No doubt, this was finest weekend in club history. Where to start? How to start? Hmmmmmm....we're gonna start with the biggest highlight of the weekend:
GSTC Women Win NJ-USATF 8k Team Title
It's been an interesting inaugural season for the GSTC ladies. At the half marathon, they were one short of scoring a full team. At the cross country 5k, they had five and finished fourth overall, but were missing some key players. Against CPTC, they ran well, but were overwhelmed. But today...
Lead by a second-place finish by Cheyenne Ogletree (32:07), the Lady Golds shocked the field, finishing first overall with 26 points. This was Cheyenne's first-ever 8k and NJ-USATF debut race- wow! With incredible 4:51 mile speed (yes....you read that right), Cheyenne has some super fast 5ks coming her way over the next year.
Her 8k championship team was comprised on Claire Tafelski (35:26), Lindsey Michaliszyn (38:21), Cathy Stutzman (38:58), and Trudy McGowan (44:42). Throw Meghan O'Toole, Nicole Corre, and a few other newcomers in there next year, and we might be looking at the 2012 Open Women's NJ-USATF Team Champions....
All Results: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2011/novdec/xc8k1119.htm
GSTC Men "B" Team Wins, Puts 5 in Top 10
Despite racing without their seven top runners, the B Team did what they've watched their A Team counterparts do all season long: dominate.
Upstart Tony Harris, a 400m sprinter convert in his first season of distance running, lead the golden charge up front, as his team placed 5 in the top 10, and 11 in the top 25, as they won the NJ-USATF 8k Team Title. Slowly navigating the field from the start, Harris used his patented kick to power home to second overall, finishing with a PR of 26:56.97. Closing the door to seal the win and the $500 club national stipend were teammates Mike Anis (3rd/ 26:59), Tim Morgan (5th/27:04), Ashwin Anantharaman (7th/27:22), and Chuck Schneekloth (10th/27:52). Edsel Flores (29:28) ran a PR as the group's safety valve 6th man. With the win, they draw just two races away from winning the NJ-USATF Open Men's Team Title.
The B-Team ran brilliantly, running PRs across the board, despite falling just a few points shy of knocking off Sneaker Factory's A-Team. Leading the way was Rutgers sophomore Dan Teichman (13th/ 29:15), who continues to have a breakthrough season for the gold and black. To put this in perspective, Dan would have beaten three members of the Rutgers cross country team in their 8k race in Fairfield, CT last month! Mike Obsuth (29:36), Kyle Flyer (29:58), Steve Bonica (30:44), and Zak Martins (30:56) rounded out the scoring for the group that finished fourth overall.
Lastrange Wins 5k... & Turkey
Pat Lestrange, the GSTC-York College captain, ran 16:30 and won the Phi Sigma Pi Turkey Trot yesterday. His first place prize? See attached- a sweet 20 pound turkey! While prepping for this week's Ashenfelter 8k and next year's Boston Marathon, Pat showed the comeback from a bad ankle injury is well under way. Either way, we aren't sure if he won it for the free Thanksgiving bird, or to ingratiate himself with a campus sorority. Perhaps the answer is a little of both?
Fowlie Places 8th at Manasquan
Alex Fowlie finished 8th in Saturday's Manasquan Five Miler, running a solid 28:15. After months and months of marathon training, it sounded like it was an interesting yet welcomed change to a shorter distance. Alex is currently gearing up for the NJ-USATF Ten Mile Championship in December, part of the group hoping to clinch the 2011 NJ-USATF Open Series Team Title with a win over the Sneaker Factory in three weeks.
Philly Baby!
Six GSTC'ers finished the full, and one the half, in today's Philadelphia Marathon. GSTC correspondants Chuck Schneekloth, Tony Haris, and Steve Bonica were on the scene, covering the race that started at a painful 7:00am. Yikes.
In the half-marathon, Jeff Perrella finished 14th overall in a PR and club record 68:12. Think about how hard it is to run a mile in 5:12. Okay, now think about doing in 13 times. In a row. Yup...that's four x 16:09 5ks. As teammate Chris Schneider commented on Facebook, "Once again, the Quiet Storm doesn't disappoint."
