HONORING A FALLEN HERO

Following is my column, published in the Republican Herald newspaper today.

Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those who have paid the ultimate price in order for all of us to enjoy our freedom, has just passed.

All who have served, particularly those who have given their lives for their country, deserve our thanks and respect.

Dating back to the Civil War, Schuylkill County has had its share of heroes who have selflessly devoted themselves to the cause of freedom.

Last year on June 2, we lost the bravest of the brave, Army Captain Jason B. Jones, 29, of Orwigsburg. He gave his life for his country, but a life that was filled with joy and giving continues through the efforts of his family and friends as they “pay forward” in a manner in which Jason would have been proud.

I have had the honor of knowing three generations of the Jones family, particularly Jason’s parents, Jay and Suzy. Jason was an A-student in my eighth-grade social studies class at Blue Mountain Middle School. He was an extraordinary athlete who eventually went on to become Blue Mountain’s scholar-athlete in 2003, and a young man who entered my class each day with a smile and a positive attitude.

Jason’s legacy lives on through many community projects. This coming weekend, anyone who wants to continue Captain Jones’ spirit of good works can do so by taking part in a race that truly benefits the local community.

The second annual Flag Day 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, sponsored by the Blue Mountain Eagle Foundation, will be held Sunday, June 12, at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

The race will start and finish at the Orwigsburg Memorial building. This is a wheel-measured 5K (3.1-mile) run/walk through Albright’s Woods and the walking paths around Blue Mountain Middle and Elementary schools. The course is mostly flat and shaded, with one hill. The 1-mile Fun Run will be held on Grove Street, starting and ending at the Memorial building.

All Flag Day 5K participants may choose to donate a portion of their entry fee to one of these Eagle Foundation Scholarships: The Captain Jason Jones Memorial Scholarship or the Leslie J. Schoffstall Memorial Scholarship.

Schoffstall was a 1979 Blue Mountain graduate and Blue Mountain Sports Hall of Fame member for her track accomplishments. Leslie served many years as a coach for the Blue Mountain track teams. She passed away earlier this year.

Awards are plentiful for participants in this event. In the 5K Run, prizes will be given to the top overall male and female and the top three males and females in each age group: 14& Under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 & Over.

In the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk, awards will be presented to the top overall male and female, with ribbons for all participants.

More information can be found on the race’s Facebook page: Blue Mountain Eagle Foundation Flag Day 5K. Online registration can be conducted at:
www.pretzelcitysports.com.

This is a terrific event, benefitting a great cause, in honor of a true local hero.

                                                                 Captain Jason Jones

FUEL FOR THE FALL

Fall is here, and it's a great time for running. Cool, crisps temps make for more pleasant training and faster races.

Unfortunatly, the days are getting shorter, and that means more time indoors. And that;s the time to read about running.

You can enhance your running, gain inspiration, and pick up some very valuable training tips and plans by taking advantage of the fall offer I just posted on my website: www.muldowneyrunning.com.

By visiting the website, you can buy my books, Running Shorts: A Collection of Stories and Advice For Anyone Who Has Ever Laced Up a Pair of Running Shoes, or Personal Best, for the low price of $8.99, plus shipping.

Read Running Shorts, and you'll be put right in the middle of stories from the road to which you and your running partners can relate. I tossed in a little running history and folklore, which will make older runners smile, and will have younger runners thinking, "Did that really happen/"

In Personal Best I took ideas from runners I met while traveling around the country, delivering speeches at various race expos, and tried to write a book that would both inspire and instruct. Read Personal Best, and I can guarantee you will become a better runner.

You can go to Amazon and check out: amazon.com/author/joemuldowney, for reviews and to order the books. Personal Best  is available in Kindle form as well.

Finally, you can also go to www.lulu.com, where the books are also available.

I'm approaching my 40th year as a competitve runner, and my best running days are behind me. These days, I enjoy seeing and hearing about other runners reaching their running goals. I have attempted to do so by coaching at the collegiate level, by writing this blog, and through my books.

By doing so, I feel I've made each day my personal best.

THEY WON'T BE RUINED

It hasn't been the best of times in my running life.

After battling back from a career-threatening double hamstring tear in 2013, and finally getting close to my previous running self, a dull ache on the inside of my knee, which appeared in mid-August, developed into a debilitating pain, resulting in another visit to my orthopedic surgeon.

MRI results revealed a torn medial meniscus. Certainly not life-threatening, but as every runner knows, enough to make one want to smash the nearest object in frustration.

