the Summer 2010 Newsletter

SOONAR
SOUNDINGS
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Pamakid Runners
Summer 2010
A SUMMER
OF
SERIOUS
ATHLETIC
ENDEAVORS
Letter from the Editor
Inside this Issue
Letter from the President
3
Pamakids on a Page
4—5
High School Running
6—7
Pamakids Running Retreat
8—9
Pamakids Take Eugene
10—11
Pamakid Holiday Party
Reminder
Friday, December 3, 2010
Write Running
12
6:00 PM socializing
7:00 PM dinner
PamaNews
13
Racing Team Report
14—15
Stomp the Grapes!
16—17
San Francisco, CA
Charity Committee Report
18—19
Information: Phyllis
Marines’ Memorial Club
609 Sutter St. @ Mason
(415)752-9930
“They Gave You What?!?” Unusual Race
20—21
Awards
Pamakids Give Back
22—23
Rabbit Dogs in Reno
24—25
Announcements
26
Membership application
27
2
email: rsvp.pamakid@gmail.com
Letter from the President
T.E.A.M
T
ogether Everyone Achieves More--T.E.A.M. That
was a saying my coaching mentor Bob Messina at
UCLA used a lot. I often see it on the back of
shirts. It‟s a neat saying that builds team spirit.
Running may be an individual sport. But it‟s the team that
makes the sport memorable and enjoyable. I started running
when a friend convinced me to join the Aptos Middle
School track team in the eighth grade. Isn‟t a friend how
many of us got started in running? (To see some photos of
Pamakids getting their running start, see page 6) Then I
joined the Lowell High School cross country team. Team.
There‟s that word again. It was being on a team that made
running such an important part of my high school days. I
loved being on a team. I loved having teammates and a
common goal. I loved sweating and laughing with friends at
practice.
When high school ends many of us stop running. Not because we don‟t see benefits from staying in shape--but because we no longer have a team to be on.
Some people are good enough to go on and run in college.
So they delay this, “Now what do I do, I have no team?”
dilemma for four years. I was not one of those people. But,
I knew I wanted that sense of team (and truth be told, also
the competition) so I started my coaching career. Coaching
(four years as the UCLA manager, five years as the Lowell
assistant coach, and now in my thirteenth year as the head
coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral) certainly allows me to enjoy being part of a team. I consider myself blessed to be a
coach.
I also continued to run and set most of my PRs while running for what was then the Hoy‟s Excelsior club in the late
1990s. Ah, to be 27, injury-free, fit, and fast again! But
slowly the energy I got from that club waned. Fortunately,
over the last five to 10 years, the Pamakid Running Club has
increased its racing team presence on the San Francisco
running scene. George Rehmet was certainly at the forefront of the revitalization of the club which has roots back
to 1970 and the first running boom. Virtually every major
race that exists in San Francisco today has some connection
to the Pamakids.
In the last two to three years in particular, the energy from
the Pamakid Running Club has been tremendous. Why?
Because we are that team you used to run on in high school
or college: There‟s the rah-rah runner who inspires and motivates everyone at the races. There‟s the person that cheers
The Pamakid Runners
Board of Directors
meets every month at 380 Hayes
Street, San Francisco at 6:30 p.m.
General members are welcome to
attend as guests. As the meeting
date may change from month to
month, please RSVP to Andy Chan
(coach@pamakids.org) if you wish
to attend.
like crazy. There‟s the teammate that gets everything they
can out of their ability and you admire how hard they work.
There‟s the runner who is not super fast but they‟re the life
of the party after the race. There‟s the serious runner you
can go to for advice, or the goofy one who makes you
laugh. Didn‟t you have crazy characters like that on your
high school team? Didn‟t you love your teammates like a
second family? Isn‟t that what made it so much fun? Don‟t
you have teammates like that now?
I‟ve read that what elite runners often miss the most is the
camaraderie of teammates. What makes cross country and
relay races so popular is that they recapture a team atmosphere that is often missing from adult running.
We‟re pretty lucky to have the Pamakids team. You have a
weekly workout you can attend to see (and suffer with) your
teammates. You get to do a “Go Green!” team cheer before
races. When you cross the finish line, you don‟t go straight
to your car to get your sweats and cool down, you go back
out on the course to cheer on your teammates. You hang
out after the race to socialize with your teammates. Those
are just some of the things that make a team, a team. Treasure it because it is unique and special (not every team that
we run against seems to have the same team environment
that we do.) And also, make sure you participate and contribute to this team spirit in your own way.
TOGETHER this club has done many things at races and
elsewhere. EVERYONE has been getting involved. We‟ve
ACHIEVED some PRs, awards, and fun times along the
way. And MORE is still to come. That‟s our PAMAKID
T.E.A.M.
3
PAMAKIDS ON A PAGE
HOW TO GET INFORMATION
Website: http://www.pamakids.org/
Phone: (415) 333-4780
Mail: Pamakid Runners, P.O. Box 27557, San Francisco, CA 94127
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pamakids-Running-Club/431021030110

YAHOO! GROUPS
The club has two Yahoo! Groups.
