Old School Meets New School

Nothing at all to do with Running or Track, but many of us from the late 70's at PSU remember this craze at midnight every weekend for months on end.  Performed by a cast even the modern day student athlete can relate to!  With Physics thrown in for a tangential aside as the performers are also from The Big Bang Theory.

Meatloaf.  Again!!!

The Truth As I Know It* Another Rant Only a Few Will Read

Concerning "minimalism", "barefoot" and "running systems" you pay for:

1. Today's Minimalist Shoes are nothing more than the running shoes all of us wore in the 70's and 80's (and I know the apostrophes are wrong!).
2. Barefoot Running will not prevent injuries.
3. Minimalist Shoes will not prevent injuries.
4. Barefoot and Minimalist Shoes lead to a differing set of injuries than "bulky, high-heeled trainers".
5. The injuries attained with barefoot and minimalist running shoes are often more debilitating than the ones attained with "bulky, high-heeled trainers".
6. Puncture wounds and foreign bodies are much more common with barefoot runners than those who are shod. (But, infections with puncture wounds through "sneakers" are often worse.)
7. I adhere to a wise elderly podiatrist's advice, who once told me, "A little heel height never hurt anyone."
8. No one should ever run barefoot on a golf course.  The chemicals and fertilizers used are some of the worst things you could be in skin contact with.
9. No one is a "midfoot striker" unless they have severe foot deformity.  A "midfoot striker" is nothing more than an equal "heel/forefoot striker".
10. Most differences in heel vs. forefoot striking is due to heredity. The rest is mostly due to terrain and running speed.  Being concerned with heel vs. forefoot striking is mostly a waste of time.  Train faster to run faster.  It doesn't matter where you are landing on your feet when you are pulling ahead of your competitor.
11. Paying money for Running Systems and trying to change your natural running technique is mostly a waste of time and money.  Since Time is Money, you could better spend your money at our Group Store!

* 27 years of Podiatry with Certification in Surgical and Non-Surgical Podiatric Medicine,  and 37 years of running and observing runners.  I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Nearly an Elite 8!

Matt Fischer (just left of center) toes the line.  Photo by Nick Scarpello.

I notice things.  Sometimes I pick up on a meme before others.  Sometimes, it's even significant when I do.  I picked up on this meme several years ago and have trumpeted it before.

Penn State Track and Field Athletes continue to improve during their careers as well as any athletes in any College in the Nation.

Sometimes there are athletes like me who start out with humble talent, and sometimes there are athletes with unbelievable talent.  But invariably,  PSU Track athletes attain their ultimate potential under the current coaching staff as well as anywhere in the US.  Hats off to everyone.

Yesterday, the distance corps demonstrated this on a grand scale at the Stanford Invitational.  All seven (one short of eight, get it?) attained a PR on their first performance of the outdoor season. My congrats to everyone.

1. Matt Fischer   14:01.23  5000 M
2. Tyler Corkedale  14:20.06  5000 M
3. Nick Scarpello  14:23.08  5000 M
4. Natalie Bower  16:12.88  5000 M
5. Tori Gerlach  16:28.51  5000 M
6. Emily Giannotti  34:54.26  10000 M
7. Abbie Benson  10:33.30  3000 M SC

And the real Elite 8 has decimated Montgomery Baskwill's early round prognostication performance.  He's now just an also-ran.  I notice only a couple of Track Alumni Golfers in the top echelon with Zeb Stewart garnering a current 6th place in Ken Cooper's annual pool. Group friend Ron "Bile" Ferguson also seems to be in a drivers seat of sorts, still having his winner in the final eight.

