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Lacrosse exists but runners do 50 k's in their 50's
By JOE SHAFRAN
Without a doubt, later this spring, the people who head for Ocean City for senior week, (don’t resist the scopes) will not have to contend with snow as runners did last Saturday for the half and full marathon. And the snow, sleet and north wind did slow Michael Wardian of Arlington, Virginia, who repeated as the marathon winner, with a time of 2:41:20. The second place runner was 15 minutes behind him. Wardian, who usually does the 26.2 miles in about 2 hours and 20 minutes told me that the weather was a factor for everyone. He did it last year in 2:33:20... At the Broadneck High School field last Saturday, they had pushed the snow to the sidelines so the lacrosse tournament could go on. I stopped by to see our grandson, the senior varsity co-captain and attack of the Madison High, Fairfax County, team. Earlier on Saturday, I heard Paul McMullen, a native of this area, and now the Baltimore Sun sports reporter and published author, say on a radio talk show that lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country. I questioned that but at Broadneck, our daughter and her husband heard my question and pointed to the field at their son Max, leading his squad against Mount Hebron, and asked if I didn’t recall his playing organized lacrosse since he was in the second grade; and that today it’s not unusual for kids to get started in kindergarten. They then asked me how many 7 year olds run distance races? This fastest growing subject may have come into my head last week when I read Ron Bowman’s Strider Stuff newsletter telling that the Striders actually had to arrange a charter bus to take 35 people to the HAT 50K run at Susquehanna State Park near Havre de Grace a few weekends ago. The HAT 50 is an ultra-marathon, which in my mind was groundbreaking and to me another indication that running is already of age and growing exponentially. When I was in touch with Bowman, he reminded that many of those at the HAT were merely warming up for the 111th Boston Marathon (7th annual half) this coming Monday and he was good enough to mention some of those going to run it. One, Maria Nica Shields of Davidsonville, has the good fortune of qualifying for Boston in most every marathon she runs, and that’s usually 3 and ½ hours .At the HAT, for Shields and the others, it was a 6 hour or more trek over trails, sometimes through water. Some of Shield’s Boston running partners from here will be Holly Marcum, Tom Dekornfel and Mike Higgins. Bowman also mentioned Laurel Bell, Kerri Reilly and first timers Patricia Hicks and Jeff Carlson. Also running Boston for the first time is Kelly Gonzalez, a St. Mary’s graduate, a student at Johns Hopkins University, an exercise columnist for the student newspaper and a personal trainer at the Merritt Athletic Club in Annapolis. She told me she is not a bit concerned about making it up the fabled Heartbreak Hill at the 20 mile mark. The races start this year at 10 A.M.
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This coming week is a momentous one. Not only is there the 111th. running of the Boston on Monday (7th year for the half marathon), but this Sunday (the 15th) marks the 30th year of daily running for our Runner of The Week, Annapolis lawyer, Gill Cochran, who is passing up Boston, but who is one of the founders of the internationally famous 6:06 Club, the group that runs the streets of Annapolis every weekday morning. The “sixers” were featured a couple of years ago on “Good Morning, America. Cochran is so revered by the group that they refer to him as “Leader, Sir”. His running started three years after he returned from Viet Nam when he vowed to go from one addiction to another as he calls it. He calls himself a recovering alcoholic who gave up drinking 33 years ago, and three years later, on April 15th started his daily running .His daily routine is a distance run, rain or shine, home or away, sick or well. A couple of winters ago, someone actually checked on his boast when Annapolis was hit with a 21 inch snowfall when absolutely nothing was moving. Cochran, who lives in downtown Annapolis, was spotted running the nearby decks of the Hillman parking garage, singing the Marine Hymn.
The race of the week was last week. It’s the Cherry Pit run held at the Central/South River School complex at Edgewater. While the eyes of the world of running were focused on the Cherry Blossom ten miler in Washington that day, there was this dedicated Annapolis Strider group, undaunted, using the slogan “they got the blossoms, we got the pits” that fielded a goodly number of runners perhaps some who did not luck out for the one with blossoms.
The Hint of the week comes from Kelly Gonzalez’ column in the recent edition of the Newsletter at Johns Hopkins titled “Busy Bodies”. Her hint goes for people working out as well as running and is for those who use an I-pod . Make a play list using slower songs at the beginning to warm up as well as at the end to cool down. Use faster, longer songs for moderate intensity and your favorite fast pump-up songs for those short high-intensity intervals.
Race Results
Cherry Pit 10 miler
Sunday April 1st Edgewater, 312 Finishers
Scott Koehler,23, 57. 2. Nick Vandel.19, 57:56:909. 3. Kevin Ringelstein, 22, 57:56:90. 4. Charles Powell, 41, 58:52.5. Steve Kirk, 39, 59.47. 6.Lain Banks, 29, 1:14 7. Jacob Montoya , 22, 1.00:29.8. Scott Urbashick,21, 1:01:56. 9. Dr.Tom Hattar,45, 1:01:47. 10.Maurice Pointer, 51, 1:01:20. First Female,#37, Brittney Rocks, 13, 1:06:39. Second Female, Sheryl Kline, 44, 1:06:36. Walser men from Lusby. Dave Jr. 25, 1:07:17 # 44. Dave Sr 48, #78, 1:12:# 42.
Joe Cannon, 5k
Harmans Park, Hanover, March 24th , nearly 200 ran.
1.Scott Koehler,23, 16:24. 2. Robert Marino, 49, 17:04.3, Matt Galety, 18, 17:38.4. Collin Wojciechowski, 15, 19:01. 5. Eric Scott. 38, 19:01. 6. John Gygax, 43, 19:21.7. Marc Edwards, 43, 19:32.8. Sheryl Kline, 44, 19:47. 9.Dave Schwalbe,31,21;22. 10.Josh Hecht, 23, 21:25.
Running Calendar
Sat. April 14, 8:30 A.M. Tiger Trot, Edgewater. Central Elementary School, 5K Run/Walk
Contact president@mvcentralpta.org
Sat. April 21, 8:30.A.M. Bates Track, Spa Rd. Annapolis, The Striders bring back the 2 mile track run… Contact Dan Masterson 410.293.6296
Sat.April 21, 8;30 A.M., Quiet Waters Park , Annapolis, 13th Annual Sierra Club Earthday 5k Run and Walk. Contact David Prosten , Days, 410.626.1400, Nights. 410.263.6341
Sat. April 28, 8AM Bates Jr High track, Annapolis. Striders 2007 Beginning Running Program . also Tues. and Thurs. at 6 P.M. Call Evan or Penny 410.721.6614. Must be able do a brisk 20 minute walk.
Sat.April 28, 9 A.M., Severna Park, Severn School ,Inaugural APA, Salute the Legends 5K and Fun Run for the late Coach Jim Doyle . Call Ellen Humphries Ponder 410.279.2645
Sun. April 29, Aleph Bet Jewish Day School, Spa Rd., Annapolis, 8 A.M 5K Run/Walk Call the school at 410.263.9044
Sun. April 29, Indian Creek School, Crownsville 8:30 A.M. The David A. Nagey Caring for Kids 5k run and walk. Contact Ramsey Alexander at 410.263.4295
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If you have a suggestion for the runner of the week,
please e-mail me with a contact number.
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