(7/29-8/4): The GSTC Summer Grocery List

Call To Action: The Fall Season Is Close

Okay, so seriously...it's almost August.  Which means it's almost September.  Which means it's almost time to start rocking the black and gold once again.  If you have one, that is.  

Here's your GSTC Summer Grocery List:

1.  Mark your calendars for the team races (see schedule below)!  These are open to all members, fast or slow, and it's just the best times for everyone to see each other.  We open up at the Belmar Chase 5k on August 10th.  There is a team competition for MOST TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATING, and the winning team gets some sweet goodies.  Please please sign up HERE and be sure to put in GSTC in th "Coupon Code" box.

2.  Get your uniform. They take 4-6 weeks, so hop on it ASAP!

3.  LIKE our Facebook page.  After three years of posting some of Facebook's most thrilling pictures ("Here we are running around inc circles...again!")

4.  Sign up for USATF.  Yeah, you need to for team competitions.  It's quick and easy.  Make sure you indicate your affiliation with the GSTC, team #385!

5.  Become an official 2013 GSTC member.  Even quicker and easier!

6.  Get your boo-tay to a team run!  See schedule below.

7.  Recruit a friend, fast or slow.  Spread the love baby!

This Week's Team Runs 

Tuesday   6:00 @ Buccleuch Park (New Brunswick: Erika: emeling816@gmail.com)

Tuesday   6:00 @ Holmdel Park (Beach Enclave: Ken  Kenneth.m.walsh@gmail.com)

Tuesday    7:30 AM @ Garrett Mountain (North Enclave: Alyssa - alyssadouma@gmail.com)

Wednesday 6:00 @ Pt Boro HS: 6pm workout with Coach Greer (Beach Enclave: Ken  Kenneth.m.walsh@gmail.com)

Wednesday  6:15 @ Morristown Running Company (Mo-Town Enclave: Woody  twkongsamut@gmail.com)

Wednesday   6:00 @ Canal Path by off Washington Road (Princeton Enclave: Mike michael.fonder@gmail.com)

Wednesday:  6:30 PM @ Overpeck Park Ampitheater, Ridgefield Park NJ w/Food Truck Festival after!!! (robbob13@hotmail.com)

Thursday  6:00 @ Buccleuch Park (New Brunswick: Erika: emeling816@gmail.com)

Thursday 6:30 PM @ Garrett Mountain (North Enclave--Rob robbob13@hotmail.com)

Friday 5:30 PM @ Canal Path off Washington Road (email Peter at peter.bolgert@gmail.com)

Saturday  9:00am @ Morristown Running Company (Mo-Town Enclave: Woody  twkongsamut@gmail.com)

Saturday  10:00 @ Highland Park HS- Steady Striders!  See blurb below.

Sunday team run at Duke Farms 8:30am- address 80 U.S. 206  Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844.  A very cool place with some interesting history: www.dukefarms.org.  A pool party to follow!!!!

GSTC Personal Training Tip of the Week

by Erika Meling

Having a strong core is essential for runners. It can help prevent muscular related injuries, keep good running form, and better your race performances. The Superman targets the entire back, which is an important part of the core and a common injury-prone area for runners.

Want to read more and see her demonstrate via video?  Cha cha check it out here.

Steady Striders

by Amy Denholtz

This weekend our steady striders have a track practice, lead by GSTC founder and head coach Chuck Schneekloth.  We will meet at the Highland Park High School at 10am on Saturday, Aug. 3rd.  The address for the HPHS is 102 North Fifth Avenue, Highland Park.  Parking is available behind the school by the track.  Please RSVP to Amy at adenholtz@gmail.com so I have an idea of who to expect.

Wir Haben Results

Despite the summer being a real lull in racing, we got a few things.  First, congratulations to Erika Meling and Karen Auteri, who swept the top two spots in the "Running with the Bulloons" 5k Sunday morning.  Erika ran 19:19, averaging 6:13 pace, while Karen finished in 19:52 at 6:23 pace over some cross country type trails. 

Next up, TJ and Jill Zablocki competed in the "24 Hours Around the Lake" in Wakefield, MA.  Opting to do the twelve hour option from 7pm to 7am, the challenge is to complete as many 3.17-mile laps as possible in the twelve hour time period.  125 runners evidently signed up for this madness!

Anyway, Jill finished 19 laps (61.11 miles, for those without calculators)....good for first women and second overall.  For her Herculean efforts, she nabbed $500.  Husband TJ completed 17 laps, for 54.77 miles.  After shrugging off a sick-spell with a short nap, he clinched the third male finisher, claiming $100 in prize money.

Meet #chasepack

We've had captains for our racing group and our beginner group, organizing and empowering our members in the front of the pack...and in the back.  But what about everyone in between, the folks who run IN the pack, who ARE the pack, who seem to always be chasing everyone else, who aren't in the front or the back, but rather...smack dab in the middle of every race?  Now we have a group for them, the #chasepack, with captains Brianne Teichmann and Woody Kongsamut, leading the charge.  Want to say hi and introduce yourself?  Email at twkongsamut@gmail.com and bteichmann@gmail.com....they'd love to hear from ya!

Gold Star

by Ashwin "The Galloping Indian" Anantharaman

Chris Croff

Chris is a star runner who agreed to join GSTC on conditions that are different than any other runner ever. Known for his trademark polo shirt he runs races in, he decided that he will only join if Chuck buys him a GSTC polo shirt. The polo shirt obviously must match our compression shorts or as he calls them "booty shorts". His pre race ritual consists of going to the bathroom to get the nerves out of his system before he goes to work. His goal is to post fast enough times to impress GSTC's own Ryan Grote. He has prs of 14:46 5k, 30:26 10k, and 69:36 HM. Outside of running he enjoys Magic the Gathering so he can "smash nerds on their own turf." 

