The Weekly Log: March 29-April 4, 2010

As father and son, we share a similar passion for the sport of running and wanted to share some worthy accomplishments and news from the past week in our local world. Enjoy!

-Mark Lorenzoni (on the run since 1973) and Alec Lorenzoni (running since 1999)


The Weekly Race Report

Not much to report in the world of local racing this past weekend, as the only road race in the area was the Zeta Tau Alpha Run for Life 5K, which is held annually on the UVA grounds course to raise money for breast cancer and typically has around 500 finishers (no results available yet for this year's edition). In other action, the UVA track and field team traveled south to compete at the Raleigh Relays, while the area high schoolers enjoyed one more week of training before April arrives and the spring outdoor season begins in earnest.

The highlight of this past weekend was probably in Lexington at the Washington & Lee Track Carnival, where several RMR athletes took to the track for the first time this spring. Racing for the first time in a RMR singlet was former VMI standout Donnie Cowart, who ran to an easy victory in the 3000 meter steeplechase, his time of 9:01.66 just missing his goal of 9:00-flat. Last year, Cowart was an All-American steeplechaser at VMI, where he holds the school record of 8:44.66 in the event. In the men's 1500, Mike Hendry's 3:51.57 clocking led a 1-2-3 sweep of the event for RMR as two former UVA greats Alex Tatu and Kevin Tschirhart followed closely in 3:52.60 and 3:52.61. Capping the evening off was Thomas Adam, whose time of 14:49.46 in the 5000 meters was good enough for 3rd overall and a big personal best, as the UVA graduate student cracked the 15:00 barrier for the first time!

Blue Ribbons To...

Local trail speedsters Eliza O'Connell, Sophie Speidel and Hallie Hegemier, who scored impressive outings at The Terrapin Mountain Trail races outside Bedford last Saturday. O'Connell led the ENTIRE half marathon field for most of the race and ended up finishing second overall (first female) in a blazing time of 2:05 over this steep mountainous course. Speidel finished atop the masters leader board in the 50K, as she clocked a stellar 5:53. She was followed by training partner Hegemier, who scored a big personal beset of 6:47.
Go to Sophie's blog for photos and a complete report.

Mark Hampton, who ran a big personal best of 40:50, and was among several dozen local runners who weaved their way in and round over 32,000 other racers en route to excellent times at The Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond last Saturday. Other times of note were turned in by the following locals: Diana Burk, Chris Samley, Harold Smith, Kase Lazur, Becky Keller, Joseph Strukl, Katie Goode, Kevin Wells, David Zirkle, Stewart Ackley, Madelyn Saunders, Jennifer Tucker, Fernando Dizon, Margaret Murphy and Dean Johnson to name just a few.

Father/Son Running Tandem of the Week...

(As father and son we've enjoyed many memorable running times together all over the world over the years,so we thought it would be fun to recognize a father/son running team each week)

Vic Schiller and twin sons Ben and Adam are quite the running trio. The boys are sophomores at Western Albemarle high school, where they have excelled on the cross country and track teams under Coach Lindy Bain's guidance. Ben had a great cross country season this past fall which included a 3rd place finish at the Jefferson District Meet and a huge personal best of 16:03 for 5K at the Footlocker South meet, where he was 3rd in the sophomore race. In the same race, Adam finished in a PR of 17:12 and wrapped up a great cross country season where his big improvements led to him toeing the line with the varsity seven for several races. Adam also has the tough task of splitting his training time with WAHS pole vault coach Kevin Matheny, who has turned him into one of the area's better vaulters (PR of 11'0"). Meanwhile, Dad (and Mom) has taken a liking to long distance running and he will be competing in the Ten Miler this Saturday.

In the Starting Blocks...

The area's oldest and most prestigious foot race, The Charlottesville Ten Miler, will fire it's starting gun outside the McCue Center and JPJ at 7:45am this Saturday. Close to 3,000 folks are expected to do battle with the famous hills at the 35th running of this legendary CTC event.

As coaches, our #1 tip is to have our athletes run the first 2 miles (which are deceptively hilly) of the race SLOWER than their targeted race pace. The best way to warm up your engine properly is to line up at the start in a "pace group" BEHIND your normal pace. This will allow you to ease into your race pace. Here is a pace suggestion handout that details the conservative paces you might try running on a hot day for each mile of the race (broken down into specific goals).

This golden rule of negative splits is particularly important this year because the forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures of 55 degrees at the start. Highs will be in the mid-eighties, so we're expecting the temps to be somewhere in the high sixties for most of the race. UGH! This is a huge handicap for us folks (up to 30 seconds/mile as you get over 60 degrees) who have been training in winter like temperatures (in the morning anyway) up until a few days ago. So, go out EXTRA slow for the first few miles and take water at each and EVERY stop...don't wait until you "feel thirsty"!

The race will be covered live on WINA radio (1070 AM) and complete results will be in Sunday's Daily Progress.

Two time Olympic Marathon medalist (1972 and 1976) Frank Shorter will be in town this weekend and will be on hand for autographs at Ragged Mountain from 10:45-noon on Friday (4/2). He will also be handing out the awards at the Ten Miler post race ceremony on Saturday.

Odds & Ends

UVA's only home Outdoor Track meet, The Lou Onesty Invitational (named after the legendary UVA coach), will be held at Lannigan Field Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10. This is a great opportunity to see Jason's Vigilante's talented squad, one of the best programs in the nation, in action.

The Kids Triple Crown series kicks off at the Run for Autism 5K (kids quarter mile road race) on April 17. This fun series for kids ages 4-12 will also feature a cross country race (Charlottesville Day School Family Fitness runs at Panorama Farms in Earlysville on April 25) and a track race (The Discovery Dash at Monticello High on May 29). Kids participating in ALL three events will be awarded a very special Triple Crown medal!

The Weekly Log: March 22-28, 2010

As father and son, we share a similar passion for the sport of running and wanted to share some worthy accomplishments and news from the past week in our local world. Enjoy!

