We Got Some Love

Smart Mom (Louise Crawford) is the author of Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn and a column in the Brooklyn Paper. Every year she compiles a list of The Park Slope 100. This year she included somme of our friends, like Kirsten Marino owner of Slope Sports and Brenda Becker of A Year in the Park.

But look right between Ann Prescott and Mallory Y. Rutledge. . . there we are!

PROSPECT PARK TRACK CLUB because of the Turkey Trot, the Cherry Hill Run and all the other running events you do in and around Prospect Park.

OK, she got the name of the Cherry Tree Race wrong but. . .we got some Love.

The Turkey Trot Blogisphere...

Hay, It is Whatyoudonotknowbecauseyourarenotme guest blogging for the Prospect Park Track Club. Here is my Turkey Trot Race Report.

Everybody's race results can be found here.

The Runner's World forum is getting long, looks like people had a good time.

We got a shout out out from Brooklyn Running

Guvea told the world in the Brooklynian Forum that he loved the race

Brooklyn Runner gave us some free publicity and even got positive feed back on his site regarding our race.

Curlygirl posted a great race review on Runango Running Forum. Looks like she missed the start! It is OK, lots of people did.

Time Out New York gave us some pre-race publicity but they said the race was to be in Central Park. I hope nobody got lost!!!

Brooklyn Garden Hopeful put the medal on the dog Enzo, cute!

NYMetroParents said “Families can celebrate Thanksgiving watching the Prospect Park Track Club. The Turkey Trot is an annual Brooklyn tradition.” I hope some families participated.

One happy finisher published her photos on Flicker. If you scroll around you

can find our ‘Santa”.

Only The Blog Know Brooklyn gave us credit for “almost 2000 runners”. Wow, I guess she counted Live to Run.

Live to Run ran like a bandit, its ok, but I don’t think we ran out of numbers. It is a fundraiser! PPTC will be ok, but you should send Bishop Ford $10. (Sorry, Live to Run, I just found out we did run out of numbers, I hope you had fun)

Alana Taylor said she was gonna run the race, she did not say in her blog if she did. I looked her up, she did!!!

Coyboy Hazel realized that there is no need to grab water during a 5 mile race. I agree.

Runnin’ Down

a Dream had a great time (and took some nice pictures!!)

There is a race report in from a blog in a language that might be Chinese, Japanese, Korean or maybe something else, but there are nice pictures!

Somebody wrote a fictional essay about the New York Road Runners Marathon called the Turkey Trot. Really

A +G had a great time, scroll down a little to see their happy running poses!

My Favorite Run member Watthree mapped our race at 4.95 miles! (he also listed the race in Manhattan?

Citi Coach was proud of their results

The Nike Central Park Track Club congratulates our on son of a member Noah Lansner for getting a PR.

Our own Gil had a very focused race, He stayed "in the moment" for the whole race

And because my blog, had a link to a blog that announced that the Turkey Trot results were up, it came up in my search of Turkey Trot blogs???

Did I miss your blog, or your comment on some newsgroup? Send it to me at membership@pptc.org and I will add it to the list.

OMG, I missed the coolest blog, our own Amy in the Moment , not only a great Turkey Trot post, but a blog worth bookmarking!!!

Found another one!! Elizabeth was very proud of herself. And she really enjoyed Prospect Park

Yet one more!!!! Anuday ran with Uptal. They were happy to see our Santa Click on A New Day and scroll down for a nice photo.

It is after Christmas and I found one more CNY found computation where he thought there was none

Marathon Afterthoughts

What a day! The weather was cool (cold at the start) and sunny. The PPTC delivered its precious cargo in plenty of time to take advantage of the port-o-sans and maybe even the World's Longest Urinal - and maybe more than once. Thanks to Michael Ring for his tenacity in making the breathing life into the marathon reception, run the event and take pictures along the route. Talk about multitasking! Of course, Al Goldstein who was the architect of the reception back in the day was at his post at the bus stop at 5 a.m. to take the runners bags to the school later in the day. Richard Weaver, PPTC Volunteer Coordinator,

At the school, Susan Tomasi, chair of the PPTC board, worked the room liked a pol, getting people to volunteer for the Turkey Trot. Julio Zavala was the food guru again, making sure that there was enough hot water for hot chocolate, tea, coffee, whatever. Pres Tom Meany, aided and abetted by wife Pat, got equipment and Julio to the school even before the custodian was on site. Mike Rieman

PPTC MARATHON CELEBRITIES

It is almost time for the cannon in the harbor to announce the start of the NYC marathon. Actually, there will be a number of starts and each one will have its own cannon burst.

PPTC has much of which to be proud. Danielle Hansen is representing the entire borough of Brooklyn in the 5-boro race-within-a-race. Keep your eye out for her and cheer, cheer, cheer!!! We have three runners whose times have qualified them for the local elite start: Helen Dole, Frank DeLeo and Maggie Deschamps. Another celebrity is one of PPTC icons, Jack Stetch, who has run more than 30 NYC marathons and will be running again on November 2nd.

