The Pagoda Pacers’ Run For The Ages Trail Chase was held on June 25. The race draws nearly 200 runners to Nolde Forest and features an age-graded start, where the older age groups start early and the younger, faster runners have to catch them through the hilly trails of the park. The race supports maintenance and improvements at the park, and, through the Friends of Nolde group, provides a donation to this effort. Race directors Donna Hey and Blair Hogg presented the check to the Friends of Nolde at their monthly meeting on September 7. Many Pacers enjoy running the trails at Nolde, and we are pleased that we can give back to the facility by holding this race.
Front row: D. Hey, Jennifer Stinson – Friends of Nolde President, Brent Erb – Nolde Forest Chief Ranger, B. Hogg
Back row: Friends of Nolde volunteers, several of whom helped on race day
Mark your calendar for next year’s race!
The 2024 Run for the Ages Trail Chase will take place on Sunday, June 30th!
There are two cross country races coming up this month, which involve the club, and of course, this means recruiting volunteers. One is an actual club-sponsored event, and one is assisted by our members with race course marshaling and finish line management.
The first is the BCIAA (Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Assoc.) High School Cross Country Conference Run and takes place on Tuesday, October 17, on the Kutztown University Campus. Traditionally, the club contributes volunteers from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. to manage the course, road crossings, and finish line. The second is the Junior High Championships, which takes place at the Reading Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 21. Parking volunteers are needed from 6:30 a.m. until 9 a.m., and volunteers for course marshaling and finish line from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Both races comprise the “big dance” of their schedule, and are the most important races of their season.
These are the only events during the year where the club engages specifically with Berks County youth, and it is a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression on the future of the local running community. This is the club’s 15th year of involvement, and the club has earned a stellar reputation among this community as a result. Let’s keep it going.
As we move into the final quarter of 2023, it’s time to gear up for this year’s election of important club officers.
Several members of the club’s Board of Directors have announced they are unable to run for re-election. Our current club president, Michelle Henry, has also announced that she does not want to run for another term.
That means that it’s time for US to step up. Here’s what you need to know:
CLUB PRESIDENT — serves a one-year term, leads monthly meetings, represents the club in various public contexts, delegates and appoints other members for diverse duties and responsibilities
Board of Directors — members serve a 2-year term; meet 4 times per year to set goals, strategies, and priorities for the club; advise president as needed; 4 vacancies for this year’s election
Eligibility — Any Pacer who has been an official, dues-paying member for ALL of 2023 is eligible to run for Club President or the Board of Directors (except for current Board Members who are term-limited).
HOW TO NOMINATE YOURSELF — Send an email to Matt Brophy (Matthew.L.Brophy@gmail.com), who will be coordinating this year’s election. Identify the position you are running for, and, if you’d like, share a brief “blurb” that we can publish in next month’s newsletter, which summarizes your history with the club and reasons for running.
DEADLINE: Please nominate yourself NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 19!
A list of nominated candidates will be advertised in the November Newsletter, and voting will take place online between November 1st and November 9th.
The results of the election will be announced at the November 9th General Membership Meeting.
Thank you, in advance, for stepping up and helping the club move forward! Your leadership and service are appreciated!
Election – Steve Vida: For the upcoming annual election, four board of director positions are open for election, and the president’s position, elected/reelected annually, is open. An applicant for a position must be a member in good standing for 1 year (and a dues paying member for all of 2023.) Steve reminds anyone thinking about running that board meetings are held quarterly in the evening – and anyone who is elected should be available to attend the meetings, being mindful not to miss more than 2 meetings. Any experience level of club involvement is welcome to run for an open position. The president is an annually elected position, acting as the face of the club and often creating the initiative behind club projects.
Matt Brophy will conduct elections as previously done for the past few years.
Nominations accepted until October 19.
Voting on line will take place from Nov 1 to Nov 9 at 5 p.m. (Nov 9 is the November membership meeting.)
Results announced at the November 9th membership meeting.
Motion made to conduct the club elections according to the 4 points above, seconded, and voted as approved by the members present.
Michelle Henry announced that she is likely not to run for president for next year – although, not totally firm on this yet. She encourages anyone interested in running for president to do so. The positions of vice president, treasurer, and secretary are appointed. The secretary position will be open in 2024.
Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – as of today, the account is 132% of target. Expenses are out there for all the various events, but also income is coming in. $1000 still to donate to Special Olympics.
Races:
Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 1, 2023) – Elaine – people running as trail markers to meet on Saturday, September 30, at 3 p.m., contact Mike Yoder for additional details. Trail maintenance needed for 17/18 September – Skinners loop mowed, because they will be running all of it this year. Jason Karpinski is measuring the course this weekend. A couple of aid stations still need support, especially at 1, 6, and 7. Sign up on UltraSignup as a volunteer, ensures being covered by insurance and that Elaine has your contact information, PLUS you will get a lovely volunteer shirt in your size, and delivered to you at your volunteer site. Elaine is requesting for people at the start/finish area to bring some yard games for entertainment – make sure your name is on these items.
Oley Valley Country Classic (Saturday, November 4, 2023) —Lenny Burton – registration is going well. Looking for volunteers.
Kris Kringle 5 Miler (Sunday, December 31) – Lisa Domeschek – registration is open through Ultra Signup. They are not ordering extra hoodies. This year, they are red with a new design.
