Monday, December 30, 2013

(12/30-1/5): Vote, Sign Up, Register....it's 2014!

Intro

The GSTC Weekly Email is a collaborative effort to bring club membership an accurate and entertaining update on all team events, runs, results, workouts, quotes, and even mishaps every Sunday night.  It is also often referred to as "The Email" or, by more prominent members of the running community, "error-fraught spam."  If you'd like to submit anything that would contribute to any of these sections, please email us! 

 


THREE BIG THINGS for 2014


1.  You can register for the 2013 GSTC Awards Banquet here.  


2.  You can pay your 2014 dues here.  


3.  You can vote on the 2013 GSTC Awards here.  

 



GSTC Announces Spring GP Schedule

February 23- Road Relays (GSTC event)

March 23- Miles for Music 20k (all divisions)

April 6- Cherry Blossom 10k (masters women)

April 26- Clinton Country 15k (all divisions)

May 3- Newport 10,000 (open men, women)

May 24- College Ave Mile (all divisions; GSTC event)

June 1- Stomp the Monster 5k (open women)

June 16- President's Cup 5k (open men)

June 22- Lager Run (masters men)

June 26- Sunset Classic (open men and women)

 

GSTC Indoor Track Schedule (email us with interest)

December 14-Brother Jasper Invitational (Manhattan College)

January 11- Monmouth Invitational (Monmouth University)

January 24-25- Terrier Classic (Boston University) or

February 8- Valentine Invitational (Boston University)

February 15- Millrose Games (NYC Armory)

February 26- Monmouth Invitational (Monmouth University)

 

 

College Ave Mile: GP Championship Race!

In 2012, the GSTC passionately believed in the road mile.  However, there was a small problem: no one else in New Jersey did.  In fact, it wasn't even acknowledged by the USATF-NJ Long Distance Running (LDR) Committee as a legitimate road race, as their Category 1 division spanned from 3k-4 miles. 

 

After two years of conversation and two years of putting on a class event, The College Ave Mile, the USATF-NJ Executive Committee has changed their minds.  In its first year as a championship event, the College Ave Mile's application was accepted to be the first road mile in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix Team Championship series.

 

While we celebrate this huge success, we recognize we owe so many people thanks for this dream coming to fruition.  Indeed, a wonderful example of what great things can happen when a group of folks come together and work together!

 

Team Runs

While it is our first week back from our winter break, enclaves are still on holiday break.  Enclave runs will return to normal next week, and they will all be posted here, as usual.  Please see training below.


From the Office of the Vice President

 

USATF-NJ Individual Grand Prix- What is it and why should I care?

 

The Grand Prix is a year long competition between all road racers in NJ who are registered for USATF.  The prizes for top 3 per gender overall are $500, $400 and $300.  The prizes for top 3 per gender in each age group are $200, $125, $100.  The top 3 overall get removed from age group awards. The age groups are 5 year age groups, 34 and under is the youngest age group.  

 


What do I have to run and how is it scored?

 

There are 3 types of races: category 1 (aka short) races which are 3k to 4 miles in length, category 2 (aka medium) which are greater than 4 miles and less than 15k, and category 3 (aka long) which are 15k or longer.  In each category you score your best 3 races. You can use at most 2 championship races in each category.

 

The individual grand prix and team grand prix use the same races as championship races. All championship races are scored with a maximum of 700 points and a floor of 200 points (except cross country races, which use a floor of 300 points).  All non-championship races are scored with a maximum of 500 points and a floor of 100 points. All NJ races do not participate in the grand prix.  If it does, it will say so on the application.  In order to score the most points, you have to race 2 championship races in each category.  

 

It is scored entirely based on place.  For example, a 700/200 championship race has the winner of the gender scoring 700 points and the last place in the gender scoring 200, everybody else gets a point value in-between based on their place within their gender.  In a race with 1000 finishers of a gender, you will have 2 people score 700, 2 score 699 and so on.  

 

Is it worth it?

 

If you plan on doing the team races, it is only going to add 3 more races to your schedule for the year.  It was worth $500 to me in 2013.

 

Addendum to the VP:

1.  Several other GSTC'ers cashed in on the individual Grand Prix in 2013.  Steve Mennitt was second overall ($400), Erika Meling and Chuck Schneekloth both won their age group ($200), and Marty Doherty was 3rd in his age group ($100).  In 2012, Mike Anis won the Grand Prix, and thus won 500 clams.  That's a lotta clams.  Here are the 2013 individual USATF-NJ Grand Prix results.


2.  As Ken mentioned, most GSTC athletes already race six team championship races which are 700 points each.  That just leaves three 500 point races—one per category—to fill out your scorecard.  The trick is running these races so that they don't interfere with your training for the more important team races.  Here are the individual Grand Prix rules.


3.  You can find a schedule of all Grand Prix races on www.compuscore.com.  


4.  To fill out your Grand Prix scorecard, we highly recommend competing in the four Superhero Races.  Here's why:

1-    --They are between 800-1200 runners in all their races, so this means you'll maximize your 500pts.  

2-   -- GSTC members get a 15% discount, so it's cheaper than doing another 500pt race.

3-   -- Heather McDermott, co-owner of Superhero Events, is a GSTC member. 

4-    --They have races for all categories: 4 Miler & Supersanta 5k (Category 1), Ockoberfest 10k (Category 2), and Superhero Half (Category 3)

Check out their website above, and the Four Miler blurb is below.