There are 42 runners registered as PPTC runners in the marathon. Some will be cancelling due to injuries before the big day. However, PPTC will be well represented on the course, both running and cheering. Here's to all our marathoners, the pride of PPTC.

The Last 10 Miles

LAST 10 MILES
This was a scene from the first PPTC aid stop just before the Willis Avenue Bridge connecting Manhattan to the Bronx. We had about 20 runners in our group. The day was crystal clear and crisp - a great day to run. There were two PPTC cars so that one could scoot to the finish at Tavern on the Green after helping to set up at the second stop, Engineers Gate. Juan Rivera again rode "shotgun" on his bike and Richard Weaver, Diana Ortiz and Julio Zavala made sure that our runners had fuel to finish. At the finish line, there was hot chocolate and bagels (bought in Brooklyn as a touch of home).

There were lots of runners out on this Saturday, from a number of different groups. One group even had numbers! ????

This "last 10M run" is in its 16th year, as near as I can figure. It started as an informal group of us from one of Bob Glover's classes in 1993. We were the only group doing it and we kept getting questions from bystanders - "Is this the marathon?." The next year a runner who had planned on running the last 10 was injured but intended to run the marathon eight days later. She had promised her doctor she would not do anything before that, so she brought her car into Manhattan and the rolling aid station was born. Word of mouth brought PPTC members to 59th Street and 1st Avenue soon afterwards. Not surprising, given the strong PPTC marathon tradition, and the PPTC Last 10 Miles was born.

PPTC Women Rock the Staten Island Half

What an outstanding performance! PPTC women took the FIRST PLACE TEAM AWARD in the Staten Island Half on Sunday, October 12th, finishing a full 10 minutes faster than the second place New York Flyers team. Congratulations to Emily Sanderson (1:30:44), Helen Dole (1:31:13), Sarah Scott (1:31:17), Corre Kombol (1:41:40), Danielle Hansen (1:43:21). Emily and Helen were award winners in their respective age categories. Will Abrams carried the banner for the PPTC men, first PPTC finisher and taking second in his age group in 1:26:03.

Our collective PPTC hats are off to all our finishers and our buttons are popping with pride over our award winners.

Marathon Countdown

RUN THE LAST 10 MILES OF THE MARATHON – OCTOBER 18TH
PPTC will be running the last 10 miles of the marathon on October 18th. If this is your first NYC Marathon or your tenth or even if you are only thinking of doing it “someday,” this is the run for you. The group will leave 59th Street and 1st Avenue at 8 a.m. SHARP! Unlike the day of the marathon, the streets will not be closed so we want to avoid as much traffic as possible. We will have a rolling aid station and can carry a small bag for you from the start to the finish at Tavern on the Green where you will be able to change into your clean clothes.

If you are driving, you have a choice – park on the west side and grab a cab to the starting point on the east side –or- park on the east side and cab it back after finishing. The best plan is to take public transportation. The 4 or 5 train stops at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, a short walk to 1st Avenue.

This is a free event, open to all runners as in support of the running community. We would appreciate a call or an email if you are planning to come. That way, we’ll know how many bagels to buy!


DANIELLE HANSEN: ING NYC MARATHON’S BROOKLYN MOM
From Gil Torres:
What a way to kick off the winter speed workouts!!
Danielle shared with her PPTC teammates at the coached workouts on Tuesday night one of the proudest moments of her running life - she has been selected as this year's Brooklyn representative for the NYC marathon. Every year, NYRR selects a runner to represent each borough in the NYC marathon. The theme for this year's selection was "running moms."

Encouraged by the support of her Tuesday night speed group, and Amy Duquette's recent article in "Meet the Members," Danielle was thrilled beyond her dreams to win the berth. A vital part of PPTC’s fearsome 40+ women's team, and an avid participant in our club functions, no one is more deserving of this honor. Let's also recognize her children, Dalilah, Jeremiah and Antonio and husband, Jimmy, who played a big role in qualifying her for the nomination.

Blisters That Heal

If you didn't grease your feet, you may have literally set a blistering pace in Sunday's soggy Music That Heals 5K. In spite of a steady rain, PPTC was well represented among the couple of hundred runners who did Kathy Lord's race.
Maggie D took second woman overall, Tony Watson, Al Prawda and Mickey Newman took their age groups, and Kathy O'Rourke, Amy Duquette, Carolyn K, and David Lansner all placed. Paul Soskind led all walkers.

A New Order Rules

There had to be a knowing smile on Tony's face after yesterday's 5th Avenue Mile.
In what has to be one of the most electrifying results of the last 2 years, Troy Phipps beat out Coach Tony Watson by 2 seconds in this high profile mile event, clocking a 5:08.
Troy has been tearing through PRs all season, but I don't know that anybody expected this dramatic outcome. Nonetheless, the day must have been a proud moment for Tony whose dedicated coaching has brought so many of our runners to levels they didn't think possible. Etienne Tchitchui led PPTC in 4:51, while 4 others ran sub 6, and 3 more were just knocking at the door. Corre Kombol led the women in 6:03.

