Thursday, November 10, 2016

Women Go 1-2 at 5k; Daniels Keynote Speaker on 2/4




THE CLUB EMAIL

Yes, it's that time of the month...
 
Daniels Keynote Speaker at GSTC's 2016 Banquet
 Feb. 4th Banquet Tickets On Sale Now
Dr. Jack Daniels, called "America's best running coach" by Runner's World, will be the keynote speaker at the club's 2016 banquet on February 4th in New Brunswick.  Currently slated to be held at the New Brunswick Elks, the club is looking into various other larger venues in case tickets sell out at the medium-sized Elks hall.

Tickets are on sale here, and the event is currently limited to the first one hundred fifty registrants.

This is the fifth year of the club's banquet, an event designed to celebrate the individual and team successes of the year.  National Champions (Esther Erb 2014; Christina Epps 2015) and Olympians (Donn Cabral 2013) have previously highlighted past club banquets.  

This year, a few standout GSTC'ers are slated to speak before Daniels, including club Superman Alfredo Santana.  The Leadership Team has agreed to make some changes to the format, enabling more social time and less seat time.

Daniels, 83, is perhaps the most widely known and most decorated coaches in America, as his resume and influence in the sport is profound.  In the professional scene, he has coached numerous Olympians, including America's fastest marathoner, Ryan Hall.  As a college coach, he's won eight NCAA national titles, had thirty-one individual national champions, and coached 130 All-Americans.  These numbers are, indeed, staggering.

 
His training philosophy is described in exhaustive detail in his best-selling book, Daniels' Running Formula.  As the magazine Running Times best put it, "In one way or another, today's serious runners abide by training principles rooted in Jack Daniels' research and philosophy and outlined in his famous book, Daniels' Running Formula."

Often overlooked is his own personal athletic career.  Daniels has two Olympic medals in the modern pentathlon: a 1956 silver in Melbourne, and a 1960 bronze in Rome.

"Considering our backup plan was Mike Anis on the banjo and Tim Morgan beat-boxing, we are absolutely thrilled and honored to have such a legend attend our banquet," aGSTC president Chuck Schneekloth commented from his booth at Omega Diner.

GSTC Ladies Dominate USATF-NJ Women 5k Championships

The ladies after the Little Silver 5k

The adidas Garden State Track Club women dominated the USATF-NJ 5k Championships at the Little Silver 5k Championships on Sunday, October 2nd.  The ladies swept the top two team spots at the race, with teams averaging 19:32 and 20:17.

Aimee Chegwidden continued to be the team's top performer, finishing 2nd overall at 18:13.  Her winning team consisted of Erika Meling (19:17), Shannon McKenna (19:42), Kate Ashley (19:47), Cherylann Dorsey (20:37), Kimia Ganjaeli (21:01), Stephanie Edwards (26:49), and Prudence Jones (31:15).

Kelsey Rose finishing 3rd overall.

The course was flat and fast, making a big rectangle around the local high school and thus finishing on their track.  One oddity to the event, however, was the age group awards.  Instead of the traditional medal, the event handed out gift certificates from local Little Silver establishments.  While some of the ladies were excited about their prizes for sun tanning and coffee, others like Aya Leitz passed on the $50 worth of dry cleaning at a location fifty minutes from home.  Indeed, that's quite a drive to pick up an ironed shirt.  She donated the gift to the club, and we have since mailed it to miler Dennie Waite, who is currently in his first year as a physical therapy student.  But we digress.

Medical student Kimia Ganjaeli finishes just a tick over 21:00. 

The second team finished second overall, with South Enclave's Kelsey Rose (18:25) leading the way in her debut performance.  Chelsea Callan was the #2 in 19:34, and Nicole Salge was 3rd in 20:27.  Leitz (24:00), Nikki Jordan (27:06), Rachel Wiegers (34:08), and Ana Garcia (34:08) rounded out the silver medal squad. 



Upcoming Team Races!


Email us if you're interested!