-Mark Lorenzoni (on the run since 1973) and Alec Lorenzoni (running since 1999)

The Weekly Race Report

Run For Haiti


The third time is a charm. After two postponements due to winter weather and a whole lot of snow that took its sweet time melting, the Run For Haiti finally happened this past Sunday out in Free Union. A small group of runners hit the road in a unique format that allowed them to choose their race distance (and their turnaround point) of either one mile, two miles, or a full 5K. The kids were also able to get in on the action, with their choice of a half or full mile. Brad Hunt took home the overall 5K title with a very impressive 17:20 (more on his run later), while Western Albemarle distance star Killian O'Connell was the top female in 20:43. Albemarle high school freshman Aaron Elder was third overall, but would have been a much closer 2nd to Hunt if it weren't for a wrong turn less than a quarter mile from the finish. Elder was still able to run 22:04 for his 5K+ effort (probably closer to 3.5 miles). In the kid's races, seven year old Hayes Hegemeier ran an impressive 4:28 to win the half mile, while Annamarie Leach narrowly defeated her younger sister Sarah 9:38-9:44 to win the full mile. Congrats to all the participants and a big thank you to the McIntoshs for use of their "parking" field.

Killian O'Connell, female winner in 20:43

Hayes Hegemeier, who won the kids half mile in 4:28

Annamarie Leach, winner of the kids mile in 9:38

For more Run For Haiti pictures, check out our Facebook page.

George Mason Spring Open

The UVA track team opened up their outdoor track season this past weekend at George Mason, where five different Cavaliers won their events at this small, early season meet. Most of the team will travel south to North Carolina this weekend for the bigger, more competitive Raleigh Relays. In other UVA news, NCAA Indoor 800 champ Robby Andrews was named the ACC Men's Freshmen of the Year after winning two ACC titles and enjoying an undefeated season. If you want to see the freshman phenom in action, Andrews will be competing in the Invitational Mile at The Lou Onesty Invite (UVA's only home meet this spring) on Friday, April 9th at 7:00pm. Mark the date on your calendar as we could very possibly see the 2nd ever sub-4:00 mile in school history from Andrews or one of his teammates...

Blue Ribbons To...

Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures, several area distance runners had impressive outings at the National Marathon and Half Marathon races in Washington, DC last Saturday. RMR racer Shannon Saunders finished as the 5th overall woman in the full with a 2:59 clocking and Steve Kozusko was the first area male across the tape, as he finished 8th in his age group with an equally impressive 2:57 PR. 48 year old Andrea Wright had quite possibly the best race of the day as she finished first in her age group and 9th overall in 3:05! Some other personal records of note were turned in by Amy Martin (3:18, 3rd in her age group) and Casey Opitz (3:19). Of particular note is "newcomer" Mike Gaffney, who has only been lacing on his running shoes for the past 18 months, yet at 55 punched his first ticket to Boston with a very impressive 3:43, good enough for 8th in his age group. Heidi Johnson (3:33, 4th in age group) and Peggy Mowbray (3:39, 3rd in age group) also finished near the top of their respective age divisions. All total, 2,300 folks came across the finish line.

In the half marathon, RMR standout Seth Hutchinson finished 8th overall with a 1:08 clock stopper (5:14/mile pace) and Vickie Schandevel was the top local female finisher as the assistant Western Albemarle track coach sped into the chutes in 1:23 (6:25 pace)! Some other area times of note in this field of 6,300 were clocked by Andrew Zapanta (1:39), Will Cox (1:21), Ben Doherty (1:20), Kristin Keller (1:33), Kurt Siefker (1:54), Anne Hogge (1:56), Kim Morris (1:44), Jill Snow (2:10), Leah Connor (1:52) and Courtenay Johnson (1:27).

Carmia Steyn finished 14th overall female at the Shamrock Half Marathon last Sunday with a fine 1:27 and husband Gerhard van deVenter clocked an equally impressive 29:20 in the 8K. RMR racer Charlie Hurt finished in the top 20 (out of 7,000) with a 25:14 in the 8K, while Eric Moore ran a fine 1:26 and Diane Farineau and Dena Birckhead also had excellent halfs!

Brad (and Chloe) Hunt, who together completed what is probably the fastest 5K ever run in town with a baby stroller. Brad, the assistant track and cross country coach at Virginia, pushed his infant daughter Chloe to a 17:20 victory at the Run For Haiti this past Sunday. Certainly an impressive feat considering it is just a shade over 5:30 mile pace, and that the first half of the race was into the wind, effectively turning the stroller into a kite!

Brad and Chloe heading to their 17:20 victory

Father/Son Running Tandem of the Week...

(As father and son we've enjoyed many memorable running times together over the years, so we thought it might be fun to recognize a father/son running duo each week)

Dad Mike Cotton and son David are a true UVA running tandem legacy. Mike, who competed for the Cavaliers from 1977-1981, still holds the school record in the 10,000 (28:55.34), was the inaugural winner of The Charlottesville Ten Miler on the new "city" course in 1984 and is one of only three runners to have posted a sub 50 minute time on that legendary course. For his Cavalier harrier efforts, Mike was selected as a member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Cross Country squad in 2002. David, who like Dad, has cut his running teeth as a scholastic competitor in Connecticut and has a running resume packed with stellar times in the mile (4:22) and two mile. The highly recruited Cotton will join Jason Vigilante's talented corps of runners as a first year this coming autumn and will be the first legacy runner of the modern Cavalier era.

A Sad Farewell...

It was with both shock and great sadness that our running community received the tragic news of the passing of one of our area's great community neighbors. Tom Buckley, who at the way too young age of 53 died quietly and suddenly in his home last Saturday, was a wonderful father, husband, employee (he was a compassionate nurse at the UVa Health Science Center) and friend. Anyone that had the pleasure of knowing Tom, absolutely loved this most gentle, kind, caring and peaceful man. We loved hearing Brooklyn native Tom's tales of him chasing the sub four hour marathon as he competed in 13 out of 14 straight New York City Marathons. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom's wife, daughters and extended family during this sad time. We are already missing our dear friend...

Odds & Ends

Spring Fashion Show (March 31st)

We will be hosting a spring fashion show with live models (guys and gals) showcasing the latest warm weather apparel and accessories (shoes,water belts, wicking socks, cool hats, Garmin GPS's, gu's/gels, etc.). There will be free raffle giveaways and a special one night only 20-25% discount on apparel and certain accessories. Dessert will be served. Come join us for the fun this Wednesday (3/31) at 7:00pm at Ragged Mountain!

