Monthly Archive for October, 2008

Kerry Gertz Runs First Marathon

Published on October 31, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

 

Kerry and husband Jim at Mile 20
Nephew and Inspiration, Brady, eating Kerry’s Medal at End of Race
Read Kerry’s account of her first marathon (Marine Corps) last weekend in Washington DC.  This is another inspiring story of the power of dedication and the rewards of training to achieve one’s goal.  
 
I ran my first marathon on October 26, in Washington DC.  They call the Marine Corps Marathon the “People’s Marathon” and for good reason.  There were runners of all abilities, and of the 30,000 registered, 9,000 were participating in their first marathon, as was I.  I had begun training in April, and although had run distances of 6 miles tops for about six months before that, I had never imagined that I had 26.2 in me. I was so proud of myself for sticking to my rigorous training schedule. It was more than another “full time job”; it was a committment that consumed me.  And I couldn’t have done it without the support of the running club.  From the most seasoned veterans to the newest members, I received such great advice from every one of you. 
 
When I got to the starting line, I told myself, keep the anxiety at bay, relax, and ENJOY!  The sun was shining, the temps were perfect, so there was no reason to get nervous about anything.  I’m by no stretch the fastest runner, and given that I was literally touring beautiful DC, I figured there was no better way to enjoy the marathon than by taking my time, and enjoying the experience.  The streets were packed with spectators every step of the way.  My family flew down to support me, and I finally saw them waiting for me at mile 17, and at that point, I needed them!  They were so proud of me, and so excited for me, that I had to collect myself again, to make sure I didn’t get overwhelmed with emotion.  My husband Jim, the “non-runner” as many of you know, even ran from 17 to 20 with me.  He may be hooked!  He made sure to pose for each camera man we passed. 
 
Crossing the finish line, albeit in 5:28:00, was a feeling I could never anticipate.  And all you marathoners told me that – you can never recreate your first marathon finish.  And when that Marine placed my finisher’s medal around my neck, and wrapped me in the space blanket (does anyone know the real name for those things???), the six months of training leading up to that day had given me something I’d never felt before; a true feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that I hope every runner can someday feel as well.
 
Although this is the only marathon course I know, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about training.  The first 7-8 miles are “hilly”, but really nothing too challenging.  The rest of the course is flat as a pancake, incredibly enjoyable, and from what I understand, packed with spectators every year.  And getting your powerade and GU from active-duty Marines at every stop is pretty cool too.  The course was also lined with various high school marching bands, as well as lots of other fun supporters, some dressed in costumes, many holding all kinds of encouraging signs. 
 
Overall, this is one accomplishment that I will never forget.  Thanks to every one of you for helping me get to that beloved finish line!

 

Melissa Jaynes – Hampton Half Marathon

Published on October 31, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Congratulations to Melissa Jaynes, one of our newer Wicked members, who achieved a PR (by more than 6 minutes within three weeks) at the Hampton Half Marathon this past Sunday in New Hampshire.  Melissa’s chip time was 1:58:46.  Melissa only started running half marathons this past March and has already managed to shave 16 minutes off her time!

Melissa comments that this race certainly has its great points:  beautiful fall foliage, a route along the beach, flat terrain, great t-shirts (that also came in extra small), free Smuttynose beer, and a location close to Salem.  Some areas where improvement might be made are providing more water and food at the finish (they ran out soon after her finish), accurate course length and chip time, and more accurate pacers (she left the 9:00 pacer who was running an 8:30 pace).  Melissa also reports that this race is also run in February and in the summer.  I can attest to the February race, having run it earlier this year.  It is a great half marathon to run.

Melissa attributes so much of her success to running with her “wicked great Wicked teammates” who even help fuel her obsession.  She is thankful for everyone’s support.  ”Wicked ROCKS!!!”

“Ask the Running Expert”

Published on October 30, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Here is our first installment of “Ask the Running Expert”. If you have a question you would like Jen Toomey to answer, send her a email at jen@toomeysports.com.

Question: I am currently running one 10 mile run and four 5 mile run’s per week. I plan on gradually increasing my 10 mile run to a 20 mile run, over the next two months. I was not planning on changing my 4 support runs. My question is: What are your thoughts on this plan, and do you have any recommendations?

Answer: Congratulations on your commitment to running. The long runs are very important to your overall aerobic development and also to prepare your body to use glycogen and fat stores while you run. This is especially important if you are training for a marathon. Typically, your long run should be no more that 25% of your weekly mileage and no longer than 2 hours. Running more than this breaks down your body and significantly increases your risk for injury.

