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Tuesday, January 15 Runners wowed by Olympic champion Peter Rono Runners wowed by Olympic champion Peter Rono By Laurie Gordon There was Olympic gold in Newton last week when 1988 Olympic 1,500 meter champion, Peter Rono, of Kenya, spoke to over 70 runners at the Eighth Annual X-Treme Running Camp. His message to the kids was that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Rono urged them to listen to their coaches, teachers and mentors, respect their bodies and put in hard work not just with their running but with everything they strive to achieve in life. Following his speech, Rono reached for a blue velvet box in his bag. When he opened it, mouths dropped as he revealed the gold medal he won at the Seoul Olympics. Rono then went one step further and let the middle and high school kids at the camp pass the medal around. “I want you to see it, hold it and touch it so you realize that one day you too could win one.” Rono left the kids with, “I believe that one day, one of you will win a gold, a silver or a bronze medal. Will it be you?” X-Treme Running Camp attracts runners from all over the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York area. Camp is held at Swartswood State Park and consists of distance base building, guest speakers and speed and leg turn over drills. Crystal Carlson, of West Milford, was back at camp for her third year. “This camp gets me going heading into my cross country season,” the 17-year-old said. Carlson will be a senior at West Milford High School and has her sights on hitting some personal best times this fall. The culmination of her goals would be to run in the coveted Meet of Champions which just happens to be on her birthday, November 17. Another camper, Kittatinny Regional High School’s senior co-captain, Kylie McGlew, had one word for the medal: “Wow.” Tuesday, January 15 Runners wowed by Olympic champion Peter Rono Runners wowed by Olympic champion Peter Rono By Laurie Gordon There was Olympic gold in Newton last week when 1988 Olympic 1,500 meter champion, Peter Rono, of Kenya, spoke to over 70 runners at the Eighth Annual X-Treme Running Camp. His message to the kids was that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Rono urged them to listen to their coaches, teachers and mentors, respect their bodies and put in hard work not just with their running but with everything they strive to achieve in life. Following his speech, Rono reached for a blue velvet box in his bag. When he opened it, mouths dropped as he revealed the gold medal he won at the Seoul Olympics. Rono then went one step further and let the middle and high school kids at the camp pass the medal around. “I want you to see it, hold it and touch it so you realize that one day you too could win one.” Rono left the kids with, “I believe that one day, one of you will win a gold, a silver or a bronze medal. Will it be you?” X-Treme Running Camp attracts runners from all over the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York area. Camp is held at Swartswood State Park and consists of distance base building, guest speakers and speed and leg turn over drills. Crystal Carlson, of West Milford, was back at camp for her third year. “This camp gets me going heading into my cross country season,” the 17-year-old said. Carlson will be a senior at West Milford High School and has her sights on hitting some personal best times this fall. The culmination of her goals would be to run in the coveted Meet of Champions which just happens to be on her birthday, November 17. Another camper, Kittatinny Regional High School’s senior co-captain, Kylie McGlew, had one word for the medal: “Wow.” Monday, August 7 The Fork in the Road The Fork in the Road By Laurie Gordon It was a dog day of summer. The thunderstorm that had roared through Stillwater had caused a ruckus and given the land a good soaking, but instead of cooling things down, in its wake came yet hotter, stickier weather. It had been a long day: one of those days where everything seems to take twice as long and twice as much effort. My husband surprised me and came home early to watch our baby so I could get in a good run before I had to work at 6. I was delighted at the opportunity to get in a good run, but as I headed down Edgewood Drive, my body felt extremely lethargic, the result of the type of day Id had compounded by the intense heat. I nearly turned around to trade in my run for a go on the Nordic Track machine in our basement. Less effort and cooler. It sounded good, but I was a runner with an opportunity to run so I kept on going. Two miles later, the lethargy was still in my bones, but it was getting a little better. Thats when I came to the fork in the road. If I headed left, it would be a 7 mile run, but part way through, there was another left I could take to whittle it down to 5. If I headed to the right, I was locked in to a 10 mile run. Left would be prettier, and maybe Id be motivated to bounce into the Park for a loop. Who was I kidding. I knew chances were, if I headed left, Id do 5. Though my pace was slower than usual and my back was hurting from picking up 20-pound- 6-ounce Ashley Rose up the wrong way, I knew what my choice had to be. I went right. There are days when one should commend ones self for just getting out the door: the days when youre tired or sick or unmotivated. This was one of those days, and now I was really raising the bar: committing to 10 miles. A half mile later, I passed a church. It was a sweltering stretch, and I looked up at the steeple and prayed that Id finish the run. Another half a mile, and I passed Mengos Pizzeria. Hot and hurting, the smell of the tomato sauce nearly made me throw up, but I swallowed hard and