Report by Keith Hosman... The Bread Run 10K starts in Glen Echo Park.The course is half on asphalt and half on the C&O tow path. There is a killer hill around mile 5 and a half.  My time was 49:44 which was over 3 min. better than my Turkey Trot time. This is the first time I have broke into the 40s since I started running again. After the race the runners were treated to hot apple cider and homemade bread.

From our resident Gazelles... Art Reynolds captured his age group (65-69) in the 2004 Fredericksburg Area Running Club (FARC) Grand Prix Series scoring an impressive 4990 points and winning 6 of 7 events he entered and placing 2nd in the other.  Harry Wiggins placed 2nd in the 55-59 age group winning 3 events, placing 2nd in 4 events and 3rd in one event.  CONGRATULATIONS!

Report by Joe Malinowski... The 42nd running of the oldest ultramarathon in the USA proved to be a formidable challenge for all.  Amy Riggio, Sara Blaucher, George McVeigh & myself opted for the 5:00 AM start so that we could take advantage of the 14 hour completion time.  Roger Claussen, Bob Phillips, JC Neives-Campos, and Jim Moore began at the 7:00 AM start.  The day before brought us a constant drizzle/rain that caused for a little concern since the first 16 miles are in the mountains along the Appalachian Trail... lots a rocks and leaves!

 

Race day morning presented itself with a slight breeze, drizzle and fog. This was the beginning of a most excellent adventure!  We trudged up the first 3 miles to the trailhead it had the makings for a pretty miserable day.  The single-track trail, rain, rocks & leaves and the dark made for a pretty slow time in the mountains.  At times the running field actually came to a complete stop as runners maneuvered around turns.  We just had to make up our minds that this was going to be the scenario until we came down to the C&O Canal portion.  Fortunately, we all came down from Weverton Cliffs unscathed in a slower time that we eventually made up for on the flats of the Canal.

 

The volunteers and other runners are what make the JFK such an inviting run.  You even have the leaders of the race say to you, "Great job... keep it up!" And, of course... my wife & Jean McVeigh were at each accessible aid-station to cheer us on and to provide anything we brought along in our drop-bags.

 

This year was also the redemption of Amy Riggio who had dropped out 2 years ago after 26 miles due to a knee injury.  Amy & I also managed to talk her "step-sister-in-law" Sara into running since she had such a GREAT time at the Capon Valley 50K earlier this year.  Amy & Sara were absolutely relentless and awesome throughout the 50 miles.  Like I told them both... they give me strength!!

 

NOTE to John Tempone:  Sara pees more than you do on the trail!!!

 

The most inspiring sight was when both Amy & Sara's parents showed up for the last 8 miles!  They were able to watch their daughters' testimony to determination!  What a day!

 

TEAM LUNATIC RESULTS: Roger "Gazelle" Claussen 8:48:05, JC Neives-Campos 10:32:42, Bob Phillips 11:12:39, Amy Riggio 12:25:32, Sara Blaucher 12:25:33, Joe Malinowski 12:25:34, George McVeigh 13:49:48

Report by JC Nieves-Campos... Well, this is my second time doing the New York City Marathon and I know I've learned from my pass experience. This time I played safe, drove up Friday afternoon and made it to the hotel on time to conduct a recon of the area. I woke up Saturday morning around 9 AM, ate breakfast and drove to the Jacob Javits Convention Center. I was able to walk right into a very short line inside and then right out the center. I drove my "police cruiser" so I was able to park in front of the restaurant that I ate breakfast. I waited for a total of five minutes from the outside of the building to the Expo. Much better than the last time I ran. The expo was huge and had lots of good "expensive" items. I spent about 2 hours walking around and checking out the competition and talking to runners. The rest of the evening I went out for a pasta dinner with my cousin from the Bronx and then to bed around 9 PM after a relaxing day.

Sunday morning came early! I remember from the last time that I woke up early trying to beat the line for the bus. This time I was smarter!  I woke up at 6:30 QM, showered, ate breakfast, got dressed really warm, packed my bags, and took plenty of water and ice in my Camelback. I walk out of the hotel, the same one that I stayed at last time, and walked a few blocks to the bus pick-up point.  This time the line was only one block long and was able to make it into the bus in 10 minutes. The temperature was in the mid 40s while loading the bus.

This year they used color coded corral staging based on your bib number that also corresponded with the truck for the runner baggage check. I was able to make it to the starting line at Staten Island around 8:15 AM. I was able to get plenty of water, bagels, Gatorade, and layed down for a few hours. The temperature started to get warm while we waited. So far it was much better organized that the previous year.

I believe there were over 40,000 runnes in the small park located at the beginning of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. There were long lines everywhere for breakfast, coffee, and bathrooms (females were squatting as they made a huddle around each other for privacy). They had a few live bands trying to keep the runners awake and warm and to keep up their morale. They had a few tents that the early arrivals were able to use. The temperature was now in the mid 60s a few minutes before the start time.

