Club News, September 20, 2004

The Washington Running Club
Club News
September 20th 2004

All the news that fits, we print…or lest we try…

Items of interest: new members, membership stats, Mike Rae reports in, numerous race results, Wardian slamming best marathon times hard, thanks to volunteers for WRC 8k, club track and distance runs, got cupcakes?, marathon madness and thoughts, dues online now, Paula Radcliffe explains her Olympic experiences…

People News

New Members:
Laura Chipkin, 24, Arlington, VA
Cecilia Carmody, 43, Washington, DC
Will Ellison, 38, Arlington, VA
Megan Plyler, 32, Silver Spring, MD
Lynn Huang, 34, Potomac, MD
Tina Bordanaro, 34, Washington, DC
Tom Bordanaro, 34, Washington, DC
Jennifer Popovic, 31, Washington, DC
Juliette Wohlrab, 35, Alexandria, VA

Reupped: Steven Amter, 47, Washington, DC

We welcome Laura, Cecilia, Will, Megan, Lynn, Tina, Tom, Jennifer, and Juliette into the WRC! Unofficially, that gives us 31 new members thus far in 2004, an accounting of 17 ladies and 14 gents. 

And we welcome Steve back into the WRC…showing that he has remembered from where he once was.

Membership Stats:

A quick purview of the membership shows the following statistics:

States where we live: VA – 50%, DC – 34%, MD – 10%, Other – 6%
Gender: Female – 43%, Male – 57% (but 55% of new members this year have been females)
Ages: 20-29 years – 27%, 30-39 years – 43%, 40-49 years – 17%, 50-59 years – 10%, Older than 60 – 3%

Update from the Northeast:

Mike Rae, once a regular WRC Sunday distance run guy and still a superb triathlete, sent us an update on his whereabouts and personal life changes. This in from Mike:

  • I moved up to Rochester, NY.
  • I gained 11 pounds around my belly region (very fun).
  • I got a job (graphic designer for the “Rochester Museum & Science Center”).
  • I bought a house. Hmmm….there was something else….oh yeah….
  • I got engaged to Lindsay!

Congrats Mike! We wish you and Lindsay all the best in your future and happiness! Mike also indicated that he’ll be coming south to cheer for his sister and brother in-law as they run the Marine Corps Marathon…we’ll keep a look out for ya on the sidelines Mike…cheers! Member Racing 
(From 8/29 through 9/19)
5th Annual Paul VI Runfest 5k, VA, 9/19

The WRC is led by Sharon and Mike…and it was Mike’s 2nd race of the weekend.

9th Sharon Donovan 30  18:39
26th Sarah Buckheit 44  22:27

6th Mike Wardian 30  15:32
57th Jay Wind 54  21:21
60th Bruce Reynolds 54  21:38

Philadelphia Distance Run 1/2 Marathon, PA, 9/19

Great WRC women results at Philly, led by Casey!

15th Casey Smith 25 1:17:48
25th Lisa Thomas 28  1:21:31
32nd Lindsay Goulet 26  1:23:32
128th Laura Chipkin 24  1:34:44 (big pr!)
167th Diana Johnshon 23  1:36:42 (a pr by 5 minutes!)

187th Mike McGrath 44 1:21:14

A pic from the Philly race site shows Lindsay running strong

WRC Club Challenge 8k, Md, 9/18

Rainy weather and slick and sloppy C&O canal conditions made the WRC’s 8k a definite challenge in beautiful Carderock. Full results here.

1st Jim Wadsworth 47  29:21
4th Dane Rauschenberg 28  31:41
9th Jay Wind 54  34:14

2nd Adina Wadsworth 36  36:48

The WRC won the team competition.

10th Annual Kensington 8k, MD, 9/18

A week after running the Montreal Marathon, Mike takes a win.

1st Mike Wardian 30  25:51

Reach the Beach Relay, NH, 9/17&18
200 miles in 24 hours

Bryon Powell and Anthony Belber were part of the Haverford College Honor Goats team, which took 3d place in 22:02:33, an average of 6:19 per mile. Way to go men!

Montreal International Marathon, CAN, 9/12

Iron Mike travels north and takes fourth as he continues slamming top WRC best marathon times hard! 

