chatter - Checkers AC

FOR ALL ABILITIES
NOV/DEC 2009
CHATTER
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Buffalo's Kevin Guest House was the recipient of a
$2,500 donation through proceeds raised from the
Checkers Mueller Mile, held in Tonawanda on Aug.
29th. The first hospital hospitality house in the United
States has received proceeds from the race for the past 12
years.
Pictured from Left: Steve McGlone, Board of Directors
Vice President, Kevin Guest House, Wendy Guyker,
Muller Mile Race Director, Tom Donnelly, Checkers
President and John Zimmerman, Board of Directors
President of the Kevin Guest House.
We would also like to thank Cathy Allen for supporting
this race by securing apples, cheese and yogurt.
Peter Szymanski and Steve Seerey (one of
Checkers Past Presidents), put together another successful Checkers High School Cross
Country Invitational sponsored by Runners
Roost. The race was held at Elma Meadows,
November 22nd.. It was a perfect day for
racing, sunny and low 50’s. Some of the
course was understandably wet.
www.section6runs.com/2009-2010/2009XC/results/Checkers09/awards/index.htm
Other than the above
link, all XC photos
can also be found on
our website. Thanks
to all who participated
this year in our
Checkers standings.
On Oct 17 and 18th a group got together to have dinner
and run the Columbus Marathon and Half Marathon.
This was the 30th running of this excellent event. The
morning of the race was a little bit colder than we would
have liked so we covered ourselves with extra layers and a
few trusty garbage bags. However once the sun came out
at the race start conditions were close to perfect. The
course is largely flat and runs through the many neighborhoods in Columbus. There was plenty of live music, water
stops, a nice run through the Ohio State Campus and unending crowd support. There was a great after race party
too. Even the Bills made us feel at home by upsetting the
Jets on the big screen TV's!
The group did real well with Marc Ruettimann, Nancy
Sheehan, Kathy Reynolds and Bob Dimmig all having
pr's! Kathy and Bob's were Boston qualifiers too. Bill
Harden won 3rd place in his age group for the half marathon. While there were rumors of my own unusual finish I
will admit to nothing other than finishing my 3rd marathon and thinking "I Feel Fine"! I will also admit to seeing
my first and only post finish cartwheel.
We all really enjoyed this event and recommend it for anyone planning a fall marathon or half marathon. Congratulations to all the finishers.
Tom Droz
Checkers Holiday Party
The holiday season just wouldn’t be complete without the annual
Checkers Holiday Party.
Roger and Mary Roll have once again offered to host this festive event and
you and your families are cordially invited. The party is set for Saturday,
January 9 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Roll residence at 80 South Cayuga
Road in Williamsville. As in past years, please bring a plate to pass or $5 to
help offset the costs of the beverages and food that the club will provide.
It goes without saying, we encourage those who partake in “Holiday Cheer” to
please drink responsibly. And, for anyone who happen to enjoy a little too much “Holiday
Cheer,” we’re offering free taxi service from the party.
It’s going to be a great time and we hope to see everyone there!
The Checkers Marathon season is Complete.
Checkers member Dave Lawrence ran the Space Coast Marathon in Florida bettering
his goal of 4:00 with a 3:52:16. With this race completed, the Checkers marathon group
has finished what to them probably seems like an endless journey. Some were running
their first, some looking to PR and others with the goal of Boston. Regardless of the
goals Coach Mitchell accomplished what she started by getting members prepared to
run a marathon. Coach Mitchell has been leading the Checkers marathon group for a
few years now and also agreed to take over the Tuesday night track workouts. Even
with the double duty our Coach never missed a beat preparing workouts for all who
stepped forward for the challenge of perhaps becoming a better runner. Enjoy the Holidays and the Buffalo winter knowing that our first track workout at UB is just over the
Horizon.
Thanks.
Assistant Checkers Coach Roll
Bleed Green
Website Announcement Forum
A new category has been added to the forum where members can announce
events that are taking place, fund raising, and other items of interest.
Check the Weekly group runs page on the website, check where people
meet to run or add your own favorite route.
Check out the NEW Checkers AC Members Result Page and let us know
how you like it. Click on ‘Feedback’ off the Homepage.
Sun.
Sat.
12/20
12/26
11:00 am
9:00 am
Freezer Run 5k
Upstate Holiday Classic Indoor T&F
W.J. Morrissey’s Pub, Buffalo
RIT, Gordon Field House
Fri.
Sat.
Sat.
Sun.