This year they started the elite women first and then 20 minutes later they started calling the different corral colors to the starting line. Finally, they called for the green color to line up. Runners were everywhere! The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was closed in all directions as we were lined-up on the upper and lower decks of the bridge. Prior to the gun going off, there were still many runners wearing sweats and items just to stay warm. Runners were now getting hit by flying sweats, plastic bags, and all the extra clothing that they were using to keep warm. They just threw them in the air trying to get them the to side. One thing that I have learned from all my running, no matter how hot or cold it gets during a marathon, you are always are going to see people that are over or under dressed for the race.

When the gun went off, runners started walking toward the starting line. As the temperature started to rise it reminded me of the Marine Corps Marathon the week before. The start-up was very crowded and I just stayed back and drafted behind a runner and played it smart this time. Finally, we were off the bridge as huge crowds of New Yorkers were waiting for the runners at the end of the bridge. The entire street was closed... a six lane highway! I started at a good pace and couldn't believe there were so many New Yorkers cheering the runners. It was a holiday for them!

As I crossed the 10K chip mat and checked my time, I knew I was doing good! There were people cheering for the runners the entire length of the race. It was very nice and inspiring. I crossed the ½ marathon chip mat and was still doing OK! I noticed that I was not tired and that I had plenty energy left. At this time I started passing people especially on the downhill portion. I was able to conserve my water on my camelback and started skipping the water stations and started gaining the time back. I was doing 8 miles per hour. The aid-stations had plenty of water and Gatorade. Spectators were giving out fruit and handing out paper towels. Of course, I had plenty of honey, Stinger, cream savers, Halls mints and candy and feeling good!

Finally, I saw the 22 mile marker! Amazingly my legs actually felt good through most of the race. My goal was to finish at 3:45.  Damn those last four miles were hell! The hills seemed to be getting steeper, but the spectators were there cheering everybody continue running... 200 yards, 100 yards and I was able to see the blue sign that said FINISHED LINE! I came across the mat 3:44:28 I never felt that great to finish! There were hundreds of people finishing at the same time.

As we continued to walk thru chute they gave me my finisher's medal and handed me a plastic bag with a bagel, apple and banana. When we left the finish area medical personal asked you if you were feeling OK. A few runners had to be carried out on stretchers and were taken to the medical tent where they were given IVs in order to hydrated them.  The temperature now reached almost 70 degrees. I managed to make it to the baggage claim truck and picked up my sweats and changed in to dry and warm clothes. The hotel was only a few blocks from the finished line. I was able to take a hot bath and went out for dinner of a big fat and juice steak. I stayed in New York until the next morning.

Report by Joe Malinowski... On Saturday morning, 10/30/04, George McVeigh, Mike Johnson & I ran a nice leisurely 3 mile run in the cool, overcast foggy mist.  My thoughts were that I sure hope it's like this on Sunday.  WRONG!!  When I woke up the next morning it was already 65 degrees and the humidity at 93%.  The forecast for the day would be low 80's, high humidity and sun!  This is a Fall marathon??

 

Well, we lined up with 20,000 of our closest running buddies and started the 29th annual MCM.  There were quite a few course changes this year that added to our challenge.  For instance, we started the marathon in the opposite direction.  Instead of running toward Crystal City, we ran into Rosslyn and up the "hill" of Lee Highway.  Due to the ongoing construction of the various security projects within DC, we made minor adjustments around the Capitol Hill area and went back into Haines Point.  Maybe we're getting used it, but it didn't seem to be the desolate place where we always "hit the wall!"  After we crossed the 14th Street bridge back into Virginia, we then headed into Crystal City.  But this time, we ran behind the buildings on Rt. 1 and into the restaurant section during a street festival.  That was different!

 

But, the change that really felt nice was at the finish!  After making the left turn off the parkway into the Iwo Jima Memorial area, we normally ran this painful ascending mile that went around the memorial and to the finish line behind it.  This year the 26 mile mark was at the left turn, so we only had a .2 mile to the finish!!  SWEET!!  They also had spectator stands leading to the finish so we were able to our wives, friends and family!

 

The whole day just continued to get warmer.  All you could hear were the sounds of ambulance sirens.  The paper reported over 50 cases of heat exhaustion during the race!  And of course, it was Halloween!  There were quite a few incredible costumes!  Hopefully the pictures came out!

 

I had a great time "catching up" with my Vietnam Vet Bro, John Tempone as we agreed to disagree about the upcoming election!  That's what makes the country great!  And... we had a Mike & Mary Flaherty sighting!It was great to see Mike & Mary coming out to cheer us on at the approach to the finish line! It was rumored that she did have a "tear in her eye!"

 

RidgeRunner results: Jim Slatcher (1st marathon) 3:50:53, Lori Benson 4:37:01, JC Nieves-Campos 4:41:52, Joe Malinowski & John Tempone 5:06:09, Burl Hickman 5:35:34, George McVeigh 6:05:40 and Tom Gross (1st marathon) 6:14:24.  CONGRATULATIONS RidgeRunners!

