JFK 50 Mile

Well, a bunch of people have asked how it went down at JFK. The short answer is, really good for awhile, then I got hurt and it sucked. You can read the full report here which I posted on the store blog.

I'm going to see Dr. Ness sometime this week to see if I can't get this hip/back thing straightened out. Hoping to be back in time for the Viking Run.

El Fredo Moves to Second in NYC Results!

As reported earlier, Gunker Fred Stewart narrowly missed age-group hardware at the venerable NYC Marathon (sorry, the ING New York City Marathon), placing third in the 60-64 age group, a category which "pays" two deep. (This after placing fourth earlier this year at Boston, where the top three took home hardware!) However, investigation into the age-group winner revealed that his 2:38 finishing time actually was too good to be true. Apparently, the man had given his chip to a younger friend, who ran the course with two chips (which subsequently recorded identical times at each split) until he handed his chip to the older runner at some point in the last mile, allowing the man to "win" his age group. C-Boy, at the finish line, noted immediately that something seemed to be amiss, as this gentleman was moving much, much slower than all of the other sub-2:40 finishers streaming across the line. It seems that this man had never actually broken four hours before. A remarkable PR!

Anyway, after Gunker and NYRR board member Norman Goluskin headed up the investigation, the man was DQ'd and Freddy moved up to his rightful second spot, missing the win by only six seconds. Congrats to Fred, who now can bost a second at NY and fourth at Boston in the same year--quite a double. Gunker Rich Edwards, the 2007 Boston age-group champ, also moves up to sixth in the same category. Nice job guys!

Winter Workout Schedule

The workouts for the winter have been moved to New Paltz. Times remain the same (6:30 pm, Wednesday and Friday). Tempo runs Wednesday night will be leaving from the Shawangunk Running Company (2 Church Street, New Paltz) at 6:30. Track work on Friday will be at the SUNY-New Paltz track.

Sunday long runs are still 8:30 am at Spring Farm unless otherwise noted.

Remember that group runs are also held Thursday evenings at 6:30 from the Shawangunk Running Company--easy runs of between 30-60 minutes. All abilities encouraged.

After the Leaves Have Fallen

The final major race of the season on the local trail-racing calendar, After the Leaves this year was the ninth stop on the Onteora Grand Prix circuit, which, along with near-perfect racing weather, boosted entries to a record level. Nearly 200 registered, and 164 finished the 20K race on the carraige trails of Minnewaska SP.

Gunker Steve Schallenkamp, the RD, did another admirable job putting the race together; as always the race benefitted the Kingston XC team, for which Steve is the longtime coach.

Gunk attendance was slightly below its usual levels for this race, which was mostly attributable to the fact that a large contingent of Gunkers went to New York to either run in the marathon, or cheer on those who were running; as well as some late-season injuries (Mendy, Steve) keeping others out of action. Still, there were a number of solid showings. I don't know if I'd characterize my own race as such, but the 1:19:02 did lead the team for the day.

Gunkers

15. Jeff Feinsod 1:29:12

18. Pat Lopiano 1:30:47

31. Paul Muessig 1:37:36

45. Barbara Sessa 1:40:25

Sorry, I don't have the age-group results yet, but when they are available I will update the post.

The final race in the Onteora Grand Prix will be the Hudson Holiday Classic 5K on 12/21.

New York, New York!

It never ceases to amaze me how competitive the Gunkers are when we travel to big-time races...and races don't get any bigger than New York. (I'm sorry, the ING New York City Marathon. Did that annoy anyone else watching the TV coverage? I love how they even refer to old editions of the race by including the title sponsor. As in, "Grete Waitz won a total of nine ING New York City Marathons." Of course, ING didn't exist when Grete won her last marathon, but why let facts get in the way of plugging the sponsors!)

Five Gunkers made the short trip down I-87 for the race that first put the "major" in "World Marathon Majors." Racing in near-ideal conditions (sunny, low-40s, slight wind) they put on a real show.

The performance of the day belonged to Fred Stewart. El Fredo followed up his 3:09 in Boston, where he placed fourth in his age group, with a brilliant 3:08:08 for third in the age group. A fourth at Boston and a third at New York--not a bad year, Freddy! Now if only Fred would learn how to run even splits! Fred was a mere 5 seconds out of second place. Fred's fellow 60-64 man, 2007 Boston age-group champ Rich Edwards, was out in 1:33:43 (only two minutes behind Fred) at halfway; he struggled with a 1:45:18 over the second half but still wound up with a credible 3:19:01 for a strong seventh in the group. Two top-10 age group places from the same club--not too shabby.

Kevin Roach had the fastest time of the day for the Gunkers, as expected. The big news for Kevin was the time; after a surfeit of recent marathons in the 3:02-3:05 range, Kevin finally broke through with a 2:57:56 off a 1:27:52 opening half (second half in 1:30:04, a mere 2:12 split--now that's some nice even running!).

Philip Vondra just missed cracking the 3-hour barrier with a strong 3:00:28; Doug Heller continued his comeback from injury with a solid 3:37:23. Great job by everyone in representing the club with such success

Section 9 XC Championships

Some big news out of Bear Mountain this weekend, where the Section 9 Cross-country Championships were held and yes, the Gunkers made their presence felt. The New Paltz girls' team, led by the 1-2 finish of Gabby Mancuso (daughter of Gunker Gail) and Jordan Stern (daughter of Gunkers Jon and Tomi), won the girls' Class B title, scoring a one-point victory over Onteora.

