Monday, April 30, 2012

GARDEN STATE TRACK CLUB STOMPED THE COMPETITION AT THE STOMP THE MONSTER

Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, April 15, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

At last Sunday’s USATF New Jersey open men’s championship 5K, the Stomp the Monster in Marlboro, the Garden State Track Club took first, second and fourth in the team competition.  Their first place team was timed in 1:22.25 for their first five men.  Their second place team needed only six seconds to tie as their time was 1:22.31.  The Raritan Valley Road Runners team was third and the Do Run Runners were fifth.  The Sneaker Factory was the only other local team to place in the top eight.  In all fifteen teams competed, representing eight clubs.  Just over 900 runners finished the race.

The race was won by Craig Segal of Highlands in 15:12 with Jeff Perrella of Westfield second in 15:15.  Youssef Rochdi of Morris Plains was third in 15:19.  With only a week’s recovery from the Boston Marathon, Michael Dixon of Fanwood finished fourth in 15:23.
Nine men finished in under sixteen minutes and a total of seventeen finished in under 17 minutes.

On the women’s side, Elena Rozhko of Morristown was a decisive first in 17:38.  Second place was taken by Katie Van Horn of Glenora in 18:04.  Catherine Smith of Wayne was third in 18:37.

At the Unite Half Marathon the same day at Rutgers, Thomas Poland of Morristown took second in 1:08:38, beaten by Washington DC runner Demesse Tefera in 1:07:44.  Jacob Edwards of Montclair gave Poland the race he wanted in a close third in 1:08:41.  On the women’s side Hirut Mandefro of DC was first in 1:19:39.   A field of 2,667 runners finished the race.  In addition over 500 runners finished the 8K race.

Ryan Grote of Morristown won the Miles for Matheny 5K in Peapack in 15:34.  Placing second to the thirty-seven year old Grote was thirteen year old Christopher Sisto of Bernardsville who finished in 17:41.

A tight race on the women’s side ended with Laura Quintana of Bedminster winning a sprint to the tape with Zoe Wojtech of Far Hills by only a lean, 20:18.28 to 20:18.44.  Both girls, 16, compete for Bernards High School.

Next Sunday, May 6th, both open men and open women will be competing at the next USATF New Jersey championship; the Our House 5 Miler in Summit.  It has a one o’clock start time and all activities are centered on the Green at Summit and Broad Streets.

Open runners will be competing for prize money beginning at $250.00 for first and descending down five places.  In addition the open teams will win $125.00 for first, $75.00 for second and $50.00 for third.

The Our House is an OYMP event with five year age divisions, mile clocks on the course, which is a mix of rolling to hilly sections.

At the South Mountain Reservation the same day over five thousand people are expected to participate in the Susan B Komen Race for the Cure 5K, a very different kind of event than the competitive Our House race.

Monday, April 23, 2012

MASTERS WOMEN BLOOMED WITH CHERRY BLOSSOM 10K


Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, April 22, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

Polly Harrison of Basking Ridge placed second overall masters woman at the Cherry Blossom 10K this past Sunday earning a silver medal in the masters women’s USATF-NJ championship. [ results ]  Misa Tamura of Ridgewood was first masters with her time of 39:17.  Harrison finished in 41:03.
The race was won by Ben Clarke of Morristown in 34:11 and on the women’s side by Catherine Smith of Wayne in 38:55. 

Jane Parks and Nora Cary, both of Morristown placed one, two in the W55 division.  Park’s finished in 44:41 while Cary posted a 45:43.

Shirley Pettijohn of Chatham placed third in the W75 division with fellow Morris Country Strider teammate Melva Murray in fourth.  The pair was teamed with Diane Stone of Bernardsville who won the W80 division, to garner points for their team in both the W60 and W70 team divisions.

Local teams included the Sneaker Factory W40 team that placed fourth, just ahead of the Do Run Runners in fifth.  Rose City placed 8th out of 12 teams.  In the W50 division, the Sneaker Factory placed second, with the Do Run team taking fourth and Rose City placing seventh.