Callie Edmundson cranked out an outstanding 3:38:45 marathon and finished 1st in her age group! 

 

Report by JC Neives-Campos... The Baltimore Marathon was very hilly, I found out around 5 PM on Friday that they suspended the package pick-up on race day. So, I was forced to drive to Baltimore the night before the race.  That was very good timing because I was able to measure the distance from the BW Parkway to Raven Stadium where the race starts. I made it there in 40 minutes and 40 minutes back. The expo was really nice with lots of merchandise. Race day I got up around 5:30 AM, ate breakfast and drove to Baltimore MD.  The temperature was chilly... it took me 55 minutes to get there and I was doing the speed limit.  I got there with plenty time to get well hydrated and to stretch really good.

I was scared for awhile when I saw runners wearing long sleeve shirts and pants.  Maybe they thought that the weather was going to be really cold. I was able to rest before the race started. I got lubricated, made sure that I had plenty Halls drops, Jolly Ranchers, honey and plenty of fluids. The temperature was in the low 50s making it great running weather. I started walking toward the starting line and was able to recognize people that I saw running the previous years. The gun went off and I noticed that we were running up hill.  We ran up hill for 4 miles and 1/4 mile down hill.

While running the first miles I noticed that a lot of runners had the letter "R" on their backs.  I found out that those people were running the relay part of the race. They were running 6 1/2 miles each one, four members per relay team. Started out feeling pretty good! We ran the first 13 miles to come back to the starting point again. This time the 1/2 marathon started running the same direction as the full marathon did, also the start of the 3rd part of the relay.  It was very depressing to see all those fresh people run pass me like I was standing still.  I was feeling good as I was able to finish the 1/2 marathon at 1:47:13... that was very good for me! T

he temperature started dropping and the hills were still coming. We ran thru some areas that I am glad that the police were standing at the intersection.  At mile 24 I was under 3:55 until I "hit the wall."  Many of the runners were now walking up the last hill. The last 1/2 mile was flat and we finished the race at the entrance of Raven Stadium. I managed to finish in 4:23:40.  The only marathon that I consider harder than this one is the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in Boone NC.  Now I'm ready for the Army 10 Miler, Marine Corps Marathon on 10/31, and New York Marathon on 11/7.  Then the JFK 50 Miler on 11/20.  Go TEAM LUNATIC!

Report by Joe Malinowski... "Andiamo" is Italian for "let's go!"  And, that literally was the start of the 11th running of this Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (VHTRC) classic.  What makes it even more interesting is that the whole run is completely on asphalt.  Very unusual for a club that runs exclusively dirt trails. Needless to say, the asphalt hammered my feet for such a long run! The trail is the 45.5 mile length of the W&OD railroad bed from Purceville, VA to Shirlington near I-395.  There are miles along the trail that are so straight that you could site a rifle on it. Nonetheless, there were 17 of us hearty "soles" that started and completed the run.  It's a low-key race with very little aid, but my wife Kathy crewed for me and renewed some old acquaintances with a few of the wives who crewed for their spouses.  I finished in 9:54 taking more than 25 minutes off of my previous time.

A great Marine Corps Marathon training run... and a great Fall day!  At 5:00 AM the skies dumped rain for close to an hour, but stopped for the start of the Half-Marathon.  About an hour into the race, we had another refreshing rain that lasted for about a half-hour.  Although a road race, the last 220 yards were on the mud covered track of Butler Stadium.  There is a Marine T-shirt that read, "If it ain't raining, I ain't training!". RidgeRunner results: Mollie Galloway 1:47, Byron Galloway 1:51, Amy Riggio 2:08, Joe Malinowski 2:11, and George McVeigh 2:30.

Mollie Galloway and Vicki Crosby posted some outstanding times for the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club sponsored Women's Trail Half-Marathon.  Mollie placed 5th overall in a field of 193 women and 3rd in her age group with a time of 2:13:56!  Vicki also had a great race with a 2:47:42!  Congratulation ladies!!  See the pics at our Photo Gallery 2004.

Vicki Crosby and Kelly Bergenstock posted some great times at the Rock n' Roll Half-Marathon in VA Beach.  Vicki came in with a great 2:07:25 and Kelly with a strong 2:17:21.  Congratulations!

If the constant sound of EMS sirens were any indication of the heat & humidity on race day morning... a group of veteran RidgeRunners came back again for the challenge.  I can't remember when the weather was demanding to take everything you had to get to the finish.  Good times were had by all and our post-race tailgate party was even better!  I do believe were again the last group to leave the parking lot. Check out the pics here!

