Saturday, August 15, 2009

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 7th Avenue, between 5th and 6th 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

Build Up – Don’t Break Down

Build Up – Don’t Break Down
Paul Soskind

As the fall season of racing approaches, many of us seek to increase our level of training to meet the challenges of marathons and other long races. To have success at such endeavors entails training that will ensure the outcome of an injury-free race and recovery.

There are several ways to achieve this that involves buildups of total mileage, intensity of effort and devotion. These can be incorporated simultaneously into your training if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Mileage should only be increased by 5-10% on a weekly basis, usually over a 6-10 week period with the last 10 days before “the race” as a gradual tapering down.

Duration should include building up over the same period to at least 10% over the time you expect to be on your feet to complete your race, e.g., if you are shooting for a four hour New York City Marathon, work up to a long run where you ignore your mileage but are on your feet for 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Intensity is the most difficult and potentially dangerous aspect of this training. It could include tempo runs at race pace, but at shorter distances than the race distance; speed workouts including races of 5K to 25K at faster than marathon pace to sharpen up and become accustomed to prolonged, sustained quality effort or interval training.

Interval training ideally should be done on an all-weather track because the distance you cover is precise and you will be able to use segments of the track (100m, 200m, 300m) for recovery jogs before commencing the next interval. It is also a softer, more forgiving surface. Alternatively, you can do intervals with timed running. For example, if you are planning a 3:15 marathon: mile intervals at seven minute pace with five minute recoveries; 1/2m intervals at 3:30 pace with two minute recoveries; 1/4m intervals at 1:45 with one minute recoveries. As you become more adept and your fitness level increases, you can increase the number of interval repeats.

In all three forms of buildup, beware of overtraining. What can start as a minor annoyance can become an injury that prevents you from racing. Back off; be prudent; show patience and you will be able to re-intensify and achieve your racing goals.

Beating the Clock

Beating the Clock

Paul Soskind

Father Time challenges us to beat him,

Ignoring rhyme or reason,

Weather, heat, cold or season

In pursuit of that ever elusive

Personal best

Which, if we ignore his admonitions

Of torture, aches and self-imposed pain

He will inflict upon us the bain

Of the breakdown lane.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

NYRR Team Championships


Also checkout a blog by ChickenUnderwear


and this great photo from Coralie Dartigues's FaceBook

and some more from Pat Perlo




NYRR Team Championships-Women

List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 5.0 Miles, 8.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 8, 2009, 10:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 66 degrees, 54% humidity, clear


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 %
DESCHAMPS MAGGIE F45 1015 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 61 61 4 33:23 6:40 30:55 48 78.2 %
ROSENBERG-BERAN REBECCA F27 1049 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 96 96 32 35:00 7:00 35:00 151 69.1 %
DARTIGUES CORALIE F29 1081 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 121 121 38 36:04 7:12 36:04 182 67.0 %
HANSEN DANIELLE F45 2026 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 143 143 14 36:52 7:22 34:09 136 70.8 %
HERBST MARIANNE F27 3026 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 160 160 49 37:44 7:32 37:44 236 64.1 %
DUQUETTE AMY F30 2017 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 260 260 41 41:39 8:19 41:38 344 58.1 %
O'ROURKE KATHLEEN F48 3077 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 273 273 28 42:12 8:26 37:49 239 63.9 %
FERRARI SANDRA F35 4023 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 284 284 39 42:40 8:32 42:13 355 57.3 %
JNO BAPTISTE MARVLYN F45 2034 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 288 288 30 42:48 8:33 39:39 297 61.0 %
BLADES FREIDA F49 5003 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 304 304 34 43:30 8:42 38:31 262 62.8 %
CANALE ELIZABETH F59 4012 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 335 335 10 45:19 9:03 35:11 156 68.7 %
BUTLER SHONTAY F29 5009 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 366 366 92 47:07 9:25 47:07 431 51.3 %
RODRIGUEZ ELBA F55 4058 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 407 407 22 49:09 9:49 40:18 317 60.0 %
ANTOINE VERONICA F53 5001 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 416 416 36 50:08 10:01 42:12 354 57.3 %
LESTER TRACI F43 5037 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 442 442 51 52:02 10:24 49:06 454 49.2 %
NILES IRVA F41 6083 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 446 446 52 52:19 10:27 50:09 461 48.2 %
KOHLER-BRITTON CHARLENE F58 6044 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 450 450 26 52:57 10:35 41:41 345 58.0 %
IREGBULEM CHI F36 7022 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 475 475 62 58:01 11:36 57:11 488 42.3 %
FERRARI NATACHA F35 7015 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 480 480 63 59:33 11:54 58:56 491 41.0 %



And Men!