Steady Striders

By Amy Denholtz

Who are the Steady Striders?  As we ring in the new year, our club will see new faces in the steady striders and "couch to 5k/new to running" pack; some are people beginning to run for the first time and others will have a resolution or race goal in mind.  Our steady striders running group is made up of beginning runners hoping to finish a new running goal, such as their first 5k or 10k, or even run their first mile, and avid recreational runners who have been running for some time (our membership includes a number of half marathoners) but are looking to improve their running, such as by increasing their speed or distance, and accomplish greater running goals. New runners are welcome to start with the group at any time - every steady strider was a beginner once and any pace is welcome, from a steady 10 min/mile run to a walk/run interval.  The steady striders meet weekly in central NJ, averaging a 10:30 to 11:30/mile training pace and under 10min/mile race pace. If you know someone who is looking to start running, or just needs a better fitting pace group, please send their contact info to Amy, or ask them to email Amy at adenholtz@gmail.com.

Upcoming Steady Strider Group Run:  Our first steady strider group run of 2014 will be on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 9am at Donaldson Park, in Highland Park, beginning at the parking lot nearest to Grove 1, the first parking area on the right side as you enter the park (and conveniently located near the restrooms).   A map/directions are available at http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/parksrecreation/donaldson.asp.  Please email Amy with any questions or to RSVP. 

 

TEAM STUFF

Saturday Night, 1/18: GSTC Banquet @ Rutgers University

Sunday Morning, 2/23: Road Relays  www.roadrelays.org

Buy team gear here------->  http://phenetix.com/lab2/#top

Team website--------------->  www.gardenstatetc.org

Team Facebook Fan Page---->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/159501487397707/

Team Blog---------------> http://gardenstatetc.blogspot.com/

Team YouTube Channel---> http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenStateTC

 

 

 

 

Quotes of the Week

"50 degrees and sunny in December.  I gotta go throw discus."  -Stephen Mozia, via FB

 

"Merry Christmas to everyone.  Being part of this group has been such a great experience.  I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings."  -Joan Darnsteadt, via FB

 

"Last year all I wanted for Christmas was someone to run with.  What a difference a year can make."  #GSTC"  -Angela Dunn, via FB

 

 


Gold Star


Alina Duran

Alina joined GSTC this week for a great team experience and track and field community. She joins our ever growing weights team. This season she aspires to hit 19m in the weight and 65m in the hammer throw, qualifying for indoor and outdoor USA Nationals. Her current PRs are 18.50m in the weight and 55.55m in the hammer. Her pre-throw routines consist of a calisthenics regimen and dynamic stretching. Outside of running she likes to read, cook and practice Civil Engineering. She is going to be a huge asset to our team and our quest in kicking complete butt this season. 

 

Bill Gilroy

Bill joined GSTC a couple of weeks ago because he wanted to be part of a running group and his college doesn't have a running club.  A friend told him about GSTC so he decided to join. His Prs include: 5:15 for the 1600, 11:38 for the 3200, 19:47 for the 5k and 1 hour 46 minutes in the half marathon. As of this moment he doesn't have a specific ritual or routine before a race or run but after hanging out with the GSTC running nerds, there is no doubt he will pick up on some cool pre race habits. Outside of running he enjoys camping, hanging out with friends and relaxing. 

 

Pre-Game 4 Miler

On Sunday February 2nd, the 3rd annual Pre-Game 4 Miler (formerly known as the Super Sunday 4 Miler) will be taking place in Morristown.

 

Superhero Events is offering GSTC members a 15% discount. Just use coupon code GSTC when you sign up online at www.superheroracing.com.

 

Obviously, early February isn't prime racing season, but the race is a ton of fun and a great opportunity to score lots of USATF grand prix points early in the year. Here are a few more reasons to run:

    Long-sleeved technical shirts to the first 1,500 registrants!

    Prizes for age group and overall winners! 

    SPECIAL Polar Bear prize for runner wearing the least amount of clothing! (last year GSTC's Chris Croff was a finalist)

    Post race party at a local bar with great drink specials to warm you up!

 

 

If you have any questions, please email Heather at superheroracing@hotmail.com

 


This Week in Training

by Chris Tafelski  (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)


Hi everyone,

Since we're starting up a new training cycle and there are a lot of new people on here, I want to take this chance to establish a common vocabulary, and hash out a few things that I think can make everyone a better runner.  So bear with me, and if you're a veteran to the training, you can probably skim/skip.

1) There are a lot of tools out there that can make you better.  Watches, GPS, Training logs, Daniels tables, McMillan calculator, etc.  I use most of these things, but I have seen a lot of runners (myself included) slip into the role reversal of who serves who.  These are tools that serve you.  They give you information that may inform your training and make you better.  But a lot of runners end up serving the tools.  How often have you or someone you know said something like, "I have to get in x more miles or I won't hit xx for the week" or "I have to hit 6:30pace and the watch says is 6:35?" In these situations, the log, the watch, the pace chart, that is, the tools we use, end up calling the shots, rather than the other way around.   More isn't always better, faster isn't always better.

2) I like to use Daniels tables as a guide to determine workout paces, but there's a lot of wiggle room in these tables.  Your threshold pace (more on this later) may be 6:15 pace according to the table, but depending on the conditions of your body, your running venue, and the day, a different pace may be more appropriate.  If it's super hot and windy and you're running on a hilly course or a grass loop that hasn't been cut in awhile, you had better make adjustments to the pace or you're not going to get the training effect you want.

3) I write a lot of the training in minutes rather than miles, but I measure my own runs in miles.  Imagine you're a muscle cell.  You have no idea how far the body is going.  You don't even know that the body is running.  All you know as a single cell is that a certain workload is being asked of you for a certain amount of time.  So if two people are doing a 4 mile tempo run, the slower person is working harder because they are running the same level of effort for a longer time.

4) Your mileage is up to you.  I can help you if you have questions.  While it would benefit you to run more than you did last macrocycle, you have to balance it with the rest of your life, how much sleep you can get, etc, and you have to consider your age and injury history.  Know yourself.