Gunker Gavin Gullickson (son of Gunker Anne), who has led his Rondout team all season, ran a huge PR (16:57) on the tough 3-mile Bear Mountain course, placing fifth in the boys' Class A race and earning a trip to the state championships. Clearly the product of superior coaching by Anne and C-Boy!

Congrats to all the Gunk families!

Hairy Gorilla Half

A small contingent of Gunkers and FOGs made their way north for the wild and wooly Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon, a trail race/cookout/costume party. The race is the brainchild of Josh Merlis of the Albany Running Exchange, which basically guarantees it will be more fun than should be allowed in civilized society. Robert Muller and Charlie Gadol led the locals, placing 24th and 25th, respectively, in a field of over 200 runners. Charlie was able to nab first place in the 50-59 age group with his 1:38:25, just 9 seconds behind Robert.

FOGs:
44. John Holt 1:49:06
92. Doug Freese 2:06:46 (second, 60-69)
94. Jimmy Buff 2:07:21

Full results are available here.

Hall of Fame 5K

The Mid Hudson Road Runners hosted the Dutchess Sports Museum Hall of Fame 5K (now that's a long race name!) at Bowdoin Park last weekend. The race offered the chance to compete on the same course used for some of the area's biggest high school cross-country meets. That was a nice change from previous years. (Wait a minute...did I think that or type that?)

Shawangunk Running Company employee/superstar Justin Harris tore through the challenging, classic grass-and-dirt layout in 16:26, bettering his high school PR by 12 seconds and finishing a strong second overall. Not sure if we can count him as a Gunker yet, though he did work out with the group last Friday. I'll still categorize him as an FOG for now, I guess, but we'll give him a battlefield promotion very soon. John McGovern led the Gunk contingent with a 10th place showing in 19:34 (third for the masters). Pat Lopiano (25th, 21:10) and Steve Schallenkamp (27th, 21:18) rounded out the scoring for the Gunks Masters' team, but MHRRC was too much for us this year, and we did not field any open or womens' teams. With New York and After the Leaves looming next weekend, most of the Gunkers took a quiet weekend off.

Full results are available here.

Annie Second Overall at Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon!

Gunk marathon ace Anne Gullickson turned in a bravura performance at the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon, running a brilliant 3:02:33 for second overall, and first master. It was Anne's second strong marathon performance this year, following her 3:05 in Boston. Anne ran with eventual winner Mariah Titlow until the 22-mile mark, until the younger runner pulled away for a 2-minute victory. Brilliant run for Annie!

That same day, Mendy Taylor traveled to Boston for the Tufts 10K for Women. Competing against a world-class field that included several former Olympians, Mendy placed a credible 43rd out of over 5200 finishers in 37:30.

Pfalz Point Trail Challenge

As always, numerous storylines emerged from the Pfalz Point Trail Challenge, one of the crown jewels on the local racing calendar. And as usual, the Gunkers were right in the middle of it. The 10-mile trail race provides one of the most challenging tests of strength, endurance, and trail-running skill you will find anywhere. It has been named one of the top trail races in the country by Runners' World, and it routinely fills to its 300-runner capacity in advance; this year, no race-day entries were accepted due to rising demand.

From the Gunks standpoint, Mendy Taylor provided the top story, as she has all year. Since her breakout performance at last year's Pfalz Point, where she finished second in a very solid 1:13:04, Mendy has emerged as the dominant force on the local racing scene. She has handled her many successes this year with a healthy dose of humility and perspective (some might even say she is too humble!) and so it was suprising when, on a course recon run two weeks ago, she admitted to really wanting to break the course record for Pfalz Point this year. None of us doubted she could do it; it was simply the fact that she admitted to wanting it that took us by surprise.

Personally, I assumed she would break the course record (set by Ellen Strickler in 2001, in near-perfect conditions) fairly easily, if not by several minutes. The weather on race morning seemed to preclude any record attempts, however. The course had been softened by nearly two straight days of rain, and while temperatures were resonable (mid-60's to low 70's), the humidity was well over 90%, and the entire scene was draped in thick fog. Warming up, I felt as though we were in a steam bath. The wooden bridges and exposed rocks which litter the course were very slippery, meaning corners would be taken at half-speed. A record seemed impossible.

Mendy kept her head, though, and stuck to her race plan. Despite the conditions, she ran brilliantly and crossed the line in 1:10:42, bettering the old standard by 15 seconds. I stick by my assertion that under even average conditions the record would now be well out of reach. In a year thick with notable achievements, this may have been one of Mendy's best races. Great job Mendy!

That was hardly the only story to come out of the race, however. Justin Harris also took no notice of the less-than-ideal conditions, posting an astounding 57:52 to secure a 5:00+ victory over Gunker/CPTCer Mike Trunkes (runner-up for the second consecutive year). Given the conditions Justin's race might have been even more impressive than Mendy's. The women's course record has been threatened several times in the past, inlcuding last year when Gordon Bakoulis came within 30 seconds of it; but until Sunday, no one had ever come within two minutes of the 57:40 put up by the indomitable Mike Slinskey in 2001. Justin's near-record, in a solo effort in muggy conditions was a simply brilliant performance.

