FOR ALL ABILITIES CHATTER Summer - Workout - Race - Workout

The 17th Annual Checkers Presents the Mueller Mile is on for

Thursday, August 22 and there are some exciting changes this

time around.

One-mile fun run

The one mile fun run for casual runners or walkers starts at

6:30. For just $12, you can run or walk the mile, enjoy the

post-race party, you get a short-sleeve T-shirt, and you are

eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to Runner’s Roost. Bring

your friends and family!

Age-graded awards

Age grading will be used to award the top 75 finishers a long-

sleeved technical shirt. What is age grading? Every runner’s

time is compared to the world standard, which varies by run-

ner’s age and gender. The elite standard is divided by the run-

ner’s actual finishing time to produce the age-graded percent-

age for that age and gender. All runners are then ranked high-

est to lowest based on their age-graded percentage. The result

is a ranking that reflects a comparison of runners vs. how they

would compare in their own age and gender.

New location

The course is the same, but registration, the awards presenta-

tion, and the post-race party will be at the Eldredge Bicycle

Club, 17 Broad Street in Tonawanda. There will be plenty of

food, drinks, and live music by the Time Pirates—rain or

shine.

To enter

To print an application, go to http://www.checkersac.org/mile/

Mueller_Mile.pdf

To enter online, go to https://reg.score-this.com.

Questions

Email Race Director Tom Droz at tomdroz57@gmail.com.

Coming August 22:

Checkers Presents the Mueller Mile

The Buffalo Marathon

May 26

The Buffalo Marathon has come and gone and we would like

to thank everyone in Checkers for your continued support—

be it running, volunteering, or cheering. We continue to work

hard to improve this race and raise its prominence—as both a

regional and national marathon—and make it a “must-do

race.” This year, we added a huge American flag, more port-

o-potties, bands on the course; we even had a marriage pro-

posal at the finish line. With all these additions, the events of

Boston remained foremost on our minds. We worked very

hard to insure the safety of our volunteers, runners, and spec-

tators. What you did not see was effort the city, county and

national agencies put forth to help insure the

race was safe and successful. It was no small

undertaking on their part and, trust me, you were

all very well protected. Planning is already un-

derway for next year, so mark your calendars.

We will be there, will you?

- Greg Weber, Start/Finish Line Director

Again this year, the Buffalo Marathon, Half Marathon and

Relay were overwhelming successes. As Greg mentioned,

we added and will continue to add new features every year in

order to make this the best weekend running experience you

can have. Without the hundreds of volunteers and the great

ideas of our hard-working executive committee, none of this

would be possible. If you have anything you wish to suggest,

that you feel might improve the race, please email me at run-

fasttom@aim.com, or mention it to me when

we see one another. Meanwhile, we look for-

ward to seeing you involved one way or an-

other for the 14th running of the Buffalo Mara-

thon.

- Tom Donnelly, Assistant Marathon Director

The annual Checkers Family Picnic has a new date: Sunday,

July 28 beginning at noon. The picnic will be held at Lincoln Park, in Tonawanda.

The weather should be warm and Lincoln Park Pool will be

open and available to Checkers members for just $2.

You are encouraged to volunteer to help with activities and games, setting up and cleaning up.

If you would like to volunteer, please email Nancy Sheehan at nancy.sheehan517@gmail.com or message her on FB.

The Hall Calls

You are cordially invited to join Checkers President Tom Donnelly for the third annual staging of the

Western New York Running Hall of Fame 5k (Tom is also race director for this event).

This year’s Hall of Fame 5k is Friday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Bidwell Parkway.

The race takes place on one of the most PR-friendly courses in Buffalo.

The race starts in front of J.P. Bullfeathers Restaurant. You head south on Elmwood to North. Hang a

right on North and head west to Symphony Circle. Take a right onto Richmond and trek north to Colo-

nial Circle. One more right onto Bidwell and you’re done.

After the race, there will be plenty of tasty refreshments —beer included. Then, watch as this year’s

inductees— John Chew, Charlie Kern, Bernie Prabucki, Carl Roesch,

and our own Vicki Mitchell— are honored.

The party continues with a performance by The Albrights (Best of

Buffalo’s "Best Rock Act" and "Best Original Music Act").

The post-race party is free for all participants—for everyone else, it ’s

$5 for food and $10 for food and beer.

Oh, and quality technical shirts to the first 700 registered runners.

To enter, go to wnyrunninghof.com and click HOF 5k Race.

