brave souls showed up. I got more than a few emails asking if our run had a rain date. My answer was “No and neither does the marathon." We almost lost one teammate to hyperthermia, but I think everyone who ran benefited from the run. We knew it could not be wetter and colder on marathon Sunday.

Transportation to the Starting Line

We also had our own transportation to the marathon start. For the second year in a row, we filled four buses, transporting 220 people from JackRabbit Sports on Seventh Avenue to Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. With a little more marketing we probably could have filled another two or three buses, but enough is enough. We just made sure all PPTC people had the opportunity to sign up first.

Post-Marathon Reception

Our post-marathon reception was once again at PS 87. It is so great to have an indoor place to meet our friends and family. Even cooler is the fact that your teammates are there to give you a spontaneous round of applause when you walk into the room. This year we also arranged for post race massages, Camilo Brooks helped get out some of those knots. I thought he was going to tear me apart, but I do think my Monday and Tuesday were a little better because of him. He can be reached at 718 608 8520 or sunurubu@yahoo.com. We also upgraded our reunion for 2011. Instead of having runners “sign in” on oak tag, we made a video, which will be shared when available.

There is one other thing that the general membership of PPTC might not know about the “reunion school”. It only cost us $80 to rent the cafeteria and the bathrooms. It seems that public schools are mandated to make their facilities available at a low cost to community groups. The Prospect Park Track Club is by definition a community group. I had a conversation with the custodian at PS 87 about this. Of the $80 we pay the Department of Education, the school gets about half of that to cover their payroll expenses which are actually about $250. The PPTC Board decided to make a $200 donation to the PS 87 PTA. It is the least we can do for our community,

We hope that all our runners and their supporters had a great time. We look forward to making next year’s event equally rewarding.

I would also like to thank all the volunteers who made this happen. Many people thanked me, but I would like to thank you.

Upcoming Events

As always, PPTC keeps you busy and on the run even in colder temps. And we also take some time out to celebrate our members' achievements from the past year. Hope you will join us!

January 1 - Harry's Handicap

A perfect way to kick off the new year and enjoy a potluck feast. And with the handicap - truly anyone can win! Registration will be at the Knights Of Columbus Hall On 10th Avenue Between Prospect Park Southwest and 16th Streets, 8:30 - 9:30 am. For more information on the history of this race, see page 5.

January 9 - PPTC Meeting

February 2 - Annual Awards Shindig

Join us from 7 to 10pm at the Abigail Brooklyn Cafe. See page 3 for info about this year's awards and how to nominate a team member.

February 6 - PPTC Meeting

February 19 - It’s the Cherry Tree Ten Miler and 3 Person Relay!

You know how it works – you either run three freezing cold (or unseasonably warm) loops of Prospect Park. Or you and two close friends choose to share the misery (or balminess) with a loop each.

And if you don’t want to get out and run it – we always need volunteers.

Rumors of funky headgear this year – what more could you ask for?

Well if you want to ask… cherrytree@pptc.org may have the answers.

March 5 - PPTC Meeting*

Visit pptc.org and look out for PPTC News Bytes for more info on all upcoming events

2012 Cherry Tree 10 Miller and 3 Person Relay

The Race For The Hardcore Is Back!
Join Prospect Park Track Club on February 19th for the Annual Cherry Tree 10 Miler and 3 Person Relay. The race starts at 10AM.


It is anticipated that both the 10 mile race and the 3 person relay will reach their caps days or weeks before race day.  In that case the race will be SOLD OUT and no more entries will be available.  Sign up now, or risk being closed out. (update 1-10-12)


Register for both of these race now on NYCRUNS. The Cherry Tree is capped for your enjoyment and we suggest you register early to avoid being shut out.


This year the event is part of the inaugural Brooklyn Winter's Cup along with the Valentine's Day 5K and The Hot Chocolate 10K.


Important: Click here to sign up for the 10 Mile Race and here to sign up for the 3 Person Relay *

Registration Fees (per person)

                                  Early                    Pre Registration                At Jack Rabbit                    Race Day
                               Before Feb-1              Feb 1 - Feb 15           Feb-16,17 or 18                    Feb-19

PPTC Members           $18                             $25                                      $30                            $40
Non-Members             $21                              $25                                     $30                            $40

* online registration will stop st 6pm on Wednesday, February 15th.

