Sports, Ink

Running notebook: Once around the track

A few quick notes of interest:

* The Buffalo Marathon appears to be headed for a record year. Registrations are at an all-time high by a substantial margin; the free t-shirt for those who register early apparently worked as an incentive.

* The Western New York Running Hall of Fame has already started to think about 2012. The second class will go in this year at the 5-kilometer run at the start of Labor Day weekend.

Therefore, it's not to early to think about nominations. You can go to the website here and nominate someone who you think is deserving. Two reminders about the process -- if a person was nominated last year, he or she stays on the active list; and more information about a particular runner only helps the committee to consider that person fully. There are biographies of the first 10 inductees on the site that can be used as a model.

* According to the buffalorunners.com schedule, it's a light weekend. The only race is the Mr. Ed's Superbowl warm-up in Middleport. Starting time is 11 a.m. Sunday, call 585-798-3283. This is my annual drive to Middleport.

Sunday's running column is about the Mr. Ed's race. It was a fun story to write, and you might learn a couple of things about the event along the way.

--- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: Coming close

Vacation time is about over in running circles. It's time to get back to work.

I ran in my first "guess your time" race last week in Delaware Park. I had no idea what conditions would be like when I sent in my registration form a couple of weeks in advance,
which made it difficult.

Saturday came up pleasant if cold, and the Ring Road was nicely plowed for the most part. I finished 6.6 seconds faster from my prediction, and I was happy about that. Still, I only finished eighth overall. Some people really do have clocks in their head.

Last week the running column had some statistics, courtesy of Fritz Van Leaven. Here are 2011's biggest races in terms of registered finishers:

Race - Finishers 

Turkey Trot - 11,880

Around the Bay (Hamilton) - 5,878

Shamrock Run - 3,572

Buffalo Half Marathon - 2,553

Niagara Falls International Half Marathon - 2,208

Flower City Half Marathon (Rochester) - 1,862

It's a Wonderful Run (Seneca Falls) - 1,820

Rochester Half Marathon - 1,657

Johnny's Runnin' of the Green (Rochester?) - 1,655

JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge - 1,508

The race calendar comes from buffalorunners.com, as usual. It looks like February and March have gotten less crowded than in previous years. Something to keep an eye on.

On Sunday, the annual Penguin Run will be held 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Amherst at 11 a.m. Call 549-6307 x201. It's one of the best buffets of the year from a race.

--- Budd Bailey

Olympic Marathon trials: What was it like?

Serena Kessler, a 1990 graduate of Clarence High School, took part in the U.S. Olympic marathon trial in Houston on Jan. 14. It's quite impressive for the chance to line up with America's best runners with three trips to London at stake.

She wrote down some of her observations about the experience, and generously offered to have them published here. We thank her for that and wish her well:

The Starting Line:  Humility and Pride

I swelled with pride and humility as I stood on the starting line of the 2012 Olympic marathon trials, listening to Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first women’s Olympic marathon in 1984, offer words of encouragement to the 191 women, ages 22-50, about to embark on the next 26.2 miles of a journey to discover what we are capable of as runners and as women. I was proud of the work I had done to land myself a spot among such an elite group of marathoners, and incredibly humble thinking about what the top tier athletes standing at the front of the pack – who would be running close to a minute faster per mile than I was – had done to make themselves contenders in the strongest field of American women marathoners ever assembled.

Mile 8:  Cooperation and Competition

At mile eight, I found myself comfortably ensconced in a pack of about 30 women running 6:15-6:20 pace – the pace we had needed to run to qualify for the event. We were a happy, solid pack, secure in the knowledge that we had no chance to qualify for London, but nevertheless pushing ourselves to do what we knew we were capable of and to enjoy the positive energy of the day. At one point a spectator yelled out for us “break up the pack” and “compete,” to which one of our pack responded, “we love our pack.” What the spectator didn’t understand – but what the athletes who will represent us in London do, as we found out when they discussed their race at the awards lunch – is that cooperation and competition can co-exist. Sure, each one of us wanted to finish ahead of all the others, but we also knew that running as a group would make us all run better and that running our best would require both cooperation and competition.

Mile 18:  Suffering and Elation

Just before mile 18, the race started to get hard. Glycogen stores were breaking down and I was beginning to suffer. Then, as our pack approached the final 8 mile-loop of our course, the lead motorcycle whizzed by us, with Meb Keflezighi who had just taken a convincing lead over Ryan Hall close behind. At mile 26 for him (the men started 15 minutes ahead of us and ran the same looped course) and mile 18 for us, we cheered along with the crowds as Meb cruised by us and headed into his final 400 meters. The crowds were wild and the energy propelled us forward, with the joy of being in that moment making the physical pain barely noticeable. 

Mile 20:  Alone and Together

By mile 20, our group started to break up. We were all suffering to varying degrees, and though we were still together in small clusters, each was alone in her pain. At this point, we were each relying on the grit that got us to the starting line in the first place to get us to the finish. I got passed by a few people in those final miles, and passed an equal number myself, and I felt a comforting solidarity, despite knowing that the only way to get to the finish line was through my own power.