One is primarily for the Racing Team.
Join this one to get messages about upcoming races: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/pamakidsracing/
The second is for more general club messages.
You can join this one by going to this link: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/pamakid_runners/

BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS
The Pamakid Runners BOD meets monthly. Members are always welcome. For information on the next BOD meeting, email info@pamakids.org.

CHARITY COMMITTEE
As stated in our mission statement, supporting charitable causes is very important to our club. We have a Charity Committee
that meets three times a year (March, July, and November). Please read the pdf file on the website for more specific details
about the Charity Committee:
http://www.pamakids.org/events/docs/PamakidsCharityCommitteeGuidelines.pdf
To recommend a charity or to find out when the next Charity Committee meeting is e-mail charitablegiving@pamakids.org.

SOCIAL EVENTS
For information on upcoming club Social Events e-mail pamakid@gmail.com.
4
PAMAKIDS ON A PAGE
RACING TEAM
The racing team attends Bay Area races every month. Joining the Racing Team Yahoo! Group is the best way to keep informed about racing opportunities. The racing team schedule is available on the www.pamakids.org website. If you have specific questions, you can e-mail a racing team captain at racing@pamakids.org.
The Pamakid Runners attend many races that are sanctioned by the Pacific Association (PA) of USATF. In order to score for
the club in those races you must join the PA and declare Pamakids (club #134) as your team affiliation. To join the PA go to
this website (http://www.pausatf.org) and click on “Join Now.”
Disclaimer: it is encouraged but not required that you join the PA and declare Pamakids as your team affiliation.

AGE-GRADED SCORING
The Pamakids keep age graded scores on every race that any club member runs while representing the club. Read the pdf file
posted on the website for all the details. Awards for top performances are passed out at the Holiday Gala. E-mail your race
results to coach@pamakids.org.

UNIFORMS AND OTHER CLOTHING
We ask that club members race in the Pamakid team singlet as much as possible. We also have other Pamakid clothing items.
For information on buying clothing e-mail uniforms@pamakids.org.

THURSDAY NIGHT TRACK WORKOUTS
Coach Andy Chan coaches track workouts at Kezar Stadium on Thursday nights at 6:30pm. Cost is $4 per session for nonmembers and $2 per session for Pamakid club members. E-mail coach@pamakids.org for more information.
5
High School Running
C
an you recognize your fellow Pamakids from back in the day? Take a shot at matching the photo to the runner!
Answers on page 19.
To read more about the high school running memories of
Pamakid Runners, download the pdf compiled by Andy Chan.
4
3
2
1
7
8
6
5
9
6
10
11
High School Running
13
12
15
14
16
17
18
See how well you know your teammates on page 19!
Don‟t forget to read the high school running memories of
your fellow Pamakids here (or go to
http://www.pamakids.org/pdf/highschoolmemories.pdf )
19
7
Pamakids Running Retreat by Dave Parrish
T
he Pamakids racing team kicked off the 2010
risked all kinds of injury playing basketball and ultimate fris-
cross country season with a weekend retreat in
bee. After dinner the group spent quality time talking race
the Marin Headlands. Our home-not-so-far-away
tactics and telling
-from-home was the Headlands youth hostel, and we spent
motivational tales
the weekend running, learning, eating and building team
of our past athletic
spirit. With all 25 of us sleeping in a single room lined with
successes.
bunk beds, it‟s safe to say we also got to know each other a
Sunday started with
little bit better!
another ridiculously
Club president and planner extraordinaire Andy Chan was
beautiful trail run
the master of ceremonies, and he treated us to a non-stop
followed by a boun-
itinerary of activities. Andy modeled the weekend after simi-
tiful breakfast pre-
lar training camps he‟d held for his high school athletes, and
pared by our own
the mix of silly and serious activities worked very well for
in-house chefs. This
our group.
We kicked off Saturday with a Mt. Tam trail run led by Anders Ryerson, and despite a few bee stings and wrong turns,
COACH ANDY DEMONSTRATES
PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES
would be a good
time to mention
that we Pamakids have some serious cooking talent on our
team! It was so satisfying eating delicious food that we all
played a hand in preparing.
SIMON NOVICH LEADS JUSTIN MIKECZ IN DRILLS
PAMAKIDS GRAB A DRINK OF WATER AND THEIR
BREATHS AT MOUNTAIN THEATER
the group finished in good spirits. We then divided into
teams and competed in a series of games that tested our
physical and mental acumen. Andy led a master class on
core and plyometric exercises, after which we promptly
8
Speaking of food, on Sunday afternoon our in-house expert
Dr. John Gieng gave an informative talk on good nutrition
practices for athletes. As runners we tend to be very interested in what we eat, especially as it relates to performance.
