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Thursday, May 31 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD..By Alicia Feghhi. Thoughts Running through my Head The look on their face when you tell them that you run…and that you L-O-V-E it! You know what I’m talking about. It’s that curved-upper-lip-scrunched-eyebrows-slight-head-tilt-wide-eyed look. (Yes, I actually made this face and typed it for accuracy. Try it. Now.) I was chitchatting with a group of friends and a few acquaintances, some of whom didn’t know I run. They must have been living under a rock. I was offended when they made “that face.” Especially when that face was followed by “I hate running!” “Unfriend” on Facebook. OK so I didn’t “unfriend.” I couldn’t. After all, it took me four years to get 200 friends. (FYI, I sent friend requests to no more than 10 people. The rest were friend requests that I had received.) I’ll just block them from all my running statuses then. J For some reason, hearing that comment pushed a button. I didn’t retaliate with a lecture about the benefits of running and how much they are missing out. Instead, I said, “It’s not for everyone” with a smile. J But boy, was I offended! I knew not to take it personal, but I still felt that fire inside me. Has this happened to anyone else? But we runners do not want to be anyone else. While others may not understand why we run for choice, “just because”, or because we “love it”, we love who we are and are proud of who we are. If someone does not understand that, then they need to be in our shoes. Let them try it on for size. By the way, I am size 9.5 if you know someone who wants to give it a shot. ;) I’d like to share a very enlightening piece from a conversation I had with Rebecca Wiechman A.K.A. Katy Perry (she looks just like her with that purple wig!). She said, “Run for the experience, not for the time.” Genius! I know this sounds simple, but that phrase has never ran through my mind…ever! I never allowed it to. Katy Perry (whoa, that sounds strange) really puts things in a different perspective. As competitive as we are, slowing down is a challenge. I felt a cringe as I typed “slowing down.” As much as I have the urge to erase it, I will leave it. It’s tough to get out of that mindset of beating the clock. Just like I train my body, I’d have to train my mind. I know I won’t be a pro at this when I wake up tomorrow. I’d be pro-in-training. I conclude this with a massive THANK YOU for the guidance from my teammates. Please accept this shout-out in the newsletter as I don’t know how to fully express my appreciation. I can repay you in the form of GU, letting you borrow my Garmin, giving you drinks/Gatorade, walking your dog (Jessica Almeida, I’ll take Rock for a walk for some pet therapy), or helping you move (hint, Rebecca). At the very least, please accept a hug. J R n always,Alicia Feghhi Thursday, May 31 Interclub Challenge...We Need You..By Barbara Tupper INTERCLUB CHALLENGEWE NEED YOUSunday, July 22, 9 a.m. sharpBrookdale Park --- Upper parking lot The Interclub Challenge is the most fun race you’ll ever do! It’s a “friendly” competition between the Essex Running Club, The Do Run Runners, Rose City and a few other clubs. No race fee, no t-shirts but we do give out medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Overall runners as well as youngest and oldest runner. Two trophies are up for Club bragging rights. The 1st trophy is for the overall “Club” winner. The 2nd trophy is just between the Essex Running Club and CRRC. The course: Three 1.1 mile loops in Brookdale Park (3.3 miles)The start: A twist – we go in order of “age” starting with the oldest runners 1st. Anyone can win. Now I know this is the day after Teterboro, but we select this weekend on purpose since many of the runners are here that weekend running Teterboro 5k. Who do we need? YOU – everyone counts – this is a total club race, you do not have to belong to USATFNJ. So, mark your calendars and come defend Club pride and club honor. CRRC has a nine-year winning streak winning both trophies since 2004 and we are determined to keep it going. Let’s strive for the largest CRR turnout in the history of the ITC. - Barbara Tupper Thursday, May 31 Road Runner of the Month.Up for the Challenge Road Runner of the Month . By Alicia Feghhi. Road Runner of the Month Up for the Challenge By Alicia Feghhi The situation: overweight, weighing in at about 230 pounds at the age of 19. At 26, two bulging discs in the lower back. The dare: To lose weight and to overcome this injury without surgery. The solution: Core muscle training, physical therapy, and running. “I don’t give up on challenges very easily,” said Philip Almeida, 34, of Harrison. During his sophomore year in college, he put himself on a “strict diet” and lost 55 pounds in four months. “I had never been very active or watched my diet growing up.” Now Almeida maintains a healthy lifestyle and workout regime. “Running, as well as other fitness activities, is a catalyst to release stress and a way to balance my love of food and beer.” He started running on the treadmill and it wasn’t until two 2010 when he started road racing, thanks to a challenge from his wife, Jessica, who started competitive racing with him. “Running outside and competitively is definitely a much better experience than indoors.” To go along with his competitive drive, he joined the CRRC last year with his wife. “I love the competitiveness and teamwork. It really helps boost your confidence and achieve new PRs when you know you are fighting for your team.” The couple ran 14 5K races in the summer of 2010. “It was a fun and healthy hobby that we could do together,” he said. “I started challenging myself and developing goals to beat my previous times and kept pushing myself.” They pushed themselves a little too much last year, competing in 26 races. “We backed off a bit and began racing in longer races, but less often.” Jessica introduced her husband to another challenge in the form of an anniversary gift-- P90X. “I loved the challenge and accepted it,” he said. (Editor’s note— he had better accept it! Right, Jessica?) Jessica upped the ante with the second version of P90X as a Valentine’s Day present this year. Challenge accepted, of course.P90X is a convenient program for Almeida, whose job as a Caribbean and Central America Sales Manager requires extensive travel. “It’s important for me to be able to stay active and do a quick workout wherever I am,” said Almeida, who has been with Kohler Co., for about nine years. He graduated with a degree in marketing from William Paterson University in Wayne in 2000.
Almeida attributes his workout regimen and determination to his success. He has managed going from an 8:45/m pace to 7:15/m pace in the last two years-- without injury. His PRs include:5K – MetLife Stadium 5K, Meadowlands, 22:02 (7’04”/m) - 5/5/1210K – Newport 10,000, Jersey City, 46:30(7’29”/m) – 5/12/128K – Ashenfelter 8K, Glen Ridge, 37:43 (7’31”/m) – 11/24/1110 mile – Ocean Mile Drive 10-miler, Cape May, 1:24:20 (8’26”/m) – 3/25/12 His next goal: to run below a seven-minute pace in a 5K by next year. Challenge accepted. Thursday, May 31 Anniversary for the Lucky 13's Trip to Toronto. Anniversary for the Lucky 13’s Trip to TorontoBy Mary FarrellAlthough a year has passed since the Lucky 13 went to Toronto to run the Goodlife Fitness Half and Marathon, its memory still lingers. Some of the finest unscripted comedy occurred during that eventful weekend. Bryan and Paul were side-lined because of injuries, but as Bryan said, “it beats a weekend in New Jersey”. Little did he know what would unfold during the weekend. Shortly after our safe arrival in Toronto, (kudos to Esly for driving the long journey from Clifton via Niagara Falls), one of the runners magically evaporated during the First Supper of the remaining 12 in a sports bar. Luckily the vagrant’s vibrant-colored shirt enabled the squad team of Esly and George to locate him – he was exploring the sights!The Glen Grove Suites had nothing sweet to offer and roommates Esly, Bryan and Arturo arranged to relocate to a bigger room. It was quite an amusing sight to see three men move their personal effects from one room to another, whilst Arturo was racing down the corridor with his prized possession of a lidless, pot full of milk. Milk in Canada is provided in a sealed plastic bag and once opened, you had better act fast and place it in a receptacle. Arturo used his creativity and used one of the pots provided in the room. George was renamed Kramer (Seinfeld) as chaos was the norm. The morning of the race, George needed his coffee fix and thought that Ben, Rosa and Diana would make him some in an instant. He called their room at 5:30 a.m. and a woman by the name of “Dana” answered. He regretted having awakened Dana (whom he later discovered was Diana) from her sleep and decided it was quicker to go there on foot to find Ben in his undies, who was not prepared to make coffee at 5:30 a.m. He proceeded to the lobby and asked the management for coffee, but they had none as coffee was only available at 7 a.m. George was very disappointed and Mary came to the rescue by making some freshly-ground coffee. Before the race, we were relaxing in the lobby and George forgot his bib. Thanks to eagle eye Rosa who observed the oversight as he would not have received due recognition for his athletic efforts.Jaime, Arturo, Joanna and Mary ran the half and escaped the heavy rain while Daniel, Esly, George, Karen, Rosa and Diana had to endure the downpour. When Mary had finished her half, she decided to return to the course and cheer on her fellow club mates. Arturo finished his half, winning his age group – 60-64 and went back on the course to find Diana and ran the last few miles of her marathon with her - this is what team spirit is all about. Bryan and Mary cheered on many marathoners who were walking at this stage and it was very rewarding to see them smile and resume running. Paul spotted Esly as he approached the finish line and decided to run with him. A homeless lady, aptly clad, (captured by the mischievous Jaime on camera) decided to join them! Esly was then nicknamed the Peruvian Miner. The identity of the Homeless Lady shall remain anonymous! Ben, who was suffering from a severe bout of shingles, attempted to run the marathon and is to be commended for his strength and determination. He ran 15 miles in excruciating pain and then succumbed to the relentless agony inflicted on him by the shingles. He did receive the half marathon medal – a small compensation for his valour. During the trip, Ben attracted a lot of attention as he kept winking at people! He couldn’t control his eye movement as the shingles had really taken hold. The journey back was another adventure. When we arrived at the border, the Border Police asked what we had to declare, and Esly replied, “medals”! We were then escorted to the Border Immigration Hall and were held there for some time. This was another spectacle as most of us were limping and some were wearing shorts with bandages on their legs. The walking wounded (to quote Tom Allen) had been summoned. Lifelong friendships were formed during this event and despite Esly’s protestations of “never again”, he has expressed interest in another trip and Ben, Bryan and Paul have some unfinished business to attend to! Thursday, May 31 View from a Short Perspective by Bill Indek. View from a Short PerspectiveBy Bill Indek Well, I hope all of our CRRC family is staying healthy and enjoying the spring and the races. A word to the wise- be careful not to over race as the good weather sometimes lures you in to more races than one should compete in without sufficient recovery time. I have just started the book by Alberto Salazar- titled- 14 Minutes. He was famous back in the late 1970's and early 80's for very intense training and racing. He now coaches the elite runners out at Nike in Oregon. He speaks about the need to have a game plan for the year and the following year- allowing time to recover and do alternate exercises to balance the one -way use we runners put our muscles to work. I have found yoga a great supplement and do various drills once a week to call other muscles in to play.As previously mentioned, I play in a Senior Softball League in Rockland, NY and have found that cutting back a bit on the running- along with the yoga and drills- has allowed me a greater range of motion. As a matter of fact- I am batting better than I did 15 years ago- go figure! As a matter of interest, we won a 12 inning game on 5/13 against the no. 1 team and I played catcher most of the time- and yes Tom Allen- I actually did have to squat despite my lack of height. Feel good moment- I attended the Glen Ridge HS Hall of Fame Dinner in early May and was reunited with many of my former students from the 1970's-80's and 90's. Neat to be able to hear how their lives have evolved and how their high school experiences helped mold them. I am a volunteer track coach at GR and really enjoy playing the role of the wise old veteran- with the terrible jokes. It is amazing how when one experiences an injury- as we all have- you learn from it and now can pass on words of wisdom in reference to training- injury rehab and running mechanics. Recently, I helped three young sprinters change their running form to eliminate undue stress on legs and backs due to faulty foot plant and improper running shoes. Definitely a feel good experience. I also did volunteer college advising in late April at the Eastern Regional College Fair- over 300 colleges were present and kids and parents came from all over the NY/NJ area. Sort of like an Educational M.A.S.H. experience as I was dispensing info/advice and bad jokes for 6 hours. You know you might be a redneck if there is a gunrack on your bicycle. And now- observations from Mr. Bill- 1. I met a guy who told me he was involved with the selling of stocks and bonds- so I figured- he can really say his job has insecurities.2. A new species of frog has been discovered in the NY Metro area- really. It is a variety of leopard frog and its geographic center for migration is actually in the Bronx. So if the Yankees lose this year, they can say they croaked.3. Volunteers in Mississippi are helping salamanders cross a busy state road that is across their migratory route for mating. So, you can call these individuals who perform acts of selflessness- lizard pimps. Or, maybe you won't.4. A legal dispute between a kosher hot dog vendor and the Mets at Citifield has been settled out of court. Quite FRANKLY- who cares? Unless you relish that type of thing.5. In Egypt, an ultra-conservative lawmaker was forced to resign for having cosmetic surgery on his nose- his political party does not condone plastic surgery. I guess you can say his political enemies had a nose for news. And that is not anything to sneeze at.6. At my Yoga Class at Yoga Montclair, we were recently doing postures that open up the hip. So after a series of these I offered the opinion at the end of class-"looks like Pelvis has left the building". Any CRRCer who would like help with his son/daughter's college plans- academic and financial- contact me at 973-338-3893 or at williamindek@yahoo.com That is all for now. Wednesday, May 16 1988 Olympian Peter Rono the new CRRC Coach
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Peter captured gold when he won the 1,500 metres in a time of 3:35:96. Whilst a student at Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Maryland he became a three-time NCAA individual champion with wins in the indoor 800 and 1,500 meters, along with the outdoor 1,500 meters. In 1990, Rono was the runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 1,500 meters behind teammate Kip Cheruiyot, and also crossed the tape second in the mile at the 1990 NCAA Indoor meet. He won the 1990 NEC Cross Country championship en-route to All-America honors and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1991 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships after capturing individual titles in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 meter races. Peter, who hails from Kapsabet, Kenya, would go on to finish third in the NCAA Championships in the 1,500 meters that same season. He was also the 1991 NEC indoor 3,000 meter champion. An 11-time All-American and five-time NEC individual champion, he is still ranked in the top-10 in a combined seven indoor and outdoor events at the Mount..
In 2010 he was inducted into the The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Wednesday, May 2 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD..By Alicia Feghhi.