The runs in between your long run help strengthen your bones and muscles.. The number one problem I see with training for a long race is that the athlete develops a minor to serious injury while training for that race. Often times athletes don’t step on that starting line 100% healthy. If you are a new to training or new to training distance, I would not recommend that you start running 50% of your weekly mileage on one day. There are psychological benefits to running that 20 miles but unless your are running that distance in around 2 hours, the risk of injury far outweighs the benefits of going that long.

A good strategy to help you get fit for your race is to 1) increases the intensity of one of your runs, even adding in interval training. This really helps your become a more efficient runner. 2) For the time being keep the total time of your long run the same, but increase the effort level for the last 30 minutes. 3) Pick two non-consecutive weeks to run long runs. For example, if you are racing a marathon, 6 weeks and 4 week before plan on running 2 hours. 4) add in an injury prevention program.

 

A Proud Dad

Published on October 28, 2008 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

 

I have to say it was really cool to run a race with my oldest
daughter Julia.  I have only done a few training runs with Julia and they have
never gone more then 1.5 miles.  Her longest run to date had been approx. 1.7
miles, in Gloucester last Thursday at Stage Fort Park.  Julia has only run these
distances for the past 2 months or so.  Perhaps 2 to 3 days a week.  She had
never run the 5k distance.  Before the run Rich Tomlins advised me that this was
a "Hilly course" and I started to worry just a little bit.  Up to race time
Julia never asked if the course was hilly. Once we reached about 1/4 mile in she
looked up at me and said "Dad, is this a hilly course"?  I looked down at her
and said, "Just keep running."  The first mile was clocked in at 8:58.  Being a new
runner she still has a lot to learn, especially her breathing.  She was taking
in a lot of air and I kept reminding her that the first mile is usually the
hardest and if she could get her breathing under control, she'd be ok.  Right
after mile one, Tim and Rich came buzzing by offering us encouragement.  We hit the 
only water stop on the course and I figured this would be a good time for a small rest while drinking.  
Down went the water as we passed a small bend in the road and right in front of us was a decent size hill,
especially for an 11 year old. I told her we'd start running at the base of the
hill and go right up at a steady pace.  She looked at me and said, "But my cup,
what do I do with it"?  I told her to just throw it on the ground and someone
would pick it up, she was hesitant to do it it but she did.  We went up the hill
fairly easy and she had a little smile on her face but she mentioned that her
knee was hurting.  I told her we could slow down but we had to keep going.  Once
up the hill there was another right around the corner.  Her pace started to
quicken for some reason, perhaps nervous energy.  Once again I reminded her to
stay steady and take a nice even pace up the hill.  Once over the hill we hit a
nice little down slope and that made her feel better.  At about 12 minutes in she
seemed to be breathing easier and hitting a nice even pace.  We passed another
father and daughter at this turn and exchanged a pleasant hello.  I commented
how nice the weather was and Julia agreed.  Mile 2 was clocked at 18:27. The
thought of another mile was getting the best of her and I reminded her of the
course that we run together, Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem.  It's exactly 1.1
miles (+188 feet but I have yet to tell her that)  I told her that that's all
we'd have left to the finish, and no hills to contend with.  About .8 to go and
she started to complain about the knee again so we walked for about 30 seconds.
I remembered hearing on the news last week at how the price of lobster was dirt
cheap....ahhh, some bait for the crustacean lover.  I looked down at her and
said "30 minute or under finish gets you (and me of course) Lobster for dinner.
A small smile crept into her face and the knee pain seemed to go away.  We
continued down the street and there were a few people yelling that the finish
was not far off, I kept reminding her of the time left at our current pace to
finish.  We passed a few more kids who had gone out a little fast and could not
maintain a strong pace, Julia was quick to pick up on that as these kids kept
sprinting past us and walking a few hundred feet later.  Once we reached the
spot where our warm up run before the race took us, she knew the end was near.
We could hear Mom yelling "Go Julia" as we neared the finish line.  We could see
Tim and Rich in their Wicked red shirts as they waited for us to make the
finish.  Julia's final time was 29.07 and I finished right behind.  I can't tell
you what a proud moment this was for me. For me to be able to run a race with my
daughter was one of the greatest feelings and something I will remember forever.
I was a little disappointed when I discovered that the Lynn Woods event was on
the same day. I missed running with all my friends and fellow Wicked Runners.
That said, I wouldn't ever want to miss the chance to run with my children, ever!  I
can only hope that the other 2 will take up running (and that Julia will
continue) so one day we can all run an event together (Ugh! Another Disney
Marathon).  Thanks to the club and people I have met, especially people like the
Touchette's who run as a united family, I love that about them and I can only
hope for the same in my family.  Also people like Bill Morse and Kevin Curry
from the woods who run with their children. It's a wonderful thing for sure and
I'm sure they feel the same way that I do.  Julia was a little sore today but
the taste of victory and last night's lobster seemed to make the pain not so
bad. Congrats to Tim and Rich and Amber who all had great runs as well.