C h eck er s Fam i l y P i cn i c

John Chew

Charlie Kern

Vicki Mitchell

Bernie Prabucki

Carl Roesch Sr.

Mon 7/8 7:00 Loughran's Alumni Run Snyder 5k

Thu 7/11 6:30 Old Home Days Williamsville 5k

Sat 7/13 9:00 Tuscarora Nation 10K Run Lewiston 10k

Sat 7/13 9:00 Tom Drake Memorial 5K Mayville 5k

Sun 7/14 10:00 Tim Frank Memorial Canal Fest N. Tonawanda 4m

Sun 7/14 10:00 Peaceprints 5K Buffalo 5k

Thu 7/18 6:30 Buffalo Orienteering Club 5-Mile Trail Run Orchard Park 5m

Fri 7/19 7:00 Subaru Buffalo 4 Mile Chase Buffalo 4m

Sat 7/20 8:30 Laurel Run Silver Creek 8k

Sat 7/20 10:00 Niagara Catholic Alumni Run Niagara Falls 5k

Sat 7/20 11:00 CharacterChase 5K Hamburg 5k

Sun 7/21 6:30 Presque Isle Half Marathon Erie 13.1m

Sun 7/21 9:00 Run for Rover Buffalo 5k

Sun 7/21 10:00 Lindsay Matthews Scholarship Race Orchard Park 5k

Sun 7/21 10:00 Run Jimmy Run Charity 5K Buffalo 5k

Sun 7/21 11:15 St. Mary's Church Chowder Chase East Amherst 5k

Wed 7/24 7:00 Engineering Scholarship Run Buffalo 5k

Thu 7/25 6:30 St. John Vianney Kickoff Run Orchard Park 5k

Sat 7/27 9:00 East Aurora Rerun East Aurora 5k

Sat 7/27 9:00 St. Amelia's Amazing Race Tonawanda 5k

Sat 7/27 11:00 Jason Raby Memorial 5K Run Youngstown 5k

Sat 7/27 7:00 St. John the Baptist Mid Summer Nite Run Tonawanda 2.3m

Wed 7/31 6:30 Ronald McDonald House Buffalo 5k

Sat 8/3 6:30 St. Christopher Summerfest 5K Tonawanda 5k

Sun 8/4 2:00 Telegraph Road Race Gasport

Mon 8/5 6:30 The Mud Run Boston 6k

Sat 8/10 8:30 Jenny Kuzma Memorial Bergen 5K Bergen 5k

Sat 8/10 9:00 Erie County Fair 5K Hamburg 5k

Sat 8/10 9:30 Christine Padasak Memorial Autism Awareness 5K Springville 5k

Mon 8/12 7:00 Rut Race Lewiston 3.4m

Wed 8/14 8:00 Moonlight Run Williamsville 5k

Sat 8/17 6:15 Donald B. Carroll/YMCA 5K Batavia 5k

Sat 8/17 7:00 The Biggest Loser Half Marathon Erie 13.1m

Sat 8/17 7:00 The Biggest Loser 5K Erie 5K

Sat 8/17 9:00 Habitat for Humanity Run to ReStore Buffalo 5k

Sun 8/18 9:00 Run for Row Lancaster 5k

Thu 8/22 7:00 Checkers Presents The Mueller Mile Tonawanda 1m

Sat 8/24 9:30 Tops 10K/5K Run/Walk For Roswell Park Williamsville 10k/5k

Fri 8/30 6:30 WNY Running Hall of Fame 5K Buffalo 5k

Dave Lawrence 7/1

Craig Alf 7/2

Kathie Evans 7/2

Bonnie Bathurst 7/3

Beverly Landrigan 7/4

Kristin Anderson 7/5

Edward Newman 7/5

Jake Hooton 7/6

Georgina Legierski 7/6

Heather Murawski 7/6

William Hilbert 7/7

Camryn Urbaniak 7/7

Alexander Wukovits 7/8

Julie Donnelly 7/9

Lester Whitt 7/9

Michele Fried 7/10

David Spillman 7/11

Emily Mangione 7/12

Jennifer Raby 7/12

Sue Skrabacz 7/14

Lori Stucchio 7/16

Paul Noe 7/18

Suzanne Fenger 7/19

Nancy Campbell 7/20

Belinda Plump 7/20

Karen Seiler 7/20

Pamela London 7/22

Robert Baker 7/23

Rick Queeno 7/23

Andrew Moynihan 7/28

Robert Dowrey 7/29

Michael Kowalski 7/29

Claire Rutowski 7/29

Brendan Brady 7/30

Van Vohland 7/30

Aaron Wojnicki 7/30

Debbie Benton 7/31

Nancy Moriarity 7/31

Lori Mroz 7/31

Masami Niblock 7/31

Scott Tanski 8/20

Kathleen Wiltrout 8/20

Jonathan Mugel 8/21

Elizabeth Rutowski 8/22

Laura Cohn 8/24

Debbie Brignon 8/25

Jane Grzebinski 8/26

Dawn Bingeman 8/27

Julie Daniel 8/27

Sibatu Khahaifa 8/28

Patricia Baker 8/29

Mark Sardes 8/29

Olive Chrisfield 8/30

Mark Forell 8/30

Carol Sobleskie 8/30

Lucille Kingston 8/31

Nancy Legierski 8/31

Terri Swaydis 8/31

Robert Toone 8/31

Michael Olear 8/10

