Thursday Track: Track Schedule For The Summer

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Written by Bwana Bwana

June 1, 2017

We’ve been having trouble lately using the PSU tracks. The outdoor track seems to be open intermittently, but not reliably. And there have been events at the indoor track the last couple of weeks. On June 1, the outdoor track will be hosting the opening of the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. If it’s like most years, we should be good to use the track as the opening ceremony is later, but athletes are arriving as we do our workout.

Future weeks: For June 8, we’ll try the outdoor track and if it is closed, we'll use the MSF indoor track. After that, if the PSU outdoor track is still not open to use, State High will be on summer break and we’ll use the State High track as we did last year. Hopefully, there will be some decision on access to the PSU outdoor track before State High begins the next academic year.

You can run with the group from Rec Hall (about a mile-and-a-half warm-up). They leave around 12:10. Or meet at the track for the workout at about 12:25.

Thursday Track Report: Up Front

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Written by Bwana Bwana

August 10, 2017

The intersection of Thursday Track and mOUnTaiNBACK training is a little earlier this year due to the mOUnTaiNBACK being three weeks earlier than last year. Today is the day of the first Discovery Series run in Rothrock. The Series takes apart the mOUnTaiNBACK course and doles it out in 8 slices over the coming weeks. The runs sometimes take runners away from Thursday Track, at least those runners who aren’t hip to the value of running two-a-days in training for a multi-stage relay race. But you wouldn’t know it from today’s turnout! John Domico, Michael Goldfine, Mike Casper, Joel Niemann, Mike Weyandt, Dan Coughlin, Bob Shafer, Mike Martin, Rob Peterson, Dough Schunk, Logan Midill, Sharon Lester, Kelly Lehtonen, Ryan Burke and newcomers Ken Farnsworth and Noah Christie, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed for the track under warm, sunny skies.

Bwana welcomed the new recruits Ken Farnsworth and Noah Christie, brought in by Ryan Burke. The Burkes’ family operated gym, One On One Fitness on Aaron Drive, has been responsible for numerous Thursday Trackers over the year. Ken is the son of one of Bwana’s neighbors. Noah is Julie Christie’s son. Julie is an experienced runner who used to be a Thursday Track regular with Julie Grubb. The “Two Julies” weren’t messing around when they came to the track! Today Bwana gave what he keeps hearing is one of the Crew’s favorite workouts, though he can’t figure out why. The Double Mini-Front-Loader. One rep is an 800 at 5K race pace followed closely by 3X200 with just 100 meters’ rest after the 800 and each of the 200s. The 800 front-loads you and the idea is to to run the 200s, each faster, while recovering from the 800. Do 2 or 3 reps. Maybe people like it so much because it’s NOT the Front-Loader (without the “Mini”), which doubles the distance in each of the steps of a rep.

Hopefully, today’s workout front-loaded the crew for this evening’s Discovery Run. The mOUnTaiNBACK is only 8 weeks away!

2017 Race Series Cup

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Written by Marty Mazur Marty Mazur

The 2017 Race Series is well underway. So far we've had 5 races in the Series with another one (the Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K) coming soon. Tallies are available right now for the first two races, First Night and the Indoor Mile Series. More will be added as we catch up.

Check your tallies here. If you spot an error, please contact Bob Shafer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Check here for rules and here for the list of Series races. There are also numerous opportunities to earn Volunteer points: Helping out at NVRC races, at the NVRC/Centre Parks and Rec Youth Cross-Country Meets, Volunteer coaching with the Nittany Track and Field Youth Group, and donating blood at the NVRC Blood Drives, and many more. But to participate, you have to be an NVRC member to participate. Join the Club! More information on the Series is here.

Minutes of the August 1st 2017 Meeting of the NVRC

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Written by Erika Christiansen Erika Christiansen

Board Meeting

Club officers present: Bob Shafer (president), Dave Eggler (treasurer), Marty Mazur (communications director), Marty Klanchar (membership director), Erika Christiansen (secretary/archivist). Others present: Amy Blake, Jake Clements and family, Kevin Ermol and family.

The officers continued to discuss the NVRC outdoor track, Multi-Sport facility and Rec Hall Policies. Erika Christiansen and Marty Mazur will try and meet with Dayna Wenger, the MSF manager and Assistant Throws Coach. We all agreed that even Coach John Gondak doesn’t have answers but it is out of the athletic staff hands and being run by the President’s Council (the higher-ups).