kept on going. The back side of Swartswood Lake isnt nearly as shaded as the front side: the side Id have chosen if Id gone left. Any sign of storms had passed, and the late day sun scorched down on the pavement. Finally, I hit Dead Mans Curve, a double twist in the road on Route 519, and thankfully, a section of shade. Unhappily, this part also involved two hills. That done, it was time for what I realized would be the most brutal portion of the run: Pond Road. There is no shade and its a very boring little-over-a-mile stretch. Perspiration soaked my blonde hair protruding under my Runners World cap, and my once light blue shorts were dark with sweat. The only thing I looked forward to was perhaps catching a glimpse of a farm animal or two by the big barn on the left part way down the road. There were no animals. They were all in the barn in the shade. Finally, Pond Road was coming to an end, but two issues were left: the dogs that live at the house on the corner of Pond and Route 619 and the infamous Brannigans Hill that I had to surmount to get back to my neighborhood. The dogs dont get loose -- well, once they did, but that was years ago -- but they are annoying yappers and there is that perpetual threat of them getting loose. As fate would have it, I always seem to pass them late in a run, so its a big question as to whether I could muster enough umph to out run them if they escaped. Yap, yap, yap: there they were, seemingly unscathed by the heat, running around and then, when they sensed my presence, as fast as they could to the brim of their electric fence with drool on their faces. Few, no escapes, and I threw in a little charge as I passed them up the slight incline that leads to Brannigans Hill. Now the hill loomed. The pull in my back was becoming an issue rather than an annoyance, and I had two miles to go. With the heat index over 100 my only hope of getting up Brannigans Hill was to coach myself as I do the kids I train. Use your arms, lift your knees, lean forward, I mouthed to myself. I knew what to do, but knowing and doing can have a problem syncing in such abominable conditions. It wasnt the pounding sprint of a race horse, but rather the steady, persistent crawl of a tortoise that got me to the summit of Brannigans Hill. I thankfully let my body fall into a flopping clop into the shaded downhill of the other side. I made it another half mile, and then my sweat-drenched body could take no more, and I was reduced to a walk for the final stint that led up Edgewood to my house. On days like this, I cant drink anything too cold, and I knew, with two miles to go, there was a bottle of green Gatorade in the trunk of my car. Wiped out, heated out and drained, I reached for the bottle, and when I drank it, I could feel it going to every inch of my body. That night, as I lay in bed, I thought about my run. At first, I was disappointed at how tired my body had felt and how unable I was to snap out of the fatigue and battle the heat and humidity. But then the disappointment turned to pride. Despite how Id felt and despite the conditions, Id chosen the right fork in the road, not the path of least resistance. And, though Id had to walk at the end Id finished the run. I fell asleep with a smile on my face. ...oh, and then 5 minutes later, the baby was up for a bottle. I'm the point man, but I'd have it no other way. Another reason to be proud of the run. If you don't have kids, you neither know nor appreciate a good night's sleep... nor how you'd gladly trade that sleep in for anything just to see your baby smile. Ashley Rose was down 20 minutes later and then, once again. Not bad for a 1 year old. Ok, most kids sleep 7 to 7, but she's experiencing life things no other kids do. I not only appreciated the run, then, but the sleep. And her even more.
By Laurie Gordon Two Olympians who battled one another in the 1,500 meter finals in Seoul, Korea, in 1988, met again in Hampton, New Jersey, on Monday, August 19th, to inspire kids at The X-Treme Youth Running Camp. Marcus OSullivan, who represented Ireland, and Peter Rono, of Kenya, dueled in Seoul, and they hadnt seen one another in years. It was so ironic that we should meet again to speak to kids during an Olympic Games, Rono said. OSullivan was the first guest speaker at the 5th annual X-Treme Youth Running Camp held at Swartswood State Park in Hampton. Hed heard that his once rival and friend would be the second speaker, and when Rono arrived, OSullivan paused and said, Theres my friend now, as the two exchanged a glance of respect and knowing of the battle theyd once had on a track in a far away land. OSullivan, who has a summer home in Layton, told his story to the campers. When I was six, my father and I would go for really long walks in Ireland, he said. I remember the time and the place when I asked him if he thought I could one day make the Olympics. Maybe he was just getting a kid off his back, but he said, Not in 76, youll be too young and not in 80 either but maybe in 84. The dream stuck with OSullivan and the next year, at age seven, he had a chance to try running. In Ireland, theres a club system and his club was having an evening of races. He went and was told he was too small and hed have to run with the girls. It was humiliating, he said, All the girls beat me. Strike one. His next go at running came at age 10 or 11. The Brothers at the Catholic school I attended asked for volunteers for the cross country team. I sat in the back and I raised my hand but they said I was too small and it was going to be a tough sport. I never went to practice. Strike two. OSullivans third attempt came when he was 13. In an unprecedented happening, the phys ed teacher said, Unless you have a doctors note, everyone is going to try out for