We also face a constant barrage of nutritional tips from the
mainstream and running media. John‟s talk was a great op
Pamakids Running Retreat by Dave Parrish
portunity for us to learn, ask questions and even get a couple myths debunked along the way. How lucky are we to
have our very own expert on nutrition science?
As the weekend drew to a close, we had a celebratory picnic
at Rodeo Beach before saying our goodbyes. Thanks to
Andy and everyone else who contributed to making our
first running retreat such a success. This is a start of a fine
new Pamakids tradition that we should definitely take into
the future.
PAMAKIDS DIGGING DEEP DURING DRILLS
SCENIC RUNNING ON MT. TAM
THE FIRST ANNUAL PAMAKIDS
RUNNING RETREAT
9
Pamakids Take Eugene by Andy Chan
O
ver the fourth of July holiday weekend, a small group of Pamakids met up in Eugene, Oregon. Malinda and I
were on our way back from the USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Anders and Megan flew up to Portland and rented a car to drive to Eugene. Sherie Lo Giudice and a friend drove up to Eugene. Justin Mikecz was
meeting up with a bunch of college friends. And Jimi and Jenny Smith were with three other friends on a road trip from the
Bay Area to Oregon. All told we had eight Pamakid members in Eugene.
On the morning of July 3, a group of us met in front of the Best Western Hotel to go for a run—and not just any old run.
We ran 3 miles along the wood chip trails along the Willamette River known as Pre‟s Trail.
Later that day we all attended the thirty-sixth annual Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field. The track meet drew a sold out
crowd of 12,834 spectators. Acquiring tickets to this prestigious meet required some quick keystrokes on the computer by
Malinda and Anders on the day tickets went on sale online. The effort to get tickets was well worth it, as it was an amazing
meet filled with record-breaking performances. Some of the best performances ever on U.S. soil took place.
We capped the trip by running the Butte to Butte 10K on July 4. The race had 2500 plus runners in the 10K and another
1700 in the accompanying 4.5 mile walk. Despite over 4000 athletes, the race ran smoothly. We parked in downtown Eugene
to catch the shuttle to the start. We thought we were in the wrong place as it was so easy to park and walk the 100 meters to
the shuttle (where there was no wait at all). I was worried about checking my sweats so I brought my own bag and wrote my
name and bib number on the bag. But to be sure the bag was identifiable, I ended up writing my name and bib number on
the bag in a Sharpie four times! I sat down next to a stranger on the shuttle and she started to ask me if I knew anything
10
Pamakids Take Eugene by Andy Chan
about the course. Then she noticed my name on my bag
and exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, you‟re Andy Chan!” It
turns out she is a coach from Santa Rosa and is a big fan of
Shannon Rowbury, so she recognized my name. It‟s a small
world, that running community.
The race had a nice small town feel to it. Former University
of Oregon women‟s coach, Tom Heinonen, was the announcer. Tom walked around the crowd with a wireless
microphone chatting to the runners. Since I know Tom
from my UCLA manager days, I got him to give a shout out
to the Pamakids before the race. The race course had a
good sized hill in the first mile and then meandered through
Eugene before finishing at Skinner Park in downtown
Eugene. Justin led the way for us in 35:25. I followed in
38:41, then Anders in 44:11, Malinda in 48:06, and Megan in
50:55. We placed second in the Co-Ed Running Club divi-
TRACK-SIDE AT THE PREFONTAINE CLASSIC
sion.
RUNNING PRE‟S TRAIL
MEMORIAL TO
PRE AT THE SITE OF HIS FATAL CAR ACCIDENT
11
Write Running by Heather Johnson
FINDING THE “ME” IN “TEAM”
B
y the time this newsletter comes out, cross country
season will be in full swing and, happily, I‟ll be a
regular participant. This will be the first year since
2007 that I‟ve gotten to run with our women‟s team, and
I‟m looking forward to a few months of fast, off-road running. I even bought special shoes that look much faster than
I do. I‟m ready.
The spirit of cross country adds another dimension to the
usual training and racing regime, especially for someone like
myself who started running after college and apart from any
team environment. Since 1998, when I first started jogging
from telephone to telephone pole in my old Converse
“Chuck Taylors,” I have run most of my miles alone. I‟ve
met others for long runs through various clubs—from the
Nashville Striders, to the San Francisco Road Runners, to
the KStars—but never ran for a “team” until I joined
Pamakids in 2006.
While running for a team certainly makes road races more
fun, the bond deepens in cross country. You rely on each
other more. The scoring system requires either five or three
runners to finish per team, or the team doesn‟t score any
points. So if you flake because you drank too much the
night before or you‟re afraid of getting your a** kicked by
some speedster in a singlet, you don‟t just let yourself down:
you let a lot of other people down, too.
Also, because
there are a lot of
races in a relatively short time
period—ten in
about three
months—you
have time to get
to know your
teammates a bit
better than during a traditional
road race. Carpools to locales
all over the Bay
Area, warm-up
and cool-down
12
miles and post-race picnics add to the getting-to-know-you
opportunities.
