Ed Avol Reporting

Saturday July 23 at 5am, and you might have still been snuggled up in bed (or sleeping off the Friday night party), but Coach Ed and Assistant Coach Mark Silva were already up and out marking the race course through Palos Verdes for club members to follow.

The annual running of the Coach’s Handicap, that 10K “fun run” that some question the “fun” part about, was held in late July this year, and it was another success. A mix of new and long-time club members joined in the run, which begins by Malaga Cove Elementary School at the end of Paseo Del Mar, runs along the coast out to PV High, then circles back to the Start/Finish Line.

Runners predict their 10K time, then get a start based on their predicted finish…so those who are usually back in the race pack get to go first. If all goes perfectly, everybody finishes together (which has never happened, but some years are closer than others). This year, starting times were spread over a 43-minute period, and (aside from Warren Hamersma, who walked/jogged his way into the Finish in a little over 18 minutes above predicted, everyone finished in a little under 6 minutes.

On a humid and warm morning, and a hilly and challenging race course, 38 teammates persevered. First-runner-to-finish was Jason Scholz, who is steadily improving and just beginning to realize his racing potential. A mere 30 seconds later, Pat Saraceno, Sharon Lotesto, and Olivia Ghaussey charged in, in hot pursuit…and that began a steady stream of finishers. Irene Mapua (who was goaded into showing up by Cris Baba and Coach Ed) was the star of the day, finishing within 3 seconds of her predicted time, thanks to a blistering kick to the finish line.  Fastest running time went to veteran workhorse Jon Megeff in 38:22, successfully emerging from his plantar fascia/calf muscle/leg injury recent history. Second-fastest went to newcomer Blaine Kuiper (39:23), who arrived late and just jumped in, a few minutes after everyone else had left.

After all had returned to the Start/Finish, a pot-luck breakfast was shared and enjoyed, as were the gifts and awards announced by Mark Silva and shopped for by Diane Silva. Thanks to all for participating, and hope to see you on the course next June. (For more race details, see attached three tables by order of finish, by accuracy of prediction, and by fastest race time).

CLICK ON CHARTS TO ENLARGE   

I’ve been asked to provide some suggested races for those of you who can’t make it to the track at the beginning of the workout to hear my “carefully prepared” speeches … and/or for those who are just looking for some racing guidance considerations.

My list below is not complete, nor is it exhaustively researched (okay, in the sense that I have run these races, they have been “exhaustively” researched)! The list is just a grab bag of several interesting runs to consider. I invite each of you to send in your recommendations for the coming months, and we can build up a list of races worth running.

Looking forward from July 1, here are six races for posting on the Club Ed racing list:

(1)  Village Runner 5K, July 4 – there are lots of 4^th of July Runs, and there are several good ones to consider. The local favorite, hands down (or knees up!) is the Village Runner 5K. Along the Esplanade in Redondo, you can be sure to chase some of your fiercest competitors, see a lot of friends, curse at a street that you could have sworn was generally flat, and start off the Fourth with a memorable effort. https://www.villagerunner.com/4th-of-july-5k/

(2)  Coach’s Handicap, July 23 – Literally for decades (back to the 80’s), we have been putting on our own club race, for club members. Some call it an excuse to have a potluck breakfast, others call it the most painful course ever… However you describe it, come out a be a part of it! Submit an HONEST guess of your current 10K race time to the Coach in the weeks prior to the race, and we (Mark Silva and I) will handicap your race start and send you on your way (at the appropriate time) over a up-and-down course in Palos Verdes. Club Ed slower runners get head starts, the race usually “begins” over a 45-minute period, and if all goes well, everybody finishes within a few minutes of each other. After, we share a picnic breakfast, award some fun prizes based on the day’s most memorable performances, and work on innovative excuses for next time. Don’t miss this – it’s lots of fun!

(3)  Dick Fitzgerald 2-Mile Sand Run, Surf Festival Weekend, August 6 – Two miles in the soft sand from the Hermosa Pier out to Longfellow and back – what could be better? Come out and run, or come out and volunteer to staff the event. This is a Saturday morning event and helps to kicks off the Surf Festival weekend. Perhaps most importantly, it helps to raise some much-needed $$ for the Mira Costa High School Distance Running Program. Come on, it’s “only” two miles…https://www.surffestival.org/#!run/c136a

(4)  The Hills Are Alive 5K & 10K, Aug 13 – This is an old-fashioned, dirt trail, cross-country race, along a portion of the Telephone Pole Trail. Starting at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates, it runs along the horse trails, then cuts down the street and around (and around) the Botanic Garden, then back along the trails to the Park. It’s dusty, hilly, and hard (usually only a small handful of racers break 40 minutes in the 10K, for example) … and you can’t miss this one. https://www.raceplace.com/events/2266/35th-annual-the-hills-are-alive-10k-5k-run-walk-event

(5)  Conquer the Bridge, Labor Day Sept 5 -  If you ever wanted to run over the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, or walk over the Bridge, or look out over the bridge, this is the one time each year foot traffic is allowed on the 1500-foot span over the Harbor. IT’s an odd distance (5.3 miles, and running over the bridge will give you a new appreciation for driving over it, but consider doing this one, too. https://conquerthebridge.com/

(6)  Manhattan Beach Old Hometown Fair 10K, October 1 – This is a historical favorite at which grudges are settled or started, bragging rights confirmed or established, and racing careers magnified or dissipated. A Manhattan Beach hallmark for almost 40 years, run through the streets, wave to your friends, try to hang on for the Rosecrans Hill, chase ‘em all down the Strand, … and then head over to the Fair. https://www.mb10k.com/

 So that will get you to October…surely there must be one or two races in there that have caught your eye? Hope to chase, race, or pace you at one (or more) of them!