Three More to Go!
11/6 USATF East Regions (Philly)
11/24  Ashenfelter 8k 
(Glen Ridge)
12/10 USATF Club Nationals (Florida)




What human being, in their right mind, would pass up the opportunity to hang out with this bunch of fine, upstanding gentlemen at a local foot race?  #stayclassy  #notawomanwithinmiles  


aGSTC Fall Training Plan



We have a fantastic team training plan for the fall races.

If you've paid your 2016 dues, 
please click here and we'll approve your access to the plan.  

Team Results
[please email us your results!  we don't see everything posted on Facebook!]

Edwards Medals at SoD

Stephanie Edwards ran the Shades of Death Half Marathon in 2:07:11, finishing 5th in her age group at the Shades of Death Half Marathon.  A few weeks later, she dropped almost a minute, running 2:06:26 in the Gettysburg Blue-Gray Marathon.

Mark Minervini and  Gary Leaman finished 5-6 in the Shades of Death HM, running 1:20:56 and 1:21:20, respectively.   Also running were Peter Auteri (1:45:12), Will Parker (1:47:03), and Fran Beideman (1:51:15).

In the 6.66 Devil's Run, John Montgomery was third in 40:50, averaging 6:07 pace....pretty darn quick for a 50 year old!


Timochko, Williams BQ in S-Town
  
Jason Timochko and Amy Williams both ran well at the Steamtown Marathon, as they both hit Boston-qualifying times with their performances.  Timochko, above, ran an impressive 2:55:30, good for 3rd place in the 40-44 age group.  Williams was just a short bit behind him, finishing in 3:18:56.



McKenna BQs in Chi-Town
Shannon McKenna ran a fine marathon out in Chicago, running 3:34:49 to finish 124th in her age group.  Regardless, she qualified for Boston with that performance; she is seen above, background, celebrating shortly after her race.  Shannon impressively found a way to include all fall team races into her training schedule while building up for it...and then ran the 8k cross country race just two weeks later! 


Balfour BQs in Twin Cities
Battling IT band pain for weeks prior to the race, masters Anne Balfour finished the Twin City Marathon in 3:42:48- a Boston Marathon qualifier.  This is quite an incredible performance, given the fact that, weeks leading up to it, she struggled to run just a few miles pain free.  Yes, Anne! 

Mickle Wins SJ Race
Adin Mickle won the Jonas Cattell 10 Miler, a South Jersey favorite, in 56:24.  170 runners finished the race, a historical run to commemorate Jonas Cattell's warning Fort Mercer of attack.  Proceeds this year also went to saving the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House.



Boys in Black Roll Deep
at Paul Short XC Invitational

While the ladies were sweeping the top two team spots at the Little Silver 5k team championships, some of the men were doing work at the ever-popular and uber-competitive  Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University.  

Olympic Trials marathon qualifier Matt Gillette lead the way, as he finished the 8k course in 8th place in 24:46.  Former college teammate Josh Neyhart was 2nd man in 25:16, good for 29th place.  Tyler Melius ran a solid race as the #3 man, coming home in 25:34 for 49th.  Within the next thirty seconds, four more teammates thundered to the finish cracking the top one hundred: Will Appman (56th/ 25:39), Evan Ward (58th/25:39), Matt Lutcza (95th/ 26:01), and Matt Eder (98th/ 26:04).

From there, Will Maltin (26:31), Thom Knowles (28:24), Brendan Conway (29:04), and Adam Beardley (31:00) rolled in for the club.


at GSTC Goes 3-4-5-6 in HoBOOken 5k
 
Four GSTC'ers qualified for the USATF-NJ travel stipend today at one of the best race names in NJ, the HoBOOken 5k.  Will Appman (14:55), Kevin D'Emic (14:58), Stephen Rathbun (15:00), and Matt Eder (15:09) finished 3-4-5-6, respectively.  Kristen Prazenica ran a season-best 19:09 to finish fourth women overall.


Visicaro Wins Sweet Trophy
Tom Visicaro continued his strong 2016 fall campaign.  This week, he ran 17:26 to gran the gold medal.  Kevin Ivanov, seemingly back from a short retirement, was 4th in 17:44.
 

