Meet The Members: Michael Ring By: Amy Duquette

Meet The Members: Michael Ring
By: Amy Duquette

For a person who joined his high school track team as a way to get out of attending gym class, but later went on to run 15 consecutive NYC marathons, Michael Ring definitely was not a born-runner. However, he grew to love the sport. Brooklyn born and raised, Michael is now dedicated to running and to the Prospect Park Track Club as a board and committee member. His 15 marathons provide him automatic entry into the race every year, and “I plan on running it every year” he says. However, Michael had a rough start with marathoning, failing his first attempt as a teen, which led to a complete hiatus from running for ten years.

Michael considered himself a “…spaz in high school. I was not an athlete at all…no one in my family runs. But, if you got on a varsity team you could skip gym and get a 95 in the class. Track was the only sport that did not require a try-out.” That narrowed it down; he joined the Sheepshead Bay High track team. He never scored a point for the team, but “there is no bench warming in track and no matter when you finished the entire team is waiting and cheering for you, just like at the NYRR’s Team Championship race.” Somewhere in his sophomore or junior year his coach encouraged him to try a 5K race outside of high school competition. He finished this race in the middle of the pack rather than at the tail end where he came in among the very competitive high school competition. This new placement felt very satisfying.

High from his success and maybe biting off more than he could chew, at age 17 Michael attempted his first NYC marathon in 1979 “…without having heard of hydration or pacing. In Bed-Sty I got thirsty and drank water. Lots of water. Then I threw it all up in Queens.” While being taken care of by the medics, he passed out and remained laying on the cement for some time. This ‘DNF’ kept him away from running for the next decade. Currently, runners have to be over 18 to run the NYC marathon. “I like to think it was because of me” Michael jokes.
He went on to college and then graduate school at Stony Brook for his Master’s Degree in social work. While driving back home to NYC from school one November he got stuck in the marathon traffic. “I exploded with rage..hitting things and crying. It was a massive sense of incompletion and I decided that I needed to finish it.” He gave himself time to train, properly this time, for his next marathon. In 1993 he decided to “..run as long as I was conscious” and finished the task in 4:11. He has run every year since, as well as a few marathons outside of NYC. In 2000 he ran one on Randall’s Island consisting of 26 one mile loops. Only 9 competitors entered this race. Michael finished under 4 hours, a goal he had set for himself, finishing in 3:58. “I was not looking at the scenery, but just focusing on the race.” When asked how he got through 26 of the same loop, Michael attributed it to listening in on his wife’s birthing classes, which taught distinguishing between pain that is permanent versus pain that is not as a helpful factor. His twins Sabrina and Nicholas, were born that same year.

With the arrival of twins came a lack of sleep. He began to believe, “sleep is irrelevant. When I heard that alarm clock I’d say ‘just shake it off and run’.” As a new father he let go of his training goals and ran as often and as much as possible, but never two days in a row. “I never got injured training like this.”

He sees reasons for staying active through running on a broad scale. His twins are now 9 years old and his intensions are to keep up with the children, whom he stays out of work to care for. They run together now and he’d like to continue this as they get older. His son came to him at age 6 asking to run and his daughter has already stated that she wants to run the marathon with him one day. “I have a lot to lose by not being a fit parent.”

Michael continues to be “marathon ready with about two weeks notice.” He sees the marathon as a bit scary, “it’s like rolling the dice. You don’t really know what will happen. And other people are counting on me and planning their day around me. It’s the only time I feel pressure.” However, he likes the marathon distance and appreciates that “it’s the only race where everyone gets an award for perseverance.” Michael persevered in an ultra-marathon in 1998 completing 31 miles, 19 loops of Prospect Park lake. “The faster guys hung out afterward waiting for us all to finish.” Being able to interact with the elites of the sport is something that Michael finds unique to running.

This social aspect of running is one of Michael’s favorite parts. It’s his feeling that the sport is getting better as it welcomes more interaction and less “sizing up the competition” at the start lines. “If I were single and 25 again I think this would be a great place to find a date. Look, we’re all in our underwear, well, close, so we get that part out of the way. And we know we both like something of deep value; running.”

Being a part of a local track club encourages the social aspect of the sport as well. He will not forgot the call from then PPTC president Bobby Fischer, whom he did not even know at the time, after his first race back in 1993. “I did a 10 mile race in Central Park and he called me just to ask how it was. My family did not even call me!”

