MRTC Awards Banquet for the 2011 Road Race Series

Houston and Louisiana Marathon and SwampStomper- Race Report – Jan 15, 2012

This weekend was highlighted by many outstanding Pilgrim performances.

The Pilgrims sent a select crew down to Houston to scout out potential new members for the team at the Olympic Marathon Trials. Hopefully they signed up several to help with this year’s Tour d’Esprit! Saturday they got first hand viewing of the top marathoners the US has to offer.

The Washington Post reported:

Nobody messed around here Saturday. There were no flimsy challenges or stupid moves at the front of the pack during the men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. No foolish pretenders or wimpy miles once the races got underway.

On a day of huge stakes and high nerves, it was all business in the front of both fields. Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medal winner, won the title in the men’s race with a finish in 2 hours 9 minutes 8 seconds. Shalane Flanagan, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters, claimed the women’s title in 2:25:38.

The pair ultimately took charge in two professionally executed, respectably paced, coolly run races that rewarded the athletes that pushed hard from the start and left no doubt about who deserved tickets to this summer’s London Olympic Games.

U.S. marathon record holder Ryan Hall, who led for most of the men’s race, finished second in 2:09:30 and Abdi Abdirahman, a three-time Olympian, claimed third in 2:09:47 to secure the other two men’s Olympic slots. Desiree Davila (2:25.55), the 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up, and Kara Goucher (2:26:06), the 2007 world bronze medalist in the 5,000, earned the final two women’s slots.

The Pilgrims had one entry in the Sunday’s Houston Marathon, Ashley Spriggs. She reported she was pleased to finish this one. Her 3:32:03 qualified her easily for the 2013 Boston. She’ll be working on 8 consecutive Bostons. Amazing! Way to go Ashley.

In the half, Vince Perryman led our contingent with a 1:27:48. Scott Peatross followed closely with a 1:31:30, then came Brad Cordts (1:41:42) and Christine Cordts in1:50:19. Great weather and a great venue.

Notably absent, John Geiger had quite a scare that kept him from the competition. Friday night he began choking on a steak. Joe Coffelt came to his aid with the Heimlich Maneuver. He was able to dislodge it enough for John to breathe. Thinking the saga was over, John slept through the night only to find himself choking the next morning at breakfast. After more than 5 hours in the ER with Joe by his side, the doctors pulled out one hunk of steak and pushed another into his stomach. John says he’s fine now and glad to have a second lease on life.

In the inaugural Louisiana Marathon, Pilgrim Gary McCraw had quite a day himself. After pacing a friend in a marathon about a month ago, Gary went to Baton Rouge to run one for himself. Out to just “have fun”, Gary put out an amazing effort and finished in 3:19:00. A PR of 17 mins and good enough for 4th in his age group!! Glad you are on our team Gary, excellent race.

Also on the calendar this weekend was the wildly popular trail race, The Swampstomper. In the 25K Jim Slaba defeated all comers. His time of 1:58:17 was only 2 min off Nick Lewis’ course record and only the 2nd person to go under 2 hours on this course. Bruce Keisling also fared well and knocked 14 mins off his last year’s time. Laura Jaggar also ran the Swampstomper 25K with a PR over 28 minutes better than her course record! Go Laura!

In the following Jim shares his experience:

The big differentiator for me time-wise was running with an Alpha male group all talented enough to win, that, in retrospect, functioned as aggressive set of pacers on key stages of the course.

First guy tried to drop the lead group pushing an unsustainable pace from the starting line until the big hills at 3.5 miles. I hung on. When we hit hills, he faded out. The next guy tried to break away on the red loop (big hills). I hung on for those 3 miles. He subsequently faded out post hills, as he could not fire up the pace. It was down to me and an ultra runner type from Missouri. I upped the pace to the turnaround, which had a big climb leading up to it (mile 9.5). He was breathing heavy and less reckless than me on the downhills, so put the foot on the gas on the way back down and did not look back, and he was unable to follow. Then, it was all about keeping the legs moving to the finish. The last two miles had to be willed, but got it done, and I won by 2-3 minutes. I fell four times, two of which were good rollers. Fortunately, there was no structural damage today...only a couple of nice holes in my new compression tights.

Also, I did not wear a watch. Ran purely by feel. I don't really have any trail racing experience and certainly not at 25k. So, I was concerned all along about melting down. That written, we just kept the foot on the gas and let it ride.