1/01
1/16
1/30
1/31
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
GRTC Freezeroo Series #2 – 7.5 mi
GRTC Freezeroo Series #3 – 5k
GRTC Freezeroo Series #4 – 10k
Penguin Run 5k
Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford
Camp Eastman Conf Ctr., Rochester
Powder Mill Park, Pittsford
Classics V Restaurant, Amherst
Sat.
Sat.
Sat.
Sat.
Sat.
Sun.
Sat.
2/13
2/13
2/13
2/13
2/27
2/28
2/28
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
11:00 am
10:00 am
9:00 am
11:00 am
Dash for the Dome 5k
GRTC Freezeroo Series #5 – 8 mi.
Alden Black Water Baths 5k
Lockport Y-10
GRTC Freezeroo Series #6 – 10k
Grimsby Half Marathon & 5k
Polar Bear 5k
B&EC Botanical Gardens, Buffalo
647 Long Pond Road, Greece
Alden High School
Lockport YMCA
Harvey Noone Amer. Legion, Churchville
Grimsby, Ontario
Olcott Volunteer Fire Co. Hall
* Current as of 12/7/09 from Checkers A.C. and Buffalo Runners calendars
THE 2009 TURKEY TROT
12,000 was a record number of
entrants for this year. Runners
ran down Delaware Avenue
celebrating the holiday with
screams and cheers on their
way for more celebrating at
the Convention Center.
Checkers President, Tom Donnelly was the
race director.
Congratulations to
David Carroll and Catherine Meyer
on their recent engagement! Who knew??
The hardest part of putting together the newsletter is getting everyone’s name spelled correctly.
Thanks to Jim Figler for helping with some of the newsletter items while I was on vacation.!
Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of
things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares.”
___Jim Fixx
Our deepest Sympathy to Tim Oehmler who lost his brother Pat.
Canadian Racing and Costs
This article is written for folks who do not race in Canada’ just to give you some idea of what runners are up
against when it comes to costs, post race parties, etc. Let me say that I am not writing this to denigrate any of these
races or the people associated with putting them on. Most of these races are very good, well attended and put on
by people who generally know what they are doing. So, in that respect, it is just like racing here in WNY. Here are
some differences. In Niagara, from Ft. Erie to Hamilton, there are approximately 20 races. We have about 10
times that in WNY. Because there are so few events, everyone shows up. Every race is comparable to the “Buffalo
News Series”, Where the competition is incredible..
For example, there is a series of 8 races put on in the Grimsby area. The series scoring is done by points- not aggregate times. This
means that a person can support the whole series of 8 races and not even finish in the top 3 in their div. The people who do win come
in and run 3 or 4 races and clean up the points. A lot of these folks are from Kenya, the greatest runners in the world. How many
people do you know who are competitive with even the slowest Kenyan? Aggregate times have been suggested to level the playing
field, but year after year, there is no change.
I’ve listed some races here with race day fees only and also in Canadian dollars. (Which are not that far apart from U.S. dollars.)
In Toronto area, some pre-registered races are actually in 3 or 4 increments with the fees rising each time.
Some examples:
Jordan
“Fitness”
Confederation “Nutrition”
Grimsby
Peach Bud”
5k
5k
5k
10k
Grimsby
Half Marathon
Beamsville “Bench”
5k
St. Catharine’s “Grapes” Half Marathon
Casablanca
8k
Oakville
Half Marathon
10k
Retts Syndrome
5k
Acura (Toronto)
10M
5k
Hamilton “Around the Bay”
30k
5k
$35
$37
$40
$45
$50
$50 BBQ at this one
$55
$42
$80
$60
$40 $25 in Chicago
$80
$52
$80
$40
And so it goes. Most other races are similar. This last summer, there was an inaugural 5k put on by the “Running Room”. ( similar
to Fleet Feet here ). I did not run this as I saw red flags all over after reading the app. I did however ride my bike over to watch the
finish. Amazingly there where about 80 runners in the event, but as the slower runners and walkers came in, no one was there to
greet them in. They had all left! Gone! The reason why? Only the winning male and female got a trophy. There where no shirts, no
hats, and finally- “no age groups”. The food was cookies and a sports drink.
Five minutes after the last person came in you would not know that an event had just taken place. Everything had been cleared out.
This was actually called a race, and they charged 30 dollars.
Most of the racing in Ontario is put on by syndicates who have little or no competition---hence the high fees. Even so, these events
are well attended.—Where else to go? Most of us remember Rich Van Almkerk who regularly ran 125 races a year. Paul Hassall can
easily crank out 100 in a good year. You can see on the Checkers and the Buffalo Runners website what we are all doing. (Many,
many races). I know of no one in Canada who runs more than 9 or 10 times annually.
