Saturday, February 21, 2009

NYRR Al Gordon Snowflake

Wow, almost 4,000 finish a 5K in Prospect Park

Check out the Blogs by our member

What you do not know because you are not me!

NYRRC Al Gordon Snowflake

List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 3.1 Miles, 5.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: Feb. 21, 2009, 9:00 am
Location: Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Weather: 28 deg, 53% hum wind 12 mph


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 %
CROWTHER MARK M37 91 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 121 117 25 19:37 6:19 18:57 146 68.0 %
OBRIEN CHRISTOPHER M39 307 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 220 210 44 20:35 6:38 19:35 212 65.8 %
REYNAR JEFF M39 505 PPTC NEW YORK NY 350 325 62 21:25 6:54 20:23 344 63.2 %
JONES DAVID M46 487 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 443 397 26 21:53 7:03 19:45 239 65.2 %
VAN HATTEM PIETER M34 519 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 535 474 112 22:19 7:11 21:57 640 58.7 %
NAGARWALLA NEVILLE M46 1356 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 573 505 33 22:29 7:15 20:17 327 63.5 %
BAUMGARTNER EDMUND M42 2031 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 611 535 66 22:37 7:17 21:03 468 61.2 %
HANSEN DANIELLE F44 1198 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 664 90 7 22:51 7:22 21:22 51 69.2 %
PRAWDA AL M61 1393 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 956 793 8 24:00 7:44 19:07 163 67.4 %
OLNEY DOUGLAS M49 310 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1018 838 61 24:12 7:48 21:20 510 60.4 %
JNO BAPTISTE MARVLYN F45 1246 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1355 308 15 25:16 8:09 23:24 175 63.2 %
GONZALEZ ARTHUR J M61 1173 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1484 1118 12 25:41 8:17 20:28 352 62.9 %
FREYTOR IGOR M35 2725 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1816 1289 258 26:45 8:37 26:10 1431 49.2 %
NICKLES JOHN M38 2377 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1858 1310 264 26:52 8:40 25:46 1355 50.0 %
BUTLER GENERAL M29 5564 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1865 1313 277 26:53 8:40 26:51 1527 48.0 %
HOLDEN TODD M39 184 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1877 1321 268 26:54 8:40 25:36 1328 50.3 %
MENDOZA BRIAN M36 4352 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1905 1331 270 26:59 8:42 26:15 1451 49.1 %
RIVERA JUAN M55 1413 PPTC NEW YORK NY 1919 1339 41 27:02 8:43 22:41 773 56.8 %
POPE FRANCIS M36 6190 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1964 1360 276 27:09 8:45 26:24 1475 48.8 %
BLADES FREIDA F49 5041 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2195 731 34 27:50 8:58 24:38 301 60.0 %
SUN GERALD T M65 2687 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2283 1495 8 28:07 9:04 21:37 564 59.6 %
PIERSON STACI F34 4637 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2425 868 201 28:36 9:13 28:23 968 52.1 %
FERRARI SANDRA F35 2158 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2635 1004 141 29:22 9:28 29:03 1103 50.9 %
DE LEON YVETTE F40 5758 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2695 1039 67 29:34 9:32 28:32 995 51.8 %
RODRIGUEZ ELBA F55 3444 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2875 1173 10 30:17 9:46 24:50 329 59.5 %
LESTER TRACI F42 4307 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2918 1204 77 30:28 9:49 28:59 1088 51.0 %
BUTLER SHONTAY F29 6261 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2951 1226 424 30:33 9:51 30:33 1347 48.4 %
UNDERWOOD ROBERT M36 4503 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2952 1726 337 30:34 9:51 29:44 1797 43.3 %
ANTOINE VERONICA F53 4016 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3213 1409 32 31:48 10:15 26:46 662 55.2 %
SPIEGEL FRED S M65 5468 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3394 1859 16 32:59 10:38 25:22 1299 50.8 %
ISRAEL JAMES F M63 5218 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3400 1863 34 33:02 10:39 25:52 1382 49.8 %
TINOCO MAJO F33 5497 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3419 1549 359 33:11 10:42 33:01 1635 44.8 %
TOMASI SUSAN F43 5498 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3495 1606 111 33:53 10:55 31:58 1534 46.2 %
DAZA FRANCESCA F64 5106 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3643 1714 11 35:29 11:26 25:37 457 57.7 %
IREGBULEM CHI F35 5595 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3681 1737 248 36:04 11:38 35:41 1781 41.4 %
WEAVER RICHARD M69 5529 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3832 1989 20 39:12 12:38 29:00 1747 44.4 %
FERRARI NATACHA F35 5146 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3855 1860 273 40:04 12:55 39:39 1886 37.3 %
SPIEGEL MOLLIE L F66 6231 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3897 1888 10 42:24 13:40 29:41 1205 49.8 %
DEANE JACKIE F48 5107 PPTC
BROOKLYN NY 3914 1901 100 43:48 14:07 39:16 1881 37.6 %