  Question: CherryTree@PPTC.org

                                                                     

                                                                                  Course    

Bishop Ford High School                          :

Click to enlarge.
The relay zone will be just west of the finish line.

View Larger Map

Start is 200 yards south of Center Drive on the inner loop roadway. The Start will actually be on Wellhouse Drive, please note new map.  Enter the park at Bartel Pritchard Square and walk south on the inner loop roadway. The finish is just inside Center Drive. Partisans located next to finish and in proximity to start.

This race will be time using B-Tag timing and results will be posted on www.pptc.org
Timing mat will remain out for 150 minutes, giving participants who are running a 15 minute mile a chance to finish.

This race is capped to insure a quality event.  All registered participants will receive a race souvenir.

Baggage Check:

Baggage check will be available at the finish line and at Bishop Ford High School. Please leave your valuables at home. PPTC is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Awards

10M Awards:

• Cash Awards for Top 3 10M Overall, men and women - $100 first place, $50 second place, $25 third place

·       Top 3 10M in each age group:  Men/Women: 19 and under; 20-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; 55-59; 60-64; 65-69; 70+

·                   First PPTC Member, Men/Women

Relay Team Awards:

Top 3 Men, Women and Co-ed Relay Teams

Youth / Master Relay Team Awards:

Top 3 Sum of age under 35, under 30, under 25 and over 150 years of age Relay Teams

No duplication of individual awards.


All awards will be based on "gun time", that is from the time the race starts until the runner passes the finish line.  Chip times are provided for informational purposes only.

Also enjoy a FREE post race massage courtesy of the students at The Swedish Institute

In Person Registration & Early Pickup: 

• Thursday Feb 16th 4-6:45 p.m. at JackRabbit Sports in Union Square Map (42 West 14th St (between 5th and 6th Aves).
•  Friday Feb 17th, 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18th, 3-6 p.m.at JackRabbit Sports, Park Slope Map (151 7th Avenue (between Carroll St. and Garfield Pl.).

Race Day Registration (if there are any bibs left) and Pickup: Bishop Ford Cafeteria, 19th Street and Prospect Park West - 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. To ensure runners will get to the start line for the 10 a.m. start, registration will close at 9:30 a.m. SHARP!

Awards will be available following the race at Bishop Ford High School.  Unclaimed awards will be available at Jack Rabbit Sports Brooklyn util March 1.

Directions to Bishop Ford

By Car: BQE to Prospect Expressway - 10th Avenue Exit. Make right at stop sign. Bishop Ford is on the right. Registration is in the gym on 19th Street

By Bus: Bishop Ford is at the end of the B69 and B61 bus lines 

By Subway: Take the F train to 15th Street/Prospect Park Station. Walk 5 blocks to 19th Street.  Always check with www.mta.info before starting your trip F/G trains may not be stopping at Prospect Park.

We would also like to thank the support of The New York City Chapter of TEAM IN TRAINING. Ever thought about doing a full or half marathon, triathlon, or 100-mile bike ride?  Join The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, the world’s largest endurance sports training program!  You’ll receive personalized training with the Team, airfare, lodging, and race entry; in exchange, you’ll raise funds for blood cancer research.  This season, choose from events including the Nautica NYC Triathlon, San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & Half Marathon, Mayor’s Marathon & Half in Alaska, the Ride to Montauk, and others!  Visit www.teamintraining.org/nyc or email ben.spoer@lls.org.


We will be having an athletic clothing drive.  We are going to announce that any clean, used and usable athletic clothing and equipment can be dropped off at the Bishop Ford Cafeteria during the Cherry Tree.  This clothing and equipment will be drop-shipped to Belize to assist the Belize Amateur Athletic Association

Thanks to our newest partner in this race:  Cheribundi will be available at the finish!.  They say "cheribundi™ starts as Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan and New York orchards. We use a proprietary juicing process that was developed with Cornell University to make a drink that retains all the power and benefits of the nutrients and antioxidants found in the little round fruits. cheribundi™ has more disease-fighting antioxidants than other juices and has been tested in the lab and field by athletes and people who just work out. Because cheribundi™ is all-natural and not from concentrate, it's a feel-better and live-healthier addition to your lifestyle."
It will be available at the Bishop Ford High School after the race!

