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 | THE WEEKLY/MONTHLY EMAIL
Happy Spring! |
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| | Club Unveils Garden State Grand Prix
The club now has a unique racing schedule, grand prix, and website that houses all such information. The team's yearly banquet, in late January, is where members will receive awards for their performances on in the various categories of the intra-team competition.
See where you rank! And if we missed you...email us and let us know ASAP!
Results: Team Races
Road Relays VI Road Relays VI, the longest-standing tradition of the Garden State Track Club, went down last weekend around the hallowed roads of New Brunswick's Buccleuch Park last weekend. While not everyone looked as good as Will Parker and Maxine McInulty, many looked just fantastic. (Curious what's going on here? ( Learn about the British Bobbies here.)
All three course records were obliterated. The overall winners, Josh Neyhart and Alex Dlitz, averaged 4:46 pace; they steamrolled to an impressive 29:40 win. In the women's race, Liz Sweeney and Jenn Cronin crushed the field by over three minutes; they ran 35:30, for a 5:43 average. In the co-ed race, Kyle Price and Laura Quintana averaged 5:20 pace, finishing the third and final race in 33:08.
To the left are the married division winners; Steve and Cindy Warren won the category, passing a light saber and R2D2 stuffed animal.
Above, Charlie Groll wore his orange sunglasses and his Saturday night clubbing outfit.
Race director Tim Morgan did an excellent job, as the top three relays in all categories received batons for their efforts. There were also myriad gift certificates to local restaurants, as Morgan both gave them away as prizes and as random raffles.
Along with fast times and creative outfits, there were some fun team names, as well, including "Off Like a Prom Dress," "Scrambled Legs," and "Racy Clothing." Wanna guess which of these names accompanies the below pictures? Yeah, this is #RoadRelays!
Adrenaline 5k Many GSTC'ers came out for the second team race this year: the Adrenaline 5k in Haddonfield. One of them included Shannon McKenna, above, who ran her first club race in the black and gold uniform. She ran 20:28, good for 6th in her competitive age group.
Sean Donohue was the club's top finisher, as he finished 11th in 15:16. Just behind him were teammates Vincent Perozze (15:19), Tyler Melius (15:19), Ken Goglas (15:24), and Matt Lutcza (15:25); this top five all averaged sub-5:00 pace for their tour of South Jersey. At 15:39, Steve Rathbun set an all-time PR over the gently rolling course.
Adin Mickle, the South's strongest supporter pictured above, rolled in at 16:25, as Mark Parisen (16:56) also set an all-time best. Abel Bermudez (18:52) and Lee Mooney (22:01) also ran well in the #blackandgold.
On the women's side, Robin England totally crushed it! She ran an 18:05, her fastest since graduating college a few years ago. Just behind her were Jenn Cronin (18:14), Robyn Evangelist (18:35), Emi Perry (19:01), Meghan Bruce (19:15), Katie Castro (19:39), and Bri Teichmann (22:15)--an all-time best for her.
USATF-NJ 20k Piscataway- Lauren Jackson (on right) ran brilliantly in her club debut, resulting in a third place finish, helping the ladies to a 2nd place team finish. The formers Rutgers alum, who now teaches and coaches up in North Jersey, moved from 5th to 3rd in the final two miles to earn a spot in the prize money.
Karen Auteri(1:21:58), Aya Leitz (1:28:50), Pat Butcher (1:40:54), Lucinda Warren (1:56:14), and Prudence Jones (2:13:51) teamed up with Jackson for the silver medal team finish.
The men's 40's team finished third this weekend in the USATF-NJ 20k Championships. Nick Van Langen began 2016 right where he left off 2015, as he came in as the first runner in 1:19:22. Wesley Cole was next in 1:20:51, Steve Warren was #3 in 1:22:30, Matt Baker was 4th in 1:25:14, and Kenny Huryk closed out the scoring top five in 1:28:05. Other finishers included Karl Leitz (1:29:29), Peter Auteri (1:41:16), and Fran Beideman (1:52:48).
326 runners finished this year, versus 417 last year. The event has decreased in participation every year since its inception in 2012, when there were 461 finishers.
