Thursday Track Report: Resolved!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
January 5, 2012
It was cold and windy as Jim Myers, John Domico, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Ken Davis, Mark Fedkin, Andy Maguire, Mike Renz, Michael Goldfine, John Wilcock, Kirk Rager, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Kevin Becker, Rob Peterson, Forrest Briscoe, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Not a bad showing, including a couple of recent wounded warriors. The Crew had to contend with the cold winds on the backstretch due to a full-team practice for the PSU teams at the MSF.
Bwana decided to get the year off to a good start by punting. He let John Wilcock call the workout knowing he had trained John well. Wilcock called out a flabby pyramid for all the gynecomastic busters (and they were all 'busters': Esther "forgot her shoes") at the track: 400-800-1200-1200-800-400. It felt slow and it was slow, even for those who were planning on running Saturday's Indoor Mile. But the Crew had the distinction of actually showing up and keeping a New Year's Resolution.
Bwana is convinced of the integrity of the rest of his Crew. Those who weren't at the track must have had some very good reasons for not being there. Meira Minard was buffing her essay for the Substitute Teacher of the Year Award. Tom Hilands was lifting some 2 lb aerobics weights in a pink tutu as part of his cross-fit routine. Marty Klanchar was applying horse lineament to his sore hamstring after running a respectable geezer time at First Night. And Steve Olson, who was searching for his long-lost running wings, was taking advantage of the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale to enhance the winged part of his wardrobe.
Thursday Track Report: Jinglin' Joy
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
December 22, 2011
It was drab, with temperatures around 50 as Tom Cali, John Domico, Bob Cornwall, Jim Moore, Lance Bland, Meira Minard, Marty Klanchar, Michael Goldfine, Jon Thurley, Paula Jech, Mark Fedkin, Katya Bazilevskaya, Natasha and Christina Fedkina, Andy Maguire, Dana Todd, John Wilcock, Mark Lee, Mike Renz, Rich Harter, Adam Smith, Dean Capone, Frank Rodenbaugh, Rob Peterson, and Marty Mazur all showed up for one of the mildest Thursday Track Jingle Bell runs on record. Bwanita, wary of scandal weary State College, decided to hunker down with some Singapore-bound pirates in a hidden bay in Borneo.
The Crew first ran their traditional Look Back on Last Year. All the runners did their best to keep from falling over each other as they jogged backwards around the track. Even little Christina Fedkina made it, though it took her longer because she was reviewing about half her life! Then they did the Look Forward to Next Year by running forward once around. That's a weird feeling after the quarter-mile of backwards running! Then it was off to downtown.
A few of the speedsters got a little ahead of the gang, but waited at the big steps at South Halls. Meira initiated a new tradition by leading a run all the way up the steps, then showed us all why Her Hynerness is the Trail Queen of the Mid-Atlantic by sprinting at breakneck speed DOWN the steps! Next we took off up College Avenue for our stop at Rapid Transit. This year's calendar put the Jingle Bell Run a little later than usual, and downtown (including Terry's store) was relatively dead. But Rapid Transit welcomed us as we jogged the aisles. Next, off to Kitchen Kaboodle where Jeannie Klanchar had minor heart palpitations. Kitchen ware is a little more fragile than stacks of athletic wear! After Tom Cali ordered pizza for the Rec Hall equipment room (and the runners), the Crew took off for the top of the new parking deck on Beaver and Fraser. It's a great view of Mount Nittany up there!
Here's our route. The map is missing our backwards run at the track (I didn't want to confuse Garmin):
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135893652
And here are some photos from this year's run:
http://www.flickr.com//photos/13896088@N00/sets/72157628541072797/show/
Bwana hopes all have a Merry Christmas, and a healthy and fast New Year!
Thursday Track Report: New Car Smell
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
December 8, 2011
It was cold and windy, not quite brittle nose-hair weather, but still not an outdoor track-friendly day. Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Jim Moore, Jon Thurley, Michael Goldfine, John Wilcock, Mike Renz, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Blake Cohen, Frank Rodenbaugh, Jeffery Hart, Rob Peterson, Jerry Steffy, and Marty Mazur followed their noses to the MSF for an indoor workout. It was a wise decision. The outdoor track was covered in ice.