Believe it or not, however, it might not even have been the performance of the day! Some observers gave that title to the amazing run of Declan Dwyer-McNulty of Red Hook, who ran 1:05:59 to place fourth overall. What's so amazing about that, you ask? Nothing, really. Except he's 13 years old.

The Gunkers had an excellent day, even beyond Mendy's outstanding run. As mentioned, Trunkes was second for the second straight year (part of an all-coaches top three: Justin is Mike's assistant at SUNY-New Paltz, and third place finisher James Cowan is the head man at Vassar). He also took the master's division. C-Boy was second among masters with an excellent 1:08:44 (seventh overall), as he and Mendy continued their back-and-forth battle this season.

Other Gunkers:
5. Jason Friedman 1:07:40 (2nd 30-39)
13. Alan Ruben 1:11:24 (1st 50-59)
17. Kevin Roach 1:14:10
25. Jeff Feinsod 1:16:11
28. Brian Nagle 1:16:17 (2nd 50-59)
38. Paul Muessig 1:20:09 (3rd 50-59)
53. John Young 1:22:30
55. Fred Stewart 1:23:15 (2nd 60-69)
68. Charles Vigna 1:25:04
88. Norman Goluskin 1:28:27 (1st 70+)
102. Gavin Gullickson 1:29:34 (2nd under-17)
103. Anne Gullickson 1:29:35
113. Kurtis Nordahl 1:31:10
161. Dan Winfield 1:38:05 (3rd 60-69)

FOGs:
16. Connie Seigh 1:13:52 (2nd female, 1st 30-39)
19. Wayne McDaniel 1:14:54
24. Connie Grace 1:15:38 (3rd female, 1st 40-49)
27. Scott Willett 1:16:15
34. Gordon Bakoulis 1:19:18 (4th female, 2nd 40-49)
47. Julie Denney 1:21:28 (3rd female 40-49)
78. Kristen Hjeltnes 1:27:08
85. Janice Cyr 1:28:00

Apologies to those whose names I missed or forgotten. Email me and I'll add you!

Full results are here.

Dutchess County Classic

The Gunkers journeyed across the river for the Dutchess Classic Half-Marathon last weekend, as most of the fall marathon crew aimed for their last major tuneup before heading up to Albany or down to New York. C-Boy once again led the way for the team, running 1:21:17 for sixth overall, and second master. This was the 412th consecutive half marathon that Chrissy has run between 1:20:00 and 1:22:00.

Kevin Roach ran a strong 1:27:43, finishing 24th, and showing that his preparations for NYC are right on target. Anne Gullickson was close behind; her 1:29:30 placed her 29th overall, and third among women. (The womens' top three of Grace-Seigh-Gullickson being the easiest thing to predict since...I have no idea. Someone finish that joke for me, I'm too tired to think of a punchline.)

Other Gunkers:

34. Jeff Feinsod 1:29:53 (3rd place 40-44)

35. Mark Mulpeter 1:29:59

44. Fred Stewart 1:31:23 (1st 60+ Great job Fredo!)

57. Kurtis Nordahl 1:33:11

60. Rich Edwards 1:33:54 (2nd 60+)

132. Doug Heller 1:44:45 (the comeback continues)

Mad Dash 5K/10K

Mendy Taylor's winning streak continued at the Mad Dash 10K on Labor Day, as she continued to destroy most local competition (as she has done basically all year). Her 36:32 not only outpaced the second-place female (FOG Connie Grace) by an astounding 2:13, but it was fast enough for second overall, less than a minute behind the men's winner. The time improved her PR, set earlier this year at the Kingston Classic, by over a minute.

C-Boy hung tough, racing with Mendy until the late stages, and running an impressive 36:40 for third overall and first master. Kevin Roach was fifth master in a solid 39:18 (15th overall).

Other Gunkers:
Brian Nagle 24th place (3rd 50-59) 40:29
Mark Mulpeter 26th place 40:35
Anne Gullickson 27th place (2nd master) 40:44
Steve Schallenkamp 60th place 44:55
Jason Taylor 70th place 45:41

Other FOGs:
Wayne McDaniel 9th place (4th master) 38:29
Mark Wilson 22nd place 40:21
Doug Freese 81st place (2nd 60-69) 46:24

In the 5K, Gavin Gullickson led the Gunkers with a strong 17:44 for eighth overall (second age-group), showing that he is more than ready for the upcoming cross-country season. Great job Gavin! Tomi Stern was the first Gunk female, running 20:08 to place third in the master's race. FOGs/tri-geeks Dr. Mike Halstead (17:56, 1st master) and Mark Wilson (19:29, 5th master) had nice tuneups for the upcoming SOS triathlon. Mark ran the traditional 5K/10K double, which I can attest is no picnic.

Full results are available here.

Gunkers Dominate the Rosendale Plains Run

C-Boy once again did an excellent job as the RD for the venerable Rosendale Plains Run, putting on a great race once again that brought out many of the top local runners for a mid-summer test. Due to construction the course was re-routed up the finishing downhill and made into a fairly taxing 4.4-mile out-and-back, which most felt was significantly more difficult than the old course. Despite that change and the warm weather, however, several top-notch performances were turned in, and the Gunkers, to nobody's surprise, were out in full force.