 

RidgeRunner results:  Roger Claussen (3rd Place age group!) 1:07:33, Mollie Galloway (PR!) 1:21:44, Tom Corris 1:23:11, Byron Galloway 1:27:33, Pete Mendel 1:29:45, JC Neives-Capos 1:33:10, Vicki Crosby 1:34:40, Bob Goldschmidt, 1:38:14, Jodi Tanvas 1:39:43, Amy Riggio 1:40:11, Enith Hickman 1:42:07, Burl Hickman 1:48:20, Joe Malinowski 1:53:20, Andrea Crookston 1:54:05, David Crookston 1:54:06, George McVeigh 2:02:06, and Mike Johnson 2:15:09.  Great Job!

 

Special thanks to JC Neives-Campos for bringing his generator, grill, cooking and providing the music!  

OOPS!  We did it again! A nice group of us met on a beautiful Monday evening for a training and some fellowship.  The consensus is that these runs are a great opportunity to chill out from the normal training run routine and to socialize as well.  Our group this day: Byron & Mollie Galloway, Mike & Pat Johnson, Ernie Fore, Pete Mendel, George & Jean McVeigh, JC Neives-Campos, Bob Phillips, Andy Couch, Burk Hickman and Joe & Kathy Malinowski.

On Monday, July 26, 2004, 6:15 PM Bob Philips, Byron & Mollie Galloway, Chris Andres, Floyd Rayburn, JC Nieves-Campos and Joe & Kathy Malinowski met in the parking lot by Brittany's Sports Bar for an hour training run (Springwoods Dr. route). The rain, heat & humidity didn't deter the group. They also had the back room at Brittany's reserved beginning at 7:30 PM for a little socialization, fluid replacement and appetizers/food. Later, that evening Mike & Pat Johnson and Phil Silas joined for the refreshments.

Brittany's Sports Bar is located in the Dillingham Square Shopping Center (Gold's Gym is there too!) on Old Bridge between Smoketown Road & Hedges Run.

He did it again!  303 miles in 5 days raising $8,012 for the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, Washington, DC.

 

 

RidgeRunner & Virginia Happy Trails Running Club member, James (Jim) Moore is running from Pittsburgh to Washington along the Great Allegheny Passage Trail and the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal Towpath.

 

His run covered 303 miles over five days starting July 20, 2004. As part of this effort, James raised donations to help fund breast cancer education and treatment programs. All expenses and labor for his run were donated. 100% of gross revenue went to Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization™, National Capital Area Affiliate in Alexandria, Virginia.

Report by Joe Malinowski... Another trip down to the Appalachian Mountains of Boone, NC, for what is advertised as the "toughest marathon in America."  If this is any indication of the course... Lance Armstrong trains here! 

 

Well, its been 6 months since our daughter Jodi & her husband Michael gave birth to our first grandchild, Roslyn.  We decided 4 months ago that we run GMM as a challenge for her to get back in shape and it was also Michael's first marathon.  The nice part would be that my wife, Kathy, would be able to baby-sit Roslyn during the race. George & Jean McVeigh also made the trip with us and provided additional support for Roslyn and the rest of us.

 

Race morning at 6:15 AM found us reeling in the humidity of the Appalachian State University Stadium as we waited for the sound of the 7:00 AM starting gun.  2 laps around the stadium track, out on the street thru the campus, then 26 miles UP to the finish line on Grandfather Mountain.  As the sun rose so did the temperature!  It was in the mid-80s by 10:00 AM and starting to cook.  The scenic overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway and then onto the mountain road to the finish were breath taking and welcome respites from the rising heat!  The aid-stations were stocked, enthusiastic and incredibly grateful that we were running for their cause (Rescue Squad & ASU Track/Field).  Michael finished his first marathon in 5:05, myself in 5:14 and Jodi with a great 5:21 (4th place in her age group).  This course WILL KICK YOUR BUTT!

 

What a great weekend with family & friends as we said goodbye & God Bless to Michael, Jodi & our grand-daughter Roslyn!  They will be moving from Nashville, TN to Coeur d'Alene, ID the end of this July!  As you read this, please keep them in your prayers for a safe trip!

The "Blair McVeigh Wedding Trail Run", Umstead State Park, NC 06/05/04

Report by George McVeigh... there we were totally lost on a trail run, asking our selves, How did this happen?  Every thing was great until we made that left turn into the woods.

 

On June 4, George “This looks like a good trail” McVeigh; Joe “Tickman” Malinowski; Eva ‘”Well they must know where they are going” Schmitt; and David “I trust my Brother-in-law” Sherr; decided to run trails at Umstead State Park near Raleigh NC.  We were all in Raleigh for my daughter Blair’s wedding on June 5. 

 

Joe and I decided it would be great to run the new Umstead 100 mile 12-mile loop.  Of course, we were doing so from memory of a map we saw last April.  The weather was misty with a chance of rain later in the morning.  We started running the regular gravel roads.  We pressed off into new territory at what is the normal Umstead 100 mile 2nd aid station.  Everything was going good.  We talked to a Park Ranger and he told us roughly what to look for to leave the park, run along a county road and rejoin the trail system.  