Great efforts to start off 2012. Keep it going Pilgrims.

Submitted by: Joel Lyons

Inaugural Eurocross Event at Shelby Farms

Just a quick note on the unique event this past Sunday afternoon. We had several pilgrims participating between kids running (Michael Hecht, me), running themselves (Clint Daniel, Scott Peatross, me), working (Joseph Coffelt, Wade Lewis), and cheering (Brenda Walton). The < 18 yr old wave went off at 1pm, and had 20 kids running with a solid contingent of high school cross country runners. The adult wave went off at 2pm, and had ~40 runners with a good cross-section of running and triathlon clubs represented. Even though 60 runners sounds like a small number, I believe everyone came away thinking it was a solid turnout between runners and spectators. Plus, the weather was great and course was perfect for viewing all the action. Feb and Ben did a spectacular job setting up and managing, with a lot of help from Joseph & Co., of course. Big kudos to Fleet Feet for making it happen. I would definitely recommend, and I expect the event to grow over time.

The course was natural by design - the Euro aspect of the Eurocross. It was a 1.5k loop we traversed six times -- high cut clump grass, some decent elevation changes, lots of ruts/holes, and a solid dose of man-made obstacles (e.g., fencing and hay bales) strategically located on uphills and downhills to temper the pace and boost the heart rate. From an effort standpoint, I was running at a clip better than marathon pace, but it felt like half marathon out of the gate and was more like 10k for the last two laps.

The top three finishers, all college cross country types, were led by our friend Nate Spears. These three walked away with the race coming home in the 32-33 minute range, which after going after it pretty hard myself, was an impressive performance. They were off like rockets from the start - and I was happy to not get lapped. After the leaders, we had a small group finish at 37-38 minutes (Slaba 5th), followed by a small group around 40 min (Daniels 8th, Peatross 11th). Of course, like most races, we all stood around the start and said how this was for fun, let's keep it easy on the pace, etc. Then, the gun goes off and the sprint starts! That lasted about a 1/10 of a mile for me, and I decided I would hold back, taking counsel from Joseph in the first turn - "let them go and pick them off one by one with steady pacing." Of course, holding back was about all the legs could muster after the marathon last week. Fortunately, the strategy worked as the course gobbled up a good number runners by laps 3 and 4, and I was able to overtake all but one. And, I caught this guy at lap 5 only to have him turn on the boosters. I gave him chase but that was all I could muster.

Was a fun Sunday afternoon workout at the farm.

Submitted by:Jim Slaba

Kiawah Island Half-Marathon

Runners who are familiar with Edgar Allen Poe's short story 'The Gold Bug' know that the islands off the South Carolina coast near Charleston were once mysterious places, featuring skulls, buried treasures, exotic insects, dense vegetation, and misanthropes. Kiawah is one of these islands. Home to a golf resort, the island hosts a marathon and half-marathon in early December. The setting is beautiful, as the flat course leads the runners through tastefully designed and developed neighborhoods. The pre- and post-race events are classy affairs.

However, caught up in the beauty of it all Frank went out way too fast. If this had been a 10-miler, he would have set a PR. But it was not, and thus Frank paid a heavy price for his lack of discipline at the beginning. In the end, Frank Buscher who placed 2nd in his age group at the Kiawah Island Half Marathon on Saturday, earned him a "Proud Pelican" with a time of 1:24:39 and was proudly wearing his Pilgrimage jacket in Hawaii. One would think it should be warm year around in Hawaii, apparently that is not the case.

2011 St. Jude Marathon and Half Marathon

Spectacular Day! Pilgrims were everywhere in this amazing race. The PTC was well represented as participants, volunteer workers, and course supporters for this very worthwhile event. The kids of St. Jude will benefit to the tune of over $3 million after all the proceeds are collected.

The day started with temps in the upper 40s, light clouds, and 60% humidity. By afternoon it had climbed to the mid 60s with mostly sunny skies. Runners seemed to have mixed feelings on how this affected their efforts. Some said it was perfect while others said way too hot. All in all it didn’t seem like there were too many complaints though; least of all from the dynamic duo of Jim Slaba and Alison Hammersla. Both finished the marathon with PRs ( Jim’s was an astonishing 40 min improvement!!) This husband and wife team also had matching 3rd place masters finishes: Jim in 2:56:09 and Alison in 3:23:43.