In Brooklyn, the 20th Chris Hoban 5M saw Maggie Deschamps win it all again, with Danielle Hansen taking 3rd overall. Placing in their age groups were Tyrone Sklaren and Al Prawda, who took 2nd and 3rd, Marvlyn Baptiste 2nd, and Mickey Newman 1st. James McFarlane, our first man accross, took the Sanitation Dept. honors. Irva Niles and Chi Iregbulen strutted their stuff placing high in the Athena division.

If you have any news about the Liz Padilla Run or any others, mail them in to contact@pptc.org, and I'll be happy to share them on the blog.

It was a great day for racing in the sun, and ending the day watching the Yankees play their final game at Yankee Stadium.

PPTC in Mighty Hamptons Tri

Kathleen O'Rourke and Christopher O'Brien represented PPTC at Sag Harbor's Olympic distance tri, the Mighty Hamptons on Sept. 14th.
Tony Watson's coaching couldn't help them with the swimming and biking, but it sure helped to get them through that 10K at the end. Good show, guys.

Dalilah makes Al Prawda a grandaddy

Al Prawda became the proud grandpa of little Dalilah, 6lbs. 10oz. born to his daughter Emily and her husband, Andrew. All are healthy and happy, and Zoe is now an aunt! Al ponders, "will she be fast twitch or slow twitch, sprinter or ultra?"

"Panther" is back

And there he was, without warning, Will Abrams, taking 6th in 50-54M in the Queens Half!! After suffering a near fatal bout of pneumonia, we've seen Will around the park mostly on his bike. He did show up at the picnic, and blistered through the course, huffing and puffing a bit. But his presence at the Queens Half was unexpected, and a 1:29:43 on Sunday puts a smile on our faces. Will is one of our top runners ever, and used to lead speed workouts, and marathon groups some years back for the club members.
Showing in the top 10 in their age groups also were Emily Sanderson (6) and Danielle Hansen (9) in 40-44F, and recent member Liz Canale (5)in 55-59F.
Great run everybody!

PPTC-TNG off and running

Lauren stared down Hanna, and Hanna blinked. That blink lasted long enough that Lauren and Andrew Davenport went off with daughter Bijs in her stroller, officially kicking off PPTC- The Next Generation, an opportunity for parents to come out w/ their kids and explore how to help each other stay fit. The next outing will be announced, and will hopefully lead to fun filled runs for moms, dads and kids together. If you have a friend who's interested and not a member, bring them along anyway. Fun is free.

Did you hear of Helen...of Troy?

Helen Dole made it back from her summer in Colorado to close out the Al Goldstein Summer Series in grand fashion. Her altitude training paid off as she led all women in a time of 19:49.
And what about Troy Phipps, who continues to improve by leaps and bounds, taking over half a minute off his previous best, and leading all PPTC runners in 18:50.

The welcome mat was also laid out for Carolyn Kubitschek and David Lansner back from their sojourn in Italy, who changed in the back of the cab from the airport rather than miss the series finale. Carolyn took first in her age group, and David 3rd.

Congratulations to other PPTC standouts in their age groups: Maggie Deschamps (2nd woman overall), James McFarlane (3rd), Frank DeLeo (1st), Al Prawda (1st), Aaron Koffler (5th) and Sabrina Ring (1st under 10).

Thank you again to all the volunteers who made it such a succesful season, and who received high praises throughout the summer from many runners new to our speed series.

Team Champs 2008

Troy Phipps led PPTC men in 33:06, and Emily Sanderson led the women in 34:08.
It was beautiful weather for club pictures and running too. Our women took 11th place overall, and the 40-44 took 7th Place in the age group standings.
Noteworthy was Sarah Scott's maiden race w/ PPTC, finishing 3rd among our women. More accostumed to the longer distances, she said of her first 5 miler, "That was hard," as she reached for her inhaler after the finishing kick.

Our top 3, Emily, Maggie and Sarah finished under 34:30, and the next 2, Jimena and Corre came in under 35:30. Way to go, ladies.

Welcome also to new member Tjanysa Clarke, who wasted no time getting a photo opp with club prez, Tom Meany, and Frank DeLeo.

Good to see Olga Kalanz back on our roster again.

Geoff Vincent was not only inadvertently put into the lead corral, much to his chagrin, but his number was reported as his new alias , Tomas Vazquez. Vaya con Dios, Geoff.

My math abilities after running 5 miles were somewhat compromised as I offered that I could drive 5 members back to the Slope. I forgot to count myself, so the group got closer than they cared to on the ride back. Troy Phipps and John Nickles are still trying to straighten out their legs.

Thanks to our volunteers who put together the PPTC welcome table, Anne, Julio, Tom M. and Michael Rieman. Despite our elbow to elbow proximity to the Polish Club's table, rumors of a merger were denied by both sides.