In St. Catharine's, there are a group of races put on by a running club. Most of these races have 10 year age groups and then 60 and
up. Most of these events draw well less than 100 participants, so you can understand those groupings. On the other hand, how do you
make it grow and become better? It’s like a catch 22. The same problems existed when I was a club member 15 years ago.
This is not a plug because I have not done this race yet, but it’s the only one I know of, that is like a WNY race. It’s The Crystal
Beach 5k. It’s only 15 minutes away from Buffalo, so they seem to know how to make it fit in.
It is very hard to find a race with “adult beverages”, burgers and hot dogs, and all that fun stuff that we have here. It’s all cold food
(including the pizza). It all makes for a party that no one stays at and consequently there is very little socializing. I have literally been
to some events where the only people left are those getting awards. (and, they leave as soon as they get them). Now to be honest
about all this, I have to admit to not having raced in Canada in the last 6 years. (can’t afford it). However I do keep abreast of everything and try to note all the changes or lack thereof. So, as I get older, I find I want the best bang for my buck and that is here in
WNY. Belonging to 3 clubs and getting in about 30 races a year is doin’ for me.
As I say, I don’t mean to denigrate Canadian racing. I have been a race director, and in Canada, the director generally does what
the sponsors tell them to. And that is simply the way it is and the results are the results.
On a more positive note, as we say in Canada ---“ Even a bad race is better than a good day at work”.
Bobby Heard
Paul Ardounis
Mary Glazier
Jim Kavanagh
Thomas Tarapacki
Fran Warthling
John Teuscher
Karen Aavik
Brenda Bartkowiak
Patrick Carter
Mary Roll
Ray Ernst
Mark Kelly
John Lintner
Andrew Reardon
Dan Shubsda
Lucy Lorczak
Kieran O'Loughlin
Diane Donnelly
Jerry Bergman
Kenneth Heavern
Laurie McGorry
Fred Kobler
Tom Droz
Jacqueline Proulx
Wendy Guyker
Mike Rogers
Annie Schuster
Allison Bartkowiak
Karen Heron
Paul Kozacki
Dave Klimchuk
Darell McKenrick
Gary Raby Jr.
Laurie Seier
12/1
12/3
12/4
12/4
12/4
12/5
12/6
12/6
12/6
12/6
12/7
12/7
12/8
12/8
12/8
12/9
12/10
12/11
12/12
12/12
12/13
12/14
12/15
12/15
12/17
12/17
12/18
12/19
12/19
12/19
12/21
12/23
12/23
12/23
Grant Hennigar
Matthew Mangione
12/25
12/25
Thomas Donnelly
Mike Gillis
Don Bartlett
Becky Donnelly
James Collins
Brenna Symoniak
Paul Wandel
Gloria Santarpia
Diane Sardes
Kristin Bijak
Rick Krollman
Herman van Leeuwen
Bradley Karpie
John Wagner
Meghan Lytle
Lauren Lorek
Joseph Wukovits
Chuck Tokarz
Cindy Bartkowiak
Megan Poeller
Hermann Pohl
Tim Zelasko
12/26
12/26
12/27
12/27
12/31
12/31
12/31
1/1
1/1
1/3
1/3
1/3
1/5
1/5
1/6
1/7
1/7
1/8
1/9
1/9
1/9
1/9
Ron Snavely
Jerry Mangan
Carol Smith
Paul Duttge III
Gary Hackbush
Rosalie Marino-Soehner
Jackie Appenheimer
Kitty Mahoney
Cindy Rehberg
1/11
1/12
1/12
1/13
1/13
1/13
1/14
1/14
1/15
Brad Boyle
1/16
Ann Carbeck
James Carter
Gerry Buchholtz
Dave Eckhardt
1/16
1/16
1/17
1/17
Tracy Adkins
Tyler Carter
Sara Ann Lehner
Bridget Pawelczak
Edye Radice
Peggy Towers
Patricia Judge
Patrick Occhino
Rob Terreri
Tracy Buczkowski
Mary Eggert
John Fenger
Susan Ballard
Deb Morrison
Marc Ruettimann
Mary-Lyn Adkins
Courtney Carter
Margaret Connelly
Billy Flynn
Patricia Hilbert