Hans Steiniger 8/10

Anna Droz 8/11

Mathew Hooton 8/11

Sam Neal 8/11

Anna Niedermeier 8/11

Walter Wittenzellner 8/12

Gretchen Carney 8/14

Ed Kamela 8/14

Trent Bell 8/15

Angela Wallace 8/15

Patrick Dalton Jr. 8/16

Maureen Knutsen 8/16

Brooke Yaiser 8/17

Julia Martin 8/18

Dave Ward 8/18

Joan Crouse 8/19

Adam Niziol 8/19

Dawn Rutowski 8/20

Mary Theresa Seitz 8/1

Peter Seitz 8/1

Michael DePue 8/2

Ed Harkey 8/2

Christa Maier 8/2

Craig Moriarity 8/3

Mitch Skrabacz 8/3

John Feroleto Sr. 8/4

Sandy Bunn 8/5

Colin Gleason 8/5

William Moore 8/5

Lauren Todoro 8/6

Patrick Casilio 8/8

Kathy Emmerling 8/8

Mark Fryer 8/8

Melissa Melnik 8/8

Zakary Reynolds 8/8

Ginny Schwallie 8/8

McKenzie Marranca 8/9

Happy Birthday to you….

Upstate New York Cross Country Series

Here are the tentative dates for this year's cross country series:

Sun., Sept. 15: Syracuse – Highland Forest

Sat., Sept. 28: Rochester– Genesee Valley Park

Sun., Oct. 13: Akron Falls or East Aurora – Master’s Niagara Championships

Sat., Nov. 10: Cornell – Open Niagara Championships – 8k Men, 6k Women

Sun., Nov. 24: Rochester – PGUNYXC Championships – Black Creek Park – 6k Women, 10k Men

Everyone is welcome—even if you have never run cross country before. More information is available at gvh.net.

We are averaging 138 people at track through seven weeks, compared to 114

through seven weeks in 2012 and 84 through seven weeks in 2011.

The Senior Games were held at SUNY Cortland June 6-8. Bridget Pawelczak did the 5K, 10K, throwing field events, and track. Edna Hyer did the throwing field events and track. I did pool events 50 yard to 500 freestyle, and track events. I spent the morning at the pool with Charles Schaffstall (Jim's father). He did all the same events I did. Jim was there with his family to cheer on his dad. Fran Rowe

It would be hard to understate the success of the Girls on the Run 5K. Vicki and all her organizers, sponsors, "coaches," and volunteers did an incredible job of pro-viding a positive experience for many people, while focusing on young girls and women. Parents with their children, some for the first time, were experiencing the fun and benefits of running together. As the race continues to grow, we hope Coach Mitchell can keep this "movement" going. Garry Soehner

Thank you Judy Kowalski for running with me during my first ever track practice. Thanks for encouraging and

giving me tips and even walking with me when I needed! Kristin Dudley Anderson

Running Through Pain????

With nice weather and racing season upon us and multiple races every weekend it’s time to

think about those aches and pains a little more seriously now. How many of you have thought or

heard a fellow runner say “It’s just a little sore……I’ll run through it”. Is “running through it”

always a good idea? NO! If you feel pain, you need to assess what is the source of the pain. Af-

ter we finish a run, lactic acid begins to develop within our muscles. This is a natural process

and will develop into DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). The height of DOMS is 48 hours

after you performed this strenuous activity (like a hard run). We have all felt this at one time or another after we ran a

tough race or workout. This type of “pain” can be run through without any problem (but may not be the most comfort-

able of runs we have ever done).

