MORRIS COUNTY STRIDERS SUMMER SERIES WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, August 12, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

Beau Atwater of Bernardsville was the top man in Morris County Striders cross country series that concluded this past Tuesday in Boonton.  Not bad for a 54 year old man.  His best time in the series, 18:10, was done on July 31st.  Mike Lynch, 48, of Pearl River NY placed second.  His fastest time was 18:14.

Caroline Wolfe, 17, of Florham Park wasn’t at Tuesday’s race but she had the required three races out of four to win the series.  Her fastest time of 19:33 was done on July 17th.  Valerie Zielinski, 20, of Hackettstown had a season PR of 20:47 on Tuesday and took second in the series.   The real story is the third place finisher.  Allison Lounsbury of Franklin Lakes is all of eight years old.  On Tuesday she finished in 22:21.  They age grade children too and Allison scored 81.01% on the children’s scale.

RUNNING SUMMIT IN MORRISTOWN AUGUST 25 AND 26

With the fall racing season less than a month away what better time to have a Running Summit?  And who better than a team of well known running coaches to have as speakers?

Those speakers include Dr. Jack Daniels and Joe Vigil.  The two day summit on August 25th and 26th is being hosted by Atlantic Sports Health and will be held at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown.

Daniels is the head coach of cross country and track at Brevard College in Brevard, NC.  He’s been named National Coach of the Year by the NCAA but he is known far beyond collegiate coaching.  It is probable that if you are a runner you have read an article, or a book by Daniels.  The list of athletes he has coached or worked with includes Jim Ryun, Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit Samuelson.

Joe Vigil was head coach at Adams State College where his teams won nineteen NAIA Team Championships.   Athletes he has coached include Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. His training method for teaching end-of-race sprint training was featured in a recent Running Times article by Greg McMillan that he titled the Vigil Acceleration Workout.

More about these coaches and the summit, as well as cost to attend can be found on the website, runningsummit.com.

NOTE CHANGE OF DATE AND LOCATION FOR POPULAR DOG AND RUNNER RACE

The Hounds and Harriers Run™  that has been taking place at Loantaka Park in Morris Township each October has made a move to South Mountain Reservation reports race organizer Barbara  Rushman of Florham Park.  The race has also moved to a Sunday; October 7th.  Rushman said that the new course is a race director’s dream with far fewer course marshals needed.  She also notes that the course stays on the mostly flat plateau atop South Mountain.  For more information go to houndsandharriers.com

CHUCKLE OF THE DAY

The Morris County Parks folks have opened a new trail link between Roxbury and Randolph that connects the Black River railroad bed trail that goes south to Chester.  Lucky me, I live just a javelin toss away.  I need only cross a small field to reach it from my home to head north to Roxbury on the new stone dust trail.  Where the trail crosses my road there is a sign warning drivers to stop for trail users, of which there are many.  That the local drivers have gotten the message, albeit a bit skewed was illustrated last Monday.

It had rained the night before so I knew the field would be still be wet and not wanting to keep my feet dry,  I opted to go out my driveway and use the road for the fifty yards between me and the trail.

I stood patiently at the end of my driveway, waiting a clear road so that I could do the unthinkable and scamper the short distance on the right, or as we all know, on the wrong side of the street, with my back to traffic.

A car was approaching, with another right behind.  As I waited for them to pass, the first car slowed and stopped.  Oh no!  The driver was giving me safe crossing to the other side.  But I didn’t want to cross.  I hesitated.  She gave me a commanding wave of the hand.  “Cross now, I am waiting,” her gesture said.

I hesitated for a second more, and then I obediently crossed the road as she had commanded.   I trotted down to the trail and crossed back over to begin my run.