As a Pamakid for a few years now, the social aspect of running is nothing new. But for the introverted runner, this
element of cross country can also be a source of anxiety,
even though we are some of the friendliest, most welcoming folks around. Because solitary sports such as running
tend to draw more independent, creative types and outsidethe-box-type thinkers than more conventional team sports
such as football or baseball (though I‟m sure there are intellectual football and baseball players out there. Somewhere.),
I would guess we have more than one member that fits this
bill. They may interact with the group just fine, or they may
keep to themselves a bit more. Or they may just tend to
avoid certain situations that make them crazy. (Certain large
-group/small-space situations make me crazy.) It‟s not that
they‟re anti-social or that they don‟t like anyone. They‟re
probably just doing what they need to stay calm.
We are a diverse group of individuals, with ages ranging
from pre-teen to over 70, coming from many countries and
virtually all walks of life. We have members that treat 26.2
miles as a training run, and others who thrive in an 800meter race. The cross country series isn‟t just for the group
that attends our Thursday night track workouts: it is open
to any member with the willingness to try and the ability to
commit to whatever race they sign up for. If you have reservations about participating, and they don‟t stem from the
pain associated
with running
three or four
miles at nearmaximum capacity, rest assured,
there will be people in green uniforms that will
make you feel
welcome. And
just by showing
up, you have become a valuable
part of the team.
PamaNews by Bill Dake
T
he July 4th Freedom Road 5K and RRCA State
Championship Jefferson Mile was on a Sunday
and had a small turnout. The mile was sooo sweet,
a flat fast certified loop through the museum complex.
Twenty-seven-year-old Jin Diakoku was first male with
4:32.05 and 25-year-old Kelly Dunleavy was first female
with 5:37.84. Gentleman Jin was also first male in the 5K
with 16:56.56, while Sasha Cox was first female with
20:42.40. Jin is not just a winner at running he is newly married to the very sweet Riona; some guys are so lucky. Go to
http://www.peopleevents.org/
Freedom_Road_20100704_Results.html for complete
results.
The Pamakids annual picnic at Samuel P. Taylor State Park
is Sunday, September 5. This will be much better than on
Labor Day Monday, as the traffic is horrendous, one big
parking lot. The Redwood Grove is an incredible place to
socialize. This can be much more than a party as there is
hiking, running, biking and swimming along gorgeous trails
through Redwood forests and along the sides of Paper Mill
Creek. The history of the space will amaze you. Pamakid‟s
treat, there is no charge for park entry, just tell them you are
there for the Pamakid picnic in the Redwood Grove. We
have so few chances to socialize and this is such an excellent opportunity to make Pama friends, so please support it
or it will go away.
Taylor State Park is about 8-10 miles west of Fairfax at 8889
Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and about 5 minutes past the town
of Lagunitas on your left. We have a 12 noon start so that
attendees are not in the way of the volunteers setting up the
site. Yet because the park opens early I would take advantage of the trails, bring your camera. Food coordination &
RSVP: Call or email Phyllis (415)752-9930, email:
rsvp.pamakid@ gmail.com
Be sure to hook up with the Jug & Rose the following
weekend, it is a blast too.
Ohana Road Runners is conducting a Halloween Run &
Walk for Schools in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, October
31, 2010 near the Conservatory of Flowers. All Bay Area
Schools are invited and each participating school will get a
portion of the entry fees as well as 100% of the pledges collected for their school. Today‟s kids deserve the same kind
of support that we enjoyed; let‟s give them that. This will
use the State Championship Jefferson Mile course and a 5K.
Information will be available at PeopleEvents.org. Please
think of Ohana as an organization that unites local running
clubs to support the needy. Ohana needs people who want
to help the needy as members. Ohana volunteers are not
required to pay dues and we also reward our volunteers with
social events.
WINNERS OF THE FREEDOM ROAD MILE CROSS THE
FINISH LINE
13
Racing Team Report
WOODMINSTER
SAN RAFAEL MILE
Congratulations to the Pamakids who braved the “Monster”
and came away with the team title!
We had 19 runners at
the race and a highlight was that both
the Senior Men (Paul
Zager, Keith Johnson, Jim Thirtyacre) and the Masters Women (Fiona
McCusker, Malinda Walker, Jodi Thirtyacre) placed 3rd.