1	12	Rupe, Mark	65
2	(1)	Riter, Christie	64
3	0	Sailer, Aaron	63
4	26	McCarthy, Dennis	63
5	4	Ferguson, Ron	62
6	44	Stewart, Zeb	62
7	3	Angelo, Peter	62
8	4	Radzwich, Claudia	61
9	5	Cardenas, Milton	61
10	5	Dubya, G	61
11	5	Oppenheimer, Hank	61
12	6	Tate, Andy	61
13	49	Cooper, Kevin (2)	60
14	(12)	Cooper, Kyle	60
15	10	Golic, Mike	60
16	54	Wintersteen, Kyle	59
17	10	Sailer, Jackson	59
18	59	Morse, Willie	59
19	(15)	Cooper, Kyle 2	59
20	16	Obama, Barack	59
21	16	Cooper, Kathleen	58
22	20	Smith, Holden	58
23	(17)	Roth, Andy	58
24	62	Jones, Darryl	58

This Has Been My Nightmare for the Past 30 Years

Every year I find myself trapped like a rat at Disney World supporting my wife in her quest for the Goofy Challenge.  The Powers-That-Be at Disney have decided to torture me even more.  They have added the Dopey Challenge, four races in 4 days garnering you 6 of those horrible, horrible medals to parade around the Magic Kingdom.

There will be a 10K on Thursday, a 5K on Friday, the Half-Marathon on Saturday and finally, the Marathon on Sunday.  May God help us all.

And Trapped Like a Rat takes on a new meaning with this guy's plight.  I have been deathly afraid of this exact thing for the past three decades.

Another Quiz: Who am I?

Submitted from one of my dozens of readers!  Answers in the comments below.

Hint: He wasn't a Nittany Lion.

My Only Run-in With the Law Was Related to the Penn Relays

There was a time when I was carefree, energetic and actually had some spending money laying around.  (Yeah, I know, hard to believe.)  Those were the days when I never missed the Penn Relays Distance Night.  The Thursday night festivities always included many friends on both the track and the in the stands.  It's when a nerd could just be a nerd, without a care in the world.

So it was in the early 90's, when I found myself driving down to Franklin Field with a friend despite having 7:00AM surgeries the next day.  Not a care in the world.  Although I don't remember many of the events on the track that day, the stands were filled with friends and acquaintances from my 8 years of competitive running.  We had a ball, and the whole thing cost nothing.  I even had the opportunity to say "hi" to Coach Groves, back when he had only been to 40 or so Penn Relays.

We were even tempted to visit the Cold Molson's Party afterward, but I did have those surgeries starting at 7:00AM.  We made the decision to hightail it home with the possibility of returning for the Saturday events.  My Fuzzbuster was silent the whole trip home and the turnpike was clear, as if I was in the driving "Zone" like never before.  When the sign for my final exit flashed by at 75 MPH, I anticipated hitting the mattress at 1:30AM or so and getting enough Z's to be quite respectable the next morning.

And then...  Lights and Sirens???  I had never been pulled over before, so it was quite strange to be pulling over right on the exit ramp within actual sight of my home. (I'm not making that up.)  I quickly grabbed my license, registration, insurance information and knew my inspection stickers were all up to date.  I figured I was only a few MPH above the limit at that point and had a clean record, so it would be a small fine and I would be on my way.

But the cop just sat back in the car for going on 15 minutes?  I started to worry, as did my friend who at first had been quite jovial about the whole thing.  When he finally walked up, the policeman asked for my forms and seemed quite pissed off about something.  He said nothing more and returned to his cruiser with my stuff and another 15 minutes wound by.

By now I figured I would be locked up on some trumped up charge and was at the point of panic.  The policeman returned and finally let on what was the matter.  "Your registration, license and insurance all have different addresses on them.  Which one is correct?" 

I had moved numerous times in the previous year and had not kept up with the various agencies as law dictates.  The worst part was that in checking the 3 addresses on the forms, I noted that none of them were the correct one.  I had just moved into a new Condo with a 4th address!

This news really seemed to throw the cop, and I was just about to panic when he said, "I don't know how to write this one up, so I'll give you a warning if you promise to get all these forms up to date."  I stammered, "Yes, officer."  He then just walked away slowly shaking his head.  I was off the hook because I had technically broken the law 4 times instead of just 3.  But, I'll take it.

I was too afraid to return to Penn on Saturday. I'd let things cool down for a bit before venturing out.  I even did get all the forms up to date and remain a law-abiding citizen to this very day.

 At least until the government zombies come for my 401K...

100,000 Visits Soon: A T-Shirt is Up For Grabs!