Pee Wee Wins "Hit the Bricks" 5k
 

Mark Parisen won the Sayreville Hit the Bricks 5k last weekend, running a season best of 17:54 for the win.  It has not been confirmed if we ran with the red bow tie or not. 


Leitzes Race Mohawk 

Aya Leitz had a great race up at the Mohawk Hudson Marathon, as the 39 year-old ran 3:15:49 at the Mohawk Hudson Marathon in Albany, NY.  Her husband Karl ran 3:39, just missing a Boston Qualifier by a few minutes. 


Harris 4th Overall at Hambleton

Brian Harris finished fourth in the Hambleton Marathon on October 2nd, running an impressive 3:26:00 to get impressively on the leaderboard as a masters runner.  The event was held in Goshen, NY.


Weitz 6th in Trenton

Brian Weitz, one of three men's co-captains, finished 6th overall in the Trenton Half Marathon this weekend.  Finishing in 1:22:16, the Woodbridge elementary school teacher averaged 6:16/mile to snag 2nd in his age group.  

He allegedly visited Chris Christie's office afterward to talk about education policy, but the governor was out of his office reading up on traffic studies.

Oregon Crab Less Crabby 
Than Mike Anis

After a brief discussion with this crab, he had less complaints about things than Mike Anis, although he did file some understandable grievances against his fellow crabs who continue sending him Candy Crush requests.  The crab still doesn't even know what that is, let alone why another crab would want him to play it.    


Leitzes Argue Over Whose Turn 
It Is To Do Dishes 

Like most couples, outside of those fancy yuppies with dishwashers, Aya and Karl Leitz argue over doing the dishes.  Unlike most couples, they use video games as a way to express their feelings.  
  

FB Action:
Morgan Catches Three Men Shirtless in Gym; Calls Them Tools on FB

"In the gym earlier tonight, there were these three guys working out together that I had seen there before - probably high school seniors or early college students. Everything is going along as usual, when then I look over after doing my own set, and one of them has his shirt off (obviously, against gym rules) doing an exercise. I immediately suspect that he is looking at himself in the mirror, and I think to myself about how he's acting like a tool. This suspicion was confirmed when a moment later, after another one of my sets, I look over and see all three of them with their shirts off in the corner, apparently admiring themselves in the mirror and comparing muscles as they are doing other exercises together. Shaking my damn head over this!"

Saturday Team Workouts:
9:30, Johnson Park in Highland Park
 
The tracksters have started meeting weekly every Saturday morning at 9:30am.  The indoor season isn't far away!  If you want to do more of a distance-based workout, feel free to join us and do reps around the paved loop (1000m) or grass (1.5 miles).  

Either way, all are welcome...the more athletes, the more energy, the more fun for everyone!



Picture of the Week

A big group meets up at the Highland Park HS track ever Tuesday night at 5:30pm.  Fast or slow, make the effort and enjoy the energy of lots of teammates running in circles spitting on each other and neurotically looking at the watch every 10-15 seconds.  Seriously, it's a lot of fun.  

SUNDAY TEAM RUNS
Start Time  9:00am
Yes! the Sunday team runs are always this fun!!



Check Main Facebook Group Page for Details
Runners of all abilities, going all distances, come out....so you should, too




The Anis Angle
Please meet Mike Anis, one of the original founding members of the GSTC.  The only man who has competed at every club XC nationals over the past five years, he has a penchant for sharing, oversharing, pontificating, overpontificating, complaining, and overcomplaining.  And he wears this from time to time, as well, which the ladies seem to love. 
"Someone working in a coffee shop says "there's a Pomeranian outside that looks like an orange Cat!" And I'm sitting here, thinking, "there's a person in here that looks like a giant bullfrog"
(She is wearing a green shirt, and... kinda bullfroggy)
But I am keeping that to myself..."