Steve White
Reginald Pierce
Paul Donnelly
Sam Wagner
Jennifer Schaffstall
Darlene Schweikert
Melanie Grzebinski
Larry Ammon
Elizabeth George
1/18
1/18
1/18
1/18
1/18
1/18
1/19
1/19
1/19
1/20
1/20
1/20
1/22
1/22
1/23
1/24
1/25
1/25
1/25
1/25
1/25
1/26
1/27
1/28
1/29
1/29
1/30
1/31
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Kristina DelaSierra
Simonpeter Gomez
Noreen McAllister
Timothy McAllister
T. Corey Neil
Megan Poeller
Cindy Rehberg
Stephanie Stoll
30,000 career miles
29:56
Jim Figler
Life
31:38
Kieran O'Loughlin
Life
32:04
Susan Ballard
Life
32:26
John Ende
Life
37:52
Laurie McGorry
Course
39:32
24:16
Tom Lansing
Emily Zuppelli
Life
Life
24:32
Maddison Zuppelli
Life
Maritime March 5K
23:07
John Teuscher
Course
UAW Veterans Appreciation
20:05
Rick Queeno
Age-Group
24:23
Mary-Lyn Adkins
Life
19:24
Susan Ballard
Life
24:28
Craig Alf
Life
Annie Schuster
Life
Jon Melnik
Course
1:28:51
Kieran O'Loughlin
Life
1:34:46
Joann O'Loughlin
Life
2:00:08
Krysten Stoll
Life
3:13:32
Ende, John
Life
Tom Lansing
Life
3:50:45
Kathy Reynolds
Life
4:14:10
Nancy Sheehan
Life
4:54:12
Laurie Seier
Life
2:57:54
Elizabeth Randell
Life
Mary Casey
Age-Group
YMCA Turkey Trot 8K
Lindsay's Legacy Run 5K
Bob Ivory Run 5K
Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
Chestnut Ridge 10K Challenge
NF Half Marathon
NF International Marathon
Jack O’ Lantern Fall Classic
Columbus Marathon
Toronto Marathon
Chowder Challenge 5K
3:56:39
38:40
24:07
26:43
Chicago Marathon
2:58:20
Matthew Phillips
Life
Towpath Marathon
3:21:45
Jim Figler
Life
Ellicottville Fall Festival 5K
23:36
Laurie McGorry
Life
Brothers of Mercy 5K
22:27
John Teuscher
Course
Eva Basehart
Roger Niethe
Life
Life
John Teuscher
Course
Dave Lawrence
Life
12:30:08
Tony Garrow
Course
12:31:33
Greg Weber
Life
13:54:28
Pat Dalton Jr.
Life
14:34:54
Diane Sardes
Life
Oil Creek 50 Miler
Pinnacle Charter School 5K
Space Coast Marathon
Ironman Arizona
13:18:52
23:27
3:52:16
New York City Marathon
Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
2:59:40
Annie Schuster
Jane Wright
3:56:39
4:00:49
Derek Dunstan
3:01:44
Chuck Fried
4:07:03
Tracy Adkins PR!!
4:13:14
Amy Koppmann
4:47:58
Henri Kursten
2:54:01
Patrick Occhino
Marine Corps Marathon
Niagara Falls International Marathon
Ende, John
3:13:32
Appenheimer, Thomas
3:55:22
Gene McDonough
3:58:10
Ernst, Raymond
4:00:00
Andrew Reardon
4:28:20
Basehart, Eva
4:01:15
Rowan, Catherine
4:03:15
Madurai, Kumar
4:15:10
Kurek, Diane
4:22:28
Blackburn, Bobbi
4:23:14
Demske, Cindy
4:28:25
McGuire, Sallie
4:29:00
Stoll, Belinda
4:34:30
London, Pamela
4:36:41
Moore, William
4:42:04
Lew, Gary
4:44:49
Terry Gleason
4:49:03
Chotkowski, Lillian
5:45:47
Columbus Marathon
Tom Droz
3:37:03
Kathy Reynolds
3:50:45
Liz Drag
3:37:03
Nancy Sheehan
4:14:10
Laurie Seier
4:54:10
Jerri Joyce
5:09:07
Toronto Marathon
Elizabeth Randell
2:57:54
Chicago Marathon
Matthew Phillips
2:58:20
Andrew Moynihan
3:53:31
Wineglass Marathon
Annie Schuster
4:09:35
Russell Trippe
5:31:30
Rochester Marathon
James Lonergan
Kingley Haas
Linda Haas
Theresa Palmieri
3:30:24
3:45:56
3:46:14
3:51:25
Space Coast Marathon
Dave Lawrence
Towpath Marathon
Patrick Occhino
2:55:31
Jim Figler
3:21:45
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Brian Serwicki
3:22:09
Joe Rutowski
3:46:14
Eva Basehart
4:24:49
Erie Marathon
Helen Botti
Belinda Stoll
3:53:25
4:20:25
4:20:24
What’s it like to WIN a marathon?