We will soon be visited by our 100,000th fan!  And you people thought it couldn't last.  Shame on you.  I have been bringing this drivel to you for the past 5 years and feel obliged to present somebody with a prize from our Group Store.*  So I'm knuckling under and offering a "PSU is 800 U" t-shirt to the 100,000th visitor to our humble blog.

This is the same t-shirt that will adorn the competitive milers at the Alumni "Run" at the Reunion, as well as the best "Rabbits" in the world.  It is designed by an honest-to-goodness Olympian and is available for purchase at the Group Store** by anyone and everyone.  Let the world know who we are!

Here's a little video to celebrate the 100,000th bloke or "blokette" from a certain Canadian that's not opposed to gun ownership by Americans.

 

*I will attempt to identify the 100,00th visitor, but if I can't I will award the closest known visitor after the 100,00th!
** Have I mentioned the Group Store?

That Earlier Post Had Everything All Screwed Up

I don't know what went wrong, but all heck broke out after that earlier post including the update on the March Madness Pool.  Here's the photo anyway:

I have Top Men working on the situation.  TOP. MEN.

A National Title For a Nittany Lion

Beth Shisler, second from left.

Beth Shisler was part of the winning 40-49 4 x 200 M Relay at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships yesterday. She also added a 3rd place finish in the 200M!



Other Nittany Lions at the Meet are Mark Hawkins (13th in the Mile) and Steve Phelan.

Steve Phelan, Beth Shisler and Mark Hawkins.

Honorary Group Member and WandM alum Brian Mount added a 14th Place finish in the 800M.

Outdoor Track Season Begins (Like a Lion!)

Artist's Interpretation

I have already been to 2 track meets this season, and neither of them were held with the temperature above freezing.  I never remembered any really cold meets like this when I was in high school, but I'm sure running in them was easier than watching them.

With Ohio officials indicting one of my great heroes (Punxatawney Phil), one has to wonder why Al Gore isn't in prison for the global warming thing. What's good for the marmot is good for the former 5-Hour marathoner, I say.

Having a Sprinter/Hurdler/Jumper in the family is mighty strange.  My daughter had her first ever track meet, running the 100 M Hurdles, the 400 M and the 4 x 400 Relay.  She was held out of the Long Jump at the last second, but that will come soon.  I don't think I've ever actually watched a whole long jump competition before.  That will be a weird experience.

And talking about range, how about Beth Shisler mixing it up with both the Marathon and the 200/400 M in the same year!  She's at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships in Landover MD. She placed 8th in the Finals of the 400 M with a very fine 68.3 at age (redacted)! She has several events remaining, and we wish her luck.  I also have her at even odds to be the Women's Golfer of the Year at our Coach Groves Golf Tournament.

Speaking of cold weather meets...   How many of you remember the meets at the old Ice Palace where we had to go outside to get warmer?  We had one meet where it was 9 degrees* inside.  Alan Scharsu has the record with a 4:09 Mile in 9 degrees*!

* I lied, it was really 16 degrees, but who's counting?

Dr. Lucas Olympic History Memorial Lecture

Dr. John Lucas

Late PSU Coach  and Olympic Historian John Lucas was honored at the first Lucas Memorial Lecture today at PSU.  Robert K. Barney gave his talk on the Olympic Games’ supreme ceremonial rite at the Paterno Library.

Can Quantum Physicists Beat President Obama in March Madness?

It's good to know America has its priorities straight.  Despite not submitting a budget on time in 5 years, President Obama does have his picks in for the NCAA Tournament.  We will have to match them up against the coolest way of making picks, by coaxing ytterbium ions into behaving like a flipped coin.  Should work as well as my choice of watching my dog Montgomery's tail twitches when I read off the names of the teams!

You have a couple of hours to get your picks in to the PSU Track Alumni Pool run by our own Ken Cooper.  Join the growing list of wannabe "Jimmy the Greeks" vying for bragging rights and smug superiority in the 19th Annual Event. Everyone is welcome.

I Still Sorta, Kinda Have the T-Shirt

Our West Coast Friend and author of Cross Country 101, Dan Martinez sent us another great photo from "The Past" in honor of my observation that a big part of me still lives there.  It's the 1975 AAU Cross-Country Championships in Annapolis.  That's Greg Fredericks winning the race with a time of  28:57!