Michael currently cares for his children full time after having worked as a Dean of Students for over 18 years, but he does not see that as a job he’d go back to. He’d like to be a NYC tour guide, perhaps even a running tour guide, and actually has his license to do so. Running fills up much of the extra time he’s gained. His future running goals include breaking a four hour marathon again after the age of 60. This time would qualify him for Boston. “I don’t know if I’d run it. That’s irrelevant, I might, but I just want to qualify.”

Along with his odd beginnings as a runner and his long time love affair with the sport, Michael’s family thinks he’s “crazy because I choose not to work. I think if there is a scale of normalcy, I’m right outside that edge. I do say whatever I’m thinking…Hey, I’m a New Yorka.”

PPTC NYC Marathon Activities

As a group we will be running the last 10 miles of the course. We will meet at under the 59th Street Bridge and be ready to run by 8 a.m. As usual this run will be supported by a rolling aid station (captained by our own Diana Ortiz!). There will be Gatorade, cold water and energy food waiting for us before we enter the Willis Ave Bridge (1st Ave and 125th St) and as we enter Central Park (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 goanna join us. We do need a second car to make this work for all our runners. Can we count on you?
The importance of this run cannot be stressed enough. Seven 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 the Thursday before the Marathon, the Shamrock Athletic Club usually has a great marathon pasta party at Buckley’s Restaurant, located on Nostrand Ave. and Avenue S, at 7pm and invites PPTC members to join them. As of this writing, arrangements have not been finalized but mark your calendars! Oh, did I mention that this affair is free of charge (except for a gratuity for the wait staff), thanks to the generous hosts — the Buckley Family. We will keep you posted – on the Runner’s Forum and email blast.
We are also renting our own buses to the start. They will be leaving from Prospect Park West and 9th Street and will take you to Fort Wadsworth. The cost is $10 for members $15 for “friends.” All seats are prepaid and go quickly. Members can reserve seats immediately; non-member reservations will be taken starting October 1st. There are no walk-ons – reservations are required.
If you are taking the PPTC bus, you will need to be at 9th Street and Prospect Park West by 6:15 a.m. to be checked in.

PPTC Supports 2 Reach the Beach Teams

On September 18th and 19th, 14 PPTC members are spending a long weekend running the length of the state of New Hampshire. They are participants on two relay teams - one all women, the other coed - who are competing in the 11th annual Reach the Beach relay. The race starts on Friday in northern New Hampshire at Cannon Mountain, passes by (but fortunately does not climb) Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast, circles around Lake Winnipesaukee, one of the largest lakes in New England, and finally ends 210 miles and anywhere from 24 to 30 hours later at Hampton Beach, midway along New Hampshire's 18-mile (shortest in the U.S.) seacoast. About 400 teams with up to 12 runners each have entered the race.

During the relay, each runner will complete 3 separate legs that range from 3 to 9 miles in distance. Overall each person will cover a total of 14 to 22 miles during their runs. The terrain along the way varies significantly - often rolling hills and not a lot of flat until the last few miles. Everyone will have to endure at least one nighttime run, the luckiest having to complete their legs at 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning! They will get to spend lots of quality time with their teammates as they travel by van between the relay points.

The team captains, Corre Kombol and Staci Pearson, requested that PPTC help to defray some of the teams' travel costs, which includes van rental, gasoline and tolls, and food supplies. The PPTC Board has agreed to provide funding for their efforts. After the race is over, the club will reimburse $30 to each eligible PPTC member. To be eligible for the reimbursement, runners must be members since September 2008 or have represented the club in 3 races in 2009.

We wish them well in their efforts, and the teams have promised to provide a complete race report that will appear in a future newsletter.

THE INSIDE LOOP

THE INSIDE LOOP


TOM BYRNES and Friends

Coach Tony and Charlene pass along their congrats to all the PPTC members who ran and/or helped support the NYRRC Club Championship race Saturday August 8 in Central. Everyone ran their best and did the Club proud. The cheering section, refreshments and good companionship couldn't have been better! Tom Meany echoed similar sentiments the following morning, mentioning that even the kids that were supervised as their parents ran the 5 mile race seemed to enjoy the times.

What cell phones can do! Bobby Fisher checking in from Nova Scotia from the umteenth mile of his Nova Scotia bike tour Saturday August 8th.

Hey, did you know? Did you realize? We’re old and getting older! PPTC’s will be 40 !!! A new age group category! Imagine, the 40th anniversary of PPTC, 1970-2010. The anniversary committee already as been formed and the word at this point is that there’s always room for one more. Got PPTC memorabilia, artifacts, stories in your head, memories in your heart, pictures both of individuals and/or TEAM PPTC, when did you come on board, how long have you been running with PPTC, got any old Nike Waffle Trainers that were once ‘’the’‘ shoes to wear, old bibs from races ‘back in the day’...more to come about this at PPTC monthly meetings and in this newsletter.