Aysha Mirza

Aysha joined GSTC after a group effort of many of our members like Cathy Stutzman, Rob DeCarlo, Karen Auteri and of course old man Chuck. Impressed by our recent victory at USATF Club Nationals, Aysha knew that we were the real deal and decided to join. Before races Aysha has to have her nails done. She has a specific design for races but is changing it up for the marathon she plans to run. She also enjoys a nice bowl of pasta the night before and day of the race. The day of the race she also eats a peanut butter powerbar along with water. Her prs are 5k:2012, 1600:542, 800:236. Her goals include breaking or getting back to her PRs, to compete at nationals, and to make sure GSTC goes to the Adidas Grand Prix meet so she can watch her boy Nick Symmonds. She might be one of the smartest people on the team as she earned a certificate in Stem Cell Biology while pursuing my MBS at UMDNJ, and a dual degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience/Psychology from Rutgers University. She is a huge fan of the Big Bang Theory!!!!!She hopes to go to Med School in the near future. Right now she is a full time model who hopes to get into acting as well. 

A Message From A GSTC Pole Vaulter

by Elvis Cole

Hello Garden State Track family!

Hope you're all having a great SUMMER, congratulations on our TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP!

I'd just like to share with you a health and fitness platform that was introduced to me a few weeks ago. It's called the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge, the #1 weight loss and fitness program in North America.
This company is helping fight against obesity, reduce illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure and getting people in AMAZING shape.

I know we all train hard year round but sometimes our nutrition can take a back seat to our busy lifestyle. There is an easy and simple solution to help us stay on track and prepare for another CHAMPIONSHIP year. We're all role-models to friends, family and our athletes so by taking the 90 
Day Challenge we can help motivate others to live a healthier lifestyle. Lastly, as a track community we can help families in need through the 90 Day Challenge.

The website where you can get more information: Overview.vi.com

If you're interested in the Challenge please visit my website and fill out the contact form on the right hand side:Coachcole.bodybyvi.com

"Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity".

GSTC Fall Racing Schedule

8/10 Belmar Chase 5k @ Belmar (team beach outing afterward!!)

9/1 Jimmy D 5k @ New Brunswick (open women only)

9/22  Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon @ Jersey City
10/20 USATF-NJ XC 5K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)
10/27 USATF-NJ XC 8K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)

11/10  Giralda Farms 10k @ Madison (masters women only)
11/28 Ashenfelter 8K @ Glen Ridge

12/7 USATF Cross Country Club National Champions @ Bend, Oregon

Quotes of the Week

by Ben Dover

"Got an email from some nerd...something about a nerd star."  -Chris Croff, via text, regarding Ashwin's email Gold Star request 

"Get to the point already!"  -masters runner Jeremy Stratton, after team Sunday run, about the pains of reading the weekly email.  With age comes patience....right?

"Btw, we found our wedding venue and selected a date that won't conflict with the College Ave Mile :)"  -Amy Denholtz, via email

"GSTC needs to open up a shoe shore or some other type of retail store.  Then we can lure guys to NJ by giving them cushy jobs in the store."  -Peter Bolgert, via email.  

This Week in Training

Not much new for this week.  We are still building the basics right now, but you should be getting pretty close to full volume around this week.  Again, if you're not sure what full volume should look like for you, shoot me an e-mail with some basic info, like what kind of pace you typically run, what kind of running you've done in the past year, what you've done in the last few weeks, and what you're thinking of doing.  We can come up with something pretty quick.

So we're pretty much going to repeat last week's pattern.  Keep the fartlek pretty comfortable - you can add challenge to the run by keeping the recovery intervals at an honest pace, rather than by making the pickups faster.  Don't forget the strides and hill sprints!

M - comfortable run + hill sprints

T - light fartlek (pickups of 1:00-1:30 on 5:00 cycle)

W - medium run (75% long run)

Th - super easy 40-60 mins

F - comfortable run + strides

Sat - same as Monday

Sun - long run

(7/22-7/28): Team Runs and Team Tips!

GSTC's Belmar Chase Sign Up

Here's the deal.  We want to win the Team Competition, which means we need to be the club with the most runners signed up.  It's August 10th, down the beach, so what else is there to do?  So here's how it works.....

Sign up HERE.  In the final page, just before you pay, there is a box that states "Coupon Code."  Your coupon code is GSTC.  If our team brings the most runners, you will get $10 credited back to your account.  And we will also be offered the many goodies we discussed last week, ie suite for sixty team members at the Diamond League Grand Prix Meet in NYC, etc.  Team beach outing afterward! Hay-ohhhhh!

This Week's Team Runs 

Tuesday   6:00 @ Buccleuch Park (New Brunswick: Erika: emeling816@gmail.com)

Tuesday   6:00 @ Holmdel Park (Beach Enclave: Ken  Kenneth.m.walsh@gmail.com)

Tuesday    7:30 AM @ Garrett Mountain (North Enclave: Alyssa - alyssadouma@gmail.com)

Wednesday 6:00 @ Pt Boro HS: 6pm workout with Coach Greer (Beach Enclave: Ken  Kenneth.m.walsh@gmail.com)

Wednesday  6:15 @ Morristown Running Company (Mo-Town Enclave: Woody  twkongsamut@gmail.com)

Wednesday   6:00 @ Canal Path by off Washington Road (Princeton Enclave: Mike michael.fonder@gmail.com)

Thursday  6:00 @ Buccleuch Park (New Brunswick: Erika: emeling816@gmail.com)

Thursday 7:30 AM @ Garrett Mountain (North Enclave — Rob  robbob13@hotmail.com)
Thursday 6:30 PM @ Saddle River Park (North Enclave--Rob robbob13@hotmail.com)

Friday 7:00 AM @ Columbia Trail (Sarah - sarah.schillaci@gmail.com)

Saturday  9:00am @ Morristown Running Company (Mo-Town Enclave: Woody  twkongsamut@gmail.com)

Saturday  10:15 @ Donaldson Park in Highland Park (see Steady Striders below for more information)

SUNDAY TEAM RUN AT MANASQUAN RESERVOIR 8:30 FOLLOWED BY BEACH AND HASKELL RACE TRACK AT MONMOUTH PARK

*****address: 311 Windeler Road  Howell, NJ*******  

NEW: GSTC Personal Training Blog

No matter your size, age, or ability, there are many ways to become a better runner other than just running.  Starting this week, our four personal training experts, Alyssa Douma, Erika Meling, Steve Mennitt, and Mark Parisen, will have a "Personal Training Tip of the Week" and post this in the weekly email and on their blog HERE.  They are all licensed personal trainers available for individual sessions or to answer a question you may have.  Contact them at gstcpersonaltraining@gmail.com.

