The Daily Run

I’m actually not a daily runner myself, and haven’t been for close to 30 years, but I am still able to pull my old backside out of bed at five in the morning four days a week for what amounts to a slow five-mile trot over some of the prettiest terrain around. At 55, no matter how slow I’ve become, I still feel blessed, no matter the season, to get my legs moving over this gorgeous countryside we live in. Despite not running on a daily basis, I am, each and every day, whether it’s at work or out coaching or directing a race, surrounded, thankfully, by a world full of runners. I am, at any given second, no matter the time of day, warmed by the thought that there is always someone running the streets, back roads, trails and even the treadmills of Central Virginia.

I’ve been personally running for close to 40 years, and over the past three decades I’ve had the privilege of directing hundreds of footraces, and have been blessed to coach thousands of wonderful folks. And so, with this blog, I hope to share with you a daily slice of life from this wonderful running world we live in.

Because we’re such an active racing community, Monday’s blog each week will probably end up being very much like this first entry: full of race results! From high school and collegiate tracksters and harriers to master roadies, we’re one heck of an active running community. There are over 85 area public footraces annually and that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the busy weekly race schedules for our 18 area high schools, not to mention Coach Vigilante’s teams at the University of Virginia. So many races, so much talent, so much to talk about, so let’s get started…

Two local running events of note are set for this coming Saturday: 1. The Bright Stars 5K at Greer Elementary School behind Albemarle High. This popular fun run is wonderfully organized by county school teacher Terri Higgins, and is open to the entire community. 2. A Kid’s Running Clinic and Track Meet (and pre-Discovery Dash tune-up). This event, which is annually hosted by the UVa Children’s Hospital, will take place at the Charlottesville High School track at 8:30 a.m. and is free and open to all ages from 3-12.    

Western’s Derek Armstrong, who is headed to Georgetown this fall, finished fifth in the 3200 with a sparkling 9:15 under the stars at The Southern Track Classic Friday evening in Richmond. Armstrong was joined in the competition by cross-town competitors Cierra Ulan (5:22) and Ryan Thomas (4:25), who fared well for Albemarle.  

Coach Winston Brown’s mighty Fork Union Military Academy squad took home yet another Prep League/LIS Track and Field Championship title over the weekend in Richmond, as they narrowly outscored their long-time rivals from Woodberry Forest. FUMA’s Michael Idziak won the 800 with a 1:58 clock-stopper and Woodberry’s super senior Kevin Bennert took home blue ribbons in the 1600 (4:24) and 3200 (9:37). Go to milestat.com for complete results.  

Macklin Chafee, who competes for the RMR post-collegiate team, took another step towards his Olympic Trials aspirations with a stellar fourth-place finish at the U.S. Road Mile Championships on Thursday evening. Chafee clocked an impressive 4:03 over a one-mile stretch of rain-drenched pavement in downtown Minneapolis and, more importantly, he out legged several nationally ranked milers. Chafee can now add his excellent finish at this prestigious event to his 2011 resume, which already includes a 3:58 mile-clocking from earlier this year. 

The Charlottesville Track Club kicks off their annual Marathon/Half Marathon Training Program with an orientation meeting this evening. Don’t fret if you’re reading this after the fact, as the actual training doesn’t start until June 25^th. The program, which is in its 19^th year, is unique in that it personally guides each of the 200 or so participants to their individual race and goal. In other words, you choose whatever fall event you’d like to run and the program will properly prepare you to run it! Last summer, the participants trained for 32 different events from the Philly Half Marathon to the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y. Anyone who is either looking to run their first long-distance race or improve on a previous performance is invited to join in. Last year’s paces ranged from 6:15/mile to 14:00/mile. For more information or to sign up for the program go to charlottesvilletrackclub.org.

Hoos on the run: Lindsay Harper ran the fastest 800 recorded by a UVa woman since 1986 when she stopped the clock in a lickety-split 2:07.44 at the Carolina Invitational in Chapel Hill on Saturday. UVa’s “Two Lapper Posse” rode into town and swept the 800, with Robby Andrews taking first in 1:49.30. Teammates Anthony Kostelac (1:50.25) and Lance Roller (1:50.26) quickly followed the Jersey Bomber as they rounded out the top three. Chris Foley clocked the second fastest 10,000 meters ever run by a Cavalier first-year when he nailed a 30:04 (2^nd only to All-American Bob Thiele’s amazing 29:58 freshman run back in1990) at the ECAC/IC4A Championships on Friday. Go to virginiasports.com for more information.    

A big blue ribbon to Western Albemarle assistant coach and RMR athlete Vicky Schandevel for deciding NOT to run the Cleveland Marathon over this past weekend because of a nagging irritation in her forefoot. Yes, you heard me right: I’m handing her a virtual blue ribbon for not running a race that she had been training for all winter and spring. I often tell my athletes that you’ve truly arrived as a runner and are now in the big leagues when you can listen to and truly respect your body’s warning signs. Even if it means missing an important race that you’ve had your heart totally set on, like the marathon Vicky was training so diligently for over the past five months. One of the worst, if not the very worst thing a runner can do is to run a long distance race with an injury. Vicky just made a valuable investment in the future of her running by not racing the marathon while injured, and for that she gets today’s blue ribbon!