 

Well it didn’t go quite that way.  We pressed on, met the road, went down a hill, and I saw a trail that lead me to say, “This looks like a good trial.”  Oh how wrong a statement can be.  To make a long story short, the trail got narrower and narrower and eventually disappeared!  Of course, it started to rain, not just rain, it poured.  We were crossing gullies on fallen trees.  We came to the powerlines that Joe and I recognized from the Umstead 100 Mile course.  Left or right?  Of course, we went left when we should have gone right.  It was that kind of a run! (Post script... here we were, 4 college educated males, one with two Phds, running under the powerlines in an electrical storm... just brilliant... and PRICELESS!)

 

We pressed on in a real down pour, with lightening and thunder overhead.  By now we were running and climbing hills in brush chest high.  The trail was gone, so we were forging our own.  I am 6’4” so the brush was high.  Up a hill, down a hill, nothing looking good, but the next valley and hill.  We finally came to a road.  Left or right, we went left.  Wrong should have gone right.  After discovering we were going the wrong way, Joe found a tick on his hand.  We stopped and discovered we all had ticks all over up--big ones, small ones, black ones, red ones.  All crawling, going somewhere!

 

Needless to say, we stripped shirts in the pouring rain, and proceeded to pick the little buggers off--yuck, yuck, yuck.  Of course, we were 4-5 miles from the cars, so we proceeded on, still finding them coming out of our shorts, shirts, socks, shoes.  What a mess! At a BBQ at the trailhead, we had quite a story to relate as we continued to find them.  Hot showers and dry cloths never felt so good. Moral:  don’t run under power lines, in deep brush, or the wildlife will feast on you. 

A great race held by an incredible staff in "By God, West Virginia"!  Results: Roger Claussen (18th overall) 4:32:17, Rob Saraniero 4:47:04, Tom Corris 4:58:18, Vicki Crosby 6:12:46, Amy Riggio & her step-sister-in-law Sara 7:04:38, Joe Malinowski & Mary McMurray 7:04:40, and George McVeigh 7:15:06.

 

Report by Vicki Crosby... I’ve run for over 20 years and the longest mileage I’ve done is a Half Marathon.  I’m very comfortable doing a 10 miler but after a Half I would usually be sore.  So I really didn’t want to go any further than that and actually had no desire. For the past two years I’ve had a very faithful running partner, Pat Johnson.  Well, Pat has done tons of marathons, she done a 50K AND a 50 miler.  We’d run every other day during the week and do longer runs on the weekends.  One thing I noticed from running with Pat, I seemed to be getting stronger and faster.  (Of course, we had also incorporated weight training into our workout routine too). 

 

One weekend when Pat had to do a long run in preparation for her training for the Arizona Rock n’ Roll Marathon this past January, I agreed to go out “maybe” 14 miles with here.  The big surprise came when we finished and I realized I had just completed 18 miles … and I felt fine!  That was the moment when I decided that I actually could do a marathon.  I pick the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon in March, a nice flat course.  I followed the training schedule I found on the RidgeRunners’ Website.  I finished that Marathon with a time of 4 hours 34 mins.  I felt pretty good throughout that race until around mile 23 when I ran into strong headwinds on the boardwalk.  Thank God, for Mary McMurray.  She came along and we ran in together.  My recovery from the run was quick, no more than three days.    I knew I’d probably do it again because it wasn’t that bad.    

Believe it or not, I had signed up to do the Capon Valley 50K soon after signing up for Shamrock.  Pat always described it as a “Fun Run”, and was always regaling me with many of the stories from that race.  Not only that, but I was envious of her Team Lunatic jacket.  I thought, what the heck, if I can do a marathon, what’s a few more extra miles?  To get ready for the 50K I again followed the running schedule on the RidgeRunners’ website.  The only problem I had this time with training is that my faithful running partner had dropped out of running for various reasons.  But I was still determined to train and complete the Capon Valley 50K.

 

 Although Pat was not able to run the Capon 50K, she and Mike still went out to support and I was able to carpool along.  I recruited a friend from work, Jodi Tanvas, to be my support and take lots of pictures.  We all arrived in Winchester, VA the night before the race so we could rest up and make a short ride to the start in the morning.  Four a.m. Saturday morning we left for Yellow Springs, WV as breakfast was available.  It was fairly warm, about 65 so I chose shorts and a tank top for my racing outfit.  While I was in the bathroom prior to the race, I remember thinking to myself, “Am I crazy?”  At that point I really didn’t know if I could do 32 miles, especially because of the tapering in the training schedule.  It always felt like I should be doing more not less!

 

The race started at 8:00 AM.  It was a great comfort to see so many RidgeRunners in the race:  Joe Malinowski, Mary McMurray, Amy Riggio and her sister-in-law Sarah, Roger Claussen, Tom Corris, Rob Saraniero, and George McVeigh.  My plan was to stick with Joe and Mary.  I was with Joe, Amy, Mary and Sarah (JAMS) until shortly before the third aid station.  Somehow I had gotten ahead.  I figured I’d wait for them at the aid station and then continue on.  I took care of all my needs.  The locals manning the station were wonderful.  When I was finished, JAMS still had not shown up so I figured I’d better get to it.  The scenery was beautiful with many lush green trees.   