 

Stone Tower Trail Challenge–A Challenge Indeed!

Published on October 27, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

 

sitting:  Beth O’Grady, Allison Rourke, Kathey Moskal, Deb Touchette, Karen Giroux                        

middle row: Alison Phelan, Kerry Phelan, Shannon O’Donnell, Shari Hewson, Susan Keezer, Billy Shea

back:  Jay (”The Man”) Curry, Steve (Just Plain) Touchette, Steph (ever smiling) Cooper, Bill (Invincible) Morse, Dan (Shy One) Cooper, Doug (The Magnificent) Bollen, Liz (Lefty) Touchette, and Danny (Wha-Whoo!) Leadvaro

Let’s see.  What can I compare the Stone Tower Trail Challenge at Lynn Woods  to?  Well, I imagine it’s probably like the Halloween maze that they’re “pushing” at Connor’s Farm in Danvers–lots of twists and turns, getting lost, and chocking it all up to having fun.  Throughout the race, I asked myself, “Have I been here before?” ” Did I run by Stone Tower twice or three times already?”  ”How did I get in front of her (Alison P.)? She was way out in front.”  ”Hey, Buddy, you were supposed to turn left here!”  Now, over the past two years, I feel like I’ve traversed most of what Lynn Woods has to offer, but after Sunday’s experience, I now know that for me there continue to be unexplored paths, unappreciated breathtaking scenery, as well as tortuous roots, rocks, and flimsy bridges.  Running the 15K was no “walk in the park,” but for anyone who appreciates living in this part of the country, running in Lynn Woods on a beautiful autumn Sunday morning is right up there with anything else that causes you to pause, sigh, and say to yourself, “Life is good.”  And what better way to experience this than with Wicked friends–both old and new.  Several of us made either the 15K or the 5K journey through the Woods.  For me, trail running is not so much about running as fast as you can, as it is about fine tuning your powers of concentration (don’t let me trip!) appreciating the vistas set before you, and enjoying the comaradrie of friends, both new and old.  On my “journey” I had the pleasure of traveling with Ed Mulvey, a guy that I had met a few years back when he ran the former Border to Border race while I traveled the route by car, providing my brother-in-law, Billy Prentiss (who, by the way, is going in for an MRI Tues. morning for what is suspected to be a torn meniscus) with coca-cola. Ed had the distinctive number, 444 (I still refer to him as this number), and he was close by Billy P. so he got to partake of the refreshments also.  When my head was focused on the ground, Ed’s was looking upward, announcing imminent turns.  Without him guiding, I would have been very lost!  Not to say that Liam Brady didn’t do a great job marking out the race; he did.  It was just that you had to train yourself to look for the markings, and when the ground beneath you becomes treacherous, it’s sometimes hard to do.

Well, I ramble on….  How did we all do?  Check out the results here.  I know that running this race resulted in one Wicked female achieving something she has never achieved before–being first female finisher in a race.  Congratulations to Beth O’Grady for achieving this distinction in the 5K race.  She was one happy lady!  

Congratulations also to Alison Phelan, who came in first in her age group in the 15K.  And that perennial winner, Deb Touchette, finished second in her age group.  A very excited Kathey Moskal eagerly proclaimed that this was her first ever trail race (an impressive feat completing this one, Kathey!)  And a good sportsmanship award goes out to Shannon O’Donnell and Susan Keezer who missed a turn and finished ahead of others whom they knew were faster than they, and pleaded with the time keeper to put them last. And I was psyched because I won a raffle to New England Running Company–just in time for tonight’s (Tuesday) festivities.  All of the proceeds from the race went to the Friends of Lynn Woods to help them in their efforts to restore Stone Tower.  It felt good to “give back” to something that brings many of us lots of pleasure throughout the year.

The morning was capped off with several of us dining on pancakes at IHop while others visited a local “watering hole” in downtown Lynn, the name of which escapes me, but a place everyone else seemed to know about.   And now, two weeks to Stone Cat where many of us get to do this again for 26.2 or 50 miles.  Yikes!  