Marty Friedman & Ed Avol, reporting

Do you think that an 8K National Championship for old timers would attract any fast runners? You’d better believe it! Over 260 gray hairs, no hairs, dyed hairs… took to the streets of Brea to compete in one of the few National races held on the West Coast. And fast times wasn’t just for the young’ns…case in point: two 60 year olds (one from Seattle, one from Tennessee) were just nipped at the finish by Club Ed’s fastest Master, Jon “Mach Speed 2” Megeff. Jon’s time of 28:16 was hardly pedestrian; he was 6^th in the 50-54 AG (SIXTH!). And our women weren’t standing around either - our fastest flying female finisher (say that 5 times fast!) was Debbie “Rampaging” Richardson, 4^th in her AG at 33:01.

Before we get to “us”, words of respect, admiration, and awe for the 260+ Masters who competed are in order. If only the AARP was at the Awards Ceremony! Here are some highlights (and keep in mind this was a rolling 4.97 mile course, with a one mile hill in the middle):

First Male: Greg Mitchell (41), Oregon, 24:27

First Female: Cassandra Henkiel (44), Texas, 29:17

First M45-49: Andrew Duncan (47), Nevada, 25:53

First W45-49: Tania Fischer (48), California, 29:33

First M50-54: Francis Burdett (50), Massachusetts, 26:50

First W50-54: Kathleen Phair (54), California, 32:29

First M55-59: Brian Pilcher, California, 27:24

First F55-59: Suzanne Morris (57) California, 32:24

First M60-64: Rick Becker (60), Washington, 28:19

First W60-64: Christine Kennedy (60), California, 31:27 NEW AMERICAN RECORD

First M65-69: Ignacio Jimenez, (65), California, 31:00

First W65-69: Jo Anne Rowland (66), California, 38:57

First M70-74: Jan Frisby (70), Colorado, 32:24

First F70-74: Norma Thomas (72), California, 43:29

First M75-79: Neal Chappell (75), Nevada, 38:59

First W75-79: Pat Herr (77), California, 57:20

First M80-84: Bob Rice (80), California, 48:06

First M 85-89: Gunnar Linde (86), California, 58:40

  

There was heated competition in the team event, as well. Team rules: up to five runners on a team, fastest three scored, total time counts). Our W50-59 team (sorry about the age identification ladies) was 4^th of 10 teams. Our flying youngsters included “Rampaging” Richardson (33:01), Renee Williams “Scurrying” Smith (34:42), and Diane “Sleek” Silva (35:52)...with newcomer (to Club Ed) Julie “Mischievous” McKinney (40:00) filling out the fleet team. Karina “Ballistic” Bird ran a great race, PR-ing by half a minute in 35:34. Unfortunately we couldn’t field a team in her age group (40-49), so she only competed as an individual…maybe next year?

We had 2 high placing groups in the M50-59 category. The first team, comprised of “Mach Speed 2” Megeff, Jake “Cyclone Courtney (29:18), Rich “Gusting” Gust (29:26) and Mark “Speedy” Shalvarjian (29:38) finished 3^rd of 16 teams. Our 2^nd team, including Rick “Dashing” Dodson (30:17), Chuck “Kamikaze” Kaminski (31:33), Kevin “Swift” Sullivan (31:45), Mark “Streaking” Silva (31:55), and Jim Tornado” Torii (33:58)  finished 5^th.

In the 60-69 division, a team led by Coach Ed “Air Mail” Avol (34:17), finished 5^th of 13 teams. He was supported by Steve “Notorious” Notaro (35:49), Marty “Flying” Friedman (36:38), and Jack “Mad Jack” McDowell (39:38). “Flying” had teased “Air Mail” that if he could run under 29, the team could stay out of last place. As it turned out, if “Air Mail” had run sub-29, the team still would have finished 5^th!

We had 2 club runners in the Open “regular” race, referred to  several as “the kiddies’ race” . Leo “Butane” Burzynski is continuing his comeback, finishing in 42:29. Aaron “Meteor” Munger might have finished 20^th overall in 27:48, but he suffered “a clothing malfunction” – and improperly attached his timing chip, so he wasn’t listed in the official finish. Rookie mistake?

A benefit of being “old” and running in the Masters National race was that it started a half hour earlier than the Open race. Therefore, the Masters finished earlier and had a head start to the food court (where there was LOTS of food to sample --the best finish line expo ever?). “Gusting” Gust sampled everything in sight, and “Cyclone” Courtney ate miniature bundt cakes until he dropped. “Flying” Friedman couldn’t decide if he liked the bundts or chocolate chip cake samples better. Several of us may have added back all the calories we burned off in the race!

Congrats to all; we have some work to do; the 2016 National 8K will also be in Brea next February!

(Complete Masters Results at https://results.active.com/events/24th-annual-brea-8k-classic-presented-by-the-brea-mall/8k-masters-7-30am-start?&division=M+85-89&sort=finish_time&direction=asc)

By Marty Friedman, Ace Reporter

About 40 Club Ed runners descended on Redondo Beach to race and faced the wrong way. The famous Super Bowl races usually start out going North, but the construction which has tormented the Monday Night Madness crowd caused the Race Director to reverse the entire course.

In the 5K, our fastest runner, and owning the shortest name, Ted “Tsunami” Tso blazed in at 17:03 and 5^th overall. Ultra runner Will “Windstorm” Weston ran this sprint event and combined with son Chance for our fastest (and only) father/son team. Chance jogged this as a training run. Poor Corrine Sandbag” Schratz, who got tagged after winning the Coach’s Handicap 10K, showed us all up by running both the 5K and 10K. She was 2^nd and 4^th respectively in her age group. Jim “Nuclear” Newman, who claimed his wife dropped a brick on his toe which slowed him down (4^th AG), was seen wandering around the beer garden without any limp. Mark “Keeping Up”Kerper showed he could lead, with a 2^nd AG finish. And Marian “Dynamo” Drahnak was 4^th in her AG. Michael Moore, not our marathon master, was 3^rd AG in 21:26.

Club Ed had 3 entries in the Baby Buggy 10K and snared 2^nd, 3^rd and 6^th. Yes, there were more than 6 entries; 163 finishers to be exact. Mike “Comet” Cortez (and daughter Natalie) was 2^nd, Mike “Javelin” Jones (Tamar’s husband and daughter Marisa) were 3^rd and Sean “Rehabilitator” Ryan (and son Blake) nailed the 6^th overall place.