It’s been a week since I won the women’s race at the Toronto GoodLife Marathon, and I think have
the answer to the question I’ve been asked the most! I guess I’d compare the feeling to one of the big days in
a person’s life. It’s like getting married or having a baby…the actual moment is so quick (“I do!” “It’s a
boy!”) that you almost can’t even remember it. But what leads up to and follows that moment is where the
story comes in.
I’ve been running marathons since 2002 when I ran New York in 3:44. Since then, I’ve run about
two marathons a year, including Chicago, Boston, Casino-Niagara, Marine Corps, Philadelphia, New York
(again in 2008 but in 3:16), and Buffalo. I slowly and steadily continued to shave time off. It wasn’t always a
big drop, and sometimes I gained a few minutes, but I never really backslid much. I ran Buffalo this past spring and I PR’d there
with a 3:07.
Last spring, I decided to join the Checkers Marathon training group. I didn’t have big expectations; I was just hoping that
there might be something in Vicky’s program that would help me go under three hours. The program I used for the past four marathons I’d run was a mash-up of the Boston Marathon training plan I got from the Boston Marathon website, Owen Anderson’s circuit workouts, some weight training, and a few Yasso workouts thrown in for good measure. My peak mileage for the past two
marathons was between 50 and 60 miles a week. I expected Vicky’s program to bump my mileage up, but it didn’t. The Boston
Marathon plan has a Thursday marathon pace run, so I kept that and I decided to do Vicky’s Tuesday speed workouts instead of the
Boston plan workouts. It turns out those tempo runs and intervals were probably the key to my success!
Vicky had me doing an interval pace of 1:28 for a 400, and a tempo pace of 6:28. Considering my best 5K at that point was
a 19:23, I was basically doing tempos at race pace. The first time I did a brutal VM speed workout (12 – 14 x 400m at interval pace)
was a hot, humid night. I did eight repeats and thought I was going to die! I was so ashamed of my poor performance, I didn’t tell
Vicky, and I didn’t do another one of her workouts for several weeks – I replaced them with some of my old standards. But after a
few weeks I went back to the VM plan, and resolved to just hang in as long as I could.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my training experience over the past seven years, it’s that you have to trust the training.
At first, my race times started to get slower during the summer, and I wasn’t hitting the predicted times that the charts said I could
run. But I didn’t get discouraged – I kept reminding myself that I was training for a marathon, and for me that meant my short distance race times weren’t going to be real quick.
Then a funny thing happened. Toward the end of the summer, my short distance times started dropping. I began PR’ing
(I’m talking LIFETIME PR’s!) in the mile, 5K, and 10K. Encouraged, I looked forward to the Fleet Feet 15K to try out my new
strength and endurance. I ran it in 59:36! Then I ran an 18:55 at Linda Yalem – a nearly 20 second PR! I looked at my recent race
times and compared them with the splits I’d have to run to finish Toronto in less than three hours, and I knew I was capable of doing
it.
When I toed the line at the Toronto GoodLife Marathon, I was confident I’d go under three hours. My goal was 2:58. I was
also hoping to come in first or second in the master’s race. It was 35 degrees at the start but sunny with no wind. Three women immediately went out fast ahead of me, and then another one sped by after a mile. Another thing I’ve learned about marathons is that
you need to be patient and run your own race. I was tempted to catch those women because they weren’t that far ahead. But I could
tell by the way they were running that I would catch them later.
After the two mile mark, the course goes steeply uphill. Then it turns and goes through a neighborhood of rolling hills. One
by one, without picking up my pace, I started passing the women. By the four mile mark, there was only one left and then she
dropped back and I didn’t see her again. I was in the lead! My family was waiting for me at six miles, and they were beside themselves to see me in first place! Around the ten-mile mark, another woman came up behind me and drafted for a while. She was unnervingly close, and I kept waiting for her to pass me. She was breathing hard, but for almost three miles she clung stubbornly to my
right shoulder. Then, suddenly, she was gone. I hit the half marathon point at 1:27:03 – a PR! I felt so good – my breathing was
easy, my legs were fresh, and I was running the steady 6:50 pace I’d planned to run. I saw my family again just after that. They were
standing near a viaduct. As I ran under the bridge, I heard my 12-year old son shout out “I love you Mom!” and it echoed through
the tunnel. That was the best moment in the whole race!
Somewhere around the eight mile mark, a race official on a bike joined me and became my “pace bike.” It was so cool to
have him guiding the way for me. Every time we passed a photographer, he’d point to me and make the number one with his finger.
He led me down to the waterfront. We started passing the half-marathoners and people occasionally called out “Hey, she’s the first
woman!” It was unreal!
