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KWSR-SFRF April 2008
A line from Lilla
Hello all,
Last month I was either so extremely busy or just sleepwalking that somehow I missed the 7 mile bridge run deadline and did not even know when the applications came out. As president of the Southernmost Running Club, I find this highly embarrassing to admit, but there you have it. So, good luck to all of you running, I will still be out there cheering.
I have actually been more busy than usual, with some unforeseen personal issues that came up at beginning of this year. Unfortunately, my time commitment with this has risen exponentially, and juggling this with career and children has led me to make the decision to step down from the board of directors at the end of this term. I announced this news at the March BOD meeting, and want to get the word out to all our members so we can get some good new folk on the board. I hope you will all consider serving a term on the board. My six years on the board and the last two as President have been very rewarding, but now I am ready to let you share in the fun and responsibility. Please let us know if you can offer your time and service.
The April meeting will be held Wed the 2nd at Turtle Kraals, in preparation for the Turtle Trot on that following Saturday the 5th. We don’t have a speaker planned as of yet, but we can socialize, enjoy some turtle snacks, oops, I mean shrimp poppers, and maybe even help the Turtle Kraals with packet stuffing and race preparations.
Hope to see you at the April meeting,
Lilla
Thanks Dennis
Dennis Gormley has been doing a great job of Coordinating volunteers for a lot of our winter events. We could not do all of them with our his help, Dennis heads north in May, so if you see him at this months events give him a big Thanks, if you don’e see him it is because he is out on the course working so look for him at our April Social.
FROM THE EDITOR
What a season of races, your board and a core of volunteers has been hard at work to produce all these events. We need your help. Please come learn what makes a race tick. Call to volunteer and take some time to learn some of the more rewarding jobs that need to be done to keep our races running, We need Data entry people, Course set up people and finish line people, the more volunteers that are willing to learn these key positions the less work that any one has to do. If you enjoy racing with us and want to see our full schedule continue, Call me to join our race management team, 305-304-0091
Rubios in Tokyo
The Rubio family, Humberto (My dad), Tineke (My mom) and I ran the Tokyo Marathon.. The race took place Saturday February 17, at 9:10 am in some very cold temperatures. Around 32,000 people lined up to take part of this event, which includes a 10k, run by about 5,000 participants. The marathon course is fairly flat and takes you through most of Tokyo and its famous sites such as the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and Ginza among others. At the start time, the temperature was around 34 degrees but with clear skies, which was a blessing bearing in mind that last year we had to run in under pouring rain and had struggled.
This year we were ready for our second marathon and were well prepared for the cold temperatures with extra layers and plenty of gels to have throughout the race in, order to keep the nutrition throughout the race. The race start was a but hectic due to the quantity of people starting, so it took me about one minute to cross the start line and then about half a mile to be able to begin running properly. The nice part about this marathon is that the spectator support is amazing, the streets are filled with people cheering us on, and this helped a lot.
Our finish times were much better than last year; my dad finished in 3:42; 27 minutes faster than the year before. My mom finished 4:41:51, 1 hour and 14 minutes faster than the year before and finally, I finished in 2:59:34, 38 minutes faster than in the previous year. So we are all pretty sore, but happy.
See you at the races,
Felipe Rubio
Southernmost Walker Walks on: 2 more Marathons from Chester:
Pensacola Marathon
I race walked the Pensacola Marathon held in Pensacola, Florida on Sunday, February 17, 2008. It was a small marathon and half marathon with about 750 participants. Water stations were approximately every 2 miles manned by plenty of enthusiastic volunteers. The traffic was controlled excellently, by the police, Navy, and Marines. Even though the roads were open to traffic, there was always a closed lane that was left only for the runners. The event did not attract elite athletes as no prize money was offered. There were only a few spectators along the course; however, that was probably due to the weather. There was a 75% chance of rain with both thunderstorm and tornado watches then warnings in effect. Luck was on our side as it did not rain during the race. We could see the storms forming overhead, but they moved north and east of the race course before they started dumping. Four tornados touched down within 25 miles of the race. We were truly lucky.