The performance of the day belonged to Mendy Taylor, who continued her breakout season with a runaway victory (margin of over 90 seconds) in a race-record time of 26:39. Mike Trunkes made it a clean sweep of the overall titles for the Gunks, using a strong second-half surge to pull away from Nick Mancuso (son of Gunker Gayle Mancuso) for a 15-second win in 24:02. Mendy placed fourth overall as the second Gunker, edging out summertime Gunker Alan Ruben (fifth, 1st in 50-59 age group) in 26:40. C-Boy pulled double duty as race director and competitor, running a solid 27:03 for eighth.

Other Gunkers:
9. Gavin Gullickson 27:33 (3rd 15-19)
19. Kevin Roach 28:47
20. Jason Friedman 28:48
22. Bill Foley 29:01
23. Steve Schallenkamp 29:17
25. Brian Nagle 29:28
26. Anne Gullickson 29:48
28. Mark Mulpeter 29:59
44. Gayle Mancuso 32:30
48. Norman Goluskin 32:57 (1st 60-69)
53. Fred Stewart 33:23 (2nd 60-69)

FOGs:
12. Wayne McDaniel 28:09
14. Conni Grace 28:12 (2nd female)
24. Gordon Bakoulis 29:23
33. Barry Henck 30:53

The Plains Run was the seventh race in the Onteora Grand Prix, which Gunker Steve Schallenkamp continues to lead in his quest to three-peat. The next GP race is the Barry Hopkins Run in Olana on September 14.

Shawangunk Running Company Opens!!!

Yeah! We opened, finally on August 8th. We've had a great first weekend and we're having a blast in the store. Thanks to everyone who came by to say hi. If you haven't been in yet, come by and check the place out. We're at 2 Church Street in New Paltz, right off of Main Street. If you're walking through the middle of town you can't miss it.

We currently carry several brands of clothing and 8 different shoe lines. More stuff is coming in every day. By the end of this week we will be adding clothing from Sporthill, trail shoes from Vasque, and wetsuits and triathlon gear from Zoot. In about two weeks expect to see new shoes from Newton. By the end of the month we should have most of the big shoe companies in stock, including adidas, Asics, Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance, and Saucony; hopefully Nike as well.

Give us a call at 845-256-0525 to check in. We're open every day except Wednesdays.

Summer Series #4: Blueberry Run

Gavin Gullickson took top honors for the Gunkers at the final stop on the Summer Series circuit. His 26:11 over the tough 4.3-mile Blueberry Run course was good for seventh overall and gave Gavin a clean sweep of his age group in all four races. Following close behind were the dynamic duo of C-Boy (ninth, and first master, again, in 26:17) and Mendy (tenth, and first woman, again, in 26:37).

Other Gunkers:
Pat Lopiano 28:23 15th place (1st age group)
Kurtis Nordahl 31:40 28th place (2nd age group)
Patty Lankhorst 33:19 10th female (3rd age group)
Maggie Schoonmaker 51:54 129th place

Series age-group winners (Gunkers in bold, * denotes a sweep of the age group in all four races)

Women 0-14: Debbo Spanagel
Women 15-19: Kristen Peluso
Women 20-29: Farrier Golgoski
Women 30-39: Mendy Taylor* (won all four women's races overall)
Women 40-49: Marisa Hanson
Women 50-59: Sue Hoger*
Women 60-69: Kathleen Davies

Men 0-14: Gavin Gullickson*
Men 15-19: Kevin Wippel* (won three of the four races overall)
Men 20-29: Kurtis Nordahl
Men 30-39: Mike Slinskey
Men 40-49: Chris Peone
Men 50-59: Pat Lopiano
Men 60-69: Steve Perks*
Men 70-79: Herby Waterman*

Awards will be presented at the fun run on Monday August 4th.

Goluskin Dominates Empire State Games

Gunk legend Norman Goluskin turned in a dominating two-day performance at last weekend's Empire State Games. Norman, who is in the midst of a long-term buildup towards the World Veterans Championships next year, showed that his preparations are right on schedule, and confirmed that the Gunkers are the area's top age-group racing team.

Norman began with a runaway victory in the 10,000 meters, running 45:01 to best the nearest 60+ age-grouper by over 3 minutes. He came back the following day to sweep the 60+ set at both 5000 meters (21:33) and 1500 meters (5:52). A remarkable performance to say the least. Great job Norman!!

Summer Series #3: Patterson's Pellet

Mendy struck back at the third race in the Summer Series on July 21, taking top Gunk honors with her eighth-place overall finish (and third straight women's title). Her 18:24 over the tough 3.0-mile course edged C-Boy's 18:31 after the latter had bested her in the previous two races. Chrissy' time was good for tenth overall, and second master, behind fellow Gunker Andy Heiz (18:25 for ninth). Gavin Gullickson nabbed a third straight age-group victory with his 18:50 for 13th overall.

Other Gunkers:
Pat Lopiano 19:57 21st place (1st age group)
Anne Gullickson 20:03 23rd place (2nd age group)
Kurtis Nordahl 21:18 35th place (2nd age group)
Jordan Stern 22:18 43rd place
Beth Glace 22:34 45th place
Maggie Schoonmaker 35:49 155th place

Full results are available here.

