la chute may newsletter
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La Chute Runners, running club, articles on race experiences, and upcoming events.TRANSCRIPT
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t sCross Country News
North Country TriathlonRun for HopeHalf Marathon
Renew
E a s t e r n S t a t e s 2 0
b y D a v e B u r r o w s
It was 4:45 am and the alarm was going off. I
spent the night in Rutland at my friend’s house
to shave an hour off what would otherwise be
a 4 ½ hour drive. We were headed to Hampton
Beach for the Eastern States 20 Miler which at
the time seemed to be a daunting challenge.
The previous week I ran nearly 17 miles in 2
hours, but was it enough? At the starting line I
was somewhat intimidated. Twenty miles of 40
degree wind driven rain and nearly 600 runners
using this as a tune up for the Boston Marathon
made me wonder if I was in over my head.
I knew I would soon find the answer to that
question, right, wrong, or indifferent.
At the start Matt, my running partner and
professor at Castleton, and I agreed to start with
7:30 pace and see how we felt at the half. That
would give us a 2:30:00 finish if all went well. I
wasn’t able to wear my Oakley’s with the rain so
I had to listen to myself huffing and puffing and
the splashing of feet through the unavoidable
puddles right from the start. I looked around at
the wet feet all around me. Asics, New Balance,
Mizuno, Nike, Loco, Brooks, as far as the eye
could see; so many different styles of shoes
pounding the pavement. I wondered if any of
those shoes were any more impervious to the
water than my Newton’s.
We ran along the ocean listening to the
surf pound off the rocks. Surfers were taking
advantage of the heavy winds near mile 7. How
crazy does someone have to be to surf in this
weather I thought to myself? Hmm, only a half
marathon left to go and I am feeling good, for
now. “6:40 pace, lets reel back a little. Averaging
7:08, not bad.” 6:40 pace?!?!? Averaging 7:08?!?!?
I really wanted to get to the finish line so I
could change into dry clothes, but would I make
it to the finish cranking up the pace to this
level? We backed off slightly and I felt reassured
that I could go the distance. Time for some
nourishment I thought and grabbed a gel pack.
Mile 10 came and went and I was still feeling
good. Again Matt slowed the pace. With 10 more
to go I knew that anything could and most likely
would happen. We let a couple runners go by
and I wondered if we would pick them up later
in the race. The rain let up slightly but the wind
was relentless. I felt a slight throbbing deep in
my left calf and hoped that it would go away,
or at least not get worse. Time for another gel
pack, maybe two.
I don’t remember much for the next couple miles
but realized that around 13 I was starting to
struggle. Matt was pulling ahead of me slightly
and I labored to keep in touch with him. I just
couldn’t let him get away from me; I wouldn’t
be able to live it down. By mile 14 I pulled
alongside him and stated that I was struggling
a bit. “Yeah, I decided to pick up the pace to
see what I could do”. He pulled us to a sub 6:40
pace between mile 13 and 14 without telling me.
I was never so glad to hear that the pace had
increased; at least it wasn’t me falling apart, not
yet anyway. The rain picked up again. It was
hard to distinguish where the puddles began and
ended, not to mention that I was too tired to
try avoiding them. I need more energy I thought,
time for another gel pack.
As we moved toward mile 16 I realized that
we were reeling in a small group of runners.
Suddenly I heard the scariest words ever during
an endurance event; “I’m hitting the wall, I have
to stop”. I looked over to see Matt pulling off to
the side of the course. Do I stop to see if he
is OK or do I keep going? I contemplated this
for apparently a few minutes. By that time I had
made contact with one of the runners ahead
of me. I hope he is OK I thought to myself as
a passing car splashed
gallons of water on us.
Didn’t matter at that
point, I couldn’t feel my
fingers or toes anyway.
I looked down to see if
my feet were still under
me. Yep, they were. I
made eye contact with
the woman I caught up
to. No words needed
to be spoken; the pain was etched on her face. I
wondered if I looked as bad, I certainly felt it.
As we turned the corner near mile 17 I recognized
the parking lot that my car was in. What a cruel
joke! Do I jump in and drive to the finish, or just
change into dry clothes and try to warm up? I
plod on, afraid if I stop I will never be able to
get going again.