#
Name
M/F Age
Handicap
Time
Actual
Time
15
Justin Mikecz
M
30
1:21:04
1:01:04
33
Steve Lloyd
M
28
1:24:36
1:04:36
36
Eduardo Vazquez
M
37
1:24:51
1:08:51
38
Adam Lucas
M
43
1:25:18
1:09:18
49
Heather Johnson
F
39
1:27:12
1:23:12
61
Denis Glenn
M
40
1:28:42
1:12:42
62
Jeff Huizinga
M
28
1:28:48
1:08:48
65
Danielle Bisho
F
27
1:29:53
1:21:53
66
Ashley Rodwick
F
40
1:29:53
1:25:53
76
Kenley Gaffke
M
32
1:31:02
1:11:02
81
Brent Daniel
M
40
1:32:47
1:16:47
87
Anders Ryerson
M
32
1:33:11
1:13:11
94
John Gieng
M
31
1:35:00
1:15:00
108
Keith Johnson
M
72
1:37:22
1:37:22
115
Trevor Marshall
M
41
1:38:52
1:22:52
118
Greg Talek
M
34
1:40:05
1:20:05
135
Megan Smirti
Ryerson
F
29
1:44:05
1:36:05
179
Olga Tsyvinsky
F
42
2:06:53
2:02:53
183
Marcia Martin
F
58
2:25:31
2:25:31
184
Tony Rossmann
M
69
2:27:47
2:27:47
14
A special shout-out to the three PamaKIDS who gave us
a preview of the future of Pamakid running with the following knock-out performances:
Name
M/F Age
Time
Aram Durgerian
M
15
5:25
Anya Durgerian
F
9
8:10
Liam Thirtyacre
M
12
7:14
For full results: http://www.srtiming.com/2010events.html
TOP LEFT: ANYA DURGERIAN
LOWER LEFT: ARAM DURGERIAN
LOWER RIGHT: LIAM THIRTYACRE
Racing Team Report
CROSS COUNTRY
Two races are in the bag and Pamakids are on a
roll!
Santa Cruz XC Challenge
With perfect symmetry, the Pamakids Men‟s and
Women‟s Open teams finished 4th, while our
Men‟s and Women‟s Masters teams came in 5th.
Phil Widener Empire Open
PAUSTF.org is still not updated with team scoring, but according to Andy‟s calculations, Pamakid
teams placed as follows:
Open Men: 6th
Masters Men: 4th
Masters Women: 4th
Open Women: 2nd
THE MEN‟S START AT EMPIRE
Come out to Golden Gate Park on September 11 to cheer
on our cross country teams!
2010 CLUB SPONSORED RACE CALENDAR
PA Cross Country Series—August to November
Jug and Rose 7.8 Miler—September 11
Bridge to Bridge 12K—October 3
Humboldt Half, PA Road Series (not sponsored)—October 17
Clarksburg 30k, PA Road Series (not sponsored)— November 7
SF Run/Walk for the Hungry Mile & 5k—November 14
PA XC Championships—November 21
Turkey Trail Trot—November 25
Run Wild for a Child—November 28
PAMAKIDS WOMEN AT THE SANTA CRUZ MEET
CIM Marathon and Relay—December 12
Christmas Classic 5k and Miracle Mile—December 12
Christmas Relays, PA Road Series—December 13
** Race captains are needed! Contact John Spriggs if you are interested.
15
Stomp Those Grapes! by Malinda Walker
I
n June a group of Pamakid Runners, happy but tired
Pamakid Results:
from the San Rafael Mile, followed up the race with a
13.1 practice run on the Napa-to-Sonoma half mara-
Name
Finishing Age Corrected
Time
Time
Place
thon course. It was mid-day in June, and pretty darn hot.
Roy Clarke
1:25.21
1:12.54
1st in Division
For me the long hot „cool down‟ after „sprinting‟ a mile was
Justin Mikecz
1:18.35
1:18.35
1st in Division
Monica Zhuang
1:30.47
1:20.18
1st in Division
Andy Chan
1:23.34
1:20.52
2nd in Division
Denis Glenn
1:27.31
1:24.01
aged to show up at the shuttle at the same time. (Thanks to
Keith Johnson
1:58.35
1:24.59
1st in Division
John Gieng and Andy Chan.)
Danielle Bisho
1:35.41
1:26.04
2nd in Division
Six weeks later on Sunday, July 18, 12 Pamakids ran 13.1
Malinda Walker
1:46.35
1:42.13
John Gieng
1:43.05
1:43.05
Christina Lay
1:58.14
1:46.21
The team competition was particularly appropriate for our
Marcia Martin
3:12.31
2:13.37
group, as the score would be determined using age graded
Adrian Jue
3:50.36
3:50.36
one of the toughest things I‟ve done, right up there with
racing a marathon.
The group booked a team rental, collaborated on a pre-race
dinner, and with the help of an expert meet sheet all man-
miles from Napa to Sonoma. The beautiful setting and wine
tasting in the plaza were only part of what drew us to this
race; our competitive group was looking for a team victory.
scoring, the same field-leveling tables that are used to motivate our team of wonderfully age-diverse runners to compete in team gear all year long.
Full race results: http://www.napa2sonoma.com/Results.htm
Unlike the practice run, race day was blessed with a foggy
morning. We did our striders, the Go Green! cheer, and
shot off with the gun. A GU-toting John
Spriggs cheered the team on mid course.
Practice makes perfect! Pamakid Runners
won the age graded team competition,
bringing home a case of wine, numerous
age group victories, and a shout out on the
event website. It was particularly satisfying
(at least for the author) to have our team
place first against the very solid competition that included another talented Pacific
Association team.