Thoughts Running through my Head Knock-knock. Who’s there? Reed. Reed who? "Reed" this entire newsletter! Ha, I made a funny. Now onto serious business. With temperatures in the high 80s, the Boston Marathon was no joke. Our runners Tony Espaillat, Ben Teixeira, Daniel Vasquez, and Boris Gavilanes pushed through what I am sure was one of those races when running to finish, not for time, really counted. I was stalking them on the computer and it was exciting! I noticed that their times slowed down, but I figured that was due to the heat. Everyone ran a very smart race. Congratulations to all of you! ? I am sure we have all had at least 10 runs when you feel as if you can run forever. I am not talking about the long runs that you have to do to train for a marathon. Those are planned, and sometimes planned with dread. I am referring to those runs when you intend to run five miles or for 45 minutes "just because." The type of run when you are not training for a race, but just running out of pure enjoyment… or boredom. Then you realize that your legs won’t stop. They feel so light as if you’re flying. You’re not thinking about running. You don’t even feel as if you’re running. Runner’s high, much? ? You may not be thinking about anything. You don’t even realize what you are seeing. But you find yourself looking at your shadow. Your legs look long like string beans and your head is the size of a pea (can you tell I’m vegan?). You stare at your ponytail swinging side to side and you realize how much your hair grew. Perhaps you think that you need a haircut, or maybe you’re admiring your ponytail because it took you so dang look to get it to that length. Well, that’s what I found myself doing on a run when I intended to run for five. I ended up doing 10 miles. I just listened to my heart. Not my iPod. It died, so iOutran my iPod. ? I was all alone in the middle of the road while people are getting ready for bed. Just me and the road. I love being a Road Runner. ? This is what was running through my head. Real, raw, unedited (and PG!). I thought of that iPod joke on the run, and I remembered saying to myself that I have to put this in the newsletter. And I just so happened to need something to write about. ? Runners are creative people. So go run and send me what you thought about during your run and I bet you that you would have found a solution to a problem, thought of a genius idea to incorporate into your life, or just felt better to get your mind off things. If you think you are not creative, then get lost. Don’t worry-- your legs have a mind of their own. Just follow them— and your shadow. You have no choice anyway. That dang stalker. R n always, Alicia Feghhi P.S. I think I smile too much. Wednesday, May 2 Roadrunner of the Month. Running Backwards, but Looking Forward. By Alicia Feghhi Road Runner of the Month Running Backwards, but Looking Forward By Alicia Feghhi His name is published in only five races, yet it has been published in hundreds of sports articles. He has been running for about 10 years, but only training for racing for about two years. His first race was a half marathon, and his last race was a measly 5K. And he’s on a PR streak. "I think I did it backwards," Rich Timlen, 38, of Rutherford said when discussing his handful of races. Many competitive runners start small by racing 5Ks, while others, such as Timlen, prefer to go the distance first. Timlen started with the Philly Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon last September, finishing in 1:58.29 (unofficially 1:43). "This was my favorite race because it was my first and I reached my goal of under two hours," Timlen said. A month later, he ran the Rock ‘n Roll Brooklyn 10K last October in 47:29 (unofficially 46:06). His first marathon was the Melbourne Beaches and Music Marathon this past February, where he clocked in at 4:13. Even though he didn’t reach his goal of completing the marathon in less than four hours, he learned a lot from this experience. "Even when my body didn’t want to move anymore, I could push myself beyond the limits I thought I could. When you hit a wall at mile 15, the last thing you want to do is run 11 more miles in 84-degree heat and 90 percent humidity," Timlen said. His second marathon Clifton Road Runners Newsletter May 2012 will be the Newport Amica Marathon in Rhode Island on October 14. "I love seeing how far I can push myself." Timlen finally got to the 5K level. He ran the Pot of Gold 5K in Kinnelon this past March in 22:17 (22:13 unofficially). On April 29, Timlen ran his fifth race and second 5K at the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K in TIME? This race benefits a cause that is in sync with Timlen’s passion— helping others. Proceeds from this race went toward Special Olympics New Jersey, in which children and adults with intellectual disabilities take participate in the organization’s programs. A proud Rich Timlen after completing his first marathon-- the Melbourne Beaches and Music Marathon this past February, in 4:13. He was also recently featured in a news segment after the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K on April 29. He is accepting autograph requests. "My success story in my personal life is taking a risk and leaving a well-paying job I hated to pursue a job where I could make a difference in the lives of others." Timlen, who graduated from Rider University in Lawrenceville with a degree in journalism/communications, worked as a news reporter for the Associated Press and then as a sports writer for a Trenton newspaper before moving onto public relations and marketing. "Since I despised marketing, I decided to find a career where I could help people." For the past four years, he has been working at the Developmental Disabilities Association of New Jersey in Ridgefield Park, training developmentally disabled adults to achieve independence and acquire outside employment. The Newark native (editor’s note: Holla!) started running after returning from Las Vegas on a business trip about 10 years ago. At 5’9’’, he weighed in about 205 pounds. "I felt disgusted with myself." Running around the track outside his apartment was arduous. "I couldn't even complete one lap around the track. But I kept at it every day and eventually started to enjoy it and the weight dropped quickly." Timlen uses running as a way to not only keep in shape, but to cope with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder because it "clears" his head. And to him, there is no bad run. "Even a bad run makes me feel great." The Clifton Road Runners Club is also a motivational strategy to challenge himself to reach his goals. "Being part of the club gives me motivation to train harder and to take part in races, something I never did in the past," Timlen said, who joined the club last November. "At first, I just wanted to meet up with the club on Saturdays at the park, but then I kept finding myself wanting to take part in Bun Runs and just meeting up socially with other members." Clifton Road Runners Newsletter May 2012 He gives a holla to Leah Lamoureux "for pushing me to join the club", and to Ben Teixeira "for always being available to answer any questions and for giving great advice." "And have I mentioned how insanely friendly everyone is on the club?" Insane and friendly? That’s almost accurate. At least we are not insanely normal. Just a bunch of oxymorons. Editor’s note: Perfect timing-- Rich Timlen was actually featured in this segment at the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge! What a coincidence that he is this month’s Road Runner of the month! I wonder if he pulled any strings with the AP to get on TV. ;) Enjoy your fame! Holla! http://www.northjersey Wednesday, May 2 Club Beach Day - In Ocean Grove..By DiCis.
Wednesday, May 2 View from a Short Perspective by Bill Indek. View from a Short Perspective By Bill Indek Congrats to those brave folks who made it through the Boston heat wave marathon. A word to the wise- be careful not to over race. As the weather gets nicer, it is easy to do. Keep a record of your weekly/monthly training miles and do not exceed 20-25% in racing on a regular basis as this often leads to injury. I met a former student of mine- Glen Ridge Class of 1976- he is a fireman in Montclair. He is now in his early 50's. When I stopped to speak with him, his fellow firefighters considered him ancient. When I told them that I was his high school guidance counselor, they were speechless. For everything else use MasterCard. As many of you were busy training and may have missed the news, North Korea tried to send a missile into orbit. And it did not work. So, I have the perfect movie title for this- has already been used- but what the heck- "Failure to Launch". You might be a red neck if the dog catcher has to call for backup when he visits your house. And in other news, Pres. Obama has allowed some states the ability to set their own standards under the No Child Left Behind legislation. So if you were the child of a proctologist- you would always be behind- in a manner of speaking. And you would have the option to turn the other cheek. Continuing with your news background info- I read about a real job out west called Avalanche Forcaster. Every call he makes is really a snow job. Scientists have discovered that a certain breed of flies extract alcohol from rotting fruit to kill off tiny wasps that invade fly larvae. Never knew that alcoholic flies had a religious preference. What- oh wasps- not W.A.S.P.S,- OOPS- NEVER MIND. A subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson that makes artificial hips is being accused of manufacturing faulty ones. I suppose you can say that their legal argument does not have a leg to stand on. Sports of sorts: Those of you who follow baseball, Manny Ramirez is coming back to the Majors after he sits out a 50-game suspension for a failed drug test. Manny brings a certain element of uniqueness to the game. I have been doing my volunteer coaching at Glen Ridge and working with the hurdlers and helping the runners with tips on improving their biomechanics and how to deal with injuries. Recently, one of the freshmen was carrying a water bottle to practice and did not realize that it had a leak and was leaving a trail of water behind him. I announced to everyone, "Brandon, it looks like your water has broken!" I read in the newspaper that the cricket championships were being played in Europe. How do crickets manage to hold their equipment? Doesn't that bug you? Clifton Road Runners Newsletter May 2012 As a retiree and grandparent, I was recently down to Florida to visit the grandkiddies. It was neat to watch the little 7-year old kids develop their skills- when not watching planes fly by. We even had a chance to go see a spring training game between the Phillies and the Braves. The game was played at one of the Disney area stadiums. And- no it was not a Mickey Mouse game! As for me, my Rockland County Senior Softball League has resumed play. It is an over 35-years-of-age league and we play at fields in Rockland, NY. It is fun to run around like kids and trash talk for a couple of hours on Sunday mornings. COLLEGE ADVICE If you have a son or daughter finishing their grade 10 or 11 and could use some help in working through the maze of college selection as well as financial aid, call me at 973-338-3893 or e-mail me at williamindek@yahoo.com. Best to all. Thursday, March 29 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD..By Alicia Feghhi.
Clifton Road Runners Newsletter April 2012 Hello from Bobble Head and Mini Bobble Head! A few of us won bobble heads at the Sneaker Factory 10K Spring Run on March 25. It looks just like me! I actually prefer "functional" awards rather than medals.Well, it’s that time of year again. Points! Right, Anthony DiFiore? We kicked off the USATF racing season at the Miles for Music 20K in Highland Park on March 11. I don’t know about anyone else, but it irks me that this race was not 13.1 miles. Who does 12.4?! I just told people I was running a half marathon. It was too much to explain otherwise. Thanks to one of our cheerleaders, Rebecca Wiechman, for keeping us motivated! It’s not fun running around in circles four times, so anything helps. I felt like a hamster. I can tell Rebecca kept trying to come up with different things to say each time I passed. I feel like I saw her 16 times! From what I remember, she shouted, "Watch out for the pole", "Holla!", and "Shake that a-s-s!" Hey, it worked! Thanks to Diance Cismowski for lugging my "metal" (see photo) from the train station to the race! It was best award I have ever won! ;) Earlier last month I had my first Bun Run in my new hood in Da Hood (Newark). I recently moved to Newark and I was so happy to open my doors to my Road Runners! ? Thanks to those in attendance. It meant a lot to have you guys there. We played CRRC trivia, created by my Twinnie, Kim Junda. Great game! Sergio Cano depleted my supply of Sangria. :/We ran from my hood to Branch Brook Park— and we all survived! Haha don’t worry, it’s all good in Da Hood! I hope you guys come to my pool party this summer! We can play tennis, drink Sangria, run to Branch Brook Park and then jump in the pool, have a BBQ, dance to Enrique….etc. Date TBA! ? I went to my first running expo on March 17 for the NYC Half Marathon with the Twin, who was running it the following morning at the crack of dawn. By the time she was finished, I woke up to run the 10K Spring Run. Dang. If you have ever been to an expo, you know it is every runner’s heaven. ? It’s actually like a casino, too. I get such a high from walking in and I spend money as if it doesn’t cost a thing. I spent $115. I will mostly likely double that at the NYC Marathon expo this year since it is twice the miles of the NYC Half Marathon. But it’s worth it, right?I wish I’d get paid to run. Runners should get a tax write-off considering all the supplies that we buy to keep our business "running". I don’t even want to know how much I spend on running related purchases each year. I bet it’s more than food. And I’m craving a good run right now. Mmmmmm! R n always, Alicia Feghhi Thursday, March 29 Check it ! Check it Out! At the CRRC banquet in March, Vice President Ben Teixeira, presented the Men’s 70’s team with the National Championship banner for 1st place in the Men’s 70’s Team Division.Matt took the banner to a local printer and it was as if a space was left specifically to insert, CLIFTON ROADRUNNERS CLUB, onto their National banner. Matt is looking for stakes so he can display the banner at Championship races. It’s an honor and a high accomplishment to have our Club represented at National level. Good luck 70’s men in the 2012 National team season! P.S. The banner is almost as tall as Matt! Thursday, March 29 Just Got Hitched.! Just Got Hitched On February 17, a very happy couple joined together to sealed their love with a commitment of marriage. We wish them a long and loving marriage filled joy, happiness and logging many miles together. Congratulations to Anthony and Toby Massa! Thursday, March 29 Emily Runs First 5K! By Barbara Tupper Emily Runs First 5K! Is it surprising that after watching her mommy run races and hanging out with all of us runners that Emi picked up the running bug too and completed her first 5k at the SDA Spring Thaw on March 17. And she out kicked her mom to the finish line in 38:12! Woooooooo-hoooooooooo! Grrrrrrreat job, Emi and we’re looking forward to seeing you at more races. You have the hoodie, now you need a CRRC singlet! And remember – 11 times 11 is 121 – Anthony is no no fun. 9 times 8 is 72 Anthony lost his running shoe. - Barbara Tupper Thursday, March 29 Roadrunner of the Month. On Your Mark! Get Set! Hector Mantari! By Kimberly Junda Road Runner of the Month Editor’s note: Hector Mantari was the chosen one for this month’s Road Runner of the month, but I cannot translate Spanish. My Twinnie, Kimberly Junda, came to the rescue and was able to interview Hector and write this nice piece of work. Thanks, Twinnie! Want to take my place? ;) On your Mark! Get Set! Hector Mantari! By Kimberly Junda Walking into the Mantari household, it is evident to see how much running plays a part in their family. Once you step foot into their home, your mind starts to wander to all the ways you can improve your own running collection. My personal favorites are the pictures on the wall and the trophy case. The process to acquiring this collection was not always clear for Hector. He came to the United States back in 2002 from Lima, Peru. At first he spent his weekends relaxing or sleeping in. Occasionally, he would watch his brother Jaime run. It doesn’t take long before the running bug bites you! Mantari ran his first 5K in 2004. "At first it wasn’t easy racing!" He started out too fast his first couple of races, but over time his abilities flourished. Running becomes easier when you become 28 pounds lighter do to your newfound hobby. Mantari currently has four marathons under his belt. Three of these are the NYC marathon and the Philadelphia marathon. His favorite race is the Millburn 5K where his personal record is 19:13. He is looking forward to soccer season and his upcoming races including eight half marathons for this year! Thursday, March 29 Home is where the Heat is. By Diane Cismowski Home is where the Heart is Diane Cismowski ran the Sleepy Hollow half marathon in 2:24.20 on March 24. It was four miles away from where she grew up and where she went to 2nd to 5th grade in Pleasantville. "At mile 10, I wondered why I am running. It was a big hill," Cismowski said. Then she thought to herself, "Run where your heart takes you. My heart took me here." Thursday, March 29 View from a Short Perspective by Bill Indek. View from a Short Perspective By Bill Indek By the time you all read this- assuming that you do read my column- you will have survived /finished the Indian Hills Race. Congrats no matter how you did considering how hilly the course is. As a matter of fact- two sherpa guides refused to enter the race- that tells you something! Good luck to our Boston Marathon runners. It is quite an experience. I ran it three times back in the early 1970's. The people cheer for you the entire way. In 1972 I was on pace to break three hours for the second time and the crowd was so great that I let my ego takeover and ran thru 13 miles in 1 hour 22 minutes- big mistake- crawled in at 3:06. As we are in the middle of the Republican primary season, here is an Indek suggestion for your fantasy football/politics game. How about Eli Manning for Prez? If he was older, he would be a great candidate- steady under pressure- can handle the media without saying anything stupid-is used to dealing with bombs- and in a crisis can audible and change strategy. Due to the need for gender equality, Rice Crispy cereal is going to make a change. From now on, instead of saying - snap/crackle/pop- will now say- snap/crackle/ pop and mom. You might be a redneck if you can name the entire cast of the Dukes of Hazard but not your congressman. Clifton Road Runners Newsletter April 2012 Bill Indek Believe it or not, in the world of higher education, there are some unique courses being offered- Bloomfield College is offering a class called Circus Arts, where students learn to walk a tight rope, juggle, etc. So being a class clown, you could earn you an "A". William Patterson University is offering a class called Comedy Writing. Now there is a class that is a joke! Johnson and Wakes University, in Providence, RI, is well known for its culinary program. They are now offering a class in wine production. So if you do not like your grade, you can ferment trouble. This is also true-- recently I was working with a student in North Caldwell on college acceptance and his interest was in becoming a pilot. It reminded me of the time- back in early 1990's - when I visited a college in New Hampshire that had a program in aviation. At the reception- the Prez of the college told me that the evening division program- where many students are studying to make a career change- is larger in enrollment than the day program. So after a minute of reflection I asked him if the program could be called fly by night. He was not amused. Sports of sorts: 1. The Bowling Party was a huge succeess. Thanks Becky. It was fun watching CRRC'ers body language try to convince the ball to knock down the pins. For those of you who remember baseball player Carlton Fisk doing the same with a homerun shot in the World Series. Our folks would put him to shame. 