By the 16-mile mark, my legs started to get tired. The race course crossed over several grassy areas and it was hard to deal
with the bumpy surface. I was worried that my time was going to start to slow, but I hit the 30K in 20:03 – another PR! The course
doubled back on itself, and I was soon running back the same direction I’d come. I was tired, but still holding the pace.
At the 24-mile mark, the course turned north and climbed uphill. Suddenly I was just beat! I slogged along for a while and
then looked at my Garmin to see what my pace was. Covering the data page was a message telling me the memory was full. I
pressed a button, and the screen cleared briefly – I was running a ten-minute pace!
Continued on next
page……………...
The last two point two miles were THE longest last miles I’ve ever run. I was afraid another woman would come up from behind and beat me at the last minute. I dug deep into whatever energy I still had, and managed to pick up the pace. It seemed like ages
before the pace cyclist finally told me he had to leave me. He said it was a pleasure to ride with me and that I’d run a great race. I was on
my own.
In the movies, the winner crosses the finish line in slow motion. In real life, a man finished just ahead of me, so the race crew
had to leap out across the road with the finish tape just before I got there so I could break through it. I raised my arms, broke through the
tape, and started to cry. But before the tears could come, the race director was at my side, ushering me through the finish line. A woman
appeared out of nowhere and asked if she could have her picture taken with me. Then I was surrounded by reporters with cameras and
notepads. They wanted to know what it felt like to win a marathon. I don’t even know what I said. There was no time to process anything. I’d just run 26.2 miles faster than I’d ever run it before. My head was mush. Finally, I was allowed to walk through the finish
chutes. I couldn’t find my way out, so I just wandered around in a fog until I found a break in the fence. I headed out in the direction I
thought I’d find my family, when I heard my daughter calling me. She’d sweet-talked her way into the finish area (“My mom just won
the race – can I find her to give her her stuff?”), and was on the wrong side of the fence. Eventually we were reunited. There’s nothing
like seeing your teenage children in awe of you. My kids were beside themselves. My husband was beaming.
I went to the VIP tent to wait for the award ceremony. As I was standing there, I looked down at my shoe and realized I’d forgotten to take the chip off. There were a few people in the tent, including a guy in a black jacket and jeans. I found a serrated knife, and
set about sawing at the zip tie that held the chip on. The black jacket guy took the knife from me and cut the chip off. Then he took it
back to the race timers for me. It wasn’t until everyone was being introduced during the award ceremony that I realized the black jacket
guy was Bill Rogers!
I now have my name engraved on a gigantic trophy that I held for a few minutes and will never see again. I have a gold watch,
a finisher’s trophy, the winner’s purse, and lots of pictures. So now I’m officially a marathon winner. Just like those big moments in life,
there was a flurry of congratulations, attention, and admiration. But just like those big moments, life is already back to normal. It’s time
to set my next racing goal. It was awesome to win a marathon but what can top that?!
Liz Randell
“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time”
___James Taylor, from Secret O’ Life
If you’re over the age of forty you’ve probably said it, or at least thought it, “where has the time
gone?” You know, the older you get, the faster the time goes. Those thoughts popped into my head as I
realized I’ve reached a milestone of sorts; I just completed my tenth season of running. Ten years have
raced by at a faster pace than I can maintain in a 5K (or does it just seem that way?). Ten years of
learning about, experimenting with, training for, and experiencing… running. Ten years of new friendships, new places, and new fun… running.
Running; a simple act, really, but so much more!
Okay, I’ll concede I’m one of those who are obsessive about this hobby, because it is more than a hobby. You know what
I mean, you runners out there; deep in your running heart it is so much more than a hobby. It calms us, it eases our pain, it
makes us more thoughtful, it helps us fight illness, it keeps us young and fills us with energy, and it teaches us about ourselves. It is our passion, our way to living a fuller life.
I have read that no matter at what age you begin running you will improve for ten years. My times have improved; I train
better, run smarter, and my attitude has changed. As I begin my next ten years, I want to keep improving, and I think I will.
Will I get faster? Not every time out, but in some race, at some distance, I will.
I also want the next ten years to slow down; I don’t want them to fly by like the last ten. Yeah, I know; fat chance. But
wait! This year I will log close to 1800 miles. If I run farther next year will that mean I’ve slowed time by fitting more running in the same amount of space? Have I just figured out that time-space continuance theory thing?
Okay, back to reality. I recently completed the Niagara Falls International Marathon in what was not my best time at the
distance. But that’s alright, because I like running. A few years ago I would have been disappointed that my body started
rebelling at twenty-two miles; I would have felt that I’d wasted the months of training that I put myself through. But I no
longer feel that way. Training consists of long runs in the hills, tempo runs on the roads and speed work on the track, its hard
work and easy fun. It is solo runs and time shared with friends. But if I wasn’t training, guess what I’d be doing instead?