CELEBRATING THE SWEET TASTE OF VICTORY WITH
THE SWEET NECTAR OF THE GRAPE
16
Stomp Those Grapes! by Malinda Walker
PAMAKIDS TAKE THE PODIUM EN MASSE TO CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST PLACE FINISH
PAMAKIDS ENJOY A PRE-RACE DINNER TOGETHER
17
Charity Committee Report by Ashley Rodwick
PAMAKID RUNNERS SUPPORT PROGRAMS
THAT SERVE THE YOUNG AND OLD
The Pamakid
Charity Committee‟s next meeting will be held on
Monday, October 18.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: TBD
(email charitablegiving@pamakids.org if you are
interested in attending)
The Charity Committee is now accepting nominations and self-nominations for the coming year.
Interested individuals should send an email to the
President stating why they should be selected.
New Committee will be chosen at the May Board
of Directors meeting. Terms are one year.
A
s federal, state and local budget cuts threaten social services in the Bay Area, programs that focus on fitness and
physical activity are often cut in favor of programs that provide basic needs like food, shelter, health and education. This why the Pamakid Runners charitable giving program is especially important. In response to community
need, the Board of Directors voted to increase the charitable donations budget to $27,000 this year. This is in addition to
$20,000 contributions to the “big three” charities supported by the Kaiser Half Marathon, and will go a long way in supporting programs that are often the first to be eliminated.
Check out our latest donation recipients, all of whom utilize health and fitness to unleash their participants‟ potential and
improve quality of life.
Mission Graduates is a program based in San Francisco‟s Mission District that aims to increase the number of youth who
are prepared for and complete college. Pamakids donated $3,000 to their Outdoor Challenge program, which teaches leadership and outdoor living skills to low-income teens. While we may take for granted the opportunities we have to enjoy the
great outdoors, two-thirds of Outdoor Challenge participants will be participating a planned outdoor activity for the first
time.
The Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center (ADHC), a program of the Institute on Aging, provides nursing,
social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy and nutrition to elderly and disabled adults. Pamakids donated $2,000 for
a weekly yoga class and exercise equipment to help increase participants‟ cognitive and physical functioning. The activities help to improve well-being, increase range of motion and improve the ability to perform daily tasks like bathing and
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On Lok‟s 30th Street Senior Center’s
Always Active program provides fitness classes and health education to
the frail and low-income seniors.
A donation of $2,000 was made to
fund fitness equipment, staff and volunteer training for this program, which
is designed to help the elderly increase
strength, balance, flexibility and endurance in order to reduce the risk of falls.
The Pamakid Runners welcome
your suggestions for local charities
to support! Hopefully, the financial
support we provide will help these important programs
MISSION GRADUATES
weather the storm of a difficult economy.
PAMAKID-FUNDED SENIOR YOGA
Answer to the high school running match-up:
1. Mark Hermano 2. Anna Kurtz 3. Gino Giusti 4. Frank Alupay 5. George Rehmet 6. Christina Lay 7. Simon Novich 8. Ashley Rodwick 9. John Spriggs 10.
Paul Zager 11. John Gieng 12. Danielle Bisho 13. Tomas Palermo 14. Steve Holcombe 15. Stella Hall 16. Brent Daniels 17. Andy Chan 18. Justin Mikecz
19. Merick Dang
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“They Gave You ...What?!?” Unusual Race Awards by George Rehmet
I
n the last issue, I described some distinctive finishers‟
medals that I have come across in my running travels.
There are also some unique non-medal awards to finishers or winners—from equally unique and interesting
races.
Let‟s start with the more familiar
territory and work our way towards the more...let‟s say, unique.
Usually winners get a trophy with
a runner on top. At the Cows to
Coast Half Marathon, I got a trophy...but with a cow instead of a
runner. This small race occurs in
conjunction with the Pescadero
Arts Fair in August, and has a
course that takes runners through
the coastal back roads. If you‟re
out for a shorter distance, the 5k
and 10k races offer the bovine
awards as well. All three races
start at the same time but in different locations—the 10k and half marathon share a starting
line, but head in opposite directions.
Sometimes you can get an award for no reason. In 2003, I
took 4th overall at the Jed Smith 30K
(www.buffalochips.com/Races/JedSmith/jedsmith.htm )
which is hosted by the Buffalo Chips—along with 50k and
50 mile races using a 10k loop. I was disappointed for finishing “out of the money,” until the race director came up
to me and handed me a 4th place plaque. He explained that
the awards company had shipped this award that he never
ordered—lucky me!
The other hardware that I received from the same race was
a horseshoe with a tag denoting my place in the age group.
The horseshoes were painted in gold to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the race.