Drug testing with USADA at the NYC Half, Wayne Bailey,Tom Byrnes, Natacha Ferrari and PPTC friends Randi Lass, Ric Pascarela, and Mike Potter.Up close and personal talking running, racing, and training with some of the country’s top athletes. Nice way to spend a Sunday morning in August. Interested in hooking up and volunteering with this, give Tom Byrnes a holler.

PPTC friend and former member Al Puma’s death in August brings PPTC sympathies and condolences to his family and friends.

On behalf of many PPTCers and friends, Jason Horowitz sums up the close of this summer’s Summer Speed Series 5K’s by thanking Michael Ring, the race director, the PPTC Board, many PPTC vols, as well as Al Goldstein himself,for continuing to make the summer speed series one of the most enjoyable experiences in competitive running
"The beautiful summer evenings, no hassle - showing up 15 minutes before the race,the comraderie among the runners after the race, supportive volunteers, 'This is what running should always be
about.' " Jason and the rest of us I'm sure are all looking forward to the continuation of this great PPTC tradition come next spring/
summer!

Helen Dole certainly had a lot to talk with her students about when they asked her to write that post vacation 500 words or less composition "‘What I Did on My Summer Vacation" on her first day back at work in her classroom . For the rest of us, it was more a matter of ''will she or wont she ?" Come back to the hood ,that is. A summer in Colorado is tough, hey, someone has to do it. Glad it could be PPTC's Helen Dole.

Hey all you speedoes and speedettes, do you swim? can you swim? Great cross training for runner’s tired and achey bodies and bones. Can you imagine swimming a 6.2 mile race ? Labor Day weekend Sunday September 6th Robert Matson spearheaded a group to hook up with USADA drug testng swimmers at an international 10k swimming competition out and back along the shore of Governor’s Island in lower NYC Harbor. Can't wait until Robert gets talks to talk about this one.

Thanks to Richard Weaver for passing along the news that former PPTC board member Susan Tomasi had surgery to her achilles tendon and had been in a cast for ten weeks just prior to having it removed at the end of August. She had to go to physical therapy and late August found her still unable to put any weight on her foot. We don't have any details of how the injury occurred but the
doctor thinks this merits Susan a better handicap at Harry’s Handicap on New Years day 2010 running. Heal well Susan.

Very early August 23rd, PPTCers Anne Perzeszty, Arthur Gonzalez and Doug Olney headed over to Flushing Meadows Park to compete in the first-ever NYRR Sprint Triathlon. It was worth the trip because all three placed in their age groups! Anne was 1st, Arthur finished 2nd, and Doug came in 3rd. Anne received an additional special recognition for being the oldest competitor. Next stop, Hawaii...........

Where did the summer heat go? Harry Murphy would always remind us that if you paid your dues running and training in July and August, come the cool autumn, you'd find yourself ready to rock and roll at those fall races.

See you out there PPTC!

Fitness Mind,Body,Spirit Games

Fitness Mind,Body,Spirit Games
List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: Sept.12 2009, 9:00/10:00
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 65 deg., 93% humidity, overcast.

14 matches found.

Click any blue heading to sort the list. AG = Age Graded.