Kyle's Kernel 

Welcome to another edition of Kyle's Korner! This week we spoke with new member Jennifer Sapienza. She may have just joined but she's already taking to the club like shes been here since the beginning. A lifelong fan of running, she's battled through injury, been part of championship teams, and has her sights set on conquering a marathon in the near future. Being such a fan a running she had quite a bit to say about it so here's your chance to get to know her better!


Jennifer Sapienza


Kyle: Hello Jenn and thank you for joining us!
Ms Sapienza: Hello!! It's an honor to be with you all!!
Kyle: Darn right it is! How did you come to be with us all in first place?
Ms Sapienza: Running is my life! I have been doing it forever and I cherish it! After college, to make a long story short, I never stopped running. I have always been on teams except at this point in my life. I began running independently after college, trying to fit in some races when I was able to spot posters around the neighborhood or if I received any emails for them. Chelsea Callan and I went to the same High School and when I saw her at the Little Silver run, she inspired me to join this incredible, inspirational, and friendly group of runners:) It's been such a pleasure joining the group! I hope to and look forward to doing more races with you all! You have all been extremely welcoming...I feel like I have known you all for a long time and I am so blessed! :) And may I add, growing as a team and participating with an incredible talented group of runners! I'm a short amount of time.
Kyle: Do you feel like you get more out of your training when you're in a group setting?
Ms Sapienza: I feel that training with others, like the Garden State, has inspired me to put forth more effort. Being in a group setting definitely encourages me to fulfill more of a dream/goal oriented point of focus. I would love to continue to do more half and full marathons, and working in a group setting enables me to prove to myself that I can do these kinds of races more than once.
Kyle: So you're into the longer distances?
Ms Sapienza: I prefer longer distance however it is important to train both long and short. I was always a cross country lover but I also do track as well. I would like to connect the shorter distances into my training to improve my longer distance times and goals. I do smaller races but am aiming for another half and full marathon hopefully soon :)
Kyle: Any favorites for the full?
Ms Sapienza: So far I've only done the half and full in long Branch but I hope to maybe do the LOVE run :) I was also always on varsity cross country and track so that also inspired me to continue running!
Kyle: Let's swing around back to the beginning. What made you settle on running when you were highschool?
Ms Sapienza: I was always good at gym class and I seemed to be really fast at the mile when I was on elementary school, so I began to start thinking about high school and their clubs...cross country was one and something I was interested being on. I have always been a dancer as well. Running and dancing seemed to be my niche. They both seem to relieve stress and make me feel good, however running give me the "good" feeling both internally and externally. I've never felt better and relieved as to how I feel when I run! Running to me gives off something that nothing else has ever done...it's the feeling of releasing, pushing through, and accomplishing...feeling of success even on the hardest of days.



Kyle: What was your biggest running accomplishment in high school?
Ms Sapienza: I feel as though I have had many big accomplishments in high school however one that really sticks out, is the time when I had surgery on my Achilles tendon and was out one whole summer and then was able to get right back into the swing of things again. I was running championships at Holmdel Park and was able to complete that big race and place extremely well/succeed to my full potential.
Kyle: Amazing! What made you choose Georgian Court for college?
Ms Sapienza: I wanted to go into college seeking more about nutrition, health, and wellness. I have always been in tune with what I take in to my body and what I do as activities to maintain healthy. I also have a few family members who are diabetic, so I've always been interested in more knowledge in that field. I also had an interest in dance, where i would be able to double major. I also found out that they had great clubs as well as sports. I was excited to join their running teams!! So, that is what sold me on become a GCU Lion...they had everything I wanted (even a trail nearby where the xc and track teams would run on occasion), they were close to home if I wanted to go home, and the campus was beautiful!
Kyle: Tell us some highlights from your GCU running career.
Ms Sapienza: I was able to go to different cities and states, I was basically a captain of the team, I was on varsity, was able to juggle school work, clubs, and sports. It was enjoyable to be running with a group of woman who were passionate and helpful! I felt so blessed to be able to go to championships and place!!
Kyle: What was your best event?
Ms Sapienza: I was in the top 6 of the school and I received the coaches award in may 16th 2012. My best event for track was the 2 mile
Kyle: And in college?
Ms Sapienza: Ummm, hard to choose because I was always the 3rd one in out of the whole team In the xc races
Kyle: For track?
Ms Sapienza: I guess the 2 mile and I believe the 800...not sure exactly. Wasn't that into track at the time as much as I was for xc
Kyle: I'm a big xc fan as well. Do you prefer trails to roads?
Ms Sapienza: I don't mind..either or I guess..but i tend to do more roads
Kyle: Do you still dance along with your running?
Ms Sapienza: Yes.  I have an extremely busy day tomorrow with work, Dance practice for our show and running of course.
Kyle: What a schedule! Well that's all the time we have for this week! Thank you for speaking with us and good luck on your future races this season!
Ms Sapienza: Thank you for your time and I'll talk to you all soon!
Kyle: Tune in next week to see who we interview!








