Month: May 2020

by Steve Maguire

I’m not much of a complainer, but it is time for a gripe. This morning I turn on the PC and the pages are blank. What’s that about? Yes, there were a few beers last night, stories with friends, and the World problems had all been solved. I figured by now the newsletter would be done. Where’s the content, the poignant ramblings of our time? All I got is simply writer’s block.     

Yeah, yeah, happens to us all. You’re confused, doesn’t seem like much content, underwhelmed, can’t find it? So what’s the gripe? Well, recently I learned a little factoid that was shared on Berks County Open Mic. (FB Page well recommended). Seems a few years back, on a May night, a young 22-year-old found the record button and captured the riff of one of the great rock songs of the era. Some of you have probably slept with or at least dreamt about new running gear, so having a cassette recorder on your night stand and a guitar in your bed probably doesn’t appear that odd. Personally I know I’ve woken with the running shoes on, but that was miles into a race with thoughts of “this is a bad dream.” 

Just a few chords and a mumble was all that was captured on that tape. A moment of time frozen by tiny particles of iron suspended on plastic with the hope this alignment of effort held value in the future. Today we have software in the clouds capturing our movement such as Strava and Garmin to look back and memorialize those efforts. Similarly people have drawn with their routes, and participated in virtual challenges to share and support various goals. Big shout out to Brock Kline and Laura Yoder for some epic mileage challenges. Hope they added content to the newsletter. 

The club to date has avoided creating this new rage of “Virtual Races,” as we respect the guidelines of the RRCA to not add competing events to existing dates or where the activity level on routes would be increased. We, however, have stepped into the realm of virtual meetings first with the Race Directors, and then on May 14^th with the entire club as a General Meeting. Thanks again to Karen Rule and Mike Whalen for their assistance. No segue, but I just opened a new package of coffee and will pause to enjoy the smell. Thanks, Jane. 

Around the time you’ll be reading this, our area will be moving into the “Yellow” phase. So what does that mean? Basically, my take is we’re all in a trial to see what sharing respect and not germs could look like. Wash your hands, pay attention to your circle, and if you’re sick–communicate and contain. Let’s get to the other side. If, as a society, we prove that adapted personal habits can influence the spread of the virus, we will move forward. 

As far as club races go, we’re holding out hope for Blues Cruise which we think, for various reasons, may be one of the best formats to work around the constraints prior events to date have fallen victim to. Race Directors Dan Govern and Mike Yoder have been working with the Army Corps and are proceeding cautiously with preparation for the Pacers’ next potential race.

There was concern at one point as the large spring races postponed to the fall would negatively influence participation in some of the Pacer events. With the Berlin and now Boston Marathon cancelling their fall dates, you can expect more of these big events will topple. For Boston that’s $200 million lost to their economy, and for the associated charities, it is something like $35 million. There is no crystal ball to the economic impact of the quarantine; however, the club continues to maintain a frugal approach to weather these rainy days. We intend, once stability returns, that as a club, the necessary discussions can occur as to how to assist the businesses and charities that have supported the Pacers in the past. For now, as individuals, we can think local, support local, and spend local. For instance, on June 5^th, it looks like Fleet Feet and hopefully Chester County Running Store will open for more than curbside pickup.

If you’ve been on the trails, around the lake, or as many have shared on the Pacer Discussion Group FB page, Mother Nature is in her glory. If you look closely around the Justa Road area, even the gnomes are sprouting. (A shout out to the creative women of the club that may have planted them.) On the page recently you may also have seen a few Pink Flamingos. Seems Polly Corvaia and Karen Rule have a great sense of humor and have started a game of tag.   Possibly migration patterns may have started on the lawns of Barb Raifsnider and Mary and Patrick Boggs. These gestures bring smiles and encouragement to athletes like a high five or ring of a bell. 

Speaking of cow bells, there hasn’t been a race since the Shiver to annoy the neighbors, but the big one came out for a car parade which was part of the Wilson High School graduation of Sebastian Weiss, son of the proud parents Stephan and Linda Weiss.  On his way to Temple, Sebastian is one of the recipients of the Pacer Scholarships. It was a moving event as the streets lined en masse, similar to many of the road races to support these kids. They’re far from the finish line, but I’m not. 

So with finding the good things going on, what’s the gripe? Well, you see, some 55 years ago in May, that 22-year-old who has outlived every life expectancy woke the next morning to find he’d recorded 2 minutes of acoustic guitar which birthed “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”. And the rest is history. 

Time to quit typing, got to go, put on my mask, and wash my hands ……. Steve

If you’re reading this now, I’ve squeezed in under the wire, and I’m busy celebrating La Fete du Muguet, the festival of the lily-of-the-valley. Of French origin, this celebration includes giving bouquets of lilies to loved ones, wishing them health and happiness. How timely and difficult as we continue on this path of Pennsylvania Quarantine life from around mid-March. Yes, there are parents who could recite the moment it all began.