Before the race you can enjoy a sample of FRS healthy energy drink. "The advantage FRS Healthy Energy® has over other energy drinks is simple. Instead of using lots of caffeine and sugar to give your body a lift, FRS activates your body's own energy-producing mechanisms, so you can stay at your best longer without fear of crashing. In other words, you get the energy you need to turn possibility into reality, whether you're shooting for a championship or just trying to make it through your workout."


Any Questions, ask... CherryTree@pptc.org

What You Do Not Know Because You Are Not Me

We Needed a Bigger Truck

Michael Ring

I help out with a lot of races.  One of the behind the scenes challenges is getting the stuff there.  Ya know… Logistics.

A small race is not always easier.  They don’t always come with car permits, so we have to carry gallons of water and timing mats from the street to the nice part of the park where we want to start and finish our race.  Gigantic races like the Rock & Roll 10K came with Teamsters, so my job was easy.

Like this but all dinged up.

For races like the Turkey Trot we rent a U-Haul.  In the past we got a cargo van.  But even with the Bishop Ford people using their school buses the van was packed.  So this year I was going to get a 14’ truck.  This was going to make it much easier to gather up 20 cases of apples, 20 folding tables, about 50 signs, 2 big clocks 1 giant ladder and 3 big ladders, a few thousand cups and 6 giant apple pies.  I figured at 14’ truck would be fine.  I’m gonna pick up Anne (Mrs President) and head over to Costco.  But then Anne mentions that we are going to take Pat Meany (The First Lady) too.  “But it only has two seats”  “No problem,” Anne says, “I can sit in the back.”  No and No, not with all that stuff.  I get a 17’ truck, it has 3 seats.  I only costs a few cents more per mile and we were only gonna drive about 25 miles in 2 days.

Usually U-Hauls look like the ones in the photo.  They are a year or two old with less than 20, 000 miles and they run like new.  Not the truck they gave me.  I was covered in scratches and had almost a quarter of a million miles.  I was kinda glad, they would not notice the new dings I would put on it.  But the fact that the Check Engine Light was on should have tipped me off to a problem.  The U-Haul dude told me not to worry about it.   I shoulda worried.

After I picked up the First Lady and Mrs President we head over to Rothman’s to get 20 cases of apples we realized the truck is a clucker.  It doesn’t like to change gears and it was not only the check engine light. that was on.  All the gauges were in the red.  Whatever, all we gotta do is get to to Costco, Bishop Ford, and then Prospect Park.  No-so-good.  Just after I say “Wow we were actually going 30 MHP on Prospect Park South West, the engine stops.  The fact that it just started raining made it appear that smoke was coming out of from under the hood.

The the three of us abandon the vehicle in the left lane of PPSW just before Park Circle.  We called U-Haul and Tom Meany.  Before the service truck even got there the track teams from Bishop Ford began transferring the stuff from the truck into their school vans. (Yes, in the middle of the street… in the rain.)  Then the U-Haul dude shows up “Ya got gas?!!?!?”  “Yea, I got gas” He just turns the key and it starts.  He says it is fine, finish your move.  “But why did it stop?” “Don’t worry about it” he replies.  I am worried.

So we chug over to the Audubon Center at The Boathouse and unload the rest of the stuff.  We decided than to return the truck immediately instead of after the Turkey Trot.  Pat Meany (Bless her sole!) said “I will ride back with you, just in case you have any problems”  At the time I did not give that much thought,  If all went well she would have given up her ride home with her husband  walk back to 8^th Ave from 4^th Ave.  But all did not go well.  The truck stalled every time I took my foot off the gas.  When we finally made it up Flatbush Ave, it totally died in front of the library.  Again we called U-Haul and Tom.  This time it took 2 hours for a tow truck to come and thanks to Pat I did not have to sit there alone… in the rain… with a dead cell phone.  When Tom came to rescue us he was impressed with the quantity of steam his wife and I got on the truck windows.

