Finally!

Finally, someone may be getting around to giving us the flying cars we were promised since the early 60's!  I can't wait for the inevitable traffic delays caused by idiots trying to "drive" these and messing up both the Interstate System and Air Traffic Control.  All it will take is one idiot to mess up the entire country.  I hope to be an early idiot adopter of the technology.

But no matter what, these vehicles will be better than the upcoming crop of cars we will be forced to deal with when the Green Agenda is full bore.

And in Triathlon News, Chris Foster won the San Diego Triathlon this past week.

Consuella Moore: National Champion and A Few (More) Good Men (and Women)

In no particular order:

• Ryan Fritz, 6th High Jump, 7' 2 1/2"
• Fawn Dorr, 3rd 400 M Hurdles,  55.99
• Blake Eaton, 16th Shot Put, 51' 11 1/4"
• Bridget Franek, 5th 3000 M SC, 10:07.49

And former PSU star Consuella Moore, National Champion, 200 M, 22.40.  She came back after a two-year hiatus!


It was a very good year for PSU Track and Field.  Get involved and help make the future even more exciting.  Operators are standing by. And remember, the golf part is entirely optional!

Addendum:  Kate Curran '06, current Head Coach of St. Lawrence University, has alerted me that I missed Shakeema Welsch's ('99) second place finish in the Triple Jump.  Blog fact checkers responsible for the slight have been sacked. 

Evonne Britton: National Junior Champion 400 M Hurdles

Evonne Britton one-upped her second place finish in the 100 M Hurdles at the USATF Junior Championships with a winning effort in the 400 M Hurdles.  She has qualified for the USA for the World Junior Championships upcoming in glorious Canada!  (You know, Canada, the country that's sort of like our attic.  You forget its up there, but when you finally remember, you find all kinds of great stuff up there.)

Karlee McQuillen also finished eighth in the Javelin. Megan Duncan finished 20th in the 400 M Hurdles, while Fawn Dorr, now representing Brooks, qualified for the finals of the 400 M Hurdles with the second fastest time.  Also qualifying was Shana Cox, former Lady Lion, giving Dear Old State two lanes in the finals.  Honorary PSU Track alumni Golfer Rebecca Donaghue placed 7th in the 5000M.  Brooklynne Ridder placed third in the  Jr.5000 M, just missing a place on the US Squad for Canada.

Casimir Loxsom: National Junior 800 M Champion

Casimir Loxsom outlasted this year's other 800 meter phenom Robby Andrews at the USATF Junior Championships in Des Moines, Iowa today to become the US National Junior 800 M champion.  Both will head to Canada for the world Junior Track Championships.  Casimir's time of 1:47.45 edged Andrews time of 1:47.75.

Bridget Franek also easily advanced to the Sr. Steeple finals.  Shana Cox advanced in the 400 M, while James Carney placed 8th in the 10,000 M finals. Nicole Lord also placed third in the Junior 3000 M steeplechase.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good is the USATF Championships (and Junior Championships) with some strong representation from current and former PSU athletes.  I'll keep my antennae up and try to bring you any significant performances.





The Bad is all the trouble Al Gore is in with women in the past few months.  Divorce and now scandal were never in anyone's thoughts about the former marathon runner turned Oscar winner and Nobel Prize recipient.

The Ugly is all the oil washing up on the Beaches of the Gulf.  I don't like the sand, the ocean, the sun or the crowds, but spend a week each year "down the shore" in New Jersey.  I wouldn't like seeing that stuff on the beach from my boardwalk table as I ate french fries and read the paper!

Is String Theory Failing?

Are the 11 dimensions of M-Theory the last word in uniting Quantum Mechanics and the Theory of Relativity?  Is String Theory a waste of time?  Is an untestable hypothesis worthy of pursuit?  Is it OK to wear your running shorts a second time before washing them?

Younger physicists are wondering whether their life's work will have any relevance at all in the understanding of our universe.  I wonder that every day.  Twenty-four years in Podiatry have led me no closer to understanding anything of significance.  Except that Medicare is a Big Black Hole.  (Black Hole is used in the Physics sense here and should not be confused with racism in any way.)