2. I read about a 70-year-old athlete in Japan who qualified for their equestrian team for the 2012 Olympics. The moral of the story is- are you ready for this- you are never too old to horse around. 3. In the world of yoga, I read about a competition held in NYC for best yoga postures. The whole sense of yoga is not about competition, It’s like saying you have a gun rack in your Volvo. 4. In my yoga class at Yoga Montclair, my teacher had us doing a modified version of poses called cat and cow. I suggested we call them kitten and calf. As we were doing cow related stretches, I tried to milk this one. It was utterly interesting. And that is no bull. 5. I am volunteer coaching again this Spring at Glen Ridge HS. Working with the kids keeps you young. Remember, this is also college search time for high school juniors. If anyone has friends or relatives who can use assistance navigating the process- contact me at williamindek@yahoo.com or 973-338-3893. I will charge less as you all are part of our extended CRRC FAMILY. Monday, March 12 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD Surprise! OK, well maybe you expected the newsletter. But Ben Teixeira did not expect a surprise birthday party to celebrate his 50th birthday! Happy birthday, sea monster! What a party. It was so packed that Kimberly Junda and I had to create our own table for two. It was so nice to see how much of a bond this team has. I am sure I can speak for many of you when I say that this is such a great bunch of knuckleheads. In the nicest way possible. Haha! But really, this is just one example of how close this team is. I love it! Festivities included Zumba, good eats, endless Sangria, and a touching video made by Ben’s daughter, Diana Santiago. Unfortunately, she left us for a running team in Boston. Grrrr! No hard feelings though. It was a nice reunion! When I walked in, I immediately gave Ben my purple tutu and a 50 tiara. He wore it like a man. In the manliest way possible. And I want a surprise party at some point in my lifetime. Just saying. You may remember that R n always,Alicia Feghhi & Road Runner Monday, March 12 View from a Short Perspective by Bill Indek. View from a Short PerspectiveBy Bill Indek Hi CRRC type people. Well, those of us at Ben's 50th birthday party learned how loved our Ben is- not to mention we learned how rigorous a zumba workout is. My hips hurt just watching the dancers. Great job by Rosa and his daughters. You might be a redneck if your Thanksgiving Dinner was ruined because you ran out of ketchup. You probably heard about the passing of Soul Train creator Don Conelius. In my younger days- the 70's - his shoe was super popular. As my dancing was not up to that level I did the Heel Trolley instead. Read about a NYC Rabbi named Philip Shermar who has performed over 20,000 circumcisions in his 33 year career. I wonder if his son brings him to career day? Will he making many cutting comments? When he graduated Rabbinical College- did they play Pomp and Circumcission? While you all have been out running- I read about a Dutch Film Company that is creating a new reality show- Love in the Wild- a dating show set in the jungle. What does that mean for the relationship between Jane and Tarzan? Will Tarzan join with Cheetah and monkey around? Would the rhino be classified as too horny? True fact- there is a church just north of Baltimore on Rte. 95 called Our Lady of the Highways. If you use e-z pass- does that mean you get to heaven quicker and can skip purgatory? At the rest stop near by- is the bathroom called the Sacred Flush? In NYC there was a recent series of vandalism acts where shopping carts were thrown off the roofs of buildings. Does that mean that this is an ala carte crime? In the world of politics- read about GOP candidate Hermain Cain withdrawing after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. So, to get biblical- due to the cane that Herman raised- he was not abel to run any longer. Sports of SortsHow about those Giants! When Ahmed Bradshaw tried to stop short of the goal line to kill time and fell in rear end first- for the winning touchdown- meant that the Giants backed in to the win. As for Coach Coughlin- we graduated Syracuse together- back in1968. He had been on the SU Football Team and we had some classes together. We were in the same Social Studies Teacher Methodology Class our senior year. I guess our career pathways took different trajectories. Who knew? And- another feel good story is the development of the Jeremy Lin story for the Knicks. Always good to hear good things instead of negative reporting. That's it for now. Stay healthy. Monday, March 12 The GWB Challenge 5K and 10K-Sunday,6/10/2012. By Leah Lamourex. The GWB Challenge 5K and 10K—Sunday, 6/10/2012 By Leah Lamourex The GWB race will always hold a special place in my heart and on my race calendar. When I moved to New Jersey in August 2009, I was very out of shape and could not run. In December 2009, I ran my first mile on the treadmill with one of the trainers at my gym and five days later, I decided to set a goal – that goal being to run my first 10K. The gym decided to form a team and run in a charitable event. The GWB Challenge is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and I was excited to train and fundraise for a great cause all at the same time. The training was not easy for me and I almost doubted that I would be able to finish the race. My parents drove down from Massachusetts to cheer me on (even if my Mom forgot her homemade sign on my living room table prior to the race). I was thrilled to cross the finish line in 59:22 and even more happy to see the tears of joy forming in my father’s eyes. It didn’t matter to me that my finishing time was unofficial (the GWB 10K was not a timed race that year) because I put my mind to something and I achieved it. Nothing can top that! The first year I ran the GWB to prove to myself that I could run a race but the second year became personal. In February 2011, my close friend from high school, Travis, passed away from melanoma cancer at the young age of 24. He passed away at the same time that my Uncle Mark was battling colon cancer. I vowed to run the race last year in honor of Travis and for my Uncle who never gave up hope. I told my Uncle about the race but he didn’t get to hear my results because he lost his fight on May 13, 2011. I can’t bring Travis or my Uncle Mark back but I can continue to run in their memory and raise money for cancer research in the process. The GWB race is both a 5K and a 10K. In past years, it has not been timed but with Bryan Corrado on the race committee this year, things have changed. The course is timed, the route has changed, we will all receive finishers’ medals and there is a post-race party at the Ross Dock area. I hope that we can form a large CRRC team to participate in this event. You have the option of running a 5K, 10K or biking various distances. To join our CRRC team, go to http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/CommunityFundraisingPages/CFPFY10Eastern/704692321?pg=team&fr_id=42599&team_id=1112308. Registration for the run is $25.00 and $40.00 for bikers. The team page reflects a fundraising goal of $2,000, but this is not a mandatory goal for our team to compete in the race. I hope that you all want to join me in this wonderful event. If anyone has questions, please let me know – leah.lamoureux@gmail.com. Happy running! Monday, March 12 To be Eligible for Rookie, Most Improved, Special Recognition, Menber of the Year: To be Eligible for Rookie, Most Improved, Special Recognition, Member of the Year:Members must be a member of the CRRC for one year, and an active member participating in club activities. To be eligible for Master Runner and Runner of the Year: All of the above and you must participate in Team races. To be Eligible for Team Awards: You must participate in four team races as a runner or as a volunteer. Rookie of the Year – Nora CandelarioRookie of the Year – Anthony DifioreMost Improved Runner – Ramon VasquezMost Improved Runner - Jazmin AbrahamSpecial Recognition – Nuno Brito Member of the year – Mary FarrellClub Spirit – Becky Wiechman Master Runner – Chris ConwayMaster Runner – Melike AyanRunner of Year – Antoinette MarmoraRunners of Year: Captain Matt Lalumia, Hilary Peterlin, James Leitz, Joseph Saley, Al Swan Team awards2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 50’s Women – 2nd PlaceCaptain Annemarie Uebbing 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 60’s Men – 3rd PlaceCaptain Bill Ash 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXClifton Roadrunners Club - 2nd OverallCaptain Sergio Cano 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXClifton Roadrunners Club - 2nd OverallCaptain Bryan Corrado 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 70’s Men – 1st PlaceCaptain Matt Lalumia 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXClifton Roadrunners Club - 2nd OverallCaptain Ben Teixeira New this year to encourage our young runners - Youth Awards:Clifton Roadrunners Club Proudly PresentsYasmin Ayan, Adam Ayan, Kevin M. Heredia, Jacob M. Heredia, Julie Britney Mantari, Jaime Tarzan Mantari, Paola I Lugo-PaganJake D. Nicosia, Evelyn ShueyFor Their Fantastic 2011 Racing Season 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, Open Women – 3rd PlaceMelike AyanCamille CrearyAlicia FeghhiTina Gennat Penina Kroll Karen Mantari Kathleen Saggio Christina Sayler Rosa TeixeiraBecky Wiechman 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 50’s Women – 2nd PlaceBlanca AlvarezDiane CismowskiNora CandelarioAntoinette Marmora Peggy Richko Linda Stefanski 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd OverallTom AllenRick Andersen Rodrigo Caceres John Coleman Brendan Conway Chris ConwayJohn ColemanAnthony DifiorePeter EngelhardtHector Echeverry Boris GavilanesJaime MantariTed MussanoJim Nicosia David Silva Hector EcheverryEsly PanduroRamon VasquezHugo Vadillo 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 60’s Men – 3rd PlaceJose Arturo VallejoNuno Brito Carl Richko Martin Jodar Feliciano Pereira Gene Vater 2011 USATF-NJ TEAM GRAND PRIXCRRC - 2nd Overall, 70’s Men – 1st PlaceAlbert SwanHilary PeterlinMatt Lalumia Joseph SaleyJames Leitz Welcome New MembersBonnie Triolo – Nutley Diane Trezza – Rutherford Tsehai Campbell – North BergenChris Madgelinskas – Clifton Elizabeth (lisa) Inigo – Lyndhurst Rick Pingatore - FairlawnMark Hamiliton - KinnelonNot only is our 70's team ranked 1st in the United States but Hilary Peterlin and Jim Leitz are ranked 2nd and 3rd in the 70-74 age group at the NYRRC!!And Roland Ratmeyer is ranked 4th but he has not been able to run for our 70's team yet. He's a minister and is trying to work something out so he can compete for the team.and these men are the only CRR's who will be receiving an award from the NYRRC!!
Monday, March 12 With Deepest Sympathy. With Deepest SympathyJane Bartholomew 1951-2012- At Toronto Grace Health Centre on February 28, 2012, of melanoma, a journey faced quietly with courage and grace. Dearly loved daughter of the late Joan (2000) and the late Laurence (2001) Bartholomew. Cherished sister of Susan. Remembered with love by her extended family. Independent, smart, selfless, thoughtful and funny, Jane valued her many friends in Canada and the United States. For those of us who were fortunate to be in her life, she taught us all the true meaning of friendship. Sincere thanks to Drs. David Hogg and Brian O'Sullivan and their teams and to the Palliative Care staff at Princess Margaret Hospital. Special thanks to Rogelio Gatilao for his kind and compassionate care. Cremation has taken place. At Jane's request, there will be no service. Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at McLean House, Sunnybrook Estates 2075 Bayview Ave. http://mountpleasantgroup.permavita.com/siteContent/memorial.html?personId=203565&source=redirect Toronto, Ontario on Sunday, March 25, 2012 between 1-4 pm. An avid runner, Jane lived for many years on the Jersey Shore, near the boardwalk and the ocean that she loved so much. A gathering to celebrate her life will take place in New Jersey later in the spring. If desired, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jane’s memory, to a charity of your choice. On line condolences may be made at www.etouch.ca. "Don't be dismayed at good-byes; a farewell is necessary before we can meet again. And, meeting again, after moments of lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." Ward Lemley, our retired club president and member-for-life (since Lester's 75th birthday), writes: I appreciate you keeping me up-to-date on Jane. I cried the other day. Jane was one of the positive influences on my life. When I stopped running, and I didn't see her (hardly at all).....it was a shame. It isn't easy sometimes to be married and have female friends. The three day relay was one of the most successful ventures I have had in my life. I could not have happened with Jane and Glen. NB: Glen is Glen Viglone, who was club president in the early 90's. He, Ward, and Jane came up with the three-day relay concept and honchoed it the first couple of years.Monday, March 12 CRRC plunge into icy water for children's charity. By The Clifton Journal. Clifton Roadrunners plunge into icy water for children's charity The Clifton Journal The Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge 782 held the 3rd Annual Leap in the Lake on Saturday, February 11, 2012. This Fundraiser treats 600 children with special needs to a week long summer vacation at Camp Moore in Haskell. Clifton Roadrunners Club members, Bonnie Triolo, Sigrid Weihenig, Anthony DiFiore, Jaime Mantari and Ben Teixeira took the plunge into Lake Hopatcong. The Clifton Roadrunners Club raised a total $500 and is proud to have contributed to the $48,000.00 raised by this event. The air temperature on February 11th was 32 degrees and most of the 200 leapers were clad in swim suits as they ran with enthusiasm from the sandy beach into the lake. The runners are already quite seasoned from running during all type of weather conditions and took on the challenge to also get wet. It was exhilarating and fun to be able to help these kids to enjoy time at a summer camp. Monday, March 12 Climbing a very Big StairMaster. By Alicia Feghhi. Climbing a very Big StairMaster By Alicia Feghhi Crazy Road Runners Leah Lamourex and I conquered the largest StairMaster ever-- the Empire State Building—at the 35th Annual Empire State Building Run-Up! I finished in 18:27, and Leah clocked in at 20:55. It was a test of willpower and endurance. I have never pushed myself so hard in my life! Climbing up all of those stairs requires everything that you are. It’s amazing what the body can do. I climbed up every other stair, while Leah did not skip any! That's 1,576 stairs, 86 flights. To each her own.
Monday, March 12 Roadrunner of the Month. A Healthy Craving. By Alicia Feghhi. Road Runner of the Month Running: A Healthy CravingBy Alicia Feghhi She used to be a heavy smoker, smoking since the age of 18. She stopped when she was pregnant, but picked up the cigarette some time after Eve was born in 2007. She also weighed 210 pounds. And now she is a runner. “I needed to prove to myself that I could do a race,” said Rita Shuey, 33, of Wallington. She is now going on three years without smoking and has lost 80 pounds. “I needed to quit smoking to be a role model for my daughter,” Shuey said, who quit smoking with the help of lozenges. Shuey lost the weight thanks to Weight Watchers. “I go to the meetings and having that support definitely helps me.”
It wasn’t easy. “I had to moderate everything. I would do an exercise video when Eve naps. I had to make and find the time.” She added, “It’s hard to find energy and hard to get out the door. But I am grateful when I do get the chance.” A stay-at-home mom, Shuey said she really wants to get back into racing. When the weather gets warmer, she plans to take Eve running with her— in a jogging stroller. Eve is already a runner. “Eve runs the kids races. She absolutely loves it! I will have to register her with the team,” Shuey said. Shuey’s two favorite races are the First Day 5K and the Teterboro Airport 5K. “The First Day 5K was a great way to start off the year.” She enjoys the Teterboro Airport 5K because of its “silence.” “Even though that race is very humid, without shade, I like it. My husband used to be a pilot, so it has significance.” “It’s hard for me to pick which race I like though because they all have significance.” Rita Shuey on the Clock 1st Day 5K 2011- 1/1/11 29:15 THE GRAND FINALE 10 MILE RUN 2010- 12/12/10 1:49:35 USATF-NJ 10M- 12/11/10 1:49:35 Giralda Farms 2010 - Run 5K-- 11/14/10 30:42 Totowa PAL 10k and 5k- Run 10k- 10/24/10 1:06:38 USATF-NJ 8K XC CHAMPIONSHIP-- 10/10/10 55:16 Teterboro Airport 5K-- 7/17/10 34:16 Shepherd Lake 5k-- 5/15/10 35:41 Monday, March 12 Listen UP By Ed Yennie. Listen UpBy Ed Yennie Hi everyone! Hope everyone is doing GREAT! Racing season is just around the corner, and from personal experience I'm writing this to let you know JUST HOW DANGEROUS IT IS NOT TO EAT or HYDRATE PROPERLY. This past summer, I DID JUST THAT! I worked out for 40 days -- yes 40 days without a break and even in the EXTREME heat as well. I ended up TOTALLY BURNING MYSELF OUT. A couple of trips to the ER and countless tests, I'm finally feeling better after six months. Believe me it's been a total nightmare! Feeling dizzy, sick to your stomach, and just plain lousy each and every day. And not to mention the HEADACHES! PLEASE PLEASE always eat and hydrate properly and TAKE BREAKS. It won't hurt if you miss a day or two. And the worst part of this, I KNOW BETTER. Hope this helps. Monday, March 12 Sergio Cano and Annmarie Uebbing literally ran into each other. Here is a continuation of last month’s feature of CRRC couples. Sergio Cano and Annemarie Uebbing literally ran into each other. The dynamic couple were members of the South Hudson Spiked Shoe Club (SHSSC) in 2003. In 2005, Sergio offered to drive Annemarie to the airport and got her email address, which he used to flood her email with races. She finally I agreed that he could coach her at the ARC 5K in Bloomfield. “At the first coaching session, I realized he was interested and we have been together ever since.” He proposed at her family’s home in Buffalo on Christmas in 2007—the year of her first marathon. “After that he found me worthy!” Annemarie exclaimed.