NYRR Team Championships-Men
List by Team: PPTC

Distance: 5.0 Miles, 8.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 8, 2009, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 66 degrees, 54% humidity, clear




17 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 %
CROWTHER MARK M38 1141 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 240 240 45 31:01 6:12 29:45 302 71.7 %
ABRAMS WILLIAM M52 11 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 290 290 15 32:05 6:25 27:36 151 77.2 %
WATSON ANTHONY M51 2103 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 331 331 16 32:45 6:33 28:24 208 75.0 %
MCELREATH TIMOTHY M40 3061 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 366 366 53 33:22 6:40 31:32 436 67.6 %
JONES DAVID M46 4144 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 471 471 54 35:13 7:02 31:47 450 67.0 %
TOBIN TOM M55 4140 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 500 500 16 35:55 7:11 30:09 332 70.7 %
DELEO FRANK E M56 4128 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 559 559 24 37:09 7:25 30:55 390 68.9 %
SKLAREN TYRONE M62 5098 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 612 612 21 38:13 7:38 30:11 335 70.6 %
GONZALEZ ARTHUR J M62 5039 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 654 654 23 39:46 7:57 31:25 425 67.8 %
PRAWDA AL M62 5083 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 660 660 25 39:57 7:59 31:34 438 67.5 %
BAUMGARTNER EDMUND M43 4005 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 684 684 102 41:29 8:17 38:19 723 55.6 %
RIEMAN MICHAEL E M66 6082 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 749 749 11 45:17 9:03 34:30 601 61.8 %
NICKLES JOHN M38 6071 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 750 750 109 45:18 9:03 43:27 786 49.0 %
PENDARVIS MARK M50 7069 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 758 758 68 45:48 9:09 40:03 749 53.2 %
RING MICHAEL I M46 6083 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 787 787 96 50:03 10:00 45:11 798 47.2 %
SOSKIND PAUL M65 7083 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 790 790 15 50:52 10:10 39:07 736 54.5 %
WEAVER RICHARD M69 7097 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 805 805 18 1:01:26 12:17 45:28 802 46.9 %

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Run for Central Park List by Team: PPTC

A light turnout at the group run this morning, not many PPTCers at the race. Where is everybody?


Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: July 18, 2009, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 70 Degrees, 94% Humidity, Wind 8 mph


12 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 %
STRAWN MATTHEW M30 2856 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 668 565 111 28:09 7:02 28:04 848 60.0 %
VAN HATTEM PIETER M35 888 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1020 847 137 29:49 7:27 29:11 1032 57.7 %
GONZALEZ ARTHUR J M62 2248 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1677 1282 27 32:18 8:04 25:31 426 66.0 %
SLOTWINER DANIEL M36 1633 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 1754 1323 217 32:34 8:08 31:41 1495 53.1 %
WILLIAMS ERIC M50 2731 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2379 1653 90 34:51 8:42 30:28 1280 55.2 %
TREADWAY ROBERT M41 4868 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2471 1697 225 35:08 8:47 32:57 1708 51.1 %
PENDARVIS MARK M50 5509 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2593 1756 100 35:31 8:52 31:03 1371 54.2 %
NICKLES JOHN M38 2508 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2820 1856 319 36:20 9:05 34:51 1993 48.3 %
BLADES FREIDA F49 4052 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 2960 1042 49 37:02 9:15 32:47 595 58.6 %
DE LEON YVETTE F40 5927 PPTC BROOKLYN NY


37:42 9:25 36:23 1207 52.8 %
SOSKIND PAUL M65 5621 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 3237 2027 21 38:30 9:37 29:36 1108 56.9 %
WEAVER RICHARD M69 7705 PPTC BROOKLYN NY 4405 2346 32 48:48 12:12 36:07 2154 46.6 %

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What you do not know because you are not me.

What you do not know because you are not me.

This month I am gonna write about something that I know that you do not know because you are not me. I have some special knowledge, really. I already read the rest of the newsletter when I wrote this. (He he).

It was Christine’s article of about buying groceries that made me thing of a different shopping experience. Not so planned.

On the Wednesday of the last week of June I dropped my kids off at school and then realized it was the day of the Third grade Picnic, I forgot to prepare a dish. Oh no. So I went to Key Food and bought 2 cans of Non-fat Vegetarian Refried Beans, 2 jars of my favorite salsa, 2 lbs of Non fat Sour Cream, 2 packages of Non-fat shredded cheese, a jar of sliced olives, a scallion, 2 bags of baked chips and a disposal aluminum pan.

