Spring Racing in Full Swing!

THE CLUB EMAIL Hello.  It's finally warm outside.   1.  College Ave Mile  Registration is now open!  Support GSTC's biggest road race of the year!  Register here! 2.  NJ Marathon Baggage. Looking for a few more volunteers!  Email us at gardenstatetrackclub@gmail.com if interested. 3.  Team Races Remaining. 2016 aGSTC Open Men/Women Racing Schedule 3/13:  Road Relays (+ Mike's Courtside Bar and Grill) 3/19:  Adrenaline 5k  (+ Angelo's Pizzeria + Forgotten Boardwalk Brewery) 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  5/28: Garden State Twilight Meet 6/4: College Ave Mile (+Olive Branch) 6/20:  President's Cup (+Charlie Brown's Parking Lot!) 6/25:  USATF Club Track and Field National Championships (Penn) Team Results Men Finish 10th at Boston Marathon It was another brutal one out there on the streets of Boston, but many walked away with great performances despite the heat. The open men's team finished 10th overall out of 68 teams.  This included Will Appman (2:41:09), Mike Anis (2:42:18), and Tim Seeley (2:52:25) for a total team time of 8:15:52.   Dov Gertzulin finished in 2:54:05, the club's #4 man. The masters' men were 51st out of 74 teams with a total time of 10:06:05 for the top three finishers.  Those included John Montgomery (3:20:00), Gary Leaman (3:21:14), and Yuki Negoro (3:24:51).  Other masters finishers included Will Parker (3:28:00), Karl Leitz (3:35:03), Franklin Reed (3:52:37), and Jeff Donlon (3:42:39). Allison Malecki was the top female finisher, coming in at 3:10:14, while Aya Leitz hit the finish line at 3:21:39. Jackson Wins Cherry Blossom 10k Some runners take selfies before their races.  Some post their results or a post-race shot.  New member Lauren Jackson posts pictures of the blossoming trees along the race course; she posted this one, above, before racing. She also has been racing well, this spring, as she won the Cherry Blossom 10k in 38:38.  The 35 year-old from Augusta averaged 6:13 pace, as she rolled through the first 5k in 19:27 en-route to the win.   Ted Doyle finished third overall in 34:39, while Aya Leitz ran 42:11, good for 3rd in her age group, and Eric Davis ran 42:15 to finished 59th overall. Masters Compete at Cherry Blossom  Despite numerous injuries, the aGSTC masters ladies had a fun and successful day at the second team race of the year, the Cherry Blossom 10k Championships.  Anne Balfour, in her first official race in the black and gold, ran wonderfully, as she finished in 44:10--good for third in her age group!  Erin Varga ran a PR of 49:15, while Jennifer Dos Santos (52:02) and Jenny Poherence (57:23) rounded out the A Team, that finished 8th overall. The B Team ran well also.  Stephanie Edwards (56:33), Sue Lawlor (62:20), and Prudence Jones (63:13) teamed up to finish 17th overall. Forget the Result:  Check Out These Outfits! Aya and Karl Leitz ran the NYRR Scotland Run weeks ago, and looks at these outfits!  Wowsers.  Incredible.  Aya ran a course PR of 41:50 on the hilly course, while Karl finished in 44:16.  Aya said on Facebook, "I was going to run with Karl in a matching kilt, chatted for the first mile, but I felt good and decided to drop him like a hot stone."  Classic. Parisen PRs in Half Marathon Mark Parisen ran a personal best in the half marathon weeks ago, as he rolled to a 1:24:50 at the Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon in NY.  Averaging 6:29, he finished 24th overall at the hilly course. Auteri PRs in Half Marathon Well, this says it all.  Karen Auteri ran an all-time best in the half marathon weeks ago.  Averaging 6:35 pace, she finished the Scranton Half in 1:26:09, good for third overall and $500 of prize money.   Tracksters Compete at Princeton Some of the aGSTC elite tracksters competed two weeks ago at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational.  In the 3,000m steeplechase, Carmen Graves (middle) won the event in 9:56.67, with newcomer Laura Cummings finishing second in 10:36.35.  Skylair Hilton was 2nd in the 5k with an impressive 16:50.81, while Crystal Burnick was second in the 10k with an equally impressive 35:27.82.     On the men's side, Chris Garrity (above left) competed for the first time for the club, finishing 7th in the steeple with a nifty 9:14.65.  