cross country tomorrow. OSullivan said, That was the one and only time that was allowed by the school, but I guess it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Over 120 kids were there running every which way and then, in the midst, OSullivan got a tap on the shoulder. Number four...you made the team, a voice said. That was his start. OSullivan said he was good in high school but not good enough to get the chance to get better or an education. In Ireland, most people didnt go to college. I wasnt college material. To make himself college material and earn a trip to the United States to attend college, OSullivan knew he had a lot of work to do. He graduated high school running the mile in times between 4:26 and 4:30. He said to the campers, You might think thats good, but it wasnt good enough for a scholarship to the U.S. OSullivan wanted to go to Villanova. University. I knew if I could just get in there, it was my stepping stone to the Olympics, he said. He got a job in Ireland as a sailmaker and began a year of an incredibly intense routine. Id get up at seven and run to the bus. Sometimes, the bus would get stuck in traffic, so Id keep on running and catch it later on so I could run further. Id go to work making sails then at 5 p.m. we were done and Id take the bus an hour home. Id be so tired that Id eat something and go to sleep until eight. Then Id go down to my local club where Id meet my coach and run until 10. Id come home hungry and would eat toast, tea and big fat pieces of bacon we had between the bread. The next day, Id do it all again. Though his friends tried to coax him out on the town to party, OSullivan always said no. In that year, he brought his mile time down to 4:05....good enough to catch the eye and funds of Villanova. I wanted something to happen so badly that it had to happen, he said. He headed to the U.S. OSullivan arrived here in 1980 and ran in the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. 1984 was my favorite, if I had to pick one, he said because it was like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Everything was so new and unbelievable. Vital Sasson was there giving hair cuts to the athletes and theyd make the Olympic rings in your hair. Everything was amazing. He said that 1988 was the most intense year and thats the year he was in the 1,500 with Peter Rono. Rono won the gold medal, running 3:35:95, and OSullivan was eighth, in 3:38:39. OSullivan has broken the 4 minute mile over 100 times. His mile personal best is 3:50 which he ran on the old wooden indoor track at Brendan Byrne Arena. After a few minutes to reunite and take pictures with the campers, Rono took over the stage and urged the kids, many of whom attend local middle and high schools, to have the right attitude toward your running, and then add discipline. He said that he had won gold, he looked up to OSullivan for the longevity that hes had with the sport, having competed for over 25 years. Both OSullivan and Rono stressed to the kids to respect their coaches and their bodies and to make sure to take care of themselves through proper rest and smart training. Said Rono, It is possible. Dont ever think it isnt possible. Anyone here can make it to the Olympics. Rono had his gold medal on hand and let each and every one of the 75 campers hold it. OSullivan ended his speech, Sussex County is a great place to train. Remember that no matter how nervous you get about a race, its also something you should enjoy. I think thats the one thing in my career I regret...not enjoying the competition enough. 
Chariots Of Fire
Running to work By Guy Gordon Today I ran to work. I had to drop my truck off to be serviced, and ran the 10 miles to my office...206 South to 46 East to 10 East. I love running to work, becouse the looks I get from most of my co-workers, who are munching on their second bagel of the morning, while puffing on a cigg, are priceless. So what if I am dripping wet from sweat when I walk into the office(we don't have shower facilities? So what if I leave my clothes out, hanging on my desk to dry to get ready for my 2nd workout at lunch? I will take the smell of a human being who just came back from feeding his body and mind with a great running experience, over the stench of an unhealthy, overweight individual, who is just simply feeding their face. Running is great. The beauty of it all, is that so many people see you do it, but have no idea what it makes you feel like. It's the runners secret.I ran to work today, and it set the tone for the day. Nothing that could happen in the office today will prove that up-setting. I started my day doing something by myself, and for myself. I'm ready for what-ever lies ahead. Final Day of Camp 2004 - The X-Treme 5K The final day of X-Treme Running Camp 2004 started with the 5th Annual X-Treme 5K. Andrew Catalano, who will be a senior at Roselle Catholic High School, was the champion running 16:40 and setting a new camp record for the course. In the girl's race, Katie Mahoney, of Madison, was the champion running 21:35. Following the race, top Masters distance runner and author, Mark Will-Weber, gave a great presentation about race strategy. The kids then did a huge Run Around Drill with additional tests thrown in then went into the annual X-Treme Bucket Races. Camp ended with a presentation by "shoe guy" Gary Rosenberg of the Morristown Running Company and the official closing ceremonies at which each camper received an anthology and the top three male and female finishers in the X-Treme 5K received their awards. Special thanks to Al and Annmarie Siuta for all of their help with this years camp as well as the Roselle Catholic coaches and chaperones. Chariots Of Fire |
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