And just what does one look like after finishing a 50 mile run (or a 20 mile leg of a relay)? Take a look at Bill Morse, Jay Curry, Dan Cooper, and Steph Cooper who undertook this challenge this past weekend. A story to follow soon…..
Monthly Archive for September, 2008
With over 30 Wicked runners participating, the 2008 Wicked Half-Marathon earned the distinction of being the race with the largest contingent of Wicked runners to date. Blessed with a reprieve from the dire predictions of driving rain and nasty weather conditions, WRC runners most definitely made their presence known in many ways:
Three from Wicked placed among the top ten finishers: Jen Toomey (4th–1st female), Dave Dixon (5th) and Steve Nickerson (9th).
Two females placed in the top three finishers’ category: Jen Toomey (1st) and Annie Rose Willis (3rd)
Several of our members received age specific awards: Tim Short (3rd), Dave Dixon (1st), Beth Clancy (2nd), Deb Touchette (3rd), and Steve Nickerson (1st).
With five female runners registered in the “Athena” category, Wicked swept four of those five spots: Maria Ramirez, Amber Woolfenden, Melanie McKinnon, and Tricia Pini.
Special Recognition to WRC members who contributed to the American Diabetes Association and thus became members of Team Jules: Tim Clarke (finished 3rd overall in this category), Rachel Hunt, and Mara Mendelsohn. Tim Clarke also contributed to the Plummer Home fund.
Special thanks go out to the following:
Jen and Mike Toomey for setting up a hospitality tent for all WRC runners and members of the running clinic. It was great to have a place where we could leave our bags safely, gather together both before and after the race, enjoy a massage, and have our very own refreshment area. Thanks, Jen and Mike!
The Saltonstall Water Stop WRC Crew: Melissa Jaynes, Debbie Seiberg, Bob Grant, Kathey Moskal, Annalisa DiPalma, Ruth Brediger, Joe Ferlazzo, Sue Keezler, and the “ever vivacious” Sarah Calland. Seeing your faces and hearing your cheers certainly gave me a “lift” heading into Marblehead and certainly “lifted me higher” heading back down Lafayette Street as I prepared to tackle those last couple miles. Hey Sarah, were you a cheerleader in high school?
Doug Bollen, Beth O’Grady, and Colin Maclay who traversed the race route both by vehicle and by bike to provide that extra “push” to get us where we needed to go.
And what did the runners themselves have to say about the race?????
1:30:30 Tim Short
“I ran along side Rich Tomlins and I’m pretty sure he told me we were only going to do 8:00 minute miles today. I think we were a little off our game plan! Great job today, Rich. Looking forward to tearing it up at the Chicago Marathon with you.”
1:31:18 Annie Rose Willis
“This was my second half marathon, and it was a PR for me. I was proud to be the 3rd female overall! I am happy to be a part of Wicked, and couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support. I especially thank Mike and Jen for all of their awesome training. Congrats Jen :)”
1:33:58 Danny Chick
“My fastest 1/2 thanks to Rich Tomlins & Tim Short. At the start they told me it was going to be a nice 8:00 pace. I thought great, a good training run, well I fell for that one . They went out and did a 6:55 pace. I said to them during the run, hey this is the fastest 8:00 pace I ever did. Thank you to Rich & Tim for allowing me to draft.”
1:37:42 Danny Leadvaro
“It was a good day for me. Great seeing everybody.”
1:40:42 Steve Touchette
“At mile 11 I was thinking I wasn’t going to make it. Where is Billy Shea when I need him and why am I still wearing my hat? Thanks to Beth Clancy for coming to my rescue and talking me in from mile 11.”
1:40:42 Beth Clancy
“This was my first 1/2 marathon in years and I really liked the course. It is my prep for the BAA 1/2 in two weeks. I was running with a friend of mine and said “Hey, if we can keep Billy Prentiss in our site, we are running really good!” Not realizing he was hurt! What a trooper! He just keeps running. Anyway, I enjoyed my last few miles with Steve Touchette. The Wicked Running Club is the best! I have thoroughly enjoyed my last few month running the the club.”
1:42:50 John Paul Bosse
“Thanks a lot to Steve Touchette for the pep talk while we were running around Marblehead Neck! It felt good to finally beat Billy Prentiss, only to realize later that he ran injured!”