Last Name

First Name

Sex/ Age

Bib

Team

City

State

Overall Place

Gender Place

Age Place

Finish Time

Pace/ Mile

AG Time

AG Gender Place

AG %

TCHITCHUI

ETIENNE

M37

600

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

135

114

23

23:57

5:59

23:08

156

72.8 %

GONZALEZ

ARTHUR J

M62

2226

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

1547

1084

20

32:23

8:05

25:35

398

65.8 %

FERRARI

SANDRA

F35

3175

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

1733

544

77

33:05

8:16

32:44

661

58.7 %

HOLDEN

TODD

M40

1266

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

1924

1277

159

33:46

8:26

31:54

1274

52.7 %

PENDARVIS

MARK

M51

4466

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

2075

1350

81

34:20

8:35

29:47

964

56.5 %

WILLIAMS

ERIC

M50

2639

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

2228

1417

89

34:54

8:43

30:31

1072

55.1 %

KILLEEN

MARY ANNE P

F53

4807

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

2645

1070

35

36:32

9:08

30:45

377

62.5 %

DE LEON

YVETTE

F41

5135

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

2860

1222

93

37:21

9:20

35:48

1134

53.7 %

ANTOINE

VERONICA

F53

5018

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

3144

1420

52

38:39

9:39

32:32

635

59.0 %

MENDOZA

BRIAN

M37

4414

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

3205

1739

317

38:58

9:44

37:38

1790

44.7 %

SOSKIND

PAUL

M65

5558

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

3373

1778

20

39:56

9:59

30:42

1103

54.8 %

ISRAEL

JAMES F

M64

6832

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

3594

1825

43

41:22

10:20

32:06

1303

52.4 %

TINOCO

MAJO

F33

6775

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

3672

1834

436

41:54

10:28

41:42

1945

46.1 %

IREGBULEM

CHI

F36

7785

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

4085

2168

327

46:42

11:40

46:02

2229

41.7 %

NYRR Henry Isola XC

NYRR Henry Isola XC
List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 30, 2009, 11:30 am
Location: Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NYC
Weather: 79 Degrees, 56% Humidity, Clear.

Click any blue heading to sort the list. AG = Age Graded.

Last Name

First Name

Sex/ Age

Bib

Team

City

State

Overall Place

Gender Place

Age Place

Finish Time

Pace/ Mile

AG Time

AG Gender Place

AG %

WATSON

ANTHONY

M51

9527

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

33

31

2

27:16

6:49

23:39

13

71.2 %

SKLAREN

TYRONE

M62

9574

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

129

109

6

34:13

8:33

27:02

51

62.3 %

KOHLER-BRITTON

CHARLENE

F58

9526

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

226

68

3

47:29

11:52

37:23

44

51.4 %

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run List by Team: PPTC

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run
List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 3.1 Miles, 5.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 22, 2009, 8:30 am
Location: St. Nicholas Park, NYC
Weather: 74 Degrees, 98% Humidity, Calm.

3 matches found.

Click any blue heading to sort the list. AG = Age Graded.

Last Name

First Name

Sex/ Age

Bib

Team

City

State

Overall Place

Gender Place

Age Place

Finish Time

Pace/ Mile

AG Time

AG Gender Place

AG %

SLOTWINER

DANIEL

M36

1318

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

537

442

83

24:39

7:57

23:58

506

53.7 %

BUTLER

SHONTAY

F29

3047

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

1127

362

119

28:37

9:13

28:37

418

51.7 %

LESTER

TRACI

F43

3220

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

1646

669

56

33:46

10:53

31:52

646

46.4 %

NYC Half-Marathon

Below are the "official results". It does not include the unofficial participants. A*****, P***, S**** and M******. We also had a quzai-bandit: Amy In the Moment.

NYC Half-Marathon
List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 16, 2009, 7:00 AM
Location: Central Park to Battery Park, NYC
Weather: 77 degrees, 74% humidity, wind, 6 mph.

17 matches found.

Click any blue heading to sort the list. AG = Age Graded.