Running! Pure and simple, it’s all running, and it’s what I do.
I can’t slow time; I can only enjoy its passage. I can enjoy family and friends and all those people I meet along the way.
And I can enjoy running and the places it has yet to take me.
Ray Ernst
THANK YOU CHECKERS PHOTGRAPHERS~
Memories are being made at races where you snap our photos!
Rick Schoellkopf, Joan Crouse, Diane Sardes, Louise Heard and Garry Soehner
Thanks also to the members who filled in when we were not around. You know who you are!
"If anyone is interested in training for the mile or the two mile this upcoming indoor track season,
please feel free to contact Mark at mark_sardes@yahoo.com. (underscore after Mark) The first meet was the
Golden Flash Gala, which was held at Kent State in Ohio on the 11th and 12th of December."
If It Doesn’t Hurt, Don’t Fix It?
Dr. Jim Schaffstall
Some people use pain or symptoms to gage their health, never really knowing what is truly going on inside their bodies.
If your goal is to only eliminate pain instead of getting to the true cause of the problem, you will never fully heal. You
may end up 60% healed (pain usually diminishes to nearly nothing at 40% of the healing process). If not fully healed,
there will always be a weak area in your structure, immune system or nervous system that becomes compromised when
significantly stressed in the future.
There are many ways to minimize or eliminate pain without correcting the problem. Medication, mind-over-matter techniques and compensation are all good ways to get over the pain, however, without specifically fixing the problem. Just
because there is no pain at a particular time doesn’t mean that a joint is not misaligned and wearing incorrectly, ultimately
to cause arthritis or a bone-on-bone situation. As a chiropractor I see it time after time when a patient comes into my office with a long standing bio-mechanical issue, only to want a “quick fix” and not really resolve the problem. If you are
using your chiropractor for pain control, you are missing 90% of what he/she could be doing for you. Every spinal adjustment affects the nerves that pass through that portion of the spine. Only 10% of the nerves are nerves of pain allowing
pain (the body’s structural and peripheral warning system) to be felt. The other 90% are nerves of function, allowing muscles to move, allowing glands such as the pancreas to function and allowing hormones to be released controlling organs
and glands alike. Unfortunately, organ and gland function are not modulated by pain, until it is too late. How do you
know your pancreas is not working 100%? The truth is that you do not know without diagnostic tests, like blood work, or,
until it is too late.
The nervous system is the means through which your brain communicates to all parts of your body, promoting health and
function. The body is meant to thrive. Chiropractic can assure proper nerve function and thus proper nerve signals to all
systems of your body allowing your body to function properly and allow you to live, and run, to your potential.
What is your favorite race course?
• Fleet Feet 15K
• Niagara Falls Half Marathon, finishing at the Falls
• Anything Downtown in Buffalo in the summer
• I like the course for the Lebro’s Fall Classic. I hold a course & life 5k PR there.
• Mississippi Mudds
• The J.P. Bullfeathers 5k course (both for the Engineering Society [former course] and the Nickel
City Roadrunners)
• Goat Island
• Too Many to List!
• Checker's Mueller mile
• Como Park
• The Laurel Run in Silver Creek
• I like courses that offer distractions from the fact that I'm running. I liked doing the first leg of the Nissan Buffalo
Marathon because I could watch the elite runners as the doubled back down by the waterfront. I like the Shoes for Shelter
course through Forest Lawn cemetery because there are things to look at.
• Boston Marathon and Utica Boiler Maker
• Around the Bay 30K
• Either the Wilson Salmon Run or the Run in the Mists course, both really pretty
• Niagara on the Lake Marathon. Views are spectacular!
• Chicago Marathon. Love the city, love the spectators
• Any race on trails
• Lindsay's Legacy
Anything in Niagara Falls Parks or along the river
What race (no longer in existence) was your favorite?
• Resolution Run
• Bullfeathers on Elmwood
• The Sapp’s 10k in Franklinville
• I really miss the Erie County Fair 5k. It was the first road race I ever ran in back in 1998.
• Rooties
• Lisa’s Legacy
• Buffalo Police Chase
• PARKWAY 10k (pretty course around Delaware Park, and was one of the few 10ks that existed).
• The Mother’s Day Race in Delaware Park
• The Old Rut Race course
• I liked the Kenmore Week 5K. My childhood home and my current home are on the race route. It was one of the
first races I ever tried. I still use the route as a training run.