2015 aGSTC
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
Not up for an Emmy or Grammy, but check it out here.  Complete with Star Wars intro and everything!

Paid Your 2016 Dues Yet?
Please do so.  It keeps the lights on!


FROM OUR 
COACHING STAFF

If you've paid your yearly club dues, click this link for the fall training plan!!!




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(every weekly email since 2011)


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adidas Garden State Track Club, 944 Herman Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
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Another Big Team Performance at the USATF-NJ HM Champs




THE CLUB EMAIL

Yes, it's that time of the month...
 

Appman Wins, Leads Men to 1-2-3-4 Team Sweep

Will breaks the finish line tape in traditional GSTC fashion.

Will Appman, an actuary, Penn State alum, and member of the Jersey City Enclave, has been on the club for years--and has done many great things.  He's run some fast marathons, he's anchored a DMR at Millrose Games, he scored in the 10k at club nationals this June--but he's yet to have a signature, defining moment on the club.

Until, of course, Sunday morning's win at the Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon.

Sitting in sixth at mile five, he moved into second by mile six, trailing his teammate Sean Donohue by just ten seconds.  At mile seven, he made a huge move, surging into the lead and building a ten second cushion.  He finished in 74:21, well off his personal best, but certainly a fast time considering the heat, humidity, and the course--one known to be slow with windy turns. 

The lead men's pack roll through mile two. 

The surprise second place finisher was Ted Doyle, who ran a strategic race throughout the 13.1 miles, carefully moving his way up after being far behind at the half way point.  The Boston College alum was just eleven seconds behind his teammate, his highest ever finish at the event.

In all, eight GSTC'ers flooded the top eleven spots.  Those included Donohue (4th/74:48), Edsel Flores (5th/75:04), Matt Eder (6th/75:38), Ashwin Anantharaman (7th/76:18), Ken Goglas (10th/77:04), and Stephen Rathbun (11th/77:27).

Thanks to these efforts, the club swept the top four team spots, averaging 79:19, 79:59, 81:23, and 81:35 for their teams.

Perhaps the best individual effort came from Flores, whose time was a whopping two minutes faster than his previous personal best. 

Mark Parisen edged out his age-old rival, Drew Pennyfeather, on the final stretch 1:34:09.02-1:34:09.42.  His performance would have ranked him 6th among masters women in the race.



 40s Men Win Again 
as 50s, 60s Take Silver
Osifchin was the club's top masters finisher.

The masters men had another incredible day of team racing, as they took home one gold and two silver team medals at the USATF-NJ Half Marathon Championships.  This opens a two-race winning streak for the 40s group, a team that continues to strengthen as 2016 continues.

Rich Osifchin was the top finisher, coming in at 81:39.  Nick Van Langen was just behind him 82:24, and Thom Knowles was the #3 man at 82:52.  After three men in, the first and second place 40s teams were about equal, but the aGSTC had far superior #4 and #5 runners, as Gary Leaman (84:49) and Eric Davis (91:55) came up clutch to help the black and gold muscle their way to a second straight win.  Wesley Cole was the #6 man in the lineup, as he finished in 99:37.