I put the beans on the bottom of the tray, then salsa, and sour cream. Then I cut the green onions (with scissors, fast) and made a cross and put the olives in corners. It looked like a Union Jack. Then I got this back to PS 321 for the class picnic. I did this all between 8:40 and 9:30. Zoom, Done. Delivered. Easy.

Why, you may ask am I putting this in the newsletter? Because this is the same dish I brought to the PPTC Relay Race / Picnic. People who are not me asked me the recipe.

My Recent Athletic Endeavors While I Was On Vacation

My Recent Athletic Endeavors While I Was On Vacation

Doug Olney

I spent the July 4th holiday as I have done for the past 40 years, in Mattapoisett, Mass., where my family has a summer home.

On the 4th, I ran in Mattapoisett 5-mile Road Race for the 32nd time since 1976. (I missed running in 1977 and 2000; there is one guy who has run all 39 races). My time was 36:07, which is far off my personal best time of 26:25, but that was 28 years ago. In any event it was my 2nd-fastest time in the past 5 years. BTW, my mom, who is 74, decided to walk the race for the first time. She finished in 1:20, and ended up placing second in the 70+ age group and won a trophy!

Then this past Saturday, the 11th, I participated in Swim Buzzards Bay, a 1.2 mile open-water swim from New Bedford to Fairhaven, Mass. This event is a fund raiser for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, a local advocacy organization dedicated to preserving the Bay and its surrounding environs. I swam the distance in 36:41, which isn't particularly speedy (the winning time was a record 20:40 and I was 79th out of 118 people), but it was my fastest time in 5 attempts by 50 seconds, and is almost 11 minutes faster than the first time I swam (the conditions that day were rather tough; this time the bay was like glass). Along with several others, I got a special award for completing the swim 5 times.

And finally today for a weekend double, I competed in the Mattapoisett Lions Club Triathlon. This a low-key sprint distance event: 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike and 3.5 mile run. My overall finishing time was 1:05:59, which my 2nd-fastest time in 4 attempts (the fastest was 1:03:11 in 2001). As usual I was in the back of the pack coming out of the water, but I passed some people on the bike and really gained ground during the run - mentally it helps to know that the final leg is your strongest event. I even placed 4th in my age group - this didn't get me anything however!

So even though I have graduated to a new age group, I can say that I still have something left at age 50 :-). Maybe it isn't all downhill from here....

Thursday, July 9, 2009

THE 2009 PPTC PICNIC Richard Weaver

THE 2009 PPTC PICNIC

Richard Weaver

The PPTC picnic on Saturday June 27th was a wonderful fun-filled success that was possible, in part, by the volunteers who were there early to set up tables and ice the water and soda. So, so a tip of the hat to Anne Perzeszty, Julio Zavala, Pat and Tom Meany, Lila and Michael Rieman and Kathleen Weaver. Doug Olney registered the relay runners, announced the teams and was finish line director, assisted by Julio and Lennie Nemerovsky.


Following the adult relay race, Maggie Deschamps and Michael Ring organized a peewee race for the children. The children ran once around the Oriental Pavilion
and they proudly wore the medals they won.


After the race, everyone enjoyed a sumptuous buffet consisting of three five-foot heroes and delicious foods, salads and desserts provided by the PPTC members.


Then came the talent show! Amy Duquette mesmerized the crowd with her winged tap dancing feet, Gil Torres treated us with his very clever mime and juggling act followed by Charlene Britton-Kohler’s beautiful rendition of a song she had composed about runners. Charlene also brought song books and led a sing-along with children and adults. Not to be outdone by the adults, two young ladies provided additional entertainment, namely Zoe Prawda who juggled and Emma Pesin who played the violin for the enjoyment of all.


There were ten running teams and one speed walking team. The walking team consisted of Tom Meany, Lila Rieman and Al Goldstein, all of whom did really well but they are not quite ready to take on Paul Soskind as being the premier PPTC racewalker.


The winning relay team was comprised of Al Prawda, Frank DeLeo and Gary Wang with an outstanding time of 36 minutes 13 seconds. Coach Tony Watson had the fastest time for a male runner, 10 minutes 29 seconds. Helen Dole set a new course record for females in a time of 10 minutes 58 seconds, breaking the existing record of Regina Cahill (who was there to watch and run the relay). This course record lasted about 20 minutes as Sarah Scott finished in a time of 10 minutes 50 seconds. A fitting end to a most enjoyable picnic.