Upcoming Team Road Races
4/16: Asbury Park Half Marathon, 5k, & Relay (+Dark City Brewery) 5/1: Broad Street 10 Miler (+Frankfurt Tap; registration closed) 5/14: Newport 10,000 6/4: College Ave Mile (+Olive Branch) 6/13: President's Cup (+Charlie Brown's Parking Lot!)
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| | Other Team Results
Cole Breaks 3:00! Washington DC- Masters runner Wes Cole has been trying to break 3:00 for a long time. Well, last weekend, he finally did it at the DC Rock n' Roll Half Marathon. Finishing in 2:58:52, he was 28th out of 2,477 runners, yet even more impressive, 2nd in his 45-49 age group. Very awesome!
Schillaci, Weitz Lead GSTC in NYC A legion of GSTC runners competed in the NYC Half Marathon, including Sarah Schillaci (left) and Brian Weitz (right), who both had breakthrough races and personal bests of 1:23:52 (6:24 pace) and 1:18:33 (6:00 pace) respectfully. Also running a personal best was Will Parker, as the 47 year old finished in 1:23:35, or 6:23 pace. Six other GSTC'ers participated in the event: Joe Zeoli (1:20:18), Joe Singleton (1:20:31), Dov Gertzulin (1:21:52), Kristina Petillo (1:45:39), Eric Redden (1:58:26), and Melissa Hill (2:05:12). Newest club member Gary Leaman, superstar 56-year-old master, finished in 1:25:19. Karen Auteri ran a season-best 19:01 last weekend at the Run O' the Mill 5k. This says it all! After a strong indoor track season (above, right) Jackie Lemme ran a solid 1:28:25 at the New Bedford Half Marathon last weekend. Averaging 6:45 pace, she was the 24th female across the finish line!
Mennitt, Rome Win Races Lauren Rome won the FARC St. Paddy's 8k two weeks ago, sizzling a 31:10 PR to win this incredibly awesome gnome award! In the same area a week later, Steve Mennitt won the 2nd Annual Shamrock Shuffle in 16:33. Epps Defends TJ National Title For the second season in a row, Christina Epps won the USA National Title in the women's triple jump. The Morristown native was in last place after the first jump, and fouled the second jump. In danger of not making the final, she popped a 13.63m jump in her final attempt, putting her into second. After fouling the first jump in the final, she then landed a 14.05m and 13.82m jump--both good enough to take and maintain the lead. Although she raced only three times beforehand and qualified by just .02, Miki Barber once again stepped up big under the spotlight. In the first round on Friday, the crafty Monclair native had the third-fastest time with a 7.23 win of her heat. The next day, she was 8th in the semis, running 7.30 to snag the final qualifying spot. Hours later in the final, she hammered a 7.19, finishing 5th overall--and just .02 from the bronze medal. Carmen Graves finished 7th in the women's 3,000m final, running a huge personal best of 9:06.61. The steeplechaser, who qualified by .5 seconds on the final day of the qualifying window, ran a very tough, strategic race. Sitting on the lead pack for most of the race, the group began to kick with 600m to go, opening up a gap on her, but Graves was able to hold on for seventh- a huge performance and PR for her!
Toussaint, Gaines Go 7-8 in LJ Mariah Toussaint and Jessie Gaines both made the women's long jump final and finished 7th and 8th, respectfully. Toussaint, in her first meet wearing black and gold, leaped 6.22m (20-5) on her second jump, and that held up throughout the prelims and final. In 8th for most of the competition, Gaines saved her best for last, hitting 6.20m (20-4.25) in her final attempt. Later that day, Toussaint also cleared 5-8.75 to finish 11th in the high jump, whereas the day before, Gaines was 21st in the 60HH in 8.36.
Woodley Finishes 8th in TJ Ron Woodley came into the USA Championships seeded fourth, but suffered a mild hamstring strain during the prelims. He did make the final, but was only able to muster a 52-04.25 jump, good enough for 8th overall.