Eventually a different tow truck guy shows up.  “Ya got gas?”  Not funny.  I tell him to take the thing away and I think I am done with U-Haul for a while.  Not so much.  Every 24 house for the next 4 days they call me, “When are you going to bring the truck back?”  I tell them the same thing, “You have it and when are you going to REFUND ALL my money you charged me to rent that POS?”  They have no clue.

On the Wednesday after Thanksgiving they finally figure out that they had their truck and they sent me a statement.  They are changing me for the 15 miles I put on the truck (maybe counting the miles the truck was on the hook) and insisting that they can not refund the insurance for 2 days.  They actually expect me to pay for the insurance on a truck that I did not even have on the second day. (BTW, insurance and U-Haul costs more than the daily rental rate)

So I walked over to the U-Haul place and introduced my self. The clerk looks me up on her computer and says “Are you finished with the truck yet?”  Ack.  I have to deal with a wall a bureaucracy to get my money back.  

I decided to say calm.  In reality it was not even my money, PPTC was going to reimburse me.  But that made me even madder.  This was a charity; they really should have given us the truck for free. So I walked into the U-Haul and asked for the manager.  She was there but busy.  After waiting on line I got to the clerk and said “No I do not need to rent anything, I just want to make sure I have all my facts straight before I get in touch with your corporate offices in Arizona.  When I was less than half way through my tail of woe the manager came over and instructed the clerk to issue me a complete refund.

But I did not believe it till I saw it.

The 2011 Turkey Trot. Bogisphere (Update VIII)

Results can be found here.  Please send corrections to contact@pptc.org.

Our own N. Wayne BAILEY took hundreds of photos,  (even a few of me and I did not even know he was there) click here to check them out


and our own Patricia added these 201 photos to this Snapfish album

We made it to NEWS 12,  (You would think the Prospect Park Track Club did not have any volunteers)

EMMAYNC  found a way to celebrate Thanksgiving in the US.


We got a whole section in Runner's World's blog

Pixonomy made a Flickr slideshow

Roadrunning Guide described our race with no feeling at all.

and Cuttblaster gave the most detailed description of 5 miles I ever read.

and for a great 30 second video click here

and this?

Below is an entire news story from SIlive.com

Twelve-year-old Lauren Pitarresi, represenhting the New York Flyers, completed the Prospect Park Track Club Five-Mile Turkey Trot in 40:02. 

Beth said "Overall a fun race and one I think I’ll be looking forward to every year for the foreseeable future."   Beth, I hope to be there for you!

Our second place women reports that the pie was delicious!  Congratulations Mary!

Tom Meany and I gave good quote in this Currier Life story... "The soul-satisfying slog "

How to cross the Willis Ave Bridge and Enter The Bronx on October 29

On Saturday October 29, 2011 the Prospect Park Track Club will have a supported group run of the last 10 mile of the NYC Marathon Course.  This run is on open roads and sidewalks.  There will be no traffic control.  It is the responsibility of each participant to be aware of their surrounding.  It is strongly advised to not use any headphones.  


If you are participating in this run and have not already RSVPed please email membership@pptc.org, we need to know how many cookies to buy.

We will meet  start at 8am on the Right side of 1st Ave at East 58th Street, under the 59th, Queensboro, Koch Bridge.  This is near a supermarket and a Starbucks.  So if you need buy stuff or use the bathroom that can be done.

The Prospect Park Track Club will move your (TINY) bag from where we start to the parking lot at Tavern on the Green.  PPTC will also have have water, sports drink and other goodies on the left side of 1st Ave between 124th and 125th streets (that is actually under the Triboro RFK Bridge) and at the entrance to Central Park at Engineers Gate, 5th Ave and 90th Street).  We will also have even more goodies in the parking lot at Tavern on the Green.

On Monday, October 24 PPTC volunteers walked over The Willis Ave Bridge. Assuming the construction patters remain the same this is the route to cross from Manhattan to The Bronx.  Don't worry, on Marathon Sunday we run on the roadway.