Most members ran the 10K. Aaron “Meteor” Munger flew through the course in 35:02 and was 3^rd overall. Bill “Whirlwind” Weber was close behind, running 35:09, for 5^th overall and winning 1^st in his age group. Our fastest woman was Tamar “Gliding” Gamliel, 1^st AG, in 41:28. I don’t think she caught up to Matt, who had a 10 minute head start. Our strongest AG showing was in the Women’s 50-54, where we took 1^st 2^nd and 3^rd. Great running from Debbie “Rampaging” Richardson, Renee “Scurrying” Williams- Smith and Diane “Sleek” Silva.

Nicola “Leaping” Lowrey claimed that BFF Michelle got lost en route, delivered her bib late, causing her to start in the back of the horde of runners. Michelle “Wanderlust” Wun won the award for marriage enlightenment, by running the race with her husband Dakin and breaking over the 1 hour mark by 13 seconds. Karina “Ballistic” Bird had the misfortune of being in the same age group as Tania Fisher and Kirsten Leach, and ended up with 4^th. Other female finishers included Julia “Frenzy” Fretschl (1^st AG), Dana “Intrepid” Icaza, and the day’s endurance master “Sandbag” Schratz.

Our fastest husband and wife team was Katie “Magnificent” McKellar (4^th, 41:39) and Rick “Masterful” McKellar (3^rd, 37:07). The oldest finisher was Matt “Tripping” Tarnay, who at 72 just missed breaking 1 hour.

Humberto “Superman” Sanchez topped the 35-39 AG in 37:31. And we grabbed 2^nd. 3^rd, 5^th and 10^th in Men’s 50-54. Respectively, Jon “Mach Speed 2” Megeff (37:12), Jake “Cyclone” Courtney (37:25), Kevin “Swift” Sullivan and Mark “Streaking” Silva. Brad “Airborne” Angle was in that speedy age group too.  We should note that Megeff “decided” to run the day before, even though he is supposed to be coming back on a careful recovery…!

We owned the 55’s as well. Rich “Gusting” Gust was 1^st (37:51) and Chuck “Kamikazi Kaminski was 2^nd. “Gusting” won the media prize also. His Facebook picture holding 2 beer cans in one hand went viral.

Ed “Air Mail” Avol said he ran a good 5K. Unfortunately the race he was running is was the 10K. He was pushed off his righteous 1^st place throne by Dale Campbell of USTAF Masters’ fame, who ran hard the entire distance and finished about 5 minutes ahead of our Coach. Pat “Stealth” Saraceno took 3^rd AG in that tough division. Marty “Flying” Friedman said the reverse course would not suit him. And he was right. One engine failed in Mile 5 and another in Mile 6. He was 2^nd AG, behind another Grand Prix Master’s speedster from OC. Steve “Notorious” Notaro was 3^rd AG and said to watch out this year as he was concentrating on running, not triathlons. Jack McDowell was 5^th  behind “Flying” and “Notorious”. Other finishers included Nick Trutanich (40:32), Derk Saltzmann, and Warren Galloway.

Spectators, seemingly from the Beer Garden, included Sharon Lotesto and Wade, Jeff Atkinson, Gretchen and Martin Newman, and “Gusting” Gust’s prettier half, Vicky. Have you all played “Where’s Waldo”? There was a picture of the Start in the Beach Reporter. I saw Avol, Friedman, Gust, Weber, Kaminsky, D. Silva. Who can you find?

And if you got to vote, would you prefer the old course, or this year’s direction?

PS – in a LATEBREAKING NEWS piece, that Club Ed Running is in 1^st place after the first race of the 2015 USATF Grand Prix Road Racing Series (the Redondo Superbowl10K) , holding off Cal Coast and The Janes…

Coach’s Handicap Race 2104 Results -- By Marty Friedman

The handicap race tradition continued, on Saturday June 21, thanks to the “Stupendous” Silvas and our “Courageous” Coach Ed. Tradition included beautiful weather, sandbagged predicted times (2/3 runners faster than predicted), family and friends hanging around to cheer and/or partake in breakfast buffet, etc.

The first runner across the line (thank you Johnson & Johnson for the baby powder course markings) was Jake “Cyclone” Courtney. He was immediately accused of sandbagging, but claimed he was only 2 seconds off his predicted time. Upon review of his signed and notarized deposition, it was determined he was 4:58 better than predicted. Now you know why there are lawyer jokes. Did you hear the one about…….

Shortly after Jake’s finish, the first female finisher was Renee “Scurrying” Smith. She must know a good coach or have a convincing story about how slow she expected to finish. Tamar “Gliding” Gamliel was next across the line, chased by Diane “Sleek” Silva and “Nice Mark” Kerper. At this point in the race, runners began finishing in clusters, challenging the Coach to remember names quickly (and Debbie Richardson to write names even more quickly) . Sabina “Hasty” Helton and Trish “Rushing” Riley started out and finished together. They were chased by “Studly” Sean Richardson, Sharon “Smoking” Lotesto, and Mark “Streaking” Silva (who lost out on his bet to beat Sean Richardson). Next came “Little Mark” Shalvarjian, Mark “Tearing” Townes, and Simeon “Prompt” Petrov.

Honesty awards went to Bill “Whirlwind” Weber who was exactly right with his run-time prediction, although there were accusations that he took a short nap and hung out steps before his finish. Chuck “Kamikaze” Kaminski, Brad “Airborne” Angle and Nicola “Leaping” Lowrey were mere seconds off their respective predictions…and Coach Ed predicted he wouldn’t run at all, so he was right on, as well.

Awards were varied and many, including several for the select few who actually seemed to have some idea of what they were capable of. Notable finishers included Rich “Gusting” Gust, Corrine “Sandbag” Schratz, Humberto “Superman” Sanchez, Aaron “Meteor” Munger, Leonard “Butane” Burzynski, Erin “Cantering” Cvengros, Risa “Karma” Kahn, and Louise “Glinting” Gold. Louise is a new member and promises (threatens) to get back in marathon shape.