Harris crosses the finish line

The 50s team was just 34 seconds away from winning gold as well.  With Osifchin and Leaman offering a terrific 1-2 punch up front, Kevin Dollard (1:30:39), Brian Harris (1:40:18), and Peter Auteri (1:49:43) rounded out the scoring top five for the 50s group.

Incredibly, the 60s team finished 2nd, as well.  Dollard was the top man, followed by Auteri, Fran Beideman (1:53:38), and John Bergacs (2:25:38).

For perspective on what a big great day this was for the men's masters team, the 40s were 4th, the 50s were 6th, and the 60s were 8th in this race in 2015.    




Women Split Squad 
and Go 2-4
Prazenica surges to the finish line

Like the men, the women split up their squad to maximize team points on Sunday, resulting in a fine 2-4 team finish.  

For the 2nd place team, Aimee Chegwidden was the top finisher, impressively coming in just under 1:27:00; yes, she ran 1:26:59.99!  Nikki Hallenborg was next (1:38:19), while Erica Canas (club debut- 1:38:28), Aya Leitz (1:39:10), and Shannon McKenna (1:41:09) rounded out the scoring top five.  Filling out the team was Brianne Teichmann (1:56:01), Prudence Jones (2:38:20), and Ana Garcia (3:13:57).

For the 4th place team, Kristen Prazenica was the top finisher, and perhaps with the finest female performance of the day, finishing in 1:35:58.  Allison Malecki, running on her home turf, was second in 1:39:34, with miler Andrea Bourgal #3 in 1:40:29, masters Sandi Kaspszyk 4th in 1:40:36, and Jackie Lemme the final scoring member 5th in 1:54:48.  Kristina Petillo (1:55:57) and Megan Cafferty (2:17:09), who hails from the fine hamlet of North Brunswick, ran under this team, as well.  

Had the club stacked one team, they would have won by over four minutes.



Upcoming Team Races!

Email us if you're interested!


Three More to Go!
10/2  Little Silver 5k (women only)
10/23 8k Cross Country Championships (Natirar)
11/24  Ashenfelter 8
k (Glen Ridge)




What human being, in their right mind, would pass up the opportunity to hang out with this bunch of fine, upstanding gentlemen at a local foot race?  


Non-USATF-NJ Championships
11/6  USATF East Region XC Champs (Philly; GSTC hosts)
12/10  USATF Club National XC Championships (Tallahassee, FL)***

aGSTC Fall Training Plan

We have a fantastic team training plan for the fall races.

If you've paid your 2016 dues, 
please click here and we'll approve your access to the plan.  




Team Results
[please email us your results!  we don't see everything posted on Facebook!]

Gotschall PRs Twice...In One Weekend
Jenn Gotschall ran the Philly Rock n' Roll Half Marathon last weekend, and she came away with two personal bests.  How's that for a weekend of running?

On Saturday, she knocked a full minute of her personal best, finishing in 22:24--good enough to win her age group.  A day later, she finished the half marathon in 1:45:10.  Despite the humidity and tired legs, this was a nine minute PR.  Wow...great running!


Rissell Finishes Top 20

  
Ethan Rissell continues to build his fall fitness, as he ran 73:11 in the Philly Rock n Roll Half Marathon.  This was good enough for 20th overall.



Mooney at Semper Five 5k
We were relieved to hear Lee Mooney, one of our favorite (and most versatile) masters athletes walked away unharmed from the terribly unfortunate bombing at the Semper Five 5k weeks ago in Seaside Park.  

 Castroagudin Wins Ramsey 5k
Katie Castroagudin won the Jack McKeown Memorial 5k last weekend, running an impressive 19:14 for the dubya.  She also happened to finish 2nd overall, making her performance that much more impressive!

Maltin Breaks 16:00
Will Maltin, in his second race wearing black and gold, broke 16:00 for the first time this season, as he ran 15:57 at the Haworth 5k.  This was good enough for third overall.

Above, he is shown hanging out beside a random pillar of balloons, giving out more of a feel of "junior prom" than "road race."