You can find Daniels pace charts online pretty easily.  A few words about these:

--Your distance day pace can vary a lot - anywhere between the E column and the M column.  This is a huge range.  How fast you run on these days will depend on your state of recovery, your diet, hydration, sleep, life stress, etc.  I call these runs "comfortable" in the training, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're easy.  It just means that you're rolling at a tempo that you can sustain and not tax your body too much.

--The T pace is a tough one for a lot of people to get.  It should be a pace you could maintain for 50-60 minutes if you absolutely had to.  It should feel hard but not killer.  You should be right on that border of not being able to talk.  Get used to the feel of it.  When in doubt, go a little too slow rather than a little too fast.  That's hard to do, but once you get it, you can throw the table away and just go out and find that groove.  For most of the distances we race, I think we get the most bang for our buck from threshold workouts.


I like to build in one super easy day a week, usually Thursdays.  Your super easy day could be a day off.  How far you go is up to you.

I am a big fan of hill sprints all the way through a training cycle.  Basically you want to find the steepest hill you can and sprint up it as hard as you can for a duration of 8-10 seconds with about 3 minutes of recovery in between.  The reason for the long recovery is so that you accumulate zero lactate.  They're not long enough for you to generate much, and if you do, it should be fully cleared before you go again.  More on these next week.

FOR THIS WEEK: all very easy runs.  You decide the pace and the mileage.  If you use the Daniels table, drop yourself a few rows on the table since you've taken time off.  No hill sprints this week, but you should do 6-8 strides on grass after two of your runs.  Your total mileage should be about 50-65% of your peak mileage from last cycle.  You should also take 1-2 days off.  Coming back from a break is a classic time for little injuries to pop up, so make sure you're paying attention to your body and tend to it if necessary.

Get ready for another big year!

Monday, December 23, 2013

(12/23-12/29): The 2013 GSTC Awards Banquet

The 2013 GSTC Awards Banquet

On January 18, from 4-7pm, the Garden State Track Club will host its third annual GSTC Award Banquet.  This year, it will be held at Neilson Dining Hall's "Triangular Room" at Rutgers University.  The cost is $20 per person for dinner and dessert, and all GSTC members may bring one guest.  There is only room for 250 attendees, so be sure to reserve your seats soon! 

You can register here.

World Class Athletes Highlight Guest Speakers

The banquet will have five guest speakers.  Unlike a traditional "Keynote Speaker" model where just one person speaks for an extended period, we will have five honorable speakers who will talk for a few minutes before presenting an award.  

California native Nicole Teter, the USA 800m indoor record holder, four-time US 800m champ and two-time Olympian, highlights the group.  Ashley Higginson, an alum of Colts Neck HS and Princeton University who competed in the 2013 World Championships, will also speak and hand out the club's MVP Award.  Her teammate Kate Grace, a seven-time 800m Hep Champ and three-time All-American who finished 4th in the 2013 USA Championships, will also speak and present the Most Improved awards.  Jeff Benjamin, a College of Staten Island Hall of Fame inductee and American Track and Field Magazine writer, will make opening remarks.  An Adidas Ambassador, to be announced, will also be in attendance and present an award.    


2013 GSTC Highlight Video 

In years past, the GSTC Highlight Video has always been sent out in the weekly email closest to the turn of the year; however, the 2013 video will be unraveled at the banquet!

In case you missed it, here is the 2012 GSTC Highlight Video, and here is the 2011 GSTC Highlight Video.  


2013 Award Presenters

Every year, we rotate award presenters, often between new members.  If you're interested, please send us an email, as we will publish the final draft of the awards schedule in next weekend's weekly email.  In addition, next week you will also be sent a link to vote on most of the awards below.  Don't know everyone?  Don't feel qualified to vote?  We will give you short blurbs on people to help inform all voting members.  Oh, and...see a mistake below?  Are we missing someone?  Should we include another award?  Email us.  We want it to be perfect, so we appreciate any feedback or input to make it so.  Thanks to the Awards Banquet Committee for all their help here.

Also note that, once again, there will be a "Best Dressed of the Evening" Award that we will vote on within the first hour.  Last year, Kyle Price and Sara Douma won....so dress to impress!

2013 GSTC Awards Banquet Schedule: Draft 1.0

4:00  Dinner & Mingling


4:55  Welcome & Enclave Awards: Guest Speaker #1, Jeff Benjamin

Most Dedicated, North Enclave: Danielle Czohla, Erin Higgins, Tiff Schwartz, Nicole Callaghan-Gronbeck, Brian Harris

Most Dedicated, Jersey City Enclave: Shanna Beairsto, Will Appman, Adam Gruchacz, Norbert Kuter

Most Dedicated, Beach Enclave: Chelsea Callan, Chris Whitehead, Zak Kudlak, Sean Donohue

 

Most Dedicated, Central Enclave: Dan Teichmann, Ryan DeGregorio, Steve Mennitt, Edsel Flores


5:05  Enclave Awards:  Guest Speaker #2, Nicole Teter

Most Dedicated, South Enclave: Joe Zeoli, Adin Mickle, Angela Dunn, Robyn Evangelist, Paul Matuszak

Most Dedicated, Morristown Enclave: Brian Harris, Heather McDermott, James Lothian, Sam Harris, Allie Dublinski

Most Dedicated, Princeton Enclave:  Katie Chaput, Jeff Blough, Greta Sieve, Ashwin Anantharaman, Peter Bolgert



****  Presenter #1:__________________

Newcomer of the Year, North Enclave: Bryan McDonnell, Joan Darnsteadt, Jon Lindenauer, Sandi Kaspszyk, Ewelina Marut


Newcomer of the Year, Beach Enclave: Sean Donohue, Chris Behre, Jarret Kunze, Dennie Waite