Getting onto The Willis Ave Bridge is easy.  There is a clearly marked bike / pedestrian path on the LEFT side of the bridge.  Once over the Harlem River there is a clearly marked detour.  It leads to a STAIRCASE 

Then through a fenced in detour and run parallel to the bridge (the orange arrow is chalk, it might not be there on Oct 30.)

Cross under the bridge and make a left

Cross Bruckner Blvd.  (The construction guys said their heavy equipment will not be there on Saturday and the crosswalk will be passable)

Proceed on Willis Ave towards the Mobil Gas Station

Cross the street to the Gas Station and make a left.  You are now on the Marathon Route again.

Continue on 135th Street to Alexander Ave and make a right.  You could be following the Marathon Banners at this point too.

After a few blocks you will make a left on 138th Street (you are making a left at a Police Station)

Pass the Police Station

138th Street leads directly to the Madison Ave Bridge. The actual NYC marathon course goes around a block at Morris Ave. 


I honestly see no value in adding that "dimple" to this run.  I also see no need to leave Central Park and run on 59th Street and then reenter the park and Columbus Circle.  It will be really think with tourists on a Saturday morning and you want to leave some surprised for the big day.


The end of 138th Street looks like this

The bike / pedestrian path is on the RIGHT side of the Madison Ave Bridge

Proceed over the Madison Ave Bridge and make a Left on 5th Ave.


Again, if you are doing this with the Prospect Park Track Club, with another group or on your own, please be careful.  This is not a park.  This is not a closed race course.  This is the world of cars, trucks, bikes, dogs with leashes and baby strollers.  Be aware of your surroundings and be courteous.

2011 Prospect Park Track Club NYC Marathon Activities

On Saturday, October 29^th Prospect Park Track Club is sponsoring a group run of the last 10 miles of the NYC Marathon course.  We will meet under the   at Engineers Gate).  At the “finish line” (the Tavern on the Green parking lot) there will be more goodies waiting for us.  This event is free and open to the public.  We just ask that you let us know if you are going to join us.  Please send an email to membership@pptc.org if you are joining us.

59^th Street Bridge at  1^st Avenue  and be ready to run by 8 a.m...  As usual this run will be supported by a rolling aid station.  There will be Gatorade, cold water and energy food waiting for us before we cross the Willis Ave Bridge (1^st Avenue and 125^th Street) and as we enter Central Park (90^th Street).  For a details on crossing the Willis Ave Bridge and getting into The Bronx, click this

http://pptcblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-cross-willis-ave-bridge-and.html

The importance of this run cannot be stressed enough.   Eight days later you will be running this same route after covering 16 miles.  You will have the memory of how easy and fun it was with fresh feet and how close the finish line is.  This is also a great run for someone who is not running the NYC Marathon:  It is a way to “have a taste” of the Marathon. 

On Marathon Sunday, JackRabbit Sports has joined us in transporting Brooklyn runners to the start.  Buses will be leaving from the front of their Brooklyn store,    Buses will leave promptly at 6 AM and will not wait.  JackRabbit will be open starting at 5 AM on Marathon Sunday. They will be providing goodie bags, a bathroom, a place to be warm and dry, and the opportunity to purchase any last minute items.  151 7th Avenue  between Garfield and Carroll and will take you to Fort Wadsworth.

The cost for bus transportation is $10 for PPTC members and $15 for “friends.”  All seats are prepaid and go quickly.  There are no walk-ons – reservations are required.  If you are taking the PPTC bus, you will need to be in front of Jack Rabbit Sports no later than 5:45 a.m. to be checked in.   Click here (or go to www.pptc.org if you are holding a piece of paper) for a link to our no extra fee checkout  to reserve your place on the bus (The bus is sold out!)

After the race, we have our own Marathon reunion area.  You can meet your friends and family at PS 87, located on  West 77^th Street  between Columbus and Amsterdam. It is just 2 blocks from the finish line.  We will provide hot chocolate, fruit, cold soda, bagels an indoor restroom with a place to change.  This event is free and open to PPTC Member and their “friends” who joined us on the marathon bus.  We just ask that you let us know if you are going to join us.  We will transport your bag of stuff from JackRabbit to our reunion area.