Today's Tip of the Week comes from Alyssa, who talks about single leg squats.  Check out the pictures, an explanation, and the importance of them on the blog here.  

Committee Members Needed

Last week during the GSTC Board Meeting, the group agreed to make an open invitation to any and all GSTC members interested in getting more involved.  Currently, we have two committees we are actively seeking members: Events Committee and Outreach Committee.  The former helps the club plan for events like the Road Relays, January team fundraiser/awards night, and College Ave Mile; the latter helps the club connect with and/or build relationships with other organizations like high schools, Girls on the Run, etc.  We would love your help, and your resume would love the extra line of leadership and volunteer experience....shoot us an email back if interested!

Steady Striders/Couch to 5k

The steady striders and couch to 5k group members will meet to run at Donaldson Park, in Highland Park, on Saturday, July 27th at 10:15am 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.  Email Amy at adenholtz@gmail.com with any questions or to RSVP.  The following week, onAugust 3rd, the group will have a track practice with GSTC Founder and Coach Chuck Schneekloth.  Members are encouraged to run the Belmar Chase 5k the weekend after, on August 10th.

GSTC Fall Racing Schedule

8/10 Belmar Chase 5k @ Belmar (team beach outing afterward!!)

9/1 Jimmy D 5k @ New Brunswick (open women only)

9/22  Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon @ Jersey City
10/20 USATF-NJ XC 5K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)
10/27 USATF-NJ XC 8K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)

11/10  Giralda Farms 10k @ Madison (masters women only)
11/28 Ashenfelter 8K @ Glen Ridge

12/7 USATF Cross Country Club National Champions @ Bend, Oregon

Quotes of the Week

"So when do the perks of my position kick in? I'm looking to pay off my student loan and possibly buy a house or two?"  -Mark Parisen, via text, two days after becoming a GSTC Board Member, representing the sprint group.  He clearly is still a very young man with lots to learn.

"Hey!  My dad is a librarian!"  -Dan Teichmann, in response to chatter about the "sexy librarian" look

Results

Not a whole lotta people are racing right now, but Prudence Jones, dubbed "The PR Machine" by College Ave Mile announcer Jeff Perrella is...back at it again.  This time, she ran a 7:33 mile PR in the Mass Ave Mile in Cambridge, breaking her former PR of 7:50 at the CAM.  7th out of 28 in her age group, Dr. Jones is looking ready for a great fall season.

Finally, the only other result comes from another master's woman, Sandi Kaspszyk.  Last week, she ran an all-time PR for 5k....20:19 in a race in Allentown, PA.  Wow!

 

This Week in Training
GSTC Women's Training Plan
If anyone would like help planning a personalized training plan for the fall USATF-NJ races, or if you'd like to join the same training plan that the GSTC Elite women are on, please contact GSTC Women's Distance Coach Rob DeCarlo (robbob13@hotmail.com) for information. This plan is open to all, regardless of experience or ability, and can be catered to fit your needs!

GSTC Marathon Training
Fall marathon training is underway, with GSTC members planning for races from August through November - including Unicorn (yes, Unicorn), Wineglass, Chicago, NY & Philly! If anyone needs guidance with their current plan, or would like a customized training plan (or some combination thereof), please contact GSTC Marathon Coach Rob DeCarlo (robbob13@hotmail.com) and let him know which race, your goal time, and any pertinent information that might help!

GSTC Men's Distance Plan- email Chris at cjtafelski@yahoo.com with clarifying questions

A few questions for you to ask yourself this week:

1) how much running should I be doing?

2) am I running at the right pace?

These are really basic questions, but they're important if you want to get fit and stay healthy.  This past week was a great example of why you can use those pace charts (Daniels, McMillan, etc) some of the time, and throw them out the window some of the time.  The important thing is that you learn to run on feel.  Most of your running these days should be comfortable - you should be able to hold a conversation most of the way.  If you want to up the tempo over the last few miles, that's OK, but you don't want to go faster than your threshold pace.  If you have questions about what your T pace is, e-mail me and we'll figure it out.

So again, if you feel ready to build some more mileage, go for it.  If not, keep it the same.  Coming off last week, you'll probably feel pretty good this week.  The same effort will be much faster - that's fine.  

Keep the hill sprints going - again, no more than 8 seconds of all-out running on the steepest hill you can find, and take at least 2 minutes in between.  Do 6-8 reps or until you feel your form coming apart.  A change from last week - do these BEFORE your run.  I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the quality of the reps and the quallity of the run that follows.  

M - comfortable run + hill sprints

T - light fartlek (pickups of 1:00-1:30 on 5:00 cycle)

W - medium run (75% long run)

Th - super easy 40-60 mins

F - comfortable run + strides

Sat - same as Monday

Sun - long run

Enjoy the cooler temps!

(7/15-7/21): Featuring The Belmar Chase 5k

Team Race #1: Belmar Chase 5k

The GSTC's first team race will be on Saturday, August 10.  It's a little early to start racing, but it's all about participation, you'll find out, not performance.  Here's a quick run-down as to why we are all-hands-on-deck for this one.  

