Sunday, April 16, 2017

EMBRACE AND ENJOY

Best of luck to all the runners who have qualified to run in the world's oldest and greatest
marathon tomorrow.

In my opinion, there is no other race that boasts the history, tradition, and prestige as the Boston marathon.

Enjoy the city, the crowds, and the one-of-a-kind course.

From Hopkinton to Boylston, this is one of the world's most iconic sporting events.

Embrace every moment, and...kick ass!!!



Monday, April 10, 2017

jS RUNNING-WALKING TRACKER AND STEP COUNTER

On most days, we like to get out there and begin our workout with a minimum amount of hassle. We simply want to "Just start" our running or walking.

Being somewhat of a 'minimalist' when it comes to my workouts, I really like the jS Running-Walking Tracker and Step Counter because it's simple to use and easy to monitor while running.

At the start of the run, the simple touch of the "Start" button activates the app's running mode, where most activities are controlled by gestures. You can control your music, glance-free by double-tapping anywhere on the screen to play/pause music, swipe right/left to change tracks, and up and down to control volume.

I like the large, easy-to-read running metrics, which are color coded. You can choose to allow the screen to scroll through the metrics, or lock in on one metric, such as distance, pace or duration of the workout. Of course, you can also swipe through the other metrics if you choose.

There is a special mode for armband use where the angle of display can be adjusted to optimize the readout.

And, no other app offers the safety features like the jS Running-Walking Tracker and Step Counter.

The personal alarm function is designed to draw the attention of a passerby in case of an emergency. the alarm is easily triggered by pulling the headphones out of the device.

 An instant call emergency or a saved contact number is activated by using a simple tab and hold gesture.

SMS run details and location can be sent to a saved contact or to a loved one at the start of each run.

Finally, you can turn your iPhone to a side light when running at dusk or in the dark.

Check out the jS Running-Walking Tracker and Step Counter at the App Store. http://apple.co/2cYbMrU

You'll love this easy to use, safety-loaded app.





Saturday, April 8, 2017

BOSTON STRONG

Following is a story I wrote about a young local runner, which appeared in today's edition of the Pottsville Republican Herald newspaper. www.republicanherald.com

Each of the more than 26,000 runners who will toe the starting line at Hopkinton, Massachusetts, on April 17 for the 121st running of the Boston Marathon has a story.
Often the road one takes, the hardship one endures, and the obstacles one encounters can be more difficult than the 26.2-mile journey from Hopkinton to the finish line on Boylston Street.
Schuylkill County will be well-represented at this year’s Patriots’ Day classic.
New Ringgold’s Lisa Georgis, Father Christopher Zelonis from Saint Clair, Meredith Boris from Schuylkill Haven, Steve Boucher from Zion’s Grove, Schuylkill Haven’s Rick Devaney, Orwigsburg’s Michelle Kemmerle, Ashland’s Scott McCormick and Pottsville’s Rachel Schoffstall all have demonstrated the unique drive and dedication necessary to qualify for the Boston Marathon. All have their own stories of successes and setbacks.
But the most compelling story of all of the marathon runners from our region is told by a young man from Tower City.
Timmy Harner is only 31 years old, but running the Boston Marathon has always been an item on his bucket list.
A veteran of two previous marathons, Timmy was no stranger to hard training and long-distance running. But on Halloween 2015, as he completed a training run, he felt unusually fatigued. Two days later, he was able to run only a block before he was forced to turn around and go home. His training pace, which usually averaged about 8 minutes per mile, had increased to more than 12 minutes a mile.
“It felt like I ran a marathon,” Timmy recalls. “Immediately, I knew something was wrong.”
He visited his family doctor, underwent a series of blood tests, and 10 days after his tiresome training run, on Nov. 10, 2015, he was officially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Four years prior to being diagnosed, Timmy lost his grandmother to the same disease.
The next few months for Timmy were both difficult and life-threatening. On Christmas Eve he was rushed to the hospital with a 106.2-degree fever.
He wanted to give up. His life, at such a young age, he felt, would never be the same. Instead he valiantly held on, and in March 2016 he received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. Less than a year after his diagnosis, he was cancer-free.
Exactly a year to his diagnosis date, Timmy received the phone call of a lifetime: he was accepted onto the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. After a year in which he suffered, battled and beat cancer, his dream of running the Boston Marathon would come true.
His survival, he thinks in part, is due to the strength of his fellow cancer patients, as well as the help of his friend and nutritionist, Ryan Matter.
Still, he often feels “Survivor’s Guilt” when he thinks about the folks who were unable to beat this terrible disease.
So Timmy has dedicated his effort at the Boston Marathon to “Aidan.”
Aidan was hospitalized in 2009 and was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He lost his battle with the disease and died. He was only 9 years old.
Timmy reached out to Aidan’s parents, and learned that they and their friends plan to run the San Diego Marathon in June and hope to raise $100,000 to fund a research grant in Aidan’s name. Timmy Harner has personally raised more than $12,000 for Aiden. His fundraising site is: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/boston17/tharner.
Harner hopes to run the Boston Marathon in a time of 3 hours, 45 minutes, which is an average pace of 8:45 a mile.
In Timmy’s words, “I am still here, fighting every single day and cannot wait to cross that finish line on April 17.”
A marathon is a long race, but to Timmy Harner, it may feel like a short jaunt.
He has already traveled a very long road.