And by the way, our men's team placed 25th (out of 25), and morale remained as high as ever. Krishna ran a PR, I had a strong run and felt rested for a change, Frank was in need of rest from his busy racing this year, Troy was back from vacation and still ran strong, Brad was knocking at 35, and John N. sees his times improving. Our senior ambassadors 60+ also posted good times, anchored by ageless club founder Jack Stetch. An editorial comment about our 25th place: "So?" We are rebuilding, and helping each other improve, and that's what matters. Good job, everybody.

Daniel Slotwiner trounces old runner

Daniel's father has been a long time client of mine. When I met Daniel at the speed workouts, I weighted whether to risk losing the business, or run him into the ground.
The second option was more fun, but now he's paying me back and having some fun of his own. Yesterday, he took off on the uphill start, and never looked back, beating me by 11 seconds. He medalled in 4th place among 35-39 men, and was second PPTC overall behind Frank DeLeo with a PR of 22:31. Determined to get back his former speed, he's discovered that less is better when it comes to getting faster. He's laying off the high weekly mileage, and concentrating on more quality workouts with good results.
Last week it was Krishna, this week it was Daniel, thank God there's only one more 5K left in this summer's series.

Is That Jessica Kavoulakis in the Parade Car?

Yes, it is. And she's waving from Canton, Ohio during the parade for Art Monk's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame.
After serving as race director for the 7/30 Speed Race #6, she packed up and swooshed off to Ohio. Wow, first it was Frank DeLeo, and now Art Monk--that girl's connected.
We hosted the MAC Grand Prix last night, and "the bridges" spanned the awards podium.
Chris O'Brien was back in form as first PPTC overall in 19:33. Emily Sanderson was second woman overall, first female PPTC and first in her age group. Corre Kombol, Al Prawda and Frank DeLeo also took first in their groups.
Anjolie Nagarwalla, visiting with her dad, Neville, will take home a first place souvenir in the 10-14 category. Little sister cheered at the finish from her bike.

If you have a beef about your time, it will have to wait till Jessica gets back next Tuesday. Look, look, she waved again.

Frank DeLeo - ULTRA HALL OF FAME

Club icon Frank DeLeo will be inducted into the Broadway Ultra Society Hall of Fame this Saturday August 2nd prior to the Joe Kleinerman 12 hour ultra.

Frank's remarkable running history and longevity is probably known by few club members. Below is a sampling of his accomplishments in the world of Ultras (anything above the marathon distance). Mind you, these ultras have been laced with a myriad of marathons, and other races throughout the past 3 decades.

Three time winner of the New York Road Runners Ultra Runner of the Year

4-time champ of the NY Pioneer (3-day) 100-Mile Trek Best time – 12:25

Other notable wins:

Ted Corbitt 24- Hour – 1993 – 134.6 miles

Joe Kleinerman 12-Hour – 1990

Metropolitan 50-Mile – 1990

Knickerbocker 60K – 1991

Best 100-Mile time 14:48 – 5th place in National Championship

Make sure you congratulate Frank when you see him. You can also post your congrats by clicking "comments" below.

There will be a brief ceremony at the 12-hour run at Crocheron Park on Saturday, Aug 2 at about 7:15 AM.

Good numbers at Al G's Speed Series #5

With a bearable 80+ temperature and low humidity, we had our largest turnout of the year Wednesday night. The race, held simultaneously with Pat Meany's birthday celebration, drew 64 runners, among them a group from Team for Kids invited by Emily Sanderson. Speaking of Emily, who was sidelined after the Brooklyn Half, she's working her way back in grand style taking first woman overall in 20:23. Maggie Deschamps took first in her age group, not far behind. Frank DeLeo took first in the 55-59 age group w/ his best time this year, 21:49. Al Prawda, having finished enough Ultras for the year, took the 60-64 age group, thinking the 5K distance was just a warm up. The video highlight of the evening was Gilant Phillips, in an explosive 50 yard uphill sprint, outdistancing her nearest challenger. Proud coach, Tony Watson, and speed group members cheered wildly on the sidelines.
Next race, July 30th will host competitors in the Metropolitan Athletic Congress Grand Prix. Be there if you can and represent PPTC.

Lysistrata a la PPTC?--Pepper Martin 5Miler

While all the men seemed to be missing, our women took up the flag and carried it accross the finish line, celebrating the 4th with a first place finish for the women's masters team. The familiar triumvirate of Maggie Deschamps, Emily Sanderson and Danielle Hansen combined once again to get the gold, all of them placing individually in their age groups as well.
Hats off to Jimena Barrera, who placed 2nd in her age group w/ a 34:20!! The most impressive part, is that this gal is just learning to race. After showing her speed by setting a course record at the club picnic, this performance over 5 miles wowed everybody.
Corre Kombol, getting over a bug, still managed a 3rd place in her age group.
Frank DeLeo took fifth in 55-59, and along w/ Krishna Kumbhar was one of only 2 male PPTC runners at this race.
Irva Niles, Kathleen O'Rourke, Cristin Flanagan,Charlene Kohler-Briton and Gilant(Jill)Phillips earned their ride back in Tony's van by running well, and completing our PPTC group.