Tony Harris (right) ran his first open 800 in years, finishing in 1:57.31.  Meanwhile, the race of the day was easily Alfredo Santana's 5k.  After following teammate and rabbit Sean Stetler through the first mile in 4:30, he battled Cameron Marantz for the next two miles.  In the final 100m, however, after sitting on Marantz for several laps, Santana broke free and charged home with an impressive kick for the win.   Tyler Melius (14:57.70) and Nick Crits (15:08.43) also ran well in the 5k with Santana. Duffy Rocks New GSTC Collar "Woof bark, woof woof, woof; bark bark wooooooof."  Translation: why run when you can just chill all day? Buy your GSTC dog collars, keychains, or headbands here at BellaBands! Grinnell Wins 11k in AC Soon to be 50-year-old Martha Grinnell continued her awesomeness, as she WON the 11k down at the April Fool's Half Marathon, 7k, and 11k race down in Atlantic City two weeks ago.  She ran 44:23, which is also a club record....since we don't believe anyone has ever raced an 11k before! aGSTC Goes 1-3-4 in 6k Three GSTC'ers competed in the Riverhorse 6k in Ewing last weekend.  Meghan Bruce won the race in 23:32, Jennifer Lucas was 3rd in 24:02, and Kristen Prazenica was fourth in 24:32. Above, Prazenica is shown with the two men in her life, currently. Local Man Attempts, Fails at a Kyle Price Mohawk Look Cmon bro.  Only room in Middlesex County for one dude with a mohawk.  Get at me, bro. GSTC Unites at Unite for Unity's Sake Several GSTC'ers competed in the Unite Half Marathon this weekend.  Steve Willis has the highest finish of any club member, as he was 2nd in the 8k in 27:41.  Lucinda Warren was also 4th in the 8k in 37:57! In the half, Erika Meling was 5th, while Adrienne Viola also cracked the top ten with an 8th place, 1:30:18 finish.  Carly Kenselaar (1:30:59) and Leah Roberts (1:31:29) were 10th and 12th, respectively, both running PR times! Three others GSTC'ers ran the half marathon:  Cherylann Dorsey (1:39:22), Kelly Thow (1:42:06), Jatin Meghani (1:45:04), and Megan Cafferty (2:04:31).  This was a huge breakthrough race for Megan!! Tracksters Open at Rider Sweeney, Quintana, Callan, and Douma after the 4x800 relay Two days after Princeton, several club members competed at the Rider Invitational on Sunday afternoon.   The highlights included Chris Mazzacano (2nd, pole vault, 4.40m), Sean Donohue (2nd, 5j, 15:19.56), Julius Frederick (2nd, 200m, 22.45), Manaak Kumar (2nd, 800m, 1:58.95), Jarrett Kunze (3rd, 1500m, 4:03.97), Chelsea Callan (3rd, 5k, 18:36.97),  Dylan Hallahan (3rd, steeplechase, 9:57.23), Laura Quintana (6th, 1500m, 4:56.58), Ricky Garcia (7th, 1500m, 4:06.28), Alyssa Douma (8th, 1500m, 4:57.22), Liz Sweeney (8th, 800m, 2:27.64), CJ Bailey (10th, 400m, 50.78)    Robbins hands off to Ross at Rider In the relays, the men's 4x400 (Tyrone Ross, Ish Robbins, Frederick, Bailey) finished second in 3:19.21, while the women's 4x800 of Douma, Quintana, Sweeney, and Callan also finished 2nd. SUNDAY TEAM RUNS Start Time  9:00am Yes! the Sunday team runs are always this fun!! Upcoming Sunday Team Runs April 3 Manasquan Reservoir April 10 Blackwells Mills April 17  Piermont-NYAC Trail April 24  Forbidden Drive May 1  Princeton  Turning Basin May 8  Sussex Branch Trail May 15 Sandy Hook May 22 Duke Farms May 29 Jersey City/Hoboken June 5  Rosedale June 12  River Road June 19 Buccleuch Park June 26  Manasquan Reservoir 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. A car travels downhill at 72 mph, on the level at 63 mph, and uphill at only 56 mph.  The car takes 4 hours to travel from Pallet Town to Viridian City.  The return trip takes 4 hours and 40 minutes.  Find the distance between the two towns. The Anis Angle Are these real cities?  I don't do hypotheticals.  Another dumb puzzler.  It's time to make this team email great again. Answer:  273 miles. Full solution here: http://www.qbyte.org/puzzles/p075s.html Kyle's Korner This week on Kyle Korner we spoke with Wes Cole. One of our club's Masters Marathoners, he just recently broke a huge milestone that we have the inside scoop on. A story for the ages that ages ago and finally came full circle to an amazing ending!   