Fastest times of the day were turned in by “Superman” Sanchez (35:10) “Meteor” Munger (35:42), “Whirlwind” Weber (37:00), Jon “Mach Speed” Megeff (37:36) and “Gusting” Gust (38:49). Notable events included the fastest runner of the day (Humberto) catching the not-so-fastest (Corrine) a few steps from the finish line, both running about a minute or so off their predictions.

Our directionally-challenged runners included Risa “Karma” Kahn and Michelle “Wanderlust” Wun. Risa thought it would be interesting to check out the PV cliffs at the one-mile mark, before getting back on course, and Michelle decided to check out Lunada Bay before turning around to head back. The timing company (Coach Ed, a clock kindly loaned from Coach Renee at Mira Costa, and Debbie Richardson feverishly writing down names and times) had moved on to the pot luck breakfast by the time “Wanderlust” found her way back to the finish line, so an actual time was not recorded. Jim “Nuclear” Newman created a Club Ed first, by being chauffeured right up to the Start Line to jump into the race…although he arrived about 20 minutes later than his handicapped starting time!

Official timekeepers were Ed “Air Mail” Avol and Debbie “Rampaging” Richardson. The “Stupendous” Silvas handed out a mixture of gags and serious awards. The raucous and wildly cheering spectators included Kenzie “Assistant-In-Chief” Avol, Danielle “Boomer” Boyer, Marty “Flying” Friedman (grounded by mechanical failures), Mom-to-be Marina “Sneaky” Sanchez, role-model-mom Gretchen “Nerveless” Newman, and runner-in-training Martin “Mischievous” Newman.

Reporter’s Note: Corrine “Sandbag” Schratz received her nickname after winning the 2013 race. She suggested “Slug” as a new nickname, but it was rejected by the rules committee as unbecoming a runner. “Hot at 50” was suggested as “Hasty” Helton’s nickname, but it was rejected as both sexist and age discriminatory (and in the eyes of the beholder). Besides, we’re a politically correct club - we would never refer to Mark Silva as “A-hole” Mark, would we?

Coach's Handicap Race Results, Fastest First
	10K time	HCP TIME	FINISH	RUN	Diff from Hcp
Humberto Sanchez	34:00:00	46:00:00	81:10:00	35:10:00	1:10
Aaron Munger	34:00:00	46:00:00	81:42:00	35:42:00	1:42
Bill Weber	37:00:00	43:00:00	80:00:00	37:00:00	0:00
Jon Megeff	38:00:00	42:00:00	79:36:00	37:36:00	-0:24
Rich Gust	38:30:00	41:30:00	80:19:00	38:49:00	0:19
Mark Shalvarjian	41:00:00	39:00:00	78:53:00	39:53:00	-1:07
Jake Courtney	45:00:00	35:00:00	75:02:00	40:02:00	-4:58
Sean Richardson	45:00:00	35:00:00	77:42:00	42:42:00	-2:18
Mark Silva	45:00:00	35:00:00	77:51:00	42:51:00	2:09
Chuck Kaminski	43:30:00	36:30:00	79:52:00	43:22:00	-0:08
Renee Smith	50:00:00	30:00:00	75:14:00	45:14:00	-4:44
Erin Cvengros	43:45:00	36:15:00	82:07:00	45:52:00	2:07
Simeon Petrov	48:00:00	32:00:00	79:09:00	47:09:00	-0:51
Brad Angle	48:00:00	32:00:00	79:52:00	47:52:00	-0:08
Diane Silva	52:00:00	28:00:00	76:37:00	48:37:00	-3:23
Mark Kerper	52:00:00	28:00:00	76:37:00	48:37:00	-3:23
Sharon Lotesto	52:00:00	28:00:00	77:45:00	49:45:00	-2:15
Nicola Lowrey	50:00:00	30:00:00	79:51:00	49:51:00	-0:09
Mark Townes	52:00:00	28:00:00	78:53:00	50:53:00	1:07
Tamar Gamliel	56:00:00	24:00:00	76:27:00	52:27:00	-3:33
Sabina Helton	56:00:00	24:00:00	77:53	53:53:00	-2:53
Trish Riley	56:00:00	24:00:00	77:53	53:53:00	-2:53
Leonard Burzynski	56:00:00	24:00:00	81:41:00	57:41:00	1:41
Risa Kahn	60:00:00	20:00:00	83:35	63:35	3:35
Louise Gold	60:00:00	20:00:00	84:05	64:05	4:05
Corrine Schratz	77:00:00	3:00	81:12:00	78:12:00	1:12
Terri Unzueta	60:00:00	20:00:00	dns	dns	--
Nathalie Ingevaldsson	60:00:00	20:00:00	dns	dns	--
Kevin Sullivan	42:00:00	38:00:00	dns	dns	--
Greg Eng	36:00:00	44:00:00	dns	dns
Ian Mikelson	36:00:00	44:00:00	dns	dns
CLOCK START	80:00:00	0
Jim Newman	47:00:00	33:00:00	late to start; jumped in with ~23min hcp?
Michelle Wun	44:30:00	35:30:00	ran off course to Lunada Bay…:(

It was a dark and stormy night. Ooops. It was a cool overcast morning, unlike the prediction for a hot day, and perhaps perfect running weather. But it played havoc with the clothes selection. Club Ed had runners bare chested, in tank tops, t-shirts and even a sexy pair of white arm-warmers. Jet to Jetty took on their normal 5K/10K as well as two Grand Prix miles, and we had participants in all events (well, excluding the kiddie race and race walk).

In the 5K, Rick “Rocket” Weis finished 2nd overall in a blazing time of 16:24. He was standing tall with that result. Mike “Comet” Cortez was 5th overall, in 17:55. Matt “Kinetic” Knight was 1st in his age group with a 19:40. Jim “Nuclear” Newman was disappointed with his 21:14 (“slowest time at that race”), but probably more disappointed by the strong age group field. Corrine “Sandbag” Schratz could have improved her 35:33, but kept stopping and asking for her Club Ed Handicap. “It worked once”, she stated. And finally, Martin “Mischievous” Newman pulled his mom Gretchen to the finish, chewing on his new remote the whole way.