Maxwell 14th in LJ Elbert Maxwell capped his indoor season on a high note, as the Villanova grad finished 14th in the long jump. His best leap, 24-1.5, was just five inches out of 8th and making the final. World Championships Epps and Mozia Compete in Portland Christina Epps (Morristown) and Stephen Mozia (Hackensack) competed in the 2016 IAAF World Championships last weekend in Portland. Epps finished 10th in the triple jump (13.68m), while Mozia was 12th in the shot put (19.84m).
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SUNDAY TEAM RUNS
Start Time 9:00am | | | Yes! the Sunday team runs are always this fun!! |
This week- on Saturday 9:00am
Washington Crossing, River Drive, Titusville NJ 08560 (40.297285, -74.868206) |
Peter's Puzzler
Peter Bolgert is an esteemed member of the club who was on the DMR that won the club national title in 2013 for the aGSTC. A former Marquette standout in the steeplechase, he is now halfway through a PhD program in the plasma physics department at Princeton University. In hopes to raise the intellectual rigor to the club's weekly email, he designs weekly puzzlers to sharpen the wit, acumen, and intellect of the club...while wearing this onesey.
In a group of N randomly chosen people, there is a chance that two or more people in the group share a birthday. How large must N be so that the probability of a shared birthday is 50%? Feel free to neglect the existence of leap days.
The Anis Angle N is a letter, not a number. This puzzler is stupid.
Answer:
When N=23, the probability of a shared birthday in the group is 50.7% For a complete solution, e-mail me at peterspuzzler@gmail.com.
A Race to Consider, from our very own Don Weise
MAY 15, 2016 MRCC TRAILCONFERENCE 5K RACE & 3K WALK
9:00 a.m. Start Time Darlington Schoolhouse
600 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430 |
| | Kyle's Korner
This week on Kyle's Korner we spoke with the lovely Stephen Rathbun. A mixture of great hair, great personality, and great talent, he was a rapidly accepted addition to the club late last spring. Of course it helps when you pay your dues and get all your paperwork in order before you even email the Pres asking to join. He is a member of our distance crew and is making quite a reputation for himself with some strong PRs and an appearance with us at XC Club Nats this past fall. Here's your chance to get to know more than just the pretty face!
Stephen "Steve" Rathbun
Kyle: Hello Stephen and thank you for joining us! Mr. Rathbun: It is a pleasure! Thank you for having me to this prestigious platform! Kyle: Pleasure's all mine. Tell us about the big race you had this past weekend! Mr. Rathbun: It was a great event; from the strong competition to the free flavored beef jerky. In terms of the race specifically, though, I felt a bit gassed right from the start, but I knew the workouts I've had the past few weeks set me up for a strong race. The first mile I simply hung on to ken. We went through at 4:52, 4:53. I was pleased given I didn't feel all that great. I could feel my pace slipping a bit, but then I had Tyler and Matt in the GSTC black and yellow to keep me pushing. Went through the second mile around 9:58. I knew if I just hung on there I could run a quick time. Those two started pulling away; Tyler by the way had a nasty kick. With 1k to go I actually felt fairly strong. Watching the finishing video back I feel like I had a strong finish, despite the grimacing faces I naturally made haha. Those 200s Sean and I have been doing at the end of the workout came through. My last 200 was around 33-34 seconds. I was pleased. I came through the line in 15:38 with a nice pr. There were some good components and certainly some weaknesses to drawn on as this spring season progresses. It's truly been great to have guys on this team drag me along, push me, and help me hold myself accountable. Kyle: Sounds like a battle well won through hard fighting. How is starting your outdoor season with a big PR going to impact your training going forward? Mr. Rathbun: I think the structure will stay the same in terms of mileage and amount of quality workouts, but the main change will come in terms of expectations. When it comes to workouts I know I should be working out at bit higher level. If I can stay healthy then something like sub 15:20 is within the realm of possibility this season. I want to keep working within this structure as I have started to see serious progression, but, "let's step it up a level." Kyle: Will we mainly see you racing 5Ks? Mr. Rathbun: Yes. I'm really "vibing" the distance right now. Hah. I will give a go at a 10k or two prior to Newport. However, I will keep the training in the 5k/10k vicinity with the end of this phase being the New Jersey half at the beginning of May. I will race mostly 5k with a dash of longer events here and there. As my dad always says, "Let's shake things up a bit." Kyle: Lets do just that now. How did you come to join the club? Mr. Rathbun: Well when I moved down to the Jerz from Connecticut I knew I wanted to join a club. I truly missed the camaraderie I shared with my college club team at Syracuse. So I simply did a Goglas search, whoops I mean Google search, and GSTC was the best looking club. Side note that has certainly held true, definitely the best looking club. This was in April/May-ish. I put off contacting Chuck for a couple weeks; it's intimidating joining a running club for a multitude of reasons. Finally I contacted Chuck, asked him to run with the team at President's Cup, paid my dues, and it was official! I couldn't have asked for a warmer welcome from the team.