1:45:41 Billy Shea
“Tim (Clarke), if you’re going to run with me, you’ll have to stop that incessant chatter!!! It’s so distracting.” “Chicago, ready or not (NOT), here I come.”
1:46:31 Tim Clarke
“I tried to pull away from Billy Shea and he came back and crushed me.”
1:47:02 Amber Maclone
“I ran approx 1:47:02 but they left me off the results! thats my quote. lol. Just kidding. i ran with a few of my running buddies from the Toomey clinic, Becky, Kate and Nicky. They kept me entertained the entire run and made it a really fun experience. It was the longest I’ve ever run and my first half marathon so it was a big accomplishment for me.
1:47: 03 Becky Fiore
“I ran the half 20 minutes faster than I did last year. My time was 1:47 and I truly enjoyed the race (except for the last mile) because I had a wonderful group of gals to run with! Thanks Amber, Nicole and Kate for helping me run my fastest half marathon and thanks Maria for picking my butt up to make sure I got to the race!
1:48:24 Alison Phelan
“Felt good. Great to see everyone out there. I think my injury is not an issue anymore!”
1:51:16 Deb Touchette
“Liz wanted me to run faster so we could pass people on the way in. I wanted to jog in but she wanted me to speed race in! A woman in front of us heard our little family argument and said to Liz, ‘Leave your mother alone.’ Liz told her to mind her own business, that we always acted like that!”
1:51:17 Liz Touchette
“While running through the Neck, I discovered I was talking to Dave Patterson, that new Wicked ‘mystery’ runner. What a great guy! He joined at the Frosty Four and said he’s going to become more active in the Club.”
1:55:20 Fred Bollen
“Another Wicked runner passed me at mile 11 and I almost ‘wiped out’ trying and failing to keep up. Well organized race.”
2:00:02 John McDonough
“It was great to see Melissa and all the other Wicked supporters at the Wicked support station.”
2:03:27 Chip Bott
“Given my limited training schedule this summer, I was quite pleased with my time. Congrats to all who finished. What a great showing for the Club.”
2:07:10 Mara Mendelsohn
“This was my first half marathon and my goal was to finish under 2:10, so I was very excited about the time. Kerry’s pep talk the last 1/10th of a mile gave me the added push to ‘finish strong.’ Next year I am going for under 2:00!!”
2:10:46 Shari Hewson
“You definitely got it right about the weather! I thought I was dreaming when I woke up and did NOT hear rain! What a great race, great time with great people. My time was 2:10:46 - this was my fourth half marathon and my time was a PR by 26 minutes. Certainly a testament as to what the Wicked Running Club and the Toomey Clinic has done for my running! I ran the entire time with Angel Krimm (I am pretty sure she is also a Wicked member or soon will be!) and we had a great time. The brunch hosted by Jacqueline Washburn after the race was a great finish to an awesome morning!
2:15:21 Shannon O’Donnell
“It was worth every moment of training…however I could NEVER have done it without the encouragement and support of all my ‘Wicked’ friends. THANK YOU, WICKED RUNNING CLUB!”
2:16:43 Darla Johnson
“It was great to talk with so many Wicked members after the race about their accomplishments and share their excitement. I’m glad the rain held off, but from mile 11 to the finish, I was a hurting camper, and could not wait to finish.
2:26:09 Melanie McKinnon
“Even though it wasn’t close to my best time I was happy with it since I have a broken toe and haven’t been training in the past 4 weeks due to my injury.”
2:33:33 Marie Gesnaldo
“The Neck was tough. Ann Sousa carried me to there. She’s been an inspiration. Thank you, Annie. And I like Steve, but Deb wears the shorts…..” 
2:39:14 Tricia Pini
“I was heading out on the causeway when the front twenty-five runners were already making their way back on the opposite side of the road. Suddenly I was face-to-face with Tim Short who shouted, ‘Eat up those hills, Ava!’ (I’m Tricia … but Ava’s close enough). Those hills were tasty!”
2:41:06 Michele Campbell
“This was my first half marathon and it was wonderful. I ran with some friends from the B&S Training group and some strangers and it was a great group toward the back of the pack. The BEST part was the Wicked Running Club volunteers who loudly cheered me through the beginning, and most importantly toward the end. What an awesome experience!”