Thursday, February 2 Toughts Running through my Head By Alicia Fehggi.
Thoughts Running through my Head Greetings, champs! What a splendid time it was to "run" in the new year at Sergio and Annemarie’s abode! The second I crashed the place (literally five minutes before the ball dropped— good thing I’m quick), I was given a cup with three or four grapes and was ordered to make 12 wishes. I can’t even think of three! I don’t understand that folklore, but if I win the lottery, I will adopt that tradition. There was food and dancing galore! Thank you to whoever made the perogies. Scrumptious. It was one of the most fun New Year’s Eve parties I have ever had! Thank you, Sergio and Annemarie! I am so overwhelmed with the "family" bonding on this team. It’s as if the doors are always open. I can’t think of any other group/friends that are as accommodating and tender as you guys. Much appreciated! ? Hours later was the First Day 5K in Fair Lawn. Luckily, the race started at 11 a.m., giving runners enough time to sober up. Many of us earned medals— and for the ninth year in a row, the CRRC won a team award at this race for most class participation! Undefeated! As Barbara Tupper drills in us: Everyone is important. Everyone counts! Yet another CRRC function was at the USATF-NJ Awards Banquet at the Pines Manor on January 19. (Table 44 was the best. Just saying.) No wonder we were the first table to hit up the buffet. ;) Lots of us earned plaques to display in our shrine of running memorabilia. I wonder where Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic has room for hers… I had a great time at the banquet and was excited to get my hands on my award for placing 1st in the 34 and under division of the mini 2 series. Until…"Alice Feghhi?" "What?!?!?!?" I shouted. Granted, it sounded like the announcer got my last name right. (Don’t ask me as even I don’t know the right way to say it.) So I give him credit for that. But Alice?!?! Come on! It clearly says "A-L-I-C-I-A" on the plaque! UGH! Since I was on a rampage, I used that adrenaline to run up to Sea Monster (Ben Teixeira) and give him a monstrous hug. Then I had a little photo shoot with my academy award. Yes, that picture above is me kissing my award. It was love at first sight. ? I matched my plaque from head to toe! It was not planned. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 Let’s talk about the weather. (That’s what people do when they have nothing to talk about, by the way.) I like running in the cold. I actually prefer it than boiling temps. Anthony DiFiore is probably shivering as he reads this in a snuggie, hat, and gloves. But this edition will actually warm your heart. Rather than feature one Roadrunner this month, I wrote about some CRRC couples who have tied the knot on their running shoes as teammates. Awwwwwwww! Think about the time you fell in love with running. What was it about that run that made you become a runner? What made you commit to this lifestyle? How did you feel after? Probably freakin’ amazing. ? I don’t have a particular date in mind when the cupid struck me with his arrow on the run. I just grew to like it. My earliest memory of when I started to like running was in the summer of 2008. My mom and I would bond at Garret Mountain in West Paterson after playing tennis. She would walk once around (two miles) and I would do two loops and we’d meet at the car or put a blanket down and tan. All she would do is say the magic word—"mountain?"—and I would immediately lace up my sneakers. She knew that meant "yes". I associated running with mother-daughter bonding. I ran track in high school, but I did not feel the same way about running as I do now. Now it’s more serious. I’ve made a commitment and I won’t ever run away from running. And who doesn’t like a good chase? ;) Rn always, Alicia Feghhi Thursday, February 2 !Pods and Running By Schwartz iPods and Running By Spencer Schwartz Music can enhance the running experience, provide motivation, and give that extra lift. As a music enthusiast, I feel an energy surge at the first beats of a crunchy song like Van Halen's "Panama". "Forever Man" by Clapton, "Animate" by Rush, and "Elevate" by U2 would be on my "Songs to run to" playlist. And yet as much as I like my music- with rare exceptions- I don't run with an iPod. I'm a "a run is more than just a run" runner. The ear buds don't fit me well. I look like Frankenstein the way they stick out of my head. I end up yanking them out of my ears and look like a doofus attempting to reinsert them without pausing. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 As a morning runner a run's the way I like to start my day. If my day is crappy a good run gives me one positive thing to reflect on. When I run I think and talk to myself, I laugh at my jokes, and I mentally act out mundane scenarios. I enjoy what my senses pick up along the way: the crunch of the ground, a calm breeze, leaves rustling in the wind. Running is as good for the mind as it is for the waistline. It's the one time in the day that can be designated exclusively for you and your thoughts. Some runners like to use an iPod because exercise is the only time they really get to use it. Some like music because of positive distractions it provides- taking their minds off their fatigue, or that stitch that won't shake. For those who cite listening to music as an enjoyable part of running, that's not to be criticized. But consider the daily distractions you're bombarded with in this age-- television, internet, email, text messages, instant messages, co-workers, bosses, Facebook activity, voice mails, radio, commercials, blackberries, alerts, phone calls, commutes, meetings, etc. Before you reach for the ear buds on your next run, think how it can be an opportunity to give yourself some valuable "you time". Whatever you do run hard and rock on! Thursday, February 2 Blanca Letter NYC Marathon...By Blanca Alvarez BLANCA LETTER NYC MARATHON Tom Kelly New York City Road Runners Club New York, NY Via email Mr. Kelly: Thanks for your note regarding my completion time of the 2011 New York City Marathon – I appreciate your congratulations. Although I am certain my qualifying time was not accurate in the end, I cannot verify it through a friend or a fellow runner. I am therefore happy to accept my official finish time as the New York City Road Runners Club has designated. In the past few weeks, the time in which I finished has become less important to me than the memories I made that day. I will tell you the reason: the people of the race – the volunteers, officials and especially the cheerleaders – make all the difference. Before I started wave number 3 of the race, I clocked in my time, but I felt confident in my training. I knew also that members of the Clifton (New Jersey) Road Runners Club would be there for me, as well as the other racers in the marathon – the community spirit of the marathon is incredibly strong, perhaps as strong as the U.S. Army, for which my son-in-law serves. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 The morning of the marathon, I heard the clock ring just as I jumped from my bed and dressed to meet my friend in Staten Island. She had made the same age corral and time as I had, but as the race started and we ran into Brooklyn, I lost her. My music was great and I knew if I stayed positive, I could go alone. However, just before I pushed on, Eleina, my friend, shouted for me and we ran two blocks together. Her camera was not working, but I received a big hug and pushed on to Queens, where my husband has lived for more than 30 years. I had to look very hard for him among the hundreds of people lining the streets cheering. I have a right leg injury from a couple of years ago and I kept right in the center of the pack, always having someone ahead to pull me forward and someone behind to push my pace. My heart started pumping really hard once I came upon the 59th Street bridge, however, and I looked down to check on my leg. Then, I looked up, and we were already in the Bronx. I had been carried by the crowd.I couldn’t believe I was there already – two long years and twenty some-odd miles later. I always, always knew I would be back to run the marathon again, but when I damaged the muscle in my right leg during the spring of 2010, I knew it would be an uphill battle. When we touched down in the Bronx, however, I felt so proud that I did not give up on myself and I was proud that the crowd had not given up on me, either. At that point, I knew Manhattan was close. I had run its streets over and over from Beth Israel to Harlem and back to get my legs back into shape. I could not pass without seeing my Clifton Road Runner family, though. I looked right and left and though I saw them in a fleeting moment, I took so much from their cheers. And I knew my son-in-law, Oscar, was cheering for me in Iraq, where he had been deployed earlier this year. Finally, we landed in Manhattan and I thought to myself, "My city, I am here. I know you very well; I did my training in your streets – in your uptown and in your downtown and now I am here to claim my medal." Every morning after a run, my reward was a large Starbucks coffee, but I needed a bit more energy to finish Central Park. I saw the runners start to walk through the tires; I could not stop, however. I found a table with some Coke, stopped to drink and felt the pain in my legs. But I knew my husband was close, ready to watch me finish. I saw the end. When I stepped on the finish line, I thanked God for laying such a marvelous city and a fantastic challenge at my feet. I assure you, Mr. Kelly, I will be back for more. Best wishes, Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic Thursday, February 2 It's Brainstorm time! It’s Brainstorm Time! Did you have a great time doing the Relay for Life and want to do it again? Do you think it would be fun for all the Clifton Roadrunners to visit the Bronx Zoo? Or have a Halloween costume party? It's time to brainstorm for club events for 2012! If you have an idea or would like to provide feedback for anything we did in 2011 that you liked or didn't like, send it to Becky at beckymw@yahoo.com or (734) 904-2294. We hope to have a calendar prepared for a year full of fun events, so try to get your ideas in ASAP! WAIT, THERE'S MORE! If you would like to help Becky plan events or even be a co-event planner, let Barb or Becky know! We can always use more help, and the more help we have, the more fun things we can plan! Editor’s note: Anyone up for hitting the slopes to ski or snowboard? (That’s me reppin’ the CRRC at Mountain Creek in Vernon. My snowboard even matches our color! This was also not planned as I joined the CRRC after I bought my board.) I did only seven "runs" that day, which is equivalent to about eight or nine miles, because the conditions were terrible due to the warm temps that day. By the way, a "run" is a legit term for "going down the mountain." Running really is in every sport! Except golf. Thursday, February 2 Couples that Run Together, stay together...By Alicia Fehggi. Roadrunners of the Month Couples that Run together, Stay together Running is quite an isolated sport. We all know that running buddies help motivate you, pace you, and encourage you. Especially running buddies who are couples. The following Roadrunners have tied the (shoestring) knot. Here are their stories. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 What turned out to be a blind date was love at first sight. Ben and Rosa Teixeira— 16 "exciting years" of marriage It was a blind date and it was love at first sight. Ben’s father made the arrangement with Rosa, who worked in the same office. They met at a Century 21 holiday party in 1991. Since then, they could not keep their eyes off each other. While on the dance floor at a party, Ben "offered her my eternal love, while Hotel California was playing in the background." We really enjoy the time we spend together going to group runs and races," Ben said. The couple both joined the team in 2007, but Rosa only started running for the team in 2009. The Teixeira’s reside in Kearny and have four children: Diana Santiago, 26 (former Roadrunner who now runs for a Boston team) ; Derek Teixeira, 25; Karin Santiago, 24; and Chelsea Teixeira, 22. In 2009, Rosa gave Ben an ultimatum. "Either I get her into running or I would have to stop running," he said. "It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Even though I have to physically drag her out of bed and dress her." But it’s all out of love. Philip and Jessica Almeida—the record breakers What's good for the body is also good for the relationship. Exercising is one of the most positive things a couple can do together, endurance and fitness level aside. The Almeida’s became husband and wife 3.5 years ago and running teammates last year. "Philip runs so much faster than me, but he is always standing at the finish line waiting for me, with water and a towel!" said Jessica. They met at a bar when Jessica moved back from South Carolina. Philip proposed to Jessica the day after Jessica’s birthday, before going to a wedding her sorority sisters. "He wanted them to see my ring!" Jessica exclaimed. They live in Harrison with their adopted children: two dogs, Rock (Boston Terrier, two) and Jazz (Rat Terrier, eight); and two cats, Frank and Emmy. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 The Almeida’s 2010 racing collage. Philip and Jessica Almeida after the Stone Harbor Turtle Trot. One thing that keeps them close—and competitive—is goal-setting. Every year they set a goal for a certain amount of finish lines to cross. Recent to running, they both laced their sneakers in 2010 after Jessica's first year of law school. The goal: 10 5Ks that summer. "We did 14!" Jessica said. They upped it up a notch the following year. "In 2011, we wanted to do at least as many, and we ended up completing 24 races from April to December, including the Ashenfelter 8K, our furthest distance yet!" Their race calendar is already filling up as they have 25 races to complete this year. It starts with the Superhero 4-Miler on Super Bowl Sunday, followed by the UNITE half marathon in April, the Ocean Drive 10 Miler— to name a few. A unique display is a collage of their races for the year. At the end of each year, Jessica makes a collage of all the bib numbers (with the dates, times, and place), along with photos that they take after every race. "It's a great little souvenir for us," Jessica said. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 Melike Ayan and her kiddies— madly in love Running buddies do not have to be spouses. Children are just as good—they do run around a lot after all. Melike Ayan has her two little running buddies— her children Adam (eight) and Yasmin (six). She is "happily divorced and back in the market." "I know that my future husband is waiting for me somewhere, even though I am in love with my kiddies." Thursday, February 2 View From a Short Perpective. By Bill Indek. View from a Short Perspective By Bill Indek Hi Boys and Girls- welcome to the wonderful world of 2012. As I turned 65 in the end of December- you can officially call me- Mr. Old Dude. I celebrated my birthday and New Years in Baltimore with the entire Indek Clan. We went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play and my daughter arranged a Meet and Greet session with them before the game. This confirmed the fact that I am not the tallest tree in the forest- actually more like a shrub. While in Baltimore, I went by the College of Notre Dame of Maryland- an all-female school. Changing its name as the acronym is- I am not making this up- CONDUM. I also went by the sports complex of Loyola College. What kind of psychological problem do the athletes have here as they need to call an entire facility? A sports complex. You might be a redneck if the car wash makes you sign a release. In world news, the Iranian Navy is threatening to close off and mine the Straitof Hurmuz. The US Navy will not allow this. So I hereby offer the name for the naval operation if it is needed- A Strait flush! The matchbook was invented in1892. In recent years, with cigarette sales declining, the Diamond Company that produces them has seen its sales- flame out. Alaska has already had more than 10 feet of snow this winter. In Nome, Alaska an iced-over river has prevented the barge delivery of fuel oil. So I guess you can say "there is no place like Nome". A French company is being sued for making substandard breast implants. I guess they were not up front about what they were doing. In the world of yoga, as previously mentioned here- I have been a student at Yoga Montclair for almost three years. Recently, we did a partner-assisted stretch where one person sat behind the active member and assisted via putting your feet against upper back and neck to provide support. I perceptively remarked "now here is a posture with a lot of sole". You might be a redneck if you are more affected by a NASCAR crash than a NASDAQ crash. In the world of sports: As it is winter, I went to two basketball games recently at the Prudential Center in Newark- one was with our own singing/running Dentist Spencer Schwartz. We went to Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter February 2012 see the opening home game of the Nets. Great pregame hoopala. Unfortunately- the Nets are a bit weak this year and got whooped. But still a fun night. The second game was to see Seton Hall College game against DePaul University. I had won two tickets at a Seton Hall reception I had attended as a college advisor. The team looks quite good this year and won by 20 points. They are even ranked in the top 25 in the nation. In the world of running, I attempted my first indoor meet in two years to see how my comeback is doing. The meet was at the famous Armory Track in Manhattan. I ran my first ever indoor meet here back in 1963- wow- 49 years later. To give you some perspective- 49 years ago- Ben was a one-year old toddler in Portugal and Pete Engelhardt was putting wrestling moves on other three year olds in pre-school. Oh yeah- the race- well I went out too quick and my muscles tightened up badly, so I had to drop out at 600 meters of the 800 meter event. I did not want to risk a return of Mr. Blood clot. And finally, I saw a great bumper sticker: "Money is the root of all evil- send $9.95 for more information" AND, if any CRRCer would like help with their son/daughter’s college search or dealing with the world of college financial aid- contact me at: williamindek@yahoo.com or 973-338-3893. That is all for now. Take care. Bill- the newly ordained "OLD Dude" Wednesday, January 4 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD
Thoughts Running through my Head We did it! We captured 2nd place overall in the state! Way to go, everyone! As president Barbara Tupper likes to say "Everyone is important; everyone counts." Congrats to us on a stellar running year! ? This year was special to me in many ways. It was my first year with the CRRC and it has been, well, fun… and crazy (the good kind.) I also clinched first place in the under 35 Mini 2 Open Women’s Series! I reached my resolution (or goal) for 2011: to complete 24 races (doubling it from the 12 I ran last year). Check! ? I am kicking it up a notch and making the goal for 2012 to complete 26 races in honor of my favorite number as I was born that day, and because I will be running 26.2 miles— the NYC Marathon (my first)! Ahhhhh! (Send me your training plans so I can copy you!)Our annual year-end dinner dance on Dec. 3 at the Bonfire was fun and memorable— awards galore, dancing, and endless laughing. As expected! I was not used to seeing people in non-running attire. Did Sergio get a new haircut? No, that’s not it. Oh…he’s wearing a shirt. I thought something was different about him. Ben Teixeira (AKA Sea Monster), don’t be "two-faced." We can only handle one like this ? ? We welcomed our new members of the year and celebrated those who have completed marathons and their first half marathons. And what else is there to say to our men’s 70s team other than "wow"?! They placed first in the country! Awards were also given to ultra-marathoner Diane Cismowski for taking home the bronze in her age group in the USATF Nationals 50K, and to Anthony Espaillat and his partner Anton Frazile of Team Anton-y as recipients of the Team Hoyt Award. Congratulations to everyone! Thank you all for reading throughout the year. I hope I am serving you well and as always, feedback is essential to making this newsletter yours. I have been chatting through e-mail with a distant, yet close fan of our newsletter who does not live in this state and wishes to remain anonymous. I asked permission to include this piece in the newsletter: Wow! What a "running family support" newsletter! I came across your newsletter via the internet site as I have someone very dear to me that lives over 1,200 miles away and is an avid runner. Usually I brush over articles, scanning names and results— but these newsletters were so much more than runners ’statistics. They were stories….really good human life stories! Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Runners are passionate people. Yes, they always care about times and race results, but they really care so much for the other participants…they support their friends, their causes, their memories, and their goals just as passionately. They are always "making a difference" no matter how fast they were or where they placed. I was so glad to find your site with the newsletters….maybe it was just by accident, but I believe everything happens for a reason! So continue to share your running thoughts and stories. You don’t know how uplifting they can be for us "non-runners" who love to hear about the experiences and accomplishments. A real "feel good" therapy! Therapeutic, indeed! ? (Kudos to our Web guru Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic for making our site so popular on search engines!) This fan makes a good point. As much as our times and USATF points count, at the end of the day we are not numbers. At times (many times), we can be very self-critical. But if you take the viewpoint of a non-runner, such as our dear reader, these numbers can’t compare to the spirit, the determined expression of a runner nearing the finish line, the cheers, and the support from family, friends, and teammates. You can’t rank those. Rather, you can just appreciate the feeling and the love that runners have for this sport. This is the passion that our reader was talking about. This is what means the most.As I always say: you make the newsletter. I just have the pen. I look forward to interviewing the next 12 club members of 2012 for the "Roadrunner of the Month"! I can’t wait to tell your story! ? For the new year, I hope you are blessed with many miles of happiness and good health. May you set realistic resolutions (set small, obtainable goals first and work your way to the big one); live this year without limits; cross some things off your bucket list (I recommend skydiving); think positive thoughts; and have one heck of a year! If you believe that you will have a good year, you will get just that. Think. Believe. Do. And run. Rn always, Alicia Feghhi Wednesday, January 4 Clifton RoadRunners Capture 2nd in USATF-NJ By Barbara Tupper Clifton Roadrunners Club Captures 2nd In USATFNJ Team Grand Prix YOU – US – WE - WE’RE #2 ? By Barbara Tupper For the 3rd year in a row, the Captains and I are proud to announce that the Clifton Roadrunners Club placed 2nd in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix Team competition! This is a year-long competition and your dedication in attending the team events humbly made this dream happen. Congratulations Clifton Roadrunners! ? But that’s not all, for the first time – ever – the Women’s Open Team placed in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix Team competition. Let’s give our Open women’s team a big Clifton woooooooooo hoooooooooo on placing 3rd! The women’s 40’s team had a strong showing placing 5t. The 50’s women placed 3rd in 2009 and this year moved up to 2nd place. On the men’s side, the Open, 40’s and 50’s men all placed 4th. Both 40’s and 50’s men missed 3rd place by only two points! The 60’s men placed 3rd, missing 2nd place by a scant one point. The team that inspires us at each team event, the 70’s men, brought home gold. In 2011, they also competed on a National level and captured 1st.Impossible is nothing when we stick together. Each of you made a difference in the position of the overall club standings and for your team. We had an amazing, fun year and we look forward to an exciting 2012 season! Remember, fast or not so fast EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT – EVERYONE COUNTS – EVERY POINT IS CRUCIAL CONGRATULATIONS CLIFTON ROADRUNNERS CLUB Wednesday, January 4 Congratulatios, CRRC..By Barbara Tupper Congratulations, CRRC! ? By Barbara Tupper It was a year-long competition, but your training and hard work paid off! For the third year in a row, the Clifton Roadrunners Club placed 2nd overall against the other clubs in the State – woooooooo-hooooooo – we’re number two! We scored an all-time high of 402 points—only 40 points away from Raritan Valley who has won the USATFNJ Team competition for years.This is an amazing accomplishment for the CRRC! You’re running for Clifton because your heart is with Clifton and you’re heart and spirit once again is bringing us home a State Club award. We could not have done this without each and every one of you. Everyone is important; everyone counts. Congratulations -- YOU DID IT! ? Everyone is welcome and invited to attend the USATFNJ Banquet to celebrate. This is the link to download your reservations. http://usatfnj.org/Banquet/2011_Banquet.html Thank you, captains. Your job doesn’t start and stop on race day, but is a year-long process and tons of work all throughout the year. Good leaders inspire us to do good things! Teams: 1st Place Overall – Raritan Valley – 442 points2nd Place Overall – Clifton Roadrunners Club – 402 points 3 rd Place Overall – Sneaker Factory – 277 points4th Place Overall – Morris County Striders – 257 points 3 rd place Open Women3rd place 50’s Men 2 nd place 50’s Women3rd place 60’s Men 1 st place 70’s MenNew Balance Grand Prix: 3rd Overall Women – Kathleen Rocker35-39 1st place Mark Snyder 50-54 1 st place Rodrigo Caceres55-59 3rd place Nora Candelario 60-64 2 nd place Peggy Richko70-74 1st place Hilary Peterlin 2 nd place James Leitz, Doris Hafemann80-84 3rd place Bill Welsh Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Mini 1 Series: <35 1st place Theodore Mussano 2nd place Jazmin Abraham35-39 2nd place Tina Gennat 40-44 2 nd place Camille Creary3rd place Esly Panduro, Melike Ayan 45-49 1 st place Sergio Cano2nd place Boris Gavilanes 3 rd place Carole Chen55-59 3rd place Peter Engelhardt 60-64 3 rd place Carl Richko65-69 1st place Martin Jodar 3 rd place William AshMini 2 Series: <35 1st place Alicia Feghhi35-39 2nd place Tina Gennat 40-44 1 st place Melike Ayan2nd place Camille Creary 45-49 3 rd place Ben Teixeira, Carole Chen50-54 3rd place Annemarie Uebbing 55-59 3 rd place Blanca Alvarez60-64 1st place Nuno Brito 2 nd place Carl Richko65-69 1st place Martin Jodar 2 nd place William Ash 70-74 1st place Matt LalumiaTrack: Sprint 80-89 1st place Bill Welsh Throws 80-89 1 st place Bill Welsh Jumps 80-89 1st place Bill WelshCross Country Series:
Cross Country <34 2nd place Anthony DiFiore
45-49 1st place Ben Teixeira Clifton
Wednesday, January 4 70s Men's Team - 1st Place Nationally! 70s Men’s Team—1st Place Nationally! By Barbara Tupper The inspiration of our Club and to the entire running community is our "older" and still running athletes. These are the athletes I watch at races. They motivate me to get my butt out the door and get those miles in. They teach us through example. If you want to stay healthy and in good condition, you must move your body. Whatever exercise you like to do, – just do it. The 70’s men has placed 1st in USATFNJ for two years in a row and decide to try their talent at Nationals. They obviously love to run. They’ve been doing it a long time.
They were so pumped after winning their 1st National event, a 15k, without a second thought, committed to attending three more National team races. They blew their competition away with two 1st place wins and two 2nd place wins.
Congratulations to our Men’s 70’s team who have the distinct honor of being the
#1 ranked Men’s 70’s Team in the United States of America! ? Standing: Al Swan, Jim Leitz, Hilary PeterlinKneeling: Capt. Matt Lalumia, Joe Saley 7 Friday, January 6 MAKE RUNNING A "HABIT" BY ALICIA FEGHHI I saw Blanca kissing Santa Claus! Santa Claus Jr. (Mirko Blaskovic), Santa Claus, and Mrs. Claus (Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic). Ho ho ho! ? Rebecca Wiechman, Ben Teixeira, and who is that masked man? Caught on camera: Anthony DiFiore is dancing! Sergio Cano and Kimberly Junda. Insert your own caption: Nora Candelario and Al Swan getting’ jiggy wit it! Roadrunner of the Month Make Running a "Habit" By Alicia Feghhi Many people run in costume— tutus, Spiderman, Superman, Minnie Mouse, or even in their birthday suit. For Bonnie Triolo, what she wore during her training runs and races was not a costume. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 "I was a nun for 13 years," Triolo, 56, said, who entered the convent at 28 years old. "I was running when I entered the convent in North Plainfield, so I had to wear the habit and run on the property, which I didn’t like. But that’s how much running meant to me." "It was a challenge because they were not accepting of me running as a nun. Just because you are exercising does not mean that you are not holy,"Triolo said. "They saw running as a contradiction to the holy and spiritual life." Finally the rules softened and she was allowed to change into running attire. Then Triolo would hit the pavement running in North Plainfield. "I’ve been running longer than most people have been on this earth," Triolo said, of Nutley. "I have been very lucky to have run for 28 years, averaging 25-30 miles a week, and never needing an orthopedic." She started running while working in a residential treatment just outside of Pittsburg with teen boys. A part of the recreation was to train for a 10k race. Triolo had not run any amount before. She ran almost every day for the next month. "The boys stopped and lost interest, but I would go out after work at 10 p.m. and run around the property." Bonnie Triolo makes a "habit" out of running. "It is what I do." A month later she ran the 10K and finished just under one hour. "That was my first experience running and I just continued from that point on." She took some time off from running to obtain her M.A. in Social Work from NYU in 1986, after earning her B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers-Newark in 1977, and when she lived in Germany for six months in 1987. That time off from running was enough distance for her to want to go the distance. At 36, she ran her first marathon in 1991— and qualified for the Boston marathon in 3:45— by six seconds. "I did not really care how well I did. I didn’t even know I qualified for Boston until people were asking how I did on the bus and I told them my time. They said I qualified for Boston! I was like, what?! I had no idea!" Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Then she was publicly known as the "Nun of the Run". Triolo ran the Boston marathon in 1992 to raise money for the AIDS patient fund to help defray the costs of their medications. Triolo raised $5,000 for the AIDS patient fund and crossed the finish line in 4:11. The "Nun on the Run" attracted so much publicity— the New York Times, The Star Ledger (she was the Jerseyan of the week), Catholic Advocate, and channel 2 filmed her running for the evening report. "It was fun in the beginning, but it got overwhelming, especially on race day," Triolo said. She left the convent in 1998 and continued to run with a running club, Amazing Feet, who was very supportive of her feats— and feet —while she was a nun. To this day, she has completed 26 marathons. She ran marathons for 20 years and finished her 26th marathon on Nov. 20 in Bucks County, PA. For Triolo, marathon training consists of running three to four days a week, long with three to four 18-mile runs. "If I get three 18-mile runs, I am okay," Triolo said. "I keep qualifying for Boston, but I don’t have to do it. I don’t do these races for time." She has placed first in her age group in three marathons: Ft. Lauderdale in 2007 and 2008, and in West Palm Beach in 2008. "The time is not important to me." But Sergio Cano insists that Triolo’s time can significantly improve if she enhances her training— and that she would snatch a boyfriend if she ran faster. "I keep telling Sergio that men won’t want be with me if I were faster. Even Annemarie agrees," laughed Triolo. "That theory just doesn’t work. No way." Triolo left the convent in January 1988 and then worked at a hospital as a social worker for 16 years. After leaving the convent, she packed her belongings in her car and met with Amazing Feet to run in Watchung. Triolo is not an official Roadrunner, but she will join in March, just in time for the team races. "We have a very strong women’s 50’s team." She has recorded every run and exercise since 1983 on a monthly calendar or running log. "My theory is it counts. If it’s one mile, it counts. If it’s slow, it counts. It gives a sense that something for that day has been accomplished." That’s what she tells students of the East Orange school district, where she has been a social worker for the past seven years. "I tell the kids that at the end of the day and week, everything is in the book. It is the one concrete thing that no one can take away from you." Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 "I don’t know if I like running as much as I used to. At the end of some days, I’d rather work another eight hours." So, why run? "It is what I do." Friday, January 6 When Road Runners Run on the Road by Spencer Schwartz Safety Measures: When Roadrunners Run on the Road By Spencer Schwartz In October, Essex Running Club tragically lost long time member Doug Williams who was killed by a driver as he was walking in Montclair. I didn't personally know Doug, but I encountered him at their monthly meetings. One time I shared a table with him at an awards ceremony during my time in the ERC. He was a familiar face- groomed facial hair, mid-height, fit, adorned in his sleeveless ERC tek top at races, head covered with a baseball cap. If you ever ran the Interclub Challenge, you ran with Doug. As a fellow runner we ran with at races, the impact of his loss on ERC is appreciated. Though he wasn't running at the time of his accident, the circumstances give attention to the hazards of running. Running on the road is dangerous. Despite precautions the fortune of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time is as important a factor as any to our safety. Earlier this year a 22-year-old Denville man wasn't so lucky when he was struck and killed by a car during an early morning run. There are some common safety measures for running on the road. Most support facing the traffic when you're on the road. The thinking is logical. If you see a vehicle approaching, you have a chance to dash out of the way. The reality, however, is accidents happen so fast there isn't enough time to avoid them. Basic physics would support if you're struck by a car from behind you'd have a better chance of survival than if you were struck in front. The road is the vehicles territory. When we run on it our lives are at their mercy. But here are some considerations: 1. Always run on a sidewalk when available. 2. When on the road, run on the side with more room. 3. If you’re facing the cars look directly at the driver. Make sure they see you. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 4. When running the same direction as the traffic look behind frequently (every 30s) to know when autos are approaching. 5. Run slower as cars approach. This will to reduce your risk of stumbling into the road or to better poise yourself if you have to jump out of the way. 6. Wear bright clothes- yellows, reds, greens- so you are better seen (grays, browns, and blacks may blend in with the roads and trees) 7. Move your arms so that you're more noticeable to drivers. 8. To reduce your risks of being stranded, carry a cell phone in case of emergency. 9. Wear something that identifies you- a name and phone number- if your family has to be notified. Although the best option would be to not run on roads, that would seem contradictory for a club called "Road Runners". Today the road presents more dangers than ever. Drunk drivers, drivers who use drugs, and reckless drivers (speeders and swervers) are a constant concern. Those dangers are augmented by the emergence of oversized SUVs, the numerous individuals who text and drive and/or handle cell phones and drive, and distracted driving. We should be mindful of the risks these drivers put on runners’ lives. When we're running on the roads- on the automobile’s territory- know your surroundings and be careful. Friday, January 6 A Wonderful Day On Weeks By Steve Safier, PHD. A Wonderful Day on Weeks By Steve Safier, PhD., Sr, Business Consultant with HayGroup The Clifton Road Runners Club held their Bun Run on Weeks Court on Sunday, Dec. 18 at the home of noted Bloomberg TV anchor and celebrated runner, Melike Ayan. The Clifton group is known throughout New Jersey for its camaraderie and family spirit. Comprised of men and women of almost all ages and running skill, the group is highly competitive in the races it enters and yet somehow manages to maintain a fresh, easy going style. At no time was this style more evident than when members met at the lovely Clifton home of Ms. Ayan. Clearly, she had put a great deal of thought and effort into the event. Runners first met at her home at about 8:45am and, after some mild stretching, took off on one of three possible routes through the neighborhood. Although the weather was cold, the day was sunny, as were the runners’ spirits as they coaxed each other through their paces. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 And, no one was sunnier than Ms. Ayan herself. Resplendent in a light blue warm-up jacket, Ms. Ayan took great effort to make sure that each person felt comfortable and their stomachs were filled with a wide range of Turkish and American delicacies. Including two types of Turkish chili – meat and vegetarian – as well as Turkish bread, baklava, olives and other tasty foods from the Levant – Ms. Ayan’s spread was pleasing to all. And her home, tastefully decorated in a mix of Eastern and Western themes, exuded the type of comfortable elegance that photos in Home Decorating magazines often try to depict but rarely attain. "I’ve never tasted food this good, served in such effortless style," said one of the Road Runner leaders. "I decorate homes for a living," explained another, "but Melike is an absolute genius in the way she mixes color, materials, sunlight and meaningful, heartwarming paintings, photos and inspirational phrases on her walls." In fact, the sunlight and warmth was exceeded by the warmth of Ms. Ayan’s spirit and disposition. Well-toned and casually elegant, she elicited at least one comment from a star-struck participant that she represented a mix of the "glamorous and the adorable." Runners of the world, watch out! Some of you may be able to outrun the Clifton group and even Melike Ayan, but you’ll never outdo her charm, soulfulness and the cheery family sprit of the Road Runners. Never. Friday, January 6 Nick Russo Halloween Classic By John Egan Nick Russo Halloween Classic By John Egan It’s a stretch to go from thoughts of St. Nick back to Old Nick, but Sunday November the 6, NY Marathon Day, also provided a perfect day for one of the more fun runs of the season, the annual Nick Russo Halloween Classic, hosted by Al Alonso (formerly of Stevens) and NJIT, in Newark’s Branch Brook Park. Yes, a Halloween Run a week late, so you’ve guessed right; CRRC’s participants were John Egan and Gene Vater, the undisputed club champions of Late?! I was there 60 seconds before the gun went off!! who ran the Open 5K part. The starter was a gorilla, a lifesize witch balloon marked the finish line and finishers had to pass under her broom. Coach Al wore a fetching wizard’s hat with wig, befitting, considering how this wizard has developed NJIT’s track club. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Several runners ran in costume, with a gold Batman costume certainly making the runner the most visible runner. One girl ran with a stuffed animal on her belt: she was a kangaroo, it was a riddle. So maybe not the Village Parade, but still entertaining. The Classic has three parts: a college men’s 5K, a college women’s 5K, and an Open 5K. Five open runners took the field, including Gene and John and a 14-year-old boy. The Open started at the same time as the college men’s 5K and talk about feeling one’s age! This was a fun run, nothing on the line, so the college runners loafed, burdened down by their costumes, only doing 16 minute times with the slowest ones doing 19 minutes, and even the 14-year-old did an 18 something. John did the second best of the Open at 25:37. We old timers were joined by a bewitching NJIT lady runner, who helped us by her encouraging chatter and made sure we remained on the course since we were so far behind the college kids. Very smooth. First mile in 8:34 and we olds were together. I told her not to hold back just for us, and I didn’t notice any real increase, but the second mile was about 16:48 and the third mile was faster. Wow! For me, an all-out effort. For her, an easy training run that didn’t even leave her out of breath. NJIT guides kept us on the right path. At one fork, we were guided by an attractive Amerindian lass – no wonder the Pilgrims stayed in Newark. And as on all runs, people watching: one man with a dog, the dog with a puzzled look as if to say You humans do some very strange things. But then the second time, the dog was stretched out snoozing as its owner had found a tree stump to read his book. Kudos to the NJIT team for cleaning the park. You recall Halloween was cancelled last year due to the snowstorm. The run also would have been cancelled if the team had waited for Newark municipal services. Two days before the meet, the team removed all branches and trees from the paths. As always, Coach Al brought his lawnmower to mow the finish line area, which does double duty as the North Jersey Cricket League cricket pitch as soon as the runners finish. Two more NJIT fun runs, a 5K on March 25, Spring Thaw Run, and an April 15 Tax Day Run. (More info http://web.njit.edu/~alonso/TECH5K/index.htm)These fundraisers support the NJIT track and field team. NJIT joined the Great Western Conference, making their nearest conference competitor Chicago State, in Illinois. The next nearest is in El Paso, so away conference meets are really away. This is running in a pure form, not running’s glamour events, but these kids are the future of running (and maybe we can get a graduating senior) so if you can, help support the team and get ready for the spring with some 5Ks that offer plenty of parking, and plenty of fun. Clifton Friday, January 6 View from a Short Perspective by Bill Indek View from a Short Perspective By Bill Indek Well, by the time you read this, it will be post-Christmas, and Chanukah. Hopefully your stockings, and my people's socks, were filled with good things. It is now 2012— too hard to believe! It seems as though it was 2011 only a few days ago. Looking forward to our Bun Runs— a great way to beat the winter blues. Memorial Tree Update: As many of you know, the club donated money to the Essex County Park Commission about eight or nine years ago for the planting of two trees for deceased members Jack Freddete and Ed Murphy. Both trees are near the Bellevue Ave. entrance to the park. The recent storm damaged Jack's tree, but like Jack, who had been a Marine, it is rebounding well. Ed's tree did not suffer much damage at all. Party Review: The reviews are in and Melike and Karen did a great job as did our DJ - George- at the Dec. 3rd shindig. We had people who were dining at the restaurant- oogling and admiring our fun. You might be a redneck if your underwear is older than your wife. I read about a whale hunt in Alaska in which Eskimos use a mix of modern and traditional weapons. If they cannot get a whale, I guess they blubber. I saw a sign outside of a church that said "when down in the mouth, remember Jonah and the whale. He came out alright". You might be a redneck if there is a jukebox in your church. True story— recently, I was an invited guest to the Essex County Guidance Director's Roundtable/. They ask me back for my wisdom and bad jokes. The discussion was about the weighting system used in grading in each high school- eg. Honors Classes may be given more weight in determining a cumulative average. We went around the table and when my turn came, as I am no longer in Glen Ridge HS, I said, "The weighting system I use is Jenny Craig". Heavy thought! An article in the news recently explained how some radioactive water from one of the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan was leaking out of the facility. This gives an entirely new perspective to the term "breaking water." Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Also in the news, a large doughnut truck over turned on Highway 81, near Binghamton, NY. Reports had it that it was declared a true police emergency. I wonder if the cleanup crews were served coffee. As it was a doughnut truck, this could be a holy experience. Sports of Sorts Congrats to our 70 year-old group. You guys are amazing! When I grow up, I want to be like you guys. Wait— that is only five years from now! The comeback kid continues. As previously noted, I am slowly returning to some semblance of racing form after my year long illness/injury. On December 4, I participated in the Ocean Running Club's Reindeer Romp in Brick. As it was in Brick, I wonder if there were concrete learners there? Anyway, I did the one-mile fun run rather than the 5K. It gives me a chance to better assess my racing fitness. Good news! I did not feel much discomfort at all. I placed 3rd overall- remember it was the fun run- and covered the distance in a little under eight minutes. Four months ago I could not handle running eight minutes. Then they served hot food afterwards. Good day all around. Take care and see you on the roads. Friday, January 6 Swimming For Runners By Jessica PruzinskySwimming for Runners Swimming for Runners By Jessica Pruzinsky It may surprise you to find out that running was not my first love. I’ve always been a fish at heart. Growing up, we had a pool in our backyard and my brother and I would spend hours splashing around. I managed to stay afloat and paddle around without taking any formal lessons. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn when I decided to join the newly formed high school swim team my freshman year. I didn’t know where to begin – I couldn’t breathe right, nor could I do anything that wasn’t front crawl, and my endurance was lackluster. With the guidance of my coaches and teammates, and many evenings of practice, I stuck with it and eventually saw improvement. Over 10 years later, you can still find me at the pool. Running was only supposed to be an activity for me to use to stay in shape during the off season, which happens to be April through October for most swim teams. It only took one 5K for me to become hooked on running, and then I couldn’t stop – 5K to 10K to half marathons and full ones, too. After college, a friend suggested that since we both could swim and run, racing a triathlon could be a fun idea – swimming, biking and Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 running. It was challenging. I rode a mountain bike during my first race and was passed by little old ladies wearing aero helmets. Running and swimming actually go hand in hand; both are endurance activities that complement each other quite well. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. Using swimming as a cross training activity allows the runner to have a break from running without taking a day completely off from exercise. Because many swimming strokes require greater effort from the upper body rather than the lower body, runner’s legs can take a much needed low impact break. Yet the workout is still challenging and virtually all of the muscles in your body are still working. Working against the pressure of water also improves hip, shoulder, and core development, as well as joint flexibility. Swimming allows for the extra cardiovascular training that runner’s need, without the abuse of running on the body; it allows you to recover and train hard at the same time. For the several months, many of your fellow runners have been trading in their sneakers for fins during the weekly Triathlon Clinic held at the Garfield YMCA. It has been my pleasure to coach them through learning new strokes and perfecting their technique. Every week is different and every swimmer is different. The improvement in each swimmer is incredible. In endurance alone, we used to swim one or two laps at a time and now the class can do 6 or 8. First, we learned freestyle or front crawl and now swimmers can alternate to breast stroke and backstroke. Soon, they’ll be ready to take on the challenge of a triathlon. Testimonials Mary Farrell: Before I started the swimming classes, I had very poor technique. I had been swimming incorrectly since I was 11 years of age! My freestyle stroke was not streamlined, I had no kick, and my legs used to sink as my head was not immersed in the water. Now my technique has really improved and I am swimming more efficiently and I have more confidence. My body is more flexible and I breathe easier when I run. As I am not a gym person, I find that swimming is a good substitute, especially for the core which is vital for runners. Although swimming is a strenuous exercise, runners can use it as rest for their legs whilst still getting a cardiovascular workout. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Swimming with a group is lots of fun and it makes it more interesting. I really enjoy it and it is a new challenge for me. For the injury prone, it is physical therapy in disguise without all the fees! Ben Teixeira: The benefits of swimming while coached by Jessica- - She understands runners, since she is one, and therefore can relate to us. - Get to hang out with your Clifton Road Runner friends. - It’s a lot of fun while at the same time getting a great workout. Benefits of swimming for runners: - Good recovery - Great cross-training exercise - Works your legs without the pounding and stress on your joints. - It makes us stronger and faster runners! The next session will start the first week of January at the Garfield YMCA. Classes run for eight weeks and are 45 minute classes. Triathlon Clinic is held Tuesday evening at 8pm. Adult beginner swimming lessons are held Monday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Adult advanced swimming lessons are held Thursday at 8:15 p.m. One instructor per 8-10 students. To join the triathlon clinic, you should be comfortable treading in 8ft of water and have the ability to swim at least 1 full length of the pool. Cost is $90 for non-YMCA Members and $20 for YMCA members. All classes are paced by skill level. Children, toddler, and private lessons are also available at the YMCA. Friday, January 6 Team Spirit By Rebecca Wiechman By Rebecca Wiechman "Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too." --Richard O'Brien I’ve been inspired by a few things recently. One, by the quote above that George shared with us recently. And two, by something I saw at the cross-country team races that I don’t usually see. No, I’m not talking about the mud or the horses. I’m talking about race support. Our group is very supportive of one another in every way imaginable. We are each other’s counselors, coaches, parents, children, and friends. But I think on race day, we get caught up in our own "game face," and focused on running our own race, that we forget that our race is only a part of the larger team. We hear our captains say time and again that everyone counts, so we show up to the races where we can count, and we cheer when a member’s name is called out in the awards ceremony. But in the moments after we finish our race, we are often caught up in scouring the food and analyzing our own race performance than anything else happening around us. The difference I saw in the cross-country races is several of our members returning to the race course to cheer the remaining members to the finish line. Aha! That is how it should be! It is not just how our individual race went, but how the entire team’s race went. Running is an individual sport usually, but what our club brings is the chance to make that individual sport into a team event. We should be cheering for each other! Personally speaking, seeing my teammates’ faces several yards before the finish line was the thing I needed to kick in one last gear to the finish, and put a smile on my face. So I would like to propose a challenge to all of us— when we finish a race, we should turn right around and go back to the course and cheer for our team until every last member crosses the finish line. Yes, some of our faster runners may be standing there a while to bring in those of us in the back of the pack, but Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 that is what teammates do. We should get up and go to races that we do not plan to run in, just to cheer for our teammates. We should do it because we care about our team’s overall performance, about the individual races of each of our teammates, and about the camaraderie and closeness of our team. Let’s show all the other teams yet another reason why our club is the best running club in New Jersey! Friday, January 6 About Team Hoyt. About Team Hoyt The Early Years Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace. Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself. With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair. When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, "Hi, Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012 Mom," or "Hi, Dad," Rick's first "spoken" words were: "Go, Bruins!" The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else. In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. After high school, Rick attended Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years. The Beginning of Team Hoyt In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner [sidenote: Dick was a self-described "porker."], Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped." This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage). Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once." The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt's 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favorite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet. [sidenotes]: According to the official results of Boston 2011, the two crossed the line in a time of 7:03:04. Also, Team Hoyt was inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame in 2008. Clifton Roadrunners Newsletter January 2012