Wes Cole Kyle: Hello Wes and thank you for joining us! Mr. Cole: Delighted to join you Kyle. Kyle: Well since we're all about the joins at the moment, when and how did you come to join the GSTC? Mr. Cole: I joined in fall 2014. I'd been here in Jersey for 6 years and decided it was about time to join the "garden state." I was looking for a way to shave a few minutes off my marathon time, called Chuck and he promised the club could help me do it. That plus the literary tour de force of the aGSTC newsletter sold me on joining the club. Kyle: Shave a few minutes you certainly did! Can you "run" us through your recent PR Marathon experience? Mr. Cole: Like they say, the 17th time is the charm. I ran my first marathon in 1999 and have been trying to break 3:00 for about 10 years, and got as close as 3:00:17 in 2013. But I still wanted a time with a "2" in front of it. I guess I'm stubborn that way. To "cut to the chase"... so I registered for the DC RockNRoll marathon and spent quite a bit of time studying the subway map. I picked up the orange line at Federal Triangle, got off at stadium Armory, hid behind a cherry tree, and came in a full 30 minutes under my 3:00 goal! Oh, sorry, that was somebody else... [rim shot] But seriously folks.... after joining the club, Chuck was kind enough to put me in touch with Mike Fonder who gave me an awesome training plan and was super helpful and supportive. I didn't hold up my end of the bargain and ran a 3:28 at jersey shore in 2015. I doubled down this year and followed the training plan rigorously. I also went into marathon training in December 2015 in better form after running a number of races with the club, which has been a great motivation. Everything came together on race day 3 weeks ago in DC. Conditions were perfect in the low 50s, and I had great support from my wife and two boys who met me 3 times on the course. Also helped to find a couple of runners to tuck in behind through miles 13-18 which were a little windy. Final time: 2:58:52 Kyle: That's quite the tale. And almost 20 years in the making. What was going through your head when you were approaching that final clock and saw the time on it? Mr. Cole: My goal switched from breaking 3:00 to breaking 2:59!! After all the hard work I wanted to make sure I gave it everything, and couldn't look back and say I didn't. When I saw the clock that gave me the energy for the final sprint to the finish. It felt FANTASTIC!! Kyle: What was the celebration after this huge milestone? Fist pumping? Joyous screams? Maybe some tears of joy? Mr. Cole: A big hug from the family and a cold beer! Kyle: Perfect! And surprisingly that wasn't enough for you. You ran a great race at the Miles for Music 20K not that long after correct? Mr. Cole: Yeah, a week later. I was just happy it was over at 20k and I didn't have to run another 22. Leg massage and of course beer was critical to a quick recovery. Kyle: So what's your next big race that you're planning for? Mr. Cole: I haven't thought much past Clinton 15K! Kyle: I take it now that you've surpassed your 3:00:00 marathon goal you'll be looking to improve again in the near future? Mr. Cole: Well, I may be stubborn but I'm not crazy. At my advanced age, further improvement may be tough. I think my goal now is to slow down at a slower rate than my age group cohorts. Kyle: Well you can certainly continue to rock the NJ masters circuit! Mr. Cole: Absolutely, looking forward to it! Kyle: And more post race beers! Mr. Cole: Post race beers definitely. Kyle: Well that's all the time we have for this week. Thanks for speaking with us! Mr. Cole: Thanks to you, that was fun, and thanks to the club for all the help! 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! Link here FROM OUR  COACHING STAFF If you've paid your yearly club dues, click this link for the spring training plan!!! 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. Tim running at Boston days ago. This week's metaphorical scarf goes to Tim Seeley.  Tim did a lot of voluntary work as our Boston Marathon captain to get paperwork processed, arrange team gatherings, etc.  