Kyle: Or a better event to kick off getting to know us at! Anything you still miss about your Conn Club Team or have we filled your void completely? Mr. Rathbun: It is true. The event was fun and competitive; it was a blast. I didn't have a club team in Connecticut, and that makes training tougher for sure. In terms of a comparison to the club team I was part of in Syracuse, GSTC matches and surpasses. Much more competitive, many more characters for entertainment, and jersey lends itself towards being a surprisingly great place to train. I'm excited for another summer of early summer racing followed by the legendary Wednesday towpath runs with post-run adventures in The Dirty Bruns! Kyle: Looks like we need to break into Connecticut. When did you first decide running was going to be your thing? Mr. Rathbun: I was always very competitive with baseball, basketball, and soccer. Playing into high school, I never truly considered running. My two best friends were runners, and when I missed the basketball team they urged me to do indoor track. I opted for wrestling though, and during that season I broke my right elbow, more importantly the elbow on my throwing arm. That was the end of my baseball career; I ran track that spring. I was a stellar 400 runner (a pr of 69.9 in 10th grade haha). Despite lacking natural talent in the sport I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy the idea you decide how much you progress in this sport. No one can decide for you, you aren't good enough. It comes down to how hard and smart you can train. Also is there a crazier and more fun group of people than runners? That was the cherry on top!
Kyle: Clearly your lesson was well self taught looking at your success now! Tell us some of your best running moments in college. Mr. Rathbun: I have three short stories. The accomplishment I'm most proud of in college is starting the running club at SU. Growing the team from 1 to 100+ in my three years was a challenging but rewarding experience. Secondly in my sophomore year I tried out for the varsity team. I trained all spring and summer for the try out. I had to run 9:20 for two mile. Long story short, I ran the first mile in 4:40, the second mile 5:00. It really was a heartbreaking experience, missing out on a dream I had always had since I was a little kid watching the Syracuse basketball games in the Carrier Dome. In the end though it was a blessing in disguise. I was able to grow the SU running club, gain lifelong friends, and it helped put a lot of things into perspective for me. The last story is the first time I broke 16 min for a 5k during the fall of my junior year. That training cycle taught me about my body's limits and what smart training could and should look like, as I pushed myself too hard after the pr and dealt an with IT band injury the remainder of the fall. However, I remember crossing that finish line being uncertain if the time was 15:59 or 16:00. I remember the emotion was the results were posted, feeling the weight of all the miles, workouts, and sacrifices that went into achieving that goal. It's amazing what something so simple as 1 second can truly mean.
Kyle: I have the good fortune to know what that emotion feels like. Those are three great highlights indeed. Whats the next great highlight you're chasing? Mr. Rathbun: Hmmm...I am enjoying the process of it all right now. We will see how this season progresses. If I can get in the 15 teens this season, you bet your butt I've got my eyes set on a sub 15min 5k. Also every year in July I run the Utica Boilermaker, a massive 15k in upstate New York. This year the goal is sub 50 minutes, after a 51 flat last year that left something to be desired. Kyle: We wish you the best of luck! RANDOM QUESTION! What is the Rathbun special when it comes to workouts?
Mr. Rathbun: Thank you! I want it to be known, I couldn't have had that aspiration of it wasn't for this club! I do love me some 400 repeats at say 3k pace. That goes back to my high school days. A bit different structure now, but I love 16-20 by 400 with 1 min rest. I also won't turn down 5-8x1k at 10k pace with 4x200 "fast" to cap it off!