4th Michael Wardian 30  2:29:39

This result marks the sixth time Mike has been added to the WRC top member marathon time list page, where the criteria for men is a time of sub 2 hours 30 minutes.

He has made it 4 times thus far in 2004 with more marathons planned this fall. Mike is now on the WRC marathon top listing in 24th (2:21 at Detroit in 03′), 27th (2:22 at Olympic Trials in 04′), 34th (2:24 at Vermont City in 04′), 35th (2:24 at Shamrock in 04′), 45th (2:28 at Chicago in 04′), and 47th for the one he just finished in Montreal. I think all who know anything about the marathon agree that the man is IRON – indeed, Iron Mike, pure and simple.

National Press Club 5k, DC, 9/11

Pascal takes 2nd among 523 finishers, good for cold hard cash…in total, WRCers snagged 4 awards!

2nd Pascal Brazey 35  16:42 (2nd overall)
5th Brian Tefft 23  17:36 (1st age group)
39 Jay Wind 54  20:27 (1st age group)
40 Will Ellison 38  20:31

7th Adina Wadsworth 36  21:23 (2nd age group)

Kentlands-Lakelands 5k, VA, 9/11

WRCers grab 3 age group awards among 789 finishers!

5th Lindsay Goulet 26  18:14 (1st age)
6th Lisa Thomas 28  18:35 (2nd age)
22nd Sarah Buckheit 44  22:33

9th George Buckheit 47  17:04 (1st age)

Fairlakes 8k, VA, 9/12

Casey wins it!

1st Casey Smith 25  28:53

Jay Wind 54  32:37
James Scarborough 46  38:28

Casey blazing along at Fairlakes 

Blue & Gray Half Marathon, Stafford, VA, 9/12

2 age group awards for WRCers!

Challice Bonifant 26  1:42:00 (1st age group)
Erica Morton 28  1:43:05 (3d age group)

Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5k, VA, Sept 4th

Bryon leads the way…to two more age group prizes..

6th Bryon Powell 26  17:36 (1st age group)
Jay Wind 54  20:20 (3d age)
James Scarborough 46  22:50

46th Annual Larry Noel Greenbelt 15k & 3k, MD, Sept 5th

Treasurer James comes away with a win…

3k race: 1st James Scarborough 46  14:21
15k race: 14th Jay Wind 54  1:04:36

New Mexico Marathon, Albuquerque, Sept 5th

Bob travels far west to run yet another thon and also of course, to promote his reknowned RacePacket to all he meets and greets…

35th Bob Platt 53  3:52:52 (4th 50-54)

We humbly apologize if we missed any places or races. Let us know. Great running all!

Club Running and Activities

WRC 8k Race Held! Last Saturday, 9/18, the WRC held a low key 8k race in gorgeous Carderock Recreation Area in Carderock, MD. Numbers were down due to Hurricane Ivan’s last breaths and drools, but the show went on anyway. A special thanks go out to those who volunteered and pulled the race off: race director and WRC treasurer James Scarborough, WRC Vice President Steve Baker (turnaround man), Erica Morton (waterstop woman), Adina Wadsworth (registration), John Haubert from Potomac Valley Track Club (race clock & chronomix), and the Wilson High School cross country coach who showed his adept hand at giving out finishing place cards. Info and full results on the race are here.

Track and Sunday Long Runs! Numbers have been up of late at the track in Arlington and at the Sunday distance runs out of Georgetown as members and associates prepare for fall marathons and other races.

Track night has seen from 10-15 people in the main WRC group, while anywhere from 5 to 10 other WRCers have also been at the track on Tuesday nights doing other tailored workouts.

The WRC saw 27 runners, new and traditional, show up this past Sunday. Miles were then pounded out all along the Capital Crescent Trail! Most runs on Sunday’s go along the C&O Canal, the Capital Crescent Trail, or into Rock Creek Park.

New runners note. If you’ve been to one or more of the WRC’s workouts (distance run and/or track) and wish to be a member of the club you simply need to join. If you want to continue to check out the club, send an email to get included on the weekly email update. We’ll then keep you on the update for a spell so you know what’s up. Of course, if you go ahead and officially join the WRC, you’ll be included in the email for perpetuity or as long as the update or your membership lasts. We welcome all and would love to have you as a member!

