Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club: News

Want a long life? Run!

Polly Sparling contributed this link to Yahoo News about a recent study on how running (or other vigorous exercise) helps with longevity.

Link to article.

Marathon Project Millerton Day August 10 Rescheduled to October 25

New Date is Saturday, October 25, 2008 9:00am Millerton Rail Trail.

This is not a race. Just a fun training run with a picnic to follow.

More information coming soon.

$10 Coupon for Rock N Roll Marathon

MHRRC got the email below about a $10 discount on Rock N Roll events. If you want to pursue, just reply to the email. If you have a group who wants to participate, email webmaster@mhrrc.org to put a notice on the web site to solicit group members.

Running Clubs,

You are the contact for a running club in your area that we, Elite Racing, have worked with in the past.I want to make sure you know about the discounts on race entry fees that we offer to running clubs.

If your club members are interested in participating in any of our Rock N Roll events, please send me an e-mail. We can set up a coupon code specifically for your running club that will save each participant $10 off the entry fee. Also, for every 10 people to use this code, you will receive a free entry to use as a club raffle or prize.

If you are interested, I would love to send you other promotional materials.

You can get more information on our races at www.eliteracing.com

Thanks! I look forward to the possibility of working with you on behalf of your club.

Karen Havill Bingham

Elite Racing, Inc.

220 Great Circle Rd. Ste. 134

Nashville, TN 37228

Office Ph: 615-742-1660

Cell Ph: 615-828-1435

Fax: 615-742-1659

khbingham@comcast.net

Elite Racing is a division of The Competitor Group, the leader in endurance sports media, marketing and event management

MHRRC Members at NYC 1/2 Marathon on July 27

Cornell Dawson submitted this email about Sunday's Nike 1/2 Marathon:

Steve, Tom Storey and I were fortunate to get to NYC Sunday morning in the very heavy rain and thunder and lightening for the 1/2 Marathon. Central Park was closed to all runners for over a half hour as we waited out the storm. They were afraid of lightening hitting the trees. The race got off on time. The temperature of 70F was OK at the start but the 90% Relative Humidity made it seem much warmer. It was overcast so the sun didn't bake us.

It is a neat run, one loop around Central Park with its hills, then south on 7th Avenue to Times Square, then west on 42nd Street to the West Side Highway. From there it is straight to the Battery. If you ever want to feel like you are the center of attention in Times Square, this is the way to do it.

The new corral system worked very well. They had a row of porta potties right next to each numbered corral so very last minute trips to the John were easily done. In my corral I found the two Nike race pacers who bracketed my PR time, 2:00 and 1:50. When we started there was not the usual jockeying for positions by faster runners that I found in the NYRRC races in the past.

The race had 10,506 finishers so it was pretty congested in the middle of the pack where I was. It really didn't clear up until we left Central Park and started down the WIDE 7th avenue.

Some food was provided and there was entertainment in Battery Park.

Although I had hoped to do better, my race time was about average for my 1/2 Marathons in the past year. It was 2:02:29. That put me 8th out of 38 in my age group, M65-69. I was surprised to see that I finished ahead of 5635 others. Tom finished in 1:43:17.

The logistics for the race were challenging since we had to go to NYC on Saturday to personally pick up our race packets. We came back home and then had to get up at 3:30 A.M. Sunday morning to get on the road to NYC for the very early race start of 7:00 A.M. I don't think the 5 to 6 hours of car and train travel helped in our pre-race preparation

2008 Empire State Games

Empire State Games were held in Binghamton this year. Some preliminary results are in, courtesy Steve Perks.

Checking through the results I came up with the following locals and MHRRC member who ran in the masters track meet at the ESGs. In no particular order of events, here is what I found. These are all races run on the track.

10,000 meters: 1st 40-44 Roy Zeeb 38:49.2, 1st 50-54 Gil Anderson 41:56.2, 3rd 50-54 Harry Owens 47:13.7, 1st 60-65 Mike Sheets 48:39.5, 1st 65-69 Norm Goluskin 45:01;
5000 meters: 1st 50-54 Gil Anderson 20:14, 3rd Harry Owens 22:38.5, 1st 65-69 Norm Goluskin 21:33.3;
1500 meters: 2nd 50-54 Gil Anderson 5:40.5, 2nd 35-39 Lowell Fisher 4:50.96, 1st 60-64 Vito Decesare 6:07.84, 1st 65-69 Norm Goluskin 5:52.66;
800 meters: 1st 50-54 Gil Anderson 2:45.5, 2nd 50-54 Harry Owens 3:00.3, 2nd 35-39 Lowell Fisher 2:16.7, 3rd 60-64 2:53.8;
400 meters: 2nd 60-64 Vito Decesare 1:11.0

If you have anymore results you want published, contact webmaster@mhrrc.org.