My favorite awards are those that serve a purpose other
than saying how well you placed. Many years ago, Bill Dake,
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Pamakid and head of People Events
(www.peoplevents.org), used to have coffee mugs for age
group winners. My mother had a collection of award mugs given that she did not have much competition in her age
group. Currently, Pacific Coast Trails
(www.pctrailruns.com) gives out mugs to first place age
groups in its 6, 12, and 24 hour ultramarathons. A mug is
very useful as you can display your achievement to your
coworkers at the office while drinking that cup of joe. Pacific Coast Trail Runs have given out coasters to finishers.
You can definitely use that coaster for your coffee mug to
rest on.
Merchandise is fairly common to give away and is usually
useful. Club members‟ race favorite, the Jug & Rose, gives
wine and a rose to the winners. In Mendocino County on
Valentine‟s Day, the North Coast Striders
(www.striders.org) gave me a pair of boxer shorts with
hearts and chocolate for winning the Willits Classic 10M.
This race goes around the back roads of Willits. Be sure to
stop by the Mendocino Museum there to see the race horse
Sea Biscuit memorabilia.
Another type of merchandise for awards is photos. At the
Grand Canyon Marathon
(www.grandcanyonmarathon.com), the winners got a huge
photo of this natural wonder. I felt sorry for one of the winners since he would have difficulty transporting this postersized framed photo award back to the East Coast. Just
“They Gave You ...What?!?” Unusual Race Awards by George Rehmet
north of Calistoga, the Lake Country Milers
(www.lakecountymilers.org) give out manageable (size-wise)
5 x 7 photo awards in their Spring Has Sprung 10K/5K.
Awards can be used to serve as a souvenir of a race. The
Ohlone Wilderness 50K (www.abovethefog.net/ohlone50k)
gives out trail posts to all finishers as reminder of their running from Fremont to Del Valle Regional Park with 7800
feet of elevation gain and 7400 feet of descent. In other
words, you don‟t see “flat.”
One race that the Pamakid Runners have run annually is the
Brickyard (www.brickyardrace.com) in Martinez. Winners
get a full brick for the 8 mile race while 4 mile winners get
half a brick. The brick theme stems from the 8 mile turnaround at the Port Costa Brick Plant which opened after the
1906 quake to help with construction and ironically was
closed after the 1989 quake. Many Pamakid Runners have
accrued enough bricks over the years to lay down their own
patios.
(www.hatfieldmccoymarathon.com) which takes places in
the Appalachian mountains and passes the sites pertaining
to this infamous feud. When each runner cross the finish
line, they‟re given a medal and a jar with race logo and their
finisher‟s place on a piece of cedarwood which is native to
their area. The jar helps keep the tree scent in. On some
days when I need to “get away,” I‟ll just open that jar and
that pleasant smell will take back me to West Virginia and
Kentucky.
Some people are drawn to race for fast times, location, and
status. But in an era of so many races to choose from, having an unique award is a surefire way to for a race to stand
above the crowd.
Pat Cunneen would agree that one of the most unique
awards happens at the Sandman Triathlon in Santa Cruz.
(www.scsla.org/sandman/index.html). Age group winners
get either statues or framed awards that are covered in sand.
Pat wins his age group every year. The race location and the
distinctive awards are
a draw for him.
But one of my most
favorite and memorable awards is from the
Hatfield McCoy Marathon
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Pamakids Give Back
22
Pamakids Give Back
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Rabbit Dogs in Reno by Anna Kurtz
KENLY GAFFKE
ON WATER DUTY
T
he first weekend in June, some Pamakids went undercover—Team Rabbit Dog Lizard Snake (RDLS) headed up to
Reno for their third running of the Reno Tahoe Odyssey (RTO). For those unfamiliar with relays, a basic equation:
12 runners + 2 vans + 6 cartons muscle milk + who knows what-all-else to eat/178 miles = 1 cabin in South Lake
Tahoe with hot tub at end.
I‟ll admit that after preparing for this race five years (the first time with Pamakids, my official introduction to the club; the
second time not running due to forest fires) I‟m a bit worried that I‟ll be doing this every June for the rest of my life. I‟ll end
up with as many variations on the RDLS shirt as I have Pamakid and common race shirts, deepening the impression that I‟m
a member of some cult when 1) in running clothes, 2) with other Pamakids, and 3) tagged on Facebook in such situations—
which is pretty often lately, folks. [more than one high school classmate I saw at a recent wedding, with whom I‟m not at all
in touch, commented vaguely on how I was running a lot, right?]
Don‟t get me wrong, though—I love this relay! Each year we‟ve had a team that does a great job of supporting each other,
staying enthusiastic, and running hard while not taking ourselves too seriously. As I try to pinpoint what makes this event so
memorable, the recent start of cross country has given me a clue—the more time you spend with a group, the more you go
through together, the more intense the experience. Being stuck in a van with five other runners, their gear, post- and prerace quirks and snacks and smells, brings down any barriers. You become one big happy family or you become my family, on
an ill-advised road trip when I was eight when my sister dubbed us the “van of fools”—but that‟s another story.