Monday, December 5 THOUGHT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD Thoughts Running through my Head You can turn the page to a new running log as we have completed another great year of running! 2011 ran by fast! We welcomed many new members (including yours truly), set some PRs, and ran many “firsts”. And to think that last year I was CRRC-less. How did I survive?! I feel like it was just yesterday when I met some of you at the end-of-the-year party! I will never forget that day. It was shocking (the OMG-these-people-are-as-crazy-as-me shock)! Perfect! J I hope everyone burned their Thanksgiving feast (by running, not by fire)! Unlike many of you, I spared a turkey. I believe Esly Panduro and I are the only veggies on the team. No, I don’t miss it. No, I didn’t feel left out. And no, I did not substitute a turkey with tofurkey. What did I eat? Yams, brown rice, vegan empanadas (Morning Star— yum!), and homemade apple pie. Mmmmm! That’s the goodness. Earlier that day, I ran the Ashenfelter 10K in Glen Ridge. The crowd was hungry to run! We also broke a record— 16 teams comprised 67 members! Great participation! Congratulations to those who won medals and snazzy jackets. They look good on you. Work it! I also reunited with the great Horace Ashenfelter. He remembered me from last year! Boy, he is trouble! J All I am saying is he knows how to compliment a woman! Men, take note from your elders! Prior to this race, I was worrying about breaking down. Thanksgiving has always been somber since my grandma (whom I have mentioned in the October newsletter, Baba) died two years ago around that time. This year, the day of the Ashenfelter race, actually marked her two-year anniversary of her death. I ran this race in her honor. I put “Baba” and a Supergirl logo on my race bib. I used to refer to her as Supergirl and in my eulogy I explained how she was such a superhero to my family and an inspiration. I thought about Baba the entire time during the race. I started tearing at one point. Crying and running do not mix! I went to her grave after the race — for the first time. I never had the guts to do it and I regretted it every day. I forced myself to go. I planned it this way so I would still be on a runner’s high to fight away the tears. But once I saw her headstone, I lost every endorphin. I don’t know if I am in denial or just avoiding it. I know she is dead, but I still feel like she is still here. Bill Indek and Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic, I need counseling! I placed my race bib on her grave. That was the hardest thing to do. Running is one of the loves of my life and to share that with her meant so much to me. The day she died was one of the eight days I did not run that year. I was sort of a female version of TA. (POW!) Baba never saw me race in person. I know she was watching me in heaven and cheering with Jesus. Amen to that! She was also never a runner. But at the 10K, she was. I felt like she was running (or flying) alongside me. I had her angel wings on. Together, we crossed to the other side of the line. Finished, but not over. I am thankful for many things. I am not going to list them all because the newsletter is long as is. But I am really grateful to have the ability to run. I owe my body a massage (definitely get a deep tissue massage)! I am extremely blessed to have such a close-knit running family. You all put a smile on my face— which isn’t hard to do –but at times like this, I count on you. I love this club and I am so glad that I joined this year. I can’t believe that it has been a year of running with the CRRC! This club has definitely made a positive impact on my life. Being your newsletter editor is an honor in itself. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it as much as I love writing it. I really can’t imagine life without all of you. I did not have the strength or motivation to run on Nov. 24 two years ago, but this year I did— with my CRRC family. J Thank you. R n always,Alicia Feghhi Monday, December 5 Counselor-on-the-Run....By Alicia Faghhi Roadrunner of the Month Counselor-on-the-RunBy Alicia Feghhi Running, like any sport, requires both mental and physical endurance. Some may argue that being physically overpowers than mental tenacity. Others believe that sport is 100 percent mental. Let’s take it from a runner. “Thoughts lead to action and action influences our thoughts,” said Blanca Alvarez Blaskovic, 58, of Harrison. Her mantra: Think it. Believe it. Do it. “I never give up. I tell myself to keep going,” Blaskovic said. “You can do it, Blanca.” A can-do attitude separates the winners from the losers. Without willpower, it’s already a loss. Granted, it is not easy to push through the last mile. The only thing that can keep one’s legs moving is to exercise the brain. It must be trained to think positive thoughts when faced with a negative. Good old sports psychology. A brief lesson in psychology: in cognitive-behavioral theory, “automatic thoughts” are the thoughts that immediately come to mind when something “bad” happens. If you fail a test, you think that you are doomed to fail anything. Instead of beating yourself up, say that you will do better next time and study more. Blaskovic, a degree clinical psychology from the said the trick is to train the brain the same way when training to run. “If you don’t think you could finish a marathon, then you wouldn’t have trained in the first place,” she said. “The physical training is tougher than the mental training. But it makes such a difference when you say ‘I can do it’”. Blaskovic credits to her daughter, Karen, for giving her strong willpower. “She would always tell me, ‘Mama, don’t give up now. You can do it. I know you can. You can.’” She believes in the power of positivity. “I am a very optimistic person. Having a positive outlook has helped me get through a lot in life.” A native of Mollendo, Peru, Blaskovic came from Peru to Mexico in June 1984. “I crossed the border in Tijuana, walking with a big group from different countries for hours.” She entered the USA in the trunk of a car— an hour-long ride from San Diego to Los Angeles —on June 26, 1984. Editor’s note: she graced the USA on my day I graced this earth. J) “That day I cried and still I cry when I remember those scary moments. That was the only time in my life when I was scared,” Blaskovic said, tears in her eyes. “God is always with me. My father taught me how to be strong person and never give up if you have a goal or a dream.” She moved to Harrison in New Jersey, where she has inhabited the same apartment since 1985. Because she didn’t know English, Blaskovic went to Essex County College in Newark to learn English on Saturday nights. She also took some history courses to “learn more about this country because this is my home now.”Blaskovic worked seven days a week—house cleaning and working at a nursing home on weekends. For two years, in addition to going to school. “I loved my cleaning job. I liked it and I made good money.” But her daughters, supported her to get her life back. When she would clean, she would see the big windows at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. Every single day. “It was my dream to work there,” Blaskovic said. “I would look at it every day and think, ‘Oh, how nice it would be to work there. One day…’” She applied at the hospital for a counseling position in the Chemical Dependency unit. “I was so nervous about the interview. My daughter kept telling me, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just know that you are the best.’” However, it was hard for Blaskovic to think that way because of her language barrier. “My English wasn’t very good at all.” “I couldn’t sleep for two days after the interview.” She got a wake-up call a week later. She was hired. “I thought it was for the second interview, but he said it was not necessary to have another interview.” She got her dream job on December 2, 2000. “I really wanted it. So, so bad. I was so happy. That office. Those windows…” Her voice trailed off in place of sobbing. “I’m really blessed. “ The employer asked her if she is currently working. Blaskovic did not want to hide the fact that she cleaned houses for a living. “I told the truth. He asked why I am doing that since I already had a professional degree. I said because I have to support my family,” she said. “I wasn’t ashamed of it.”
Monday, December 5 2011 USA Master 5K XC Championships By Joe Saley 2011 USA Masters 5K XC Championships Rochester, NY~ Sat., Oct. 2, 2011 By Joe Saley On Saturday, 22 October at 11:30 a.m., the Clifton Road Runners Club Men’s Team 70 (Hilary Peterlin, James Leitz, Al Swan and Joe Saley) ran the National 5K Cross Country Race in Center Park, Perinton, NY. Perinton is a suburb of Rochester located approximately 11 miles southeast and near the Erie Canal. It rained the night before the race but race day was about 54 degrees F., with the sun coming on and off. The two main things we had to do were to run as fast as we could and not slip and fall in the mud. At least, the muddied sections had grass on them on a soccer field. One hundred fifty-one men finished. The women’s, which started an hour a The race started and finished head, had 56 finishers. The course was challenging with its rolling hills and was mostly grass in the meadowlands, wood chips in the woodlands, crushed stone and paved pathways. The grass path was neatly mowed, the wood chips felt good to the feet and the trees shaded us from the sun even if it was not that hot or sunny. Two 1984 Olympians were invited to give inspirational talks and their running experiences; John Tuttle and Marathon Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, the night before the race. Ms Samuelson ran the women’s race and finished second over-all (20:20.67) and first in her age group. At 54, she is still fast and strong. What an exceptional runner! She helped in handing out the awards after the race. Two Canadians, 70 and 74 years old came to run as unattached, finishing 2nd and 3rd in the M70-74 age group (23:43 & 24:54 respectively). A guy from Minneapolis took first place (23:39) but did not have a team. This moved us down the line in the individual standings. Nevertheless, our team won first place in the Team 70+ with a total time of 1:21:55 and an average of 27:18.34. Our team ran four races in the 2011 USATF National Masters Championships and it looks like we have a chance to win first place in the Team 70+. Monday, December 5 RememberingJoe Frazier By Steve Tupper Remembering Joe FrazierBy Steve Tupper Joe Frazier died recently of liver cancer. The once Heavyweight Champion of the World passed away in a hospice after a relatively short but painful bout with this horrible disease. The following is a fond reminiscence of a brief crossing of paths of the two of us. It was August 2010 and Barbara Tupper, Diane Cismowski and I took a road trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in a “Mud Run”. At least Barb and Diane participated. I wisely held back and took pictures of their efforts. The day before the event, we took a tour of Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison that once held the likes of Al “Scarface” Capone and other miscreants. After the tour we walked back to our hotel and I told the ladies I had to stop for batteries. They continued on because they had to pick up their race numbers and I. There were a few people there and looked for a store. Seeing this corner establishment I stopped in an looked around while waiting in line heard two men talking which naturally made me look over out of curiosity. I immediately recognized one of the guys as the great boxing champion, Joe Frazier, obviously older but for an older boxing fan like me, unmistakable in appearance. I made my purchase and upon walking out and trying not to stare at this former champion, I saw he was wrapping up his conversation. Walking toward the door and seeing him following I held the door for him and said, “I’m holding the door for the Heavyweight Champion”, and he thanked me graciously. He was seemingly in good health and still in good shape although his speech was slurred a little, the result of all the physical punishment his body had endured during his brilliant career. We talked briefly and I told him about my being in Greenland at the time and listening to the radio on that March day in 1971 when he beat Muhammed Ali for the title. He inquired if I had been in the Marines and told him “no, the Air Force”. He seemed impressed that someone knew where they were during this momentous event, especially so long ago, but we often remember where we were when great events transpired. They’re milestones in our lives. I then asked him about his fight with George Foreman in Africa. For those of you old enough to remember Foreman kept pushing Frazier back and hitting him with those long arms of his, not allowing Frazier to get inside and do damage as he had to so many other adversaries. It had always seemed like a breach of rules on Foreman’s part and when I told Joe that one can’t do that he said “Yes you can!” So the matter was settled. Having my cell phone handy, I called Barbara and told her “You’ll never guess who I ran into………Joe Frazier!” She said “get out” and I asked Joe to say hello. He asked me her name and I said Barbara. He then took the phone and said “Hello, Miss Barbara” and they talked briefly, exchanging pleasantries. After giving me the phone back and asking him for an autograph he took out his wallet and gave me an autographed business card. I only regret I didn’t have a camera to visually record our brief encounter. I thanked him and wished him well and he got into his car, turned the key and the engine had a hard time starting. I stopped and turned around to see if he was alright and upon a second try the engine turned over and Joe Frazier and I went our separate ways. Recently upon hearing he was sick, I reflected on our meeting and prayed for his recovery, but after hearing he had liver cancer, prayed for his soul. Of all the cancers, liver and pancreatic cancers seem to be the most virulent, often taking their victims after only a short while. I’m sure Joe Frazier vaguely remembered our meeting. He met so many people in his life, people far more important and influential than me, but for me our encounter was memorable and I will always cherish it. He was a great champion and fought so many opponents but in the end Death, our most formidable foe, raised its icy hands in victory over this worthy but fallen warrior. Rest in Peace, Joe. Monday, December 5 View from a Short Perspective By Bill Index. View from a Short PerspectiveBy Bill IndekHi Boys and Girls- if you attempted a marathon recently - Congrats on an amazing adventure. Now it is important not to rush back to heavy training as your body needs time to heal. Sighting- met Robin Kief- former CRRC member at the NJEA Teacher Convention. She is living in the Toms River area and is teaching Latin. She is not running much due to some health issues. She sends best regards to one and all. Mr. Bill on the Road- in late Oct. I was invited to participate in a tour of private colleges in Virginia in my role as a college advisor for people looking for colleges. Here comes the moment you have been dreading. 1. At Hampton- Sidney College- which was founded in the late 1700's- they showed us an older dorm that had large rooms. The Director of Resident Life told us that at one time a student actually had a billiard table in it. I asked, “Would it then be correct to say that there were days when he was behind the 8- Ball?” 2. At the same college, the Director of Student Activities showed us the Student Run Fire Dept. 25 student volunteers are trained and help several fulltime professionals. I noted, “This must be a hot activity”. 3. At Averett College in Danville, VA, we passed several large mansions on the way in to town. The Prez of the college explained that at one time the tobacco industry was very profitable here and prominent individuals lived in those homes until the industry started to have problems. I said that it looks like their careers went up in smoke! The Prez was speechless. 4. At St. Paul's College, the Director of Admissions was telling us about some students who the college gave a chance to as they were struggling minority students from poor backgrounds. One student was from Brooklyn, NY and despite the best efforts of college personnel- he had a hard time adjusting to rural life. I offered the opinion that I knew why- Bagel Deprivation- a good bagel could not be gotten outside of the NY metro area. The director was also speechless. More Observations1. I passed a sign outside of a Cedar Grove middle school saying that they were observing Violence Awareness Week. Beats me! Do they not serve punch that week? 2. Two months ago I was helping my daughter move in to a new town house in Baltimore. On a run I passed a ceremony at a local park commemorating the achievements of a Scottish War Hero from the 13th century. The main speaker then said that the average height of men then was 5'4". Wow- I was born eight centuries too late- or I am a retro dude! 3. I saw a show on Birds of Pray. I wondered how they get in to a church. Then I realized it was Birds of Prey- never mind! 4. New World Marathon record of 2:03 means that the runner averaged about 4:43 per mile. That means that if you called Geico for your 15 minute insurance conversation, the runner would have covered 3.5 miles while you were on the phone. 5. While I was visiting William College this summer they told me about a special program here where famous art works are sent here to be treated and better preserved. So I asked if the quality of the work is not good, could you call it sketchy? Theater ReviewWhile down in Florida recently visiting the grandkids, we went to see the Addams' Family Play- based on old TV show. As the material deals with morbid/ funny stuff, I wondered if people were dying to get in? Sports of Sorts1. Yao Ming, the 7'6" basketball player for the Houston Rockets has retired. His replacement will really have big shoes to fill. 2. While on the Florida trip, we went to a local corn festival and part of it was a really interesting maze cut through a six-acre corn field. As we started to go through it, I realized we were all now “stalkers”. 3. At the NJEA Convention in Atlantic City-, a group of CRRCers participated in the annual 5K on the Boardwalk-- and we all won an age group award. Pete Engelhardt was 5th overall and was 1st in his group while Camille Creary placed 4th overall- just missing 3rd place by inches and was 2nd in her age bracket. Tina Ginot was 3rd in her group. Now the real surprise- as noted in earlier columns- I am slowly getting back in to shape after my health scare- so my goal was to be able to run the entire 5K without slowing down too much. While I did it in a relatively slow time, it turns out that the faster guys in my 60 age bracket were either injured or not interested in participating, so I actually won third place in the division. I guess you can say- 'I SAW A FLYING PIG’ as I never expected this. Is that kosher? In closing- if any club member needs help with their son/daughter finding an appropriate college and coping with financial aid - contact me at williamindek@yahoo.com or 973-338-3893.