Little Rock Marathon
The Little Rock Marathon, which is one of only a few marathons to have a walking division, was held on Sunday, March 2, 2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The temperature was in the 50’s and 60’s with some wind. The course is well marked and somewhat challenging as there are hills in many places. There were plenty of enthusiastic volunteers and 18 water/Gatorade stations. The traffic was excellently controlled by the police. The whole event is very well organized and the finisher’s medal weights over a pound.
Bart Yasso from Runner’s World was at the starting line and announced the finishers. We talked before the race and he came out at the finish and gave me a high five as he announced my finish. I truly consider him one of my friends. At the post race party held at an art gallery, we again talked and he introduced me to the race director and explained how well I had performed. You would think that I had won the walking division as I did last year but the truth of the matter is that I had the same time and came in fifth because the race has attracted a better field. I have been spreading the word to other walkers at other marathons especially the ones that beat me. It was actually nice to have someone to race walk against. There were 82 race walking finishers. I went out of my way to express my appreciation to the race director for having the walking division as did many of the other race walkers. I always thank the volunteers when they hand me a Gatorade and the police at the intersections. There would be no race without them.
Pictures from these weekends can be seen at:
http://southernmostwalker.blogspot.com/
WHAT HAPPENED
March 5, Membership Meeting and Social
Our March meeting was at the Office of Chiropractor Dr. Rebecca Spacke, who also practices acupuncture and nutrition. Dr Spacke gave a informative talk on nutrition for athletic performance and recovery and Mary Ann fixed foods that were discussed in the presentation. Some very interesting and positive nutritional choices were introduced and backed up with informative data.
4th Annual Presidents Day 5K February 17
YOUTH IS SERVED AT PRESIDENTS DAY 5K
With perfect weather and a flat-and-fast course waiting, 138 runners and walkers convened on the Key West High School track for the 4th Annual Presidents Day 5K. Fleet running abounded and Age Group Course Records – mostly the younger ones -- tumbled like dominoes.
In the not too distant past, it was not uncommon to hear some grumblings at the races about, “Where are all the young people? How come there aren’t more young people out here running?” Well, be careful what you wish for, you boomers, because you just might get it.
Eighteen-year-old Jason Patchett-Gillis of Key West captured the men’s race with a come-from-behind surge, but wunderkind Joanna McCoy of Tavernier stole the show – and the women’s race – with a wire-to-wire romp.
Joanna, who will run for Coral Shores High School next year, let everyone know that she meant business right away, leading the field – both men and women – through the first quarter-mile, and she never looked back from there. Her winning time of 19:21 fell just shy of Lindsay Ulrich’s CR (19:18) but won the women’s race by almost two full minutes.
Sugarloaf’s Julianne Welzien, 18, used a late charge to pull away from Tavernier’s Joan Scholz for 2nd overall among women, her 21:16 (a huge PR) besting Joan’s strong 21:32. Close behind Joan, Key West’s Lilla Whiteside and Debbie Bertolini added another chapter to their feral rivalry, with Lilla prevailing over Deb, 22:16 to 22:19.
The young women rewrote the top of the list, not just breaking records, but demolishing them. Joanna chopped 4:12 off the 14-and-under mark; Julianne cut 2:35 off the 15-19 record; and Abigail White (23:13) beat her own 20-24 standard by 1:14. Joan also claimed the Women’s Masters CR, bettering Lilla’s 21:56 mark by 24 ticks.
Sue Ferguson also took a big bite out of a CR as well, winning the Women’s Walker category in record time in 37:42. Sandra Guy (39:19) also got under the old mark, and Lizzette Ramos (39:32) missed it by :01.
Three AGCR’s fell on the men’s side: New Jersey’s Sean Cunningham (18:46) laid claim to the 20-24 mark; Key West’s Jason Pavlica (20:45) put the 30-34 mark under his name; and Marathon’s Chuck Bayles continued to wreak havoc on the 60+ crowd, clocking 20:18 and besting Bill O’Brien’s noteworthy 21:35.
Big thanks also go out to our prime prize donors: Outback Steakhouse, Two Friends Patio Restaurant, Finnegan’s Wake, Big John’s Pizza, Stay Fit Studio, The Lazy Gecko, and Sunset Watersports.And, of course, the race could not have succeeded without the tireless efforts of all the volunteers from the KW Southernmost Runners, the “Trumbo Troopers,” and the KWHS Track & Field coaches and team.
