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   

2014 REDONDO MIDSUMMER NIGHT ALL COMERS TRACK MEETS 

Redondo Union High School 

Thursdays, July 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 2014

ALL AGES CAN COMPETE * FAT Finish Lynx Automatic Timing * 
COST: $5.00 UNLIMITED ENTRY for ATHLETES 
 (FREE for SPECTATORS AND COACHES)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS * MEET STARTS AT 6:00 PM

Running Events Order (Females followed by males) 

 4 X 100 METER RELAY 

 1600 METERS 

 100/110 METER HIGH HURDLES 

 400 METERS 

 100 METERS 

 800 METERS 

 300 METER HURDLES 

 200 METERS 

 3200 METERS 

 4 X 400 METER RELAY (Co-ed teams will be allowed)

Field Events 

 (Females followed by males unless otherwise stated) 

 LONG JUMP (6pm start–3 jumps–Open Pit–closes at 7:00-Boys and girls start at the same time in 2 pits) 

 POLE VAULT (6pm start-start at 6’ and raised every 6”) 

 HIGH JUMP (6pm start-start at 3’6” and raised every 2”)

*Ribbons to the top three in each event.
 3/16” PYRAMID SPIKES ARE REQUIRED (on sale at the meet)

LOCATION: Redondo Union High School, 1 Sea Hawk Way, Redondo Beach, Calif. 90277 

CHECK IN: Begins at 5pm. Pay at athlete registration for a wristband and then compete in as many events as you would like to.

 PARKING: Free parking is available in the student parking lot (Del Amo & Diamond Street) or on streets around the school. Please pay attention to permit parking signs on some of the surrounding streets.

ATMOSPHERE: Come enjoy the beautiful summer Redondo Beach nights at the track under the lights. Fun music will be playing, compete for a vintage ribbon and see what’s new with local and big brand booth set ups.

 CONTACT: Meet director at redondotrackinvite@gmail.com

Olympic Trials - June 22 - July 1 2012
Eugene, Oregon - Hayward Field

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.

Club Ed Racers Let the Good Times Roll in Irvine

On a hot but breeze-free Sunday morning, the Club Ed racing team travelled to the Great Park of Orange (formerly the El Toro Marine Air Base), for the 2nd Annual USATF Road Mile Championships. Last year’s event was a real novelty, and this year was even more festive, with more runners and teams participating. The event is run on the tarmac of a former airport flight path, and the course is a one-mile straightaway series of races, run in heats by age and sex (with a few Elite races thrown in).

Our competitive brethren (The Janes, Cal Coast, TCLA, the Equalizers, Compex Racing, Snail’s Pace, and several others were all there to race, and race they did. Our group of 13came to race, too… (and I can already see I am going to have a problem with superlatives)…

The fastest time of the day was turned in by Christian Heche, a regional running star, blazing to a 4:01 mile to win the Elite Open race. No less impressive was Christian Cushing-Murray (43 years’ training), who won the Elite Masters in 4:17.

We were led by Joe Robinson, who followed up his recent Silva Bros Mile victory with a new personal best of 4:21. To make his run even more impressive, Joe negative split his race, running several seconds faster in the last quarter to close with strength and determination…and he had to be moving, because two more of our speedsters – Jon Megeff and Humberto Sanchez – were chasing Joe to the finish. Jon PRed in 4:33, and Humberto showed he is back in training, closing in 4:39 (official time was 4:40, but I believe in Humberto). Rich Gust (2011 USATF Masters’ Marathon Champ, oft-noted 2nd place finisher (according to USATF), and chocolate chip cookie lover), crossed the finish line in an impressive 4:54, holding off his nemesis, the amazing Tania Fisher of the Janes. To round out our five-minute performers, Will Longyear (rapidly recovering from a turned ankle just two Saturdays ago) logged in at 5:00.09 (guess we need to work on his finishing lunge).

Coach Ed continued his 2011 Return-To-Racing Tour, with a stiff but encouraging 5:39 (who knew a mile could be so long?). Dave Grethen rounded out our men’s entrants with an impressive 5:48, once again demonstrating that he is ever improving and better than he thinks.

Our women were no less impressive... Nathalie Higley made it clear she is back and racing, clocking in at 5:02. Alison Atkinson, fresh in from a Taylor Swift concert (okay, it was for her daughter Lucy’s birthday), blitzed through in 5:12. New club member Kaci Bathurst made her team racing debut, running 5:35 in the Women’s 18-39 race. Our favorite competitive chiropractor, Tamar Gamliel, stepped down in distance and up in speed to work her way to 5:43. Karina Bird, who we haven’t seen enough of lately, showed she hasn’t just been sitting around, finishing in 6:13. In one of the more impressive Club Ed performances of the day, Sabine Helton set a PR by almost a minute (!), sprinting to a 6:35 finish (so consider that a knock on the door to the front training group at the track). To close us out in strong fashion, our Master Masters Sue Reinhardt crossed the line in 7:28, several seconds faster than last year’s effort and showing her competitive range (as she moves into the Disney Marathon weekend next week).

USATF age-adjusted results will take a few weeks to post, but we are looking good! Congrats to all; On to the Long Beach Half on October 9th, to lock in the 2011 Club Road Racing Championship Title!

Mark Silva vs Paul Silva
Wednesday, August 10 @ 6pm

6:00 - Track warm up
6:30 - All out mile for time
6:45 - 1 mile fun run
7:30 - Round table pizza
RSVP on Facebook