Maggie's all over the place

It seems every race you look up, Maggie Deschamps is there, hoarding sub 21 5Ks like a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter. In fact, at Good Shepherd it was just 16 seconds short of sub 20. James McFarlane was the only PPTC runner close enough to see the bridge on her back. Last night at the 4th Al Goldstein 5K, she was again first PPTC accross, and again under 21.
Let's take notice of Danielle Hansen as well, who's been storming the finish line in her age group. She liked that "most improved" trophy she got last year. Rumors are that she brings her children to the races as an incentive to run faster. "You stay right here, and don't move. Mommy will be right back..."
Frank DeLeo and Gil Torres continue their quest for bragging rights in the same 5 year age group this year, with Frank legging a 9 second edge last night. Both have been frustrated by failed efforts to negotiate discounted entry fees using their AARP memberships.

A Good Time Was Had by All - Picnic 2008

Saturday, June 28th, 2008 - 90 degree weather didn't keep some 60+ PPTC members and their families from turning out for the annual picnic.
The traditional relay featured Troy Phipps flirting w/ sub 6 miles as the fastest overall male in 10:34. There was also a passing of the torch as PPTC icon Regina Cahill acknowledged via email that her 1997 course record had been broken by newcomer Jimena Barrera by 1 second in 11:05.
Along with a Cornucopia of food and desserts, the picnic boasted live entertainment with tap dancing from Amy Duquette, mime by Gil Torres, salsa and merengue lessons from Jimena Barrera, and juggling from Zoe Prawda.
Thank you to Richard Weaver, and his team of volunteers for a terrific day in the park, and to Doug Olney and Al Goldstein for their handling of the relay.
Extended coverage will follow in this month's newsletter.

Carbo loading redefined

Thursday night, Amy Duquette spearheaded a PPTC carbo loading foray at the Dram Shop in the Slope. The age group spectrum was well represented and there were no DNFs.
Highlights and news of the evening:
--Krishna and Cristin got married in an intimate ceremony in Massachussetts 2 months ago.
--6-week-old Oliver Strobel used a fake ID, and showed up w/ mom Sonia to say hi to the buds.
--Gilant Phillips was shocked to learn that Gil Torres doesn't dye his hair.
--Cristin beat Amy in an arm-wrestle, sending a subliminal message to Krishna. Amy then beat Cristin left handed (with Krishna taking note of the weak side).
--Geoff elicited male admiration for being on a night out while wife Bunny stayed home w/ 4-year-old Michael.
--Gil and Irene's son, Keith, made a rare appearance to hoist a few w/ the club.
--Carolyn joined us solo, while David ostensibly stayed home waiting for a phone call from her sister (this is the layman's version of having to tie your shoelace).
--Sandy joined us after her "roller" class, and fortunately didn't have to be "rolled" home at the end of the night.
--A couple of beers and good company make for a good time out.

Row vs. Wade - make your choice

Three races and 3 downpours into the Al Goldstein Speed Series, the diehards keep turning out Weds. nights and enjoying the soaking. Well deserved thanks to our race staff for their unflinching efforts in spite of the weather.
June 18th, with most of our elite women missing, Carolyn Kubitschek took her age group, and Gilant Phillips was 7th as the only other PPTC woman.
Among the men, Gil Torres and Tyrone Sklaren took their age groups. Geoff Vincent and David Lansner placed 2nd, Michael Ring and Troy Phipps showed 4th, with Troy setting another PR with a 19:29.

Helen Dole PRs in the rain

Raindrops kept falling on her head, but they only made Helen run faster for cover. She set an all time PR for her 5K with a 19:38 last night at the speed series, netting her first woman overall. She was concerned that she hadn't run for 3 days prior to the race. Maybe there's something to those rumors about rest being good for you. What do you think, Tony? It looks like this year's top runner award is shaping up to be a heated contest on both the men's and women's side.

TROY

What a great showing by PPTC at the Dolan Race! We took home first place in both the men and women's Masters Team competition, third in the women's Open Team competition, and a bunch of individual awards, all of which I can't recall without looking at the results.
But the big news today was TROY PHIPPS bettering his former 5K PR by over a minute and a half, running a 19:33. No wooden horse here if you've been watching Troy at the speed workouts. He's been getting stronger by the week, and realizing that he's a lot faster than he knew. I predict there's a lot more to come before the year is over.
Troy's job with OXO takes him regularly to China, and he was looking for local races when he's in the region. I think there's something coming up in Beijing soon, although entries might be closed at this point...
Outstanding performance, PPTC.

Wang and Dole Rock the Speed Series

The Al Goldstein Speed Series 5Ks got off to a wet start on 5/21, but it didn't dampen the times of Gary Wang (19:02)and Helen Dole (20:09) who led PPTC runners accross the finish. Brad Skillman,Jed Stiles, Jill Merenda, Frank DeLeo, David Lansner and Carolyn Kubitschek also wrung out the leading times in their age groups.
Be there in 2 weeks to celebrate a special "Bring-A-Buddy" race. If you are a PPTC member, you can bring a friend to run for free. Let's see what kind of excuse they give you now.