We made our way to mile 19 where we had to
cross a bridge single file. I lost touch with the
woman as she made her way through a throng
of runners on the other side. I wondered if this
were the Massachusetts border; it felt like the
Virginia border to me with no finish line in sight
yet. I passed another runner and looked over
to see a weathered old man trudging on. I tried
to yell words of encouragement but all I heard
was an incoherent mumble escape my lips. He
nodded and looked back to his feet. He must be
running the half marathon I thought to myself.
Finally I heard cheering and screaming. I looked
up to see runners turning left onto a side street.
I followed them around the turn to see the finish
line blowing in the strong wind and the clock
ticking away. I crossed the line with the clock
registering 2:25:08. Was that good? I didn’t care
at that point, I only wanted to change into dry
clothes and lay down somewhere, anywhere.
All in all, I wouldn’t trade this experience in for
the world. I learned a little about hydration and
fueling, and a lot about me. I finished 5 minutes
ahead of my goal time of 2:30:00. It was a
struggle with the wind upwards of 15 mph driving
the rain sideways. I realized afterward that I had
attained a 7:15 pace, 15 seconds faster than we
intended given the conditions. The full marathon
is not looking so daunting after all. Look out
Lake Placid, here I come!
C r o s s C o u n t r y N e w s
Section 7 will be hosting two major cross country events in the Fall of 2009. On Satur-day, September 12, 2009 there will be a Sec-tion 7 Invitational Pre-State Meet held at the SUNY Plattsburgh Fieldhouse. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championship Meet will be held at SUNY Platts-burgh on Saturday, November 14.
We are looking for people who would like to volunteer to help us out at these two meets in various capacities (parking help, light secu-rity/foot traffic control, trail monitors, etc.) If you could forward this message to our LaChute Runners membership I would appreciate it. Peo-ple can contact me by e-mail:
[email protected] .comor by phone at 585-7442 ext 275 (school voice-mail) or 597-3858 at home. This is an exciting opportunity for the North Country to host meets of this caliber.
A few years ago, well more that than, Section 7 hosted the state cross country champion-ships at Van Hovenbergh. Brian Kiley directed that event. It was exciting! This time the local will change, but the competition will be just as intense. Preparation for the event is incredible. During the event itself, there are a myriad of tasks to do, as many of you know from helping out with smaller races. Hopefully you can help out!
R u n F o r H o p e
The Run for Hope took place Saturday March
in Essex County. The Run for Hope is in support
of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and includes
two races.
The 20K started Keene at the Elm Tree inn and
finished in Elizabethtown.
The 5K race started at the Elizabethtown-
Lewis school and was run on an out and back
course.
The 20K was extremely competitive with Matt
Madaris winning the men’s race and with Dawn
Gay winning the ladies.
It was a beautiful day to run, chilly at the start
and in the shadows below the cemetery. From
the corner of 9N the sun shone brightly and
most were shedding clothing by mile 2. There
were 3 aid station this year, miles 2, 4, and
7. After cresting the hill at mile 4, there was
T h e 1 4 t h E a s t e r n S t a t e s
2 0 M i l e S u n d a y
M a r c h 2 9 , 2 0 0 9
11:00 a.m., Wallis Sands Beach, Rye, New
Hampshire to the Massachusetts border
Designed as a pre-Boston Marathon training
race, the Eastern States 20 Mile (formerly
Border to Border) Race has been called “the
single best and freshest idea in road running
in ten years.” Run in three states, through
seven towns, all in one race. Starting on the
Memorial Bridge in Kittery, Maine, the race runs
through historic Portsmouth, along scenic Route
1A overlooking the Atlantic, to the finish in
Salisbury, Massachusetts.
David Burrows Ticonderoga, NY
87/573
2:25:08
7:15 pace
24th in age group (40-49)
N o r t h C o u n t r y T r i a t h l o n
Event Date: Saturday June 27 (8:00 am start)Location: Hague Beach - Hague, NYEvents: Olympic & Sprint Distance Triathlon
North Country Triathlon is a yearly event located in the town of Hague in upstate New York on beautiful Lake George featuring an Olympic distance and Sprint distance triathlons.North Country races benefit charities and non-profit organizations that seek to impact our world in a positive way. 2009 beneficiaries include: The Hope Lodge of Burlington, VT (health), Room-To-Read (Education), and 1% For The Planet (Environment).
