Thursday Track Report: Swirling Vortex

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 9, 2014

After last week’s attack of wind-blown polar bears from the Canadian shield, the weather today was almost what we might call warm. Due to the light winds (for a change) Bwana was even tempted to call an outdoor workout, but with many preparing for the Indoor Mile Series, an indoor workout was the pick of the day. Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, George Lesieutre, Dean Capone, Meira Minard, Jon Thurley, Frank Zaffino, John Wilcock, Mark Lee, Mike Zimmerman, Russ Kalnoskas, Allison Machnicki, Barb Kelsey, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Lee Culver, Ron Cunfer, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur all showed up to relieve Costas Maranas from early track warm-up duties.

Bwana gave a moderately heavy workout for two days before the mile race. But some present were preparing for other things, like spring 5Ks, and so the workout was long enough to be appropriate for that. Besides, the milers could choose to cut the workout short. The workout was a lot like what goes on near the North Pole:  a swirling vortex of 5-4-3-2 laps in lane 5, starting at mile race pace and picking it up as the reps get shorter. It’s a confidence builder if you can get through the 5 and the 4 without losing any pace. And at least a few who missed this weeks Indoor Mile registration cut-off felt good enough to commit to dropping their names in the hat for next week’s race.

Just because the polar bears have slunk off to their ice caves doesn’t mean winter is over. Not by a long shot. What it does mean is that when they come back, we’ll be ready for them. Our skin will already be dry. Our lungs will be parched from doing a few Indoor Miles, and we won’t be whining about 20 degrees anymore!

Thursday Track Report: Jingle Bell Hijinx

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Written by Bwana Bwana

December 19, 2013

Santa Claus came early and delivered some nice, warm weather for the Track Crew. It was sunny and mild with melting snow as the motley and jingly troupe of Tom Cali, John Domico, Lance Bland, Marty Klanchar, George Lesieutre, Mike Weyandt, Dave Moore, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Zimmerman, Dean Capone, Mike Martin, Jeff Welsh, Kevin Becker, Kathy Koetje-Simin, newcomer Jo Ohm, Barb Kelsey, Jaimie Wright, Allison Machnicki, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. A great turnout, even though we missed some of our Jingle Bell regulars. Maybe Meira had gotten her Elf on a Shelf tangled in her shoe laces. And Michael Goldfine must have just known he’d lose out to Renz again for the wacky attire trophy.

The warm temperatures had barely touched the track, which was covered in a few inches of virgin wet snow. Not even any rabbit tracks! For a few of the Crew, it was their first Jingle Bell Workout. Barb Kelsey is pretty new to the group, but she’s coming to everything these days, so she was expected at the Jingle Bell Workout. Sara Noss has been a Thursday Track and Group Run regular all year, but it was her first Christmas run. And Jo Ohm, a total track noob, is no newbie to running fast. She was barely beat out by Jaimie Wright for second place at last week’s Nittany Half! So it was time to show them all the routine. First, the Crew did a Look Back on 2013, running a quarter-mile backwards on the track. It’s quite an odd feeling the first time. Then we unwound our legs, doing a quarter-mile Look Forward to 2014. Then we headed down to College Avenue. We’ve been giving promotional consideration to the Weekly Hill Workout by doing a trip up and down the big steps at the new South Halls. Renz led the way in lieu of an absent Meirkat. Next, it was off to terrorize downtown. How about 20+ jingle-janglers running up a College Avenue crowded with shoppers? Gangway! We made it up to Allen St and hit Rapid Transit Sports and said “Hi!” to Terry and the gang. And then we went off to do some real damage. It’s a wonder Marty Klanchar’s wife hasn’t been summarily dismissed from her job at Kitchen Kaboodle for inviting these bulls to rampage through that china shop. But, mirabile dictu, we got through another year without tipping anything over! The final stop before heading back to Rec Hall was a dizzying trip to the top of the parking deck at Beaver and Fraser. Some great views of downtown and Tussey Mountain up there!

Bwana wishes the whole Crew a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He’ll see you all in two weeks, with just (barely) enough time to get ready for this year’s Indoor Mile Series!

Here's a picture and a video from today's run.

Thursday Track Report: Unofficial

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 2, 2014

A snowstorm was blowing in and most of those who were working on this second day of the year were going to take the afternoon off to hunker down. But there was no hunkerin’ for the hunks and hunkettes of the Thursday Crew. Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Michael Goldfine, Andy Maguire, John Sheakoski, Sara Noss, Mike Martin, Dean Capone, Mike Zimmerman, Aisling Ryan, Jon Thurley, and Marty Mazur headed for the indoor track for an unofficial Thursday Track workout, “unofficial” because the university is not yet in session. But we found a way to sneak into the Multi-Sport Facility.

Next weekend will be the first in the Indoor Mile Series. It’s a great winter tune up and a way to get your speed back after guzzling egg nog for two weeks. Bwana’s workout was appropriate prep: 2-3-4-3-2 laps in lane 5, all at the target mile race pace. And don’t be afraid to tackle this at the fast pace even if you’re only training for a spring 5K. It seems easy at the start: a quarter mile plus at your mile race pace seems slow and there’s a temptation to push it. But the rests were short (1 lap) and the 3 lapper starts to make the rest of the workout come into focus. Can you do the 4 at race pace? If so, after that you can indulge yourself and push it harder!

Thursday Track really gets started next week. We’ll be doing mile appropriate workouts for a few weeks, but most of these work well for 5Ks. Come on out. And sign up for the Indoor Miles. It’ll bring something new out of you!

Thursday Track Report: In With The In-Crowd

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Written by Bwana Bwana

December 12, 2013

It was cold, dry, and windy outside. Were there any runners at the outdoor track? Bwana didn’t check. Who would do a speed workout with their legs shrink-wrapped in plastic and the rest of their bodies looking like the Michelin Man, anyway? This time of year is the time to get in with the in-crowd. So Judd Michael, Meira Minard, Mike Martin, Andy Maguire, Mike Zimmerman, Dean Capone, Mike Renz, Jeff Welsh, Kevin Becker, Michael Goldfine, Jaimie Wright, Dana Todd, David Lloyd, newcomer Barb Kelsey, Amy Blake, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the Multi-Sport Facility for the first indoor workout of the season. (And the last real track workout of the year!)

Bwana welcomed Barb Kelsey, who is relatively new to running, but is getting all the boxes checked. Earlier this year, she ran ALL the Tussey Teasers, including the Eager Seeger Half. She also ran a sub-4 marathon, her first time at that distance. She and her husband ran the mOUnTaiNBACK on Tim Spigelmyer’s team. Barb ran the Nittany Half, and came to Mike Renz’s Hill Workout two days later. And, still undaunted, she came to today’s workout. Did Bwana break her? Not a chance! Bwana gave the usual season starting benchmark workout of NX3X300, and Barb and the rest of the Crew had no trouble finding their groove. I’d say Barb’s already in the in-crowd.

Next week will be our annual Look Back / Look Forward Jingle Bell Workout. Regardless of the conditions of the outdoor track, this is an OUTDOOR run. Meet at Rec Hall to run at 12:10. Wear some crazy Holiday running attire. We run to the track (you can meet us there at around 12:25) and do our familiar two-lap “workout”, then go for a jog through downtown to visit some familiar establishments. All are welcome. We’ll try to keep the pace on the run through town accommodating to all. The MSF will probably be closed over most of the Christmas break, so no more real, in-crowd workouts until January 9. If I don’t see you before then, have a great Christmas!