That quality, quantity time together also enhances the sense of being on a team and makes the competitive aspect more important. Running at 3 am by yourself is just weird on its own—but when you know that if you catch up to the tiny headlampthrown light bobbing way in front of you, you‟re moving your team up a spot, the adrenaline kicks in and you pick up the
pace, dammit.
Get me and Galen together at the next cross country race and you‟ll hear more about RTO than you ever need or care to
24
Rabbit Dogs in Reno by Anna Kurtz
know. So just a few highlights:
1. RDLS holds the title as “first sea-level team” for two
years running, a category that is no less important by virtue
of our making it up.
2. The relay may bring dog attacks (Anne M.), profanities
exchanged with old ladies (Kelly H.), or kitchen sink toe
surgeries (Tom B.)
3. Leg four has a three mile climb over Donner Pass—
George Rehmet, Dave O‟Connor, Cris Niell and Justin
Mikecz have all taken this on. None have said they would
do it again.
4. It gets bitter cold at night, hot during the day, and hard
to breathe as soon as you take your first step.
CHRISTINA LAY, JUSTIN MIKECZ, AND ANNA KURTZ
5. Rabbit Dog Lizard Snake is the name of a Crazies Will
Destroy You song about a neighbor who may or may not
be a serial killer. Remember that one when you see them on
Behind the Music.
6. In 2009 Frank Alupay ran leg 33
descending the Geiger grade in his
Pamakids jersey to attempt his best age
-grade ranked 10k.
Although we‟ve lost people three times,
they all found their way back eventually.
If you want to know more, there‟s always plenty on Facebook.
TEAM RABBIT
DOG LIZARD
SNAKE
25
Announcements
26
PAMAKID RUNNERS
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Pamakid Runners Club Mission Statement
Our purpose is to promote a healthy lifestyle, support the running community and charitable causes by organizing, volunteering, and participating in running related and social events in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Please visit our website for more information
www.pamakids.org
Annual Membership dues cover January 1 to December 31
$12 Individual
Make Check Payable to: Pamakid Runners
$24 Household (2 or more persons at the same address)
Send to:
Pamakid Membership Chair
( ) NEW
PO Box 27557
( ) RENEWAL
San Francisco, CA 94127
Please give complete information and list all members in your household. You may use a separate page if necessary.
Name
Address
Apt.
City
State
Zip
Primary Phone
Secondary Phone
Date of Birth
Male
Female
Email Address
T-Shirt Size [
]
Check this box if you are interested in joining the racing team [ ]
Join the Pamakid Runners Yahoo email group!
Go to “Yahoo Groups,” then “Find a Yahoo Group,” type “pamakid_runners,” click “Join this Group,” and type in your info.
Club Membership Waiver
RRCA Clubs are required, for insurance purposes, to include this waiver on club Membership Applications. Please read and sign.
I know that running and volunteering to work in club races are potentially hazardous activities. I should not enter and run in club activities unless I am medically able and properly trained. I agree to abide by any decision of a race official relative to my ability to safely complete the run. I assume all risks associate with running and volunteering to work in club races including, but not limited to, falls, contact
with other participants, the effects of the weather, including high heat and/or humidity, the conditions of the road and traffic on the
course, all risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts, and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for membership, I for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Road Runners
Club of America, the Pamakid Runners club and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind
arising out of my participation in these club activities even though that liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of
the persons named in this waiver.
Signature ___________________________________________________________________________ Date ________________
Parent‟s Signature if under 18 years of age __________________________________________________ Date ________________
PAMAKID RUNNERS MISSION STATEMENT
Our purpose is to promote a healthy lifestyle, support the running community, and charitable causes by organizing, volunteering, and
participating in running related and social events in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Board of Directors
President
Vice President—Finance
Andy Chan
Monica Fernandez
Vice President—Club Activities
Membership
Christina Lay
Brian Hutto
Secretary
Social Chair
John Gieng
Phyllis Nabhan
Members at Large
Racing Teams
Danielle Bisho
John Spriggs
Anders Ryerson
Adrian Jue
Immediate Past President
Bill Dake
How to Contact the Newsletter
Soonar Soundings is a quarterly newsletter published for the Pamakid Runners club.
The next issue of Soonar Soundings is scheduled for December. If you have any submissions please send them to the editor no later than
November 20. Please submit your item at your earliest convenience or risk missing the submission deadline.
Letters to the editor are encouraged. All letters and submissions become the property of the Pamakid Runners Newsletter and may be
edited for length and clarity.
The Pamakid Runners Newsletter Editor‟s mailing address is: Newsletter at PO Box 27557, San Francisco, CA 94127.
Email: newsletter@pamakids.org
Issue #40, Winter, 2010 of Soonar Soundings—The Pamakid Runners’ Newsletter
PAMAKID RUNNERS
PO BOX 27557
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127
Pamakid Runners is a
proud member of
the Road Runners
Club of America
www.rrca.org
Pamakid Runners is a
proud member of the
United States of
America Track &
Field Association.
www.usatf.org