Membership Meeting:

Club officers present: Bob Shafer (president), Dave Eggler (treasurer), Marty Mazur (communications director), Marty Klanchar (membership director), Erika Christiansen (secretary/archivist). Others present: Amy Blake, Jake Clements and family, Kevin Ermol and family, John Iceland, Dave DeGroote , Paula and Tom Jech, Kim Gasper.

The board continued to discuss with the club members their thoughts and suggestions about the Arts Fest Races. Jake Clements, Race Director, suggested we need more sponsors, have a stronger NVRC presence and switch the time of the kids race. The discussion about the low numbers of racers was a big topic. There were some photos taken by the Arts Fest staff and will be put online.

Read more: Minutes of the August 1st 2017 Meeting of the NVRC

NVRC Joins Clearwater Conservancy For Group Run For Slab Cabin Run Initiative

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Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The Clearwater Conservancy and the NVRC will join in a group run on Saturday, August 19 that will help inform participants about Clearwater’s Slab Cabin Run Initiative. The Clearwater Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust serving Centre and surrounding counties. The Slab Cabin Run Initiative is a plan by Clearwater to permanently conserve 300 acres of agricultural land owned by the Meyer and Everhart Families of State College. Located next to densely populated neighborhoods—across the street from the State College Friends School and Foxdale Village along University Drive—the property lies in a vital portion of the Spring Creek Watershed, within the Source Water Protection Area for the Harter-Thomas wells which supply the majority of the drinking water to Centre Region residents. Clearwater has raised 88% of the 2.75 million dollars needed to fully fund a land conservation easement on the property. More information on the Slab Cabin Run Initiative can be found at http://www.slabcabinrun.org and in this press release:

http://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/clearwater-conservancy-comes-home-stretch-effort-protect-local-water-suppy-permanently-conserving-300-acres-farmland/

The group run will start at the Friends School on University Drive at 8:30 AM with a brief overview of the initiative. Runners will then proceed on the bike path along University Drive past the Toll Brothers development site to the Musser Greenway, through the Greenway and on to the Musser Gap parking on Shingletown Rd. There will be a brief stop along the way to explain the Musser Gap connection to the Slab Cabin Initiative. Then runners will return to the Friends School. All are welcome. The full run out to Musser Gap and back run is about 6 miles. Since the route is out-and-back, runners can take in as much or little of the full run as their time allows.

All participants and their families are also invited to return later in the day, at 4:30 PM, for a social at the Cobble Creek Clubhouse where there will be snacks and refreshments and a presentation by the Clearwater Conservancy of a broader overview of the Slab Cabin Initiative. The Cobble Creek Clubhouse is at 3296 Shellers Bend. (Turn onto the northernmost entrance to Shellers Bend from Blue Course Dr. Look for the Cobble Creek sign on your left. Make a left into Cobble Creek, then take a left and follow the driveway until you come to the clubhouse on the right.)

NVRC Fall Blood Drive: Sign Up Now!

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Written by Mike Casper Mike Casper

Online signup is now open for the Nittany Valley Running Club’s Fall Blood Drive on Thursday, September 7. Your participation can help save a life. You can schedule the time of your donation in just a minute or two. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the gym of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, in downtown State College. The online appointment calendar is here, where you can click the arrow to choose your time. Walk-in donors are also welcome! Power donations (double-red) will also be possible at this drive. Please feel free to share this with family, friends and co-workers.  

You can also use RapidPass to do the Q&A part on the morning before your visit: http://www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass 

If you like treats, incentives, entertainment, we’ve got ’em:

TREATS: Homemade cookies. This supplements the other snacks and beverages at the post-donation canteen.

INCENTIVES: Every presenting donor will have a chance to win a random drawing prize, such as a free race entry for the Nittany Vally Half Marathon, Resolution 5K, $50 individual or relay team discount for the Tussey Mountainback, or useful running gear.

RUNNING FILMS: We’ll screen them to get you charged up for the fall and winter and racing season!

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Here are several ways you can help make this drive successful: 

• Volunteer for an hour or more (no experience needed)
• Make a treat for the post-donation canteen
• Donate blood yourself• invite your family and friends to donate

For useful tips to keep in mind before your donation, visit http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/tips-successful-donation.