We’re going to get to the other side of this and have the greatest discussion of hindsight ever documented. At this moment, however, there is some elder going rhino, hippo, and what the hell is a hypotenuse. Add the algebra questions and solving for zero and that’s only middle school. This is going to push some to drink. Tequila, I say, as we’re only days away from Cinco-de-Mayo. The late Mayans from Central America would tell us: “Don’t trust visitors!” That Spanish sailor, so friendly, Jolly-Jack I’ll call him, probably had no understanding of the reach of his actions as he unwittingly spread small pox with a more deadly outcome than the worst bottom shelf bottle of Cuervo could deliver. 

Jolly-Jack only had his friend Portly-Pete and Captain Bob in his group of friends that he felt knew anything about the ways of life. Over many a beer, they shared tales of ports, fish, and women, some they hooked, some they spoiled, and some happy never to see them again. The outcome of his actions reflected what little they knew could be communicated at the time. 

Our Race Directors, however, through the use of technology provided by Mike Whalen, recently shared their combined knowledge (and that of our RRCA insurance) to stay current with the potential expectations to organize a running event. Donna Hey, as the Race Director for Run for the Ages (6/28), has put all spending on hold, similar to the steps of the Charlie Horse RDs, and recently shut down the signups for the event. Early May will provide some insight to how the state, county, and Nolde Environmental Center will view the gathering of 400+ participants, but it does not look good. We do expect all races organized by the club will be “no frills” if and when they do occur. The reality that the Berlin Marathon already cancelled a September 27^th date does not bode well for large running events. Boston today is about 20 weeks out for a 9/14 rescheduled date, which has a host of implications where participants can’t run a race, prior to a race, to qualify for race, for a race that may not occur. 

With all the big races that have been postponed and moved to the fall, it is yet to be seen how this will impact races such as Blues Cruise in October or Oley in November. The smaller races may be viewed to participants as more manageable and nimble to the conditions of the time.  With the green light to start organizing again, will come the training to our volunteers on best practices, what we can provide, and what becomes the “new normal”.   The food spreads of our regionally know festive aid stations may be put on the back burner for a bit. This is not a time our club needs to be the leader.  

Remember Jolly-Jack? Well, he could tell a tale of the biggest fish. Spread your arms wide as you may, but Jack’s was bigger. (Size matters.) Under the stars, as they crossed the vast ocean from Spain, Jack told of great battles with detail where you could almost see the shimmer as the fish jumped in the distance. The coxswain, quiet in shadows, had tales closer to his heart.  You see without boast he did the work, honed his skills, and found challenge while the boat was in port. Call this his virtual fishing trip.

The solo events are not new; however, they have become an organized outlet to challenge, motivate, and set goals while the physical distancing is in place. Who would have thought the Big Dog Backyard Ultra could be executed globally as a virtual race with participants running 4.2 miles every hour until……  Yes: Michael Wardian went 63 hours and felt the race shouldn’t have ended at 264 miles. Check the FB page out, as it’s worth seeing the runners that used treadmills, coffee shops, and even a frozen lake as their course. In more sane distances, we’ve seen many of the Pagoda Pacers participate in similar virtual events, and some were willing to share in this newsletter. 

So why don’t the Pagoda Pacers organize a virtual race? At least from my eyes, let’s head back to the Spanish fleet and reference Captain Bob. You see one of the Dutch Uncles (everybody know that phrase?), let’s call him Sheldon (aka, RRCA), suggested some guidelines early in this quagmire that stepping on the toes of other races wasn’t akin to the best interest of the whole.

Many races are planned well in advance, and there wasn’t a clear understanding when to cancel and how large the impact would become. What they have instructed, to be fair, was to respect your dates, and if you had a race and wanted to convert to something virtual, that was reasonable. They didn’t support new events taking participants others needed simply to survive or break even. So what about something new or random we pose to Captain Bob, Jack’s buddy. In the harshest of seafaring cursing, he’ll tell ya don’t do nut’n that brings more boats to a fish’n hole. Anybody that runs Nolde, Grings, Blue Marsh, and Neversink will tell you that the last thing we needed to encourage is more people to get on common roads and trails. 

Times are changing, and the next 3 weeks of May will bring some insight to how the state will open back up and what the economy will look like.  Personally I’ve seen an outpouring to those that work in the health field and the admiration of being on the front line, but let us not forget those with tremendous financial cuts, lost wages, and possibly jobs not there to return to. If you have a free dime, give it, spend it, and share it locally. Thankfully the club is healthy as the membership has done a prudent job of cost containment and preparing for a rainy day.   

Soon it will be time for the group to band together, organize, and encourage athletic activity simply to help the community reach a new normal. This is our mission statement: not a race, not a singular event, but a culture. 

Time to quit typing–got to go put on my mask and wash my hands ……. Steve