Now, switching pace, what happens when you actually cause an injury to your tissue? If you develop a tendonitis or

some other trauma to your muscle or joint you need to listen to it. Running though this type of injuries may feel like you

are accomplishing something in the short term, but this can be a problem long term in your running career. You are trad-

ing short term gratification for possible long term side-lining. It is very tempting to run through an injury with the

weather so nice just to “get out there” or complete that race you already paid for, but you need to think at what cost you

are doing this at. When tissue is damaged it needs time to heal and repair. By pushing through these types of injuries, you

could further damage the tissue and what may have been a two week sidelining could become an 8 week sidelining! So

think about what you are doing to yourself before you just “run through it”. You need to look at the tissue that is injured

and decide if it is just DOMS or a bigger problem you should have a health professional look at (like a physical thera-

pist). There will be lots of days to run ahead if you just use your head now!

Happy Running!

Scott Tanski, PT, DPT

Co-Owner/Founder

RunSmart Online.com

Physical Therapist

BuffaloRehab.com

No Shame on the Moon

The 27th annual Moonlight Run is on for Wednesday, August 14 at 8 p.m.

Race-day registration takes place at the Island Park, behind the Village Hall at 5565 Main Street in Williamsville. The

race starts at Glen Avenue and North Cayuga Road. Island Park behind the Village Hall is the site of the post-race

party, which features food, beer, and music by the Boys of Summer.

Proceeds from the race benefit the (Private First Class) Blake Whipple Scholarship Fund. Blake was killed in the line

of duty in Afghanistan. The fund provides equipment to underprivileged students at Williamsville East High School,

Blake’s alma mater. Proceeds will also go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The race itself is dedicated to the late Stephen Meyers (Rich Meyers’ brother), a Vietnam veteran.

The Moonlight Run is part of the Fabulous 5 Series, which also includes the St. Gregory the Great Great Race,

Loughran’s Alumni Cup 5K Run (July 8), Ronald McDonald House 5k (July 31), and Lebro’s Fall Classic (Sept. 21).

To register, go to iamathlete.com and search for “Moonlight Run.”

Keeping Pace with Our Members:

Tom Nader by Denise Kennedy

How long have you been running?

I started running in 2008. I actually started by walking, that

March I was barely able to walk 100 yards without getting short

of breath.

Why did you join Checkers? I reached a goal of being able to

run 5k without stopping and signed up for the Penguin run in

2009, not knowing anyone and never having been in a race before

I was pretty intimidated. What stood out most to me was all the

checkers runners hanging out with each other pre and post-race. It looked like a fun group of people. Laurie Car-

penter took me under her wing and tried to get me to join but I declined because I really wasn't a "runner". The

next year she talked me into it and I'll never forget walking into UB stadium on a cold windy day, not knowing any-

one there and feeling so welcomed by complete strangers. I embarrassed myself by giving Diane Sardes a hug

thinking she was someone else. She was so gracious!

You use to struggle in the past with your weight which so many of our members can relate too. What was

that like for you and how did you overcome this?

Being overweight was very debilitating but in ways I didn't even realize. At just over 300 pounds I had a difficult

time climbing stairs and would avoid it whenever possible, I hated looking in mirrors and one of the most painful

things was not being able to keep up with my toddler grandchildren. I started one of my many diets and broke the

300 pound barrier. A woman I worked with challenged me to lose 20 pounds faster than her. I started seriously

dieting and walking every day. My exercise goal was to go farther each day, even if it were only 2-3 yards. After

several months I started running part of the way because walking just took too long! I finished that year running a

5k every day, eating a diet of grilled chicken or fish, vegetables, protein drinks and 130 pounds lighter. Oh yeah,

I won the challenge.

Just recently you started doing triathlons. What has been the biggest challenge for you going from running

to tri’s? I set a goal to either do a sprint Tri or a half marathon at 50. I thought the Tri was more attainable! The biggest

challenge by far was learning to swim. I joined the aquatic center and went to the pool 3 times a week, after I got

the basics down each time I got in the water I stayed until I finished 750m. There were days I thought I’d never get

out. What made it easier was the crossover between the running and Tri groups. All my Checkers friends are so

supportive we bike and swim together as we'll as run. I joined the Ionraic Tri club so I can spend even more time

with the people I like!

If you could change one thing in your life right now, what would that be and why? Wow, I would have to say a little bit better health. I'm dealing with a temporary issue and have had to cut back on

training for the past month. It's amazing how frustrating that can be.

