Picks of the week

Taylor had fastest time ever for a woman at Rosendale Plains Run
Eric Houghtaling's weekly wrapup on running
Here's to your health: Runners are half as likely to die early deaths!
A few shots from the 2008 Catskill Mountain Road Relay
Lightning only one of the challenges of 2008 Escarpment Trail race
Dutchess Classic to expand; wave start at NYC marathon
Shawangunk Running Company in New Paltz
A simple but rare concept: A running club for teens
Blueberry Run page with results and some photos
5 quick trail running tips
2008 Escarpment Trail results

 

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Column for August

Three races within races

Race reports are usually a wrap-up of the winning names or a first-person narrative, such as "How I fell apart during my marathon." But these approaches miss many of the middle-of-the-pack battles, which are just as interesting. Here's a couple inside glimpses on recent races; the race results provide the names of the overall winners.

The first person to show up at the Coxsackie 5K on Aug. 2 was Gary Longhi, and it wasn't just because he lives just a few miles from the starting line. He had a score to settle. He had a territory to defend. He wasn't going to blow it by going out too fast on the only road race in Greene County.
Race Director Anthony Patsky had marked out a new course; it would be much different than the net downhill his race became known for. This was an out-and-back on a country road with just the right mix of hills and sidelong views of the Hudson. As it turned out, not being one of the Onteora Runners grand prix picks hurt the turnout. Some may have had one eye on the weather but it was nice because while the clouds threatened during and after the race, the first drop did not fall until everyone had packed it up to go home.

Longhi started at a moderate pace up the bottom of the Mansion Street hill, taking a quick roll call of the 8 or 9 guys around him. Then as he turned right on River Road, he darted ahead. Two young people, Gabe Sturgis of Catskill and Joseph DeMoor of Colorado, took off and had their own race trying to break 17 minutes. Longhi was left to duke it out with Robert Smith.

Longhi ran well, came out in front of Smith, and took third place. The real reward was not the trophy he received during the awards ceremony at the Coxsackie gazebo. The big payoff was seeing himself on the front page of the Coxsackie-Athens Courier.

Longhi has come back to his old quick self again and has decided to make a run at the Onteora Runners grand prix. He has been inching up toward the overall leader position without much trouble, but now he is looking at last year's champion Steve Schallenkamp. Longhi finished a good distance ahead of Schallenkamp at the Rosendale Plains Run on Aug. 9, but Schallenkamp was injured. With three races of varying distance left, this should be good.

The Rosendale Plains run was a sunny occasion, and even with Route 32 closed for bridge work, the race was a winner. I found the best post-race food item for the year at this race: homemade peach pie. Wow! Whose idea was that? Even without the expertly planned race, the pie was worth the trip to Rosendale. You also had real rest rooms, a swimming pool, songs, friends and a very cool racing singlet without all that writing on the back. Many people wore smiles, even after those two grueling hills, and there was a lightning-fast bunch burning up the front of the pack.

Mendy Taylor was way out front and on her way to setting a women's course record. But she wasn't racing against the women; she was trying to win. There was also some speedy competition further back in the pack. Jennifer Jankowski, who is strong in any race, was trading positions with marathoner Annie Gullickson. And sneaking up behind them both was Laurie Machung, who started out easy and then made a move after the hills. But her move toward the top of the Onteora Grand Prix leader board was easy compared to this.

With the last mile sweeping downward, the advantage was going to the better descender. The weather was hot and the shade was helping some. At the end, it was Annie, then Jennifer, then Laurie. None of them could close in on Connie Grace, who had just made the Escarpment Trail Run look easy just two weeks earlier.

Another intra-race battle I enjoy is the regular competition between the McCann bothers. Ryan is older and faster, but he has been beaten this year at some of the Kingston and New Paltz trail runs this year by his little brother. Terry decided to look toward his first marathon this year, and started upping the mileage. As a teacher, Terry had time to burn this summer and started getting long runs in without a word about it to his brother.

Then came the races, and it was all about McCann the younger. For the final Kingston Summer Series event at Twin Lakes, Ryan took the cue from the race directors who said the course was about 3 miles or so; he went out quick. Then all the runners got a surprise when after coming out the woods the first time, they were sent on another loop beside the lake. The 3-mile jaunt became a tricky 4.5-mile race. Terry started to make his move toward the front, but having completed a 15-mile training run the day before, he was not fresh enough to beat Ryan.

Their next battle may be up the Onteora Runners grand prix leaderboard, but Ryan has almost double the points of his brother right now.