Kyle: Wonderful entrees! Well that's all the time we have for this week. Thank you for speaking with us!
Mr. Rathbun: Haha they do make for a delightful meal. Thank you, Kyle! Kyle: Tune in next week to see who we interview!
2015 aGSTC HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
Paid Your 2016 Dues Yet? Please do so. It keeps the lights on!
FROM OUR COACHING STAFF
INTERESTED IN TRACK WORKOUTS?
We have organized team track workouts every Monday and wednesday night at Highland Park HS from 5:30-7:30. Come out and have some fun with us, regardless of your age, pace, or workout. The more energy out there the better!
This Scarf's For You Award presented to the club member who goes above and beyond the call of duty...anything to keep Tyrone Ross salivating for one of his own.
This week's metaphorical scarf goes to Lee Mooney. He played an essential role during the Adrenaline 5k race, helping us manage our team roster beforehand. Thanks again to Lee for all his help last weekend down in the Great South!
Newest Members Just like this company needs drivers, we need new members!
This week, we welcome a handful of new members: Yasmine Givehchi, from East Brunswick who runs 10:00 miles and just recently graduated from Rutgers; Amy Joannou, who runs a similar pace, is rejoining after a few years and is excited to get back into it; Gary Leaman, one of NJ's best masters runners who age grades at 90% nearly every race; Megan Venables, a former Villanova standout who will be moving to Rutgers in the fall for graduate school; Christian Clarke, a sprinter currently attending Seton Hall; Ciro Pacio, a 74:00 half marathoner living in Jersey City!
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Club UnveilsGarden State Grand PrixThe club now has a unique racing schedule, grand prix, and website that houses all such information. The team's yearly banquet, in late January, is where members will receive awards for their performances on in the various categories of the intra-team competition.See where you rank! And if we missed you...email us and let us know ASAP!Results: Team RacesRoad Relays VI
Road Relays VI, the longest-standing tradition of the Garden State Track Club, went down last weekend around the hallowed roads of New Brunswick's Buccleuch Park last weekend. While not everyone looked as good as Will Parker and Maxine McInulty, many looked just fantastic. (Curious what's going on here? (Learn about the British Bobbies here.)
All three course records were obliterated. The overall winners, Josh Neyhart and Alex Dlitz, averaged 4:46 pace; they steamrolled to an impressive 29:40 win. In the women's race, Liz Sweeney and Jenn Cronin crushed the field by over three minutes; they ran 35:30, for a 5:43 average. In the co-ed race, Kyle Price and Laura Quintana averaged 5:20 pace, finishing the third and final race in 33:08.
To the left are the married division winners; Steve and Cindy Warren won the category, passing a light saber and R2D2 stuffed animal.Above, Charlie Groll wore his orange sunglasses and his Saturday night clubbing outfit.Race director Tim Morgan did an excellent job, as the top three relays in all categories received batons for their efforts. There were also myriad gift certificates to local restaurants, as Morgan both gave them away as prizes and as random raffles.Along with fast times and creative outfits, there were some fun team names, as well, including "Off Like a Prom Dress," "Scrambled Legs," and "Racy Clothing." Wanna guess which of these names accompanies the below pictures? Yeah, this is #RoadRelays!Results here.Pictures here.Videos here.Adrenaline 5k
Many GSTC'ers came out for the second team race this year: the Adrenaline 5k in Haddonfield. One of them included Shannon McKenna, above, who ran her first club race in the black and gold uniform. She ran 20:28, good for 6th in her competitive age group.Sean Donohue was the club's top finisher, as he finished 11th in 15:16. Just behind him were teammates Vincent Perozze (15:19), Tyler Melius (15:19), Ken Goglas (15:24), and Matt Lutcza (15:25); this top five all averaged sub-5:00 pace for their tour of South Jersey. At 15:39, Steve Rathbun set an all-time PR over the gently rolling course.Adin Mickle, the South's strongest supporter pictured above, rolled in at 16:25, as Mark Parisen (16:56) also set an all-time best. Abel Bermudez (18:52) and Lee