I actually had a t-shirt from the race because I subsequently went to the Blue Mountain Running Camp held by Navy Coach Al Cantello.  They must have had a boatload of extras that weren't sold, so us skinny runners were the beneficiaries. I loved that t-shirt and subsequently wore it out.  Luckily, my sister was able to stitch it together enough and it now resides in the middle of my 1970's T-Shirt Quilt she made for me.

I'm Guilty As Charged

I have recently been accused via an anonymous commenter of living in the past.  It is a charge I hear often, and yes, I'm guilty as charged.  I do, however, manage to live in the present also.  My daughters guarantee a bright future, so I'm all good.  I will say the times spent at PSU among the rest of the Track "rabble" (I say that with affection and poke-you-in-the-ribs glee!) were among my best ever.  And I look forward to The Singularity, when I'll again at least break 4:15 for the mile!

There was one thing pointed out to me that hit home and demonstrates that the 70's and 80's (I know the apostrophes are wrong here!) might not be all that great like my mind imagines they were.  That would be Up With People as the halftime show of the Super Bowl in 1982.   I may agree.



This was parodied on The Simpson as "Hooray for Everyone" or something similar in the First Season's Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show.*

*A Salute to the Western Hemisphere, the "Dancin-est" Hemisphere on Earth!

March Madness Pool is Here!

Enter as many sheets as you wish.  Tell your family and alert friends.  In my case, Montgomery, my most mentally-challenged dog* will assist me with the choices. Thanks to Ken Cooper for doing this.

The Penn State Track Alumni March Madness Pool

Remember the rules.

1.     Picks due at tip of the first Thursday game, which is approx. 11:00am central – everyone gets the play-in games right

2.     Standard scoring – First round (1 pt each), Sweet 16 (2 pts), Great 8 (4 pts), Final 4 (8 pts), Championship game (16 pts) and Champ (32 pts)

3.     Tie breaker is combined points in Championship game.  Second tie breaker is number correct in first round.  Third tie breaker is # in Sweet 16.  Fourth tie breaker is number of free throws made out of 10.

4.     As many brackets as you want, but if you do multiple picks, include reference to #2, #3, etc. to designate this.  Feel free to pass along to others – include family, friends and colleagues.  Sons and daughters love the chance to beat their parents so feel free to include them!

5.     When choosing picks, click "Email me a Copy" at the bottom to get a copy of your picks emailed to you automatically.

6.     Due to running 2 different pools, you will be asked to designate if you are doing the Life Time Pool (LTM), the Penn State XC and Track Pool (PSU), or Both.

7.     Important Note:  the Fax Number is a required item.

* All dogs are mentally challenged.

March Madness Pool Starts Tomorrow!

Ken Cooper brings his 19th Annual March Madness Pool starting tomorrow.  Now that we've nearly survived the short, cold days of Winter, a little Madness will do us all good.

Here is your official invite to the 19^th Annual Penn State March Madness Pool.  Last year we had 98 players.  I feel us cracking 100 this year.

The brackets will be released tomorrow for submission.  Be ready.

Other rules: 

1.     Picks due at tip of the first Thursday game, which is approx. 11:00am central – everyone gets the play-in games right

2.     Standard scoring – First round (1 pt each), Sweet 16 (2 pts), Great 8 (4 pts), Final 4 (8 pts), Championship game (16 pts) and Champ (32 pts)

3.     Tie breaker is combined points in Championship game.  Second tie breaker is number correct in first round.  Third tie breaker is # in Sweet 16.  Fourth tie breaker is number of free throws made out of 10.

4.     As many brackets as you want, but if you do multiple picks, include reference to #2, #3, etc. to designate this.  Feel free to pass along to others – include family, friends and colleagues.  Sons and daughters love the chance to beat their parents so feel free to include them!

5.     When choosing picks, click "Email me a Copy" at the bottom to get a copy of your picks emailed to you automatically.

6.     Due to running 2 different pools, you will be asked to designate if you are doing the Life Time Pool (LTM), the Penn State XC and Track Pool (PSU), or Both.

   

Good luck!  The Madness starts Thursday.

Ken.