The teams will meet again this coming Saturday at the Clinton Country Run 15K.  The Sneaker Factory women’s masters teams have earned their club a total of 21 points when the points earned at the Miles for Music 20K are added to the Cherry Blossom tally.  Do Run Runners have 15 points, Rose City has two and the Morris County Striders has a total of 19.  The Striders had only their senior women at the Cherry Blossom due to the schedule conflict with the Boston Marathon.  Other teams were also missing runners who were in Boston.

BOSTON WAS A SCORCHER, LOCALS DID WELL       

How hot was it?  Well hot enough that most runners slowed down and some did not finish and some did not even start.  Runners who would never consider anything but running the whole distance of a marathon were reduced to walking during some parts of the race and some walked the last few miles.  It was tough.

Some runners however did manage to have a decent race, albeit slower than they might have imagined.  Rich Burke, 44, of Morristown was the first New Jersey runner to finish.  His time was 2:35:41 and that put him in fifth place in his M40 age division, and 48th overall.

Justin Scheid, 29, of Sparta was ten places back in 58th place and with a time of 2:36:50.  Elliott Frieder, 41, of Montville was eleventh M40 with a time of 2:43:56.  Barry Lass, 48, of Cedar Knolls finished in under the magic three hour mark in 2:58:34.

Wendy Locke, 50, of Boonton was the first local woman to finish.  Her time of 3:34:07 put her fifth in her age division.  Mary Christian, 48, of Flanders finished in 3:37:49.


STOMP THE MONSTER TUG OF WAR WITH UNITE HALF MARATHON
This segment was cut from the printed version in the Daily Record last Sunday.  Note that there is more to the story than I knew.
Tom Poland, who was featured here last week, had a fairly easy choice to make for April 22nd.  He could chose to run in the Stomp the Monster 5K, the USATF open men’s championship or enter the Unite Half Marathon taking place the same day on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick.  With a chance to win one thousand dollars, or even $500.00 for second or $250.00 for third, paying the $85.00 entry fee was not too risky.

For most runners, those who have no shot at the big bucks, paying $25.00 to register for the Stomp the Monster, or even $30.00 on race day is a whole lot easier on the budget than $85.00 for the Unite or $90.00 on race day.  This trend toward higher entry fees has many long -time fans and participants worrying about where road racing is heading.  You’ll be hearing and reading about this more in the days ahead.

There is more to an entry fee than you might think.  The Unite Half Marathon charges a day of race packet pick-up fee of $15.00 and you must reserve the service prior to the day of the race.  If you do not, the fee goes up to $25.00.  The fee can be avoided if the packet is picked up at the race expo that takes place the day before the race.    I trust that we can assume that the runners who entered the race were aware of this packet pickup procedure.

Monday, April 16, 2012

THOMAS POLAND CATCHING ATTENTION IN NEW JERSEY


Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, April 15, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

His name popped up first this year at the Super Sunday FourMile race in Morristown in February.  Thomas Poland, 23, of Morristown won the race in 20:59, averaging 5:14 minutes per mile.  Second place was nearly a full minute slower.

In March, at the Miles for Music 20K in Johnson Park in Piscataway, Poland dueled with Mike Dixon of Fanwood [ results | blog ], and it was Dixon who went ahead to win in 1:05:04 to his 1:05:18 with Mike Rolek of Maplewood in third.

Three weeks later the trio switched places at the IndianTrails 15K in Middletown.  Poland put six seconds between himself and Rolek to win in 48:18 to 48:24.  Dixon took third in 49:13.

After the 20K Poland said that he got in some key workouts that played to his strength and the change to hills at Indian Trails.

“They were two completely different races,” he said.  “The 20K was a pancake and the 15K was an up-and-down all over the place.”

“I knew that that was going to play to my strength,” said Poland.  “I was always a better cross country runner than I was a track runner.  I love hills.  I love breaking up the rhythm.”

Poland attended Delbarton in Morristown where he ran for the cross country and track team.  In his senior year, in the fall of 2006 he placed 15th in the Foot Locker cross country race at Van Courtland Park in 15:48.  After graduating from Columbia University last year he set about hitting the running and racing scene.