Newcomer of the Year, Jersey City Enclave:  Diana Stavrou, Will Appman, Shanna Beairsto, Adam Gruchacz

 

Newcomer of the Year, Central: Ezra Chefitz, Kristen Prazenica, Rob Marczydlo, Keith Gruchacz, Christina Chafos, Jonathan Campanaro

Newcomer of the Year, Morristown: Kay Berka, Merit O'Hare, Ted Doyle, Zack Mower, Claire Browne, Mark Minervini, Tom Lee


Newcomer of the Year, South Enclave: Michelle Branagan, Eric DuBois, Robyn Evangelist, Joe Zeoli, Brittany McCann


Newcomer of the Year, Princeton Enclave:  Matt Eder, Steve Jackson, Stephanie Donatone, Greta Sieve, Henry Mattingly



****  Presenter #2:___________________

Life of the Enclave, North Enclave: Karen Auteri, Ruscel Kirkland, Erin Higgins, Kelly Polisin, Rob DeCarlo

Life of the Enclave, Beach: Zak Kudlak, Jim Greer, Will Alston, Ken Walsh, Sean Donohue

Life of Enclave, Central:  Josh Neyhart, Aysha Mirza, Mo El Hedi Bahri, Dan Siegel, Nick Waclawski, Kyle Price, Kyle Flyer

 

Life of the Enclave, South Enclave: Bill Zeoli, Adin Mickle, Robyn Evangelist, Paul Matuszak, Joe Zeoli, Brittany McCann

 

Life of the Enclave, Morristown Enclave: Karen Auteri, Allison Dublinski, Heather McDermott, James Lothian,

 

Life of the Enclave, Princeton Enclave:  Peter Bolgert, Jeff Blough, Ashwin Anantharaman, Mike Fonder, Dave Hamilton


Life of the Enclave, Jersey City Enclave: Jeff Perrella, Corey Smith, Will Appman, Norbert Kuter



****Presenter #3:  TIM MORGAN


Tim Morgan Award:  Steve Mennitt, Josh Neyhart, Zak Martins, Tim Morgan


Steady Strider Award:  Karen Kushner, Phoebe Law, Margarita Ravera Romero, Sakina Namazi, Portia Brown 



5:30  Most Improved and Rookies of the Year: Guest Speaker #3, Kate Grace

Most Improved Male:  Mike Anis, David Fett, Woody Kongsamut, Mark Parisen

Most Improved Female:  Erin LaCosta, Erika Meling, Angela Dunn, Karen Auteri 

Rookie of the Year, Male:  Chris Croff, Chris Johnson, Eric DuBois, Dennie Waite, Jon Lindenauer, Bryan McDonnell, Will Griffin, Ted Doyle

Rookie of the Year, Female:  Sarah Schillaci, Robyn Evangelist, Tiff Schwartz, Christina Chafos, Allyson Guib, Allie Dublinski, Michele Branagan


Presenter #4:_________________

2014, Her GSTC Breakout Season:  Nicole Salge, Nastaran Whitson, Victoria Pontecorvo, Jena Peacock, Ana Jasmin

2014, His GSTC Breakout Season:  Timmy Terrific Paziora, Andy Gallagher, Chris Weiss, Andrew Golato, Attila Sabahoglu, Shaun McGeever

2014, The Masters Breakout:  Gavin Sloane, Sheera Siegel, Matt Baker, Lee Mooney, James Cecchi

Quotes of the Year:  TBA Next Weekend  (Chelsea Callan, Adin Mickle, Josh Neyhart, Peter Bolgert, Steve Bonica, and five more)

Selfie of the Year:  Courtney Stanton, Aysha Mirza, Danielle Stanton, Danielle Czohla, Liz Licorish

Cutest Club Couple:  Dave dos Santos/Karen Auteri, Ken Goglas/Cheyenne Ogletree, Rob/Meghan DeCarlo, Jill/TJ Zablocki

Recruiter of the Year:  Karen Auteri, Heather McDermott, Mike Anis, Peter Bolgert, Marty Doherty, Angela Dunn, Chelsea Callan

Rutgers Athlete of the Year:  Rob Klink, David Fett, Erin LaCosta, Alexis Mbakwe, Carson Keers-Flood, Courtney Connelly, Kyle Flyer, Rob Marczydlo

Jeff Perrella Excellence in Injury Award:  Nicole Callaghan-Gronbeck, Rob Nihen, Dave dos Santos, Courtney Stanton, Brittany McCann


5:55  Moment of Silence: Andrew Capizzi


6:00  2013 GSTC Highlight Video


6:15  Track Awards:  Adidas Ambassador (TBA)

Half Miler Award:  Jaris Rousseau, Darnell Armstrong, Mike Saparito, Ricky Garcia, Norbert Kuter, Tony Harris,  

Miler Award:  Dennie Waite, Alyssa Douma, Chris Heibell, Tony Harris, Chelsea Callan, Cheyenne Ogletree, Kyle Price, Peter Bolgert

Steeplechase Award:  Peter Bolgert, Jena Peacock, Kyle Price,  Danielle Czohla, Ken Goglas, Mike Anis

****Presenter #5:_______________

Best Dressed, Female: TBA

Best Dressed, Male: TBA

Behind the Curtains Award (unsung hero):  Brianne Teichmann, Cathy Stutzman, Amy Denholtz, David Fett, Ken Walsh

Most Likely to be at a GSTC Event:  Edsel Flores, Karen Auteri, Ken Goglas, Cathy Stutzman, Woody Kongsamut


6:40  Most Valuable Performers: Guest Speaker #3, Ashley Higginson     

Most Valuable Performer, Male Masters:  Brian Harris, Marty Doherty, Andrew Tschesnok, Jeremy Stratton, Massoud Messkoub, Peter Auteri, Francis Beideman