The rest of the Pilgrims had very respectable efforts. Tim Verner fought off queasiness (possibly from dehydration) to grab the 2nd place grandmaster title. His time of 3:07:39 was his best in several years. Other PRs were nabbed by Tammie Skinner and Alison Sullivan. Tammie ran a 3:34:51. Her perfect pacing netted her 7th in the 35-39 age group, while Alison finished only 5 places back in the same group in 3:39:24. Way to go Boston Qualifiers!!

Michael Barnes and Steve Skinner were two of the Pilgrims not too fond of anything approaching a warm day. Despite this, they both ran excellent races. Michael finished in 3:12:01 (11th in 40-44) and Steve in 3:21:45 ( 8th in 45-49).

Michael Hecht and Ashley Spriggs both gave valiant efforts but ailments got the best of them. Michael gutted out a finish while walking more than 6 miles. Ashley wisely decided another day would be best for her to run again.

In the Half Marathon Jeff Haushalter dominated the masters field yet again. His 1:20:39 was almost 3 mins faster than the next closest competitor in that category. This also beat his Thanksgiving day half ran just 9 days before in Atlanta (1:21:06)!

Rachel Arthur returned to form this year with an age group win of 1:30:26. That was good enough for 7th overall female. Lori Sokoloff placed high among the over-40 runners. Her 1:39:26 got her 3rd in that age group.

They were followed by a couple of our newer Pilgrims, Bruce Keisling and Laura Jaggar, two great additions to the club. Bruce paced a friend while running a 1:36:58. Laura, coached by local expert, Kevin Leathers, was able to set one of many PRs this year with a 1:44:26. This beat her road race series half by over 90 seconds.

If you are familiar with the term “It takes a village…” then you could tell that the Pilgrims really take this to heart. Official race volunteers were all over the place led by Start/Finish line director, Joe Coffelt, who put in countless hours again. Others included Wade Lewis, Danny Greer, Clint Powell, Brenda Walton, Kelley and Chloe Willis and Joel Lyons. Even Sergeant Whitten Ortega was working the streets in an official capacity.

Course supporters are also a vital part of the event. John Geiger and new comer Gary McCraw were most supportive by cheering their friends for many miles right in the race. Also on the scene were Clint Daniels, Curt Arthur, Christine Cordts, Scott Peatross, Michelle Mallory, and Padma Lyons just to name a few. Even Jeff Haushalter’s son, Grant got in on the action. He followed in his dad’s footsteps by winning his age group in the 5K with a 19:14.

A BIG congratulations to all on a job well done!!!

Submitted by: Joel Lyons

13th Annual Tour d’Esprit

13th Annual Tour d’Esprit – Sep 30th thru Oct 1st, 2011 The Pilgrims were out in full force at this year’s 24 hour relay. The event featured an amazing campsite for the team for the first time. Organized by a group led by Jim Slaba, the site had all the amenities one could ask for capped off by a top of the line Recreational Vehicle. Special thanks to Tammie and Steve Skinner for making this happen. The team worked together to prepare for not only the strongest effort possible, but for a really fun time.

Ideal weather made for a carnival-like atmosphere. The two teams fielded by PTC, an all male and an all female team, took advantage of the conditions and pushed themselves to the limit. It was obvious that they weren’t holding anything back. The result was a record performance for both teams for the second year in a row.

The women’s team was comprised of Katie Balthrop, Peggy Butze , Christine Cordts, Maryland Croft ,Vicki Ezell-Rodgers, Jennie Fields, Valerie French, Alison Hammersla Kris Huff , Laura Jaggar, Michele Mallory, Eva Rehkopf, Jennie Vee Silk, Tammie Skinner, Lori Sokoloff ,Ashley Spriggs, Sandra Wahlquist , Brenda Walton, Maria Williams, Padma Lyons, Allison Sullivan, Nanette Farris, Caryn Heintzelman, and Lisa Pollock. They broke the previous record by 5 miles to end up with 184 miles.

The men’s team also set a new men’s record of 230 miles, eclipsing last year’s mark by 8 miles. Team members included Tim Verner, Steve Skinner, Chuck Jones, Whitten Ortega, Vince Perryman, Frank Buscher, Michael Hecht, Jim Slaba, Bradley Cordts, Michael Barnes, Glenn Hudnall, Mark Newman, Ben Knoerschild, Nate Spears, Darrell Croft, Gary Giles, Gary McCraw, Greg Thompson, Will Armstrong, Eric Butze, David Haskins, Joel Lyons, Rook McKinney, and John Owen.