In the 10K, Rick Weis decided he needed the extra miles, so he ran that race too, and finished 2nd in 35:30. Will “Leopard” Longyear and Mark “Streaking” Silva started out together, but “Leopard” pulled away with a 39:09 to “Streaking’s” 39:48. Silva blamed the difference on age. But he got the last laugh with a 1st place finish in the 50’s versus Longyear’s 2nd in the 45’s (two more months to 50!). Dave “Galloping” Grethen bolted away from Marty “Flying” Friedman in the first mile, was nearly reeled in during the 5th mile, but eased away for a six-second “victory” with 43:36 versus 43:42. But “Flying” maintained his mastery of the Medicare Division with a 1st place standing. Jeff “Comeback” Fulton finished with a 46:31. And Marina “Sneaky” Sanchez finished in 1:04:44, two minutes faster than her first 10K, but her result was missing from the official finish (maybe she was just a blur at the finish line?).

In the Masters Mile, Mike “Comet” Cortez (recovered from the 5K) and Rich “Gusting” Gust were given the same time of 5:17, but I guess “Comet’s” toenails crossed the line first. They both held off the 1st female finisher, Tania Fischer. Chivalry guys???????? Kevin “Stealth” Farrington showed he is back, tearing through the pack to finish in about 5:34, just steps ahead of Chuck “Kamikazi” Kaminski, who continued his age graded stellar performances with an impressive 5:38. Ed “Air Mail” Avol claimed he has only been jogging at 8-minute mile pace (and only 4 or 5 miles a day), but somehow reeled off a 6:07. And Sharon “Smoking” Lotesto (of sexy white arm warmer fame) had a fast 6:46.

In the Open Mile, Humberto “Superman” Sanchez had a blistering 4:52, and was followed by Aaron “Meteor” Munger in the same time. “Meteor”claimed he could have beaten “Superman”, if he could get a decent night’s sleep (new baby in the house).

Congrats to all Club members who braved the multi-event, multi-parking, three-ring circus to race. Although we missed several of our usual performers, we had a great showing!

Marty Friedman

Corrine Schratz Goes Wire-to-Wire to Lead the Way 

Coach’s Handicap Race Results: 

(by Ed Avol, Cub Reporter)

On a beautiful Saturday morning in Malaga Cove (okay, a typical South Bay day), another installment of the venerated/cursed/admired/despised Coach’s Handicap Run was held. About 30 runners participated, and all of them made it back to the start/finish line. Runners left the starting gate over a 45-minute time frame, and in a rush to the finish, returned within a 9-minute window, so one might say there was a general sense of honest predictions and honest efforts on run day.

The six-plus-something course miles of scenic vistas, long straightaways, and occasional rises.bumps, hills, and mountains offered the running group an assortment of challenges. Thanks to the expert course marking of Mark Silva (and the ever-present smell of baby powder in the morning air), runners found the course easy to follow, if somewhat tougher to run. Corrine Schratz was first out the gate, and after a brief consult with the Coach, was given an extra five-minute head start, to try and equalize the racing field. As it turned out, Corrine exceeded her own expectations, and not only led the way out, but led the way in, finishing first in 75:50. Ninety seconds later, Jim O’Brien followed his bread crumbs back to the start, to confirm his steady return to racing form. Jim was chased to the finish line by Monyean Acuna, barely 8 seconds behind him and coming in strong…and then the thundering herd appeared.

Led by the amazing Debbie Richardson (on the comeback after knee surgery last year), the floodgates opened, and in the course of the next five minutes, another 24 runners barreled in, even though they had “given” each other up to a 30-minute headstart on the way out.

Both new club members and perennial favorites participated and celebrated in the event. Greg Buchbinder proudly led the “newbies” in, as the fifth runner to finish, just edging out Irene Mapua, who finished seven seconds behind him. In the “speedy” division, it was a hotly contested run. With venerated racer Jon Megeff down in San Diego breaking track records at the Police and Fire Games, Aaron Munger, Humberto Sanchez, Mark Shalvarjian, Chris DeWitt, and Rich Gust were in the hunt to make sure everyone worked. Among the group, notable honors went to Chris DeWitt, who held most of the racers off in impressive fashion. (This was Chris’ farewell of sorts, as he is moving to Sacramento; we will miss his speediness and friendship; best of luck, and drop in to run with us whenever you’re in town).

The run was not without some controversy, however, due to the usual last-minute handicap start adjustments. One of these adjustments led Course Director Mark Silva to change one entrant’s race name from “Rich Gust” to “Rich-lying-piece-of-…”, but it was all in good fun, and Rich–whatever-his-last-name-is finished strong.

Following the run, two tables of food and drink were shared by the runners, and assorted gag and gift awards were provided by Coach Ed and Diane Silva, our Awards Chief for the run. Thanks to all for attending, providing the food and drink, and participating in a fun club event…see you next year!

As 2012 draws to a close, Club Ed runners got together to celebrate another year of running, a season of holidays, and friendships developed on the track, in the hills, and on the roads. Steve and Cindy Notaro graciously opened their home to the club, and although it was occasionally drizzling/raining outside, the atmosphere inside was warm, welcoming, and festive. In addition to plenty of tacos and drinks, desserts were plentiful. Cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies of all recipes and calories were happily consumed.

Coach Ed also delivered several awards to commemorate the 2012 training year. The following runners, from among the many accomplished athletes in the group, were acknowledged:

Paul Cooney, for his dramatic improvement and multiple PRs in most every distance raced this year;

Chris DeWitt, for leading the charge to develop a track-oriented racing contingent and for leading the way at the El Toro USATF One Mile Run for the club;

Marian Drahnak, for PRs in 10Ks and half-marathons, and for showing us that racers come in different sizes, ages, and times of our lives;

Dave Grethen, for reminding us of the virtues of developing a training plan and sticking to it, and for returning to the Hometown10K and finishing on his own terms;

Nathalie Higley, for her return to racing and her domination in the MB10K; older can also mean faster!