The race is promoting club running, something that NO race do anymore.  That said, we want to win this competition for most members participating!  "The USATF registered club with the largest number of finishers at this year's Belmar Chase will get the unique opportunity to host a party for its membership (up to 60 people) in a hospitality suite at the 2014 adidas Grand Prix in New York City on June 14th. Televised around the world in more than 100 countries, the adidas Grand Prix features the world best runners, jumpers and throwers in a made-for-television, spectator-friendly format. If your club wins, your membership will receive complimentary stadium entry, catered food, bar service and the opportunity to meet and interact with some of adidas' top Olympic stars at the end of the event. Tyson Gay and David Rudisha are just two adidas sponsored stars that have competed there this past year."  This is very awesome.

In addition to getting a discount on entries, race management is helping the GSTC vs CPTC race become part of a very big venue, the Shore Coaches Cross Country Invitational, and will offer support to landing a sponsor this summer.  Very few organizations, besides our friends at the New Jersey Marathon, have offered to support our club so much, thus......we will be supporting them in full gold and black force!

TEAM RUNS

Monday:   6:00 Princeton Enclave (little parking lot on washington rd by the xc course): peter.bolgert@gmail.com or michael.fonder@gmail.com

Tuesday:  7:30am North Enclave (Garett Mountain); 6:30pm Saddle Brook: robbob13@hotmail.com

Wednesday:  6:00 Central Jersey Enclave (Buccleuch Park parking lot near bathrooms): emeling816@gmail.com   

          *********Board Meeting at Mike's Courtside in NB after Wednesday run: all members welcome***************

Thursday:  6:30pm 7:30am North Enclave (Garett Mountain); 6:30pm Saddle Brook: robbob13@hotmail.com

                   6:00 Central Jersey Enclave (Buccleuch Park parking lot near bathrooms): emeling816@gmail.com

Saturday:  9:00am Morristown Enclave (Morristown Running Company): twkongsamut@gmail.com

Sunday:   9:00am South Enclave (Wissahickon Park): adin.mickle@gmail.com, paulma2zak@gmail.com

                or

                8:00am North Enclave (Packanack Lake in Wayne. Meet at Packanack Lake Elementary School--190 Oakwood Drive, Wayne, NJ): karenmarie47@yahoo.com.  BBQ and pool to follow at Karen's house.  

Gold Star by Ashwin Anantharaman

Gary Anolik

Gary joined GSTC after team Auteri(Karen and Peter) told him about the benefits of joining us and obviously about being the coolest team in nation. Gary wants to train to go faster and further but according to him everyone goes faster and further than him. No doubt that with everyone pushing him, he will be able to go faster and further in no time. Before races he decided not to really think about the race but rather talk with friends. Outside of running he likes to write track and field articles. Welcome to the team Gary!

Katie Simon

After running for 6 years Katie decided she needed people to run with and here we are today. She saw how fun and competitive our club could be so she decided to join. She holds PRs of  3 hours 3 Mins in the marathon, 17:33 in the 5k, 29:07 in the 8k, and 82:45 for the half marathon. Before races she likes to in this order shower, breakfast, warm up and race. Her immediate goal right now is to break 3 hours in the Philly Marathon in November. She enjoys hiking and looks forward to exploring places with the pup in Princeton. Welcome to the team Katie!

Quotes of the Week

"only on the GSTC can a guy get his picture in a national running magazine and then get torn to shreds by his teammates."-Steve Bonica, via FB, after Alyssa Douma posted attached picture on GSTC group page....yet the picture received more jokes than praise.

"That's awesome! Off to locate the nearest 7-11!"  -Greta Sieve, via Facebook post, regarding free slurpies at 7-11 on 7-11-13.  Looks like we found the cryptonite of the miles machine from Minnesota...SLURPIES!!!  

"Funny. I didn't get an email from USATF NJ when gstc won the men's team national title, but I get two on consecutive days about Shore AC masters athletes. This one lives in Brooklyn. Wtf?"  -Steve Bonica, via email, regarding the two USATF-NJ press releases this weekend.  To set the record straight, new USATF-NJ guy Mike Karr, who we like a lot, was not behind these emails.  It was allegedly Andy Martin.  Either way, couldn't agree with Steve more--you can't e-blast thousands of people on back-to-back days about the old folks nationals but ignore the youth nationals and open nationals.  

"Some consider winning who gets to the finish first, I consider winning who has the cutest outfit .."  -Chris Heibell, via Facebook, in defense of numerous attacks on his yellow-on-yellow uniform selection

"I may suck but I suck legally."  -Rob DeCarlo, via Facebook post, regarding the Tyson Gay failed drug test.  We're pretty sure this is a coincidence that the majority of the quotes of the week were Bonica/DeCarlo......unless the dead rivalry is awakening this summer? 

"I thought you were more of a nerd...I was wrong.  You are just part nerd."  -Chris Croff, via text.  (Uhhh...thanks?)

"I can fill ya wit real millionaire sh**/Escargot, my car go, one sixty- swiftly/Wreck it buy a new one/ Your crew run run run, your crew run run."  -Biggie Smalls, Hypnotize

Couch to 5k/Steady Striders by Amy Denholtz

This week the steady striders will meet on Saturday, July 20th, at 9am, in Roosevelt Park in Edison, NJ.  Our group will meet in near Roosevelt Lake, in the parking lot off Roosevelt Drive off of Parsonage Road (from Rt. 1, take Parsonage Rd and turn left into the park, after Menlo Park Mall, and meet in the first parking lot on the right side).  Information about Roosevelt Park is available athttp://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/parksrecreation/roosevelt.asp and a park map is available at http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/parksrecreation/Roosevelt%20Park%20map.pdf.  Please email Amy with any questions or to RSVP, at adenholtz@gmail.com.