Last Name

First Name

Sex/ Age

Bib

Team

City

State

Country

Overall Place

Gender Place

Age Place

Net Time

Finish Time

Split Time

Split Time

Split Time

Split Time

Pace/ Mile

AG Time

AG Gender Place

AG %

SCOTT

SARAH

F32

1750

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

335

43

4

1:30:52

1:30:52

0:21:30

0:43:27

1:04:55

1:26:18

06:57

1:30:36

85

72.5

DESCHAMPS

MAGGIE

F45

1176

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

525

82

4

1:35:01

1:35:01

0:22:19

0:44:41

1:07:11

1:30:07

07:16

1:26:46

54

69.3

MCELREATH

TIMOTHY

M40

1532

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

800

658

109

1:39:05

1:39:05

0:22:53

0:45:28

1:08:08

1:33:30

07:34

1:35:06

678

59.8

AHLERS

JOERN

M42

8003

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

1407

1099

171

1:45:24

1:45:24

0:24:15

1:12:13

1:39:43

08:03

1:39:35

990

56.2

HERBST

MARIANNE

F27

2355

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

1494

333

107

1:46:12

1:46:12

0:24:36

0:49:50

1:15:32

1:40:47

08:07

1:46:12

500

62.0

MAZZUCHIN

DANIEL

M33

574

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

1537

1192

263

1:46:34

1:46:34

0:20:42

1:10:15

1:40:46

08:09

1:46:23

1574

55.6

LEVINE

MICHAEL

M40

3447

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

2287

1682

261

1:51:59

1:51:59

0:26:34

0:53:42

1:19:54

1:46:21

08:33

1:47:30

1672

52.9

SKLAREN

TYRONE

M62

2757

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

2570

1856

22

1:53:58

1:53:58

0:53:02

1:20:09

1:47:59

08:42

1:30:29

473

52.0

GONZALEZ

ARTHUR

M62

4289

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

3256

2240

26

1:57:56

1:57:56

0:27:45

0:55:12

1:22:52

1:51:42

09:01

1:33:38

612

50.2

TREADWAY

ROBERT

M41

2816

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

3423

2337

365

1:58:49

1:58:49

0:28:24

0:57:11

1:25:17

1:53:14

09:05

1:53:09

2243

49.8

CROWLEY

MARY

F50

4150

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

5807

2344

59

2:12:00

2:12:00

0:32:52

1:03:23

1:34:19

2:05:29

10:05

1:53:22

926

49.9

NICKLES

JOHN

M38

7637

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

5998

3535

711

2:13:18

2:13:18

0:30:13

1:01:37

1:34:49

2:07:03

10:11

2:09:58

3750

44.4

IM

JEANNIE

F41

10984

PPTC

NEW YORK

NY

U.S.A.

6044

2491

240

2:13:36

2:13:36

0:32:29

1:04:37

1:36:02

2:07:09

10:12

2:07:06

2221

49.3

ORTIZ

DIANA

F49

12223

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

7010

3058

155

2:19:28

2:19:28

0:30:32

1:03:15

1:37:11

2:12:25

10:39

2:01:18

1655

47.2

DE LEON

YVETTE

F40

9978

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

7648

3451

338

2:23:57

2:23:57

0:33:41

1:08:32

1:42:23

2:17:02

11:00

2:18:03

3250

45.7

CLARKE

TJANYSA

F34

7153

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

9069

4362

1060

2:38:49

2:38:49

0:36:08

1:13:26

1:52:18

2:31:10

12:08

2:37:28

4504

41.5

LESTER

TRACI

F43

8466

PPTC

BROOKLYN

NY

U.S.A.

9318

4539

432

2:42:23

2:42:23

0:35:07

1:16:17

1:54:21

2:34:52

12:24

2:31:37

4226

40.5

What you should know even if you are not me.

What you should know even if you are not me.

Michael Ring

News from the Communications / Technology Committee

I would like to document the different modes of communication the Prospect Park Track Club uses. Since I am on both committees I figured I would let you know what I know.

• We have a newsletter; “Around the Park”. It is made of paper and is mailed monthly. Any member can submit an article and it may be edited (with their involvement) for grammar or content. It also contains recent race results and lists which businesses give discounts to our members. Don’t forget, we are trying to save trees and stamps, so if you still want it mailed to you let me know.
• We use iContact to notify members of official announcements, via email
• We have a website. Check it out. www.pptc.org.
• We have a Blog; “www.pptcblog.blogspot.com”. It contains online versions of all of the newsletter articles and more. Blogs are interactive; readers may leave comments on all “Blog entries”. In our case comments are moderated because this is a “public Blog”. Anyone can read it, but we want to avoid “spam” and other ugliness.
• We have a Google group; this is vehicle for an Open Communication Forum by the members, and for the members. This group is not for official messages from PPTC, but for members to voice their opinions or concerns, post comments, connect with other runners, start a topic for discussion, or share new ideas that the entire PPTC membership can benefit. It can also be used to share “documents” like photos of our members. It is not “moderated” and can only be accessed by members of the club.
• We have a “club phone” 718-595-2049. It is just an answering machine. You can call it anytime to find out information about the club; you can leave a message or just listen to Ami’s voice.
• We have a membership meeting on the first Monday of each month (except for those months when a holiday falls on that date, such as September when Labor Day falls on the first Monday). The location is MetroSports Med, 263 7^th Avenue, between 5^th and 6^th Streets. We’re on the second floor and there are refreshments.
• Just in; we have a Flickr Pool. Got to flickr.com/groups/pptc_photos and upload and/or view PPTC related photos. This is public so keep it nice. Also, do not post the photo of anyone under the age of 18 without the parents’ permission.

I hope this information was helpful. It is all about interacting!

The Club Championship Five Mile Race

The Club Championship Five Mile Race
By Tom Meany

The Club Championship Five Mile Race
By Tom Meany

Saturday, August 8th, was sunny, breezy, 66 degrees, 54% humidity. What a great day for a race!