Mooney (22:01) also ran well in the #blackandgold.On the women's side, Robin England totally crushed it! She ran an 18:05, her fastest since graduating college a few years ago. Just behind her were Jenn Cronin (18:14), Robyn Evangelist (18:35), Emi Perry (19:01), Meghan Bruce (19:15), Katie Castro (19:39), and Bri Teichmann (22:15)--an all-time best for her.USATF-NJ 20kPiscataway- Lauren Jackson (on right) ran brilliantly in her club debut, resulting in a third place finish, helping the ladies to a 2nd place team finish. The formers Rutgers alum, who now teaches and coaches up in North Jersey, moved from 5th to 3rd in the final two miles to earn a spot in the prize money.Karen Auteri(1:21:58), Aya Leitz (1:28:50), Pat Butcher (1:40:54), Lucinda Warren (1:56:14), and Prudence Jones (2:13:51) teamed up with Jackson for the silver medal team finish.The men's 40's team finished third this weekend in the USATF-NJ 20k Championships. Nick Van Langen began 2016 right where he left off 2015, as he came in as the first runner in 1:19:22. Wesley Cole was next in 1:20:51, Steve Warren was #3 in 1:22:30, Matt Baker was 4th in 1:25:14, and Kenny Huryk closed out the scoring top five in 1:28:05. Other finishers included Karl Leitz (1:29:29), Peter Auteri (1:41:16), and Fran Beideman (1:52:48).326 runners finished this year, versus 417 last year. The event has decreased in participation every year since its inception in 2012, when there were 461 finishers.Upcoming Team Road Racesemail gardenstatetrackclub@gmail.com about which ones you're doing!4/16: Asbury Park Half Marathon, 5k, & Relay (+Dark City Brewery)5/1: Broad Street 10 Miler (+Frankfurt Tap; registration closed)5/14: Newport 10,0006/4: College Ave Mile (+Olive Branch)6/13: President's Cup (+Charlie Brown's Parking Lot!)
Washington DC- Masters runner Wes Cole has been trying to break 3:00 for a long time. Well, last weekend, he finally did it at the DC Rock n' Roll Half Marathon. Finishing in 2:58:52, he was 28th out of 2,477 runners, yet even more impressive, 2nd in his 45-49 age group. Very awesome!Schillaci, Weitz Lead GSTC in NYC
A legion of GSTC runners competed in the NYC Half Marathon, including Sarah Schillaci (left) and Brian Weitz (right), who both had breakthrough races and personal bests of 1:23:52 (6:24 pace) and 1:18:33 (6:00 pace) respectfully. Also running a personal best was Will Parker, as the 47 year old finished in 1:23:35, or 6:23 pace.Six other GSTC'ers participated in the event: Joe Zeoli (1:20:18), Joe Singleton (1:20:31), Dov Gertzulin (1:21:52), Kristina Petillo (1:45:39), Eric Redden (1:58:26), and Melissa Hill (2:05:12).Newest club member Gary Leaman, superstar 56-year-old master, finished in 1:25:19.Auteri Runs 19:01 5kKaren Auteri ran a season-best 19:01 last weekend at the Run O' the Mill 5k.Lemme Drops a 1:28 HM
This says it all! After a strong indoor track season (above, right) Jackie Lemme ran a solid 1:28:25 at the New Bedford Half Marathon last weekend. Averaging 6:45 pace, she was the 24th female across the finish line!Mennitt, Rome Win RacesLauren Rome won the FARC St. Paddy's 8k two weeks ago, sizzling a 31:10 PR to win this incredibly awesome gnome award! In the same area a week later, Steve Mennitt won the 2nd Annual Shamrock Shuffle in 16:33.USA IndoorChampionshipsEpps Defends TJ National TitleFor the second season in a row, Christina Epps won the USA National Title in the women's triple jump. The Morristown native was in last place after the first jump, and fouled the second jump. In danger of not making the final, she popped a 13.63m jump in her final attempt, putting her into second. After fouling the first jump in the final, she then landed a 14.05m and 13.82m jump--both good enough to take and maintain the lead.Barber 5th in 60m DashAlthough she raced only three times beforehand and qualified by just .02, Miki Barber once again stepped up big under the spotlight.In the first round on Friday, the crafty Monclair native had the third-fastest time with a 7.23 win of her heat. The next day, she was 8th in the semis, running 7.30 to snag the final qualifying spot. Hours later in the final, she hammered a 7.19, finishing 5th overall--and just .02 from the bronze medal.Graves 7th in 3,000m