The Final Paradox:  There is no finish line

While I had been on pace at 20 miles to run 2:44, my final 10K was not blistering. I fell off pace considerably, but did not completely fall apart. I finished in 2:47:44, my second fastest of the 10 marathons I’ve run in the last 15 years. I’m looking forward to a nice long rest, celebrating my 40^th birthday, and then competing once again. The final paradox is that while I’m satisfied with my performance on Saturday and thrilled that I was part of such an amazing event, I know that I have a faster marathon in me. 40-year-old Sheri Piers ran 2:37:09 on Saturday, and 50-year-old Linda Somers Smith ran 2:37:36. They are proof that age is not our enemy, and inspiration to continue this fantastic journey.

--- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: Off the calendar

   Before getting to the last racing weekend of the year, there are a couple of notes to pass along about events coming to an end.

   First, the Dash for the Dome, a race that has taken place over the last few years at the Botanical Gardens, won't be run in 2012. The facility is moving to other projects. I'll miss the warmth of the gardens after a chilly run.

   John Beishline reports that he's discontinuing his annual race directors' meeting. He says he's still available for consulting if new race directors want to chat. There goes my one speech per year ...

   Here's the weekend schedule, courtesy of buffalorunners.com

   * Caroler 5K, 206 Main St. in East Aurora, 12 noon on Saturday, 830-6713. The first 300 runners get a shirt and a Santa hat, which is novel.

   * Freezer 5K, 30 Mississippi St. in Buffalo, 11 a.m. Sunday. This race took no time at all to be popular. Let's hope the breeze stays on the lake on Sunday.

   Many runners took part in the It's a Wonderful Run in Seneca Falls last weekend. If you'd like a personal story about the event, you can read it on my personal blog by clicking here.

   We'll be back with running news in 2012. Happy holidays.

--- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: What's in the bag?

   Fritz Van Leaven, the race director of the Lindsay's Legacy Run, is known for his love of statistics. Here's a research project for him:

   How many races hand out T-shirts as premiums?

   It comes to mind every time I look in my closet, thanks to a year in which I've set a personal best for number of races. And it came to mind on Saturday in the Reindeer Run at Medaille College.

   The Reindeer Run has been giving out a nice windbreaker for several years, which is a unique gift for runners. I would estimate that two-thirds to three-quarters of events hand out some sort of T-shirt, either long-sleeve or short-sleeve, and that may be low. Since most people don't run in 45 events, the shirt is a fine keepsake for many participants.

   The schedule is winding down a bit; here's a look at the weekend from buffalorunners.com:

   * Kawelle Ugly Sweater Fun Run, 5K, Glen Ave. in Williamsville, 9 a.m. Saturay, 803-4551. This is just a fun run, with no times. However, runners are urged to show off an ugly sweater at the race. Sounds like fun.

   * Snowball Run, 5K, 4110 Bailey Ave. in Amherst, 12 noon Saturday, 440-7507. Has there ever been an event that has had two runnings in the same calendar year? This one got postponed until January last year, not that it helped much … runners took off through a few inches of snow that Saturday morning.

    One other race of interest … several local runners head down the Thruway this weekend for the "It's a Wonderful Run" in Seneca Falls, which goes off Saturday at 4:40 p.m. The town was part of the inspiration for the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," and the race starts from a bridge that looks just like the one in the movie. The race goes down Main St. at the end, so last year I got to say hello to the beautiful Bailey Building and Loan (renamed for the weekend) ... feeling like Jimmy Stewart along the way. It's part of a weekend festival that's quite charming.

--- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: New on the calendar

    Get ready for another half-marathon in the Buffalo area. The Rapid Running Buffalo Half Marathon will be held on June 30, 2012.

   The plan is to start the race at 7 a.m., and finish at the 50-yard line of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bands are planned for every other mile of the course as well as in the finish area.

   For those who think 13.1 miles is a little too long, a 5-kilometer race is slated to start at 7:15 a.m.; it will be interested to see how many runners will get up that early for a 5K event.

   The full pricing of the race has not been set, but starting rates are $75 for the half-marathon and $25 for the 5K. A Health and Fitness Expo will be held on June 28 & 29 at the Bills' Healthy Zone Field House.

   One other note: I received my first "robo-call" for a race the other day. It was a recording over the phone urging me to sign up for the Snowball Run on December 10. It's an interesting concept, although I've been trained by elections to believe that the only voices on such calls belong to Chuck Schumer or Rudy Giuliani.

   For those who suffered through a weekend without a race in the area last week, there are a few options coming up. The list is courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

   * Reindeer Run 5K, Medaille College in Buffalo, 10 a.m. Saturday, 880-2130. Looks like we won't have the traditional ice in Forest Lawn on Saturday morning, thanks to some temperatures above freezing. And the windshirts are a great premium.

   * Holly Jolly 5K, 4050 N. Buffalo St. in Orchard Park, 12 noon Saturday, 830-6713.