We had over 50 members descend on Central Park for the Club Team Championship and had close to 20 in each race. Many new members, unfamiliar with the course and what to expect, were thrilled to pass the PPTC banner with about 400 yds. to go, to our roaring cheers. Tyrone Sklaren said it pulled the sprint out of him. Many couldn’t decide which was more fun; cheering or being cheered.

Mark Crowther, our first male finisher had asked beforehand if there would be supervision for his 4 & 6 yr. old while he ran. I assured him, being an experienced parent, I would play Cowboys and Indians with his children, and he would find them safely tied to a tree. He brought them anyway.

Several parents brought their offspring; David Jones’ daughter informed me that she was 7 ¾ years old and Traci Lester’s daughter, Haley, holding court in her stroller, flashed her two new teeth in big smiles at all the excitement. The youths had as much fun as the adults.

There was Gatorade, water, watermelon, Fig Newtons, beef jerky and some spiked orange soda provided by Paul Soskind. Coralie, aka Coco, used this opportunity to her advantage in teaching proper “toasting.” Amy Duquette gave a brief demonstration on Chi Running, and has promised to make a more formal presentation at our next membership meeting.

We have some great pictures of all present around our Club banner on the side of this hill. In addition to a great turnout of runners, we had an army of supporters: Richard and Kathleen Weaver, Michael and Lila Rieman, Anne Perzeszty, Julio Zavala, Lenny Nemerofsky, Michael Ring, Brad Skillman, Eveline VanDer Meulen. Richard, Lenny, Michael Ring and Michael Rieman did double duty as supporters and runners!

It filled everyone with Club pride to see so many, happy, fun loving Club members doing the things we love doing most: running and supporting running.

THE INSIDE LOOP

THE INSIDE LOOP
TOM BYRNES and FRIENDS
Walking along the Prospect Park West, walking to downtown Brooklyn, on 9th street getting to the soops to pick up groceries, Priscilla Muller prefer to walk whether for her daily workouts or just to get to wherever she needs to go. Regards to PPTC from this very active walking lady.
Condolences to Helene Roth and family on the recent loss of her father.
Congrats to PPTC’s Sandy Ferrari and her peformance on the swim leg for her relay team at the recent NYC TRI. With the start delayed for twenty minute due to heavy downpours, Sandy might’ve been soaking wet before she even jumped into the Hudson!
Helen Dole had a blast on her summer trip to Colorado. Hooking up with the Boulder Trail Runners, she raced the Boulder West End 3k. According to Helen, the divisions were either "Family and Friends"
or "Elite Women" .Chosing to run with the Elite Women, Helen paid her dues. The
first place winner was 2004 Olympic Trials Marathon champion Colleen
De Reuck. "She's 45 and runs like the wind. I came in 22nd out of 34
runners and definitely was given some perspective."
Quote of the day from Helen:"I ran with pepper spray when I ran solo around dusk. There
had been several mountain lion sightings around the cabin I stayed in." Moral of the story here? Next time you see a squirrel crossing your path on the inside loop or a dog off the leash, it vould always be worse!
Look for Mike Ring’s latest installment currently appearing on Facebook "Running with the Gerbils", due out soon at your local pet shops and book stores. And speaking of pets, if you want one of the furry little baby gerbil makers, don’t be shy to ask Mike. He’ll only be so very glad to share the millions that might have taken over his apartment by the time you’re reading this. Hey, its kewl, I’m one of Mike’s Facebook friends. Dude!
Bobby Fisher knocked off another one, 75 miles of the ‘ Harlem Valley Century’ Sunday July 26th. Rode in weather much like they forecast in Ireland this time of year, ‘’some clouds, some wind, some sun, some rain, some fog..."
Thanks to Gil Torres for passing along the fact that Christine Boutross was named the top Pro trainer for all NYSC (111 of them) for the month of May.Congrats Christine !
Sean Rice off and running with advertising and registration for his Prospect Park Youth Running Club. FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 6-13 interested in Cross Country Track and Field, Sean’s
Prospect Park Youth Running Club will hold a late registration date on Wednesday, September 9th, at Bishop Ford High School. Interested? Don’t delay! Email Midwoodtrack@aol.com
Thanks to Ron Rice's heads up about the upcoming RACE TO REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 6 . In honor of the victims who were tragically killed on 9-11, the Run To Remember Foundation announces the opening of registration for the World Trade Center Run to Remember, scheduled for Sunday, September 6, 2009. This event is a fund raiser for several organizations who continue to work hard to support the families and surviving victims, honor those who were killed, and provide other services within the 9-11 community. This event will be held on Governor's Island and it will feature a 5K Run, a 3K Family Fun Run & Walk, a Children's Fun Run, and many other family friendly activities. Participants will be able to personalize their running bibs to identify which 9-11 victim they are running to remember. For more information and to register, visit www.911RunToRemember.com
What’s new under the winter sun? Apparently the JINGLE BELL RUN/WALK for ARTHRITIS DECEMBER 6TH IN PROSPECT PARK. Shades of the original Jingle Bell Run back in the day, the predecessor of the Holiday Classic which morphed into the Turkey Trot, this year’ Jingle Bell Run/Walk offers participants a 3.1 mile (5K) run with a one mile walk followed by a post-walk celebration featuring awards ceremony, entertainment, food and valuable health-related information. This might be a good time for PPTC to come together and compare what we’re going to ask Santa for. For more information or to sign up today, please visit: www.jinglebellbrooklyn.com