• FBI 5K Run in Buffalo, NY. Last race was 1996
• Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls
• UAW race in Lockport
• Wasn't the resolution run an official course at one time? What a great way to start the new year!
• Ring Road Relay
• WBEN Run For Your Life
Stuffed Mushroom
This survey is compliments from Amy Koppman. Since it is lengthy, it will continue in next months newsletter.
Serving Checkers for more than 13 years
has been Rapid Ray’s Printing on 200
Broadway, Buffalo. There were many
times when we would bring a 12 page
newsletter disc to their shop on a Thursday
and they would have it ready on a Friday
afternoon. We could then fold and mail
them on the weekend. More times than we
can remember, the newsletter has been
Jeff Steinborn Steve Wellenc
Jesse Clontz
Vic Garrow
finished on the very day we dropped it off.
Thank you from Tony and Diane and all of Checkers who enjoy reading the Chatter in ‘paper’ version!
Theresa Palmieri placed 3rd as Masters Female in The Canandaigua Lake 50K.
Kellie Trybalski successfully finished her Ironman Distance, Beaches to Battleship in 13:03:10!
Canandaigua Ultra 50 Miler was Completed by Roger Niethe and Eva Basehart in 13:18:52!!
Congratulations to Jerome Wojnicki who ran a 100 miler in 24:48:25. Yes, TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!!!!
Congratulations once again to Theresa Palmieri, she was 1st Female in the Western New York Ultra Series and
Roger Niethe placed 9th in the Veterans Division.
Eight athletes from the immediate area set their sites on the Ford Arizona Ironman that was held on November 22nd, four of those participants were Checker members. Former 5K runner, Greg Weber did his first
Ironman after crashing on his bike 6 weeks earlier, receiving a pretty severe broken collarbone. The swim
was the only event he worried about since 2400 swimmers entered the water for a mass start in Tempe Town
Lake. (a really murky COLD cement canal). Greg was fine!
Diane Sardes bettered her time by more than a half hour. Although
it was a faster time then when she qualified for Kona a year ago, it
was no where close to what she needed to go back!
Pat Dalton Jr. Pr'd big time! Tony Garrow spent 15 minutes in the
‘Warming’ tent which the organization had set up for the swim.
Since the water was hovering just over 60 and morning temperatures were around 45 degrees, there were hundreds of people shivering as they staggered to the tent.
Chris Ankrum also finished respectively as he persevered though his
painful foot problems during the run. All eight athletes finished.
President’s Corner
by Tom Donnelly
WHAT A YEAR IT WAS
Another Turkey Trot is in the books and I’m happy to report that
we had little difficulty accommodating the record crowd. It was
touch and go the week leading up to the event. We were anticipating
maximum capacity at the Convention Center, so we made some
changes. A new non-alcoholic area downstairs created a lot more
room. After implementing new ideas like this to better manage the flow
inside and out, I was fairly confident all would go well and it did. Thank
you to everyone who helped make the event a resounding success.
Now that the race is over for another year, it’s on to the holidays.
I have to ask; didn’t we just celebrate the end of our track season?
And what happened to 2009?
Saturday, January 9 on your calendar. (Look
for additional party details in this newsletter.)
Reflecting back on 2009, Checkers experienced some significant changes: A new
coaching team for our track program; a new
race director and sponsor for the Checkers
Mile; three new board members; and a new secretary, treasurer,
and president. It’s been gratifying to see all these transitions go
smoothly and result in positive changes for the club.
We also experienced consistency. The support that keeps the club
going year after year continues. Dedicated members quietly volunI always enjoy the holidays. For me, it’s a great time to slow down a bit teer many hours a week, making sure all the services we enjoy conand take life a little easier. This includes a lot more time with family
tinue. There are far too many volunteers to list, but I think they know
and friends.
who they are, and how much I appreciate their hard work.
A big part of the holidays includes one of the best parties of the season, the annual Checkers holiday party. As they have for many years
now, Roger and Mary Roll have graciously volunteered to serve as
host and hostess. If you’ve made it to Checkers holiday parties in the
past, you know how much fun they are. If you haven’t been to one,
you’re in for a treat. Be sure to mark…………..
With 2010 comes the excitement of new possibilities. We have a
great team of volunteers steering and supporting the club. And we
have terrific members, unique individuals, who come together to
share a common passion for running, while making lasting friendships along the way. Here’s to Checkers AC in 2010.
Checkers Athletic Club
340 Puritan Road
Tonawanda, New York
14150
Checkers Members from Buffalo to Alaska
5K-Marathon Running Lane
Happy Times, North Pole
122509
Visit our website at:
www.checkersac.org