My orthopedic surgeon, a young man who served as a fellow to the renowned surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, suggested a conservative, non-surgical approach, requiring patience, with the promise of full recovery.

So. for now, I'm cycling, lifting weights to strengthen my leg, and riding the elliptical.

But, here's the good news for all. I'm approaching my fourth decade of running. My knee problem was a direct result of my overcompensation for my weakened, unstable hamstring. It was NOT a result of simply running.

My very knowledgeable physician, Doctor Jason Phillips, emphatically stated what I already know, have written about, and studied, based on a great deal of research.

Despite what the haters tell you, running WILL NOT "Ruin your knees."

Overall, running is actually very good for your knees.

I have yet to know a runner who has a knee replacement.

Being sedentary and overweight, on the other hand, WILL, eventually ruin your knees.

So the next time a friend, relative, or co-worker, donut in hand, preaches to you about the ruination of your knees due to running...well, I'll let you answer, providing the expletives.

In the meantime, I'll see you back on the roads,,,soon.

RACE INFLATION

No matter what our age or status in life may be, we are all impacted by the economic law of supply and demand.

Its simple. When there is an abundance of a good, product, or service, the price of the item drops. When there's a scarcity, prices rise. If there's turmoil in the Middle East, or an offshore oil rig is crippled by a storm, gasoline prices will rise. In the late '90s, when personal computers became the rage, scarcity of the product saw us paying $1000 or more for the bulky hulks. Today, with the abundance of computers out there, a sleek laptop or tablet can be purchased for around $200.

When I began my road racing career, over 39 years ago, we sometimes needed to travel two hours or more in order to enter a race. Today, there are more races than ever. On any given weekend I can find a dozen or more races within an hour of my home.

And marathons?

Marathons and half marathons abound. From September to the Christmas season, marathons are everywhere.

And...they're more expensive than ever!!!

No law of supply and demand here.

I will not disparage any particular marathon. And, let me add, I fully realize the amount of time, labor, city services, and liability incurred when a town or city decides to host a marathon, Finally, I also understand that a loaf of bread doesn't cost a nickel any more, so my age doesn't cloud my judgement.

A couple of weeks ago, I was prepared to sign up for one of my favorite marathons, held in November. When I visited the website, I was astounded to find out that the entry fee stood at $150!

Ok, that's $150 for the entry fee. In most cities, hotels are more than happy to gouge runners, so I'm looking at a minimum of $200 a night to stay in the city. Throw in parking costs and meals, and you're looking at a weekend that will set you back nearly $1000.

It has become outrageous.

I refuse to do it anymore.

Let me add that, in addition to your overpriced entry fee, major races charge anywhere from $500 to $1500 for each of those booths you pass at the race expo. And don't forget corporate sponsorship. Somebody is making a lot of money off the backs (and the legs) of runners.

I AM going to single out two marathons that, in my experience, are high-quality events, remain very runner-friendly, and charge fair entry fees to their participants.

After my big-city race sticker shock, I turned to the site of my very first marathon, which will celebrate its 43rd running this November, the Harrisburg Marathon. A flat, fast race, which runs through Pennsylvania's capital city, along the Susquehanna River, this race attracts about 1500 runners, and is superbly managed. You can stay at local hotels and motels for a fraction of the cost of big-city lodging, and, if you register before August 31, you'll pay only $70 for your entry fee.

The date of the 43rd annual Harrisburg Marathon is Sunday, November 8. for more information, go to: http://ymcarun.com/

On Saturday, March 5, 2016, the 19th annual Myrtle Beach Marathon will be held.

I have several biases when it come to this race.

First, I love the Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand region. Next, the course is flat, fast, and the race is extremely well-organized. There are great ocean views, excellent crowd support, and a terrific post-race party.

Finally, you owe it to yourself to go to the Grand Strand Running Club's booth at the expo/packet pick up. You will meet friendly, supportive fellow runners. They even provide a clothing drop for all runners along the course.

The entry fee is a modest $85, if you register soon, and, unlike many other places, area hotels are very happy to host runners, at ridiculously low rates, even for oceanfront.

The race website is:http://mbmarathon.com

Do your homework. Stop paying ridiculous entry fees for hyped-up, big-city races. Seek out established, smaller, more local events, and you can beat race inflation.

Feel free to share your stories of great, economical races, as well as rip-off races, and I'll include your accounts in a future blog.

THEY DID IT!

They did it! 

100-mile ride around Lake Tahoe. and $7800 for Team in Training.

 Congratulations to my daughter, Kelly, and my son-in-law Mike!

