On the Run: A valiant effort at multiple marathons
Last month, my buddies from the Middle Aged Machines — a group of mostly Poughkeepsie-based runners ranging in age from the late 30s to the early 50s (thus, the name!) — asked for advice about running hard marathon efforts close together. Specifically, the MAMs had just completed the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon on October 10 and were considering a similar all-out run at the Philadelphia Marathon, which was on Sunday.
This is subject for great debate. "Serial marathoners" — runners who do multiple marathons in close proximity — are all the rage these days; they have been featured in this space several times this year, in fact. But those types of runners rarely go "all out" in the marathons; rather, they are enjoying the experience and padding the statistics, ensuring that they can bounce back quickly for the next marathon in a few weeks.
However, when it comes to all-out race efforts, the consensus of opinion among "running experts" is that it is difficult to run such race-pace efforts at the marathon distance so close together. Playing devil's advocate, I recalled David Swift, consistently the fastest of the MAMs, who ran the New York City and Philadelphia marathons in the same month, with great success at Philly. The point being: Although it may not be advisable, it CAN be done with success.
On the Run: Martins run the NYC Marathon, qualify for nuptials
On Sunday, three of my MAM buddies — David Osterhoudt of Hyde Park (a regular, early-morning training partner), Neil Grencer of Poughkeepsie and John McKee of Poughkeepsie — decided to give it a go at Philly after running their hearts out at Mohawk Hudson just a few weeks ago. They were aiming for personal-best times, Boston qualifiers, stuff like that.
The swirling winds at Philly took their toll on Sunday. Perhaps the close proximity of both marathons did, too? The wind is an easy culprit to pintpoint; the effect of the closeness of the races is not so easy to quantify. Either way, the guys didn't get their desired results, but we cannot fault their effort. In fact, I would say I'm darn proud of their efforts — I give them credit for even trying. McKee stopped at the halfway point, but Osterhoudt and Grencer bulled their way to the finish line.
Their results are included below with the other local finishers I could find after weeding through close to 2,000 names of runners from New York State (if I missed anyone, I apologize). But before I get into the results, as a Thanksgiving gift to my friends, I want to share with them (and with you) a quote from Theodore Roosevelt that I think epitomizes their efforts and their gumption to take the chance at racing Philly on a breezy, late-fall day:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
On the Run: Local runners zoom in NYC Marathon
On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the kinship I have with my fellow MAMs, my early-morning jogging partners (you know who you are), my family members who put up with all things running-related, and to all who still take the time to read this column each and every week. Thank you all.
Philadelphia Marathon results
The aforementioned David Osterhoudt of Hyde Park tops the list of local finishers at Philly. The 38-year-old's time of 3:14:01 is just a few minutes off his personal best. Nicely done, Davey O!
Other local finishers at Philly, in time order: Peter Gagliardo, Poughquag, 30, 2:12:05 (hand cycle); Timothy Burns, Hyde Park, 32, 3:35:04; Neil Grencer, Poughkeepsie, 46, 3:36:53; Yan Zun Li, Lagrangeville, 51, 3:41:04; David Walker, Salt Point, 47, 3:50:40; David Degge, Staatsburg, 28, 3:54:46; Maureen Carney, New Paltz, 28, 3:59:04; Leah Feldman, Poughkeepsie, 28, 4:16:21; Danielle Wheeler, Hopewell Junction, 26, 4:22:05; Kimberly Alexander, Red Hook, 44, 4:22:23; Sophalla Ruhe, Poughkeepsie, 35, 4:26:15; Michael Fanelli, Poughkeepsie, 40, 4:37:40; Catherine Forbes, Hyde Park, 47, 4:38:38; Jessica Velez, Poughkeepsie, 40, 4:41:28; Bruce Cote, Pine Plains, 56, 4:41:55; Denis McGee, New Paltz, 73, 4:48:37 (second in age group); Colleen Brenner, Wappingers Falls, 38, 5:10:51; Michelle Buechele, Poughkeepsie, 50, 5:57:20; Everett White, Kingston, 73, 5:58:09 (sixth in age group).
In addition, a pair of Marist College alumni and former teammates on the Red Foxes' track/cross country teams had strong races at Philly: Ryan Brown, 26, of West Hartford, Connecticut, 3:03:42; Tom Lipari, 25, of Philadelphia, 3:12:35, in his marathon debut.
Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club member Pete Colaizzo, the track coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, writes on running every week in Players. He can be reached at runhed246@hotmail.com. For more club information, go to www.mhrrc.org
On the Run: Before the Turkey Trot, be thankful
Turkey Trots
Thanksgiving Day races
Poughkeepsie, Mid Hudson Road Runners Club, Arlington High School, 1157 Route 55, LaGrangeville; 25K, 5 mile, 2 mile, 1-mile kids run; www.mhrrc.org
Rhinebeck, benefits Ferncliff Forest, corner of Astor Drive and Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck; 5K; www.ferncliffforest.org
New Paltz, Family of New Paltz, Water Street Market, 10 Main St., New Paltz; 5K, timed and 5K fun run, kids run; www.newpaltzturkeytrot.com
Kingston, Junior League of Kingston, Forsyth Park, 157 Lucas Ave., Kingston; 5K, 2 mile, kids run; www.juniorleaguekingston.org