Poland is a valued member of the Garden State Track Club but because he has to train around his job schedule he does not run with the club.  Training alone is what he has been used to.

“As a distance runner I have been doing much of my training by myself all my life and I don’t necessarily need a group of people to train with,” he said. 

A morning guy by his account, he is usually out the door by six thirty, six forty, to run in the area around his home in Morristown.  He is not a high mileage runner, keeping in the mid sixty range for weekly mileage.  Stress fractures while in college have taught him to be mindful of his mileage and to not do anything too crazy.

On weekends Poland meets up with a group of runners who train on the unpaved roads off River Road in Bedminster.

“It’s wonderful out there,” he said.  “It’s all soft surface and rolling hills.” 

Poland’s coach is Jon Clemons who was a two-time All-American in cross country and in the steeplechase.  His specialty was the steeplechase and made five USATF national championships.  He was a college coach for six years and coached Poland the four years that he was at Columbia.  Clemons now coaches post-collegiate athletes like Poland.

Clemons and Poland made the decision to enter the Unite Half Marathon at Rutgers next weekend, instead of the USATF New Jersey open men’s 5K championship, Stomp the Monster. 

The 5K might have been an easy win for Poland, and the half marathon could have some tougher competition from outside the state, but Poland would relish such a race.

“If somebody from Westchester or somewhere else comes in that is better than me I could get my doors blown off,” he said.  “At least I would get beat having to run fast.  I would much rather take running  67 minutes low, or 66 minutes getting beat than just to run a 5K and not get even close to my PR.”

“I think the overall take away from the Unite will be better than the 5K,” said Poland.  “To sweeten the deal would be to win the one thousand first place prize money.   I talked to my coach and we both agreed that it would be a really stupid decision not to take the shot.”

STOMP THE MONSTER TUG OF WAR WITH UNITE HALF MARATHON

Tom Poland has a fairly easy choice to make for April 22nd.  He could chose to run in the Stomp theMonster 5K, the USATF open men’s championship or enter the Unite Half Marathon taking place the same day on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick.  With a chance to win one thousand dollars, or even $500.00 for second or $250.00 for third, paying the $85.00 entry fee is not too risky.

For most runners, those who have no shot at the big bucks, paying $25.00 to register for the Stomp the Monster, or even $30.00 on race day is a whole lot easier on the budget than $85.00 for the Unite or $90.00 on race day.  This trend toward higher entry fees has many long -time fans and participants worrying about where road racing is heading.  You’ll be hearing and reading about this more in the days ahead.

Monday, April 9, 2012

APRIL RACES AS PLENTIFUL AS DAFFODILS


Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, April 8, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

Races have sprouted all over the calendar [ USATF-NJ | CompuScore | RaceForum | Runner's World ] like daffodils this month.  Spring may have made an early entrance here in the east but the spring races are right in step. 

Two USATF New Jersey championships have already been run and three more are up for April.  The first was the Miles for Music 20K in Piscataway which was the championship for all divisions.  It was followed by the IndianTrails 15K in Middletown last week for open men and women.  After some glitches in the scoring were worked out, the results have been posted.

The Garden State Track Club put their men’s and women’s A team in first place, with Garden State men’s B team in second.  Raritan Valley took third in the men’s division with the Sneaker Factory fourth and fourth again on the women’s side.  It was the best showing for any Morris area teams.  Individually it was a great showing for Thomas Poland of Morristown who won the race in 48:18.9

This coming Sunday, April 15th a different division comes out to play.  The Cherry Blossom 10K in Branch Brook Park is the masters women’s championship.   The famed cherry trees might have passed their peak but the park is still beautiful.  The course is an out-and- back with a decidedly unlovely uphill start.  But once that has been conquered the course is rolling and not too difficult.  The race offers nice fleece jackets to the top three in each age division and there is a nice prize structure going down seven places based on age grading for the masters women.

There’s a championship a week during April.  That might sound like a problem but after the masters women’s championship, the Stomp the Monster 5K in Marlboro on the 22nd is for open men.  They will have had a break of two weeks after the Indian Trails 15K. 

