THE PACER

JULY AUGUST

Here we go again. Another Pacer, another format. The next Pacer may be hand written.

 

May was hot, June was cool and rainy, but we ran anyway. The Thursday night races and the Road Series are in full bloom.  The Mini started out cool and turned hot. We had a nice day for the White River Run, but wish we could find more runners.  We lost  Buck Creek and no one could complain about the heat at the Buzzard’s Roost.  I kept my door prize streak alive at a Thursday night race sponsored by Bob Hart. I hadn’t finished fourth in my 50-54 age group all year until last Thursday night and that happened to be the spot selected to win a gift certificate to the Dugout. Yet I was then bitterly crushed at the Buzzard’s Roost when they called out the name to win the bicycle. The director started to say “RO…” but then it turned out to be someone else. Murmuring audibly swelled through the crowd...My streak was over.

 

We had a great turnout from our club.

These people  can barely be distinguished

In this picture taken with a phone camera

but suffice it to say there were lots of

people there from ARRC. Sixteen of us

stopped at ARNIE’s

In Cicero and many of us partook in the

traditional Buzzard’s Roost post race

meal consisting of a stromboli and Junior chef salad. Some people , however, scoffed at the tradition and ordered pizza, etc. Hopefully these people will be able to live with this decision until the race next year.

 

I think I was the only ARRC member to do the Run with the Foxes this year, at Morgan Monroe State Forest. It was rainy and muddy again….but it really is a scenic and challenging course  and  there are multiple distances to choose from. Anyone looking for something different should consider this race next year…..and now, on with the show!

BATBOY SPOTTED AT SHADY SIDE

Strange occurances may be related

 

As reported  in the last issue,  Batboy was spotted at Mounds State Park. The hunt is on nationwide. Discovered in a cave in Hope Falls, West Virginia, this half bat- half boy has escaped captivity and is currently at large. He can be identified by large, pointy ears and oversized eyes that make him profoundly sensitive to sound and light. The creature has reportedly attacked at least three people with his razor-sharp fangs and should be considered extremely dangerous. In 1992 the feisty creature was captured and taken to a secret laboratory in Wheeling, West Va., where experts all over the world came to study him. Government officials denied rumors that Batboy had escaped, but finally a nationwide search was launched when the big eared fugitive was spotted in at least six different states. The most recent sighting has been at Shady Side. Could this explain why the baby owl has never been seen again?  Could this explain the recent flooding, the rash of injuries suffered by our club members, the lower than hoped for turnout at the White River Run. Could a bite from Batboy explain a pain in someone’s hip persisting unchanged for nearly 2 months, defying diagnosis from multiple experts…...I think YES!

 

A reward will be offered for any documented info or sightings of Batboy.

KATHY’S KORNER

 

 

Why I'm glad I didn't run the Mini.....

 

It may seem strange for me to say this, but I'm really glad I didn't run the Mini this year.  Of course, I couldn't - plagued with an injury all winter from which I'm still working to recover, even if I had wanted to (okay, I did want to) I couldn't.

 

So I didn't.  And I am glad.

 

Since I couldn't run 13.1, I volunteered to work the R&R tent in Military Park.  It meant getting up a little earlier, carrying coolers, cookies, water and cups; paper towels, first aid kits and all manner of goods to the tent, from the street, to create a place for our runners to stash their stuff, prep for the race and come back "home" to, to recover.  And it was great.

 

What was most unexpected to me was that once everyone left for the finish line, was how quiet it became in the park.  There was NO ONE there, except other tent volunteers like me, and an occasional race organizer, zipping by on a golf cart.  It was cool and breezy; we drank coffee and read the paper.  We heard the "Back Home Again" being sung in the distance; some of us went off to watch the start.  It was a much different place than it had been, even 15 minutes before.

 

And I experienced the race from a whole new angle.  I was watching when the first woman started down the finish shoot; it was great fun watching the elite runners glide in.  I got to cheer some our own runners in (Go Perry! Go Tommy - hey, there's Mike Hall!).  I got to talk to everyone afterward, making sure cookies and bananas and bottles of water were at the ready.  I saw families and friends reliving the race, enjoying the sun and each other and it was great.  Really, really great.