 

 

 

Miles For Kyle 5K – Short Takes First Place!

Published on October 26, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments


Tim Short ran an amazing 18:34 5K Sunday at the Miles for Kyle race in Swampscott, achieving first place in the race!  What a memorable achievement and great honor for the Club.  Not far behind in fourth place was Rich Tomlins finishing at a speedy 19:06.  Other Wicked members represented were Amber Wollfenden who ran 28:29 and our very own father-daughter team:  Chip and Julia Bott.  Julia, age 11, ran a 29:07 with Dad by her side at 29:09.  Julia is completing her first season with Salem’s Middle School cross country team.  I have no doubt her performance made her dad quite proud and caused him to muse, “Yeah, she is a ‘chip’ off the old block.”

Fantastic job, you guys and gals.

 

 

“Ask the Running Expert”

Published on October 23, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

“Ask the Running Expert” is a new addition to the Wicked web site that will debut next Thursday. The post will appear weekly on the front page of the web site and will give Wicked runners a chance to ask those burning questions that have been bugging them for so long. I’m sure we all have a question or two that we would like to be answered and may not know who to ask or where to find the answer. I know I do. 

I’m happy to announce that our very own Jen Toomey will be answering your questions. Each week Jen will pick out questions sent in by members of Wicked. Then check in on Thursday to see if your question was picked! Even if your question wasn’t picked there might be a question that was answered that could help you and your running.
 
Please send all questions to Jen Toomey at jen@toomeysports.com. I hope everyone enjoys this new addition to the Wicked web site. Go Wicked!!

Karen Giroux – Mt. Desert Island Marathon, Bar Harbor, Maine

Published on October 21, 2008 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments

Read Karen’s account of her journey up to Bar Harbor, Maine, this past weekend to run in the Mt. Desert Island Marathon.  It’s an inspirational story with a very happy ending.  For those of you who may have never run a marathon before, it’s only a matter of time before you will.  Read Karen’s report to get a real “taste” of what the experience is like.

 

                              

                                                                

Jim and I arrived in Bar Harbor in the late afternoon on Friday. We spent Friday and Saturday enjoying the town’s shops and restaurants and just relaxing. Businesses all throughout the island had signs that said “GOOD LUCK MDI Marathoners” placed in their windows. It was very welcoming! There was access to Acadia National Park from our motel property, so we went for a nice walk on carriage roads in the park. It was post-card beautiful!

At the pasta dinner Saturday night the race director, Gary Allen, made us all feel very at ease with his humor. He talked about the hilly, challenging course and urged us to make sure that our goals for race day were realistic. He then introduced the first guest speakers, Stephanie Tait and Matt Hill of Run for One Planet. These two very interesting people run a marathon each day as they make their way across the continent to gain support for environmental causes, one step at a time. You can check out their web site to learn more at www.runforoneplanet.com  

Stephanie and Matt will be running right through Salem next weekend!

Then Sheri Piers spoke. She was the 16th finisher in the women’s marathon trials, and lives in Maine. Sheri is on the cover of the May/June 2008 issue of New England Runner magazine. Very inspiring speakers! The evening finished with Gary telling us all to “Go to bed!”

Marathon morning was chilly. I was quite cold at the start, glad that the race is so small that Jim was able to stand right with me until the end of the National Anthem to keep me warm (and to take my fleece when it was time to run). The race started and so did the rolling hills. I like my hills “rolling” so I was pleased with the terrain. My kind of race! The scenery was unbelievable! The sky was the brightest blue, and the foliage brilliant oranges and reds. There are mountains and water everywhere in MDI; ponds, lakes, streams, and many coves and harbors along the coast. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring the camera!

The first half marathon zipped by as I enjoyed every bit of scenery. I had been keeping pace for a 4:30:00 finish (My “ambitious” goal!) I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold that pace in the second half of the race. At 18 miles I was STILL on pace for 4:30:00, and I was still feeling good. But I also knew that miles 19 through 25 were mostly uphill. In my mind, I was expecting “HILLZILLA” or something. (Yes, running Lake Winnepesaukee was still fresh in my mind!) I was relieved to find that the hill wasn’t as bad as all that! I was running pretty strong, and then I hit a rough patch after mile 23 for about a half-mile. I just focused on getting to mile 24 for some Gatorade, and when I reached it I realized that I was only a little over a minute behind 4:30:00 pace! I decided that I was gonna go for that 4:30:00 finish. I picked up my pace and began passing people, which gave me confidence to keep it up. As I came past the 26-mile marker, there was Jim with a rather surprised look on his face. We had figured I would be finishing closer to 4:45:00, so he wasn’t expecting me so soon. He yelled for me to “GO!”