Also Michael Ring ran every step with Richard Weaver.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Lookout Hill



Today I went for a run with my camera. I took a quick detour in my loop to run up and over Lookout Hill. Including curb cuts, I counted 99 steps to go up from Center Drive and 102 steps to go down the other way to Well House Drive.

This is arguably the second highest point in Brooklyn. The top is a compost heap so it keeps moving.

I would never recommend this for training purposes. The stairs are uneven in every dimension. They are of different heights, lengths and they are banked and crooked. Many of them are also broken. The "landings" between stair cases are poorly paved and full of puddles and rocks. This is one of the most poorly maintained parts of Prospect Park. It might be a nice place to go at the end of a long run, just to "chill out" but I would not go on a regular basis.

Have I made myself clear? Don't sue the Prospect Park Track Club, ChickenUnderwear or Google Blooger if you fall there. It is not a good place to run, or practice stair climbing.


See, it does not even look that nice. Disappointing....

It looks better from orbit


View Larger Map

Sunday, February 8, 2009

NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix Presented by Continental Airlines: Bronx

Our teammates are Blogging:

Hills are my friends,
What you do now know because you are not me
Brooklyn Running

as usually tell me if I missed you...

42 Degrees Warmer than the Manhattan Half!

List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: Feb. 8, 2009, 8:00 am
Location: Bronx, NYC
Weather: 56 degrees, 64% humidity, wind 7mph



19 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 %
SANDERSON EMILY F42 363 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 232 12 4 1:31:00 6:56 1:25:47 11 76.7 %
CROWTHER MARK M37 721 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 257 244 47 1:31:50 7:00 1:30:10 329 65.6 %
MAZZUCHIN DANIEL M33 1630 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 262 249 58 1:31:56 7:01 1:31:47 397 64.5 %
DOLE HELEN F26 101 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 336 31 10 1:34:27 7:12 1:34:27 63 69.7 %
WANG GARY M35 3766 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 617 544 118 1:40:22 7:39 1:39:36 793 59.4 %
SKILLMAN BRAD M41 383 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 785 672 99 1:43:07 7:52 1:38:12 719 60.2 %
ROSENBERG-BERAN REBECCA F26 2422 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 944 146 48 1:45:04 8:01 1:45:04 231 62.6 %
HANSEN DANIELLE F44 2182 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1214 227 26 1:48:43 8:17 1:40:25 134 65.5 %
DAVENPORT ANDREW M41 2105 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1727 1326 192 1:55:22 8:48 1:49:52 1371 53.8 %
MCSHERRY MARK M45 2320 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1843 1393 153 1:56:40 8:54 1:47:35 1240 55.0 %
FREYTOR IGOR M35 3188 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2682 1850 367 2:08:55 9:50 2:07:56 2016 46.2 %
WILLIAMS ERIC M50 3544 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2751 1885 159 2:10:13 9:56 1:55:09 1605 51.4 %
CANALE ELIZABETH F58 4079 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2765 871 9 2:10:29 9:57 1:40:40 139 65.3 %
RIVERA JUAN M54 3435 PPTC NEW YORK NY 2998 2006 167 2:15:42 10:21 1:53:52 1564 51.0 %
KOFFLER AARON M58 6254 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3190 2091 92 2:21:29 10:48 1:56:35 1660 50.7 %
SOSKIND PAUL M65 6474 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3191 2092 14 2:21:30 10:48 1:49:07 1324 54.2 %
JNO BAPTISTE MARVLYN F45 2233 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3204 1105 73 2:22:11 10:51 2:09:51 953 50.6 %
RING MICHAEL I M45 4424 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3205 2100 240 2:22:11 10:51 2:11:07 2072 45.1 %
NILES IRVA F41 6773 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3565 1312 128 2:43:39 12:29 2:35:40 1309 42.2 %

Sunday, February 1, 2009

NYRR Gridiron Classic List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: Feb. 1, 2009, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 30 Deg. 54% Hum., wind 9 mph SW.