Be sure to check out the club’s track and distance run pages for more info on the when and where’s.

Track nights will be switching from Tuesdays to Wednesdays (when the lights will be on) because of the darkness, stay tuned for details. Remember, track workouts for the core member group are sent weekly in the club email update.

Got cupcakes? After a long long WRC Sunday run, Erica “Cupcake” Morton was presented with treats in honor of her birthday (and all that marathon training) at Dean & Deluca’s. (See what you may enjoy from time to time if you show to run on Sundays!?)

Fall Marathon Madness

A bunch of members are running fall marathons. Here’s what we know so far. We wish all the best with their training and races!

Chicago Marathon 10/10
Emily Turner*
Diana Johnson*
Erica Morton*
Challice Bonifant*
Mike Proulx* (Captain)
Frank Sprtel
Todd Martin
*WRC Dream Team
Marine Corps Marathon 10/31
Steve Baker
Jim Wadsworth
Dane Rauschenberg
Mark Drosky
Bob Platt
Jay Wind
Laura Chipkin
Charles Manahan
Steve Amter
Prasad Gerard
Montreal Marathon, 9/12
Mike Wardian (result above)
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, 9/26
Mike Wardian
Baltimore Marathon, 10/16
Mike Wardian
Marathon in the Parks, 11/14
Mike Wardian (maybe)

Members, if you’re runnning a marathon this fall and you’re not in this list, let us know and we’ll update it. Thanks!

Mike Wardian next ventures to the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon this weekend (9/26)…we wish Mike the best of speed and endurance!

Some Fall Thon Links:
Oct 10th – Chicago Marathon website
Oct 16th – Baltimore Marathon website
Oct 17th – Toronto Marathon website
Oct 31st – Marine Corps Marathon website
Nov 13th – Richmond Marathon website
Nov 14th – Marathon in the Parks website

Marathoning Thoughts

“Yay…the main work is all done!” A quip heard last Sunday as several members finished their last long run and were set to begin their taper leading up to their Chicago Marathon. (Now, these folks just have some moderate pace work, short track workouts, and not-so-far distance on the agenda to stay sharp as race time approaches. We wish them all the best in their final preparations, mental tuning, and then in the race itself of course!)

“History teaches us that certain people can run the marathon well, while others blow up like a roman candle. There is no way of knowing your actual pyrotechnic potential, until you actually train for and run one.”  – Sir David Keating  (Hint: solid training is best insurance against occurance of any type of pyrotechnics.)

“The only tactics I admire are do-or-die.”  – Herb Elliott    (Reminding us that “yours is not to wonder why, yours is just to do or die.”)

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.” – Sir Roger Bannister

“Still moving steadily at mile 20 you think you’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel, only to realize that the damn tunnel is 6.2 miles long!” – anonymous (Oh patooie, that’s simply when it gets interesting.)

“The marathon is over 26 miles! Is that all at once?” -anonymous (Yes dingleberry, and we also know you get tired driving that far too.)

WRC Dues Payment Available Online Now!

Two options for renewals and new memberships. Members, for renewing your membership and paying dues, you now have two options. The traditional mail-in way, or online through a secure server at active.com. If you’ve been tardy with your dues, please think of renewing now. Thanks! Online registration    Mail in registration

Of course, prospective members reading this are welcome to join by either method also. Joining now takes you all the way through December, 2005 (Dues: $15 individual; $25 family).

Thanks…the WRC appreciates your membership!

Beyond the Dome – Other Running Stuff

Update on what happened to Paula Radcliffe (world record holder with 2:15:25 2003) at the Olympics…

“My body hurt all over but my heart was totally broken”

Go here for the story! By Paula Radcliffe (Sept 15th, 2004) (Source: Sport Telegraph)

While her 2004 Olympic experience didn’t pan out very well and how she had hoped, at least Paula was woman enough to write about her ordeal and not just leave the interested running world hanging in wonder about her thoughts. It just goes to show that we should never take our running for granted, for one never knows what the day may bring…especially in the marathon.

WRC – A member club of USA Track & Field

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