This Week in Training by Chris Tafelski

These next few weeks of "base training" is the time for you to take care of the basics.  We don't want to just focus on mileage, although it is an important part.  It is also time to train your core, strengthen the hips, work on flexibility.  It's also a time to work on top-end speed.  That's why we do the hill sprints twice a week all year.  It' starts now.  These should be 100% effort of 8 seconds max, with very long recovery - 2-3 mins, with the focus on your running form.  You want to finish the set or stop when you feel your mechanics breaking down.  If you start fatiguing and your form falls apart, you're done.  You don't want to practice bad habits.

So this week is another unstructured week, but you want to make sure it has all the ingredients: 1) mileage (about 50% more than last week - so if you did 30 you can move up to 45), 2) long run on the weekend, and medium run of about 75% long run in the middle of the week, 3) hill sprints on the steepest hill you can find (or you can do in-and-out 150s instead) 4) core training, and  5) flexibility work.  Check out Jay Johnson's lunge matrix and Phil Wharton's leg routine.  You can find both of these on Youtube.

Run all of your runs on feel.  It's going to be HOT this week so make sure you're prepared!

Important Links by Seymour Butz

GSTC Blog.  Read all past weekly emails here.

GSTC Registration.  Make it official here.

GSTC Gear.  Look good baby!

GSTC Facebook Page.  Like it baby!

GSTC YouTube Channel.  29,103 views in all videos.  Let's hit 30k baby!

(7/8-7/14): Summer Begins!

What is this email I get every Sunday?

It's called 'The Weekly Email' by most members, or sometimes 'The Email' by others, or, to some, perhaps more accurately, 'Spam.'  It is the central form of communication of the Garden State Track Club; the goal is to inform all members of team results, upcoming meetings, new members, team runs, etc.  It started in December of 2010, and since May 16, 2011, every single weekly email has been also sent to the team blog, found here.  It has evolved into a collaboration between numerous club members writing different sections.  The goal is to be sent out Sunday evening; however, sometimes the GSTC media disappoints and sends it out Monday.  If it isn't out by Tuesday, please call 911 and make a missing person claim.

Do you have a result we should publish?  Would you like to help us write a part of the weekly email?  Please tell us...we wold love either.  

 

What is the GSTC?

Many new members ask this question, and it's really quite hard to answer.  For team veterans, they may say a cross between a cult and a pyramid scheme.  But that's just not true!  We only do moon chanting once a week, and to advance in the club, you only need to recruit three people to get the payout from the team pharaoh in your assigned 'gifting circle.'    

Okay seriously, the GSTC is NJ's biggest running/track club that supports runners and track athletes of all ages and all abilities.  We have a reputation of being only for fast and young people, but...that's just not accurate.  We have members of all ages and all abilities, and we love having the diversity.  Yeah, we won the USATF national title last week, but we also have our Steady Strider group that's comprised of beginning runners who run just a few miles at a time.  

Since we are a state-wide network of really awesome healthy people, we have regional groups, or 'training enclaves' with captains of each.  These include the Central Jersey Enclave (Erika Meling), South Enclave (Adin Mickle, Paul Matuszak), Beach Enclave (Ken Walsh), Morristown Enclave (Woody Kongsamut), North Enclave (Rob DeCarlo), and the Princeton Enclave (Ashwin Anantharaman, Peter Bolgert, Mike Fonder).  Email your nearest enclave captain and see when they meet!

Not an official GSTC member for 2013 yet?  Just fill out this form here so you're on da books!

Need some official GSTC gear?  Get some!

GSTC Fall Racing Schedule Announced

8/10 Belmar Chase 5k @ Belmar (team beach outing afterward!!)

9/1 Jimmy D 5k @ New Brunswick (open women only)

9/22  Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon @ Jersey City
10/20 USATF-NJ XC 5K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)
10/27 USATF-NJ XC 8K @ Deer Path Park (Flemington)

11/10  Giralda Farms 10k @ Madison (masters women only)
11/28 Ashenfelter 8K @ Glen Ridge

12/7 USATF Cross Country Club National Champions @ Bend, Oregon

Board Meeting 

Wednesday, July 17th.  Time and location TBD.  The more the merrier!

Our only team run this week is Wednesday, 6:15, at the Morristown Running Company.  Check the Facebook Enclave Pages for smaller meetups, as things will start cranking up next week.

Quote of the Week by Oliver Klozzoff

"Just went through my emails and got the bulletin about the big win. I still can't fully explain why it still overwhelms me with joy, having only competed with this team twice and only met a good handful of you, but I want to issue the most sincere thanks I can to all of you. Just reading the bulletin brought peace to a very stressful past few days. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of something so wonderful, and showing me a side of competition I can't I've ever felt with any other team. I hope to see you all again someday!"  -Sacred Heart hammer thrower Matt Wagner, via FB post on GSTC track and field group page.

Tim Morgan Award by the TMA International Selection Committee, LLC.

Kyle Price calls Saturday night, panicked and worried, breathing quite heavily for a lazy summer Saturday evening.  Unfortunately, someone thought the Board Meeting was Saturday night at 6:00pm, left work early, drove quite fast to make it on time.  The meeting was Sunday night at 6:00pm though.....d'oh!

Steady Striders and Couch to 5k by Amy Denholtz
Hopefully everyone enjoyed a wonderful July 4th holiday!  At 9am this Saturday, July 13th, the steady striders and couch to 5k runners will meet at the North Brunswick Community Park, located on Rt. 130 (heading south, the entrance is shortly after Adams Lane).  The park website is available at http://www.northbrunswicknj.gov/DPRCS/parks_North_Brunswick_Community_Park.html and a map is also available at 

http://www.northbrunswicknj.gov/parks_map_2006.pdf (see the largest green block - labeled 17 - for the North Brunswick Community Park).  The group will run along the 2.17 mile loop - all paces and distances welcome!  Please email Amy, at adenholtz@gmail.com, with any questions or to RSVP.