Though it's been about 9 months, the indoor track was easy to find. It exudes a New Track Smell. The track was re-surfaced over the summer, and it's a beautiful thing. Nice, new springy surface. Clean lines. The only thing missing from the whole "new car experience" was a Christmas tree deoderizer. There were even some bonus markings in Lane 5 for those who want to do repeat 400s, 500s, 600s, 800s, or 1000s. But, Bwana had another distance in mind. You guessed it. The old benchmark workout we do 2 or 3 times per indoor season: NX3X300. The Crew, including newbie Fred (who hadn't done track in many years) went at it with alacrity. (Alacrity. I don't think I've ever used that word in a Thursday Track Report).
There was no scent of a woman at today's workout. Well, there was, actually. A couple of Penn State's Lady Lions were coming in for their workouts. But Thursday Track was pretty much a man's affair again. Bwana kept his nose to the wind, but could not detect any scent of Meirkat. No chemical Esthers. No Tara-ble smells at all. Well, it least we didn't have to deal with the stale smells of bowling ball wax, since Domico wasn't there.
Thursday Track Report: Egg Nog In October?
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
December 15, 2011
It feels like mid-October though the calendar says Christmas is next weekend. Tom Cali, John Domico, Lance Bland, Judd Michael, Bob Cornwall, Ken Davis, Mark Fedkin, Mike Casper, Andy Maguire, Michael Goldfine, Dean Capone, Andy Cunningham, Rich Harter, Dana Todd, and Marty Mazur headed to the track under cloudy skies, but with temperatures in the mid 40s.
Everybody had office parties to get back to, so Bwana gave a hurry-up workout: 6X400 with short (100 m) rests, the idea being to run just a bit faster than 5K race pace with some short rests. Even with that, Cali and Capone took off after one lap.
After the workout, it was time to head back to work to guzzle egg nog and eat shortbread and fruitcake. Of course, those who didn't show up at the track today will have to limit themselves on the egg nog and fruitcake unless they want to be repairing the seams of their clothes come January.
Next Thursday is the annual Jingle Bell Track Workout. Get your Holiday Cheer on! And bring a dollar or two for pizza!
Thursday Track Report: The Order Of St. Alban's
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
December 1, 2011
Turnout was light again, despite a beautiful December 1. My, are we getting spoiled! It was crisp, but clear with temperatures in the high 30s and a (relatively) light breeze as John Domico, Tom Cali, Lance Bland, Judd Michael, Bob Cornwall, Mike Casper, George Lesieutre, Michael Goldfine, Jon Thurley, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Dean Capone, Rich Harter, Adam Smith, and Marty Mazur headed to the track.
Bwana is thinking of making 1000s the go-to workout. But instead of his standby 3X1000, he'll make it N where N is some large number. It's about ideal for longish races like 10Ks and Half-Marathons. It's a distance that locks you into your sustainable race pace, or only slightly faster. Repeat 400s are OK for getting faster, but people tend to run them too fast. There's too big a difference between your 400 pace and your actual race pace. But you can't keep that up for 1000 meters, so 1000 gives you pace discipline. Actually, 2Ks or 2400s may be better, but we only have so much time over lunch. Bwana called out NX1000 where N should be at least 2 (if it weren't three days before the NVHM, it would have been N> 4.)
We've been a pretty monkish Crew of late. Meirkat is busy with her teaching or something. Esther hasn't shown up in a while. Kathy is too busy sweater shopping. And nobody's recruiting from the distaff side. Bwana thinks he'll rename the Thursday Crew something like The Order of St. Alban's. We'll get tonsured (Domico has a 'head' start), wear robes, and make fruitcake or brandy in drafty stone buildings. At night we'll illuminate manuscripts and dream of the nuns in the convent across the valley, threshing their wheat and…ah..ahh..NX1000!