Carmen Graves finished 7th in the women's 3,000m final, running a huge personal best of 9:06.61. The steeplechaser, who qualified by .5 seconds on the final day of the qualifying window, ran a very tough, strategic race. Sitting on the lead pack for most of the race, the group began to kick with 600m to go, opening up a gap on her, but Graves was able to hold on for seventh- a huge performance and PR for her!Toussaint, Gaines Go 7-8 in LJ
Mariah Toussaint and Jessie Gaines both made the women's long jump final and finished 7th and 8th, respectfully. Toussaint, in her first meet wearing black and gold, leaped 6.22m (20-5) on her second jump, and that held up throughout the prelims and final. In 8th for most of the competition, Gaines saved her best for last, hitting 6.20m (20-4.25) in her final attempt. Later that day, Toussaint also cleared 5-8.75 to finish 11th in the high jump, whereas the day before, Gaines was 21st in the 60HH in 8.36.Woodley Finishes 8th in TJRon Woodley came into the USA Championships seeded fourth, but suffered a mild hamstring strain during the prelims. He did make the final, but was only able to muster a 52-04.25 jump, good enough for 8th overall.Maxwell 14th in LJElbert Maxwell capped his indoor season on a high note, as the Villanova grad finished 14th in the long jump. His best leap, 24-1.5, was just five inches out of 8th and making the final.World ChampionshipsEpps and Mozia Compete in PortlandChristina Epps (Morristown) and Stephen Mozia (Hackensack) competed in the 2016 IAAF World Championships last weekend in Portland. Epps finished 10th in the triple jump (13.68m), while Mozia was 12th in the shot put (19.84m).
Kyle: Hello Stephen and thank you for joining us!Mr. Rathbun: It is a pleasure! Thank you for having me to this prestigious platform!Kyle: Pleasure's all mine. Tell us about the big race you had this past weekend!Mr. Rathbun: It was a great event; from the strong competition to the free flavored beef jerky. In terms of the race specifically, though, I felt a bit gassed right from the start, but I knew the workouts I've had the past few weeks set me up for a strong race. The first mile I simply hung on to ken. We went through at 4:52, 4:53. I was pleased given I didn't feel all that great. I could feel my pace slipping a bit, but then I had Tyler and Matt in the GSTC black and yellow to keep me pushing. Went through the second mile around 9:58. I knew if I just hung on there I could run a quick time. Those two started pulling away; Tyler by the way had a nasty kick. With 1k to go I actually felt fairly strong. Watching the finishing video back I feel like I had a strong finish, despite the grimacing faces I naturally made haha. Those 200s Sean and I have been doing at the end of the workout came through. My last 200 was around 33-34 seconds. I was pleased. I came through the line in 15:38 with a nice pr. There were some good components and certainly some weaknesses to drawn on as this spring season progresses. It's truly been great to have guys on this team drag me along, push me, and help me hold myself accountable.Kyle: Sounds like a battle well won through hard fighting. How is starting your outdoor season with a big PR going to impact your training going forward?Mr. Rathbun: I think the structure will stay the same in terms of mileage and amount of quality workouts, but the main change will come in terms of expectations. When it comes to workouts I know I should be working out at bit higher level. If I can stay healthy then something like sub 15:20 is within the realm of possibility this season. I want to keep working within this structure as I have started to see serious progression, but, "let's step it up a level."Kyle: Will we mainly see you racing 5Ks?Mr. Rathbun: Yes. I'm really "vibing" the distance right now. Hah. I will give a go at a 10k or two prior to Newport. However, I will keep the training in the 5k/10k vicinity with the end of this phase being the New Jersey half at the beginning of May. I will race mostly 5k with a dash of longer events here and there. As my dad always says, "Let's shake things up a bit."Kyle: Lets do just that now. How did you come to join the club?Mr. Rathbun: Well when I moved down to the Jerz from Connecticut I knew I wanted to join a club. I truly missed the camaraderie I shared with my college club team at Syracuse. So I simply did a Goglas search, whoops I mean Google search, and GSTC was the best looking club. Side note that has certainly held true, definitely the best looking