BEACH DAY

Winter's icy grip continued to clutch the eastern seaboard into the green month of May. Chilling temperatures, hovering in the low 50s, when the average temperature should hit 70, continued through last week.

Sunday, however, was a great day to go to the beach. Tropical conditions prevailed, with high humidity and temperatures finally reaching the 80s.

A great day to watch a marathon is a bad day to run a marathon.

Two dedicated runners, both of whom I have great admiration and am proud to call my friends, dedicated  the last three months or so to training for yesterday's Run for the Red Marathon, held in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. They had largely good weather for marathon training, with a few warm days sprinkled in. They could hardly be acclimatized for weather more suited to tanning than to running a marathon.

Samantha Snukis, a former high school state champion in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, and Father Chris Zelonis, a novice runner, who has quickly excelled in the sport and has qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon, had turned in some of their best training for the race, but yesterday they knew that the 26.2 mile road to the finish was going to be a torrid trek.

Few things are more difficult than running a marathon under hot conditions. Heat produces devastating effects as body core temperatures can rise to near-death levels. World-class runner, Alberto Salazar's body temperature reached 105 degrees at the end of the hot 1982 Boston Marathon. He was immediately plunged into an ice bath to bring his temperature down.

It is very easy to mentally shut down during a hot marathon race. The mind literally asks, "What's the point of this?"

Amid the heat and humidity of yesterday's race, Snukis and Zelonis, who happen to hail from the same small town of Saint Clair, Pennsylvania, (Is there something in the water, or is it the Yuengling beer?) emerged as champions.

Samantha Snukis earned $500 by placing third in the women's division, smashing her personal best marathon time by clocking a 2:55:18.

Father Chris lopped a full five minutes off his best marathon time by hitting the finish line in 3:03:12, placing 4th in his age division.
.
The intense heat drove him to the medical tent where he received an IV cocktail, but he quickly recovered.

Sometimes runners make excuses when weather conditions are poor.

Often, competitors pack it in, drop out and run another day.

These two gritty competitors faced the heat and conquered.

They earned complete admiration and praise.

I think it's time for them to go to the beach.

THE DUEL

A good day to watch a marathon is a bad day to run a marathon.

Non-runners look at a weather forecast for a marathon, see 75 degrees and exclaim, "Wow, it looks like you're going to have great weather for your race."

Not so.

A cloudy, calm, 50-degree day is perfection for running a marathon.

All indicators point to such a day for the 119th running of the Boston Marathon on Monday.

That wasn't the case in 1982, however, and it led to one of the greatest finishes in Boston Marathon history. A race that has been called, "The duel in the sun."

Back in the last century, Boston Marathon race organizers remained stubborn traditionalists, insisting that the race begin at noon, as it always had.

It was a beautiful day...for the beach and for an early spring tan.

The sky was cloudless, the sun was hot, and a slight tailwind sucked moisture from the body like a blow-dryer. Temperatures topped out in the 80s. I completed the race in a respectable time of 2:28:43, and my most significant post-race pain did not stem from sore muscles and joints; rather from pink sunburn lines which outlined the shape of my race singlet on my shoulders, and upon my ankles above the sock line. My nose, a significant perch for birds, glowed like Rudolph's.

Alberto Salazar was the world's best marathon runner at the time. While others, including the iconic Bill Rodgers, wilted from the intense heat, gritty Minnesotan, Dick Beardsley stubbornly hung with Salazar.

Through the Newton Hills, Beardsley refused to be broken.

Crowds went wild on Commonwealth Avenue as the moving duel ensued.

With less than a mile to go, Beardsley's hamstring tightened up and Salazar took the lead.

Beardsley's cramped leg found some unlikely relief from an unlikely ally: a Boston pothole!

Like most potholes we encounter in our cars, he didn't miss it, but miraculously, it loosened his cramped leg, and he drew even with his rival.

Crowds exploded as the gladiators sprinted to the finish, with Salazar prevailing by a mere two seconds.

 Salazar crossed the line in 2:08:52; while Beardsley clocked a 2:08:54. It was the first time two men had broken 2:09 in the same race.

Alberto Salazar, however, paid a steep price for his victory. The searing, dry heat robbed him of fluids, causing his body temperature to drop to a near-fatal 88 degrees and it took several liters of intravenous fluids to stabilize him. By Salazar's own admission he was never the same after the race.

We all hope there are no more "duels in the sun." Let's keep those temperatures in the 50s for Marathon Monday.

Save the beach weather for Tuesday.


