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May 8, 2008

Jerry Musco Memorial 8K Run and 2-Mile Walk set for June 8

Milt Schumacher offers some compelling reasons for runners to circle June 8 on their calendars:

SHOULD YOU DO THE MUSCO?

Road racing. If you are a serious runner, you are likely to unfold a large yearly calendar early in January and start filling in weekends with race names and locations that you would like to “do” over the coming 12 months, subject to changes as the year advances forced upon you by such things as: short term weather forecasts, injury, or where your running buddies are racing on any particular weekend. By year’s end, the races listed in your running log may look nothing like your “January calendar”, and you may reflect on which races actually fit neatly into your January Do List goals.

Every road race, be it in Rhode Island or elsewhere, has something of unique value to offer us as runners (or walkers). Each of us are unique, as well, and it is a valuable exercise to spend a little thought in making the right choice at the right time when converting our “do list” into an actual race registration. When it comes to considering a new event other than your same old did it last year race, look carefully for clues (on the application or the race website or anecdotal word of mouth testimony) that help to reveal the heart and soul of the event; why should you DO that race? Are you up for another “flat and fast 5K”, another “supersize production” that creates kind of a Boston Marathon without the pain atmosphere, another try at taking a second off your 5K personal best finish time set before the reign of George II. Perhaps you are and that may be the perfect choice for you right now. If not, read on…

So, why should you “Do the Musco”? If you have noticed the race flyer, you know it’s called the Jerry Musco 8K Run / 2 Mile Walk, will start at 9 AM from Lincoln High School, and also offers shorter Kids races on the nearby track. Because the race evolved from two separate events, the proceeds go to two charities: Project Learn Adult and Family Literacy (www.projectlearn.org), and the Jerry Musco Memorial Scholarship. (more about the scholarship, Jerry Musco, and the race at www.rirr.org). But wait, there’s much more…

This is one of the sponsored races of the Rhode Island Road Runners, RI’s largest running club (so there should be enough of them so you will never feel alone on this challenging course). Did I say challenging? It is RI, and Lincoln being far from the coast (by RI standards) and the course, being chosen for its distance and other attractions, just happens to NOT be flat and fast. Why 8K? RI is full of 5K’s, a splattering of 10K’s and at least one 15K, but I am unaware of another 8K offered. This deliberate choice (only .03 miles less than 5 miles) is a clue to its other unique offerings. The hills alluded to above happen to be two (the remainder is flat and perhaps fast if you can recover from the hills), the second requiring the most discretion on ascending during mile four. Jacques Benun, the RI Rhode Runner who designed the course, calls the scenic loop around Kirkbrae CC the roller coaster of RI road racing. Enjoy the ride.

Just a couple of more reasons to Do The Musco: We unabashedly declare this race to be the RI 8K Club Championship. The challenge goes out to all area running clubs and running teams to send their best on June 8th. Open teams of three will be scored on total time and at least one team will receive an award in addition to the bragging rights as champions. In future years, we hope to expand the awards as well as encourage other clubs to offer Club Championships for other race distances. Need I mention the RIRR are known for their post race parties as much as for their love of the run: plenty of Ronzio Pizza, awards, raffles prizes…

Lastly, I encourage you to think about why you choose the races you choose, what do you know about their causes, their history, what is it that makes a race unique. Go to the websites above to discover more about who was Jerry Musco, what is Project Learn, how is this important to you. Do The Musco

Milt Schumacher, co-director, the Jerry Musco 8K Run / 2 Mile Walk

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 5, 2008

Your turn: How did you think the Cox Providence Rhode Races went?

Calling all runners and walkers who participated in the Cox Providence Rhode Races! How did it go yesterday? What did you like about the 5K, half-marathon and marathon - depending on which one you ran - and what are your suggestions for how next year's event could be better?

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

Race to remember Doyle in the works

Circle your calendars. Although the details are still being finalized, friends of Bobby Doyle are in the process of organizing a road race in memory of the late great marathoner. The Bobby Doyle 5-Mile Summer Classic will be held on Aug. 16 in Narragansett.

Proceeds from the race are tentatively planned to go to a scholarship fund to benefit a male and female high school runner.

More details to come . . . . . . .

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Team in Training goes the distance at Cox Providence Rhode Races

Twenty-two official Team in Training members and another 40 to 50 TNT alumni participated in yesterday's Cox Providence Rhode Races, helping the Rhode Island chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society meet its goal of raising more than $400,000 this year, which will be used to help find a cure for blood-related cancers.

Among the runners was Susan Ahlborg, 37, of Narragansett, who ran her first half-marathon in honor of longtime friend Stephen Gordon, who lost his battle with cancer just last week.

``I couldn't have done this without them,'' Ahlborg said of Team in Training, shortly after crossing the finish line in 2:45:44. ``Doing the runs with everyone else, you can go the 13, the 15. Next year, I'll definitely do the full (marathon).''