DNF John Mahoney
“Salem Wicked Half Marathon was my first DNF (did not finish)
ever! It seemed like the further I ran the worse I felt. I am blaming
this on having a cold and taking antihistamines for the 6 days before
the race. I am very grateful to all my Wicked friends who checked on
me during and after the race. Thank you! Now I am looking forward to
the great races we have yet to run this year and to running the Wicked
Half next year! BTW-That Steve Touchette IS getting to be too fast. I guess I will have to start doing the speed clinics again soon! BTW - that Steve Touchette *IS* getting to be too fast. I guess I will have to start doing the speed clinics again soon!”
Wicked way to go, everybody. It’s evident from reading all your comments that a common theme throughout is the importance of the Club in peoples’ lives. What a great thing!
Finally, thanks to B &S Fitness for putting on the race as well as Tache Realty and all the other sponsors who recognize the importance of running in our community.
What inspires us to do the things we do? How do we account for those times we suddenly find ourselves mentally back in a “place” we haven’t been in a while? Less you think this is leading to some deep, philosophical diatribe, fear not. It’s only my explanation of “How I Came Back” to contribute to the Wicked Running Club’s fabulous website. A three week vacation abroad, followed by returning home to re-enter the job force (from retirement to semi-retirement), a massive home painting project, and the “drying up” of my creative juices all contributed to my absence.
But what brought me back? The subtle and not-so-subtle comments from fellow Wicked runners? (”There have been some grumblings”) Sure. The guilt of not practicing what I preach when I tell my English Composition students at NSCC that you only get better at writing by actually doing it? Perhaps. The fear of slipping into oblivion and being known as that guy who used to write for the website? Bingo! The real impetus, however, was, believe it or not, my cat, Tinkerbell, who deviated from her usual schedule this morning to send me “the message.” How appropriate that it was a cat who brought me back. Let me explain. At 6:35 AM every morning, I can expect a loud thump on the bed, a purring face inches away from mine, and an extended paw that reaches out gently at first, and not so gently when she’s ignored, to touch my nose. This is her signal that she wants her morning attention and massage. Well, this morning she came to me at 4:30 AM. Ugh! I gave her her due, but instead of going back to sleep, that “wicked” cat left me thinking about the Lone Gull race many of us did in Gloucester last Sunday, and then it started. I got the urge to write! The thoughts started churning. I tried to fight them, but they kept coming. I gave in! So…….. it is now 5:44 AM and I’m sitting at my new 24″ iMac (eat your heart out, Tim Short!) eager to share the story of what may very well have become my favorite race.
The Lone Gull 10K in Gloucester debuted last year. It is put on by our friend Wes from New England Running, and, similar to the Frosty Four, no expense is spared in putting on a fabulous race. First of all, the setting is perfect, Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester. The route reminds one of running Falmouth–gorgeous homes, great water views, fresh smelling ocean air. Luckily, both years the weather has been superb. How different from the previous Sunday when many of us ran the Nahant 30K in the rain and wind. The technical shirts from Nike (with the $30.00 price tags still attached to them) are worth the entry fee alone. If that were not enough, the post-race meal and activities are like no other race I’ve run. Think you’re getting a bagel and a bottle of water? Oh, no!!!! Try scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, bagels, fruit, yogurt, and Power Bars for the taking. Couple that with a DJ and great music, free massage, (Beth, how long did you actually wait in that line?) a great raffle, individual and team prizes (with money!) all going to a great cause, cancer research. It doesn’t get much better than that.
And how did our Wicked runners do? Usually, by this time in the season, some of us are running our best, eager to “conquer all” and others are beat up, both physically and mentally, pleased to just be out there running on a beautiful day. We had it all. These are the results from Sunday’s race. For the complete listing and galleries of pictures, many featuring Wicked runners, check out Lone Gull 10K Results and Great Photos!