2nd Place for PPTC 40+ women at Bklyn Half

Awesome performance by our women's team, finishing in 2d Place in the 40+ group at the Bklyn Half.
The team was comprised of Emily Sanderson, Maggie Deschamps and Danielle Hansen. Emily bested ALL PPTC finisihers with a 1:30:18. And get this, that was her exact finishing time as in 2007. Emily is running this race on automatic pilot.
Brad Skillman led our PPTC men in 1:34:43, followed by Chris O'Brien (who forgot to enter his team affiliation, but did wear his colors), and Troy Phipps.

The Stork Nears for the Strobels

Sonia is due May 15th!
A regular at the speed workouts, and former collector of shoes for Africa, she's been off the loops since March, as she nears the finish line. Sonia stays fit by walking, tai-chi-ing, and swimming these days.
She and husband Sean plan to formally introduce the baby to the club at the picnic, June 28th. At one month old, will tot Strobel be in shape to do a lake loop?

Welcome back, Tyrone, and Marvlyn

To my knowledge our only representatives from PPTC in Boston were Tyrone Sklaren, who ran, and Marvlyn Baptiste, who cheered. Our friend Ralph Yozzo was also there, posting a 3:05.
The new pale blue w/ yellow lettering tech shirts were praised for their quality.
If any other team member was there please let me know. If you didn't finish in the top 1,000 good luck finding your results.

Keeping an Eye on Gary Wang

If you browse through our database, you couldn't miss the big improvement in Gary Wang's times. He's knocked off nearly 10 seconds a mile in his 5Ks since the beginning of the year. Keep it up Gary, you are on the fast track for an award nomination. I hope you are wearing your PPTC singlet out there. We want people to see that bridge on your back.

More News

Emily Sanderson blazed through the More Half in 1:31:31 leading the 10 women who represented PPTC. She placed 8th in her age group.
In the full marathon, Danielle Hansen and Veronica Antoine went the distance, placing 13th and 12th in their age groups respectively. Danielle finished confortably under 4 in 3:54+. Both ladies were witnessed moving gingerly at meetings following the race, and coincidentally both announced they were going on vacation.

Speed workouts finish...ready for more

The final workout of the Winter 08 session ended Tues. night after 15 short-hill sprints on a cool night.
Chris O'Brien kept ahead of the pack all winter, while Troy Phipps is gaining confidence right behind him. Danielle Hansen kept getting stronger every week, and Geoff Vincent looks ready for a great season. Charlene Kohler-Britton continued the smooth form and speed that keeps her placing at every race, and vets Frank DeLeo and Gil Torres kept a close eye on each other looking to battle it out in the same age group in '08. Andrew Davenport is not letting up in spite of being a new dad. Chi has battled past the hump,dropped the pounds and gotten faster, and newcomers Dan Slotwiner and Irva Niles have really improved their conditioning, and are poised to take it to the next level.
In 2 weeks, we go for speed again. The Spring 08 session starts Tues, April 22 at 7pm. Look it up on the home page and sign up. I love being part of these groups. The comraderie, the friendly competition and the palpable improvement make it a great way to spend a week night.

Election Results Are In

Welcome to our newly elected directors, Richard Weaver and Susan Tomasi,as well as our new Secretary, Michael Rieman. Only one vote separated Richard and Susan in the final count.
Thanks also to Charlene Kohler-Britton who finished a close 5 votes behind.
We look forward to a great year with the help of our new board members, and we are glad to see the large voter response the race elicited.

The Board consists of the following:
Pres.-Tom Meany
V.P.- Gil Torres
Treasurer- Doug Olney
Secretary- Michael Rieman
Directors- Sandra Ferrari, Luis Figueroa, Michael Ring, Susan Tomasi and Richard Weaver

Happy 10th Anniversary

This Friday Chris and Karen O'Brien will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary followed by plans to relax on the beaches at St. Bart's. I don't know if this qualifies as entering a new age group, but we wish them our best, and may their relationship grow ever stronger and more meaningful.

Robin on the Mend

We wanted to share this email from Robin Mishik-Jett:

hi -- just wanted to say a big thank you for the get well soon
mention in "The Inside Loop;" the lovely get well card from "The
Sunshine Committee" and emails and calls from Tom Byrnes and Gil
Torres following that cab hitting me in December.

My lower right quad/knee/upper right calf has improved but no running
yet as I go for arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Monday March 31st
for a torn rotator cuff and other injuries from the aforementioned
cab accident.

I feel that I am in very good hands with my surgeon, Dr. Drew Stein
from NYUHJD who is also a sports medicine specialist, so hopefully
I'll be out there running and biking by mid-May.

Looking forward to seeing you all out there on the park loop real soon!

Best,

Robin Mishik-Jett

When in Rome...

Last year it was Tom Byrnes, Marilyn, Irene and I in Rome celebrating Easter Sunday at St. Peter's Square.
This year, it was Ralph Yozzo running the Rome marathon and cursing those "San Pietrinos" (cobblestones). Fortunately, Ralph had a week before Easter to get to the confessional and fess up that he ran without a number. Intending to be a spectator, he got at the back of the crowd, and ran along. Nobody pulled him out, and he just kept going...all the way to the end. He says his unofficial time was around 3:10. The official time will remain in the confessional.