 

Throughout the race we had to cross at least 10 different streams.  JAMS had encouraged me to just run right through them.  I was concerned how my feet would fair, running all those miles in wet shoes.  (Didn’t harm them a bit, actually kept them cooler.)  I forget at what mile I was at (I think around 18), but I took a tumble.  There was no reason for it that I could see, I was on a straight path, no rocks, not wet; but I think one of those evil roots probably jumped up and grabbed me.  I wasn’t bleeding, just very dirty with some minor abrasions that stung from all my sweat.  Towards the last half of the race, it got a bit warmer and there seemed to be an awful lot of steep, steep, steep hills!  JAMS had shown me from the beginning (thank God) to WALK up hills.  That’s how I finished the race, walking up hills and only running down them or on flat terrain.  I found that whether I walked or ran came down to my definition of a hill at that time.

 

I was a little disappointed when I didn’t see anyone I recognized at the aid stations but that all evaporated when I was less than two miles from finishing.  My friends Jodi and Pat had came out to run back in with me.  It was a very big booster for me and made the finish in great.  I finished the race in 6 hours 12 minutes and felt a lot better than I had after the marathon.  The worst thing was waiting in line almost an hour to get into one of the two available showers.  I didn’t dare sit down while waiting for fear I wouldn’t get back up.  The race concluded with a Chicken Barbeque with all the fixings and homemade desserts.  Mike and Pat had me back home by 5:30 that night.   

 

I’m still surprised that my body is doing so well in these races.  This is the day after and my thighs are a little sore but that is about the extent of it.  I found the Capon Valley 50K to be an enjoyable experience and will more than likely do it again!

The 10th running of the MMT 100 Mile has two RidgeRunner with outstanding finishes.  Marty Lindemann (crewed by Tom Corris) with 31:23:27 and Bob Phillips (crewed by Chris Andres) with 34:45:10.  That's HOURS/MINUTES/SECONDS!

Congratulations!

 

Report by Bob Phillips... As I anxiously awaited the start of the run I thought about all of the training runs of the past 6 months and hoped it would be enough to get me through the run. In addition to the length the course is rocky and has 18,000 feet of elevation gain. My training consisted of six runs on the course itself, a marathon, and three 50ks in addition to countless short runs. After the usual pre run photos, and prayer we started the 2.4 mile run to the trail head and the climb up to Buzzard Rock at 5:00 AM. Along the way to the trail head I was passed by fellow RidgeRunner and Happy Trailer Gary Knipling who told me to have a nice weekend. And then it hit me. I would be on the trails most of the weekend!

 

The run itself went very well but I did run into a few problems along the way. At 52 miles I could not make myself eat. Also the rocks began to take a toll on my feet at about the same time.  At 58 miles I tried to eat a little while Tom Corris made a temporary repair with duct tape on my left foot. I had dry shoes and socks but I wanted to wait until the next aid station (64 miles) to put them on because I knew that the next six miles would be wet. The shoe plan worked out well because I got both feet taped at 64 miles and put on dry shoes and socks. The food issue caught up with me around 61 miles. I got dizzy and probably looked like a drunken sailor as I staggered along. Luckily I remembered some issues Tom faced when I crewed for him last year at this run, so I quickly ate a GU and a Snickers bite. It took about 15 minutes for the sugar to kick in but after that I felt better. I did not pass a chance to eat through the rest of the run and had no real problems.

 

The rocks continued to beat up my feet and by 85 miles they really started to hurt but I was close enough to the end that I just tried to ignore them. At 93 miles my crew, Chris Andres, met me on the trail. He had run from the last aid station (96.8 miles). As we ran in everything stopped hurting and I began to “smell the barn.” I never doubted I would finish, but at that moment I knew getting to the finish line was just a formality. After fueling up at Elizabeth Furnace I headed off for the last five miles. Chris again ran back from the finish to meet me and we passed at least six people in the last 3 miles.

 

The run was a tremendous experience but I would not have been able to accomplish it without the help of my friends and training partners Tom and Chris. Tom is always ready for a run in the mountains and Chris was all I the help I needed during the run. He knew when I needed to be encouraged all weekend and more importantly knew when to kick my tail to keep me moving. I now know what MMT veterans mean when they say “Massanutten Rocks!”