Glen Anderson just might be the most dedicated marathon runner in town, as this Pepsi salesman has made it his quest to run a marathon in each of the 50 states by the end of 2012! Over the next three weeks this marathon maniac will check off #22 and #23 as plans to compete in a 26.2 mile event in Washington this weekend and another in Kansas on the 10th of April. He will "recover" in between the two races with a shorter race: The Charlottesville Ten Miler on April 3rd. Fellow area marathoner Peggy Mowbray is also on a quest to do the same and hopes to match her friend's amazing accomplishment in the coming few years!

In the Starting Blocks...

-The Zeta girls will be hosting their annual Run For Life 5K through UVA Grounds this coming Saturday, March 27th. The race will begin at 10:00am and race day sign-up will take place from 8:00-9:30am.

-The Charlottesville Ten Miler, the area's oldest and most prestigious footrace, is set for next Saturday, April 3rd. Race directors Alice and Dan Wiggins are expecting close to 3,000 folks for this year's edition of the very popular CTC event. Unless the race closes early, you may sign up until next Thursday (April 1st). Our #1 tip for the race is to have a game plan all mapped out ahead of time and on race day line up behind (yes, behind) your targeted pace group and take it very slow (~30 seconds/mile slower than your targeted race pace). The first two miles of this legendary race course are the most difficult, yet never gain that respect because they come so early in the game. Trust us, the slower you hit the first few miles the better position you'll be in to run negative splits over the last half of the race! Have no idea what overall pace you're capable of handling for the race?...

-...Then come join us this Saturday, March 27th for a two mile time trial at the UVA track (warm up starts at 8:00am). We have a handy dandy chart that tells you what to expect to run for 10 miles based on your two mile time.

The Weekly Log: March 15-21, 2010

As father and son, we share a similar passion for the sport of running and wanted to share some worthy accomplishments and news from the past week in our local world. Enjoy!

-Mark Lorenzoni (on the run since 1973) and Alec Lorenzoni (running since 1999)

The Weekly Race Report

NCAA Indoor Track Championships

(courtesy of LetsRun.com)

The dream season continued for Virginia's Robby Andrews this past weekend at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships as the true freshmen captured a national title in the Men's 800 meters by just one hundreth of a second. Andrews ran a tactically brilliant race and timed his move perfectly on the final lap to outsprint Oregon's Andrew Wheating, a 2008 USA Olympian, with a time of 1:48.39 to 1:48.40. Andrews, who has STILL yet to lose a race this entire indoor season, won the Cavalier's second ever national title at 800 meters (1988 Olympic Champion Paul Ereng won the first in 1989) and finishes the season ranked #4 all-time in school history in the event with his time of 1:48.01 from earlier in the year. In other Cavalier action, teammate Ryan Collins finished 11th in the Men's 5000 meters with a time of 14:06, good enough to garner his first ever All-American honors. For a more detailed race report plus an interview with Andrews, check out the Cavalier's track website.

Race video here (skip to 1:38:08 mark)

Nike Indoor Nationals

The nice thing about collegiate track and field is that there is only one national track meet, whereas the high schoolers have to choose between the NSIC meet (which is traditionally stronger in the sprints and jumps) in New York City and Nike Indoor Nationals (usually stronger in the middle distance and distance events) in Boston, both of which took place this past weekend. A handful of local tracksters made the trip up the East Coast to compete against the nation's best, and Central Virginia came away with an All-American relay team and one lone national champion.

In Saturday's action, the Fork Union relay team of Eddie Jones, Louis Litkett, Nick Naimool, and Wojciech Czernek ran a great race to easily win their section of the sprint medley relay (200, 200, 400, 800 meter legs). Their time of 3:32.65 was good enough to place 3rd overall and left one to wonder how much faster they could have run if they had been in the fastest section with better competition. Albemarle also competed in the event and finished just out of the All-American (top 6) honors in 8th place with their time of 3:33.93. Anchor runner Anthony Kostelac ran a monster leg of 1:51.7, by far the fastest split of the day, but was a little too far back to chase down the front of the pack.

(courtesy of milesplit.us)

Kostelac's weekend wasn't over yet, as he came back on Sunday to win a national championship in the 800 meters, using a blistering kick over the final 50 meters to win in a time of 1:50.96 over Nick Kaiser's 1:51.34. This is the third national championship for the Albemarle senior, but the first individual one, as he anchored the 4x800 and distance medley relays to victories at the 2009 edition of this meet. His time of 1:50.96 is not only a personal best and a meet record, but now ranks him as the #6 all-time indoor performer in high school history, trailing only some of the sport's most legendary names. Perhaps the most impressive part of the victory, and especially the time, is the manner in which Kostelac ran the race. His split of 56.6 for 400 meters means that he closed his final 400 meters in 54.3, suggesting that the Patriot senior may be able to go faster in a more evenly paced race, an opportunity that will hopefully present itself outdoors this spring...

Race Video (courtesy of runnerspace)

Blue Ribbons To...

The future of UVA middle distance running, as newly crowned NCAA 800 meter champion Robby Andrews will be joined next year by newly crowned high school NIN 800 meter champion Anthony Kostelac. Andrews set two national records indoors last year, and is ranked #1 all-time with his 1:49.21, while Kostelac is ranked #6 all-time as previously mentioned. In addition, sophomore Lance Roller was the fastest freshmen in the NCAA last year with his time of 1:47.88, and new transfer John Minen just ran the 2nd fastest time ever by a Cavalier in the mile with his mark of 4:02.77 (4th year Alex Bowman is #8 all-time with his 4:05.48 from the same meet). Throw in high school national record-holders (and former Patriot teammates of Kostelac) Zach Vrhovac and Luke Noble, both of whom are freshmen at UVA, and things are really looking good for the Cavs. Topping it all off is the recent signing of Long Island, New York senior Patrick Farmer, who took the world of high school track by storm this winter. Competing in his first real season of track, Farmer has run some truly jaw-dropping quarter miles, including a 48.20 open 400 that ranks him #8 in the country and a 46.5 relay split that saw him overcome a 40 meter gap to win a 4x400 relay. Pretty impressive stuff for the former soccer player who has shifted his focus to track (one wonders how many great runners are out there on the soccer fields, never knowing that they could potentially be a national-class trackster).