Photo courtesy Harry Owens of Harry Owens, Gil Anderson, Kevin Coughlin (silver medalist from Central Region). Click on photo for full-size image.

MHRRC Fun Runs and Picnic

The August club meeting is Wednesday, August 6 (there has been some confusion with date/day - it is the first WEDNESDAY of August).

There is a minor change in the directions. Number 49 Pond gut Road (the "49" is on the mailbox) is the FIFTH driveway on the left. Look for the yacht next to the house.

Hope to see you there - lots of good running, chatting and socializing.

Cystic Fibrosis 5K for a Cure on September 6 in Marlboro

Chris Wimmers has been active in this race for years because he has first-hand knowlege of how this devastating disease affects young families. You can see a video about it below (the first video on the MHRRC site!). Come out and support him and this great cause.

Registration begins at 11:00 am on race day, September 6. Preregistration race flyer available on this web site.

This is a challenging USTAF certified 5K Run/Walk in the scenic Hudson Valley. The race begins at Marlboro High School and takes you on a pictruesque course with an exciting downhill ending at Marlboro Middle School.

Following the race will be a Marlboro Family Fun Day from 12:00 - 4:00 pm with vendors, food, live music, and more. A shuttle bus will be provided between the schools.

For more on CF and the local families we are helping, watch the video below.

Dutchess County Classic Is Coming Soon!

The September 21 30th Annual Dutchess County Classic is coming soon. Planning is well underway (contact Keith Axelrod if you can volunteer to help - you can volunteer and run).

This is the premier event of the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club. This year's races emphasize health and wellness for the entire community.

See the new full page ad for the Poughkeepsie Journal on this site. Also, the race flyer is available on this site under Upcoming Races / Upcoming Race Flyers. It is less expensive for you to register on active.com than with the race flyer - but we will take your application in either form.

You can also see more details on the Classic web site.

Vote for Bikes That Heal to help New Paltz charity win $25,000 grant

This from Bob Kopac:

It's simple to vote for this local New Paltz bicycle charity and the charity that gets the most votes wins a $25,000 grant from Markham Mark of Distinction. Link here to vote. You may vote once per day between now and July 21

What is Bikes That Heal?

Bikes That Heal promotes awareness, educates people, and raises money to help find a cure for blood cancers. It donates to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as the many hospitals that do clinical research. In addition, Bikes That Heal helps local cancer patients with the extra expenses incurred during treatment (hotels, temporary apartments, travel, etc.). Through its bicycle loan program, Bikes That Heal also promotes health and combats the concerns of rising fuel prices and pollution. Biking is a major step toward reduced energy consumption, cleaner air, less traffic, and a healthier quality of life for everyone.

What is the Markham Mark of Distinction program?

The goal of Mark of Distinction is to spark positive change across America. Markham Vineyards will award $25,000 grants to inspired and passionate people to assist them in executing powerful, tangible projects in their communities.

Marathon Projects Hosts a Running Outing on August 10

The Marathon Project, sponsored by the Council on Addiction, Prevention and Education of Dutchess County, Inc. (CAPE), is hosting a running outing on Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 9:00am. The start of the 5 mile fun run will be at the North East Community Center.The outing is free to the community. Following the run will be post run food and drink. Come meet our youth runners who are in training for the Philadelphia 8K, Half or Full Marathon in November. For more information call Susanne at CAPE (845)471-0194 ext 101.

What is the Marathon Project?

The Marathon Project is a 33 week distance running program that pairs at-risk youth with adult mentors within the Poughkeepsie, Beacon, and Millerton/Amenia communities as well as the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home, DC Department of Probation, and The North East Community Center. The Marathon Project provides opportunities for students to improve health, set and achieve goals and build student adult relationships through running. It is supported by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, Dyson Foundation, Children’s Services Council, DC Youth Bureau, The DC Community Foundation, many civic minded business and individual sponsors.