This Week in Training  by Chris Tafelski (cjtafelskI@yahoo.com)

Time to start thinking about getting back into it.  The first week is very much on feel.  As you work your way back into it, pay attention to little aches and pains that are par for the course when you're returning to regular running.  Take care of them and listen to your body.  You want to return to the work without setting yourself back.

The goal for the next few weeks is to gradually build back up to full volume over a few weeks.  Exactly how many weeks is up to you, and it depends on how much running you have done, and what your goals are.  If you don't plan to increase mileage, then you may be able to get back up to full volume in as little as 3-4 weeks.  If you are running a lot and plan to bump it up, it may be more like 6 weeks.If you have questions, ask.

So get in 5-6 runs this week of at least 30 minutes, and include a long run that is 20-25% of the week's mileage.  Don't worry about pace.  Add in some comfortable strides toward the end of the week.

Most importantly, enjoy the easy weeks and the less structured part of the cycle.  There's plenty of time to pound out the work later!

(7/1-7/7): Yes, It Really Happened: GSTC Wins USATF National Championship

Board Meetings This Week

Wednesday, 7:30, Morristown Running Company in Morristown. (ordering pizza!)

Sunday, 6:00, Mike's Courtside in New Brunswick. (ordering dinner!)

We don't meet much, but when we do, you know it's gotta be important.  All GSTC members are welcome to attend and partake in our team's decision-making process.

Oh, and team run this Sunday at Columbia Trail at 8:30.  Team runs will be a bit scarce in July as folks are on vacation, taking some time off between seasons, etc.  Email Karen at karenmarie47@yahoo.com for more information.  The address is 24 Schooleys Mountain Road, Long Valley.

Okay, on to the real news.......

GSTC Wins USATF National Championship

Relays Put on Magic Show as Team Racks Up Meet Record Point Total

Randall's Island, NYC- After two days and nineteen individual events, the USATF Club National Track and Field Championships had just five relays remaining.  And, if the crowd at Icahn Stadium wasn't convinced who the best team was by then, the relays sure showed which team wanted it the most.

In perhaps the greatest display of teamwork and synergy all weekend, the Garden State Track Club won four of the final five relays by a combined time of 1.02 seconds, as the Distance Medley, Sprint Medley, 4x800, and 4x400 all were won by gold uniforms on finish line leans.  These four victories helped the club stockpile 277 points, a record number in meet history, outdistancing the three-time defending champions, Central Park Track Club (CPTC), who tallied just 150.

It was a classic David vs Goliath storyline, as CPTC (1972) and Shore AC (1934) have been mainstays in the sport for generations, dwarfing the relatively fledgling life of the GSTC (2010).  Despite the lack of history, membership, and money when compared to their two primary rivals, this didn't stop the upstart blue-collar club from New Jersey to top the sixty other clubs from across the country that entered athletes.

This is the first national title for the GSTC, who finished 7th at this meet in 2011.  The Gold was down 15-7 after the first event, the hammer throw, but then took the lead for good after event two, the javelin.  Matt Tholis, Brian Florek, Tyler Yee, Patrick Mulrooney, and Dillon Rodgers went 1-2-4-6-7 respectively in that event, as only the GSTC triple jumpers dominated an event more over the weekend, as Isaiah Harris, Myles Hartsfield, Steve D'Aiutolo, Steve Brown, and David Njoku went 1-2-3-4-8.  Overall, there were fifty-two athletes who contributed points to the team's final score, also a meet record.

 number of total point scorers

Individually, the GSTC had five national champions:  Tholis in the javelin (213-8), Stephen Mozia in the shot (60-7), Lutalo Boyce in the long jump (24-8), Isaiah Harris in the triple jump (49-7), and Montez Blair in the high jump (7-3).  All five marks were club records, and Blair's leap was a meet record.  But again, it was the relays that stole the show in the meet's final hour.      

In the 4x800 relay, Mike Saparito set the tone for the relays as he stormed into the lead after the first leg, blowing past the CPTC lead-off who earlier beat him in the open 800m.  From there, training partners Kyle Price and Ricky Garcia kept the relay close, but anchor Tony Harris got the baton 20m behind in second.  After a hard opening 100m, he closed the gap, sat on the orange CPTC jersey for  another 400m, and then took the lead with 300m to go.  The two anchors of the cross-river rivals battled the entire final stretch, with Harris winning with a gutsy final 50m push.  See it right here, and watch their interview on RunnersSpace here.  The margin of victory here, a mere .49 seconds, was the largest margin out of the four wins.

In the sprint medley, Julius Frederick, Chris Turner, and George Erazo put together three sprint legs that put anchor Jared Hanko a step behind the leader, Norfolk Real Deal TC from Virginia.  However, the NRD anchor set a blistering pace in the first 700m, leaving Hanko several seconds behind.  As he tied up in the final 100m, Hanko surged, resulting in a stride-for-stride battle with NRD diving across the finish line in futility, as Hanko had crossed just .18 before him.  Watch their race here, and their post-race interview here.

The GSTC won the distance medley by .10, an unusually close race for the 2.5 mile distance.  Peter Bolgert handed off in 2nd after a strong 1200m leg, Mike Brito opened up a huge lead in the 400m leg, but the Kansas City Smoke and CPTC closed the gap and ran up on half miler Mark Parisen on the relay's third leg.  Anchor Chris Heibell, who pulled off a huge upset in the 1500 a day earlier with his silver medal, ran yet another tactically perfect race.  With two teams stalking him from behind, he pulled the group through a fast opening 400m, 61 seconds.  He then settled in and continued to control the race for the next 1000m, whereas CPTC dropped off but Kansas City had moved to the lead.  Heibell remained patient and covered the move, making his final push to the finish line with 50m to go.  His win capped off, arguably, his biggest weekend in black and gold.  See the entire race unfold here, along with the post-race interview here,

The meet's final event, the 4x400 relay, was equally as exciting, as the GSTC battled CPTC the entire race.  Ali Ejaz handed off in second, but teammate Demetrius Rooks stormed back and pushed the gold back to the front.  Tyrone Ross, the founding father of the GSTC Sprint Group, held onto the lead, handing off a touch in front of the orange jersey.  Anchor Selasi Lumax let CPTC take the lead, coasting behind him for the first 300m.  On the final stretch, Lumax put on a huge surge, ran up on CPTC's shoulder, and for a fourth time in the meet's final hour, a GSTC relay battled for gold in the final 50m.  The half miler from Franklin prevailed, making a final push in the final 20m that brought the GSTC fans to their feet for one final time, victoriously holding up the baton upon crossing the finish line.  Watch this incredible race here, and the interviews here.      