Report by Joe Malinowski... a small group of us trekked down to Raleigh, NC, for the 10th Annual Umstead 50/100 Mile Endurance Run.  The run consists of a single 10 mile loop through beautiful Umstead State Park.  We literally watched the red bud trees bloom throughout the day.  The temps were 39 at the 6:00 AM start and got up to 62 during the partly cloudy day.  But, my elusive 100 mile finish was not to be.  The year leading up to this race was probably the best shape I've been in for years.  The cross-training regimen (weights, elliptical, treadmill, rowing) I used during the year produced results that saw my marathon & 50 mile times drastically drop.  I had nothing but high expectations for the 100 miles.  But, the night before the race I had about 3 hours total of sleep... just tossed and turned.  My wife, Kathy, also thought I wasn't eating enough during the race. Both problems proved to be my downfall!  During the 50-60 mile loop I started to have increasing acid digestion that even TUMS couldn't keep down preventing me from eating anything.  And, around 9:30 PM Saturday evening I found myself starting to get so tired that I felt I was weaving along the trail.  Coming into the finish-line at the end of 60 miles, I called it quits!  This year's lessons learned were simple... get more sleep and eat more during the race!!  I'll back next year older and wiser!! 

 

Thanks to Charla Kilburn (John Tempone's main squeeze!) for the pre-race hydration plan!  I had experienced blood in my urine at last year's race and didn't want a repeat episode.  Charla recommended a hydration plan of one gallon each of 3 days leading to the race of ALACER ELECTRO-MIX supplemented with garlic & alfalfa tabs.  It worked like a charm!  I have never peed so much during a race... at least every 5 miles! This is from a guy who may pee once during a marathon!

 

Race results:  100 Miles - James Moore 27:01:52; 60 Miles - Joe Malinowski 16:09:54; 50 Miles - Mary McMurray 12:48:29, Rebecca Moore 15:52:04; 40 Miles - George McVeigh 10:45:11

 

Report by George McVeigh... It was a beautiful day, cold-to-cool in the morning, and up to 62 degrees in the afternoon.  I could not have asked for a better day.  Everything went well through 20 miles.  I was doing the race on a regime of Hammer Gel, Perpetuem “Extreme Endurance Fuel,” (a Hammer Gel Product), supplemented with PB&J’s at the aid stations.  The combo worked in the fall at JFK 50, but not at this event.  Between 20 and 30 I started to tire.  Between 30 and 40 I got real tired, with absolutely no energy.  I decided I had had it and called it a day.  When you do not make your goal, you get really bummed about it.  I figure I got behind on the nutrient intake and could not catch up.  After I had rested and eaten a couple of hamburgers, I felt much better, almost good enough to go back out, but did not.  Decided it was not my day.

 

The highlight of the day was doing the 30-40 mile loop with my daughter Blair.  It was an absolute delight spending a couple of hours mutually experiencing the fun, exhilaration, and even the pain of endurance events.  She and I, did the Kiawah Island Marathon in December—her first, my 30^th .  She is getting married in June and we talked about a lot of things as the afternoon progressed.  She knows what I was feeling as I stated to rapidly deteriorate.  I could not have had a better and more supportive pacer.  She is a great sport and was there to watch the “wheels come off the car,” as my get up and go, got up and went, as they say.  Thanks, Blair, Hope you can be there next year.

 

One final thanks goes to Jean and Kathy, who proudly wear their crew support "TEAM LUNATIC" vests at the aid station.  Both of you deserve a big hug and a kiss for supporting Joe and I in these endurance endeavors.  We love you and could not do it with out your love and support.

 

Our "TEAM LUNATIC" vests were again a big hit.  It started many a conversation through out the day.  Many complements and requests on how to get one.   Bottom-line--You have to be real lunatic to do these events.

Report by Joe Malinowski... We never know what weather the "Shamrock" will bring us from year to year.  During the last 13 years it has been 28 to 82 degrees on the same weekend.  This year was a little strange!  The forecast was for the low 60s, but instead it was a brisk (sometimes cold) sunny day with high gusts of wind.  Some, if not all of us, were wind/sun burned.  With the Sportsfest being under new race management, the course had more aid-stations and DJs playing music for the runners.  We even had our own "Fiddler on the Roof" with a tourist playing his violin on the balcony of one of the oceanfront hotels. We really had a great "kick-ass" day with some RidgeRunners placing in their events and with all posting great times! 

 

Marathon Results: Karen Merrill 3:25:02, 3rd Place in her age group; June McLain 3:45:13; Frank Falgiano 3:57:32; JC 4:09:20; Bob Cooper 4:15:39; Joe Malinowski 4:24:06; Joe Riggio & his dad, Joe Riggio Sr. (1st marathon) 4:26:00; Vicki Crosby (1st marathon) 4:33:40; Mary McMurray 4:33:46; Burl Hickman 5:01:40; George McVeigh 5:55:36; and Carolyn Xanten 6:10:06.

 

Walking Marathon: Pat Johnson & Florence Hamn 6:06:46

 

8K Race Results: Carol Housaman 38:54 (17th out of 191 in her age group!); Chris Stutzman 40:11; Michael Heisey &Rene Carrier 48:23; Mike Johnson 50:00; Janice Gross 1:08; Kathy Malinowski 1:10; Jean McVeigh 1:11; Ray McQuade 1:15; and Mary Jane McQuade 1:25

 

After a day at the races, we celebrated the day's events at the Barclay Towers with pizza, beer & wine to celebrate my 50th marathon!  This madness started in 1977 with my first marathon being the Dallas White Rock Marathon. What a ride the last 26 years have been!  I shudder to think what life would have been without running and great friends I have met along the way!  Ed Demony, from the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club, says it best... "Relentless Forward Progression!" Thank you and Congratulations to all!