Scott Peatross ran a hard fought 46 miles in the individual competition. Although he hoped for more, it was good enough for second place in his age group. Congratulations Scott.

Final REPORT Canadian Derby Edmonton Marathon – August 21, 2011

EDMONTON, CANADA – We had some partying young people who apparently were locked out of some poor young lady’s room at 3 a.m. After the security people came up, it quieted down. That and the recreation of the Fast and Furious racing the lights on 101st Street also at 3:15 a.m. This was crazy since we were on the 20th floor. After all this we drifted back to sleep for another hour and forty five minutes. I didn’t want to get up. Cookie made one cup of real coffee. I had one power bar and some Gatorade and water. That got me up. I got all geared up and we took off for the race at 6:00 a.m.

We arrived at the race start. This is a relatively small race so there was no problem with using the facilities, etc. In fact, they opened up the horse racing club house, which was awesome. The temperature was 59 degrees. We were getting all the gear ready, double knot shoes, put on body glide, I got in the chute that had the 3:30 time zone area and the crazy old guy with the pink rabbit ears who was to be the pacer was to my far right. They play Oh, Canada. Cookie was giving me thumbs up and soon we were underway.

I tried to adjust my pace, but I didn’t see the small kilometer signs until I spied one at 3K. I was already ahead by quite a bit so I dialed it back. I was running pretty smooth, but let’s face, my shape is suspect. I was running scared. I was talking with these two guys who were chatting about running 3:20 pace at about 10K, and they asked me what I was going for. I told them 3:30. One guy said, “Ah, I think you are going too fast.” I took the smart road, and let them go. I kept hearing John-Boy saying, “You are going too fast.” I went through 1Ok in 46:56. This was 7:33 per mile pace. Much too fast.

Cookie was able to drive around like a maniac and find me at various stops. This was critical because the water and Gatorade stations were not as frequent as I needed. I learned from Joel Lyons to carry water. One effect, however, is my elbow and arm is weirdly sore post race. Cookie met me at 6K, 10K, 16K, 27K, 33K, 39K and 41.5K. All of them were critical. All of these meetings were critical for me.

The half marathon follows part of our course, but they started a little later. However, we meet up with them about 16K. It was a bit of challenge because they are driving and racing and it was throwing off my pacing. I think it cause me to start picking it back up. Even though I had dialed back, I did pick up, and came through in 1:40:46, which now was 7:41 pace. I was ahead of the plan by about 2 minutes. I was trying to do the math in my head because I had figured a fade starting at 30K to 5:13 per kilometer pace. It was starting to get hot. Sunday was the hottest day in weeks here. I got to 84 degrees. Once we were out of the city center, there was not much shade. It also got a bit hilly after we went past the finishing area to handle the last 16K of the race. I was doing fine at that point, and I tried to break it up mentally into two 8Ks – one out and one back.

Christine met me at 27K and gave me water. I was hanging in at sub-5 kilos at this point. I began to fall off at 29K with a 5:04 and then 30 K at 5:06, but I was still on 7:47 overall mile pace and if I could survive the heat and keep moving, I would make it. Christine saw me again at 33K. I told her I was suffering. She gave me some water and one cube of Cliff Block. It helped. With the refreshments, I was able to get to 35K as I went through in 2:51:48. This was now 7:53 overall pace. I sensed I was getting into trouble, but I kept telling myself that with 7.2K left, it was under 5 miles and if I just keep shuffling, I would make it. I actually was brain dead as far as figure pace at this point. I somehow thought I had a lot of time in the bank because the pace bunny never passed me. In fact things were spread out. Lots of people were crashing. There was also a big hill, the only one on the course. It was cruel. I did walk a few seconds at the top. I shook it off and starting slogging along again. Then at 39K I saw Christine who was very animated. She said she did the math, and I would have to do 15:30 or 5:10 per Kilo to the finish so that was for 3.2K or two miles, which is better than 7:15 mile pace with the .2 which figured in as it takes about a minute to cover that part. I wasn’t sure that Christine remembered to give me the 59 second grace period, which is still on for 2012. (Again, the move the time up to 3:25 and no grace period starting in 2013 for 40-49 age group for me. All age groups move up 5 minutes.) My watch did not record my final three splits, but as near as I can extrapolate, I did 5:30, 5:20, 4:40 and a 58 second .2.