Journal photo/Carolyn Thornton
Susan Ahlborg

The Rhode Island chapter of Team in Training, which is coached by Jim Doyle (runners) and Michael Hoffer (walkers), will now begin training for the Maine Marathon in Portland, Me. on Oct. 5 and the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on Oct. 19, as well as the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 14 and the Seacoast Century ride in Hampton Beach, N.H. on Sept. 20.

Informational meetings will be held:
May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of R.I., 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence
May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick
May 8 at 6 p.m. at the Newport Athletic Club, 66 Valley Rd., Middletown
May 10 at 10 a.m. at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Office, 1150 Pontiac Ave., Cranston
May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library, 145 Old River Rd., Lincoln
May 13 at 6 p.m. at the Narragansett Public Library, 35 Kingstown Rd., Narragansett
May 15 at 6 p.m. at Dave and Buster's, Providence Place Mall

Cox Sports Marathon wheelchair winner: Jason Pisano

The only wheelchair participant at yesterday's Cox Providence Rhode Races, West Warwick’s Jason Pisano, who travels backward propelling himself with his left foot, completed his second marathon in two weeks and his 43rd overall, winning the Cox Sports Marathon with a time of 7:52.

Cox Sports Marathon women's winner: Alyson Venti

Alyson Venti made her first marathon in the states a memorable one. A grad student studying oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, the 25-year-old Boston native took the women’s title at yesterday's Cox Sports Marathon in 3:01:02.

``I guess I kind of went out kind of fast. I was a little bit worried because there were so many people on the line. The last marathon I ran had 15 people in it,’’ said Venti, who twice ran the Fiji Bula Marathon while she was in the Peace Corps. ``It got off okay, but I started feeling kind of tired at mile 19 or so. But I just tried to stay with it.’’

Cox Sports Marathon men's winner: Blaine Moore

The Cox Sports Marathon represented Blaine Moore’s 13th marathon in his 12th state, but more importantly, it marked his first victory. Finishing no higher than seventh (at the 2005 Mystic Places Marathon) in his previous attempts, the 28-year-old Portland, Me. resident won yesterday’s 26.2-mile event of the Cox Providence Rhode Races in 2:43:28, finishing a minute and 10 seconds ahead of Chris Schulten, 36, of Middlefield, Conn.

``Within about a mile or so, I met up with a guy named Devin Jones,’’ said Moore, a member of the Dirigo Racing Club. ``He was running his first one and was hoping to do about the same pace, so I ran with him for about 16 miles. . . . . I just kind of pulled away from there; his knee was bothering him a little bit. And then I was just reeling in the guy that was in front, and as you’re coming along that bike path along the river, there’s a little hill before you get off of it, and he just started walking near the top of that and I caught him and I was just with the bikers from then on.’’

Willow Tree Half Marathon women's winner: Madeleine Marecki

Madeleine Marecki far surpassed her expectations in her half-marathon debut, running almost 2 minutes faster than she had hoped to run and winning the women’s crown in the process at yesterday's Cox Providence Rhode Races Willow Tree Half Marathon.

Journal photo/Carolyn Thornton
Madeleine Marecki

``I started out slow. My first mile was like 6:55, and I was doing 6:40s for a while,’’ said the recent Brown grad, who makes her home in New Canaan, Conn. ``But then at the 5-mile mark, I took the lead and I felt good and I’m like, `I’ll just go for it and see what I can do.’ And I ended up running like under 6:10s for a lot of the miles. I just felt good and I just surprised myself.’’

Willow Tree Half Marathon men's winner: Sean Livingston

For the last several years, Sean Livingston has been helping the men’s and women’s track and cross country runners at Roger Williams University enjoy plenty of success, and yesterday it was his turn, as the Hawks’ coach grabbed first place in the Willow Tree Half Marathon of the Cox Providence Rhode Races.

With young daughters, Abigail and Caroline, waiting excitedly to congratulate him, Livingston crossed the finish line in 1:12:07, nearly 3 minutes ahead of runner-up Jonathan Blocker of Tallahassee, Fla.

Journal photo/Carolyn Thornton
Caroline, Sean and Abigail Livingston

``The first mile was a little slower than I thought effort-wise, so I tried to pick it up a little bit after that,’’ said Livingston, 39, of Barrington. ``(I was) pretty much was by myself the whole first of the way, so it was a little bit of a struggle to maintain the pace I was hoping for, but it was OK.’’

New Balance 5K women's winner: Brandee Boice

Although she didn’t meet her target time of 18:10, Brandee Boice was still more than fast enough to take top honors among the women in the New Balance 5K at yesterday's Cox Providence Rhode Races, winning by well over a minute with her time of 18:47.

Journal photo/Carolyn Thornton
Brandee Boice

``I wanted to do a lot better than what I did, but it’s OK,’’ said the 32-year-old who hails from Weston, Mass. and competes for the New Balance Boston Running Club. ``It’s my first race back in probably about a year, and I’ve some (knee) injuries a couple of months ago, so I’ve only been training workouts for six weeks or so.’’