Most Valuable Performer, Female Masters:  Sarah Hersey, Prudence Jones, Sue Goglas, Jennifer Briganti, Sandi Kaspszyk, Michele Brangan


Most Valuable Sprinter, Male:  Mike Brito, Ricky Garcia, Tony Harris, Julius Frederick


Most Valuable Sprinter, Female:  Alexis Mbakwe, Erin LaCosta, Quanisha Booker, Haleigh Simon


Most Valuable Field Athlete, Male:  Stephen Mozia, Matt Tholis, Isaiah Harris, Montez Blair, Eric Masington, Lutalo Boyce


Most Valuable Field Athlete, Female:  Erin LaCosta, Shene Davis, Shauntierah Douglas, Haleigh Simon

Most Valuable Performer, Male:  Mike Fonder, Ken Goglas, Steve Mennitt, Paul Matuszak, Mike Brito, Chris Heibell

Most Valuable Performer, Female:  Alyssa Douma, Danielle Czohla, Cheyenne Ogletree, Katie Chaput, Erika Meling, 


6:55  Closing & Thank You:  Chuck Schneekloth                                                     

 The final schedule will be published in next week's email

**********************************************************






Intro

The GSTC Weekly Email is a collaborative effort to bring club membership an accurate and entertaining update on all team events, runs, results, workouts, quotes, and even mishaps every Sunday night.  It is also often referred to as "The Email" or, by more prominent members of the running community, "error-fraught spam."  If you'd like to submit anything that would contribute to any of these sections, please email us! 


  

Team Runs

None: Final week of our two-week break!


President's Award

Big thanks to Erika Meling, Mo El Hadi Bahri, Ricky Garcia, Mark Parisen, Joe Ambrosio, and Matt Eder for helping shovel the track

 

TEAM STUFF

Saturday Night, 1/18: GSTC Banquet @ Rutgers University

Sunday Morning, 2/23: Road Relays  www.roadrelays.org

Buy team gear here------->  http://phenetix.com/lab2/#top

Team website--------------->  www.gardenstatetc.org

Team Facebook Fan Page---->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/159501487397707/

Team Blog---------------> http://gardenstatetc.blogspot.com/

Team YouTube Channel---> http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenStateTC

 

 

Quotes of the Week

"I officially registered for the team online.  Any team that will run in the street on a freezing night is great in my book."  -Ivan Cartagena, via email, the newest sprint group member

 

"And finally, the last gorilla was returned to the zoo."  -Mike Anis, the final GSTC member to return from Oregon, just days ago.  He stayed a bit longer to sightsee. 

 

"Ken Goglas is still boss."  -Steve Bonica, via text, when reflecting on the 32 year old's top 100 finish, outrunning numerous teammates and opponents ten years younger.

 

"NJ is the second largest USATF association in the country.  Lots of competition for your spot.  This accomplishment is impressive.  You will no doubt achieve even higher accolades in the future.  And I'm not just talking about the TMA."  -Randy Miller, congratulating Mark Minerveni via Facebook, on his 2nd place (and $150) in his 16-34 age group in the USATF Grand Prix.

 

"When I was younger, I was always told going into this sport I would not have a normal life."  -sprinter Tiana Davis, via FB post

 

"I always use a brown bag when drinking a 40.  That's Dirty Jersey."  -masters star Kenny Huryk, to Steve Bonica, in a FB discussion about Jersey bars

 

"Since Erika left early to make gingerbread houses with Stephanie, our final post-run dinner was less than optimal."  -Princeton Enclave member Jeff Blough, via FB, lamenting about having to eat a candlelight dinner with Mike Fonder, as all the ladies left them after the enclave run

 

"Thanks for your race reports.  I enjoyed reading all of them.  I liked the way you each described a portion of the experience, instead of submitting a bunch of separate reports that all said, "My experience in Bend was truly memorable."  Congratulations on your fortitude in making the difficult trip out there, taking on that formidable course, and competing against some of the nation's best runners!  

 

Also, congratulations on a great year in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix.  You guys and gals truly inspire me."    -Frank Russo, USATF-NJ LDR Open Men's Chairmen, via email

 

 

 

Tim Morgan Award

While we applaud his willingness to come help us shovel snow off the track, Matt Eder claims a classic TMA for his first nomination into the infamous TMA section.  He drives a half hour to Highland Park after his work, starts to chop ice with his shovel, and within three minutes…breaks his shovel.  Stiv Mennitt gets another one for not coming to pick up the clothes he forgot in Oregon last week.

 

Gold Star

By Ashwin Anantharaman


Victoria Pontecorvo 

Victoria joined the GSTC after the Big Chill race. She joined because she graduated in May and wants to pursue her running post-collegiately after competing for Rutgers in cross country and track for four years.  She did road racing but always went just with her family. She enjoyed it, but she likes having teammates and the camaraderie of a team. 

 

Her PRs are 1827 (5k), 2:15 (800m), 4:37 (1500), and 10:23 (3000), and she hopes to break 4:50 with the GSTC in the mile.  Before runs, she makes sure she doesn't eat anything too complex that may upset her stomach since she tends to get acid reflux. Other than that she tries to smile, crack jokes, and have fun.  Hobbies outside of running include hanging out and going out with friends, boyfriend, and family. She loves fashion and shopping. She also likes to act. She was a child actress and voiced the character of blue in the spin off series of blues clues called blues room  (Fun fact). She also likes to cook and bake!

 

Matt Baker

Matt joined the club few weeks ago because he wanted to be a part of an organization that would support his running goals.  He is looking forward to learning, improving and participating in team events.  