GSTC Sprinter Tyrone Ross 
Runs 2:08 Marathon; Sets CR
In a surprise, last minute entry, GSTC 400m sprinter Tyrone Ross competed in the London Marathon.  He finished in 2:08:30, a new club record.  He is seen finishing with various other elite sub-2:10 marathoners, running the final 200m in 27.5.

GSTC Wins M5k, M10k, W10k at Sunday's Steeplechase 

A small group of GSTC'ers participated in the Steeplechase 5k and 10k, an event to support the Steeplechase Cancer Center at RWJ-Somerset Hospital.

Kyle Price won both the 10k and 5k, as he ran 37:49 and 16:32, respectively.  Sadly, a course official sent him the wrong way in the 10k, resulting in him running closer to 6.6 miles in the earlier race.

In the 10k, Amy Williams won the women's race in a fine 40:34, averaging 6:34 pace over the flat course.  Eric Davis was third overall in 39:52 as masters teammate Mike Terruso cranked a 2:00 PR, finishing 11th in 42:33.
Aya Leitz was the third woman overall in 43:51, defeating her husband Karl, in his first race as a 50 year old, who was 2nd in his new age group at 45:44.

In the 5k, Tom Visicaro and Chuck Schneekloth went 2-4, in 17:16-17:19, respectively, while Leah Roberts ran her last race as a "Roberts", finishing 2nd in 20:13.  

 

Dov Does Paine to Pain

This past weekend, Dov Gertzulin finished 11th in the grueling Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon, a huge loop around Westchester County in NY. He ran 1:29:03, despite taking a pretty nasty spill during the race.


Triathlon Action: 
Roberts 3rd in 1/2 IM
Leah Roberts finished 3rd overall in the Toughman Half Ironman up in Harriman State Park last weekend.  After finishing her 1.2 mile swim in 30:52, the first woman out of the water, she then biked the 56 miles in 2:59:42.  From there, she finished the hilly half marathon in 1:43:05, helping her finish in a final time of 5:16:21.

No, those flowers are not from her cheap-ass fiance.  She won those.

Fonder Changes Linked In Picture

After much consideration, Mr. Fonder decided to change his Linked In profile picture to the above one, hoping "it will attract more quality employers to my resume."


At Mile 3, Tahir Realizes He Forgot to Turn off the Kitchen Light

Twenty-some minutes into his race last weekend, Tahir Qadeer realized he forgot to turn off the kitchen light as he ran out of the house, in a hurry, for his race.  This was a week after he left his milk out.  It's been a tough stretch for Tahir.

Facebook Action:
Morgan Doesn't Watch Pence Interview

The day after a ninety minute debate Monday night, VP candidate Mike Pence was interviewed.  On Facebook, he asserted, "Mike Pence is about to be interviewed. Not for me. TV is going off now."

Saturday Team Workouts:
9:30, Johnson Park in Highland Park
 
The tracksters have started meeting weekly every Saturday morning at 9:30am.  The indoor season isn't far away!  If you want to do more of a distance-based workout, feel free to join us and do reps around the paved loop (1000m) or grass (1.5 miles).  

Either way, all are welcome...the more athletes, the more energy, the more fun for everyone!



Picture of the Week

This fine chap competed for the club last fall as a pole vaulter.  His goal was to improve his PR and eventually walk on to the Rutgers team this year.  Well, Chris Mazzacano did, in fact, improve by almost a foot, and he did, in fact, get offered a spot on the Rutgers team roster as a junior.  As you can tell above, he is making many fine contributions to the fine institution of Rutgers University as a young man respected by peers and professors, alike.

SUNDAY TEAM RUNS
Start Time  9:00am
Yes! the Sunday team runs are always this fun!!



Upcoming Sunday Team Runs

9:00am: Little Silver
Come run and support our women at the USATF-NJ 5k Championship!