In the marathon, it was Mike Dixon bringing the thunder, finishing 14th overall, second Jersey finisher, in a PR and club record 2:26:45. Wow....that's 5:35 a mile....26 times in a ROW. Behind him was teammate Taylor Burmeister who, unlike the well-seasoned Dixon, was taking his first stab at the full marathon. He went through in a quick 75 minutes, then fnishing in 2:42:54. Also making his debut marathon race was Steve Geiger, who negative-split his race, finishing his last half 4:00 faster than his opening 13.1. Scuba Steve finished at 2:44:26, a fantastic debut race. Funny enough, he wasn't the only Steven Geiger to finish the marathon; his doppleganger from Brooklyn ran 4:07:08! Adam Nalven, taking another shot at sub-3:00, finished in 3:11:30, while Meghan O'Toole-DeCarlo ran a huge PR of 3:13:24.
See all Philly race videos far down below.
Team Runs
Monday and Tuesday, 5:30, at Rutgers Student Center. Happy Thanksgiving!
This Week in Training
Distance
Ashenfelter this week! A fast course plus peak fitness means an opportunity to run some big PRs. You'll see a big cut in mileage this week – we're going to drop it down to maximize recovery and rest. Don't be afraid to cut back – the mileage builds your fitness, but the final sharpening doesn't require that much. Enjoy the extra time.
Monday: 2k at 8k pace, mile at 5k pace, 2x800 at 3k pace, 4x400 at mile pace
Tuesday: Comfortable run + 8x80m strides. Go about 60% of your normal distance.
Wednesday: Shakeout – Visualize.
Thursday: Ashenfelter 8k – Let it rip!
Friday: Comfortable run + 8x80m strides
Saturday – 60 min progression run – start out comfortable and drop it down to T pace with 15 minutes to go, then get down to 5k pace for the last 2-3 minutes. Gauge your pace in the first half of the run based on how you're feeling. With just two days after the race, you may need to go a little slower on this workout – that's ok.
Sunday – 75-90 mins long run.
Sprints
We're going to capitalize on Saturday's intensive tempo work to come right back with a race simulation session. We'll hit a special endurance II workout Wednesday, followed by an alactic session on Saturday. Two weeks ago, we used the alactic session to work on our push mechanics/acceleration phase. Saturday, we will do flying 50's with a 10m build up; as we did a month ago, this is to help with your maximum velocity mechanics. Remember- these reps should be no longer than seven seconds! Like always, do your recovery workouts- these can be just as important as a hard session.
Monday: 5:45 @ Metuchen HS 3 x 250m @ 400m race pace (full recovery)
Tuesday: 10x100 stride; lift
Wednesday: 5:45 @ Metuchen HS 5 x (300m/50m) @ 800m pace/200m pace (50m walk/ 400m walk)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: 20x50 stride. gentle, comfortable, fluid.
Saturday: 1:00 @ Metuchen HS 8x50 maximum velocity/alactic workout (w/ 10m build up)
Sunday: 10x150 stride recovery; LIFT
Philly Videos!
Jeffrey Perrella: GSTC Supa-Star Rocking Saucony Sponsored Gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dokkH9ul1H0 - 10k mark (what 5:03/ mile looks like up close)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZQ3IXbBFM- 13 miles (the finish...holding off a Stotan)
Mike Dixon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z_fbcqCbWo - 10k mark (wash & wear your uniform and we'll spot you sooner next time!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEZqEpuWw2M -13m mark (this time, we actualy got you from the front!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVh-HnrkNf8 - finish line (Bonica took this one....don't blame me)
Taylor Burmeister:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okEvM-7WYG8 - 10k mark (we spot you sooner next time, we promise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAvM7GFtS64 - 13m mark (looking real smooth...out in 75 through the half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoA_mgDyKVI - after finish (gives us the "I'm waaaay too tired for a $%^&^%$ camera right now" look)
Meghan O'Toole-Decarlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJMzAWd-mQY - 13m mark (we saw you at 10k mark....camera didn't turn on fast enough :( )
Mark Del Monaco:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-H0Sr1NLs - 10k mark (having lots of fun pacing women through 2:47 pace)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNwt_eWmumc - 13m mark (much less takers at this point...)
Steven Geiger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMhF2vnjykY - 10k mark (looking "fresh as a daisy")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPkHaH4zqo0 - 13m mark (enjoying the heckling from his fans)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JD0FtlncuE - after finish (refuses to dance for camera.....)
Adam Nalven
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDPqVhgGSU 13m mile (we missed you the first time...you were hiding behind those 3:00 pace balloons!)