Where the %$# is Tecolote Shores?

I don't know, but it must be fast. Geoff Vincent scorched through the Susan Krenn 15K in 1:13:37. He surprised himself at the Cherry Tree w/a 1:19:16, and now followed up w/ a 7:55 pace!
It's either doing loops pushing his son Michael in the stroller, or Tony's speed workouts that have Geoff on warp drive. Way to go, Geoff.

Colon Cancer Challenge 15K and 4M...and the Bronx Half

Our PPTC women's team comprised of Emily Sanderson, Mary Killeen, Rosemary Bezuidenhout, Carlyn Kolker and Jeanne Im took 3rd place in the NYRR Colon Cancer Challenge 4M on Sunday in Central Park.
Emily led the pack placing 2nd in her age group and 4th female overall. Anne Perzeszty also placed 2nd in her age group.

In the 15K, Chris O'Brien, who was first PPTC finisher at the Cherry Tree, duplicated his feat w/ a 1:05:15. Arthur Gonzalez ran an impressive 1:15:09, and PPTC founding member Jack Stetch took 3rd in 70-74.
Amy Duquette was first female PPTC finisher w/ a 1:15:31

A belated mention of Emily's performance at the Bronx Half,which netted her 4th in her age group, and Elba Rodriguez quietly posting another solid run, placing her 8th in the age group.

What's in the bag?

Late Sunday morning Tyrone Sklaren was striding downhill in the park headed for the Park Circle exit. Wearing a water belt,and with his pace on automatic pilot,he was on the home stretch of a 20 miler that took him on Ocean Pkwy to Coney Island, and then to Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, back to the park and home. Ostensibly braving the cold and sobering wind in preparation for the upcoming Boston Marathon, his true motivation was the cinnamon rolls he carried in a plastic bag tucked under his arm. He had been fantisizing about these treats, and the semolina bread from the Union St. market for hours. And now he was so close... Tyrone is one of PPTC's best kept secrets in spite of running a marathon PR of 3:43in Philly last year at AGE 60!!! He also placed in the top 10 in his age group in every half he ran. 2007 marked his second straight nomination for the Bob Muller Award. The plus side to his low profile is that he doesn't have to share those rolls.

Tri, Tri and Tri Again

The day after the Cherry Tree, Tom Byrnes took part in the Park Slope Y's indoor triathlon. At age 61, he beat every male over 45!!! In fact, so good was he that based on that performance he got an invite to Jack Rabbit's indoor triathlon CITY CHAMPIONSHIP event next Sunday, March 9th at Asphalt Green in Upper Manhattan. We'll keep an eye on this emerging AARP tri wunderkind and report back on his performance.

Barbados Nuptuals for the Lansners

Carolyn Kubitzchek and David Lansner headed yesterday for Barbados to attend the wedding of their son Noah to CPTC women's coach Devon Martin. Given a surprise short notice of 2 weeks about the couple's wedding plans, David cancelled all dinner and luncheon engagements to more comfortably sport his tropical suit. Carolyn had no such issues. In an ecumenical gesture, PPTC wishes the CPTC Lansners a long and blessed marriage.

Why wasn't Chi at the Cherry Tree?

Because she went to spend the weekend at Martha's Vineyard w/ boyfriend Liam and his family.
Was it a good choice?
You bet.
Liam proposed!!!
Chi Iregbulem was a nominee for 2006 new member of the year. She's often seen volunteering at PPTC events, or huffing and puffing at the speed workouts. Liam McGrath, her fiance, usually volunteers along w/ her at our events, as a value-added bonus, but stops short of joining the workouts.
Best of luck to the two of you.

Pistol Pete Remembers Pat Heany

From his home in Port Jervis, Pete Tomasi writes , "You know I liked Pat especially for the quiet, modest way he conducted himself. Not shy but...modest.

I will remember him for that and for being a sports fan and I mean an anything sports fan. Did you know I once ran into him at the Westminster Dog show? It's true! I said "I didn't know you were into dogs" and he says "I have been coming for years, I like sports, all kinds of sports".

Cherry Tree 2008 - Pick of the Crop

On a crisp and sunny winter day, over 40 hard core PPTC volunteers pitched in to put on an outstanding Cherry Tree event. Many new faces were noted this year working alongside seasoned veterans from past years.
Our running cadre distinguished itself on its home turf with notable performances so early in the year.
In the relay, PPTC took 2nd in the coed relay, showcasing 2007 Runners of the Year, Emily Sanderson and Tony Watson, and 2007 New Member of the Year, Helen Dole.
Placing in the age groups were Danielle Hansen (2007 Most Improved), Maggie Deschamps, Jacquie Callender, Charlene Kohler-Britton, Tyrone Sklaren (Bob Muller Nominee), Denis Sivack, and founding club member Jack Stetch.
First PPTC finisher was Chris O'Brien (2007 Most Improved Nominee). Maggie Deschamps (who missed first in her age group by less than 1 second)was first PPTC woman accross.