More Boston Marathon history the chapter entitled 'Boston,' in my book, Running Shorts. www.muldowneyrunning.com

GREAT DEALS, GREAT STORIES, GREAT ADVICE

For the next three days,  my publisher, Lulu, www.lulu.com, has a great sale going on. They are offering 30% off all print books.

The cool thing about having written two books about running is that they are two contrasting works.

My first book, Running Shorts: A Collection of Stories and Advice for Anyone Who Has Ever Laced Up a Pair of Running Shoes, published in 2011, is a compilation of my experiences as competitive runner for 39 years, but many of these tales reflect experiences YOU have had during your years as a runner. As one of the Amazon reviewers stated, "It will make you laugh and it will make you cry." amazon.com/author/joemuldowney

Traveling the country, promoting my first book, prompted me to write, Personal Best, my second book, published in September 2014.

Runners told me what they wanted in a running book, and I tried to respond by writing a book that is instructive to runners of all ages and abilities.

Personal Best took a tragic turn in April 2013, soon after I crossed the finish line at the Boston Marathon. I devoted my first chapter, entitled "Was That Thunder," to the events, and my experiences of that day. I guarantee you, it is worth the read, and it is my fervent hope that I was able to capture the emotions of that fateful day in a manner in which every runner can relate.

If you would like read an electronic version of Personal Best, it is available for only $2.99 at Amazon, Lulu, iBooks, Nook, and Kobo.

You can visit my website: www,muldowneyrunning.com, and I will personally sign and send a book to you. You can go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or take advantage of the sale at Lulu, to purchase running books that will positively influence your future running efforts.

And, it doesn't end there!

Read the books and stay in touch. email me here, look me up on Facebook at: Joe Muldowney Running, or on Twitter at: rdrunnr00. Tell me about your running, ask me questions, discuss training or injury issues.

I love this sport, and I love runners.

Let's get to the finish line together.

RIGHT ON HEREFORD, LEFT ON BOYLSTON

"It all begins here."

So says the sign outside of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the sleepy New England village that becomes the center of the running universe, every year, on the third Monday of April.

A parade of yellow school buses descend, like honeybees, on the village just after dawn on Patriot's Day, turning it into a city of runners, all of whom have a single purpose: to make the right on Hereford and the left on Boylston.

They are there to run the world's oldest, most storied marathon footrace: The Boston Marathon.

Getting there isn't easy. One must qualify to run Boston. And when the gun sounds, the undulating nature of the course creates cramped quads, blisters and chafing, but the journey itself is worth it.

The start in Hopkinton, is incredible. It's a two-lane street, and its your first downhill portion of the course. A "sea of humanity," is not an exaggeration. A moving centipede of runners snakes through the quaint New England countryside. Families accept the fact that runners veer off the narrow road and trample their lawns over the first, fast downhill miles. Unlike the prototypical codger who warns, "Get off the lawn," to the neighborhood youth, residents greet runners with water, high-fives, and orange slices.

Fraternity houses, in full-party mode, feature speakers the size of compact cars, which blast ear-splitting choruses of Born to Run," Chariots of Fire," and, of course, the Rocky theme.

Crowds swell at Ashland clock tower at mile four, and at the Framingham train station around mile six.

At mile ten, spectators jam the town of Natick.

Then there's the prelude to one of the most electrifying moments a marathon runner could possibly experience.

Past mile twelve, one can faintly detect a higher pitch to the crowd noise. It comes from up ahead.

Suddenly, it happens.

Reminiscent of the grainy, black and white videos of the early Beatles American concerts, the women of Wellesley College, located exactly at the half-way point of the race, insanely cheer, scream and shout to runners as they pass. The course narrows, and it becomes truly a Boston "goose bump" moment. Women runners receive ear-splitting receptions, and more than one male runner hugs or kisses a coed or two.

The Wellesley euphoria remains for less than three miles before runners begin climbing the infamous Newton Hills, a series of four formidable inclines that challenge one's strength and stamina, between miles sixteen and twenty one.

The fourth and final Newton Hill is Heartbreak Hill. It rises eighty-eight feet between miles twenty and twenty one. Crowds expand on Heartbreak Hill. Most of them are there to encourage the runners; while some may possess a sadistic streak.

Boston's best is yet to come.

A downhill past Boston College, where at the 2013 race I yelled, "Go Jesuits" to a crowd of students, who responded with an enthusiastic roar.

The long stretch of Commonwealth Avenue, the "T," to your left; elegant brownstones to your right, crowds growing along the way.