See you on the rail trail!

Wednesday, August 6 MHRRC Meeting: Fun Runs and Picnic

We are going to do something a little different for our Wednesday, August 6 meeting. Instead of a meeting at the K of C in Wappingers we are going to have a potluck picnic with fun runs before. There will be two options for the runs. The first option will be a run on the roads on parts of the Laurel Run course. There is a nice 3.5-mile loop with easy ways to add on distance to make it a longer run. The second run option will be on the trails of Taconic Hereford Multiple Use Area, aka “909”. We will keep the trail run to a nice, easy paced run of about 45 minutes. Some of the run will be single-track hiking/mountain bike trail.

You don’t have to do one of the runs to come to the picnic. The idea is to have a nice MHRRC summer, social gathering. The MHRRC will supply the drinks (Gatorade, beer, soda) plus some burgers (including veggie) and hot dogs.

We are holding this on Wednesday so as not to conflict with the Locust Grove trail race the next day.

49 Pond Gut Road, Pleasant Valley, NY (Steve Perks’ house. It’s technically in LaGrange, but the mailing address is Pleasant Valley).

When:

Wednesday, August 6 6:00 PM runs begin, 6:45 ish PM picnic begins

SignUps:

We are trying the RSVP function on this web site to try to get a head count. To RSVP, login and go to this event on the calendar and click "RSVP."

What to bring:

a food dish and a folding chair

Directions from Freedom Park on Skidmore Road:

From Freedom Park go north on Skidmore Road. In about 1 mile bear left on Gidley Road. In about 1.2 miles turn left on Pond Gut Road. Go to number 49 (it’s on the mailbox), which is the fifth driveway on the left. If you need more detailed directions email: runtuff@hotmail.com and use subject – Picnic directions.

Where:

Help a Fellow Runner

Tom Malone is a blind runner who has completed some 5Ks and 10Ks. He is looking for a few running partners who will train with him (he runs by your shoulder and listens to your keys jingling - you point out any stumbling obstacles in the road.)

He lives near Casperkill Country Club - phone is 462-6305. If you can help him out, please give him a call.

The Olympics, Twilight Track and You

This is an Olympic year. That means the best in track and field. Unfortunately, none of us are going to get to experience running the 800 meters in Bejing. Still, you can find out what the thrill of racing on the track is all about. The MHRRC Twilight Track Series has three more Friday evenings of racing to go. There are open races of 100, 200, 400, 800,1600 and 3200 meters. (400 meter is a quarter mile, 800 meters a half mile, 1600 meters a mile and 3200 meters is 2 miles) If you've never run in a track race, this is the perfect opportunity to experience racing on the "oval". It's also a great way to get out of that 5K, half marathon, marathon rut and try something new. If it's been since high school or college since the last time you raced on the track then it's time to relive your "glory days".

The meets are held at Union Vale Middle School which is on East Noxon Road (County Route 21) near where it intersects with Route 55 about 3 miles east of the Taconic State Parkway. Check on the MHRRC web site for more details.

See you there!

USAT Sanctioned Running Clinic

Olympic Coach Mike Barrow of the Westchester Track Club and USA Triathlon Coach Dorothy Hamburg will be offering a one-day running clinic and one-on-one discussion that focuses on the specifics of pacing, form and interval training from 10K to marathon distance.

For runners and triathletes of all abilities.

Limites to 20 athletes. Charge of $50 plus some additional expenses.

Link to flyer. on MHRRC site.

Link to blog.

Contact Dorothy Hamburg for specifics and questions at 845 876-1191 or dhamburg@TrainingBible.com

(note: Dorothy Hamburg is long-time member of Onteora Running Club)

Rail Trail Surface will be improved for runners

If you have ever run on the 3 mile stretch of the new rail trail in Hopewell Junction, you will quickly notice that that the surface is full of large stones - not very comfortable for running. Denise Dollard has written several letters to the Rail Trail Committee, and here is the response:

Dear Ms. Dollard:

Thank you for your input regarding the Dutchess Rail Trail. We are aware of the imperfect nature of our "soft surface" on the stage one section. After significant research, we selected a material specification from for the unpaved jogging tread which has been used successfully in the past on many similar installations statewide. The specification focuses upon the gradation, or relative percentages of each size of stone, gravel and smaller "fine" materials which go into creating the proper mix as well as the material thickness, and the construction methods. Unfortunately, there are providers of these materials in the area, the choice of which our specification and bidding process do not control. The quarry that provided this material utilizes an angular, crushed stone for the larger specified stone in the mix. We use this material all the time, usually as a road bed, and it performs very well. In fact, it provides a structurally strong and well draining foundation for most of our purposes.