The Western Albemarle girls 4x800 relay team of Claire Johnson, Katie Farina, Jordan Haws and Perri Bowser, who shaved another half second off their school record with a time of 9:33.43 at the NSIC Meet in NYC. The same relay team who, under the guidance of Coach Katie Pugh, was fresh off a AA state relay title two weeks ago with their then school record time of 9:33.94, finished 11th overall in the event.

The rest of Central Virginia who competed in the two high school national meets this past weekend...

-Vaulters Nicole Harding (14th) and Kelsey Grupp (24th) of WAHS, who tied their season bests at 11'2.5" and 10'6" respectively at the NSIC meet on Saturday. Harding then made the trek up to Boston the next day and made it over 10'8.75" at the NIN meet for 25th place. Fellow Warrior and state champion Zach Lawson was also 25th at NIN with his clearance of 13'8.5".

-Double state champion Ashontae Jackson of Orange, who competed in both the 60 and 200 meter dash at NIN. Her times of 7.98 and 26.09 were good enough for 35th and 30th place, respectively.

-Woodberry Forest distance star Kevin Bennert, who ran the very tough 5K/2 Mile double at NIN and ran it very, very well. His 7th place finish in the 5K was oh, so close to All-American honors, as his personal best time of 15:21.34 was just one second out of 6th place. He then came back the next day to run another huge personal best (15 seconds) with a 9:29.13 (converts to 9:25.83 for 3200 meters) in the 2 mile to finish 19th overall.

-Wojciech Czernek, the anchor leg of the 3rd place Fork Union SMR team, who doubled back the next day to run a big personal best in the mile with his 8th place time of 4:15.92 (converts to 4:14.44 for 1600 meters). The junior from Poland finished the indoor season ranked #2 in the entire state of Virginia in this event.

-Fellow Fork Union teammate Rich Dyer, who ran a personal best time of 7.10 in the 60 meter dash to finish 19th overall and also competed on FUMA's 4x200 meter relay team, which placed 25th overall with their time of 1:33.95. Orange County also made the long drive up to Boston and came away with a 35th place finish in the same event with a time of 1:35.29.

Seth Hutchinson, who comfortably cruised over the MJ8K course en route to a convincing 25:02 (5:02 pace) clock stopper and Nicole Kelleher,who shattered the previous course record with an impressive 29:11 (5:53 pace) win. Kelleher, who is a UVa Med student, will be hitting the professional Triathlon circuit as one of the top ranked female triathletes in the nation. Louise Knudson, who along with Hutchinson trains as a member of the RMR team, also broke the old course record with a fine Boston tune-up time of 29:33 (5:58). William & Mary runner Thomas Baker (26:32) and triathlete Barry Rodgers (27:38), rounded out the top three on the men's side and Carmia Steyn was the 3rd woman, as the 31 year old mother of two clocked a stellar 31:19 (6:19 pace).

start of the race

(Nicole Kelleher, 1st 29:11)

(Louise Knudson, 2nd 29:33)

(Thomas Baker, 2nd 26:32)

For more pictures of the race, check out our Facebook page.

Ginny Boothe, Tracy Dinning,Ursula Hull and Lindsey Keefe, who were among the the crew of racers who scored big personal records at the MJ8K.

Skip Mullaney, who crossed the finish line of The Florida Senior Games 5K in first place with an impressive 21:30 clocking. The 70 year old Locust Avenue resident sported his Charlottesville Track Club singlet as he led the Masters field over the Fort Meyers course.

Amy Pritchard, on the recent birth of a baby boy. The CHS cross country/track coach and her husband now have two beautiful children.

Father/Son Running Tandem of the Week...

(As father and son we've enjoyed many memorable running times together over the years, so we thought it might be fun to recognize a father/son running duo each week)

Dad Rick Kwiatkowski and son David absolutely love to run but it's not very often that they actually get to compete together. Rick, who is one of the area's most accomplished ultra-marathoners, recently finished a 100 mile race whereas David (only a 7th grader), runs the "shorter" distances (800-5,000 meters) wearing his Albemarle Patriots singlet. But on Saturday this Earlysville running tandem crossed the finish line of the hilly MJ8K together in 35:44 (7:13 pace). Mom Lisa, who is a 3:58 marathoner, is currently training for the Boston Marathon and sisters Mary and Laura are also excellent runners, as they too compete for the Patriots.

In Other News...

The MJ8K was a wonderful success as close to 600 runners and walkers traversed some of the hilliest sections of downtown in a steady drizzle en route to impressive finishes at this popular fund raiser. In addition to the above mentioned times (see Blue Ribbons) many folks had excellent times, including these age group winners: Noah Jones, Helen Gilliam, Hannah Best, Joseph Strukl, Jessica Geisler, Joel Hess, Leigh Baumgart, Taulsa Cook, Dee Dee Winfield, Meg Cook, Doug Bloor, Jeanine Wolanski, Cal Biesecker, Lise Willingham, Ken Nail, Peggy Mowbray, John Bauman, Eileen Wittwer, John Post, Beth Schmid, Michale Collins, Jack Schmid, Nancy Fraser and Wendell Golden.

The Camp Holiday Trails 5K has been a Ten Miler tune-up spring racing ritual for the past 27 years. Started in 1983 by then second year medical student Paul Kelly (now a famous doctor in Waterbury, CT) is hosted annually by the UVA Med School students, and has over the years raised close to $100,000 for this very special local camp (for kids with a variety of serious health issues). The race is set for this Saturday (3/27) at 9:00am at the Newcomb Hall Plaza and runs over the traditional UVA/Lewis Mountain neighborhood course. Race day entry is permitted from 8:00-8:45.

Wednesday Workouts are in full swing! If you're looking to improve your racing or training times, come join us any Wednesday morning at 5:30 in the University Hall parking lot. All (and we mean ALL abilities, as long as you've been running for a year or more) are encouraged to join us. Want to get on our weekly workout e-mail list (so you receive the workouts ahead of time)? Send your e-mail to alec@raggedmountainrunning.com. Come join us!

Tori McClure, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic (or any other ocean) will be joining us as our guest at The Virginia Festival of the Book this Friday (3/19) at 6:00pm at Ragged Mountain. This amazing person will be speaking about her excellent book "A Pearl in the Storm". The event if free and open to the public (great for families too).