North Country races are unique in a number of ways:-Competitive and beautiful course (ex. the crystal clear waters of Lake George)-Organic and locally sourced pre-race pasta dinner and race products-Wonderful and encouraging race volunteers-Registrations limited to 400, making the race intimate and extremely well organized
If you are interested in volunteering, we would love to have your help! For participant and
volunteer registration, please go to: www.northcountrytr i .com
R u n V e r m o n t H a l f M a r a t h o nSaturday, April 11
Four La Chute runners curious to test their
long distance fitness, ran the UH (Unplugged Half
marathon) on a cold and windy spring morning.
The idea behind the event was to have a race
that just provides minimum services, without
awards and a ceremony. Organizers did provide
the essentials: transportation to the start, a well
marked course, and food. The race was limited
to 450 runners.
The race began at Airport Park (which isn’t near
any airport) in Colchester and ran along the
bike path to the south end of Burlington, and
then back to the Flynn Dog (which didn’t have
anything to do with dogs). There were a few
S h a m r o c k S h u f f l e 5 M i l e s
Marge Huseman 39:16Dave Natale 40:50Jim Leavens 44:44John Donohue 47:33
S k u n k C a b b a g e H a l f M a r a t h o n
I t h a c a , N Y
Jim Cunningham 1:34:55, 7:14 pace
bikes.
The finish line was moved this year. Last year
it was on the wrong side of the tracks and the
finish was interrupted by the arrival of a freight
train. This year’s race was smooth and fast. A
train did arrive, and it was smooth but slow.
The runners were pleased with their efforts and
results. Pictures of the race can be found on
the next page.
Women (212 runners)Place Name City Bib No Age Overall(399) Time 67 Marge Huseman Ticonderoga NY 196 28 181 1:50:31.0Men (187 runners)91 Dave Natale Ticonderoga NY 195 39 134 1:46:04.5122 William McDonough Port Henry NY 176 68 206 1:52:49.4137 Jim Cunningham Ticonderoga NY 269 64 236 1:56:30.7
L C R R C
Photos of the Doctor’s Day 10K, Tuscaloosa Alabama
Two La Chute runners participated
R u n n i n g C l u b s
La Chute Road RunnersAdirondack Runners
Albany Running ExchangeHudson Mohawk Runners
Northern LightsSaratoga Stryders
L i n k sgmap.comResults ARECool Running
Membership PDF
L a C h u t e R o a d R u n n e r s Goals Encourage the youth of the community to get involved in a beneficial activity. Provide competitive opportunities for its membership. Provide membership with educational and social opportunities. Activities Sponsor the Montcalm Mile, Resolution Run, Heritage Day 10K, Footrace at Fort Ticonderoga Support a LCRRC Point Championship Series Hold an annual Awards Banquet Provide a newsletter Provide organized training opportunities Membership in Road Runner’s Club of America Club Membership/Application Waiver I know that running and volunteering to work in club races are potentially hazardous activities. I should not enter and run in club activities unless am medically able and properly trained. I agree to abide by any decisions of a race official relative to my ability to sagely complete the run. I assume all risks associated with running and volunteering to work in club races including, but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, the effects of the weather, including high heat and/or humidity, the conditions of the road and traffic on the course, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing there facts, and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for member-ship, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the La Chute Road Runners, and all sponsors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in there club activities, even though that liability may arrive out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the person named in this waver. Signature___________________________________________Date_____________________ First: ___________________ Mi: ____ Last: ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________
City: _____________________________________ State: _____ Zip: __________________
Home Phone: __________________________Email: ________________________________ Date of Birth: ____________ Gender: M F Email: ______________________________
Membership type Family $10.00 ( ) Individual $5.00 ( ) Student $2.00 ( ) Mail to: Dave Rutkowski 253 Corduroy Road Ticonderoga, NY 12883 Checks: La Chute Road Runners Newsletters will be emailed
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