7th Annual No Name 5K Run/Walk, Saturday February 24, 8:00 AM
Tavernier Teens Take Titles at No Name 5K
Tavernier’s Richard Black, 18, and Joanna McCoy, 13, won the overall Mens and Womens Divisions of the 7th Annual DAS No Name 5K. The race, which raises money through entry fees, donations, and pledges for the Domestic Abuse Shelters of the Florida Keys, attracted over 200 runners and walkers to the serene setting of No Name Key.
Jeremy Smith, had no trouble holding second in 18:32, with Key West’s Julio Castro in 4th (20:01), and Marathon’s irrepressible Chuck Bayles, 60, taking sixth overall in 20:30.
The quality of the women’s field is evinced by a look at the top of the overall results page: three of the top 7 runners across the line were female, and six women bettered the 22-minute mark. And for the second week in a row, the top female was one of the youngest in the field. Joanna McCoy, an 8th grader, continued her winning ways, clocking 19:39 and adding the No Name crown to the Presidents Day 5K title that she won last week in Key West.
Joanna was chased early on by Helena Bursa (formerly Kapicova) of Big Pine Key, who is returning to the racing stage after a year off, and by last year’s KWSR Winter Grand Prix Champion Laure Grube. Helena (20:22) kept close through 2 miles, but Joanna pulled away to a 43-second victory margin. Laure, from Marathon, gave strong chase with her 20:42 but could not reel in the Big Piner.
Another teen, 18-year-old Julianne Welzien from Sugarloaf, posted a solid 21:40 as 4th woman overall, while Big Pine’s Paige Schmidt and Tavernier’s Joan Scholz , who currently leads the KWSR 2008 Grand Prix, hit the finish line together in 21:51, with Paige getting the nod on the lean.
Female Walker, Cory Walter, of Marathon, lead the whole way finishing in 31:45 for the top walker win and Larry Ferguson, of Little Torch Key, walked a fast 34:15, for the top male walker position.
2nd Annual KAIR 10K, Run At the Beach, and 5K Run/Walk, Saturday March 8, 2008, 8:00 AM
KAIRS beautiful beach course was under contraction for the past year, questioning if the race should be moved, to a different location, we discussed with the DOT, who was doing the work on upgrading the Sombrero bike path, and decided that with their help we could make a suitable if not interesting course for this years event and keep the same great Sombrero beach pre and post race location. Of course this was also hoping for no rain that could potentially flood out the course, as the new drain system was not fully functioning. With a low pre race sign up and hopes for our usual race day last minute rush, we watched as a slow moving front crept through the Keys just clearing Marathon by Race time but defiantly slowing the race day sign ups. Thankfully due to not to much rain, great work by the DOT and their contractors, and a cool but not to wet breeze, the conditions came together for great keys racing.
This event is 3 races in one with most of the runners going for the rare Keys 10K. Once again the Teens lead the way with Richard Black, 37:13, leading the way followed by Key West’s Jeremy Smith, 38:40, running his last Keys race before moving west. Impressively, Marathon’s Chuck Bayles, 42:37, ran 3rd overall to sew up the 10K Male Masters win. Young Tavernier teen, Joanna McCoy, 41:42, lead the women all the way with Tavernier veteran Joan Scholz, 44:45, taking the 2nd over all and Masters win for the Women’s 10K. Another ompressive Age Group win was by 11 year old Barefoot, Billy Welzien, running 5th male overall, in an outstanding 44:08 on this rocky course.
The 5K run had lots if interesting stories as runners figured that the veterans would be running the 10K leaving the 5K open for a easier win then usual, Not so, as Key Largo teen Maxwell Jones, 18:19, took off and never looked back till he crossed the finishwell ahead of teammates Dylan Valdes, 2nd, 20:14, and Storm Mendez, 3rd , 20:39, with veteran Islamorada runner Bill O'Brien, running a 22:31, for the Male Masters 5K win.