 

For a big race, he starts modifying his schedule roughly three weeks before the gun and focus on speed and strength.  He tries to drop about three pounds of weight during this period.  With one week to go, he focuses on energy accumulation and lots of sleep (maybe 9 hours a night).  He stops all quality runs 3 or 4 days before and tries to stay loose.  2 days before, he begins his mental preparation and focus on the pain levels he wants at each stage of the race.  On the morning of the race, he eats exactly three hours before, usually an egg sandwich.  

 

His two relevant PRs are 5:21 mile at age 49 in College Ave Mile and 18:31 at age 50 for the USATF XC Nationals.  His goal for 2014 is to break 5 minutes in the mile. Outside of running, he owns a racing sailboat named RELIANT that he campaigns up and down the East Coast.  He would like to run well at the GSTC Road Relay and has started training for this event. 

 

Pre-Game 4 Miler (hosted by GSTC's Heather McDermott)

On Sunday February 2nd, the 3rd annual Pre-Game 4 Miler (formerly known as the Super Sunday 4 Miler) will be taking place in Morristown.

 

Superhero Events is offering GSTC members a 15% discount. Just use coupon code GSTC when you sign up online at www.superheroracing.com.

 

Obviously, early February isn't prime racing season, but the race is a ton of fun and a great opportunity to score lots of USATF grand prix points early in the year. Here are a few more reasons to run:

•   Long-sleeved technical shirts to the first 1,500 registrants!

•   Prizes for age group and overall winners! 

•   SPECIAL Polar Bear prize for runner wearing the least amount of clothing! (last year GSTC's Chris Croft was a finalist)

•   Post race party at a local bar with great drink specials to warm you up!

If you have any questions, please email Heather at superheroracing@hotmail.com

 

This Week in Training

This is the second and final down week of our "between-seasons" break. 

 

Unsure why you should stop running for a bit and just relax?  Check out this article here, which outlines the importance of having some downtime after an intense training block.  If the best runners don't run 365 days a year, then we shouldn't either!  "Most professional athletes – from the up-and-comers to the seasoned veterans – use a few weeks to do everything they don't during the season: not worry about their diet, their schedule, or their training. They catch up on errands, spend a lot of time on the couch, and pig out a little."

 

Here is another informative article about the value of taking a "resting season" after a "racing season" from Lauren Fleshmen.  Yes, she says, it's good to get outta shape a bit, gain a few pounds, and recover from a long season to best prepare for the next one!

 



Monday, December 16, 2013

(12/16-12/22): GSTC Finishes 11th at USATF National XC Championships

Intro

The GSTC Weekly Email is a collaborative effort to bring club membership an accurate and entertaining update on all team events, runs, results, workouts, quotes, and even mishaps every Sunday night.  It is also often referred to as "The Email" or, by more prominent members of the running community, "error-fraught spam."  If you'd like to submit anything that would contribute to any of these sections, please email us! 

 

Corrections

Last week, we made a few egregious errors.  While we strive for perfection, the GSTC Weekly Informercial is susceptible to mistakes, and we apologize for the many in the past and in the future.  Not only did we leave out Kristen Cupido in the nationals preview, we also mistyped Jeff Blough's result.  He ran a PR of 25:28, not 28:28, two weekends ago. 

 

GSTC at Nationals

 

A Trip About Survival

Bend, Oregon- For many, flying across country is an exhausting odyssey.  For the GSTC-Elite this weekend, the adventure didn't actually start until stepping off the plane after flying 3,000 miles.

 

The group first had to endure a white-knuckle, late-night trek over Mt. Hood in the blizzard-esque conditions.  Viewing steep cliffs with short guard rails with the pass covered in packed ice and snow, Route 26 East, peaking at 3,000' of elevation, didn't reveal black road for almost forty-five minutes.  Indeed, you know it was a trip of peril when your roommate welcomes you with a handshake and says, "Well, we survived."


The course atRiver's Edge Golf Course in Bend was, in many ways, just as dangerous.  A 2k loop the women ran three times and the men five, it was fraught with hay bales to jump, sharp turns to navigate, steep and gradual hills to climb, narrow trails to manage, and ice patches to traverse.  Several GSTC athletes fell not just during the race, but during the easy pre-race shakeout the day before.  


Yes, fast, seasoned cross country experts were falling on the shakeout run the day before. 

 

Oh, and it was at 3,500 feet elevation.

 

GSTC Ties for Most Finishers

At the national championships, it's all about performance; every point and place counts.  However, despite traveling across the country, the GSTC shared a unique distinction with a Seattle-based Elite Development Club (EDC): most open finishers.

 

Like Club Northwest, the GSTC had twenty-nine athletes cross the finish line at Bend on Saturday afternoon: eighteen men and eleven women. 

 

The top five biggest teams included New Balance Boston (22/Massachusetts), Run n Fun (21/Minnesota), and Central Oregon Running Club (20/Oregon).

 

While Club Northwest was the only other team besides the GSTC to field a men's and women's B team, the Black and Gold was the only club to have a C Team—a team, impressively, that beat eight others by finishing 42nd out of 50.

 

GSTC Finishes 11th Overall

The reality of club running is that groups form last-minute, fleeting all-star teams frequently.  In fact, both the men's (Champions League Athletic Performance) and women's (Beast's TC) were both making their first appearance at the USATF XC National Championships.  And, chances are, that may be their last appearance at this event.

 

That said, it isn't surprising that less than half of the fifty-one teams that traveled to Bend didn't have both a men's and women's complete team.  Indeed, it's hard to have both.  This year, Central Park TC couldn't do it.  Nor could Hanson's.  Or Zap Fitness.  Or Bryn Mawr RC.  Or Georgetown RC.  And the list goes on.  In fact, only twenty-one clubs had  full men's and women's squads--meaning thirty couldn't do it.  

 

Out of those twenty-one teams, the GSTC finished 11th overall with 40 points, as the men finished 19th, and the women were 21st.  Just behind New Balance Boston, they were the 2nd overall team from the East Coast in this combined score.