Without Hair: Running With the Knobs

It's been 13 years since I actually trained for a race, a fact I can remember quite easily as that is how old my oldest daughter is. (sic)  I was talked into training for the Disney World Marathon at a time when it was merely a ridiculously crowded race, not THE ridiculously crowded race it has become. Now, anyone who's anyone in the non-running world ends up at Disney each year to partake in the Run for the Park Pass.

I actually took training seriously for the first time since college, even taking PED's (not really, just Creatine, Siberian Ginseng and Echinacea, eventually dooming my chances for success.)  Two-a-days, tempo runs and even the occasional long run led to a fitness peak unrivaled since my Nittany Lion days. All was rosy as I headed out for a Fall vacation week in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

My wife, Barb and I took turns pushing the new-fangled, top-of-the-line baby jogger complete with Martha, our barely 5 or 6 pound 6 month-old progeny. The week went well and I even took a twenty mile run through every single neighborhood in the city.  There is no better way to see a city than by taking a long run through it.  The end of the week came and it was time for a few brisk half-mile repeats.  What better way to do repeats than by pushing an underweight 6 month-old around the Citadel during their cross-country practice in a baby jogger meant for a 15-pounder!

Just one repeat into the work-out, a tiny whine emerged from our otherwise fairly quiet baby.  It went away as soon as I started the recovery portion, but resumed again during the second repeat, this time a little more audible.  With my expansive parenting skills (none, still) and post-graduate degree aided intellect (hah!), I figured it must be gas, isn't that what they always tell us?  Alas, it went away again during the second recovery run, so all was well again as I weaved in and out of the "Knobs" also doing repeats of some variety in the Park outside of their Castle. 

The third repeat brought out a whine that now was noticed by others around me, causing some to ask "Is she all right?"   I assured the throngs of hairless cross-country runners that I had the situation under control, as again the recovery portion had silenced the little one in her canvas sling.  "Just one more to do anyway", I thought, what could go wrong?  Milliseconds after beginning the fourth repeat, the whine now caused dogs in the neighborhood to glance up, the "Knobs" to pause their work-out, and me to slink off in hopes the police would not come.

Taking solace in the return of silence from what now seemed like an alien who had replaced my baby in the three-wheeled contraption, I picked her up to finally console her.  What I encountered finally lit the light bulb above my head as to the problem all along.  For those of you ever in the baby-jogger situation in the future, secure your wee one's head in the device before attempting any vigorous runs.  I had rubbed the hair off the back of her head, a mistake in proper parenting that took many months to forget.  Martha had become the youngest female Knob in the citadel's history.

I slunk off in shame.

In my defense, I am now a better parent than these two!        One  and  Two.

Coach Groves Politically Correct? Who Could Have Known?

Coach Groves' famous quote, "Between whale sh*t and the bottom of the ocean...", about the effectiveness and application of Title IX was originally thought to be one of the most politically UN-correct statements of all time.  After years of deliberation and This Revelation, it may turn out that he was politically correct all-along.  Who could have known?

It turns out that whales only eliminate at the surface prior to deep dives to feed.  The "result" actually significantly combats global warming.  I wonder if Coach took that into consideration all along?  Instead of buying carbon credits from Al Gore, we could buy poop credits from Moby Dick.

"We're Going Streaking!"

Today finishes three years for my "Streak" of at least one continuous mile every day (12:00AM to 12:00AM) since returning from my latest knee surgery.  Such "accomplishments" are totally arbitrary, counter-productive and quite stupid, to say the least.  And yet I take great pleasure in reporting my idiocy anyway!  I can't run fast, I can't run far, but I CAN run a (pitiful) amount every day, (2.9 miles/day running and 2.9 miles/day on the elliptical in addition.)   Tomorrow, I'll think about starting the 4th year.

Some of the best parties our Old School track team ever had were held at John Ziegler's Apartment right across from Old Main.  It took me quite a while, but I finally found some old tape of one of those parties and converted it into digital goodness.  Here's John dressed up with a snazzy green hat, and Kelly O'Brien exhorting the crowd to join him for a late night run!  Ah, for those carefree days again.

A Visit to the Attic

A lot of junk has accumulated lately, so I stashed it all in the attic. It's about time we go up there and check it out.