Will Longyear, for showing us that even if you pick rainy marathons, you can still PR with determination;

Nicola Lowrey, for a year of ups and downs, triumphs and injuries, and for sticking to it…to better times ahead!

Bill Macleoud, for continuing to impress us all as a Masters athlete, as a tremendous competitor, and as an amazing tri-athlete;

Andy MacKay, for defining gritty determination in a continuing comeback from a terrible accident;

Jon Megeff, for continuing to remind us, by example, that Master athletes can be competitive, fast, and successful in their chosen sport for years and years;

Ian Mickelson, for living the competitive dream as a professional triathlete, that few will get a chance (or have the talent) to do;

Aaron Munger, for a year of racing accomplishments on the track and roads, including a lifetime one-mile PR at age 36!

Sue Reinhardt, for being a true running legend, and staying “Goofy” (racing in both the half and full marathons on consecutive days in the same weekend at the Disney Marathon);

Trish Riley, for transitioning from a treadmill runner to teammate, training partner, and road racer;

Tami Shalvarjian, for a year of ever-improving running, training, and racing, capped off with a marathon PR, despite the rain and wind!

Kevin Sullivan, for an inspirational comeback, from heart surgery in summer to the Ironman in Kona!

Marty Friedman, who continues to be, in many respects, a “conscience” for the club, challenging me to think about the entirety of the membership, the engagement and improvement of all levels of training and running.

To all of you amazing runners, congratulations on an impressive 2012 (albeit not without some injuries and might-have-beens)…on to 2013!

Photo Galleries on Facebook Steve Gaffney, Rich Gust

The first weekend in October was a benchmark, of sorts, for many Club Ed racers. The annual running of the Manhattan Beach Hometown 10K, to some, represents the culmination of a year of training and a chance to make amends for previous years’ results.

In 2012, the first October weekend also marked the running of: the Chicago Marathon, and Club Ed was there; the Long Beach Marathon, and Club Ed was there; the Santa Monica 5K/USATF Grand Prix Road Race, and Club Ed was there; the Hermosa Beach Triathlon, and Club Ed was there, too (…and we won’t even get into our presence at the Hometown Fair Beer Garden!).

Dozens of navy-blue racing jerseys, jog bras, and tech shirts heralded the participation of Club Ed racers through the streets of Manhattan Beach, for the 35th running of this popular event. Over 3730 runners finished, and many of the Divisional award winners were familiar club members MB 10K Results

Leading the way was Chris Tregellis (34:23, 7th OA) and Nathalie Higley (36:08, 13th OA). For Chris, the race was a vindication of a well-spent summer of runs that bode well for his upcoming track season. For Nathalie, it was her 11th win at Hometown, with a finish time (and racing panache) that continue to impress us all. In age-graded adjusted performance, Nathalie actually WON the race, posting an impressive 87.96%...and Nathalie and Chris were also the first Masters finishers, female and male respectively, in the race.

Hard-working (and Birthday Boy) Mark Shalvarjian celebrated his 50th by chasing son Tyler around the course. Though he missed catching Tyler by a few yards (37:39 vs. 37:31), the spritely pair dominated (by 10 minutes!) the Father-Son Division race.

Many other inspiring stories to tell for those who ran, so don’t be bashful – speak up…and Congratulations!

CHICAGO, CHICAGO…

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Sabina Helton (4:08), Trish Riley (4:08), Jason Zellen (4:09), Bill Weber (3:04), and Steve Weber (4:17) took to the streets on a brisk Chicago morning (race-time temps in the high 30s to mid 40s). All finished the race, demonstrating their determination to succeed. Club Ed training partner Rick Weis started off in a flash (74 minutes at the half), but succumbed to the cold and dropped out of the race a few miles later. To all who went, started, and achieved, we are impressed by your spirit; we will try to keep up with you in the coming months!

LONG BEACH CRUISES:

Several Club Ed runners were there, braving unexpectedly warm (high 70s) and humid conditions. Among them, Sam Dillman got off to a good start (1:30 at the half) but struggled in to finish in 3:18. Bryan Johnston paced through in 3:15, also fading a bit in the second half. Manny Reed warmed up with the Pre-race Bike Tour through Long Beach, got back and jumped into the half-marathon, finishing in 1:51. Mike Sevier made his return to racing with a noticeably impressive 1:17 half.

Santa Monica 5K/USATF Grand Prix Race: On a very busy weekend, sandwiched between marathons, 10Ks, and triathlons, several club members still managed to make it to the USATF Grand Prix race. This time, it was (once again) back in Santa Monica, for the 5K. Jon Megeff led our group in 16:36, good for 2nd Master and first in his age group (AG). Jim Newman recorded a respectable 21:40 (7th AG), and Karina Bird ran 21:50 (8th AG).

Too many great runs by all of you to list here; with apologies, see the respective race web-based results. Keep running, keep racing, and keep training – amaze your friends, and chase down (and pass) your competitors. 

Nathalie Higley Repeats as Women's Title for 11th Time (Easy Reader) 

Manhattan Beach Village Runner Race Registration Computers

Registering for the Manhattan Beach 10K has never been easier.  No longer do you have to fill out bubble sheets or sign any paperwork.  Registration is now all digital and easy to do.  Simply swipe your drivers license and swipe your credit card and you are done at one of these computer stations inside Village Runner Manhattan Beach.  The Manhattan Beach 10K also has no race registrations on the day of the race.  Friday, October 5th is the last day to register.

You still have the option of registering at Active.com up until Thursday, September 27th.  It will also cost you a small fee.   

I’m trying to decide how best to describe the Coach’s Handicap course, in words that are printable and postable…a challenging 10K? a scenic run? A wake-up call for the weekend?