We thank Tim for all his leadership and help getting our awesome Boston Marathon crew organized and to the starting....and finish line! New Members Section They need drivers- and we need new members! This week, we quickly introduce several new members.   June Glover lives in New Brunswick and averages 10:00 miles on her runs...Stewart Jones has PRs of 3:52 and 8:56 and is currently working for the Pittsburgh Marathon...Deidre Carter and Andrew Omoregie are a couple living in Carteret who have both hurdled and spirnted in college looking to get back into things while working in NYC...Michelle Grecni is a 13-0 pole vaulter who has finished 2nd at the NCAAs in her event...Ashley Phillips runs the 100m and 200m....Monae Clancy is a sprinter/jumper from Monclair State who wants to keep competing over the summer....Kelsey Rose is a long-time friend of Liz Sweeney who has run an incredible 4:48 for the mile and 17:02 for 5k...Gail Mahoney competes for Wagner College and is excited to keep competing post-collegiately as a sprinter...Alexis Appezzato is a former NCAA champion in the javelin, who just won her first meet wearing GSTC black and gold yesterday at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational...check her out below! 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aGSTC Files Major Lawsuit

THE WEEKLY/MONTHLY EMAIL Happy Spring!   aGSTC Drags  USATF-NJ TO COURT After years of differences, the adidas Garden State Track Club is taking the USATF-NJ to court next week.  And, as they do with all their races, they are playing to win. Club Managing Director Charles Schneekloth retained two power lawyers from Union County to do the dirty work: Ben Dover, Esq. and Ivanna Leak, Esq.  Since Judge Judy was not available, they thus enlisted her sister, Judge Hanna.  After accumulating years of damages, the aGSTC demand letter will be citing seven reasons for the potential litigation.  They include the following:    1.  Distances and Courses Like 15k and 20k.    Over the past five years, the USATF-NJ forced valued club members to run events with distances like "15k" and "20k" on goofy courses; this has left many of them irreparably damaged, seeking therapy, and questioning their drive to run again.  In fact, the club's suit claims, several members have woken up from nightmares of running lap after lap after lap after lap after lap at the 20k's Johnson Park.  "Two years ago, I dreamed that I was trapped in Johnson.  I kept running toward the 'exit' sign, but it kept leading me eventually toward another lap around the park.  It was a very 'Myth of Sisyphus' type-experience," a beleaguered Mike Anis commented, drinking away his woes on the couch.  "To be frank, I lost a little bit of myself the last time you forced me to run that GD course," he added--before passing out on a bed of empty Heineken cans.  He was, however, proudly wearing his Dog Tag Award from the 20k years ago around his neck.   2.  Their website. Club members are seeking financial damages in all the time lost navigating the USATF-NJ website.  "Look, I'm passionate about the arts.  I really am.  I frequent museums monthly.  But when I need information from the USATF-NJ, visiting their site is like walking into an Internet Museum of the 1990's.  I can't tell you how many hours I've lost from my family, friends, and my training just looking for the track schedule.  I want that time back.  This is retribution, a long time coming," said a beleaguered Mark Parisen.  "I'm sorry to cut this interview short, but I have to go.  I need to find out what to do with these Award Miles, and I can only dedicate another three hours to this wild Easter Egg hunt." 3.  Award Miles. After performing well at a USATF-NJ event, runners are provided with a choice: a medal or "Award Miles."  But what are they?  What function do they serve?  What's up with that random number on the right?  Why not a "loyalty punch card" like at Bagel Bizarre? Why are they so awkwardly sized?  Why hasn't anyone ever emailed us about their purpose?  Members are filing suit out of mere confusion.  "In some ways, I'd almost rather run another loop around Johnson Park than clutter my room up with these things," Anis stated.  "I mean, I feel guilty throwing them out, so I keep them, but then I don't know why, or where to put them.  