See you on the roads!

There are some good hills in Brooklyn: the steep sidewalk leading up to the Brooklyn Promenade, Mile One of the Summer Speed Series Race, Union Street heading up to the Park, and the far edge of Greenwood Cemetery to name a few. But there aren’t mountains. I’m out West this summer and there are definitely mountains. Below is a journal of sorts, some insights into what it is like to run in Colorado.

The first day I ran in Colorado, after arriving from sea level a few days before, I ran a whopping two miles, at a very mellow pace. I live in a one-room wood cabin at 9,500 feet. There are limitless trails right outside my door, but that day I stuck to the boring dirt road. Adjusting to the lower levels of oxygen meant that speed and deft maneuvering on trails would have to wait. Running that first week felt a bit like what running felt like after I’d come back from knee surgery in high school. Mentally you know you should be able to go faster – you’ve done it before – but your body is telling you otherwise.

After about a week, I felt confident enough to try running with other people. My breathing wasn’t 100%, but I was feeling stronger. I ran several times with the Boulder Trail Runners. One day we ran a somewhat flat course at a conversational pace. The next time I joined them was for a Night Run. The run starts at 8:30 pm. There was a decent crowd, a dozen or so, and we set off. Soon we had our headlamps and flashlights turned on and we veered off the path intentionally. We ran for a few miles through a field with no sign of a path, just following our fearless leader. Occasionally you’d run into a small cactus, but mostly it was just grass and wildflowers. Eventually we met up with the trail, and returned to the parking lot. Half the group hopped in their cars and headed home, the other half set out to go for two more hours of night running. At one point, as we neared the parking lot, a runner went on the road for a moment. A fellow runner teased him, “Are you on the Boulder Road Runners now?” I responded, “I didn’t know there was a Road Runners club here.” In the dark, a voice responds, “Yeah, what is the point when you live around all these great trails?” The group seemed to sneer at the notion of roadrunners. I kept quiet.

One secret about mountain running is that it’s not always running. On another night run, we ran to the crest of a peak that overlooked the spectacular city skyline. That run included a fair amount of fast hiking as we scrambled our way up and down rocky trails. Sometimes running isn’t as efficient as speed hiking.

So far I’ve raced twice in Colorado. The first race was a 3K on city streets. I had the option of signing up for one of two divisions online: “Family and Friends” or “Elite Women.” I hesitated for a moment, but decided to go with the “Elite” category. Boulder is home to many sponsored athletes, as well as former college and Olympic standouts. Colleen De Reuck, the winner of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, set a blazingly fast pace and won our 3K. I didn’t finish last, but suffice it to say, I wasn’t near the front of the pack. A coach I was talking to beforehand told me that fully adjusting to elevation takes up to six months. I’d been there for three weeks at that point, so I added that to my list of excuses for why I hadn’t fared too well in my first Colorado race of the summer. I was so inspired and happy to run in a race with such talent, though. My next race was a 10K on the trails of a local ski resort. Over 200 runners participated and there were giveaways, a huge breakfast, and beer at the end. That course was all up and down, barely a stretch of flat. But because it was also all trails, I barely felt sore the next day.

One other component of running in the mountains is the wildlife. On my runs I’ve seen marmot, hares, deer, and elk. There have been reported mountain lion sightings in the area where I live and run, but so far I haven’t seen one. I’m avoiding running at dusk when they like to hunt and catch their prey off-guard – and I’ve started running with pepper spray when I run alone. I’m pretty sure pepper spray won’t actually stop a mountain lion but it offers me some (false?) sense of protection.