83 Steve Touchette 6/41 45:30 7:20
84 Danny Leadvaro 30/76 45:30 7:20
86 David Patterson 31/76 45:41 7:22
122 Liz Touchette 11/70 47:42 7:41
138 Billy Shea 13/41 48:35 7:50
198 Doug Bollen 19/41 51:44 8:20
262 Stephanie Cooper 23/55 55:23 8:55
276 Ken Hewson 63/76 55:57 9:01
279 Deb Touchette 8/24 56:02 9:01
289 Billy Prentiss 11/14 56:30 9:06
297 Beth O’Grady 29/55 56:47 9:09
301 Angel Krimm 35/89 56:53 9:10
312 Eileen Dunn 34/70 57:15 9:13
324 Kathey Moskal 43/89 57:45 9:18
347 Shari Hewson 36/55 59:32 9:35
351 Darla Johnson 37/55 59:43 9:37
415 Michele Campbell 67/89 1:05:10 10:30
Congratulations, also, to the Wicked Women’s Open and Masters’ Teams 3rd. place win. A generous check was received and donated back to Wes for cancer research.
It’s now 7:00 AM. I can’t end without a few quips….
Side (and sometimes Snide) Remarks:
Steve Touchette: So you made it to the top of the list. You must be feeling pretty good about yourself. Does this mean you’ll stop bugging me about not seeing your name in print much anymore?
Deb Touchette: You got your shot on Monday. Hope this brings about some relief and renewed spirit!
Danny Leadvaro: Did you see your picture in the gallery? Obviously, you want us all to know how hard you’ve been hitting those weights. AND congratulations on winning the Supreme Roast Beef gift certificate in the raffle. What was that Wes said as you went to pick it up? Something like, “He looks like he eats roast beef!” Wha-Woo!
Dave Patterson: Who are you? Introduce yourself to us next time at a race. We wear red shirts with a cat on them.
Stephanie Cooper: YES! You finally made “middle of the pack” You go, girl! We know who ran with you on this one, don’t we? wink wink
Billy Prentiss: Thanks for running so poorly you didn’t get a trophy which meant I didn’t have to wait around until the very end of the race for you to pick up an award.
Beth, Doug, Eileen, Shari, Ken: You get the “Good Trooper” awards for running this race one day after the grueling Lake W. Relay
Great job, everyone. Good luck to all of us running the Wicked Half on Saturday. AND, thank you, Tinkerbell.
Check out these Wicked happy competitors! (More pics in the Picture Gallery)
This is the first of three stories to come from the team captains/coaches/cheerleaders;Doug Bollen, Rich Tomlins, and Tim Short
Wicked Good Job by the Wicked Running Rebels
Story and Results By Coach Bollen
I was thrilled with the performance of everyone on my team. It was an exciting day, and the Rebels showed up early at the Funspot ready to run, provide aid to fellow runners and most of all have fun! If you haven’t run the Lake Winnapausakee Relay, you will be in for a shock as the hills are unforgiving, long and steep, and most legs are tougher than almost any other road race you have run. The weather was perfect- nice fall crispness in the air and sunny. Fred Bollen led off with a strong first leg from the Funspot and ran 10.8 miles thru the hills to Gunstock. John Paul Bosse ran a strong second leg all the way to Alton Bay smiling and talking to competitors, which led his coach to yell out the car window for him to concentrate on running! Jason M. was given the torturous leg 3, perhaps the toughest 9 mile course anywhere this side of Mt Washington. He battled hill after hill and once he was finished, he said he enjoyed the challenge and looks forward to coming back next year!! It is hard to describe to first time relay people how tough this course is until you run it. Eileen Dunn filled in as a backup and held her own running an excellent 4 mile leg. Eileen filled in last year also, so when she says she will be a fill in, you know you can count on her when the chips are down and she did a great job. Beth ran the 10.8 again this year and continued her run with another personal record as she has PR’d in just about every race this year. She turned in an excellent time for the Rebels. I had the pleasure of doing leg 6 and the beauty of it was that we had the Wicked lead by 50 second, with Coach Rich Tomlins full of fear ready to submit! Moe Kelley was in for his first Lake W experience running the rolling hills of leg 7 for 8.6 miles. He enjoyed his run so much, he wants it again next year!! I love hearing that because our runners love the challenge and that’s what it is all about. He gave it a great run. Annie Rose Willis turned
in the fastest time of the day for the Rebels, flying up and down the steep hills as our anchor passing a good number of teams to keep our team moving up the ranks in the standings. One of her hills was over a mile straight up, yet she still averaged one of the top times per mile for the entire Wicked Club, she was amazing!! Overall our Running Rebel team had a great day and lots of fun. Its such a fun day that it is over in a flash. Special recognition goes to our support team of Fred’s wife Debbie and Jason’s wife Holly who provided a lot of assistence and aid to the team. Not sure how the teams will be made up next year. I would be thrilled to keep this team intact and come back better than ever, but we also remember that we are part of the great Wicked Running Club and will do what is best for the club at large!