 

I did miss running the race this year, but I'm grateful for the time I spent working the tent.  It sure beat staying home and watching the race on TV.  I hope to be running next year, but if not, I know where I'll be.  Either way, I'll see you there...and it'll be great!

 

 submitted by

Kathy Wehrley

 

Kathy’s Korner Kreator Klaims Komeback

Editors note……. Kathy has been overcoming a stubborn injury...sacroileitis. It’s been a slow process requiring physical therapy, stretching, time, etc. It’s nice to see Kathy back running with us. Kathy was telling me about a new training technique at the White River Run. Please ask her about the Doughnut Run the next time you see her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was asked to speak to the participants of the Cross Country Conditioning Program, directed by Perry Knox and Mark Volk.  I said sure, and figured I might as well participate in the workout also. It was a pleasant day in the upper seventies and sunny. There were about 16 participants. First of all came the warmup. We did a short slow run around the Great Mound and came back up by the pavilion to stretch. For me it was definitely a warmup. As we did stretches for every conceivable body part, I was sweating profusely assuring myself that I was, indeed, warmed up. We then started our run, which essentially was a perimeter run, a fairly “easy” run since everyone had done a fairly hard run the day before. I was instructed that some people would be running fast and others not so fast. Today, Mark Volk took the lead and some other runners were assigned to the back of the pack to make sure we kept everyone in sight. For some reason I gravitated up with Mark. Runners don’t like to show any signs of weakness, so I kept up with Mark, praying that we would stop for a drink down by the boat ramp. We did and waited for all the runners to reach the water stop. At that point I thought I should mingle so I drifted toward the back of the pack to complete our run going back toward the pavilion… a much more pleasant pace at that point. We reached our destination.  I thought that was my queue to begin my talk, but nooooo, now we were going to do pyelometrics. So we did a series of three runs up and down the parking lot… first there were “buttkicks” then high knee raises, and finally something that had to do with a donkey, that I never did quite get the hang of………….. Then we got to stretch again. Luckily I was already sweating, so no one noticed that the stretches made me sweat even more. Then I gave my short talk. Even though I had notes, I think I left out some of the most important points and wondered, afterwards,  if it had made any sense , at all. And during the talk I had the strange sensation that some of the girls in the group were more interested in the high school and college boys running by, than what I had to say……..but I’m sure that was just my imagination.

 

The next night at our Thursday night race, I surprisingly had a pretty good time, even though I had a mild strain in my right hamstring. OK, so I went overboard on the buttkicks, but it was a great workout and it was actually fun. Now why can’t the adults have a program like this!?

Ron  h.

Cross  Country Conditioning Program….

...first hand report

Presidents message

 

President's Message

 

Greetings everyone!  I've been anxiously awaiting the publication of this issue of the Pacer; the #1 reason -  to see what our editor Ron Harmening comes up with, but also to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have been so supportive and helpful these past months.  I couldn't possibly list everyone here, but I have to say we had some terrific volunteers for the Indy Mini Tent and all that entailed, as well as the many who gave up their Saturday morning to help with the White River Run.  I must specifically thank Jennifer Bridges, owner of Bridges Massage Therapy.  Jennifer single-handedly worked the massage tables at the Mini tent and generated $120 in donations, helping defray the cost of the tent rental.  Great job, Jennifer!  No doubt about it, these events wouldn't happen without volunteers and we've got some of the best.  Your enthusiasm and willingness to jump right in and lend a hand means so much to me, and to those participating in our race events.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

We are in the thick of the Road Race Series now and you know what that means -        ROAD TRIPS!  Check with your friends when you see them at the Thursday night races and work up a plan to be a part of the fun.  Entry forms for most upcoming events are available at the Thursday races, or check with Greg Smith or Wally Post for race information.

 

We've got other projects in the works and your feedback, expertise and wisdom would be welcome and appreciated.  We're trying to work up a design for an ARRC team racing shirt and we're still working on getting some of our members CPR certified.  If you have an idea you'd like to share with the Board and the group, please let me know - I look forward to hearing from you. 

 

Don't forget our tailgate party on July 15th, following the Thursday night race - details in these pages!

 

Happy trails,

Tommy G.

 

 

Happy Trails,

 

Tommy G.