Wait--no, no, I take that back.  Please don't make me run another loop of that course.  By the way, is it 7am or 7pm?"   4.  Race Selection. When asked about the 2016 road racing schedule this year, USATF-NJ officials were excited.  In a phone interview, one staff member, agreeing to speak anonymously, stated, "It's going to be great.  We picked great races.  The best races.  We know the best races.  Which ones?  All of them.  All these races are great."  But when looking closer...not so much.  Many of the unpopular races stayed on, and the best road race in NJ, the President's Cup, was removed.  "Look, it's going to be great.  Terrific.  Trust me.  Everyone is excited.  Everyone loves the USATF-NJ.  I've talked to all the runners.  And if you don't like it, I'll tell the guy standing next to you to slap you in the face and have the police escort you out of here."     5.  USATF-NJ Track Meet. This picture, taken from the 2014 USATF-NJ Track and Field meet, says it all.  "Again, I like museums," Parisen quipped.  "But when I go to a track meet, I'd like a competitive environment that feels like something from the 21st Century.  Also, I felt weird jumping over those hurdles from the Lincoln administration.  I mean, like, there just can't be many of these left in the world, ya know?  Would you want to be jumping over delicate relics of yesteryear?"  Known for taking a painfully long 10-15 minutes between heats of races, the 2015 USATF-NJ meet, hosted on June 5, wrapped up in late August, just in time for cross country season to start.  "A few hurdles broke, so we had to call in a carpenter a few times.  This takes time.  But we do believe the athletes had a good time this month," an association long jump official claimed about the meet.  "Thank goodness they don't pay us by the hour!" 6.  Team Award. "We were so excited to win our team plaque this year," said Erin and Prudence, the masters women captains.  "And then they called us a Tack Club.  We know the economy has hit everyone hard, but we would hope they would just spring for that extra letter,"  Erin commented.  "For me, I've struggled to teach my college classes.  Did Chuck deceive me in 2011?  Is this a track club or a tack club?  I am having serious questions about this team, career, life...I need to really sort this one out," Prudence remarked.  When asked about the mistake, USATF-NJ officials did not immediately return our phone calls for comment.  Via an email, this email came from their main office: "The awards were terrific.  Great.  Everyone is talking about the awards.  Next year it's going to be ever better.  Trust me." 7.  Rules.  Rules.  Rules. "The new stipend rules are just unfair and extreme," blasted Amanda Huginkiss, a recent GSTC recruit.  "Now we have to run two USATF-NJ championship races AND run the 82% PLP race in NJ.  Why wouldn't a race in NYC or Philly count for the PLP?  Like, whatever.  And why wouldn't they email this information out?  It took me eleven hours to find this on their website!  And furthermore, why isn's there a representative of every club on this LDR committee?  I mean, this is like only allowing Alaska, Delaware, and Connecticut to have senators in the US government."  Consequently, the club will be bringing suit against the regional association for discrimination, as everyone under seventy years old is shunned from the decision-making process.   Kip Kaigwa, a "New Jersey Resident" who flies in from Kenya once a month to wear the black and gold uniform and win prize money, didn't seem to mind.  "It is okay.   I am excited to run the 18k race next weekend and win the money.  It's only 18 loops around this 1k course.  My step father's brother, who has a close friend who used to watch their family's pet turtle, lets me use their New Jersey address.  So those new thirty-eight  rules do not very much bother me.  And the Award Miles.  These are great.  The best.  It's going to be terrific." Happy April Fool's Day from the adidas Garden State Track Club! Pay your 2016 dues today.  Please do so.  It keeps the lights on! Link here Follow us on  social media! Twitter Facebook YouTube Blogger (every weekly email since 2011) STAY CONNECTED