Several athletes won prestigious USATF National Championship medals for finishing in the top three.  Those included Mozia (2nd/discus), Ken Goglas (2nd/5k), Myles Hartsfield (2nd/triple jump), Brian Florek (2nd/javelin),  Nafee Harris (2nd/long jump), Peter Bolgert (3rd/steeple), Chris Heibell (2nd/1500m), Eugene Asimou (3rd/shot), Steve D'Aiutolo (3rd/ triple jump), and Mike Fonder (3rd/10k).  Just as impressive were the small group who scored in two individual events: Goglas (steeple/5k), Mozia (shot/discus), Harris (HJ/TJ), Eric Masington (shot/discus), Paul Matuszak (10k/5k), and special props goes to John Wlasuk- who scored in the shot, discus, and hammer--an incredibly impressive accomplishment at the national level.

Oh wait, one more thing.  Dan Teichmann got DQed in the 5k racewalk, joining the prestigious ranks of Tim Morgan to get the red paddle of doom in this event.  That said, one of his new-found friends from Shore AC did give him two CDs on how to racewalk, so perhaps Mr. Teichmann will come back next year hungry....to simply finish the race.

Post meet article here, and meet preview article here.

Women Finish 5th at Nationals

4x800, DMR, Ogletree, Czohla, Peacock, Douglas Medal for WIG

Randall's Island- In an equally impressive display of effort, the women finished 5th at the USATF Club National Track and Field Championships this weekend.  To put this achievement in perspective, the men debuted at this meet in 2011 in 7th place.  Two years later, they won it all.

 Shauntierah Douglas and Jena Peacock recorded the highest finishes for the Women in Gold, as they both earned silver medals.  Douglas finished second in the javelin with a 47.61m toss, while Peacock finished the 3,000m steeplechase in 11:49.76.  Cheyenne Ogletree ran an very tough 10k and finished in 36:39.70 for the bronze, as Danielle Czohla snagged bronze in the 3k steeple with her 11:53.27 effort.  

Alyssa Douma impressively medaled in the 800m and 1500m just hours apart, finishing 5th in both the 800m (2:16.17) and 1500m (4:50.43).  The only other WIG who pulled off such a feat was Erin LaCosta, who scored both in the 400IH (7th/68.98) and high jump (7th/1.54m).  Also picking up individual points were Erika Meling in the 5k (8th/18:33.01) and Allyson 

In the relays, both the 4x800 and Distance Medley medaled in third place.  Douma, Chelsea Callan, Czohla, and Ogletree were on the former relay, with Ogletree running an incredible 2:13 anchor leg while fighting Club Northwest (Seattle, WA) on the final stretch.  The latter relayed was comprised of Meling, Douma (yes, Douma ran four events!), Callan, and Allie Dublinski anchored in the mile.  Their respective times of 12:51.33 and 9:26.08

 are both outdoor club records.

The GSTC men (1st) and women (5th) combined to score 336 points, second only behind Central Park TC's 366.5.

Don't believe how awesome we did?  Check the results here.  Peep all race videos on the GSTC youtube channel here (races aren't labeled yet....sorry).

Quotes of the Week

"I hope for many more meets with you guys in the future. I love being in a team environment, and you have a great group of guys I'd love to be teammates with."  -adidas-sponsored long jumper Nafee Harris, via text, who finished 2nd in the LJ this weekend for the GSTC.  His PR is 26-2....for those that don't know, that is a serious jump--and this text is a serious compliment.  

"I never guessed in a 100 years that I would be asked to compete with another team, and it would be a truly awesome experience, even if my performances weren't exactly what I wanted them to be.  I was only with you guys for two meets, and that was enough not only to observe some amazing talent, but genuinely amazing people who were welcoming beyond recognition.  I'm gonna do my best to get back on a solid training regiment throughout the coming year, and hopefully i'll be able to come back out and bring my a-game to GSTC!"  -Sacred Heart hammer thrower Matt Wagner, via text, two days after the national championships. 

"Thanks I appreciate the opportunity.  I'll be ready to help with next year's repeat."  -multi-talented thrower John Wlasuk, via text, days after the meet.

"I saw.  Jealous of it lol.  Congrats on the win...You can count me in for next year!"  -ESU 6-8 high jumper Will Berry, via text.  He wasn't able to make it this year, but look out in 2014...

"Proud to be a part of a national championship team.  You guys are a great group to be around.  I' looking forward to next season as well."  -Ellis Gaulden, 7-2 high jumper from UConn, who came out of three year's retirement to jump for the Gold this year, lacing 6th in 6-8.  He's got that itch again...

"Great job yesterday, saw you smashed the competition...I'll be right back to respresenting black and gold and contributing not only for the glory but for the grit in the months prior.  Getting back in shape is priority #1 ad highland park will hopefully be a second home soon."  -Aaron Lucas, former club record holder in the high jump at 7-0, via text.  He couldn't compete this year due to injury, but if he and Berry hop in next year, the GSTC will have seven jumpers entered over 7-0.  Yikes.

"Congrats on the win today!"  -Joe Ryan, Manhattan College sprints coach, via text.  When a guy like this who coaches Olympians on the side is noticing, you know you're doing something right.