13 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 %
WATSON ANTHONY M50 694 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 75 70 3 24:50 6:12 21:43 23 77.5 %
INGEBRITSEN JENNIFER F24 192 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 207 21 2 26:35 6:38 26:35 46 72.3 %
GONZALEZ ARTHUR J M61 2246 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1603 1238 16 32:57 8:14 26:16 342 64.1 %
DE VRIES TINEKE F40 4149 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2395 704 65 35:19 8:49 34:05 709 56.4 %
RIEMAN MICHAEL E M65 3552 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2553 1766 11 35:49 8:57 27:32 550 61.1 %
RIVERA JUAN M54 2537 PPTC NEW YORK NY 3512 2193 142 38:40 9:40 32:43 1624 51.4 %
SOSKIND PAUL M65 6573 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3515 2194 22 38:41 9:40 29:45 1008 56.6 %
FERRARI SANDRA F35 3213 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3688 1427 191 39:12 9:48 38:47 1547 49.5 %
ISRAEL JAMES F M63 6963 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4427 2516 55 43:03 10:45 33:43 1801 49.9 %
TOMASI SUSAN F43 4920 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4578 2022 210 44:15 11:03 41:45 1953 46.0 %
TINOCO MAJO F33 6610 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4673 2095 489 45:02 11:15 44:49 2225 42.9 %
LESTER TRACI F42 5356 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4701 2119 227 45:17 11:19 43:05 2086 44.6 %
POPE FRANCIS M36 2999 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 5120 2718 489 53:46 13:26 52:18 2737 32.2 %

Photos From the Awards Dinner

Before I post the pictures I would like to point out that I think that Tom Meany should get an award for (without any hesitation) pronouncing Anne Perzeszty's and Rosemary Bezuidenhout's names correctly in one breath.


Our first set is thanks to Carolyn Kubischek

They came with a note:

Here's the first set of photos. Thanks for taking on the task of posting them, because I have no idea how to do it.

I answer" I don't know either, that's why I volunteered to do this?"



Tuesday, January 27, 2009

NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix: Manhattan List by Team: PPTC

Some of our members posted race reports Hills are my friends, Brooklyn Running and ChickenUnderwear.

Let me know if I missed yours.



Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: Jan. 25, 2009, 8:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 14 deg., 52% humidity, wind 6 mph