   * BuffaloRunners 10K, Chestnut Ridge Park Casino in Orchard Park, 9 a.m. Sunday, 649-1530. This is designed to show support for the website, buffalorunners.com. There are no awards, but runners will be timed. Competitors are invited to bring food and drink.

 --- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: Good day for a trot

By Buffalo's Thanksgiving standards, the YMCA Turkey Trot in Buffalo run was staged under almost ideal conditions. A couple of past champions took advantage of temperatures in the 40s to add to their trophy collection.

Dennis Pollow Jr. of Ransomville and Maura Frauenhofer of Hamburg were the winners in the 116th annual event, which attracted a record attendance figure of more than 13,000 runners.

Pollow won his fourth straight event, which hasn't been accomplished by a men's runner since Mark Finucane, a member of the Western New York Running Hall of Fame, swept the races from 1980 to 1983 (records before 1980 are unavailable). The current overall modern record for consecutive victories was set by Vicki Mitchell, who won five in a row from 1996 to 2000. Mitchell won eight Trots overall.

Pollow finished in 24 minutes and 42 seconds, good for a 28-second win over Aaron Lancel of Lander, Pa. Ben Snodgrass of Buffalo was third in 25:21.

On the women's side, Frauenhofer also won this event in 2009. Her time was 29:11, 16 seconds faster than her 29:27 of '09. Frauenhofer finished 10 seconds ahead of Jackie Rzepecki of Rochester, Mich., herself a three-time winner. Katie Niblock of East Amherst was third, also in 29:21.

The event was the last in The News' Runner of the Year series, but the championships had been determined before the race started. Dan Giza and Allison Carr both successfully defended their titles.

--- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: One big race

It's a rather light weekend for racing, if you don't count Thursday morning.

But Thursday morning certainly counts. The Turkey Trot gets underway on Delaware Ave., and goes to the Buffalo Convention Center. More than 13,000 runners will be there. Can't wait to see how long it takes everyone to get over the starting line.

I received a nice note from Neil Farrell that should be passed along to everyone at the race:

As you may know, for the last ten years the South Buffalo Athletic Club has been a fixture at the Delaware Park overpass encouraging the Turkey Troy runners with our welcoming sign and music. The music standards have been the "Notre Dame Victory March" along with a couple of classics from South Buffalo's favorite son, Willie Schoellkopf.  This year in honor of South Buffalonian-at-heart Willie Nile's generous concert for the Food Bank of Western NY this past Friday we will also be including his rocker, "Run Run Run".

Don't forget to wave to us on the overpass and have a great Thanksgiving!

 

Meanwhile, there is one other race, according to buffalorunners.com:

* Amy King 5K, 9 West Summit St. in Lakewood, 11 a.m. Saturday, 763-0303.

See everyone at the finish line Thursday morning ... eventually.

-- Budd Bailey

Running notebook: New champ

Care to guess what the most popular 5K race in Western New York this year was?

We have a new champion. The Lindsay's Legacy Run took over that title on Saturday, with more than 1,200 runners. What was striking about the race was the number of participants from the "Girls on the Run" program, which tries to mentor girls into the spot. It obviously has taken off. I did a story on the group when it was first starting up, but that may deserve a follow-up sometime soon.

The Turkey Trot filled up its registration quota a couple of days early, despite increasing the number by a few hundred. Looks like I'd better go get in line now in order to start running when the gun goes off. (Kidding. Just kidding.)

Here's the weekend's schedule, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Martime March 5K, 3 Porter Ave. in Buffalo, Saturday at 11 a.m., 574-4101. I've never done this race before, but running along the waterfront at this time of year is always an adventure.

Didn't take long to type those races up.

-- Budd Bailey

Running Notebook: Lingering fall

Was there anyone complaining about the weather earlier this week? I didn't think so. Felt great to run in a t-shirt and gym shorts in November in Buffalo, although my apparel was a little different this morning.

Earlier I wrote that Tonawanda native Paul Gesl was planning to run in the New York City marathon, after some unusual training in Afghanistan. Paul did just fine, thank you. He finished in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 20 seconds, a personal record. Nice going, Captain. Paul and his wife are stationed in Valdosta Georgia.

This looks like about the last relatively busy racing weekend of the year. Here's the schedule, from buffalorunners.com:

* Cancer Warrior 5K, 12861 Route 438 in Irving, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, 532-8450.

* Lindsay's Legacy Run, 5K, Clinton Park in Tonawanda, 11 a.m. Saturday, 695-7406. The race's website has a list (with times) of the 20 people who have done every one of this race's stagings, and I'm on the list. When I look at it, I can see myself get older and slower. Ouch. Fine race -- nice course, excellent premium, more food than even runners can eat.

* SBAC/Potter's Field XC Challenge, 2.44 miles, Cazenovia Park in Buffalo, 2 p.m. Saturday, 652-9921.

* Thanks Running 5K, Lakeview Cemetery in Jamestown, 9 a.m. Sunday, 969-8520.

--- Budd Bailey