Monday, December 5 Snow Accumulation in October?...By Chris Troyano Snow Accumulation in October? By Chris Troyano For us runners, we may encounter a new (running related) obstacle each year. It could be bronchitis, an injury, another health matter, or even some kind of obstacle on a course or an obstacle course. At any rate, it seems numerous times the weather presents a challenge to us. It may be bitter cold in the winter, unseasonably cold in May or too warm in October. Our late October snowstorm that blanketed the tri-state area was a first for me, seeing a significant snow accumulation in October. I remember growing up in the 1960's in Central Jersey &maybe one or two years we had a snow shower in October, but no accumulation. In Little Falls we only had five or six inches of snow, which was a small amount compared to numerous North Jersey towns. Bill Ash, hope you survived ok the nearly 20 inches in your area. Maria and I did not run on snowstorm day (October 29). Running that morning was your best bet. We did venture out for our Sunday run in the afternoon sun after our power was restored in early afternoon. For our run I had to bring a camera to record the various downed branches/trees plus power lines. We basically ran on Ridge Road in Cedar Grove and at times had to run around some fallen branches while keeping both eyes on the oncoming traffic. In numerous locations the branches and snow covered the shoulder area and the sidewalk. The downed power lines were not a shocking concern but brought out a cautious awareness of our running environment. I did manage to run only five miles while Maria ran slightly less distance. We always stayed on our feet and had a safe run. The snow covered scenery was most unusual for a late October run. I trust everyone has power by now. I hope this autumn snowstorm is not a snowy omen for the winter. Monday, December 5 2011 USA Master 5K Champioship Syracuse NY...By Joe Saley 2011 USA Masters 5K Championships Syracuse, NY~ Sat., Oct. 2, 2011 By Joe Saley The Syracuse Chargers Track Club, the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County and the USA Track & Field hosted the 5K Championships Race at their 19th Annual Festival of Races. It was held on October 2 at 8:50 a.m. for the men and 9:50 a.m. for the women. The out-and-back course began at E. Colvin Street area. It was mostly flat on the road with a slight up-hill stretch of about 80 meters(at 4.5 km. thereabouts) before it turned right to the finish line near the Manley Field House, a multi-purpose arena and former home of the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team and indoor track team. It is owned by the Syracuse University. A nice 5K course, only four sharp turns to slow you down. Clifton Road Runners Team 70 runners James Leitz, Al Swan and Joe Saley competed in the race without Hilary Peterlin and Team Captain Matt Lalumia. Hilary, our fastest, unfortunately had a foot injury and Matt was on a much needed vacation in Italy. We managed to get 2nd place after Shore Athletic Club, NJ beat us by one minute, 45 seconds. Our average time per runner was 26:24 against their 24:39. Belle Watling Athletic Club, NY came in 3rd, average time of 31:35. An unopposed team of Men’s 80+, the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, won first place. A cold (about 45-50 deg. F.) and rainy day greeted us but that did not bother us. The women were lucky, the rain stopped during the duration of their race. There were 67 women finishers and 134 men finishers. After the race at 12:30 p.m., we attended the Brunch and Awards Presentation at the host hotel (Embassy Suites) and got to see senior runners; an 85-year lady from Canton, NY (Ms. Nancy Auster) and 90 and 93 year-young gentlemen from Granby, CT(Mr. Bill Tribou) and (Mr. Henry Sypniewski) from Cheektowaga, NY, respectively. When I grow up, I want to be like them. The ceremonies ended about 2:00 p.m. after which we departed for home and arrived safely in Clifton, NJ (Al & I) at around 8 p.m. By the way, we got our club team 2nd place prize money of $125 as well as our medals at the ceremonies. Ouch, first placer Shore A.C. got $250. We’ll try harder next time. The event was superbly handled by Event Director Dave Oja, Coordinator & Event Referee Bill Quinlisk, their staff and volunteers. Next year, plan on running in the Syracuse Festival of Races. Monday, December 5 Running the 2011 NYC Marathon By Joe Saley Nov. 6, 2011 Running the 2011 NYC MarathonBy Joe Saley Kudos to the 46,795 finishers of the 42nd Annual ING New York City Marathon, especially to my co-runners from our very own Clifton Road Runners family. Good running done as usual like last year. And many thanks to the CRR group and fans who came to cheer us on. You did help a lot in motivating us to finish. And to all of the thousands of volunteers, my utmost gratitude and a million thanks. It was a sunny, chilly November 6 and a perfect day for the runners and spectators: 51 degrees F., 4 mph wind at the start and at noon, it was 53 degrees with a 3 mph wind. This may have helped everyone to run their best. Thirty-year old Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai broke the course record in 2:05:06 after breaking the Boston course record last April in 2:03:02. Unfortunately, the International Association of Athletics Federations ruled that Boston’s elevation drop disqualifies the course from world-record consideration. Patrick Makau, another Kenyan, is the official marathon world-record holder with his recent 2:03:38 victory in Berlin. There were two Mutai’s (no relation) in the NYCM. The other one is 27-year old Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai who finished second in 2:06:28. Third place was 24-year old Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede with a time of 2:07:13. For the women: Firehiwot Dado, 27 of Ethiopia came in first in 2:23:15, Buzunesh Deba, 24 of the Bronx and an Ethiopian citizen was second in 2:23:19 and third was Mary Keitany, 29 of Kenya in 2:23:38. There are three start areas called villages in Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island where the runners stay until start time; the Orange named for the late Grete Waitz, the Green/Tegla Laroupe and the Blue/Alberto Salazar. The marathon start times are staggered with three waves of runners in corrals. The wheelchairs start first at 8:30 a.m., 9:10 a.m. for the elite women and 9:40 a.m. for elite men and runners for wave one. The second wave is at 10:10 a.m. and wave three is at 10:40 a.m. The orange and blue runners run on the upper level of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the green on the lower level. All the runners merge together after mile eight in Brooklyn. I was assigned to the Orange/Grete Waitz Village which for me was an honor and a good way to pay tribute to the nine-time NYCM Champion who recently passed away. I had an orange bib number 34-706 marked wave two. The 34 is the corral I was going to. A public address system is used to make announcements and to inform the runners when to go to their respective corrals. Announcements are also multi-lingual. We started at 10:10 a.m. and I began with a relaxed, easy pace getting to the 10K mark in Brooklyn along 4th Avenue feeling and running fine with a time of 1:01:38. I mentally divided the marathon distance into 4-10Ks and planned on doing each 10K in an hour or better. The experts say this scheme makes the marathon easier to do. By the way, for those who don’t know, a marathon is 26.2 miles or 42.16 kilometers. Slowly and steadily, I passed McCarren Park, Brooklyn and got to the 20K (12.4 miles) in 2:07:32. At the McDonald’s on the corner of Greenpoint and Manhattan Avenues, Aziz Akmese, my dear friend and running buddy and also from Teaneck was waiting for me. We were going to run together like last year but we missed to see each other. The wall-to-wall runners and sudden sharp turn of the course route made it hard to look for him. Being deeply concentrated on my running, I completely forgot about our rendezvous. Anyway, at the finish, I found out he finished ahead of me. “Good running and congratulations Aziz.” I reached the half-marathon point (13.1 miles) on Pulaski Bridge in 2:14:48 and running good up the bridge. My old body was not complaining and still strong for how much longer? I hoped for the best. You never know until the race is over as anything can happen along the course. So far so good. Now in Queens, the Queensboro Bridge is the one to contend with. It is about a mile long and about three quarters of it is uphill. Usually, there are a few spectators on it but fear not for as soon as one makes the turn down into First Avenue (Manhattan), the loud and noisy crowd deafens the runner’s ear and makes her/him like being recharged, rejuvenated or run like a champion. It is a wonderful experience, especially for the first timers. The avenue is always packed with spectators on both sides with signs, bells, whistles, banners and whatever. On First Avenue along the 70s street (can’t rightly recall, possibly I was starting to “hit the wall”) are where our CRR members and fans wait patiently (on runner’s left) every year. I spotted Bill Ash and the group and I happily stopped to “high-five” with them. So sorry, I don’t know all your names. Thanks for taking time to come and give us a boost and moral support. It is greatly appreciated. By the way, there were 23 of us from our running club (15 men and eight women). Everyone did pretty good. Our fastest male was 66-year old Feliciano Pereira clocking 3:22:31 placing him 3rd among 359 in his age group of men 65-69. The fastest female was 29-year old Jazmin Abraham in 3:43:36. And of special mention is speedster Roland Ratmeyer, only 73-years young finishing in 4:16:33. What an energetic and dedicated marathon runners! You are all awesome. Continuing along First Avenue and after passing 96th Street, the soles of my feet started to hurt but I kept running until I reached the 30K (18.6mile) mark. The outer sides of my shins, particularly on my right foot were also hurting as well as both back thighs. Almost 3 & ½ hours had elapsed and I realized that my plan on running each 10K in an hour or better didn’t work. I lost at least 30 minutes and I have another 12 kilometers to go. “Mea Culpa”/I’m to blame. Shame on me, I did only one (18-miler) long distance training run. Nevertheless, I was not about to give up. I stopped to stretch, exercise and refuel with my GU gel. After about 10 minutes, I felt somewhat refreshed and rested. I continued on, first walking then jogging to running. My next obstacle was the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx. I got over it then crossed another obstacle, the Madison Avenue Bridge to 5th Avenue, Manhattan. Luckily, both bridges are short as compared to the Queensboro Bridge. The going was tough and slow but I hung on. I must have walked at least five times from mile 18 to mile 24 however I was determined to finish. Entering Central Park at 90th Street via 5th Avenue, my adrenaline was still high and with lots of encouragement from all the supportive spectators, I was greatly inspired to keep going. Soon, I was at the Columbus Circle area looking at the big screen showing us runners making our turns down to Central Park. The last 200 meters (about) to the finish was uphill but almost everyone seemed to have been energized running it including me. I finally made it to the finish line in one piece and a “happy camper.”I felt good and contented with my time of 4:54:07 coming in 34,015 over-all and 44 of 157 in my age group of men 70-74. A slow time but the body can only take and do so much. Our finisher’s medal from New York Road Runners is a 2 & ¾ inch diameter beauty with Ms. Grete Waitz’s saying at the back, “In New York, Everyone Wins.” This will be my 14th NYC marathon and a total of 49 marathons done since my tender age of 54. God willing, I am looking forward to doing more. In closing, here’s for good health, stay fit and live life to the fullest.
Monday, December 5 It's a Small World By Jessica Pruzinky It’s a Small WorldBy Jessica PruzinkyFunny story from my trip to Rome last week - as we were walking to the Spanish Steps, a young lady was running through the streets wearing a bright orange Under Armour shirt - same shirt from this year's Baltimore half marathon. :) Tuesday, November 1 Roadrunner of the Month. Running around Town By Alicia Feghhi Roadrunner of the Month Running around TownBy Alicia Feghhi Starting from the age of six, he ran to school. Not because he was afraid of being late, but his feet were his only wheels. He didn’t finish high school. Not because he didn’t want to, but he had to support his family by working full-time at a printing shop and attending a vocational school at night. He came to America in his early 20’s in 1990. Because he had to. “I wanted a better life and to make money for my family,” said Jaime Mantari, 43, who knew only two words in English when he emigrated to the U.S. from Peru on a 10-day boat trip to New Jersey. “It was tough. All I ate was tuna fish and crackers. The boat was always bouncing and I was stuck in a small room.”Mantari went to live with his aunt Isela in Passaic and looked for work. He found a job making sandwiches at Tony's Deli in town, serving customers six days a week. At night, he washed dishes at a diner on Passaic Avenue. As if that weren't enough, he supplemented his income by taking garbage out and breaking up cardboard three nights a week. In between, he found time to take English classes at Passaic High School.As the oldest of seven siblings, Mantari, 14 at the time, was counted on to help support his family by sweeping floors during the day and learning the printing trade in the evening.Working seven days a week, often until 2 a.m., left Mantari exhausted. His schedule left no time for running, although he tried to get in a workout two or three times a week. But there were few places to run Lima and no running teams. “Nobody ran there.”“It was hard because I loved running, but it wasn’t the place for it. I felt like I was the only one,” Mantari said.He decided to work just one job by driving a delivery truck for Verona Leather of Newark. “I missed running and I needed that in my life. Too much work and no running made me stressed.”Although his endurance was improving, he did not have any help with speedwork. But he gave running a race a shot. In 1998, he ran his first 5K in Paramus, where he finished in 23:45. Later that year in November, he ran the Clifton Stampede 5K. That’s where he met the Clifton Roadrunners Club and joined them a few months later.
Monday, April 4 A MESSAGE FROM YOUR VICE PRESIDENT - BEN TEIXEIRA Hello my fellow CRRC members, I am your newly elected Vice President, Ben Teixeira.I would like to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as your Vice President. I will continue to do my best in helping this club remain one of the best in New Jersey. Our club is known for being the friendliest to runners of all abilities, having the best parties (we certainly have the best dancers), and being able to compete against any club in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix.So my goal is to help us keep it that way.I have always been into athletics and I love to compete. I have played for teams in hockey, soccer, softball and basketball. I also enjoy golf and tennis, but what I really love to do is run. I entered my first race back in 2000, when my town put on a 5K and 1 mile fun run. In order to convince my kids to do the fun run, I told them that I would run the 5K race. Anyway, I staggered to the finish in 20:45 and it was the hardest thing that I had ever done. For the next three years, I would only run in two races per year, the one in my town and the Chase Corp Challenge, which I ran for my company’s team. In 2004 I started to train seriously and I ran in 12 races. Including this year, I have completed a total of 190 races. In May 2007, I joined the Clifton Road Runners, and in 2008 became the Men’s Open, 40’s and 50’s team captain.In 2009, while attending a USA Track & Field meeting, I was asked to become the Open Men’s Vice Chair for the Long Distance Running Committee, which I accepted, and was reelected earlier this year for another term.On a personal note, I was born in Portugal, grew up in Passaic Park, graduated from Passaic High School, have a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from Felician College, and work for UPS as a Systems Analyst. My wife, Rosa, and I have four children -Diana, Derek, Karin and Chelsea - all of whom I had the pleasure of coaching in their local soccer, softball, basketball and baseball leagues. In 2009, my wife joined the Clifton Ladies Team and in 2010, my oldest daughter Diana did the same. Still waiting on the other three.My email address is BenTeixeira@verizon.net and my cell number is (201) 245-0712. You can usually find me at the weekend group runs, the Wednesday night track workout, and of course, at the Championship Team races. If anyone has any questions about the club, teams, USATF-NJ, etc., please feel free to contact me! Monday, April 4 VICE PRESIDENT - BEN TEIXEIRA BY BARBARA TUPER Members, I would like to introduce your new Vice President, Ben Teixeira. Since joining the Club three years ago, Ben immediately became an active worker, reorganizing the Open, 40’s and 50’s men’s teams, the roster, members racing stats and the clubs stats. He helps out with the website, participates in the bun runs, group runs, and takes an active role in the selection of each year’s award winners, providing personal observations on each member’s individual progress. He’s Lead Captain of the Men’s teams and also holds the position of USATF Long Distance Running Vice Chair. Ben is hands down, a leader by example. If you’re an active member in the club, Ben makes every effort to know who you are and encourages your participation in team events and club activities. The vote was 65 for Ben Teixeira and 10 for Rodrigo Alvarez. To all the members who voted – thank you. To Rodrigo Alvarez, thank you for serving as Vice President for the past six years and to your contributions to the club. Rodrigo is a master at finding new members for the club. He has offered his help to continue the growth and progress of the club and with his work schedule, you’ll see Rodrigo at the Sunday group runs at the Boat Basin – Snack Bar Area. And thank you Blanca Alvarez for accepting the job of collecting and validating the votes. Blanca was well organized. She took the initiative of recognizing each vote with a thank you, printed out each vote received as a back-up copy and accepted mail in votes saving even the envelopes. When all of us work as a team nothing is impossible. Wednesday, March 30 Interclub Challenge THE INTERCLUB CHALLENGESunday, July , 20109:00amBrookdale ParkUpper Parking LotSign in under CLIFTON & Age Group8:30 am warm up lead by your Captains and Group Leaders We are being challenged by the Essex Running Club, Rose City Runners, The Do Run Runners and The Geezers. They all plan to win the trophies away from Clifton but they will have to defeat all of you 1st!!! We know our family is stronger, we know our family has more team spirit and we now our family will come out and support Clifton. Come to run – come to volunteer –but please come EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT – EVERYONE IS NEEDED |
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Clifton Roadrunners Club View Our Guestbook | Sign Our Guestbook 9 visitors have signed our guestbook. |
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