 

Place   Points          Team          (Men Finish/Women Finish)  State

1)  9   Bouder Running Company (7, 2)- Colorado

1)  9   Team Run Flagstaff (3, 6)- Arizona

3)  18  Adidas/Rogue (14, 4)- Texas

4)  21  Club Northwest (10, 11)- WA

5)  22  Playmakers Elite/New Balance (8, 14)- Michigan

6)  24  Asics Aggies  (6, 18)- California

7)  25  Twin Cities TC (17, 8)- Minnesota

8)  28  Team Run Eugene (18, 10)- Oregon

9)  29  Run N Fun (16, 13)- Minnesota

10) 32  New Balance Boston (27, 5)- Massachusetts

11) 40  Garden State Track Club (19, 21)- New Jersey

12) 42  So-Cal Elite RC (25, 17)- California

13) 49  West Valley TC (22, 27)- California

14) 55  Greater Boston TC (36, 19)- Massachusetts

15) 57  Central Oregon RK (24, 33)- Oregon

16) 58  Greater Bellingham RC (43, 15)- Washington

17) 60  Dukes TC  28, 32- New Mexico

18) 65  Run Portland (34, 31)- Oregon

19) 66  Atlanta TC (41, 25)- Georgia

20) 68  Prado RT (46, 22)- California

21) 70  Team Red Lizard (44, 26)- Oregon

 

Men's Results: Johnson Leads GSTC to Top 20 Finish

Thanks to Chris Johnson's 71st place, the highest individual finish in club history, the GSTC men finished 19th overall in the event's biggest and most competitive year with fifty scoring teams and 410 finishers.  The group finished with 501 points, just 61 points out of 15th.    Results can be found here.

 

In 2011 they were 15th, and 20th in 2012.  However, the A-Team's effort on Saturday enabled the club to revenge earlier losses to rival clubs at the national championships: West Valley TC (2012), New Balance Boston (2012), Seattle Running Club (2011), Bowerman Athletic Club (2011), and Central Park TC (2011).

 

Johnson ran a careful race, going out conservatively and passing dozens of runners in the final 5k.  However, he did fall twice, possibly costing him a top-seventy finish.  Ken Goglas was the team's #2 finisher, as he also opened up his first few miles slowly, mindful of the elevation and the over-ambitious tendencies of the race.  He crossed at 98th, just a few strides behind Hansons-Brooks #6 man, Riley Jacobs.

 

Two Connecticut natives-turned NJ residents, Will Griffin and Chris Croff, finished 3-4, respectively.  Despite finishing with the same time, they ran nearly antithetical races.  Griffin  (119th) went out slow and worked his way up, as Croff was in the top 40 for the first 2k loop, fading hard in the final four circuits to 121st.

 

Rowan teammates Stephen Mennitt and Eric DuBois also finished with the identical time, with Mennitt holding off the hard-kicking DuBois for the photo-finish win as the team's #5 man.  Finishing 169th and 170th, they were both just one second behind Nike's sub-4:00 miler, German Fernandez.

 

Princeton Enclave Co-Captain Mike Fonder was 200th place, and South Enclave product Paul Matuszak finished a disappointing 377th, as he suffered numerous falls through the 10k race.

 

Had every athlete executed a perfect racing plan, the group could have scored as high as 15th in the stacked open men's race.  That said, the race will be held at Lehigh next year, a much faster, more convenient course for the G-Club. 

 

Ogletree Cracks Top 100 as Women Are 21st

The GSTC women finished 21st out of 34 teams, taking down one team- the Impala Racing Team, an EDC from San Francisco- that beat them in 2012.  Plagued by injury and last-minute family emergencies, the group finished just 17 points shy of 20th and 21 points behind 19th—yet 190 points behind California's Asics Aggies, in 18th.

 

Cheyenne Ogletree ran a crafty race up front, utilizing the final two of three circuits to pass numerous gassed runners to crack the top 100 with a 98th place of 276 finishers.  Interestingly enough, her boyfriend Goglas finished in the same place- 98th.  If we were smart, we'd give you the mathematical chances of that happening.  It probably involves multiplying a "coefficient" and doing a "permutation."

 

Alyssa Douma, just like last year, was the team's #2 finisher at 168th place.  Like the many others who ran good races, she went out slow, passing many in the final stages of the race who were in oxygen debt from going out too hard in elevation.  Just twenty spots behind her, in 188th place, was Erika Meling, the Central Enclave Captain, and teammate Sarah Schillaci also ran a strong race, good for 215th overall.


Due to the course being short, in elevation, and incredibly challenging, times are almost meaningless.  Thus, we are reporting only place, not time, for all GSTC athletes.

 

The team's #5 and #6 runners, Danielle Czohla and Erin Higgins respectively, finished just three seconds apart, thanks to a strong kick by Czohla on the final stretch.  They finished 220th and 224th of the 276 women field. 

 

The women defeated twelve other teams, thirteen including their b team.  Women team results can be found here.

 

Men's B Team: 38th of 50

The men's b team ran very well, handing twelve other teams, including the GSTC C Team, a defeat.  Leading the way was Kyle Price,  captain of the Mohawk Enclave, who was the group's surprise #1 man as he finished in 218th out of 410 finishers.  Next was the always reliable South Enclave Captain Adin Mickle at 240th, followed by Will Appman and Mike Anis who finished 279-280.  Ashwin Anantharaman rounded out the team's scoring with a distant 300th place.  They finished with 1,119 points, beating teams such as Team Nebraska and Atlanta Track Club.