It must be very stressful working in the hospital with the hours and demands your career brings. How do

you find time to incorporate exercise into your busy lifestyle? I think I have the best job in the world. I'm a nurse and work 7pm-7am three days a week. It's both a blessing and

a curse. Having four days a week off gives me plenty of time for long runs and brick training on my days off. In

between shifts is a little tougher. I usually do my training right after work, not always the best workouts but I get

the mileage in. It's very humbling and motivating working with such sick people, I'm so thankful for every run I

can do.

Do you have any words of advice for other members who are struggling to lose weight and keep it off?

Keep at it and don't give up! There will be setbacks but you will get through them, the rewards are more than worth

the effort.

PERSONAL RECORDS

I've got a nice little story involving two members and two counts of awesomeness:

We were waiting for the start of the Love Everybody 5k and Randy Brownlee was singing the praises of Liam Regan

(who I think is 11) to me when one of the timing crew came along and was moving all of the kids to the back. Randy

spoke right up and told the guy that Liam had, "earned the right to be here," and when he expressed concern over

Liam getting trampled, Randy simply said, "You don't need to worry about him."

And you know what? Liam was far from getting trampled. He led the race for the first quarter mile and finished in

21:55. Cheers, Tim Rizzo

Matt Phillips and Rachel Kregal playing atop

the hill in Delaware Park for the marathon.

Photo by John Ende

Tupper Lake Half Ironman 5:45:13 Anthony Garrow Age-Group

6:44:26 Diane Sardes Course

St. Gregory The Great Race 5K 18:37 Timothy Rizzo Life

20:33 Patricia Hilbert Life

Mount Mercy 5K 21:26 Rick Serley Life

Salmon Run 5K 18:47 Timothy Rizzo Life

Buffalo Half Marathon 1:28:46 Timothy Rizzo Life

1:35:39 Darren Bell Life

1:45:51 Danielle Rizzo Life

1:53:24 Lynn Miller Life

2:19:06 Sebastian Scampoli Life

Navy Federal 5K 21:56 Rick Serley Life

Ironman Texas 12:09:54 Ronald Prabucki Life

New Members

Liam Regan Madigan Regan Charlie Sass

Dwayne Sholler Jim Skrabacz

Mitch Skrabacz Sue Skrabacz

Carol Sobleskie Joseph Zito

Kristin Anderson Michael Cerrone Timothy Domst

Robert Ensminger Jim LeBlanc

Jessica Nyrop Rocco Polino Eileen Regan Kevin Regan

Kiernan Regan

My humble thoughts on the Western New York Race Scene

On Wednesday night, June 19,

2012 was the St. Greg’s Great

Race 5K held on a perfectly flat,

certified course in Williamsville.

Cost was a pricey $22/$27

which benefitted the church.

They also charged non-runners $10 to get into the

party. It was another warm, but comfortable night

for racing: 84 degrees, 39% humidity and sunny

with a slight breeze. About 1200 runners received

a cluttered, orange T-shirt in all sizes, including

children’s sizes. They also received medal awards

and a great (but loud) live band (Nick and the Nice

Guys). The party had free yogurt, fruit, snack bars,

unlimited beer and wine. They charged for pizza

hot dogs, sausage and nachos. Overall it was an-

other fantastic night for a party and it was very well

organized.

Doc's Race Reviews On Sunday, May 26th, 2013 was the Buffalo Mara-

thon, Half Marathon and Relays held on a certi-

fied, rolling course throughout Buffalo. Costs

ranged from $40 to $120 depending on the dis-

tance and early entry. Early birds also got a

nice T-shirt. Even though the prices go up every

year, they are still some of the lowest prices for a

marathon anywhere in the country. Some of the

proceeds went to five charities: Roswell Park,

Hospice, Neurofibromatosis Research, Breast

Cancer Research and the Alzheimer's Association.

The weather was cool, but pretty close to per-

fect : 48 degrees , 62% humidity and sunny with a

10 mph breeze. Because of the tragedy at the

Boston Marathon, there were a lot more police,

more streets closed and more restrictions on the

runners, but that part went very well. Every par-

ticipant received a temporary tattoo reading

“Boston Strong” to wear during the race. A record

number of over 6,500 marathoners, half-

marathoners and relay teams received a clean,

gray tech shirt in all sizes, a very nice Expo, dis-

posable chips, busses for the relays, a very loud

sound system and beautiful Buffalo finisher med-

als. Awards were cash for the elites, unique tro-

phies for age winners and plaques for the top re-

lay teams. They also had pace bunnies in the

race and a kid’s race on Saturday. The Pasta Feed

on Saturday night was free to entrants and $5 for

guests. It included unlimited spaghetti, meat-

balls, bread, salad, cookies, pop and beer. The

Post Race Party at the Convention Center, which

was free for everyone, offered unlimited pizza,

oranges, apples, bananas, yogurt, cookies, pop

and beer. Overall, this is a great bang-for-your-

buck marathon.