I'm glad our money is in good hands in Washington DC!  I wouldn't want any of it wasted on things like bringing in a Hot Dog Chef who doesn't even bring his own ingredients, just sends a list for someone else to go to the Supermarket for him.

But at least eating hot dogs doesn't mean eating "lips and a$$holes" like Dan Akyroyd told us in The Great Outdoors.

Life in the Gaza Strip is terrible indeed, but these women find some normality by running a track meet amidst the violence and hardships.

Some say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it may in fact be his nose!  Try driving by this without a hankering for animal flesh!  And wouldn't your home be improved by this! ( to sign up for the waiting list for the scented candle.)

And life isn't complete without a video to boost your day, so here's one wondering what the next Spill will be like!

Bridget Franek / NCAA Champion: Women Place 4th!

Bridget Franek went out with a bang in her final PSU performance, winning the 3000 M Steeplechase with a time of 9:38.86.  Karlee McQuillen placed third in the Javelin, garnering another All-American berth, and placing PSU into 5th place with several events remaining.

Addendum:  With the Women's 4 X 400 4th place finish, the Women's Team finish in 4th Place earning a trophy that  2010 Most Valuable Woman Golfer  Jess Riden apparently must haul back to State College! 
The Men place 23rd overall.

Two More All-Americans

Ryan Fritz and Fawn Dorr capped their PSU careers with 4th place finishes at the NCAA Championships. both earning All-American status.  Ryan cleared 7' 2.5"  in his final Nittany Lion effort.  Fawn blazed a 56.75 in the 400 Hurdles for her highest place ever at "The Big Meet".  Huzzahs for both!

Tyler McCandless / All-American

With his 12th place finish in the NCAA 10,000 M Thursday night, Tyler McCandless becomes the first PSU 10K All-American since Mark Wimmer.  Congrats to Tyler for his accomplishments this season.  His 29:22 time was just slightly off his PR despite the rain and wind of the Pacific Northwest.

Thank You Everyone for Our Record Contribution for the Future

Keeper of the Cup Harry Smith has officially sent the largest yet contribution from Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golfers to the Varsity "S" Club's Mike Milliron at the Bryce Jordan Center.  Coach Sullivan requested that the entire amount be designated to the Coach Harry Groves Endowed Scholarship this year.  With the funds raised and matching corporate funds, $4300 was applied to the Scholarship.  Everyone involved deserves thanks, but Harry Smith and Clark Haley deserve accolades far in excess of everyone else.  I too, will continue to pursue even bigger things in the future.

"PSU is 800 U" and More "Smartiness"

Prelims of some events start today at the NCAA Championships in Hayward Field in Oregon.  PSU's Casimir Loxsom and Ryan Foster lace them up in the 800 M, among others.  Good luck all!

When asked  ‘Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer.’ on a college Physics exam, one student answered "tie a long string to the barometer,then lower it to the ground.  The height of the building is the length of the rope plus the length of the barometer."

This answer garnered a failing grade, but the student appealed and was awarded 6 minutes to defend his answer in front of a panel of professors, seeing as the answer showed no particular grasp of any physics knowledge.  The student showed and sat for 5 minutes in front of the panel, saying nothing and looking at his watch.  After 5 minutes, he stood up and said:

‘OK, drop it from the roof and measure the time it takes to hit the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared.

‘Or, if the sun is out, measure the height of the barometer and the length of its shadow, then work out the height of the building from the length of the skyscraper's shadow.

‘You could also tie a string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T =2 pi sqr root (l /g).

‘However, if you lacked imagination, you could, of course, use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building.’

The student was Neils Bohr, Nobel Physicist.  Never underestimate the intelligence of those you encounter.

Everything "Old" is New Again!

There was plenty of new attendees at the Ninth Annual Golf Tournament and Reunion.  Dave Zeiters came all the way from Florida to match his ball-striking skills with the rest of us hackers, and related some interesting details concerning his life following his Nittany Lion days.  Dave is a System Engineer in Florida, where he coaches hurdles at Holy Trinity High School in Melbourne.  Sorry about the "old" thing, Dave.

Dave was ranked #6 in the US for Masters Track Athletes in 2009 for the 110 M High Hurdles and was the Florida Champion with a time of 16.63!  That's Dave in 1985 at The Penn Relays and practicing in March 2010.