Hudson Valley Rail Trail 8K

The Onteora Grand Prix got back underway on July 19th with the Hudson Valley Rail Trail 8K in Highland, the first race in the series in over a month. Pat Lopiano was the lone Gunker at the race, but he represented the group beautifully, running 32:28 for seventh overall and second in the 50-59 age group. That outstanding showing moved Pat into second place in his age group in the overall Grand Prix standings. Gunker Steve Schallenkamp retained a commanding lead in the overall standings.

Full results are available here.

The next race in the Grand Prix series is the Rosendale Plains Run on August 9th.

Summer Series #2: Lou's Run

C-Boy again took top honors for the Gunkers at the second of the Summer Series races, placing sixth at Lou's Run. The race is named for Gunk legend Lou Gross, who particularly enjoyed the 4.4-mile, single-track/carriage-road race. (Series proceeds, as well as those from the Solstice Run, benefit the Lou Gross Memorial Fund.) C-Boy took third in the 40-49 age group, running a course PR of 28:49. Gavin Gullickson scored his second straight age-group win, taking 10th overall in 29:54. Mendy Taylor won the women's title for the second straight week; her 29:10 was good for seventh overall.

Other Gunkers:
Pat Lopiano 31:44 16th place (2nd age group)
Brian Nagle 31:52 18th place (3rd age group)
Anne Gullickson 32:53 3rd female, 1st master
Kurtis Nordahl 33:29 27th place (3rd age group)
Kevin Roach 33:40 29th place
Jon Stern 33:40 30th place
Fred Stewart 34:17 38th place (2nd age group)
Jordan Stern 36:56 55th place

FOGs:
Myron Baker 32:08 20th place (4th age group)
Mike Vance 32:09 21st place (2nd age group)
Barry Henck 32:24 24th place

Sorry if I missed anyone. Full results are available here.

Summer Series #1: Overcliff/Undercliff

The Summer Trail Series kicked off on July 7 with the Overcliff/Undercliff Run. This unique event allows participants to pick which direction they will run for the 4.8-mile loop course, resulting in some "blind racing" as competitors running clockwise will see those racing counterclockwise only one time before the finish.

The unstoppable Mike Slinskey of Wappingers scored an easy victory in 26:48, posting a nearly 1-minute victory margin. C-Boy was the top Gunker, running 29:36 for sixth overall and top honors among masters. Most importantly, he gained a measure of revenge over teammate Mendy Taylor, who had been crushing him recently. Mendy easily won the women's race in 30:22.

Other notable Gunkers:
Gavin Gullickson 31:06 12th place (1st age group)
Pat Lopiano 31:51 15th place (1st age group)
Kevin Roach 32:42 20th place (5th age group)
Kurtis Nordahl 34:10 24th place (3rd age group)
Steve Schallenkamp 35:38 28th place (3rd age group)
Maggie Schoonmaker 56:38 149th place

Full results are available here.

Mendy's Track Debut

Mendy Taylor, the Gunks revelation of 2008, ran the first track race of her career on Saturday (not counting her weekly Friday night beat-down of C-Boy) at the USATF East Regional Championships in nearby Valatie. Running against a competitive field in her first attempt at 1500m, Mendy more than held her own, placing fifth out of 13 runners in 4:50.56 (the equivalent of a 5:09 mile). We'll have to check on whether that's a club record. Mendy finished behind two Nike athletes and two Greater Boston TC athletes, beating three of Coach Mike's Westchester TC athletes in the process.

Not sure when Mendy is racing next, though rumor has it she may show up at the Xterra half-marathon at Spring Farm on August 16. If she does, I'll have to watch my back.

Finger Lakes 50K

Yours truly turned in one of the crummiest performances of his career over the holiday weekend at the Finger Lakes 50K, held outside Ithaca, NY. After passing through the halfway point in a pedestrian 1:58:30, I crashed and burned like never before, ultimately struggling home seventh overall in a hideous 4:35:06. Not sure exactly what happened, as I was in much better shape this year than last, when I split 1:56 en route to a 4:01:33. Very odd. Certainly some poor decisions regarding nutrition played a role, as did the humid conditions, and my overall stinkiness.

Summer Solstice: Mendy wins again!

As expected, the Gunkers turned in several top-notch performances at the Summer Solstice 15K in Minnewaska State Park on Wednesday night. A good field of over 180 runners, including some top local talent, braved the threat of inclement weather and made this benefit for the Lou Gross Memorial Fund a great success. Race director Steve Schallenkamp took a break from beating everyone (though not a break from talking very loudly) and put on an excellent race as usual.

Mendy Taylor easily ran away with the women's title, her fourth victory of the young season. Her 56:02 set a new women's course record and beat FOG runner-up Connie Grace by nearly two and a half minutes. Anne Gullickson PR'd for the Solstice course, running an excellent 60:11 to finish fifth overall.

Summertime Gunker Lukas Siska had a great 15K debut, running 50:57 for third overall to lead the Gunk men. Yours truly had a good workout, if not the strongest mental performance of my career, placing sixth in 53:18.