On Sunday, May 12th, 2012 was the 7th annual

Elephant Run 5K held on a certified, mostly flat

course around the Delaware Park area, but not in

the park. Cost was $20/$25 to benefit the Mar-

cena Lozano Scholarship Fund for transplant re-

cipients. Just as the race was about to start a

heavy rain/hail storm came through which de-

layed the start for 10 minutes. But by the time

the gun went off it was sunny again and the

temperature and humidity rose. It was actually a

decent day for racing: 44 degrees, 66% humidity

and cloudy with a 20 mph wind. About 362 run-

ners received a cluttered, a green T-shirt in all

sizes, trophy/medal awards, a sound system and

a huge basket auction (over a hundred items).

They gave a flower to every female runner in

honor of Mothers Day. There was a large bal-

loon arch at the Start/Finish Line. The traffic

control was excellent. The post-race party in

Marcy Casino again had an unlimited amount of

bananas, apples, fruit cups, cookies, yogurt,

cupcakes, brownies, cereal, cake, donuts, coffee

cake, bagels, pie, rolls, cinnamon buns, energy

bars, snack bars, bags of snacks, cheese sticks,

pop tarts, coffee, fruit drink and OJ. They do-

nated the left-over’s to the Food Bank. This was

an extremely well organized race and a great

bang for your buck.

On Saturday, May 18th, 2013 was the 21st annual

Chris Griswold Memorial 5K held on a certified,

rolling course in Como Park in Lancaster. Cost

was a reasonable $18/$20 to benefit the St.

Mary’s of Lancaster Scholarship Fund. It was

beautiful, warm day for running: 63 degrees,

44% humidity and sunny with a 9 mph breeze.

About 244 runners received a clean, gray tank

top, trophy awards, a ton of door prizes and a

sound system. The party at the Skate House of-

fered unlimited pizza, hot dogs, yogurt, apples,

bananas, oranges, pop and beer. They also had a

1 Mile Fun Run. The race committee put on an

excellent show again this year.

On the road to IRONMAN Texas by Ronald Prabucki

After being prodded by all of my friends in the Lock City Ironworks Tri-Club for years,

I finally decided to give the Ironman a go last year.

In 2011, I picked up a tri-bike and a wetsuit to see if I could handle biking and swim-

ming. I have no swimming background, so this has been a struggle over the last couple

years.

Biking, on the other hand, offers a great way to recover from hard runs and races while still maintaining fit-

ness. I’ve really enjoyed my two years on the bike—except for a crash on the shoulder of Route 78 in New

fane. Fortunately, there were no broken bones, but I do have some bad road rash scars as a reminder to stay

focused on the road ahead.

The Keuka Olympic Distance Tri last June was my first official event. Before Texas, I did a half Ironman in

Geneva last summer and another half Ironman in Florida this past spring.

I, along with 13 other Checkers members, was lucky to get some great coaching and plenty of inspiration over

18 weeks from Vicki Mitchell, as I prepared for this year’s Boston Marathon. The marathon fell about one

month before IRONMAN Texas, so I was hoping that there would be enough recovery time. I was confident

that I’d be ready for the marathon leg—the swim and bike legs, not so much.

My son and daughter-in-law live in Houston. IRONMAN Texas takes place about 25 miles north of Houston.

My wife and I flew into Houston from Florida about four days before the race. I was hoping that I could accli-

mate to the heat by being down south for more than a week in Florida and Texas.

The forecast for race day was 90º and humid. The water was too warm to be wetsuit legal, so I swam in a speed

suit. I struggled to get through the water in 1:39. I had my goggles knocked off about a quarter mile from the

end. Welcome to an Ironman swim!

The biking was more to my liking. It was hot, but I managed to stay

close to 20 mph over the 112 miles. I registered a 5:40 for the bike split.

My stomach was pretty upset as I started the run and it didn’t get any

better. After I hit the 20-mile mark around 6 p.m., it seemed to be getting

a little cooler and I felt a little better.

The course is a three-loop run and my three cheerleaders (that included

my wife) really helped me out as my resolve was being tested. The feel-

ing of seeing the finish line of your first Ironman is indeed exhilarating.