Last Key Deer, Big Pine Runner Tracy McDonald, let the , women’s 5K race till the end, only to be overtaken by Upper Keys Runner Mira Bedo, 24:15, who kicked by Tracy, 24:20, for the Women’s 5K overall win, with Marathon runner Ellin Meade, 26:58, taking 3rd overall and the Women’s 5K Masters win.
The top 2, 5K Walkers have been in the headlines before. On this rougher course Cory Walter. 32:57, lead the women all the way, for the Women’s win, followed by Sue Ferguson, 37:33 and Lizzette Ramos, of Big Pine Key, 38:22, both walking under 40 Minutes for women’s age group wins. Larry Ferguson, 34:27, took another impressive victory and the Men’s Top walker win.
KAIR is a non-profit organization that provides emergency social services to residents in the greater Marathon area who find themselves in crisis. Assistance with medical needs, rent, food, and transportation are only some of the ways we assist your fellow neighbors. In addition, our mission has expanded to include providing furniture, appliances, and home repairs to ensure that local families are living in a safe and functional home environment.
WHAT'S HAPPENING:
Wednesday April 2, Membership meeting and Social
Turtle Kraals Garden 7:00 PM
This will be a food and drink social as we meet and share our victory and defeats, in this busy race season. Look for great appetizers from this traditional Key West Bar and grill. Our Board of Directors meeting will be at 6:00 PM at the Turtle Kraals garden, Join us to get involved and see what you can do for the runners club in need of some new board members.
15th Annual Turtle Kraals 5K Run/Walk April 5, 8:00 AM
Will be April 5, Don’t miss great event sponsored by BW promotions and the usual great post race party on the docks. The application is on our web site and should be in the mail to you by now.
12th Annual Earth Day Run/Walk, April 12, 8:00 AM
Another great annual event starting at White street pier. Application on our website.
7 Mile bridge run in April 19 this year, hopefully you all got your registration forms and send them in, in time to participate in this Keys tradition
2nd Annual Wesley House Cinco de Mayo, 5K Run/Wonder Walk May 3, 8:00 AM
Great group and the usual Barbara Wright BW Promotions, post race event with food and prizes galore.
Check out Pictures and applications online from the www.southernmostrunners.com web site, all applications are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Race results from all our events are posted promptly.
Remember all memberships are now good for 1 year from the date you joined, Check on the website to see when you last paid or call me at 305-745-3027
If you have any stories that you would like to share, this is your paper, so just get them to me, by e-mail or on disk, preferably. You can call to help out, give suggestions, or ask questions, anytime 745-3027 or e-mail, Don.N@juno.com
Runon, Don
SFRF Runner Profile
Lilla Whiteside
Lilla is currently a board member and President of KWSR. She ran competitively in high school and college, cross country and track. While in the Marine Corps, stationed in Hawaii she ran her first Marathons in Honolulu and Maui. When she moved here in 1993, she ran with the "Christian Runners Club" who were the core group who founded the KWSR club. Lilla left Key West in 1995 for graduate school in physical therapy, and when she returned in 1997 she was starting a new family. Between having children and working full time, she is keeping up the mileage, but not worried about new PRs..."my 10 year peak was 10 years ago."
NAME: Lilla Whiteside
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Key West
JOB: Physical Therapist
MARITAL STATUS: married to Mark
CHILDREN: Eric 4, Mason 17 months
HOW LONG RUNNING: 21 years
FAVORITE RUNNING ROUTE: Smathers beach
FAVORITE WORK OUT: Long runs on Sundays (10 or more)
TRAINING PARTNERS: Debbie Bertolini, Kim Schaeffer, Karen Adams
P.R.'s: 5K- 18:42 (18:48 Hemingway Days Sunset 1993), 10K-39:50 ,1/2 Marathon - 1:34, Marathon- 3:24
FAVORITE LOCAL RACE: Hog Trot
FAVORITE NON-LOCAL RACE: USMC Marathon
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A RACE: Friends to run with
CROSS-TRAINING: water running
RUNNING HERO: Robert Price
RUNNING GOALS: Continue to run "Injury free"
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO CATCH:
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A NEW RUNNER: Always listen to your body, Stretch a lot!