However you describe it, over 30 club members and friends (well, they were friends before the run, at least) gathered in Malaga Cove on Saturday morning July 21 for the annual running of the Coach’s Handicap Race. On a course well-marked by Race Director Mark Silva, runners began leaving the starting line at 7:30am, based on their estimated current 10K time. All estimates were reviewed and “adjusted”, as necessary, by Race Official Jake Courtney, who was heard to say on more than one occasion – “That’s not your 10K time! That’s pure ^&$(#*! I don’t buy it. I’m giving you a new handicap start time…”

Unlike other races, the handicap race gives a headstart to those expecting to need a little more time to cover the course. Faster runners are intentionally held back, start last, and try to catch as many runners as possible. If the handicap estimates are accurate and everyone runs according as predicted, there should theoretically be one massive tie of all participants at the finish line….but that rarely happens.

Still, starting times varied by over 40 minutes…and the first finisher was only 8 minutes ahead of the last one. Afterwards, we enjoyed a potluck breakfast highlighted by lots of donuts, homemade entrees, and on-the-spot cooking by Mark Shalvarjian.

Emily Anderson (and son Owen) were first across the finish line, winning both the baby jogger division and the race. They were followed, not quite two minutes later, by Sean Ryan, pushing son Casey in their baby jogger (so maybe the course favors baby joggers?). Shortly thereafter, the street began to fill with runners stumbling in, one after the other.

In addition to overall race winners Anderson and Ryan, awards were presented for the finishing closest to predicted time (Diane Silva, within 1 second! Corrine Schratz, within 15 seconds; Chris DeWitt, within 11 seconds), getting lost or running off the course (Francis Calub, who attempted a right turn within 100m of the start though the course was straight ahead (a city sign was posted that said “Keep to the Right”, so he did!)), working hard (Karina Bird, who earned a bag of Jelly Bellies to get that sugar high), and making it look too easy (Jim Newman, who went home with a National Lampoon’s “Vacation” DVD). ..and we awarded Marcio a toy clock to learn how to more accurately read time (his prediction and estimation was way slower than his actual run).

All in all, a fun time was had by all, we got in a good workout, and nobody got lost (not even Sharon!). Congratulations to all, and see you next year for the 2013 ed-ition!

Coach's HCP 10K results 7/21/2012
Runner's Name	Actual Finish Time	Submitted 10K Estimate	Assigned HCP Start	Actual Run Time	Awards
Emily Anderson	69:16:00	51:31	23.29	45:47:00	1st female
Sean Ryan	71:05:00	51:31	23.29	47:36:00	1st male
Marcio	71:33:00		27:30	44:03:00	(way off on hcp time - awarded a play clock)
Hermosa Chuck	71:40:00	46:00	29.00	42:40:00
Mike Kraemer	73:53:00	42:00	35.00	38:53:00
Alison Atkinson	74:06:00		29:30	44:24:00
Joe Robinson	74:37:00	43:00	35.00	39:37:00
Bryan Johnston	74:42:00	44:00	31.00	43:42:00
Diane Silva	75:00:00	45:30	29.30	45:30:00	closest predicted (1 sec)
Chris DeWitt	75:11:00	38:00	37.30	37:30:00	closest predicted (11 sec)
Corrine Schratz	75:15:00	75:00	0.00	75:00:00	closest predicted (15 sec)
Sharon Lotesto	75:15:00	53:00	25.00	50:15:00
Mark Townes	75:17:00	48:00	27.00	48:17:00
Sal Dimatteo	75:18:00	44:00	31.00	44:18:00
Tami Shalvarjian	75:41:00	45:45	31.30	44:11:00
Julia Fretschi	75:48:00	57:00	18.00	57:18:00
Humberto Sanchez	75:48:00	35:15	39.45	35:57:00
Rich Gust	76:04:00	37:45	37.15	38:49:00
Jim Newman	76:10:00	47:00	29.00	47:10:00	just cruisin' - Vacation DVD
Steve Notaro	76:10:00	44:00	31.00	45:10:00
Jason Zellen	76:15:00	46:00	29.00	47:15:00
Karina Bird	76:19:00	48:00	27.00	49:19:00	bonk relief (worked hard) - jelly bellies
Francis Calub	76:19:00	41:36	33.24	42:54:00	1st to get lost (went off-course in first 100m!) - trail mix
Pat Saraceno	76:33:00	47:00	28.00	48:33:00
Sam Dillman	76:34:00	38:40	36.20	40:05:00
Mihaela David	76:50:00	48:30	26.30	50:20:00
Jim Torii	76:52:00	43:00	32.00	44:52:00
Andy McKay	77:05:00		18.00	59:05:00
Tricia Ryan	77:15:00	53:40	21.20	55:55:00

Looking for any excuse to avoid the Coach's Handicap Race (not really), our own Jon Megeff travelled to Pasadena to compete in the regional Masters Track and Field Championship. Here's how it went, in Jon's own words:

"It was the USATF Masters West Region Championships, a two day event (Saturday and Sunday). The event wasn't on my radar or calendar, until Paul (Cooney) sent me an email about it several months ago. He mentioned that the meet record for the 10,000 meters in my AG was set back in 1977, and in his words, "it was time to be broken.". I went to the website and noticed the record was 34:38; reachable indeed considering I ran 34:11 at Super Bowl Sunday. And I don't count last year's 32:58 at Dana Point, because that course was short. So I went out there and toed the line on Saturday at 7:00 am with a sparse field of only five or so other runners, but my focus was really on the clock anyways. After the gun went off, I quickly opened with a 77 on my first quarter but then settled into my pace and ran even 5:30s for the first two miles. I fell off the pace on mile three and struggled over the next two miles, causing me to doubt if I would be able to get the record. With 800 to go, I took a look at the clock and realized I would need a sub 2:30 to get it. I'm not sure what my last 800 split was, but my last 400 was a 71 and I crossed the line in 34:34, beating the old record by 4 seconds. Before I left, I had a conversation with the Meet Director who told me about the previous record holder, Jerry Smartt, who had been an Olympian. A Google search confirmed Jerry Smartt was an alternate in the 10,000 at the 1956 Olympics in Australia. Jerry continued to run and race Masters well into his 80s, and until his death in June of this year."