Christine was there at about 350 meters to yelling at me to sprint. I sprinted like a maniac. I weaved through the half marathon stragglers and there was a huge finish chute that was deceiving since it just split up the half and marathon. A wild eyed volunteer was waiving me toward the marathon side. Not that I could tell as my eyes were rolled up in my head. I could see the time flipping over to 3:30:40…..There was a slight uphill to the official finish line. All I know is that I looked up at the clock as I crossed, the time still said 3:30:….?

Christine helped me recover, walking me around, and then went back to make sure. She came running out, yelling, “You did it! You did it!” Soon the iPhone was buzzing with Cookie’s emails and texts from confirmation from many Pilgrims who confirmed it was so online.

25 77 2992 Male 40-49 Bradley Cordts Germantown, TN 3:30:57 3:30:49

79 72/369 25/94 Male 40-49 2992 3:30:57 3:30:49 5:00 Bradley Cordts Germantown TN 46:48 1:40:38 2:25:00 2:51:41 3:30:57

My gun time was 3:30:57 and my chip time was 3:30:49. I made it!

Bradley Cordts, a.k.a. Boston B.

38th Annual Overton Park 5 Mile Classic

This year’s event featured several famous track stars to give talks and hand out awards. Australian James Bailey was the first person to run a sub 4 minute mile on American soil. He now lives near Seattle, Washington. Legendary Peter Snell drove in from Dallas. This New Zealander won the gold medal in the 800m 1960 Rome Olympics and 2 additional golds in the 800m and 1500m in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Our now Memphian, Dave Wottle, along with these other two men, was gracious enough to take question from the audience on a special pre-race presentation Friday night at CBU. Of course, Mr. Wottle ran one of the most memorable come from behind 800m races to win the gold in the 1972 Olympics. Paul Sax put together some exciting video clips of these star’s races for all to view before the Q &A portion. It was an amazing night!

Saturday’s runners were treated with a slight variation in the course’s last 2 miles. With a bit more trails and shade most runners seemed to like the changes. Pilgrims Frank Buscher and Ashley Spriggs won the master’s division this year. Ashley, who just recently moved into this category outpaced her closest rival by almost 50 seconds. Frank continued his success in this division while competing with others that are up to 12 years younger than him. John Fields, Scott Peatross, and Joel Lyons were able to place in their respective age groups while Padma Lyons ran a minute and a half faster than last year’s event despite the significant heat and humidity. A memorable event for sure!!

2011 Green Street Mile

Congrats to the Pilgrims on this hot and humid 4th of July day on running the historic Green Street Mile in Tupelo Ms. As you can see the Pilgrims faired well. Ashley Spriggs came home with the Overall Female trophy. Her named will be forever engraved on the coveted Green Street 1st Place trophy. John Geiger still battling issues with his lower back was able to nab second place. Joel Lyons, Tim Verner, and Padma Lyons all placed in their age group. Good Job to all who woke up at the crack of dawn to run in the sleepy town of Tupelo.

Houston Marathon and 1/2 Jan 15, 2012

The men and women Olympic trials marathon are on Jan. 14. The next day is the Houston marathon and half. These sell out quick. You can go online now if you have a qualified time, which they take half or full results and the standards are easy. The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon have a protected cap of 24,000 participants. Of the 24,000-participant field, 13,000 entries are reserved for the marathon and 11,000 for the half marathon. On June 1 is the lotto if you don't have a qualifer. Rooms are going quick also. Embassy Suites or other downtown area hotels can be accessed from website, PTC sign ups are John Geiger, Bradley Cordts, and Scott Peatross for half. And originally from Houston TX, Michelle Mallory is doing the full.Cookie Cordts is coming and may run the half.

Pilgrimage Track Club Mug Mile

The 11th anniversary of the “Run for the Mugs” was met with clear skies and eager competitors. Held at Germantown high school, two heats of runners helped celebrate the first sub 4 minute mile that was run in early May of 1954 by Sir Roger Bannister. With a $1000 bonus offered by John Geiger to anyone accomplishing the same feat at this year’s race, many participants considered their strategies carefully.