Other results from Solstice:

Gunkers
Kevin Roach, 18th, 59:18
Chris Peone, 23rd, 59:53
Brian Nagle, 25th, 60:00
Pat Lopiano, 27th, 60:24
Mark Mulpeter, 33rd, 61:35
Norman Goluskin, 69th, 69:07

FOGs
Wayne McDaniel, 11th, 57:57
Marisa Hanson, 13th (3rd female), 58:24
Barry Henck, 30th, 60:57
Jan Cyr, 101st, 76:08
Winter Eyres, 102nd, 76:08
Dan Winfield, 112th, 78:16

Full results are available here.

Onteora Mile

Anne Gullickson continued to show impressive range this spring, as she followed a 3:05 at Boston and a 19:32 Freihofer's 5K with a convincing win in the women's race at the Onteora Mile last weekend. Her 5:56 took the women's title by nearly 50 seconds. Anne's son Gavin continued his fine spring, running 5:06 (he's 14 years old! That's nuts!) for fourth place overall, edging out masters extraordinaire Steve Schallenkamp (fifth in 5:09). Other fine performances were turned in by Gunkers Pat Lopiano (14th, 5:41) and Brian Nagle (15th, 5:47).

Complete results are available here.

The Onteora Mile was the fifth race in the Onteora Grand Prix Series. Two-time defending champ Steve Schallenkamp extended his overall lead with his fifth-place finish; he appears well on his way to a third consecutive series championship. The next race in the series is the Highland Rail Trail 8K on July 19.

Violet Avenue Twosome

The Gunkers dominated the Violet Avenue Twosome last weekend, sweeping the top three places overall and most of the category awards as well. The race, hosted by Gunkers Jon and Tomi Stern, pits two-person teams against each other, each team member running 1.5 miles on an out-and-back course.

Mike Trunkes, who splits time competing for the CPTC and the Gunks, teamed up with summertime Gunker Lukas Siska to take the overall title in 15:14. Lukas' 7:35 and Mike's 7:39 were the two fastest splits of the day. Second overall and first in the Co-ed division were C-Boy and Mendy Taylor, running 16:30. Mendy's 8:07 was the fifth-fastest individual split of the day, and by far the fastest by a female runner. C-Boy's 8:23 was good for the eighth-fastest split on the day. Gunks teams swept the second and third spots in the Co-ed division as well; Anne and Gavin Gullickson teamed up to run and excellent 17:51, and coach Beth Glace and Pat Lopiano placed third in 19:16.

Steve Schallenkamp anchored the third-place overall, and second in the all-male division, team, running 8:17 for his split. High schoolers and Gunk offspring Jordan Stern and Gabby Mancuso teamed up to win the all-female division in 18:52. Norm Goluskin and Don Davis ran pretty fast for a couple of old guys, taking the men's 60-69 division in 21:35. Norm's 10:18 works out to a 6:52 pace, which, if I do say so myself, is moving.

Freihofer's Run for Women

The Shawangunk women took center stage last weekend, traveling to Albany for the Freihofer's Run for Women, one of the largest and most prestigious all-female races in the world. Undaunted by a world-class field of over 3000 runners, the ladies turned in a gaggle of top-flight performances that solidified their status as the top women's team in the Hudson Valley.

As she has all spring, Mendy Taylor led the way, charging to a 22nd-place finish overall (8th American) in a sparkling 17:35, a 49-second PR. Mendy seems to get better and better each week, and has the rest of us wondering how fast she can actually go. She wound up fourth in her age group, leaving in her wake, among others, age-group world record-holder Marisa Hanson and Olympic gold medalist Joan Samuelson. (Lest you think Joanie is finished at 51, she still can run sub-18 minutes and sub-2:50 in the marathon.)

Gunks marathon ace Anne Gullickson turned in her finest 5K in years, running a stellar 19:32 for 60th overall and fourth in her age group. Fellow 40-44 age grouper Tomi Stern ran an excellent 20:29 to place eighth in the bracket. Alyson Homo-Schank ran 21:52 for eighth place among 35-39 year olds, and Gayle Mancuso was right behind in 21:59, placing seventh in the 45-49 bracket.

The next generation of Gunks women put on a fine show as well, with Gabby Mancuso running 19:29 for tenth among 15-19 year olds, and Jordan Stern running a solid 22:09. The Mancusos placed second in the mother-daughter team division and the Sterns placed third among 118 teams. The club team of Mendy, Anne, and Tomi finished an excellent fifth overall in the Open division. (Had Anne, Tomi, and Gayle entered as a master's team, they would have placed second.)

Full results are available here. Amazingly, every one of the Gunks women placed among the top 200 in a race of over 3000 finishers. For the team to come away with such a slew of individual age-group awards and high team placings is an amazing testament to their talent and dedication. Way to go ladies!

Woodstock 15K

Steve Schallenkamp continued his fine spring season, leading the Gunks contingent at the Woodstock 15K with a third-place overall finish and yet another age-group win. His 1:00:02 trailed race winner and FOG John McGovern by nearly 3 minutes, as McGovern pulled off a nice weekend double, his victory coming only two days after placing third at the first Xterra New York Trail Run. Steve's finish helped him to extend his lead in the Onteora Grand Prix standings, which he attempting to win for the third consecutive year.

Doug Heller continued his comeback from a nagging ITB injury, running 1:17:25. Other strong performances were turned in by FOGs Abidi Bouazza (fourth, 1:00:37) and Myron Baker (15th, 1:05:54).