Somehow I managed to make up 2 minutes in that last 2.2 miles!

As I crossed the finish line, a volunteer wrapped me in a Mylar blanket then led me to a chair where she took the chip off my shoe as another volunteer gave me a cup of water. A high school boy placed the medal around my neck. Another nice volunteer gave me my “Finishers” tee shirt, then led me to the tent with food. I grabbed a few nibbles and met up with Jim.

I was feeling so proud of myself! I exceeded my best-case goal, finishing in 4:29:08, which is a huge improvement over my Carlsbad marathon finish time of 4:47:52. I left Mount Desert Island with a very satisfied sense of accomplishment. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have been able to run in such a beautiful place, and grateful that my body (and mind!) stayed strong. I know it sounds really sappy, but it really did feel like a journey of sorts. I look forward to doing this marathon again. Next time we plan to bring the family and stay longer!

 

Salem Witch City 5k

Published on October 21, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

With so many Wicked runners out and about this weekend it was hard to keep track of everyone. But thanks to new member Daniel Barrett we have results and some photos from the always popular Salem Witch City 5k.

Daniel Barrett and Gail Gordon Running their first race as Wicked Running Club Members

 There were some great performances as well. Jason Barnes was the over all winner of the race with a time of 16:50. Annie Rose Willis came in 1st Female Overall and Gail Gordon came in 2nd Female Age Group 30-39. James Deluca also came in with a strong run and placed 2nd in the Male age group 20-29. And our very own web master Aaron Toleos was spotted racing to the finish with a great time of 20:09. Oh and Dan Barrett had a PR!! Great job everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Raymond looking “Wicked” good, wearing a Frosty Four shirt and a Patriots hat

 1 Jason Barnes          8   1/45   M4049 45 M SALEM         MA 16:50  5:25

6 James Deluca          453   2/35   M1929 25 M BEVERLY  MA 18:59 6:07

12 Annie Rose Willis    494   1/73   F1929 28 F DANVERS  MA 19:49 6:23

34 Daniel Barrett        75   9/45   M4049 46 M LYNN     MA 21:49 7:02

35 Gail Gordon          371   2/100  F3039 37 F LYNN     MA 21:54 7:03

87 Sharon Tassel        40  13/100  F3039 38 F NAHANT  MA  24:50  8:00

88 Maria Ramirez       316  14/100  F3039 39 F SALEM   MA  24:50  8:00

135 Kenneth Hewson      297  29/45   M4049 40 M BEVERLY  MA 26:43 8:36

149 Peter Raymond       465  32/45   M4049 47 M SALEM    MA 27:09 8:45

199 Shari Hewson        296  19/48   F4049 46 F BEVERLY  MA 28:36 9:13

221 Michele Campbell    260  45/100  F3039 36 F SALEM    MA 29:18 9:26

419 Trisha Pini         356 100/100  F3039 39 F SALEM    MA 51:57 16:44

 

Ravenswood Trail Race, 4.1 Miles – Gloucester

Published on October 20, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

While a few of our members were running marathons this past weekend, several of us ran the Ravenswood Trail Race in Gloucester, 4.1 miles.  This was the latest race in Wicked’s Grand Prix Series.  Kneeling are Beth O’Grady, Deb Touchette, Shannon O’Donnell, and Tim Short.  Standing are Tim Clarke, Katlyn Porter-Mahoney, John Mahoney, Steve Touchette, Liz Touchette, and Billy Shea.  This was a tough course, very narrow for most of the race, with lots of rocks, roots, bridges, and hills.  Three who ran (Beth, Tim, and Billy) had just run marathons the week before, while the Touchette’s had just run a 20 mile practice trail run in Andover the day before.  Despite tired legs, we had some strong finishers.  Congratulations to age group winners Tim Short (first place – 5th overall), Deb Touchette (first place), and John Mahoney (second place).   First place finishers received a $50 gift certificate to New England Running.  In addition, there was an extensive raffle with some pretty good prizes.  Several Wicked members were lucky recipients.  Check out the results at Ravenswood Trail Race.  By the way, if you look closely at Tim’s left knee, that is indeed blood.  I’m sorry, Maria, that you only got to wear the “crown” for a couple days, but Tim is now the latest recipient of the “There Will Be Blood Award.”