Ten Miler Tips...If you're training for the Ten Miler, this is the last weekend you should be trying to get in a "long" run (10-14 miles). A common mistake is to squeeze in this very important training run on the Saturday, or worse yet, Sunday just prior to race day. Use this run as a test to see just how good you have become at "going out slowly" and pacing yourself, as this is the most abused rule on race day! Two of the hardest miles of this grueling course are actually the first two miles of the race and historically, over half the field takes it out too quickly (sometimes as fast as 30 seconds/mile). Our advice is to take it out about 15-45 seconds/mile slower for the first two miles before settling into your targeted race pace. Practice this and you will most likely have a gratifying experience over the last 8 miles of this special event!

The rescheduled Run For Haiti is set for this Sunday at 3:00pm in Free Union. Runners will have their choice of four events: A half mile for kids, as well as an open mile, two mile and 5K. All races will start together and donations will be accepted. No pre-race day signup. Important note: Any rain at all on Sunday cancels due to parking issues in the McIntosh's field.

The Weekly Log: March 8-14, 2010

As father and son, we share a similar passion for the sport of running and wanted to share some worthy accomplishments and news from the past week in our local world. Enjoy!

-Mark Lorenzoni (on the run since 1973) and Alec Lorenzoni (running since 1999)

Upcoming Events

MJ8K Tidbits...

This Saturday's running of the popular MJ8K represents a great Ten Miler preview opportunity, as the race traverses over some of downtown's most challenging hills and covers many of the same city streets as the Ten Miler. A record crowd is expected as this 2009 Top 10 event may top the 900 mark for the first time ever! Entries are still open as we went to press. Call 293-3367 for entry status.

Course Records:
Open : Seth Hutchinson 24:37 & Jill Krebs- 29:38
40-49: Burkhard Spiekermann 28:00 & Andrea Wright- 30:52
50-59: Bill Guerrant 30:14 & Cynthia Lorenzoni 36:20
60-69: Cal Fowler 33:48 & Lis Villadsen 39:52
70+ Harry Freestone 43:13 & Jane Berkely 59:20

Virginia Festival of the Book

Tori McLure, author of the bestselling "A Pearl in the Storm", will be speaking about her book and adventure of crossing the Atlantic solo, as our guest next Friday, March 19th at 6:00pm at Ragged Mountain. The event is free (thanks to our host Dr. Wilder and his Runner's Clinic at UVa) and it should be an inspiring talk for all ages...come join us!

Run for Haiti Finally Happening!

The twice rescheduled "Run for Haiti" is set for next Sunday, March 21st at 3:00pm in Free union. The event, which will feature a half mile run for kids and an open mile, two mile and 5K, will donate all of the proceeds to local groups working to help Haiti get back on its feet. Race day entry only and donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. Parking is in the Mcintosh's field off Wesley Chapel Road.

Blue Ribbons To...

Emily Potter, the former Albemarle cross country star who was awarded the Army's 2009 Female Athlete of the Year Award last week. Potter, who with Patriot star Jennifer Owens, formed the best tandem harrier punch in Virginia while at Albemarle, went on to have a stellar racing career at West Point. She competed at the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston, where she ran an impressive 2:45. Potter is currently the fastest U.S. Army female distance runner in the world.

Zach Vrhovac, who one upped his blue ribbon performance from last week with a huge 4:02 anchor leg for Virginia's Distance Medley Relay team this past weekend at the Notre Dame Last Chance Invite. Vrhovac, who ran the 1600 meter leg, received the baton amidst a group of sub-4:00 milers and more than held his own in his first real test against national class competition. The final time of 9:37.92 is the fastest for UVA this season, and was only a couple seconds away from qualifying the team for the NCAA Indoor Championships this upcoming weekend.

DMR relay-mate John Minen, who led off with a stellar 2:54 1200 leg on Friday night only to come back with an even more impressive 4:02.77 mile the next day. Minen, who transferred from Kent State earlier this winter, has made impressive strides under the UVA coaching staff and is now ranked #2 all-time on Virginia's indoor mile list, trailing only the 3:59.2 from Vince Draddy way back in 1982. (Draddy by the way is still the ONLY Virginia miler to ever break 4:00, indoors or out) Fourth year Alex Bowman also impressed with a big personal best of 4:05.48 and now ranks #8 all-time at UVA.

Virginia tracksters Robby Andrews and Ryan Collins, who both qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas this weekend. Andrews, who dazzled the world of high school track last year with indoor national records of 2:22.28 in the 1000 and 1:49.21 in the 800, is undefeated this year as a frosh and is currently ranked #10 nationally in the 800 with his time of 1:48.01. 2008 Olympian Andrew Wheating from Oregon is the heavy favorite in the event as his qualifying time is over a second faster than everyone else, but look for Andrews to be a potential darkhorse if he can get into position to unleash his devastating kick over the final 200 meters. Joining Andrews will be teammate Collins, who is fresh off his second consecutive Indoor ACC 5000 meter crown and will be looking to garner his first ever All-American honors on the track, as he is currently ranked #4 nationally with his time of 13:46.41. The meet will take place Friday and Saturday, and results can be viewed here.

Jim Hall, who ran an impressive 1:33 (~7:00/mile pace) at the Williamsburg Half Marathon.

Tyler and Debbie Rork, who ran their first 9 mile training run of their life last weekend! The couple began their running journey last October and have been participating in the Ten Miler Training Program for the first time this winter.

Father/Son Running Tandem of the Week...

(As father and son we've enjoyed many memorable running times together over the years, so we thought it might be fun to recognize a father/son running duo each week)

Dave Bloor and son Doug are two of the best known long distance running coaches in the state, yet both started their running careers as accomplished racers. Dave ran varsity track and cross country for UVa in the late fifties (see any Corks and Curls yearbook from 1957-1960 and you're sure to see Dave's speedy legs) and son Doug was one of the fastest harriers in the state as he clocked an amazing 15:59 on the legendary Piedmont course his senior year (the only local cross country runner to ever do so). Like his dad, he went on to be a collegiate star as he was one of JMU's top distance runners of the late 1980's. Dave now coaches at St. Catherine's and Doug is the head distance coach at Monticello High.

In Other News...