The first heat had several highlights including some interesting bookends. First place was Naketa Edney in 6:23. She distanced herself from the nearest competitor by over 40 seconds. Her daughter, little Kayla Edney, brought up the rear in a very respectable 10:42. Pretty impressive considering she is only 8 years old! Other finishers of note were Grandmaster Linda Porterfield in 7:06, which elevated her to 2nd master behind Collen Shallow’s 6:04 (second heat). Likewise, local legend Bud Joyner (71) finished in 7:15 which elevated him to 2nd in the 50+ category.

The second heat was highlighted by the neck and neck race of 15 year old BJ Bradley and 37 year old Hal Roberts. Bradley, a Germantown high schooler, delayed going to his track team’s awards banquet to compete in this competition. From the start of the race he led, but Hal was never far behind. They went through the entire race no less than a second apart. At the end BJ had just enough to outlast Hal and finish one second ahead in 4:54. Other winners were Geiger in the Masters, James Stewart in the Grandmasters, and John Joyner in the Senior Masters categories. The fastest Pilgrim woman and second overall female was Katie Balthrop in 5:53. Top male Pilgrim was Scott Peatross in 5:31.

Special thanks to Steve Wills for his work with the timing systems and all those who helped put on this race. See you next year!! Here's the results of the race.Mug Mile Race Results

Coca Cola 10k

The 30th annual Coca Cola 10k Classic in Corinth, MS, on May 7, 2011, attracted well over 1,100 runners, 300 more than last year. The course featured rolling hills and numerous tight turns. The weather was pleasant with a comfortable temperature and moderate wind speeds. The female winner finished in 36:50, the male winner in 31:00. Eric Butze was the fastest Shelby County resident with 36:16. The legendary Gerald Holbrook won his age group (75-98) with 59:32. Yours truly didn't have a particularly good race with 39:04, but managed to win the 50-54 age group and walk away with $50 in cold hard cash. I consider the award a down payment on the memorial site we should build to mark the spot where Glenn passed Steve in a previous race. Fiscal conservatives will appreciate that the price for gasoline in Corinth was still $3.63/gallon at a time when Memphians were already paying 17 cents more for the stuff. The post-race snacks featured a wide variety, from oranges to gummy bears, but lacked the coffee and donuts so appreciated by certain civil servants.

Reported by Frank Buscher

Killer Kudzu

Big news from tonight was Josh McAdams. He ran a 14:52 to beat Brian Pope's course record of 14:55...but he took a wrong turn near the 2.5 mile mark. It was tied to a course monitor asleep at a corner near the cemetary / big hill and pace car driver asleep at wheel...figuratively, of course...and Josh running to last years temporary course *around* the cemetery vs. thru it.

The race director was yelling at him to turn around, and I was waving at him to go back, but he was wearing headphones and in the zone. He agreed with the race director to retain the overall win but not take the course record. Side note: don't wear headphones during races, do a once over on the course map in advance.

Alison made her return to the road and felt good. Her modest effort - still easing back into things - resulted in 3rd overall female and a $100 check. (The payout was $300-$200-$100 for the top three male and female, which I don't think was highly publicized.)

I took 4th overall and Master's, and was satisfied with my performance given leg conditions (beaten down) and course. Of note, I wore no Garmin or watch - I just ran at a pace at which I felt was reasonable - went old school and came out ok.

The field was surprisingly light. We have run the last few years and expected a big running store group turnout but not this year. My sense is that with the generous prize money, you will see more competition back next year.

Other - Band was good, food plentiful, shirts and awards good (always interesting), road conditions in town poor, drive down not bad.

Reported by Jim Slaba

2011 Boston Marathon Musings from a Maniac

Timing issues: I still love Keith Dowling, the consummate pure track racer, who a few years ago ran Boston sans watch. He was quoted as saying something like, “I think they will get my time.”

BJC – ramblings from a Boston Maniac

The best part about Boston was that it was a real race with no pacers, Just a crazy Ryan Hall blistering out and daring anyone to join him. He might be a little too nice, not the beer-swilling bravado of a Pre, but damn, he runs crazy from the gun. You have to respect it. He also has a cute wife who is world class herself. Nice guys don’t always finish last. Once Hall took this thing out, the Kenyans just hung their hooks into him. Then what made it fantastic is they beat each other’s brains in for the last several miles to get both of them close to 2:03 flat. They made a real race out of it. Mutai is no slouch. He won the Kenyan National Cross Country Championships. It might as well be the world championships.