I made it to the end in a little over 12 hours and 9 minutes. I needed an IV

in the medical tent after the race, but all in all, I came out of the experi-

ence in pretty good shape. No sunburn, as I liberally applied sun screen

before the bike and the run.

Next up is IRONMAN Florida in November and I’m hoping that Coach

Vicki can once again get me ready for the marathon leg.

Dr. Oz Rocks Seattle The 5th annual Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and Marathon was held on Saturday, June 22. I have been doing Rock ‘n’ Roll events for many years. They feature a big budget with a large number of entrants, live bands every few miles, and a free concert at the end. Seattle was all that and more. The event attracted more than 20,000 runners. Something this large is successful because eve-ryone is grouped by time in their corral based on their projected finishing time. The corrals are then released every minute or so. The result is a number of smaller races rather than one big mass of people. The weather was perfect. It was bright and sunny with low humidity, minimal wind and tempera-tures no higher than the 50s throughout the race. The course was very interesting. It started at the Space Needle, then via a somewhat large hill, headed to the outskirts of town. There were views of both Lake Washington and Puget Sound. In a couple of areas you could loop back and see the leaders. Unique to this race were two tunnels. The first one was about a mile long. As you ran through it, you could hear mu-sic in the distance. The music got louder and louder as you approached until you were at the water stop face to face with an Elvis impersonator. For me if that wasn’t an incentive to pick it up, I don’t know what is!

Rock ‘n’ Roll events are about making money. Unfortunately after paying more than $100 for an entry, it can be a little annoying when you get bombarded with emails pitching “discounted parking” for only $20, “Chrono-track timing” just $5 for your friends to monitor you and the “InTune” upgrade, where you get a private restroom and gear-check for an additional price. The last email I received reminded me to bring my ID for that one free Ultra I was go-ing to earn by completing the race. One free Ultra? Guess I am not in Buffalo any-more! Despite the commercialism, they do a really good job. There is superb organization, plenty of refreshments along the course, and excellent post-race provisions too. For me, it was race number 34 in my quest to run the 50 states. This is certainly a race I would recommend to anyone looking for a road trip to the great northwest. - Tom “Dr. Oz” Droz, Checkers Board Member

TRACK JUNE 11

Family Fun at St. Greg’s

Thursday Morning Runs by Danielle Rizzo

Last fall, I ran the Race to Cure Childhood Cancer 5K in

Amherst. It was a pretty small race, and afterwards, a girl

who is about my age came up to me and introduced herself.

She told me I should join her Thursday morning running

group that meets weekly in Williamsville, at the Ed Young’s

Hardware store parking lot at 5:15 a.m. Because I am al-

ways trying to cram a run into the tiny vacancies in my

schedule, it seemed like a good idea. She was also incredi-

bly welcoming. This girl and I had intended to swap contact

info, but I had to leave early and it never happened, but the

idea stuck in my head.

A few months later, I came across Joanna Malys on Face-

book and realized she was the girl I had met at the race. Be-

fore I knew it, I was waking up at 4 a.m. most Thursdays to

get in an early run with some of the nicest people I have

ever met. Joanna is charmingly persuasive.

I had been running alone for the last 10 years, never pushing

myself to do more than five miles at a time. During that pe-

riod, I had gotten married, gone to school for far too long,

had two babies, worked long hours, and watched my social

life slowly taper down to almost nothing. I had noticed at

races that the people who came often seemed to all know

each other, but felt like I was on the outside of whatever

network bonded them together. But somehow showing up

for a group training run at 5 a.m. puts everyone, regardless

of ability level, on a level playing field.

Kathy Reynolds paced me during my first Thursday morn-

ing run. I found out that she was training for the Boston

Marathon. I probably should have been intimidated by her

experience and ability, but Kathy is so easy-going and hum-

ble that I did not fully absorb the impressiveness of what she

was telling me until afterwards.

I have run alongside some of Western New York’s best run-

ners during these runs, which are anywhere from five to

eight miles, and I’m no speed demon. It had never occurred

to me before joining this informal group that I could train

with people who are much faster and much slower than I am

because not every run is about going as fast as you can.

Plus, this group stops and waits for people every few miles.

I’ve also never bonded with people in quite this way before.

There is something special about the camaraderie you share

with a person who you happen to fall in step with that day;

about the balance you strike between pushing each other to

go faster and slowing down for each other. There is a word-

less conversation that happens continually when you choose

to keep pace with someone.