As I’m writing this I received an email from the Boulder Trail Runners list-serve. It is too perfect an example of what running out here is like, so I’ll share it: “Hey guys, Anyone want to run to Nederland this weekend? Total
 distance would be 30ish miles, in probably 8ish hours. I'm totally flex on start time, so long as we're certain to get to Ned 
in time to catch a bus back to Boulder. Daytime, nighttime, whatevah. I'm not picky about pace, either. I can probably do it in 7 hours; and
 would be perfectly fine with spending 11-12. No worries either way. :-)” I won’t be joining him, but I’m sure he’ll have company. Never mind that the elevation gain on that run is over 4,000 feet!

I am a big fan of Prospect Park Track Club. I enjoy the races, the camaraderie, the sense of community, and the-get-you-out-the-door-on-a-cold-day-because-people-are-waiting-for-you mentality that goes along with being part of such a vibrant running club. I look forward to joining you all back on the hills of Brooklyn this autumn.

Cleansing & Detox

Cleansing & Detox

By Christine Boutross

You've probably heard the words "detox" and "cleanse" a lot recently. They're pretty big buzzwords in the nutrition field. But what do they actually mean? The words themselves are pretty interchangeable. Let's start with dictionary definitions from Merriam-Webster.

Cleanse: to rid of impurities by or as if by washing

Detox: to free from an intoxicating or an addictive substance, or dependence on such a substance

Pretty much the same thing, right? So “cleansing” and “detox” mean taking out toxins and addictive stuff, like sugar, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and chemicals (coined “SNACCs” by detox doctor Elson Haas). But removing toxins is only one side of the cleansing equation. The other side, which is just as crucial, is adding in nutrient dense whole foods. So the formula is simple – reduce SNACCs, increase whole foods.

Now, keeping our formula in mind, there are different degrees of cleansing. You can go out in the desert and live on water for 40 days to cleanse, or you can simply eliminate one food that you rely on every day. It could be your morning bagel, your 3pm mocha latte or the fast-food drive through lane you find yourself in on the way home from work.

Remember, eliminating toxins is only one side of the equation. So you’ve decided which SNACC you are getting rid of. Great! Now what do you add to your daily diet? We suggest green vegetables, and lots of them! Some examples of green vegetables are kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, spinach, and arugula. They are the foods most missing in modern diets, and are loaded with beneficial phytochemicals and cleansing fiber. You may be thinking “But I don’t have time to cook green vegetables.” Not to worry! This month’s Food Focus – wheatgrass – shows you a great shortcut to getting more green veggie power into your diet everyday.”

Food Focus: Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass first became widely known in the West in the 1930s, when a man named Charles Schnabel began touting its benefits. Schnabel claimed “15 pounds of wheatgrass is equivalent to 350 pounds of the choicest vegetables.” Although science hasn’t proven that claim, it has proven that wheatgrass has one of the highest concentrations of nutrients and is the fastest and easiest grass to grow. The best to way to absorb its goodness is by extracting the juice.

Wheatgrass works by filling nutritional gaps in the diet and cleansing the blood. It is high in vitamins A, C and E, containing the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. It is also an excellent source of essential B vitamins, which are necessary for normal brain and body development. Wheatgrass juice also contains many essential minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sodium) that are necessary for healthy bones, teeth, hair and skin.

Wheatgrass juice contains natural enzymes, which help the body’s defense mechanism by strengthening cells and removing poisons from the blood stream. It helps eliminate toxins accumulated from eating processed food, breathing polluted air and drinking impure water. Wheatgrass is approximately 70% crude chlorophyll, which can alkalize the body and have a highly energizing effect.

Wheatgrass also has a dilating effect on the blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily. This improved circulation means valuable nutrients can be distributed more efficiently throughout the body. It also has an effect on red blood cells, increasing the iron content in the blood.

Where To Get Wheatgrass

• Juice bars (Jamba Juice, Robek’s Juice) sell shots of wheatgrass
• Whole Foods Markets carry frozen wheatgrass juices in individual containers
• Grow your own wheatgrass at home (http://www.growwheatgrass.com/)

How to Take Wheatgrass

• Take on an empty stomach
• Start with a quarter of a shot and build up to a full shot, gradually
• Follow with a glass of water
• Mix with other vegetable juices, such as celery, parsley and spinach

Recipe: Simply Green Juice
from www.wheatgrassforlife.com

Ingredients:
Stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
Half cup parsley 2-3 inch round of wheatgrass
1/4 cup water (optional)

Directions:

• Wash greens thoroughly, cut up celery and juice
• Dilute with water if desired