Questions:  Membership@pptc.org  or 718-595-2049

Nothing is better for instilling camaraderie and team spirit than running together - at a race, in an organized PPTC event, or on an informal group run. When doing any of these things is impossible, there are still a number of electronic ways that PPTC can communicate with members and members communicate with each other. The proliferation of these media have made it difficult for PPTCers to be aware of the different places that conversations about PPTC and running in Brooklyn take place. Following is a description of the different alternatives followed by a discussion about some ways in which the club is trying to make it easier for members to communicate and get information.

• PPTC.ORG is our main website and the place to find announcements about big events on the club calendar such as the Turkey Trot, Cherry Tree, coached speed workouts, regular group runs, etc. The main site also includes links to (or embedded versions of) the club calendar, Facebook, Flickr (photos), Target Races, and the Open Forum. On tabs (found at the top of the main page) are the PPTC blog and the Member Race History page. If you are going to remember only one resource, PPTC.ORG is it because it will show you the way to everything else we have online.

• "PPTC Bytes" is the name that the club uses for its email blasts to the entire club. If you are a member and the club has your email you should be receiving these. However, occasionally an email address gets skipped, so if you have never seen a "PPTC Byte" get your name on the list by sending a message to contact@pptc.org. I think everyone knows how to use email by now, so there isn't much else to say about "PPTC Bytes."

• The PPTC Open Forum is an unmoderated Google group that is available only to PPTC members at http://groups.google.com/group/pptc-open-forum?hl=en (first time you visit, you have to request permission from the group administrator). The discussions are on various running-related topics and are often very lively. There are a few ways to stay up- to-date with the Open Forum: members can elect to receive each and every email sent to the group, they can get a daily or weekly digest of the emails, or can elect not to receive email and browse the group at the following address [link]. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of these methods of following the Open Forum, so experiment and see which is best for you.

• PPTC also has its own group on Facebook with over 200 "members." For those of us who use the popular social network, this is a convenient place to make announcements, post questions, extend invitations for group runs or impromptu social events. Often, the information on Facebook is cross-posted to the Open Forum. The two media are also similar in that anyone can post to them and anyone can respond. One difference between Facebook and the Open Forum is that the Facebook group is open to non-PPTC members.

• The PPTC calendar is visible as an embedded element on the main pptc.org page by scrolling down to the "Race Calendar" heading. This calendar is an amazing resource that also includes the regular PPTC group runs, running events throughout the five NYC boroughs and in surrounding parts of NY, NJ and Connecticut. It is a Google Calendar (called "Prospect Park Track Club Events" if you need to search for it), so if you use the Google Calendar service or Outlook, it can appear in your own personal calendar i.e., without having to go to our home page. Another useful aspect of the calendar is that if you double-click on the individual event blocks, you will then see details such as the location of the race and, in many cases, a link to the website.

• The PPTC Blog can be found at http://pptcblog.blogspot.com/ and is also the second tab on the top menu bar at PPTC.ORG. The blog is used to post online versions of the newsletter articles and sometimes for other notices that are linked elsewhere. When we update pptc.org (see discussion below), the main site will include more blog-like elements and it may be possible to do away with the separate blog.

There a couple more online services which club members have been trying on an experimental basis:

• PPTC has a group on Flickr, a popular photo sharing service at http://www.flickr.com/groups/pptc_photos/pool/ Anyone can join this group and upload photos, but in practice people have more frequently been sharing photos among "friends" on Facebook and sometimes with the PPTC group on that service.

• There is also a twitter feed @ProspectParkTC which is maintained by member, Mark Crowther. Based on our recent survey of club communications, there don't appear to be many PPTC members using the Twitter service, but it is increasing in general popularity and influence, so this may be something that grows in the future.

PPTC is working to improve all forms of communication with and among its members. It recently conducted an online survey to understand which online tools you are finding most useful. Thank you to the more than 90 members who responded! One of the results of the survey is this article: we realized that many people are not aware of all the resources available. The club is planning to update the website in ways that will make it easier to use and better integrated with other online tools such as social media. If you have an interest in helping the club to communicate more effectively or a technical skill you can share, please contact me and we will find a way to get you involved.