1992	Tom Cucuel	148
1993	Ryan Shorter	161
1994	Kevin Cooper	140
1995
1996
1997
1998	Brian Boyer	113
1999	Mark Anderson	137
2000	Willie Morse	113
2001	Colin Heitzmann	154
2002	Colin Heitzmann	127
2003	Tom Ross	124
2004	Doug Sabel	124
2005	Ken Cooper	149
2006	Aidan O'Reilly	79
2007	Gary Wulcowitz	148
2008	Allison Hamer	150
2009	Tom Bisko	151
2010	Larry Mangan	128
2011	David Strandberg	117
2012	Kyle Cooper	151

Another American Record in the Steeplechase For a PSU Runner!

We all know Horace Ashenfelter once owned the American Record (and the World Record!) in the 3000 M SC.  Another PSU star once set the record in the late 70's.  Now, Bridget Franek has set the 2000 M SC record in her first outing of the 2013 season.

The day began with OTC Elite's Bridget Franek setting an American record in the 2,000 meter steeplechase. Running by herself, she had a :19 personal best in running 6:19.09. That broke the previous American record of 6:20.66 run by Carrie Messner in 2007.

"It was good to get back out there," said Franek. "It was an opportunity to remind the body how it feels to race. Nice to see how the drills converted into racing."

Congrats to Bridget, who was our 2012 Performance of the Year Award Winner.  Her prize package is already on its way to Oregon.  The "PSU is 800 U" items should really get the West-Coasters all hot and bothered!

Let's Call Him Employee 1A

There is an article in the Running Times about Nike's (Blue Ribbon Sports, actually) very first employee.  Jeff Johnson became a very rich man and retired at 41, but you wouldn't know that if you met him.  In fact, you might think he was on the other end of the economic spectrum.

Quoted extensively in the article is Honorary Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golfer Walt Chadwick, another early Nike employee at their east coast Exeter NH facility. His connections with Penn State are quite extensive, from Kathy Mills and Mark Parker to Coach John Lucas.  You've heard from him many times on this blog and his photos (taken by Jeff himself) are available throughout the pages of our humble site.  You can see more all the time at his web site. It's the place to go for Pre photos! And I'm pretty sure he'll also golf with us someday!

A Golden Anniversary For Coach Groves

Probably few of Coach Groves' throngs of PSU Track Alums realize that he coached at William and Mary for more than a decade.  A decade is a very long tenure in coaching today, and Coach went on the nearly quadruple that at Penn State.  And his charges at William and Mary have not forgotten him at all.

He is being honored at this year's Colonial Relays, an event he created 50 years ago.  They are even dedicating the 1500 M Starting Line in his name this year by seeking donations totaling $25,000. There will be a reception for all of his student/athletes to visit with him during the steeplechase races on Friday April 5, 2013 between 5:00PM and 7:00PM on the balcony of the new Cohen Center overlooking the track.

Our W and M alum insider will be there to capture some stills and videos, as well as greet Coach on behalf of all of us from the only blog dedicated to his memory!

The William and Mary Track Alumni Web Site.

65 Days to Go!

The Official Entry Form will be arriving soon!  Bookmark us Here to keep up with all the exciting news.

"God Particle" Greets New Pope, A Comment is Elevated to A Post And a "Separated at Birth" You Won't Believe

Although "The Press" is disappointed that the Pope turned out to be a Catholic and not of the female gender in a same-sex partnership, the "God Particle" has been finally announced in as definite a form as Physicists ever will allow it to be to greet the new Argentinian Pontiff.  He has asked all of us to pray for him, and I will, as there is no one I pity more than the man put into that position.

And a comment in the latest "book review" deserves to be elevated to a post in and of itself, so here it is:

Anonymous said...