"Just tell me what to do and I'm your guy."  -David Hightower, stud high hurdler from Rider, via text.  He finished 5th in a very fast field.

"Alrightttt I always refrain from making long sappy track statuses but today I don't care! I can't believe how many freezing and boiling hot practices we had out here this year. I'm so grateful for every second of every one of them. I will never forget using all my will power just to walk to the creeper van every monday after classes turned me into a zombie...and then going back to my dorm feeling like an entirely new person. And calling my mom to tell her how much I love track. Lolol. But it wouldn't be nearly as fun without our awesome teammates who love it just as much. You all did fantastic over the past two days and year, I look up to all of you and I'm extremely proud to be part of GSTC:)"  -Erin LaCosta, via Facebook post.  She opened the year with a 68 second 400, and finished it with a 68 second 400....with hurdles.  Yeah, she had a heck of a season.

"just want to put it out there that the time difference between us and the 2nd place teams in the 4x8, SMR, DMR, and 4x4 added up all together only comes out to 1.02 seconds. We win in EPIC fashion."  -Jared Hanko, via Facebook post.  His SMR anchor was maybe one of the most exciting come-from-behind wins of the entire meet. 

"If this doesn't warrant a TMA, I don't know what does."  -Peter Bolgert, via text, after asking for shorts Thursday night, and then....unable to find his uniform Friday. 

"if those guys can ride to the top of a mountain, then I can get up and put my pants on."  -Peter Bolgert, regarding the Tour de France, while awaking at Goglas' house.   While these two are hanging out without pants on is a question we are wondering, as well.

"I'm even more excited about Club XC Nationals now, and it's still more than 6 months away! This is an awesome team, because so many of you are awesome people. So remember, how much this means to all of us. This expression of our spirit through sport and competition. I can't wait to see who else joins us as we grow and compete! I've got a ton of fight left in me, and I'll go down swinging for this club."  -Mike Anis, Facebook post.   This was about 1/15 of it, so we just cut out our favorite sentences.

"I heard this program was a great one from my coach, and I will text you right now."  -Teaneck HS grad Eric Greaves, via email.  The GSTC loves 2:03/50 second 400/800 guys no doubt.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh yall won....great."  -Trevor Green, Zenith Velocity coach, via text.  

"Congrats on Club Champs.  Good to see NJ represented so well."  -Rich Kenah, 2000 Olympian, 1997 Bronze Medalist at World Championships, 1:43 800m PR, via email.  Maybe the fastest guy we'll ever get an email from!  

"I know track season just ended...Yes GSTC National Champions!...Anyone who wants to lift or run "sprinting, distance, 5k's" let me know. I am going to be putting in serious work this summer. Winter season can't come soon enough!"  -Sean Kelly, GSTC sprinter, via Facebook post.  

Tim Morgan Award

Shore AC:  First they enter a triple jumper who lives in Florida and doesn't show up, then they enter a half miler in three events who has run for NJ/NY Track Club all year, then they enter a long jumper who isn't even healthy and doesn't show up....the list goes on and on.  After the USATF forced the half miler to change back to his original club affiliation, it's safe to say this is a TMA, especially after the triple jumper's agent told us on Saturday, "What?  Shore AC entered him in the meet?  He was never going to come here, and we didn't know about this.  He lives in Florida!"

USATF:  After four GSTC athletes competed at the regional meet two weeks ago, and after all four of these athletes drove to the meet this weekend, the USATF claimed they couldn't compete due to a quite ambiguous "Rule 4" provision.  After a thirty minute discussion, we were luckily able to convince them this Rule 4 business is about as clear as a Mike Anis anecdote, and thankfully they recanted.  Don't get us wrong- we are all for rules and following them- but after they competed two weeks prior at a USATF championship meet, after we paid for their entry, and after they traveled to the meet....it's probably not an appropriate time to start breaking out some obscure rule with vague wording.        

Peter Bolgert:  On Thursday night, the PhD candidate at Princeton has a major crisis about shorts and requests that WE get him a pair.  A day later, he "turned his room upside down and can't find his uniform."  Luckily he didn't leave his speed at home as well!

Steady Striders and Couch to 5k
This weekend the steady striders welcomed two new runners into the group - Sapna and Colleen.  The group ran 3 miles in Tatum Park on Saturday and another 3 miles in Colonial park on Sunday.  While no official group run is planned for the July 4th holiday weekend, the steady striders will be running together the following weekend.

GOLD STAR by Ashwin Anantharamn

Tom Visicaro 

Tom joined GSTC a few weeks ago as he wanted to find a team that would challenge him to be a better runner as he is currently coming out of retirement after not running in college.. I think it is pretty safe to say that he has found the right team. His prs include 5k:1654, Mile: 448, 3200: 1010 and ran his first marathon in 2 hours 57 minutes and 24 seconds. His pre race rituals include the usual warmup, stretch and strides but why change it if it has worked so far. Although he wants to get better with every race he has the ultimate goal of running sub six minute pace for the half marathon. His hobbies outside of running include photography, hiking, swimming and enjoying the outdoors. 

Allyson Guieb 

 Allyson  joined GSTC just for the summer because and currently runs for Seton Hall University. She is friends with everyones favorite race walker Dan Teichmann. He has been trying to get her to join for like a year because she took a year off of track when she went to college but then decided she really missed it and started running for my university. she finally met Chuck this year at a track meet and decided to train for the summer with GSTC. She doesn't have any crazy pre race rituals, just the typical runner of carb loading, getting sleep, and stretching a lot because she hurdles. Her pr for 400 hurdles is 70.2 and for the 400 with her fastest 4x4 split of 61.2.Her goals are just to stay consistent with my times this year since shes's just getting back into racing after taking a year off. Outside of running she loves going to the beach but a lot of her time is spent working and volunteering at a nursing home.