Lake W 2008 Wicked Running Teams
45 WICKED 8 LEGS MEN OPEN Capt. Rich
Leg Place Time Mi/Mile Runner
1 74 1:28:21 8:15 Rachel
2 80 1:33:56 8:32 Shana
3 11 1:03:28 6:49 Rich
4 47 32:50 8:13 Ken
5 74 1:35:55 8:53 Mark
6 75 59:09 9:15 Sherri
7 14 59:05 6:57 Danny
8 10 28:09 6:24 Mike
Total 47 8:40:53 8:01
31 WICKED RUNNING REBELS Capt. Doug
Leg Place Time Mi/Mile Runner
1 82 1:33:06 8:42 Fred
2 42 1:22:20 7:29 John Paul
3 66 1:20:50 8:42 Jason
4 53 33:36 8:24 Eileen
5 65 1:31:27 8:28 Beth
6 43 51:44 8:05 Doug
7 42 1:07:10 7:54 Mo
8 19 30:35 6:57 Annie
Total 52 8:50:48 8:10
95 WICKED GR 8 Capt. Tim
Leg Place Time Mi/Mile Runner
1 87 1:36:00 8:59 Karen
2 59 1:28:06 8:01 Tim
3 46 1:15:26 8:07 John M.
4 57 34:40 8:40 Sarah
5 94 1:55:13 10:40 Amber
6 53 53:36 8:23 Jim
7 68 1:12:08 8:29 Maria
8 7 27:17 6:12 Tim
Total 73 9:22:26 8 8:39
Have you seen the September/October edition of New England Runner Magazine yet? It seems that Wicked has made it big, as the Club is mentioned in the Club Notes section. Keep reading to find out what NER is saying about the Wicked Running Club.
And Speaking of taking root, there is a new club on the block. The Wicked Running Club, with more than 85 members (over 100 members currently!!), is based in the city of Salem, Mass., hence the “Wicked” moniker. The club, formed by Mike and Jen Toomey four years ago, is now on the move. The club staged its first race with 300 runners, the Wicked Frosty Four, last January. The popular success of the race allowed the club to initiate a scholarship program that will award four $500 scholarships in 2009 to student athletes from the area. Interested in learning more? You can find the club at www.wickedrunningclub.com.
How is that for a little PR?? If you would like to read more great articles, pick up a copy of New England Runner at your local Barnes & Noble or Boarders book store.
New England Runner
Club Notes
By Lonny Townley
September/October Issue
pg. 54
The Wicked Fun Family Cookout was a huge success, even though the weather was not as as spectacular. The food was amazing! Dan Leadvaro, Patrick Smith and Dan & Stephanie Cooper did a wonderful job showing off their cooking skills as they took turns on the Grill. They should have their own show(s) on the Food Network! There was also some really good ice cold beer to be had as Doug Bollen had a few cases ready to go in the fridge.
Mike & Jen Toomey w/Rich Tomlins showing off their pearly whites
But, the night was not just about food and beer. As promised there was a special announcement. Recently Wicked passed the century mark in terms of membership. Much of the success and growth of Wicked (especially over the past few months) can be attributed to Mike and Jen Toomey. It was decided that since these two were not only founding members, but are still a positive influence, they should be the 100th and101st members. Oh, and they were also given lifetime membership to Wicked! How great is that!?!?
The best race director (Doug Bollen) in the country w/ Club President Rich Tomlins
There have been many faithful people who have stepped up to the plate and have done some incredible things for Wicked over the past four years. But, there is one person that has been with the Club since day one, and has been there through thick and thin. Doug Bollen is that person that does so much, yet maybe never really gets that thank you he deserves. Well, the Club wanted to make sure he knew just how much we appreciate all the stuff he does. Along with a plaque given to him on behalf of Wicked, Doug was also presented with a lifetime membership.
Thank you to everyone who came. It was a great time and hopefully there will be another party coming up soon!