When the material was placed and rolled last autumn, it was densely packed and had a good measure of the finer material throughout which extended to the surface. At that time, we polled several casual joggers as well as several hardcore road runners and they told us that they loved the surface.

Over the winter we observed that the smaller particles in the trail had begun to settle downward; we suspect some washed or settled into the railroad ballast below. As a result, the larger angular stones began to rest upon one another and the surface set up hard.

We are looking into placing some stone dust or other fine material on top of the existing surface to enhance the surface. This may take a bit of time for us to arrange for funding and find the best material to use. We are also changing the specifications for the soft tread material on the remaining segments of the trail in order to assure a more appropriate running surface.

I hope that I have satisfied your concerns. I thank you for expressing your concern about this exciting new facility. Input from trail users like you will help us to improve our designs and produce the best facility for taxpayers.

Gregory V. Bentley, P. E.
Director of Engineering
Dutchess County DPW, Engineering Division

MHRRC Runners Get Kudos Away From Home

If you haven't been looking lately, check out Racing / Runners Kudos for some impressive accomplishments by MHRRC members.

Check out the Pawling Triathlon, Friehofers 5K for Women, Orange County Classic, and the Lake Placid Marathon. Our new and our experienced runners are making their marks all around the state.

Women's Athletic Association of the Hudson Valley

New MHRRC member Diane Stevens is also involved in the Women's Athletic Association of the Hudson Valley (WAAHV, pronounced "wave.")

This not-for-profit organization was formed about a year and a half ago to promote women's sports and fitness in the Hudson Valley. Their objective is to get more women involved in sports and lifelong fitness.

You can link to their site to find out more.

2008 Dutchess County Classic Web Site is Up!

The new, 2008 Dutchess County Classic web site is up and available for review - just click on the Classic link in our MHRRC navigation bar.

This year, we have done the site ourselves to save some money - it now looks more like our MHRRC site (but it is missing the nice Dreamweaver animations).

Classic Commitee members: please take a few minutes to review the site and send your comments and any errors to webmaster@mhrrc.org . In addition, we welcome comments and suggestions from anyone.

The directions to the Wappingers Recreation Area from the south have changed to take advantage of the new Noxon Road exit off the Taconic (rather than sending our NYC runners winding through Hopewell Junction from Taconic exit at Route 52 and then Route 376). Please review these directions - the Classic Commitee will later decide what makes the most sense.

Next MHRRC newsletter will be combined July/August issue

The deadline for the next MHRRC newsletter is July 15. This will be a combined July and August issue (we are pretty quiet during the summer months). Please submit all articles and content to Deborah at webmaster@mhrrc.org by July 15.

You can expect to see your next MHRRC newsletter at the beginning to mid-August.

We need some articles for that issue, especially talking about the outstanding performances of some of our members: Wayne McDaniel and Conni Grace back-to-back marathons at Boston and Vermont City, Mike Slinskey's Whiteface Mountain Run, and Marisa Hanson's Freihofer's Run.

If you can submit anything about these races or anything else of interest to club members, it would be greatly appreciated.

Earn Free Race Registrations at MHRRC Races

You can earn a free race registration to a MHRRC race by volunteering at three (3) races and collecting volunteer chits.

To earn a chit:

Volunteer at a race and collect a signed and dated volunteer chit from the race director. Chits are non-transferrable. Collect three chits and you can run a MHRRC race at no charge (except the Dutchess County Classic) – just by registering for the race with your three chits instead of money.

Race Directors:

All MHRRC races (except the Classic) must accept volunteer chits in lieu of the registration fee. Be sure to hand out chits (signed, dated, including race name) to your race volunteers. You can get the blank chits from Vince Veltre or Pat DeHaven.

MHRRC Policy as of 5/1/2008