Full results are available here.

The next race in the Onteora GP is the Onteora Mile on June 13.

Xterra Trail Series #1: Black Bear Hollow

Yours truly won the Black Bear Hollow Trail Run, the first race in the inaugural Xterra New York Trail Run Series, on May 24, covering the hilly 9.2K course in 39:40.

The three-year-old Xterra Trail Run Series is an offshoot of the popular Xterra off-road triathlon events. The Trail Run Series is grouped into ten geographic regions, with each region hosting a series of between three and seven races to produce a series champion. Regional champions can earn free entry into the Xterra National Trail Championships (in Bend, OR, in September) and World Championships (Oahu in December). The three-race New York series makes its debut this year.

Local duathlon god John McGovern, the organizer of the New York series, hosted the race at his multipsort facility, then pulled double duty by racing, finishing third overall. The mostly singletrack, two-loop course included 1400 feet of climbing and two small stream crossings.

Full results are available here. The second race in the series, the Twin Lakes 12K, will be on July 6 in Hurley. The series concludes with a trail half-marathon on August 16 in the Mohonk Preserve, which should be a nice prep for the Pfalz Point run and the fall marathon season.

Schallenkamp wins Trolley Run

Steve Schallenkamp led a small Gunks contingent at the Kingston Trolley Run on Saturday, running an 18:38 over the 5K course for the overall win. It was also Steve's third age-group win in the first three races of the Onteora Grand Prix, giving him a commanding lead as he attempts to win his third consecutive Grand Prix title.

Jon Stern ran 20:42 to place 12th overall and fourth in his age group. Full results are available here.

The next race in the ORC Grand Prix is the Woodstock 15K on May 26th.

Long Road to Boston

If this was a real blog, and I had gone to Boston, I could have blogged all weekend. But I didn't go, so I'm just going to recap.

You've got to love Boston. Over 110 years of tradition, some of the best athletes in the world, the only marathon in the world other than the Olympics or the World Championships that you need to qualify to get into...Boston is the ultimate. Just qualifying to stand on the starting line in Hopkinton is, for many, the pinnacle of their running careers.

Not the Gunkers, though. They were out for blood.

Both Anne Gullickson and FOG ("Friend of Gunks") Conni Grace figured to have a shot at a coveted crystal bowl in the womens' masters category, which went ten deep. Connie came oh-so-close, running 3:02:20 for 12th, less than 2 minutes from scoring a bowl. Anne ran brilliantly as well, clocking 3:05:12 for 16th master.

"El Fredo," Fred Stewart, also had designs on some crystal. Following Rich Edwards' win last year in the 60-69 age group, Freddy decided to take his shot, running 1:31:16 through the half, at which point he was third in the group. He held that spot--the final bowl position for 60-69ers--through 35K, but was passed late and wound up a tantalizing fourth, running an excellent 3:09:58, just 2:30 from the hardware.

Kevin Roach ran a beautiful 3:02:50, flirting with a sub-3:00 following a 1:29:54 opening half. Mark Mulpeter, who trained with Kevin and the rest of the Gunkers all winter, ran a very evenly-paced 3:18:54, a huge PR. FOG Wayne McDaniel ran a very solid 2:57, and the husband-and-wife team of FOGs, Alan Ruben and Gordon Bakoulis, ran solid races as well (2:47 and 3:15, respectively).

Kingston Classic

Mendy Taylor gained some revenge for some early-season defeats and made C-Boy look silly at the Kingston Classic, scoring a 50-second beat-down en route to a seventh-place finish (and first American!) in the area's premier road race. On a warm day that generally saw slower times than last year (Kiplagat's course record notwithstanding), Mendy improved on last year's auspicious debut by 80 seconds, running 37:39 and winning her age group (30-39).

Chris Blough, the group's newest racer, ran a strong 34:58 for 18th overall, the fastest time on the day among active Gunkers. C-Boy ran a solid 38:29 for 36th place, eighth in the 40-49 age group. Jim Juliano was 11th in the same group, and Brian Nagle placed 7th among 50-59 year olds with a 41:20. Gavin Gullickson, son of Gunks star Anne Gullickson, placed third among 14-19 year olds, running 41:12. He's only 14!!!

Some other results from "friends of the Gunks":
Abidi Bouzza 14th 34:32
John McGovern 24th (3rd master) 36:14
Mike Halsted 28th (5th master) 36:58
Robert Muller 33rd (7th 40-49) 38:01
Marisa Hansen (Female masters winner) 38:49
Connie Seigh (3rd 30-39) 40:31
Barbara Sessa (4th 40-49) 41:07
Myron Baker (8th 50-59) 41:27

Full results at http://www.kingstonclassic.com/.

Race Around Briggs

Steve Schallenkamp scored his second age-group win in eight days at the Race Around Briggs on April 6, the second race in the ORC Grand Prix. Steve placed eighth overall, taking a commanding lead in the Grand Prix points standings, a title he won in 2006 and 2007.

Sometime-Gunkers (and full-time MHRRC runners, but we like to claim them for our own) Wayne McDaniel and Connie Grace place fifth and tenth, respectively, with Connie taking the women's title and a new course record, a result that surprised absolutely no one.