The Anis Angle
Please meet Mike Anis, one of the original founding members of the GSTC.  The only man who has competed at every club XC nationals over the past five years, he has a penchant for sharing, oversharing, pontificating, overpontificating, complaining, and overcomplaining.  And he wears this from time to time, as well, which the ladies seem to love. 
"Lenwich in Manhattan, serves coffee at 203 degrees F. 
Do you we think this is wise, legal, safe? Not I.!"

Kyle's Kanteen
This week on the Korner with spoke with Kristina Petillo. She had been on the team a few years now and is big and the big distances. She's got numerous full and half marathons on her belt and plans on making many more notches, maybe even some bigger ones! If you don't already then here is your chance to get to know her!



Kristina Petillo



Kyle: Hello Kristen and thank you for joining us!
Ms. Petillo: Hey! Thanks for having me.
Kyle: How has your season been shaping up so far?
Ms. Petillo: It's been rough. After this summer I honestly didn't think I could run more than 10 miles. It seems things are starting to get better.
Kyle: Well I'll say, you ran Newport after all!
Ms. Petillo: Yea, run, swam through the humidity and heat, same difference. I was shocked I was able to finish that race.
Kyle: Well congratulations! Yes not great weather. Has that been your longest run so far?
Ms. Petillo: It was. I finished my first 18 mile run of the season this morning. I've never been so happy to see 40 degrees.
Kyle: Phenomenal! So you predominately do longer runs and races?
Ms. Petillo: Yea, I love doing half marathons, but the marathon is a distance I have yet to figure out. I like the challenge of that distance. Plus not always feeling so fast, it gives me a longer time to pass a few more people than I can in a short race. Haha.
Kyle: A distance I haven't yet attempted. How many have you done?
Ms. Petillo: I have only completed 6 and getting ready for my 7th now.
Kyle: Only she says...  What's the next one coming up?
Ms. Petillo: I am training for the Richmond marathon.
Kyle: What has been your favorite marathon so far?
Ms. Petillo: I don't think I can choose one, I loved the Disney marathon but also really like NYC.
Kyle: Both great ones! What's your best finishing time?
Ms. Petillo: Right now my best is 4:05. I've been trying to break 4 hours for a while now. It's coming soon.



Kyle: I believe it! Has being a club member helped you chase down your goal?
Ms. Petillo: Definitely, there's always someone who needs to get in a similar distance, like Rachel helped me this morning. And so many people have been willing to run with me knowing I was slightly slower than their normal pace and it's helped me really push myself to go faster. Within the first 5 months of joining the club I cut 15 minutes off my half time.
Kyle: That's awesome! How long have you been into running?
Ms. Petillo: I actually started in middle school on the cross country team, but stopped in high school and have been running for only 5 years.
Kyle: What made you want to come back?
Ms. Petillo: One day I was curious to see if I could run farther than the 2 miles I had to run for soccer in high school, and then I became obsessed with wanting to go farther.
Kyle: Caught the run bug hard. Have you given any thoughts to anything longer than a marathon?
Ms. Petillo: I have, but I am not sure I am ready for that training plan yet. It's on the bucket list for sure, but I need to find the right time for it.
Kyle: That certainly takes a lot of commitment to get ready for.
Ms. Petillo: I admire those who have found the time for it. It's hard enough to find time for all of my marathon training runs right now.
Kyle: How do you balance it with work and life things?
Ms. Petillo: I go to sleep pretty early, but will occasionally wake up at 2 a.m. to get a run in if I know I have a busy day and can't do it after work.
Kyle: Major dedication. That's not something many people can commit to.
Ms. Petillo: I'd rather get it done than worry all day about how it's going to happen or what I won't have time for because I need to get it done. I don't want to stop hanging out with friends and family because of training.
Kyle: Gotta find that healthy balance otherwise the running becomes a chore instead of an enjoyment. Good for you!
Ms. Petillo: Definitely! Thanks!
Kyle: Well thank you for speaking with us and good luck in Richmond!
Ms. Petillo: You're welcome, thank you!
Kyle: Tune in next time to see who we interview!



2015 aGSTC
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
Not up for an Emmy or Grammy, but check it out here.  Complete with Star Wars intro and everything!

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