Wednesday Workouts Underway
If you're looking to improve your race times and want some company (as in other folks) and a coach to help you do so, then look no further than our Ragged Mountain Wednesday workouts. All abilities (and we mean ALL as long as you're already running) are welcome to join us. We meet in the Univ. Hall parking lot at 5:30am (we know, kind of early) and usually knock of just before 7:00am. Come join us!

The Adidas Supernova Classic, one of the most popular and revered running shoes of all-time, will be phased out of Adidas shoe line later this spring. The beloved shoe,which has been keeping runners comfortable for over 15 years,will be replaced by an updated "modern" version sometime this summer.

The Weekly Log #2: March 1-7, 2010

As father and son, we share a similar passion for the sport of running and wanted to share some worthy accomplishments and news from the past week in our local world. Enjoy!

-Mark Lorenzoni (on the run since 1973) and Alec Lorenzoni (running since 1999)

In the Starting Blocks…What’s up next…

The MJ8K, one of the area’s most popular races, is set for Saturday March 13. Many folks use this historic tour through downtown Charlottesville’s most scenic neighborhoods and up some of its most challenging hills as a tune-up for The Ten Miler. Close to 600 runners and another 200 walkers traverse the downtown streets as they help to raise dollars (several thousand last year alone) for valuable community health services at Martha Jefferson Hospital. Helpful hint: the first half mile is all downhill, so be careful of taking it our too quickly…pace yourself (this “ease into the first mile by taking it a bit slower than your targeted pace” behavior will also serve you well at The Ten Miler). Entries for the race are still open.

And speaking of The Ten Miler, with less than five weeks to race day, there’s still time to get in a few more long training runs AND your entry form. Go to the CTC's website for an entry to the area’s oldest and most prestigious footrace.

And while we’re on the subject of spring races, we will be hosting a free lecture and Q&A session at the shop next Tuesday (March 9^th) entitled:

“Getting the Best Out of YOUR Spring Races!”

The talk begins at 5:00pm upstairs at Ragged Mountain and will last about an hour. Come ready to learn how you can improve the quality of your racing.

What's A Foot in our World of Community Racing…

Valentines Partners 5K (2/27/10)

Close to 150 folks traversed the long ups and downs of the many hills of Old Trail in sunny, suburban Crozet on Saturday en route to impressive finishes at the rescheduled Valentines 5K. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of Amnesty International (Bruce Carveth) and the CTC (Carol Finch), the partnered-up racers were treated to a well organized event.

(Race winner Chris Post)

Former Western Albemarle star Chris Post , who logged many training miles in Old Trail as a Warrior, was on familiar turf as he quickly sped away from the field at the start. Post, who is currently a third year at UVa and in training with the RMR team, cruised through the first mile in 5:14, was 10:31 at 2 miles and stopped the clock at 16:31 for his blue ribbon winning performance. Speedy high school teacher Brian Kayser was second into the chutes in 17:14 and Gerhard Van de Venter rounded out the top three with an impressive sub-six minute paced 18:29. Carmia Stein, Gerhard’s wife, outlegged an impressive woman’s field, as she crossed the tape first in 19:28, only five seconds off Nicola Ratcliffe’s course record. Beth Cottone took home the masters title and was second overall in 20:01 and speaking of Ratcliffe, the former Ten Miler and Women’s Four miler champ finished third overall in 20:30.

(Overall Female Champion Carmia Stein)

Post and former Covenant cross country star Bethany Coppock took home the male/female partners title with Stein and Van de Venter grabbing the husband/wife trophy, and Nicola and son Gavin easily topping the parent/child division. Cottone and long time training partner Kerry Hendrix were the female/female champs, Jeff Stafford and Mark Dempsey were the male champs and Stacy and Ryan Li won the siblings division.

(Start of the Race)

All total, 138 folks crossed the finish line and, despite the cold temperatures and stiff late winter winds, many of them recorded impressive 5K times. Here’s just a brief list of some of these speedy folks: Pete O’Shea (19:08), Laura Brown (20:32), Jim (22:21) and Maria (27:46) Bell, Adam Slate (26:34), Bruce (21:53) and Barbara (23:40) Benson, Chi-Chin Wu (24:57), Scott (22:20) and Mary Clare (26:41) Smith, Dan Moriarity (25:54), George Gillies (25:38), Paul Hahn (23:50), Lise Willingham (21:54), Missi and Bill Brown (27:05), John Hossack (24:53), Billy Baker (23:10), Mark Dempsey (22:16), Leigh Baumgart (21:29), Sarah Hinckle (20:57), H.G. Bussard (21:21), James Kaiser (19:10), Kim Noe (30:59), Lucy Emery (33:00) and Emma Hendrix (33:08).

AAA State Indoor Track Meet (2/26/10-2/27/10)

2009 was a banner year for Albemarle track and field as a small group of boys established the school as a household name (at least in the world of track and field) with a series of stunning performances that included several national records and the school’s first state track title since the late 1970s. This past weekend, the Patriots headed east to Hampton to defend their 2009 indoor track crown and attempt to repeat as state champions. Led by senior captains Jordan Hill and Anthony Kostelac, Albemarle almost pulled off the almost unheard of feat by finishing a scant eight points out of first with their 4^th place finish. Kostelac had one of the most impressive performances of the meet with his double victory in the 1600 and 1000, using a blistering kick over the final 200 meters to capture both crowns and score 20 of his team’s 34 points in the process. Hill, who has struggled with injuries all season that limited him to just two previous meets, bounced back from a disappointing 9^th place finish (top eight places score) in the triple jump Friday night to finish 2^nd in the long jump and 4^th in the high jump, putting the Patriots in 2^nd place heading into the 4x400 meter relay, the meet’s last event. Running without their fastest leg Kostelac, who had already run the maximum allowed three events (he ran the 4x800 relay on Friday night), the quartet of Jervon Speller, Tori Key, Mark Baucom and Hill finished in a season best time of 3:30.54 to finish 8^th in the event. Unfortunately, the top three teams all finished ahead of Albemarle in this event, dropping the Patriots to 4^th overall and just one point out of 3^rd place and a spot on the podium.