Out of modesty, what Jon doesn't point out is that he ran virtually alone the whole way, lapping the rest of the field several times in the course of the race! Impressive to break a meet record that has stood for over 30 years, and even more impressive to do it on your own...Congratulations, Jon!


Coach Ed

Brea 8K USATF So Cal Grand Prix Championship Series
Sunday, February 26

The Brea 8K Classic presented by the Brea Mall will be part of the USA Track and Field-Southern California Association Road Running Grand Prix Championship series. This is the third consecutive year the Brea 8K will be part of this popular event.

The fastest USATF members, one male and one female, will receive a special award presented by USATF-SCA. Additionally, finishers in first, second, third, fourth and fifth place in the two youngest divisions will receive USATF medals.

As part of the championship series, all USATF runners receive $5 off early registration. For more information on the grand prix, visit www.scagrandprix.org.

Club Ed Members will be coordinating a carpool drive to Brea around 6AM on Sunday. 

6:30AM - Late registration/packet pick-up
8:00AM - Brea 8K Classic
9:15AM - Kids' 1K Fun Run
10AM - Awards

In a show of sustained strength, flexibility, and depth, racers from Club Ed Running completed the 2011 USATF Gran Prix Road Racing Series at the top. For the second year in a row, our runners captured first place in the five-race series, over distances from one mile to marathon, from Brentwood to La Brea. Thirty-six teammates participated during the ten months of races, and when the final race finished at Dana Point on Thanksgiving Day, Club Ed remained the club champion, with 21592 points accrued over the races. (Points are awarded at each race on an age-graded performance basis, with the best five [of nine pre-selected] races scored from each club counting, with the highest five scorers counting from each club in a given race, and with five races needed for Gran Prix eligibility). Second place (20961 points) went to The Janes from Santa Monica (led by Individual Gran Prix Champion Tania Fischer) and Cal Coast Track Club (20833 points) from Orange County (coach Bill Sumner’s talented team). As a team, Club Ed finished first in four of the Gran Prix road races, and in a fifth one at (the Brea 8K), was denied first place by nine points.

In the individual Gran Prix competition, our runners were no less impressive. Among 530 Gran Prix participants, ageless Jon Megeff finished second behind the seemingly uncatchable Dale Campbell of Compex Racing, and an ever-determined Rich Gust was a close third. Humberto Sanchez (6th) and Steve Notaro (7th) helped to make it a competitive top ten in the men’s racing group.

In the Women’s Division, Alison Atkinson earned second place behind the indomitable Tania Fischer, with Sue Reinhardt capturing 5th and Karina Bird in 7th. Monetary awards will be made to the first five finishers, and the awards will be presented at the first of the 2012 Gran Prix Series events (still to be named).

Congratulations and thanks to all team racers who trained, raced, and supported the group effort…anyone up for a three-peat?

On a picture-perfect October 1st California morning, the 34th Annual Manhattan Beach 10K kicked off the Hometown Fair weekend. In impressive fashion, almost 70 Club Ed runners competed, and over the 6+ miles of neighbors, hills, turns, and Strand, they paced, raced, chased, and faced their competitors, friends, and team members in the perennial end-of-the-season race. 

The overall race was won by Tito Lezama, from El Camino JC, in a time of 31:51. Club Ed racers in the Top 10 included Mike Sevier (6th), Humberto Sanchez (7th), and Jon Megeff (8th). The women’s race saw history being made, as our own Nathalie Higley made it 10 Hometown 10K wins, this one in 36:51. Club members chasing chasing Nathalie in the Top 10 were Alison Atkinson (2nd), Emily Anderson (3rd), Tamar Gamliel (5th), Annie Seawright-Newton (8th), and Kaci Bathurst (10th).  See full team results below and complete MB10K race results here.

Jon Megeff continued to impress as he has at virtually every race this year, finishing in a new PR and showing he is ready for a breakout effort at the Chicago Marathon on Oct 9th. Alison Atkinson took home the First Manhattan Beach Resident Female Finisher again this year. Many of our racers teamed up with sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers to win or place in the assorted team competitions as well. Year-long grudges were settled, new ones were started, and bragging rights were established until next year’s race.

The new club uniforms were eye-catching and impressive, as groups of team members ran in packs, lines, and pursuit teams across the course. True to form and directive, most helped each other until the Strand, at which point ruthless racing generally broke out for the big finish at the Manhattan Pier. Many were happy about their race, some were rueful, a few were dejected…but all are to be commended for a great effort.

One of our own (Dave Grethen) succumbed to heat exhaustion in the latter stages of the race, but some much-appreciated help from the paramedics and lifeguards carefully monitoring the race course helped Dave back to a more even keel (and we are happy to report that Dave was fine after the race; a huge THANKS to the Emergency Responders). Other team members who did not compete, by choice or due to injury, helped to line the course and cheer on their teammates. Following the race, much of the race strategy was de-constructed during several hours of technical review in the Beer Garden at the Fair…and many more hours of review are sure to take place.

Congratulations to you all on a great run, on a challenging course, on a warm day in Manhattan Beach...and on to the next race!  Thanks again to Rich Gust & Vicki for taking photos during the race.   See more race photos on Facebook.

Scores To Be Settled at the MB 10K on October 1st

As Coach of the club, a key objective has been to motivate you all to achieve. Thus, I was surprised during a recent Saturday run when one of the club members mentioned how surprised he was that with only a few weeks to go to the Hometown 10K, there really hadn’t been much trash-talking leading up to the race…

SO LISTEN UP! The Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair 10K (now in its 34th edition) has historically been the line in the sand, the moment of truth, the proof of the pudding, the ... (well,you get the picture).

It is the race where nothing is at stake…except your pride, your performance in front of your neighbors, the settling of that grudge between you and that person that has no business beating you, your chance to set the record straight, to make a statement for the next year…so get ready to rumble!

We are opening up a blog for taunts, challenges, predictions, “motivational comments” for that 07:30 starting gun on Saturday October 1st when you need to show me what you’ve got!

I know there is a lot of pent-up talk out there, so use your words…write it out…here…now.