 

Men's C Team: 42nd out of 50 

Perhaps the finest team effort of the day was by the C Team, as they defeated eight other teams scoring 1,211 points.  Josh Neyhart saved his finest race for the end, coming in at 244th as the group's top man and 10th overall finisher for the club.   Joe Zeoli was the #2 man at 273rd, with teammate Matt Eder just three seconds and three places behind him in 276thTed Doyle finished in 304th place, and David Fett closed out the team's scoring with a 330th finish--still beating 80 runners.

 

Women's B Team: 34th of 34

The women's b team struggled, as they finished last overall in the race.  The group was led by Lindsey Carney and Kristin Cupido, who finished stride for stride in 231st and 232nd, respectively.  Rounding out the team's top five were Meghan DeCarlo (242nd), Karen Auteri (248th), and Alexis Patrick (259th). 

 

 

Team Runs

None


GSTC TRIVIA

In 2011, where did the GSTC rent their team van for the national cross country championships in Seattle?

A-   A-Alamo

B-   B-Rent a Wreck

C-   C-Avis

D-   D- Enterprise

E-    E-Hertz


President's Award

We thank Mike Anis, Alyssa Douma, Ken Goglas, and Paul Matuszak for driving our team mini-vans over the scariest mountains west of the Mississippi River.  The team is very grateful for your efforts in helping the team travel safely throughout the rugged West Coast terrain of Oregon.


Steady Striders

By Amy Denholtz

This Saturday, Dec. 21, the steady striders will run one more race to close out 2013, the Super Santa 5k in Morristown, an RRCA-NJ Grand Prix race organized by Superhero Racing (http://www.superheroracing.com/super-santa.html). Please email Amy, at adenholtz@gmail.com, if you are registered or planning on running it, or to ask any questions. All GSTC members are invited to race, the more the merrier!


TEAM STUFF

Saturday Night, 1/18: GSTC Banquet @ Rutgers University

Sunday Morning, 2/23: Road Relays  www.roadrelays.org

Buy team gear here------->  http://phenetix.com/lab2/#top

Team website--------------->  www.gardenstatetc.org

Team Facebook Fan Page---->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/159501487397707/

Team Blog---------------> http://gardenstatetc.blogspot.com/

Team YouTube Channel---> http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenStateTC

 

 

 

Gold Star

By Ashwin Anantharaman

Ashwin hasn't submitted this at the time of publication.  There was very little hurry is his curry this week.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

"If the snow wasn't covering these road signs, it would probably say: 'Speed Limit: Good luck.'"  -Mike Fonder, during a very scary drive toward Bend that required forty minutes of driving through heavy snow, over a mountain of 2,000 feel elevation, where you could only just see snow and ice, not black pavement

 

"I've never gripped a steering wheel so tight."  -Ken Goglas, regarding the same trek

 

"Good to see you."  (Pause)  "We aren't dead."  -Mike Anis, upon arriving to Bend after the

 

"I've done a lot of scary drives, especially during winters when I was touring with my band.  That was, easily, one of the top five scariest drives I've ever done.  No wonder why the guy at the rental place was selling the **** out of the driving accessories."  -Paul Matuszak

 

"I've been sitting next to you for five minutes.  I'm a little offended that you haven't tried to hit on me yet."  -Alyssa Douma to Steve Mennitt on the plane

 

"Staches for naches."  -Josh Neyhart, responding to Alyssa's question about still having his mustache despite Movember being over.  We're curious, and hopeful, to see it finally go after nationals.

 

"Ha ha- you grabbed it to READ?"  -Kyle Price, not a huge academic, to his teammates when taking newspapers to dry out his shoes. 

 

"I wish the guy who designed the course was right here.  If he was, I would punch him right in the balls."  -a very elite USA athlete, to the GSTC during the nationals after party. 

 

"It was in our best interests to get out of there as soon as we could."  -Adin Mickle, regarding the 6:00am Sunday morning departure, considering the huge messes the club made all throughout the hotel property the night before.

 

"Normally, I would just say 'Be yourself', but in this case, I just had to tell him to stop talking."  -Adin Mickle, in airport, when talking about Ashwin's inability to talk with ladies during the afterparty

 

"When I am a dad, I want my kids to look at old pictures and say, 'Wow, dad was a f***ing badass with a mullet and a mustache.'"  -Paul Matuszak, explaining his ironic homeless look over the weekend

 

"Princeton airport gains another member while at the airport.  Now that's good recruiting!"  -Mike Fonder, via text.  Perhaps they'll now field a full team at the next team race?

 

"Well, I got two legs that can run."  -Trevor Green, head coach at Zenith Velocity, talking smash about the 4x800 over FB chat.  He's got another thing coming to him, as the 4x800 is not a 2x800 relay.

 

"One more meet before dad Paul and coaching is my whole existence."  -Paul Mongone, three time Big east silver medalist in the javelin.

 

"I have some pretty talented, fast, awesome teammates!  Congarts GardenStateTc on a phenomenal day at nationals!  So proud!"  -Robyn Evangelist via Twitter

 

 

Tim Morgan Award

First, Steve Mennitt forgets his phone in NJ, making it impossible to communicate with him throughout the weekend in Bend. 

 

Next, he is kicked out of the post-race party for popping balloons.  Popping balloons?  Who does that in a bar?

 

Finally, he leaves a bunch of clothes in the back of the van, forcing the GSTC cameraman to lug it all the way back home to NJ in his own bag.


Oh yeah, and Ashwin once again misses the weekly email deadline...

 

This Week in Training

OFF.  Enjoy some down time.  Let all those microinjuries, many that you don't even know you have, heal up.  Rest and relax.  It is helpful, both physically and mentally, to separate the fall and spring seasons with a period of down time for one to two weeks.

 

GSTC Trivia

ANSWER:  B- Rent a Wreck.  Are you really surprised?  The doors didn't even have padding or any type of interior…they were just simply cheap metal that made for some very cold transportation.  You can take a track club outta Jersey, but you can't...