Amy PRs at Valentine's Day 5K

Amy Duquette posted a big PR, finishing 2nd woman overall at last Sunday's Valentine's Day 5K in Prospect Park. Even without the aid of those cute little cupid wings, she flew to the finish in 22:15. Amy was surprised by her time, given that she's been running mostly halfs and other longer distances for a while. Let's hope 2008 will be one big surprise party!

Better Late than Never...

With my apologies to all the 2007 award winners, I offer this as an example of not seeing the forest for the trees. Having been immersed in the awards selection as committee chairman, and after writing a newsletter article covering the festivities on Jan.25th, I completely forgot to make mention of it on our website. Albeit 2 weeks late, here's a quick summary of all our 2007 award winners who made it a such a memorable year.

New member-Helen Dole
Most Improved-Danielle Hansen
Bob Muller Award-Arthur Gonzalez
Outstanding Single Contribution- Krishna Kumbhar, Ralph Yozzo
Comeback Runner- Tom Byrnes
Ultra- Al Prawda
Most Races(M/F)- Paul Soskind/Gilant Phillips
Most Miles (M/F)- Andrew Davenport, Tom Tobin (tied)/Sandra Ferrari
Top Runner (M/F)- Anthony Watson/Emily Sanderson
President’s Award- Veronica Antoine
Anne Perzeszty Elite Volunteer Corps- (5 or more volunteer assignments)
Antoine, Veronica
Bezuidenhout, Rosemary
Boutross, Christine
Bucich, Marilyn
Byrnes, Tom
Clark, Roland
Deliz, Evelyn
Duquette, Amy
Ferrari, Sandra
Figueroa, Luis
Goldstein, Al
Hammerman, Craig
Kohler-Britton, Charlene
Kumbhar, Krishna
Meany, Tom
Meany, Pat
Mooney, Kathy
O'Brien, Doug
Olney, Doug
Perzeszty, Anne
Phillips, Gilant
Rieman, Michael
Rieman, Lila
Ring, Michael
Skillman, Brad
Soskind, Paul
Tomasi, Peter
Tomasi, Susan
Torres, Gil
Watson, Tony
Weaver, Rich
Yozzo, Ralph
Zavala, Julio

Point races

Here are the NYRR Club Point Races for 2008:

February 23 Al Gordon Snowflake 4M M/W
March 9 NY Colon Cancer 15K M/W
April 13 Run as One TGL Classic 4M M/W
April 26 Brooklyn Half Marathon M/W
May 17 Healthy Kidney 10K M/W
June 7 New York Mini 10K W
June 15 WABC...vs Prostate Cancer 5M M
July 19 CPC Run for Central Park M/W
August 16 Club Team Championships M/W Double Points
September 6 Fitness Mag M..,B..,S..Games 4M M/W
October 4 ...Grete’s Great Gallop Half M/W
November 2 NYC Marathon M/W
December ?? Joe Kleinerman 10K M/W

Do you know that at least 4 runners being considered for Runner of the Year in their age groups can be seen training and racing in Prospect Park? Justin Canna, Felipe Vergara, Jose Santiago and Debbie Barchat all made the list. We wish them the best.

NY Giants Rock On!!

PPTC congratulates the Super Bowl XLII Champion NY Giants, and their fans for their thrilling upset of the New England Patriots.
Our hearty thanks also to David Lansner and Carolyn Kubitschek for getting a 42" HD TV for this year's party--in past years, both teams had to drop a player to adapt to the screen format.
Special recognition to club treasurer, Doug Olney, who sat unflinching as the sole Patriot fan amid the screaming Giants following. He warned prior to the game that the club accounts would not be released if he didn't return safely to his home that night.
We cordially invite both teams to join us on Saturday, February 16th, for a head to head relay competition at the Cherry Tree 10 Miler.

Welcome Bijs

Our congratulations to Andrew and Lauren Davenport on the birth of their daughter, Bijs, born on Tues., Jan. 22nd. All are doing well. With the installation of our website photo gallery, we look forward to seeing pictures of this latest addition to PPTC, The Next Generation.

Can you feel those fast-twitch cells twitching?

The speed workouts coached by Tony Watson are just around the corner once again. The first of 10 Tuesday night sessions will be held on February 5th at 7 pm. The group meets at the park entrance at Bartel Pritchard Sq (accross from the Pavilion movie theater).
The club is again subsidizing the cost of the sessions. The cost to club members will be $55 for all 10 workouts. A runner has to be a member for 2 months prior to the start of the sessions to qualify for this price. Non club members, or members w/ less than 2 months may sign up for the very reasonable cost of $100. Checks can be mailed to the club address, and must be received by Friday the 1st. Otherwise bring it with you on the first night, but the group is limited to 20 runners so mail the check in tonight.
If you wonder if these workouts are worth it, ask prior participants. Most of them can be found on the awards ballot after taking their running to the next level. We'll be posting printable registration forms on the website, but you don't have to wait for them to mail your check in.