The summer after my junior year of HS, courtesy of my cousin Joe Mangan (an eventual 2:19 marathoner and Norcal Aggie - famous for their Bay to Breakers Centipede), I received an envelope of tabloid type newspapers which chronicled the daily happenings of the 1976 Olympic Trials held in Eugene, OR. A year earlier, Joe had sent me T&F News annual HS edition and I was startled to learn that a guy named Eric Hulst held the HS records for the 2 mile at every class level, but senior - 9:04 as a frosh, 8:55 as a soph, 8:45 as a junior. I was equally stunned to learn that two other guys - Thom Hunt and Ralph Serna had chased Hulst to some of those times and were all also sub-4:10 milers!! In '76 Hulst qualified for the 10K in Eugene along with Hammond,IN star Rudy Chapa (who garnered fame at the U of O) the HS 10K record holder at 28:32.7. When I first competed at college meets with those guys, I was completely in awe at seeing, in person, those names that lit up the pages of T&F News (which then could only be received in a mailbox attached to a house or to a post near the front of the house). A few years after that, I was fortunate to be a teammate of Thom Hunt, who was (and still is - currently the drummer for The Jackals) one of the most fun people in the world to hang out with. Hunt was also the drummer in Sweat Band, a Eugene base band that boasted two, sub 28 10K guys. One was Hunt, who can name the other???

ltm  (Answers in the comments,please!)

 And I got this third hand, but it is too good to pass up.  I have always thought that Coach Groves could kick any of our asses even up to today, but I never figured he could defend us in a Court of Law.  Until I saw this:

John Olson, Attorney - Scottsdale AZ

If he's a golfer I'm half inclined to pay his way to golf with us in May.  Good times would ensue!

A Way-Back Machine Quiz

In trying to come up with a suitable prize without coming up with any more personal cash, I figured a chance to fire the starting gun at the Alumni "Run" at this year's Alumni Reunion was as good as any.  I'm in the process of arranging for an "old guy's" assault on the 5 Minute Mile.  I've even arranged for the best rabbits in all the land.  They are working for "PSU is 800 U" t-shirts, so I'll throw one in for the winner of this contest also!  A prize package worth at least $9!

Who am I?

Name another Nittany Lion great who went to the same high school.

Name the movie made about the school's football team.

Name the first band he was a member of with current Velveteen Playboy Paul Souza while in Happy Valley.

Answers in the comments below. 

Tyler McCandless Has Way More Energy Than I Do

 

 

Tyler and his dad in PSU days

Not too long ago Tyler won the Kaiser Permanente Great Aloha Run and now he's featured in his local Colorado newspaper.  There really isn't any way for me to keep up with him except to put some links on the blog! I'm exhausted and need a nap now...

Finally! The Book Review I Promised Months Ago

Seeing as I am such a poor writer, I'm not about to write a real review for a real book!  So I assigned my daughter to do the work for me.  And before you jump all over me for such cruelty, the book was meant for someone just like her to begin with.

Our friend from California and ex-Oregon Duck Dan Martinez has written a book geared toward the beginner cross country runner, although those of all ages have delighted in it.  He takes us back to those early innocent days before any of us knew what an interval or fartlek was.  Back when zits and bullies were a rather large consideration in our lives.  This all comes from the perspective of a skinny high school Freshman in California.  Cross Country 101 is a delight for this skinny nerd who in 1976 just couldn't cut it on the basketball court anymore.  Just about any of us can relate to its plot.  Some have said that the protagonist Eric Hunt is an amalgam of  the real-life Thom Hunt, Eric Hulst and Dan himself. Maybe he'll let us in on the secret when he sees this. Dan has been very active with Runners Reunited, an effort to reunite runners from the 60's, 70's and later in California.  He even has enticed my former roommate Alan Scharsu,,who lives in San Diego, out of hiding for it.

 

Review by Anne Baskwill, age 12 (a far better writer than I!) :

Cross Country 101 by Dan Martinez, Stuart Calderwood, and Liang Shan is by far the best running book I have ever read. Throughout the whole novel, Eric and the entirety of the Regal High Cross Country team inspired me to become the best runner that I can be. Watching Eric evolve from next to last at his first meet to the number one freshman at States was incredible, and the writing was exceptional. It is apparent to every runner that the author knew exactly what he was talking about when he described the typical “new runner” struggles and all of the techniques used. What made the novel great is that it wasn’t completely based on running. There was a perfect blend of different conflicts and difficulties in the book that balanced out the story and kept the reader interested. I would definitely recommend it to anyone: runners and readers.     

Get the book at Amazon:  Cross Country 101