club. This was in April/May-ish. I put off contacting Chuck for a couple weeks; it's intimidating joining a running club for a multitude of reasons. Finally I contacted Chuck, asked him to run with the team at President's Cup, paid my dues, and it was official! I couldn't have asked for a warmer welcome from the team.Kyle: Or a better event to kick off getting to know us at! Anything you still miss about your Conn Club Team or have we filled your void completely?Mr. Rathbun: It is true. The event was fun and competitive; it was a blast. I didn't have a club team in Connecticut, and that makes training tougher for sure. In terms of a comparison to the club team I was part of in Syracuse, GSTC matches and surpasses. Much more competitive, many more characters for entertainment, and jersey lends itself towards being a surprisingly great place to train.I'm excited for another summer of early summer racing followed by the legendary Wednesday towpath runs with post-run adventures in The Dirty Bruns!Kyle: Looks like we need to break into Connecticut. When did you first decide running was going to be your thing?Mr. Rathbun: I was always very competitive with baseball, basketball, and soccer.Playing into high school, I never truly considered running. My two best friends were runners, and when I missed the basketball team they urged me to do indoor track. I opted for wrestling though, and during that season I broke my right elbow, more importantly the elbow on my throwing arm. That was the end of my baseball career; I ran track that spring. I was a stellar 400 runner (a pr of 69.9 in 10th grade haha). Despite lacking natural talent in the sport I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy the idea you decide how much you progress in this sport. No one can decide for you, you aren't good enough. It comes down to how hard and smart you can train. Also is there a crazier and more fun group of people than runners? That was the cherry on top!Kyle: Clearly your lesson was well self taught looking at your success now! Tell us some of your best running moments in college.Mr. Rathbun: I have three short stories. The accomplishment I'm most proud of in college is starting the running club at SU. Growing the team from 1 to 100+ in my three years was a challenging but rewarding experience. Secondly in my sophomore year I tried out for the varsity team. I trained all spring and summer for the try out. I had to run 9:20 for two mile. Long story short, I ran the first mile in 4:40, the second mile 5:00. It really was a heartbreaking experience, missing out on a dream I had always had since I was a little kid watching the Syracuse basketball games in the Carrier Dome. In the end though it was a blessing in disguise. I was able to grow the SU running club, gain lifelong friends, and it helped put a lot of things into perspective for me. The last story is the first time I broke 16 min for a 5k during the fall of my junior year. That training cycle taught me about my body's limits and what smart training could and should look like, as I pushed myself too hard after the pr and dealt an with IT band injury the remainder of the fall. However, I remember crossing that finish line being uncertain if the time was 15:59 or 16:00. I remember the emotion was the results were posted, feeling the weight of all the miles, workouts, and sacrifices that went into achieving that goal. It's amazing what something so simple as 1 second can truly mean.
This week's metaphorical scarf goes to Lee Mooney. He played an essential role during the Adrenaline 5k race, helping us manage our team roster beforehand. Thanks again to Lee for all his help last weekend down in the Great South!Newest Members
Just like this company needs drivers, we need new members!This week, we welcome a handful of new members: Yasmine Givehchi, from East Brunswick who runs 10:00 miles and just recently graduated from Rutgers; Amy Joannou, who runs a similar pace, is rejoining after a few years and is excited to get back into it; Gary Leaman, one of NJ's best masters runners who age grades at 90% nearly every race; Megan Venables, a former Villanova standout who will be moving to Rutgers in the fall for graduate school; Christian Clarke, a sprinter currently attending Seton Hall; Ciro Pacio, a 74:00 half marathoner living in Jersey City!
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