The Onteora Running Club took the team title in a close race over The Mid-Hudson Road Runners. We need to get a team together for that race next year!

Full results are at http://www.racearoundbriggs.com/.

The next ORC Grand Prix race is the Trolley Run 5K (May 10, Kingston).

Blough, Taylor win Lowe's 5K

The local spring racing season opened in late March with the first race of the Onteora Grand Prix, the Lowe's 5K in Highland, and the Shawangunk Runners showed that their winter of training had paid off, sweeping the top places. Chris Blough, a new member of the Gunks, won the race in 16:58, a solid opening-season time on a cold, windy day. Mendy Taylor took the women's overall title with a startling 18:24, notching a nearly 90-second margin of victory. You guys rule!

Steve Schallenkamp won the 50-59 age group, placing seventh overall in 18:13. Brian Nagle took second in the same group. Chris Peone was second among 40-49 men, outkicking Mendy for eighth overall. Next time, Chrissy, pick on someone your own age. Jon and Tomi Stern also turned in nice performances, with Tomi placing third overall for women. Longtime "Friends of the Gunks" Abidi Bouzza and John McGovern placed third and fourth overall, respectively.

Full results can be found at http://www.onteorarunners.org/results/lowes2008.htm.

Summer Solstice Run

The 2008 Solstice Run will be on Wednesday, June 18, at 6:30 pm at Minnewaska State Park. The beautiful, challenging 15K course is one of the best trail runs in the Hudson Valley, and the race is a fundraiser for the Lou Gross Memorial Fund, a cause near and dear to our hearts. The race application is available now.

Previous Solstice Run results: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Pfalz Point Trail Challenge

Application available soon.

Previous Pfalz Point results: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

After the Leaves Have Fallen 20K

Application available soon.

Previous ATL results: 2007

Summer Trail Series

The famous Shawangunk Summer Series of trail runs is back for 2008. Races are as follows:

1. July 7: Undercliff/Overcliff, Trapps Bridge (4.7 miles)
2. July 14: Lou's Run, Spring Farm trailhead (4.0 miles)
3. July 21: Patterson's Pellet, Minnewaska State Park (3.0 miles)
4. July 28: Blueberry Run, Minnewaska State Park (4.0 miles)
5. August 4: Awards and fun run/relay, New Paltz Rail Trail

You can download an application here.

Previous Summer Series results:
Undercliff/Overcliff: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Lou's Run: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Patterson's Pellet: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Blueberry Run: 2007 2006 2005 2004

Coaches

Beth Glace
Beth, the club's head coach, has led the Gunkers for the past several years. She is the Sports Nutritionist and a Research Associate at Lenox Hill Hospital’s Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma where she has been practicing for the past 15 years. She has published various articles on sports and exercise science. Many team members have run PRs under Beth's tutelage.

Mike Barnow
Mike is our newest coach, having started to work with us this spring. Mike is the founder and longtime coach of the famed Westchester Track Club. He has coached nine Olympians and forty US National Qualifiers through the WTC, and he served as the head coach for the Somalian Olympic team for the 1984 Olympics. He has thirty years of coaching experience at the high school, college, open, and elite levels. Mike is one of the top coaches in the US today, and we're thrilled to have him working with us.

Rosendale Plains Run

The famous Rosendale Plains Run, a 4.4-mile loop through scenic Rosendale and Tillson, will take place on August 9th. Gunker Chris Peone is back to serve as race director once again. The application is available here.

Previous Results: 2007 2006 2005

Who We Are

The Shawangunk Runners ("Gunkers," or just "Gunks") are a competitive group of distance runners based in Ulster County, NY. Most of us live in the Walkill Valley between Kingston and New Paltz, in the shadow of the Shawangunk Mountains. The hundreds of miles of carraige roads and trails that traverse the Shawangunk Ridge give us the perfect training environment that we are lucky to call home.

The Gunkers are not a "club" in the usual sense. There are no dues or membership fees. There is no newsletter or definitive membership list. We see ourselves more as a team or a training enclave. Our athletes are serious about enjoying the sport on a competitive level, and we support each other during weekly runs and workouts. Sometimes we even have uniforms. (Not usually. We think Lou might have had the last one.)

Please don't take this to mean we are not competitive. To the contrary, the goal of racing well is the common thread that binds the club together. Our members comprise some of the most successful open and age-group runners in the Hudson Valley. We've had winners at various notable local races, top placings at US National Championships for masters' track and field and for ultra running, and age-group winners and numerous top-10 performances at the venerable Boston Marathon. One would be hard-pressed to find a more successful training group in the area.

Anyone can join the Gunkers. Just show up and run one of our workouts, get to know us, and become a Gunker! Join us for a race or volunteer to help out at one of the numerous races we organize in the area. Just visiting the Valley for a weekend? Come out for a long run Sunday morning. We love the company, and Fred and Steve will be thrilled to have someone new to listen to all their stories.

Workouts and Group Runs

Workouts are Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Wednesday: Tempo Run (with coach Beth)
Location: Spring Farm Trailhead (summer), SUNY-New Paltz (winter)
Time: 6:30 PM

Friday: Track workout (with coach Mike)
Location: SUNY-New Paltz track
Time: 6:30 PM

Sunday: Long Run
Location: varies; Spring Farm is the most common locale
Time: 8:30 AM