Report by Joe Malinowski... a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Williamsburg proved again to make the Colonial Half-Marathon one of our club's favorite runs.  Having missed last year's race, I had forgotten how hilly the course can be for a half-marathon.  The race application describes the course as "challenging"!  Depending on the weather though, "challenging" can also mean "demanding"!  If you have never run this race before, the course can really kick your butt if you haven't banked some energy for the turn-around back to the William & Mary College campus.  Luckily, we had a nice cool spring-like day with a little breeze... perfect!  And the times reflect the great race & efforts by our group.  Based on where we lined up for the start, some of these times should actually be faster by 2-4 minutes!  (It should be a CHIP race!)  Some pictures!

 

Results: Andy Couch 1:28:36, Pete Mendel 1:53:51, Joe Malinowski 2:02:30, Christine Wykle 2:08:35, Floyd Rayburn 2:11:15, Burl Hickman 2:18:04, and George McVeigh 2:35:53.

Report by Joe Malinowski... John Tempone has many times come up to our neck of the woods for the Marine Corps Marathon & JFK 50 Mile Run and has often invited us to run in beautiful Tampa, FL.  Never in my farthest dreams did I believe it would be this great!  We left Saturday morning, 01/24/04, with the threat of snow and 18 degree temperature.  We arrived in Tampa, FL, two hours later with the temperature at a sunny 73 degrees!

 

I don't have enough room on this page to describe how incredible Tampa actually is.  John & Charla's house is literally 10 minutes from the starting line and around the corner from the 1 mile marker.  We left the house on race morning at about 5:30 AM for the 6:00 AM start. The sun would not rise until after 7:00 AM. The only glitch of the day was actually at the starting gun!  As we proceeded to the starting line arch, the mats for the "chip race" rolled up a bit and runners in front of us went down like dominoes!  We caught ourselves and had no problem!

 

At the one mile mark, Charla & Kathy were on the corner with their morning coffee as John peeled off a layer of clothing and on we went!  The flat, fast and mostly waterfront course showcases many of Tampa's most beautiful and historic neighborhoods including Davis Island (where John & Charla live), Downtown Tampa, the Channelside District, Bayshore Boulevard, Ballast Point and Ybor City.

 

I was really feeling great from my new mix of cross-training (ERG rowing machine, weight training and running)!  I felt like there was pent up energy and just stayed comfortable in our pace. John (still nursing a knee injury!) was going to do the half-marathon as both the marathon and the half-marathon started at the same time.  I had to be careful as to which group of runners I was going to hook up!  I came through the half-marathon at 2:05 and John finished at 2:07:12.

 

The final half of the marathon goes through Bayshore Blvd, Ballast Point and Ybor City... multi-million dollar homes that would make your jaw drop!  It was the kind of scenery that really takes your mind off of the task at hand.  Tampa really rolled out the red-carpet for us... bands every few miles, cheerleaders from the University of Tampa, and great aid-stations!  It felt great to finish my 49th marathon in 4:27:26! This race is definitely another one to add to my "tradition" list to run every year!

 

Now the best part was that since we were home by 11:00 AM, John & Charla took us to the beach in St. Petersburg as we watched the sunset in 75 degree weather.  I have tan lines on my arms and from my running socks!  John & Charla really out did themselves in treating us to down home Tampa hospitality!  You guys are the greatest!!!  And now we're back... 18 degrees, snow & freezing rain!!

 

 

 

 

Report by Pat Johnson... The Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon set the record for the largest "inaugural" race field with 29,000+ runners! The race started 1/2 hour late but the marathon course support was outstanding with ample water stops and lots of cheerleaders and bands along the route. We were told 60% of the participants were women. That's far from the norm.

I was feeling under the weather but pushed on anyway at a slow pace. Several times I considered dropping out but reminded myself I'd come a long way to get this state under my belt, Mike was at the finish line and Vicki was meeting me around 23 miles. I saw a guy dressed in a tutu and I almost tripped over the lead singer of the Drunken Prom Date Band. He wore a black dress and was singing in the middle of the road.

The weather was comfortable most of the race because the sun hadn't broke through the clouds yet, but at around mile 17 it came out and the temperature climbed to the high 70s, still not as bad as it could get in Phoenix.

A great end to the day was dinner at P.F. Chang's (highly recommend!) and a long soak in the hot tub. Thanks to Mike and Vicki for all their support!

 

RidgeRunner results are: (Half-Marathon) Vicki Crosby 1:55:07 and Mike Johnson 2:39:49.  Pat Johnson 5:29:02 for the marathon.  CONGRATULATIONS!