In the distance, the giant Citgo sign looms. Located within the Green Monster of Fenway Park. When it is reached, there is one mile to go. Crowds leave the Red Sox game, which began at 11:00 a.m., and remain on the street to cheer for the runners.

Make the right on Hereford, and for a few seconds you are in the "Green Room." You know, the quiet area where celebrities wait before walking onto the stage.

The left on Boylston propels you smack on the 50-yard line of the world's largest stadium. To the crowd, you and your fellow runners are rock stars. You are just as as revered and respected as the winner of the race.The crowd noise is deafening.

The Boston Marathon is an incredible journey that begins on frigid winter mornings, on lonely 20-mile runs, and throughout the challenging race itself.

It concludes with a simple exhilarating finish.

A right on Hereford and a left on Boylston.

Check out the chapter, 'Boston,' in my first book, Running Shorts. www.muldowneyrunning.com

IT CAN HUMBLE YOU

Bill Rodgers, former American record holder in the marathon, as well as four-time Boston and three-time New City Marathon winner, once said, "The marathon can humble you."

If you've ever run a marathon, you know that truer running words were never spoken.

This past weekend, two good friends of mine had turned in some awesome winter training in preparation for marathons on both coasts.

Out in Los Angeles, record heat baked the field of over 26,000 runners. Many runners suffered heat exhaustion, and 30 need to be hospitalized. My friend, who had hoped to break the 3:30 barrier, adjusted his goal to the high 3:30s. As he cruised along, ingesting as much water as he could, he suffered severe leg cramps at mile 22, dropping him to a 3:45 finish time.

Indeed, I felt his pain.

At the 2012 Boston Marathon, after a winter of intense training, I winced as, throughout the week prior to the race, forecasted temperatures kept rising. On race day, temperatures topped out in the high 80s, and there was absolutely no shade. I adjusted my sub-7:00 per mile pace to a 7:30. By the time I reached mile 18, my paced had been reduced to over 8:00 a mile, and I had no stamina remaining for the Newton Hills. I stepped off the course, and took a ride from Boston College to the finish line.

At the Newport News Marathon on Sunday, Wayne Parfitt, who has run marathons in the 2:30s, was prepared as he awaited the start. He had logged many hard winter miles.

He went out aggressively, and as his race progressed, he was cruising to a sub-2:45 effort. At 21 miles, his legs began to falter, and with the finish line in sight, at a mere .1 mile remaining, the legs failed, he collapsed to the ground, and struggled to finish in 3:00:30.

The absolute worst enemy of a marathon runner is the heat. We can't control it, and we can't just throw away the many months of training. Unless one is a finely tuned, elite runner, your marathon time will always suffer if it's hot.

There is a fine tightrope we walk when we run a marathon. You push hard to achieve your personal best, but sometimes you fall off the tightrope, as your legs simply refuse to respond to your body's plea to go another couple of miles.

Even a blister can dash the hopes for marathon success.

Enter each marathon with realistic expectations, and also with a Plan B. After my failure at the 2012 Boston Marathon, I regrouped, counted it as an 18-mile training run, then successfully ran the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon a month later.

When all the ingredients are mixed together properly, the marathon, a potentially humbling experience, can be the most gratifying and satisfying achievement of your running life.

www.muldowneyrunning.com

MARATHON THROUGH HISTORY

There are so many marathons from which to choose these days, that many runners are searching for a unique race experience.

Well, mark Sunday, April 25 on your marathon calendar if you want to participate in a different kind of race, while reliving history by racing on truly hallowed ground.

The race is the 5th annual Gettysburg North-South Marathon and 10-Miler, which will be held in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the bloodiest and most significant battles of the American Civil War.

On the website, www.gettysburgnorthsouthmarathon.com, you can learn more about the race as well as register for it. The site offer the following description of the event.

"The Gettysburg North-South Marathon and 10 Miler is run against the setting of a landmark battle of the Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg. The soldiers of the North and South fought on the roads and fields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863 in the Civil War’s most famous battle, a historic event that symbolized the breach between North and South, marking the turning point of the war and the return to a single United States of America.

This event honors the battle of Gettysburg with a unique marathon competition that pits runners representing the North and the South against each other in a scored competition. The race takes runners from both sides through the hallowed grounds of the battlefield. More information on this one-of-a-kind competition can be found here."

The race is a USATF certified course, and is a Boston Marathon qualifier, so you can not only run on a scenic course, but qualify for the 2016 Boston Marathon as well.

So, if you're looking for a different spring marathon that offers a taste of history, consider the Gettysburg North-South Marathon on April 25.