We also have real conversations, with words. I’ve learned

that Lynn Miller came to running only a few years ago

and has found in herself a beast of a runner that she never

knew was there. She ran 32.4 miles at the BPAC 6 Hour

Distance Classic Ultra this spring. She logs more miles

than most runners and didn’t know she had it in her to

run that far until she did it. She is also a very nurturing

soul. She is the one in our group who will bring in home-

baked goods for us to eat after our run, and who ran-

domly gave me a dozen tomato and pepper seedlings this

spring because she had planted extra.

Tom Droz and I usually run the first 2.3 miles of every

Thursday morning run together. (At 2.3 miles we all stop

at the corner of Main and Transit for everyone to catch up

and to take the obligatory group photo). It only took a

couple of times running with him to realize that he has an

inborn competitive streak equal to my own. He can’t re-

sist racing. So we always push each other for that first

leg, run way too fast, and cool it later. But we have jovial

conversations all the while. We often end up pushing

each other at other points in the run, too—because we

just have to. Tom and I also both have two daughters

(and we each have an Anna!), and our daughters interact

with each other in strikingly similar ways.

Sam Spritzer adds a healthy dose of bombast to our

weekly runs. Generally, we are all bleary-eyed when we

arrive at 5:15, lazily hugging and muttering greetings.

But when Sam is there, he yells greetings peppered with

insults at everyone as they emerge from their cars. He is

just as sure to bomb photos as he is to cheer everyone

along. His enthusiasm is matched only, perhaps, by that

of Queequeg, Jim Hannotte’s dog. Jim brings her with

him most Thursdays to run with us. She is always eager

to lead the pack. Jim is a kind soul. I just found out this

morning that every two weeks, he spends an hour donat-

ing platelets at Roswell—another habit that, like running,

is quiet and life-giving. The crook of his arm is so scarred

that he doesn’t feel the needle going in any more. This is

what he considers his quiet time.

Colin Gleason is another regular on Thursday mornings.

Like Kathy, he ran the Boston Marathon this year. De-

spite his ability to run fast, he can often be found at the

back of our group making sure no one gets left behind.

He always finds common ground to discuss with people

and makes a point of introducing people to each other

with a form of flattery that seems at once crafted and ef-

fortless; I think he just notices the shining points in peo-

ple and calls them up easily to others.

Joe Rutowski runs with the best of them, but always

thanks people for pushing him, as if they were responsi-

ble for his performance. He also thinks of thoughtful

ways for us to be gracious as a group, like putting to-

gether a group birthday present for the owner of the gym

whose parking lot we use every Thursday, as a way of

saying thank you.

Continued on back page…….

Each week, we have a slightly different crew. During the

icy winter months there were only 4-5 of us who turned up

each week, but this morning we had 14 people. Ivar Lup-

kin, Van Vohland, Christina Prey, Kristy Bondgren, Nate

Page, and Tom Insalaco are all fairly new.

Nate Beardsley, who is our only member who has

somehow managed to resist joining Facebook, could

not resist joining us. He is a chef and works a lot of

hours, but manages to make it out most weeks. He is

quiet, unassuming, and fast.

Laurie Carpenter has become a regular Thursday

morning runner as well. She is a reservoir of funny

group stories and is often called upon to recount

them in her hilarious, dramatic way. She often tells

jokes at her own expense, mocking herself by ex-

claiming, “I don’t understand!” on a regular basis.

Gretchen Carney joined us just recently, and she

drives in all the way from Lockport. She can splay

her arms just as well as Sam for photos and she’s always

good for a funny story. She adds life to the group.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention Ann-Marie

DiPeters, another marathon runner who was out for a run

of her own one Saturday morning when a group of Check-

ers members surrounded her and made her join their run.

She ran with us all through the winter, and through the first

trimester of her pregnancy. She is not able to run with us

for a while, but is eagerly looking forward to returning in

the fall when the baby is born (with a running stroller!)

One of the greatest things about this group—other than the fact that we always manage to squeeze in a trip to

Starbuck’s after our run—is that they are forever welcoming of anyone who wants to join in the fun.

1 can diced tomatoes not drained 1 can corn not drained 1 can black beans not drained 1 package of taco seasoning mix 2-3 boneless chicken breasts depending on the size of the crockpot Put first 4 ingredients in crockpot and stir. Add chicken breasts and cover with mixture. Cook on low 8 hours (I have done it on medium in 3-4 hours). About half hour before done, take 2 forks and shred the chicken and mix well. Eat plain or serve over rice or noodles or put in taco shells. Fast, easy, low fat, good protein. VERY tasty! Linda Haas

A quick recipe sent in my Linda Haas!