This year’s race was simply the best conditions I have ever been involved with in 16 years of coming to Boston. It was Goldilocks weather – not too hot, and not too cold. A tail wind was blowing the whole way. I never felt any wind except at my back. I thought 2010 was the best weather and was once in a life-time, but I think 2011 will be the best in two life-times. It saved me from certain death. As I climbed, literally, up heartbreak, I wanted to quit. I knew I couldn’t because we would not have had a full team score, number 1, and number 2, I had to have my 16 year streak in tact to get the easier qualifier (3:30) for early entry next year. This thing will not get easier to get into. The horse has left the barn. Everyone knows now this is the Super Bowl of running, and all penguins, me included, want to be in it. Running relatively slow for me opened my eyes. When I was nearly dead on my feet, people all along the course would yell, Come on, Pilgrimage, you got this thing. When I did start to walk up heart break hill, the vocal support was palpable. I couldn’t walk more than a few steps before someone would yell, no, scream at me to get going, and when you took that first “running” step, man, they let you know how much they appreciated the effort.

Everyone may or may not be aware that former Memphian Doug Murphy now has 17 straight Boston Marathons and according to certain pundits, he and I are first and second in TN history for most consecutive Boston Marathons completed. I think I will have to outlive him to win the title. However, Doug is amazing! He ran sub-3 hours. I tip my hat. I know I have been roundly criticized for my lack of training, and it is deserved. After coming off active duty in 2008, getting the ablation surgery in fall of 2008, and then going through some difficult periods in my civilian work with lots of changes, along with continued responsibilities overseas for the Navy as well as command responsibilities and seeking my JPME I certification, I admit my training has not been respectful of the marathon distance, and I got what I deserved. Luckily the wind and conditions saved me from utter disaster. The amazing thing was I had planned on running 3:30 flat and had a massive plan, which I executed to the T, but I succumbed to lack of training on the hills. Somehow I recovered from the 10 minute mile up heart break and started moving back toward 8 minute pace over the last few miles. The fun for me this year was to go into this thing relying on muscle memory, figuring pace and executing to plan. I missed the auto qualifier by 1:37. I will have to re-load before September 12, 2011, and get a sub-3:30. The time is not that hard, but it is an interesting number – it is exactly 8 minute miles. I just need to run some miles to get down to that pace. If I throw in a little speed work, I should get back to some semblance of form. I am scared now, and that is a big motivator.

Everyone on the team ran fantastic! I was so proud of the group. I am amazed by Brenda Walton, who after all these years stays as consistent as clock work. Ashley got a big PR. Michelle ran awesome. Maria was closing on me! I love it. Jessica ran solid, and now she can stop being nervous as she has figured out this race and the pre-race rituals, etc. D. Croft, another Boston Mad Man is among the team elite. What an effort, and so close the BARRIER. Dr. Croft loves Boston as much as I do! John-Boy rocked a solid effort on sore hamstrings. I am sure I am forgetting someone, but everyone just ran great.

My legs are toast still as I sit at my desk today. As Mick Jaeger said, IT is a drag getting old……but a new commitment and a new goal has fired me up. Sub-3:30 soon or die trying……See you on the Hills of Newton next year…..

Bradley Cordts, a.k.a. Boston B.

PTC Tops all Masters and Grandmasters – 2011 G'Town Half

If you asked anyone in the Memphis area what race had the worse conditions last year; I’d wager 9 out of 10 would say the Germantown Half Marathon. With non-stop winds mixed with rain and temps in the 30s, I can’t remember anyone saying they “enjoyed” their race that day. So when temps were expected to start in the high 50’s or low 60’s for this year’s event, I knew there would be a dramatically different experience for most runner’s.

The Pilgrims took advantage of the better weather. Master blaster Mark Newman geared up for his Spring season by taking top honors in the 40-and-over category in 1:16:13. Michelle Mallory ran a superbly consistent race with practically even splits between the 1st and 2nd halves of her race and claimed the top prize for female masters in 1:31:41. Grandmaster winners were Frank Buscher in 1:22:57 and Brenda Walton in 1:34:18. Age group winners were: John Geiger ( 1st in 45-49) 1:20:47, Lori Sokoloff (1st in 40-44) 1:38:19, and Ashley Spriggs (2nd in 35-39) 1:37:18.

Other strong performances were turned in by Michael Barnes 1:25:46, Tim Verner 1:29:19, Whitten Ortega 1:40:52 (a post-menisectomy PR), Maria Williams 1:41:37 (an all time PR), and Clint Powell 2:00:26.