On the girl’s side, junior Summer Shepherd tied her personal best of 9’6” in the pole vault to just miss All-State honors with her 9^th place finish. Teammate Casey Russell also competed in the vault, and although she was unable to clear opening height, the experience will certainly prove invaluable in future years as she is just a freshman

AA State Indoor Track Meet (2/27/10)

In any normal year, a score of 59 points at a state track meet will not only bring home a championship, but it will usually do so by a wide margin. Unfortunately for the Western Albemarle girls track team, 2010 was NOT a normal year as the deepest distance team in America happens to occupy Group AA along with WAHS. Blacksburg High School scored a stunning 81 points to capture yet another state title, but the Lady Warriors gave them all they could handle by finishing runner-up with the aforementioned 59 points. The event of the day for Western was without a doubt the pole vault, where the Warriors took home half the All-State spots with a 1-2-4-8 finish, led by junior Nicole Harding who captured her first state title with a clearance of 10’6”. The other state title for the well-balanced Warriors came in the 4x800 meter relay, where the team of Jordan Haws, Katie Farina, Peri Bowser, and Claire Johnson combined to blow the field away with an indoor school record 9:33.94 clocking, good enough for a twenty second runaway victory over second place.

In other girl’s action, Orange County finished 7^th overall behind two state titles by senior Ashontae Jackson, who came home with resounding victories in the 55 and 300 meter dashes in times of 7.30 and 41.12, respectively. Louisa County was 11^th overall, but was without the services of the state’s best long and triple jumper Javanique Burruss, who didn’t compete in either event, most likely due to injury or sickness. Rounding out the area teams were Charlottesville in 26^th and Monticello in 29^th.

On the boy’s side, defending champions Louisa County led the charge with their 7^th place finish, followed closely by Charlottesville in 8^th, Fluvanna in 9^th, and Western Albemarle in 11^th. Orange County and Monticello rounded things out with 17^th and 41^st place finishes. Louisa was led by senior hurdler Dante Davis who won his first ever state indoor title (he won his first outdoor one last spring in the 110 meter high hurdles) in the 55 meter hurdles with a personal best clocking of 7.52. Along with teammates Gunnar Carroll, Brandon Payne, and Corrin Harris, Davis would add another state title later in the day in the 4x200 meter relay as the Lions shocked the field by winning the race out of the “slow” section in a time of 1:34.13. Rounding out the area’s state champions were seniors Zach Lawson of Western Albemarle, who completed a Warrior sweep in the pole vault with his personal best clearance of 14’6”, and Steven Allen of Charlottesville, whose toss of 52’08.50” in the shot put won the event by almost 2 feet!

ACC Indoor Track Championships (2/26/10-2/28/10)

The high schoolers of Virginia weren’t the only ones competing in championship meets this past weekend, as second-year head coach Jason Vigilante and his Cavaliers headed south to Blacksburg for the ACC Championships. Both teams have made huge strides over the past couple years, and the men entered Virginia Tech’s Rector Fieldhouse with serious hopes of adding an indoor team title to the outdoor one they won last spring. Things definitely started off on the right foot on Friday night, as UVA swept the Distance Medleys (a four leg relay consisting of 1200, 400, 800, and 1600 meters) and won the event for just the second time in school history for both the men and women. Each race came down to the anchor runners, and Tasia Potasinski (4:56.23) and Robby Andrews (4:06.57) used big kicks to bring home the titles for the Cavaliers. Andrews would come back the next day to win his first ever individual ACC title with a 1:50.73 clocking in the 800 meter run, leading a 1-2 sweep in the event as sophomore Lance Roller finished second in 1:51.21. It has been a great season so far for the highly touted first year out of New Jersey, as he is currently ranked #6 in the nation in the 800 meters to go along with his two ACC titles.

(Freshman Robby Andrews winning his first ever ACC individual title in the 800 meters. Teammate Lance Roller was 2nd. Photo courtesy of virginiasports.com)

The other two Cavaliers to bring home ACC titles were redshirt sophomore Ryan Collins, who captured his second straight 5000 meter title with a 14:23.81 clocking, and sophomore Maureen Laffan, whose personal best toss of 52’4.75” came just 6 inches shy of the school record. In the team standings, the men finished 4^th and the women were 10^th.

Blue Ribbons to…

Chris Post (16:31) and Carmia Stein (19:28), who led their respective gender across the finish line first at The Amnesty International/CTC Valentines Couples 5K on Saturday (see above). And a big Blue Ribbon to Bruce Carveth, who has co-directed this wonderful event for over 25 years and to Carol Finch, who has served as the CTC’s volunteer director for close to a decade. They did a fantastic job organizing the event…doubly difficult when you have to reschedule!

Longtime Western Albemarle pole vault coach Kevin Matheny, whose Warrior vaulters put on a clinic at the AA State Meet with six total All-State honors for the boys and girls combined. Joining state champions Zach Lawson and Nicole Harding were Kelsey Grupp (2^nd-10’6”), Sarah Garner (4^th-10’0”), Christine Wesner (8^th-9’0”) on the girls side and Tim Nguyen (6^th-12’6”) on the boys side

Andrew Jesien, the former UVA star, who finished 8^th in the 1500 meters at the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships in Albuquerque this past Sunday in a time of 3:53.16. Jesien is a volunteer assistant coach with the UVA track team and is training for the Olympic Trials with the Ragged Mountain Racing team. He recently joined the elite sub-4:00 club with his 3:58.91 clocking in the mile a couple weeks ago.

Freshmen UVA middle distance runner Zach Vrhovac, who finished 4^th in the mile run at the ACC Championships. His time of 4:10.65 was an agonizing two hundredths of a second out of third place (4:10.63), and only three tenths of a second out of first place (4:10.36)! It’s amazing to think how far the former Albemarle multi-sport standout has come in a year, as 365 days ago he was an 800 meter specialist who could barely break 4:25 in the mile, and now his personal best is 4:08 and he is just a couple ticks away from being an ACC champion.

Dr. Robert Wilder (aka “Dr. Bob”), who was bestowed the CTC’s highest honor at the club’s annual awards banquet at Chef Ted’s Shack on Saturday. The prestigious Lifetime Service Award is given each year to a selfless volunteer who has given to our running community at the highest level for ten or more years. Wilder, who heads the Runner’s Clinic at UVa, has been selfless with his time, talent and expertise by providing free medical help annually at 25 high school, collegiate and community road races since 1999.