The out-and-back 5K course is described as fast and flat.  In 2011 Chris Platt of Haddonfield won the race in 15:33, with eventual New Balance grand prix winner Mike Dixon [ results | blog ] of Fanwood second in 15:42. 

The following Saturday, April 28th is the ClintonCountry Run 15K, a championship for both masters men and women.  The 9.3 mile course ranges from flat and along an off road path to one long grade with a good bit of traffic, but the consensus is that it is a nice course.  Especially if one has run the Indian Trails course with its killer hills.

The prize money structure is a bit confusing on the website for the race but there is a purse for open men and women, and for the top age graded masters men and women.  Medals will be given to all age division winners.

Of course not all New Jersey runners are planning for April races here in their home state.  There is a little race up in Boston next Monday that will be drawing a few.  We wish all the Boston Marathon qualifiers good speed, lasting endurance and a great race. 

Monday, April 2, 2012

MK5K HAS NEW FOCUS THIS YEAR


Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, April 1, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012


The MK5K, short for Morris Knolls, has established itself as a fixture on the spring racing calendar in Morris County.  Held in April in Denville, using the fast former Harvest Festival 5K course, it attracted several hundred racers and in the process raised funds to support the Morris Knolls baseball program.

Last year’s race was a somber one.  A former player, and former volunteer, Ryan Steidl was in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a car and thrown into a telephone pole on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th.  It was the first year that Steidl was going to enter the race that he had previously volunteered for, and was on a training run for it when the accident happened.


Former players, classmates and fellow workers turned out for the race to “pinch run for Ryan” as their t-shirts proclaimed.  Through several months friends and family and sometimes strangers prayed for Steidl to recover from his devastating injury.  It was not to be.  He lost his battle on September 15th, 2011.

This year the race is dedicated to Steidl and has been renamed the Ryan Steidl Memorial MK5K.  Funds raised will be donated to a scholarship in his name, but the biggest message that the race organizers hope to publicize is runner safety, according to race director Rich Luttenberger.

Luttenberger pointed out that it isn’t just runners knowing how to run safely on the roads, but drivers have a responsibility as well.

“Drivers need to be aware, too,” said Luttenberger.  “We tend to live in a society where everyone is on the go all the time and we need to remember to slow down and be aware of everybody.”

Runners must always run against traffic, facing oncoming drivers.  It is the prime safety tool for runners who may need to deal with inattentive drivers or those blinded by the sun.

Luttenberger pointed out that another safety hazard is at intersections when a driver is turning right.  The drivers often check for cars coming from the left but fail to look to their right for pedestrians – walkers or runners.
“Since the accident, as a driver, I find myself looking both right, left, right, regardless of the situation,” said Luttenberger.

“As drivers and runners we need to be aware and share the road,” he said.  “Something as simple as looking the other way, or easing off instead of stepping on it.  Yielding.  The little things like that would make a huge difference.”

Because Steidl began his high school years at Randolph High School whose colors include Navy Blue, and graduated from Morris Knolls, whose colors are Green and Gold, the logo on the race shirt will be a combination of Navy and Green.  It will also bear Steidl’s initials and his baseball number, 22.

“Little things to remember Ryan,” said Luttenberger.  “The staff shirts will have safety tips on the back.”

It is not known if Christopher Pannone of Lambertville will be back this year.  Pannone set a hard to beat course record of 14:47 in 2011, using the 5K for a final tune-up for his Boston Marathon later in the month. 

The race is this Saturday, April 7th.   Registration will open at the Denville Community Church on Diamond Spring Road, 7:15 a.m.   Parking is at the church or at the finish area on Pocono Road at the St. Clare’s Hospital complex.  Runners who park at that site should allow for extra time to jog over to the start area.  The race starts at 9:00 a.m.

One last note.   Luttenberger pointed out that we are preaching to the choir here.  Runners who read this column are more than likely aware of the safe way to run on the roads.  It is the casual runners, and beginning runners, as well as walkers who will not see this column who need to be educated.  Think about doing your part by sharing these safety tips with others. 

You just might save a life.