22 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 %
SANDERSON EMILY F42 1588 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 330 18 4 1:31:35 6:59 1:26:20 16 76.2 %
CROWTHER MARK M37 461 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 470 432 93 1:34:59 7:15 1:33:16 598 63.4 %
SKILLMAN BRAD M41 1833 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 594 535 75 1:37:14 7:25 1:32:36 555 63.9 %
WANG GARY M35 3951 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1001 849 178 1:42:39 7:50 1:41:52 1141 58.1 %
ROSENBERG-BERAN REBECCA F26 2598 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1112 184 64 1:44:05 7:56 1:44:05 291 63.2 %
TOBIN TOM M54 2938 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1483 1198 71 1:48:13 8:15 1:30:48 470 64.0 %
HANSEN DANIELLE F44 2259 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1530 301 31 1:48:43 8:17 1:40:25 189 65.5 %
JONES DAVID M46 1320 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1795 1400 165 1:51:33 8:30 1:42:01 1148 58.0 %
MCSHERRY MARK M45 2463 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2184 1646 198 1:55:33 8:49 1:46:33 1440 55.5 %
GONZALEZ ARTHUR J M61 3262 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2205 1661 21 1:55:44 8:50 1:32:44 562 63.8 %
DAVENPORT ANDREW M41 2140 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2562 1873 287 1:59:18 9:06 1:53:37 1914 52.1 %
JNO BAPTISTE MARVLYN F45 2327 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2702 760 52 2:00:57 9:13 1:50:27 500 59.5 %
WILLIAMS ERIC M50 3741 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3080 2148 143 2:05:38 9:35 1:51:06 1745 53.2 %
CANALE ELIZABETH F58 4093 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3159 974 8 2:06:41 9:40 1:37:44 132 67.3 %
CLARK ROLAND M46 5149 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3689 2440 303 2:14:43 10:17 2:03:12 2343 48.0 %
PENDARVIS MARK M50 6545 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3918 2546 193 2:19:11 10:37 2:03:05 2337 48.1 %
RING MICHAEL I M45 4581 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3946 2558 319 2:19:52 10:40 2:08:59 2514 45.9 %
SOSKIND PAUL M65 6645 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3966 2566 20 2:20:25 10:43 1:48:17 1567 54.6 %
RIVERA JUAN M54 3585 PPTC NEW YORK NY 4023 2595 201 2:22:00 10:50 1:59:09 2188 48.8 %
KOFFLER AARON M58 6354 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4040 2603 111 2:22:29 10:52 1:57:25 2106 50.4 %
RODRIGUEZ ELBA F55 4591 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4055 1447 19 2:22:59 10:54 1:55:00 681 57.2 %
DAVENPORT LAUREN F36 6145 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4505 1703 243 2:51:43 13:06 2:48:51 1733 38.9 %


Saturday, January 17, 2009

I wanna see the plane


This morning we met for our regular group run. At about 8:01 someone said," Where do you want to go?" About half the voices then simultaneously said " I wanna see the plane"

Why not..



So here we are. You could not get that close. I drew an arrow and a red circle around the plane. It is on the other side of the ramp that leads to the ferry dock that takes people to Hoboken and Liberty State Park.



There is another thing that should be noted about this morning's run. Way off in the distance is the Watchtower Building. The temperature was 8 degrees.

Posted by Picasa

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Some Measured Distances (update)

If anybody is interested, the distance around the 7th/8th Ave subway stop on the F line is 1433 feet or 0.271401 mi. I measured it twice and got the same 1433 feet so I assume I got it correct. If you cut the corners, you can call that loop a quarter mile. It never rains or snows down there and if you ask nicely, the token clerk might hold your sweatshirt. It is not recommended that you run there during rush hour. It is not really a running place so the Prospect Park Track Club is not really encouraging anybody to run there. You might not actually be legally allowed to run down there, but it has been done. You might get some sort of ticket, so don't blame the Prospect Park Track Club if you do. So if you wanted to know how big the loop is, it's that big.

A more acceptable place to run is the amoeba-shaped running surface around the plastic grass in Columbus Park (Cadman Plaza). I measured it today at 2103 feet or 0.398295 mi. There was an inch of snow on the ground when I did this so I might be off by a foot or two. (Update, I just got word that the Parks Dept measured that loop at 2164 feet or 0.409848 miles. I guess it is shorter in the snow.)

I also measured the distance of the span of the Brooklyn Bridge. I started at the Manhattan side. There is a small patch of shrubs just before you get to Park Row. Between the shrubs and Park Row there are two plaques. I started between the plaques and ended where the pedestrian path splits to go to Cadman Plaza or towards Tillary Street. That distance is 5714 feet or 1.08219 mi. If you choose to run loops of the towers, that distance is 1630 feet or or 0.308712 miles.

I did not bring a pen so I took photographs of the wheel. As you can see it was snowing, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this measurement. The wheel rolled over snow, salt chunks and the bridge. At best it is mostly made of bumpy wood.

See below:


Above is from Park Row to the Manhattan Tower

Above is the continuing measurement at the yellow line in the middle of the bridge
Above is the continuing measurement at the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn tower
Posted by Picasa
Above is the final measurement where path splits.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

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

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

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

Saturday, October 25, 2008

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.

Monday, October 13, 2008

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.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

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.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

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.

Monday, September 22, 2008

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.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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?"

Monday, September 15, 2008

"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!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

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.

Friday, August 29, 2008

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.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

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.