Jerri Emm and Charlie Menefee, who were awarded the CTC Most Improved trophies for their excellent races in 2009. Emm, broke the four hour barrier for the first time in her illustrious marathon career at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, New York in October. Menefee took an hour off his previous marathon PR., as he came oh, so close to breaking four hours at Richmond in November. Longtime community steward Steve Murray and his wonderful family at Panorama Farms were bestowed the CTC Community Service Award. For a complete list of all the award recipients please go to the CTC's website.

Ellen Daniels, who works at UVa’s Curry school and is a first timer in the Ten Miler Training Program, has somehow managed to not miss a single day of her training all winter long! Not many folks can claim this amazing feat after the brutal winter we’ve just been through. The proud, determined and very motivated Daniels said “I love how the running makes me feel!” Keep it going, Ellen!

Former UVA lacrosse star and local ultra-marathon champ Sophie Speidel is featured in this month’s UVA Alumni magazine. A great photo of a very fit looking Speidel accompanies a nice article about her many amazing long distance running accomplishments. Check it out (page 46)!

All of the area’s all-state athletes (top 8) at both the AAA & AA State Meets:

Boys: Tyrone Ellis (55 meters), Derek Armstrong (1600 meters), Nathaniel Hermsmeier (3200 meters), Orange County & Fluvanna County (4x200 relay), Louisa County & Orange County (4x400 relay), Western Albemarle (4x800 relay), Kadarius Bruce (high jump, long jump, triple jump), Chance Parmly (pole vault), Lamar Gordon (long jump), Reginald Sterling (long jump), David Johnson (triple jump), and Raheim Turner (shot put).

Girls: Sherrie Timberlake (300 meters), Jasmyne Johnson (300 meters), Jordan Haws (500 meters), Claire Johnson (1000 meters), Katie Farina (1000 meters), Kelsey McClary (55 meter hurdles), Charlottesville & Louisa County (4x200 relay), Western Albemarle & Louisa County (4x400 relay), Louisa County (4x800 relay), and Raven Robinson (shot put).

All of the Virginia Cavaliers who were All-Conference (top 3) at the ACC Championships:

Women: Rosemary Barber (DMR), Lyndsay Harper (DMR), Tasia Potasinski (DMR), Chidi Uche (DMR)

Men: Adams Abdulrazaaq (60 meter hurdles), Kevin Anding (DMR), Alex Bowman (DMR), Marcus Robinson (triple jump), Sintayehu Taye (DMR).

What’s Keeping Those Feet Happy?!…

The Brooks Dyad and the Asics Fortitude have found a way to nicely fill a previously unchartered niche by comfortably protecting flat and straight lasted feet that don’t pronate. Despite the fact that a small percentage of the population has this unique foot and gait type, these very specialized and technical shoes have been just what the doctor ordered in affording these folks a comfortable and injury free ride by providing supportive cushioning in the mid and forefoot section of the foot.

Running Science News…

Longtime Ragged Mountain friend Bev Wispelwey last week brought us a copy of a recent article (New York Times Magazine 1/31/10) touting yet another benefit from running as we age. Two recent studies demonstrate that with regular weight bearing exercise, specifically running, one can keep their cells young. The author said that the effect of “regular weight bearing exercise on cellular aging could turn out to be profound!”.

And here’s one for all you beer lovers: The Week Magazine (2/26/10) reported that according to a University of California study that “in moderation, beer can build strong bones. Researchers found that beer is rich in silicon, which increases bone mineral density and helps osteoporosis.” Pale ales came out on top for the beers with the best silicon bang.

Street News…

The University of Virginia students will be on Spring Break from Friday March 5 through Sunday March 14. We love our student neighbors but even the most diehard Wahoo will admit that the streets of C’ville are so much quieter when they’re away.

Someone recently told us that about half the UVA student body brings a vehicle to school, which means that when the students are on break we have about 8,500-9,500 less vehicles in town. Wow! So, take advantage of the quieter streets while they last but, like me, just about the time I’m starting to miss the “kids” they’re back in town again!

The Toughest Area Road Race Courses

We thought it might be fun to list what we feel are some of the toughest road race courses in the area. Agree/disgaree with us? Let us know…

1. Montalto Challenge 5K…an unending 3.1 climb to some of the most spectacular finish line views of any race in the country. The last mile switchbacks up one of the steepest ascents imaginable but oh, my gosh, is the “breathtaking” view at the top ever worth it! At the finish, the racers are actually looking down on the dome room of Jefferson’s Monticello and have 300 degree panoramic views of Charlottesville!
2. The Batesville 10K…the area’s second oldest footrace is also one of the most challenging as it immediately greets the runners with a three mile uphill climb. Miles two and three are show stoppers, as they feature a switch back climb to the orchard at the top of the mountain. In addition to beautiful views at the top, the racers are also treated to a steady two mile reprieve as the road descends back to the village and to the finish.
3. The Charlottesville Marathon…widely considered to be one of the state’s most scenic distance courses, it has also earned the reputation as one of the toughest because of the steep hill on Garth, the tough ascent up over Ridge Road and the endless two mile hill climb up Free Union Road back to Garth. A new course is planned for this spring’s running of the event, so we’ll have to wait to see if it can retain its #3 ranking.
4. The MJ8K…Of all the “urban” courses in our area, this scenic 5 mile journey over the streets of downtown just might be the toughest. As one racer so aptly put it, “no race gives you more hills/miles for your money!”. The Belmont hill, that frustrates the racers at mile four, has become an urban legend but conquer it and you’re more than ready to score a good one at the Ten Miler a few weeks later! And speaking of…
5. The Charlottesville Ten Miler…The area’s oldest and most prestigious footrace is widely considered to be one of the most scenic urban courses on the east coast but don’t let looks fool you! A half mile, all uphill start and a roller coaster of hills through the first two miles help to set up the racers for a tough journey but many consider the hills from miles 5.5 through 7.5 to and the infamous “Corner Hill” at mile 8.3 to be some of the worst. But we would argue that if you behave at the start (take it out slowly and conservatively for those nasty first two miles) you will have enough in the tank to conquer those late-in-the-game monster hills!

Questions or Comments? Feel free to email us at alec@raggedmountainrunning.com...