I can't imagine making it over 1 hurdle at my age, let alone a series of them in a race.  With his all-time best of 14.26, Dave is still competing at 86% of his capacity, a remarkable feat indeed.  I'll stick to my 50%, thank you very much.

PSU Track Alumni Golfers to Help Kevin Dare Fund

The push is on to recruit 2 or 3 foursomes for the September 20, 2010 Fifth Annual Kevin Dare Memorial Golf Tournament.  Anyone interested in golfing or donating to the group's effort can help by filling out the Form and letting us know.

How to Enter the 2011 Wrist Band/Web Site Contest

This year's prize was the awesome Golden Golf Ball won by Jeff Sanden.  Next year's prize will be even more awesome!

You can enter the contest in a number of ways:

1. Send a photo from anywhere in the world showing something interesting with the wrist band visible (see the slideshow on the left sidebar for ideas.) We've had photos included from all around the world, and right next door too!
2. Make our site your Home Page on the web.
3. Become a Follower of the blog (on the right sidebar).
4. Send a photo of your dog for inclusion on our slideshow (on the right sidebar).

It's as easy as that!  But remember, you must be present to win.  So set aside next year's Reunion weekend now.  The celebration will be epic for our 10th year.

The Meaning of Life? And Other Mundane Things

With all the Track and Field and Golf getting in the way of Physics stuff lately, I have let quite a bit pile up.  Let's see if I can remedy that with an All-Physics Post just to catch back up.  The long delay has seen Physicists discover the fundamental mystery of matter, additional revelations on time travel and possibly The Meaning of Life.  Lowly neuro-anatomists may also have unlocked the secret to Einstein's brain, although none of this explains his mismatched socks.  ( The Meaning of Life may just boil down to one thin mint anyway.)

We'll start with the concept that  measurements performed in the future may influence the present.  It's way too much for me to comprehend but Discover Magazine tries to explain it to me anyway.

Next we jump to CERN where we discover neutrinos morphing into another type of neutrino, (Warning for some: This is a Fox News Link) explaining something or another about the very nature of matter.  Ho hum Hadron Collider, because next we have the Tevatron possibly explaining the very existence of matter in the first place!  (Thanks to Official Physicist Brian Boyer for the link.)

The possible explanation of matter leads invariably to The Meaning of Life in my mind.  But my mind is no where nearly as complex as Einstein's was. Though he had no more neurons than you and I, give or take a few, he did have way more glial cells than the rest of us.  Could this be the secret to "Genius"?  I can't help but think that the chemical communications between glial cells in the brain can't possibly be helped by my morning Mountain Dews.  What the heck did Einstein drink in the morning?

For those keeping score (and I know you're out there!) that's one Radical right wing link and three straight-down-the-middle, politically correct links. 

Here's an important update on the Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

Separation of Church and Track! Is the Supreme Court Needed?

Moses himself sprints out to a lead in the Bolder Boulder Race in Colorado this weekend, before succumbing to the inevitable domination from the African hordes, specifically Ethiopia, (where the Ark of the Covenant may yet reside!).  PSU alum James Carney placed 7th in the race. Is Moses a Minimalist in sandals?

Greg Fredericks 11" X 17" Photos

At the Friday Night Reunion prior to the Harry Groves Golf Tourney, Greg Fredericks was honored for his contributions to PSU Track (and his tireless efforts for our group!).  Those contributing $20 to our web site and future activities received a signed photo from Greg of either his 1968 IC4A XC victory as a FRESHMEN or at the start of the 1980 Olympic Trials 10000 M race in which he was second to Craig Virgin.  These are just low resolution portions of both photos (which are trademarked by Walt Chadwick at runmoremiles.com).

We hope to obtain more great vintage photos for next year, with mid-1980's Penn Relays as a possibility, as Walt extends his digitized world.  Anyone wishing a copy of the great 11" X 17" photos (which Greg may even sign for you when you come to our Reunion next year!) can obtain one from Walt's website for $12.95 with $3 for shipping.  There are many additional great photos of yesteryear's stars, like John Walker, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit and Steve Prefontaine.  Cards, notepads etc. are also available for you obsessed running buffs out there!