Padma and I represented the Pilgrims in the Mayor’s Cup 5K with times of 26:49 and 20:39 respectively. We were lucky enough to win our age groups. Also in the race was our newest Pilgrim: 9 year old Nick Verner. His 33:02 nabbed him runner-up in the 9 and under age group. Congratulations Nick!!!!

Reported by Joel Lyons

5 FOR 5 Race Day

Four PTC members took to the streets of Bartlett Saturday morning for the 12th annual St. Valentine’s Day 10k. Four members walked away with brand new Personal Bests (PBs).

Conditions were excellent for racing - light wind, cool temps, and nice sunshine. And, the course seems to favor stronger runners with its varied terrain -- open road out and back, hills and turns thru the neighborhoods, and a railroad overpass within a ½ of the of the finish.

Frank Buscher led the charge for PTC. He was in a tussle with a very competitive Los Locos runner for most of the race, but was able to separate himself by the finish. Frank came in with a time of 36:44 (2nd Overall and 1st Master). Michael Barnes followed three spots back for 5th overall and got to watch Frank’s race unfold. He finished in 37:48.

Following one spot behind Michael and a bit too close for comfort (for Michael), was Jim Slaba. Jim finished 6th overall with a time of 37:59. Jim kept Michael within 100 meters the whole way but was not able to make up any ground. Michael was a great pace setter for Jim keeping a steady 6:05-ish pace. It was only Jim's 3rd 10k road race, and he PR'd by 1:21.

On the women’s side, Ashley Spriggs’ not only produced a new PB, but also a PBPB (Post Baby Personal Best). She was 3rd overall female 43:19.

Frank B. also got to race alongside his authentic sweetheart in the "Sweetheart" Couples competition. Of course, they won their age group in that too.

The 5th PB was by none other than Katie Balthrop. She did it in the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham on Sunday morning. Although it was only her first attempt at the distance, her debut was worth noting: an amazing 3:26!! Good for third in her age group. Congratulations Katie!!

2011 Mike Cody 4 Mile Classic

February 5th brought on the latest installment of this midtown competition at Rhodes College. This one; however, was destined to be different. This time Josh McAdams was in the race. He set out to break the long standing course record of Paul Hume. What he didn’t count on was the temps being in the upper 20’s and a wind chill in the teens.

When the race started it became instantly apparent that Josh was going to have a different race than Paul had a decade ago. Paul fought a neck and neck battle with our very own Mark Newman. Josh, on the other hand, left the field behind in about 10 steps. He was going to have to do it all by himself. After the second turn at the half mile mark it was already difficult for the field to see Josh. After completing two loops around the campus Josh came to the track with 500 meters to go. Seeing the finish line clock with 400m left Josh had only 68 seconds to get around the track and break the record. Despite facing a stiff wind in the backstretch, Josh pushed through that last quarter mile in 66 seconds. He had 2 seconds to spare and a new record finishing in 19:24. An amazing 4:51 per mile!!

Several Pilgrims also braved the elements to participate in this fundraiser for the college’s cross country and track teams. In the women’s race Brenda Walton and Ashley Spriggs finished number one and two overall, in 27:03 and 27:38 respectively. Brenda remains the women’s course record holder for this race.

Leading all Pilgrims was Frank Buscher. He finished 7th overall and first in his age group in a very respectable 23:55. Clint Daniels won the 45-49 age group in 24:15. Two places back was Michael Barnes in 24:23, good for 3rd in the 40-44 age group. Glenn Hudnall finished in 25:52 and second in the 50-54 age group.

As an alumni of Rhodes and former track and cross country member, I was more than happy to support my alma mater while trudging through a 27:37. Come out next year and enjoy the scenic course and hospitality that Coach Robert Shankman provides in honoring one of our sport’s humblest ambassadors, Michael Cody.

Joel Lyons Class of ‘85

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USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. All Pilgrimage Track Club members need to be signed up each year as members of the USA Track Field (USATF). The PTC is an official USTAF club thanks to Bradley Cordts, but each individual needs to sign up or renew their membership. Especially for those individuals that are running the 2011 Boston Marathon. Technically, if each person isn't signed up, they could disqualify our team from any of the team results. To sign up go to www.USATF.org Click on the tab that says "product/services", go to "individual memberships". If it's your first time fill-out the information that it asks for. Our Club Membership number is 159.