Shiver by the River 5K and 10K (first one, December 10, 2023) – Sue Jackson – not sending registration application mailings, but printed application forms are fine to mail in. The directors are sending out emails and Facebook posts. They are accepting day-of registration. Sue showed the group the towel swag for this year.
Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational – Saturday, October 21, reach out to Tom Chobot if you want to volunteer.
Committee Reports
Social Committee:
Wine and cheese social – this Saturday, Britny is hosting.
Tiffany – skating event, October 21, 5 to 7 p.m., skating help and instruction will be provided by Tiffany’s family. Skate rental available at the event location, Skateaway, in Shillington. A Facebook event will be created. Snack bar will be open, no alcohol permitted or sold. Also, if people want to stay for the public opening, from 7 to 10 p.m., they can do so without paying additional entry fee. The cost is $5 for a guest, members no cost. Rental of skates in $3.
Scholarship Committee: Beth Kohl wants to step down as chair. She has a request about the amount of the award – states we should consider increasing it to $1000 per award. She is looking at reviewing the applicant questions, and reaching out to the area guidance counselors. A motion was made to increase the amount of each award to $1000, seconded, and passed by the membership.
Old business
Pop-up tent has been purchased, and will be used soon.
Website updates – Michelle spoke to Ed Recker, and he gave her a contact for web site development. She will be forming a committee of 3 to 4 people to move this forward.
New business
Help needed with towing the trailer, additional people with trucks are needed – contact Mike Whalen with details of the requirements of towing.
Guts and Glory health education event from 10 to 3 on September 23 at Penn State Berks. Michelle will be attending to represent the club.
Holiday beer garden and market at Fawn Hill on 11/25, 11 to 6 p.m. The Pacers will represent.
Shawn Luther suggested ‘trail race series’ – having people run the three trail races and give some sort of swag – Charlie Horse, Run for the Ages, and Blues Cruise. Prize/swag to be determined – most likely in the form of additional swag. Elaine suggested starting with Blues Cruise for advertising. The race directors will discuss the development of this idea and the swag further.
Dates: 2nd Sunday, December to March (Dec 10th, Jan 14th, Feb 11th, March 10th)
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Jim Dietrich Park
Online registration for the series is open and can be found at Pretzel City Sports.
Three notable changes:
(1) We are not mailing apps! However, we will still accept mail-in registrations. Apps can be printed from the Pagoda Pacers website or can be picked up at any of the many races timed by Pretzel City Sports.
(2) To change things up, we are running the course in the opposite direction.
(3) Instead of a shirt, we are offering a sports towel, measuring 11×42.
Our mid-week group runs have at least two different distance options (3-4 miles and 5-6 miles) with an appointed leader for each route. Each run will have its own Facebook “event,” and the routes will be posted a couple days before the run. After each run, those who can will stick around for food, drink, and good conversation, either at a nearby restaurant or a club member’s residence. Come for the run; stay (if you can) for the fellowship. (If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries–just come run with us!)
About a year ago, I was up in the Wilds of PA to pace and crew a friend at Eastern States 100. At this time, I had no desire to ever run a 100-miler. My friend’s race did not go as hoped, and I ended up pacing a stranger (who just so happened to know several friends of mine) for miles 63-93. Talking to him and other runners who joined us, feeling the excitement of the race, and experiencing the beauty of the area–all this planted a seed in me, and I started thinking that maybe this was something I could do. Sitting around the campfire after the race, someone said, “Who’s next?” and my name came up. The seed grew.
TRAINING
Training did not go smoothly. I began experiencing breathing issues after a mild case of COVID in December. My symptoms initially started as wheezing and coughing fits when I exerted myself such as running uphill. It progressed to constant congestion in February after getting bronchitis, sinusitis, and mild pneumonia. Now every run was a struggle just to breathe. Runs were reduced or abandoned altogether. I ran slower and walked most hills. Anytime I stated to feel a little better, I would get sick again and have a setback. Weeks of training were lost to illness. Instead of seeing progress, I saw a steady decline. It was hard to stay motivated, and I almost gave up on many occasions. But I would go home, reset, change my perspective, and change my expectations, which took work. I did eventually get diagnosed with untreated asthma caused by COVID, and I’m currently under the care of a pulmonologist.
RACE
Eastern States 100 is the final crown in the PA Triple Crown. While my training had not gone well, my other two races (Hyner 50k and Worlds End 100k) had. Though there was definitely a lot more logistics involved in this race, my approach to it was similar to my other races. Go out conservatively, keep it comfortable as long as I could, and manage the breathing.
I came across Sally McRae’s podcasts while researching and listened more during the weeks leading up to race day. They are packed with so much good stuff on mindset and overcoming challenges. So two of the questions I had going into race day were “Who am I going to be when everything hurts?” and “What story will I write?” I wanted to make sure I would cherish the moments and write an amazing story.
Getting to race day was, in itself, a celebration. It was great seeing so many people there I knew that were either racing, pacing, crewing, or volunteering. The weather was beautiful, in the low 60s to start. I tucked in mid-pack with a few friends. We started out of Little Pine State Park at 5am down the road about a mile at a nice, easy pace before turning off. It didn’t take long before getting in a conga line going up steps which lead to the single-track trail.
It took about 10 miles before the line of runners thinned out. It was also in these first 10 miles that I began having left knee pain–something I never had before. One of the positive things going into this race was the fact that I had no injuries. I took note of the pain, but did not let it distract me. (It eventually disappeared later in the race, but I’m not sure if that’s because everything else was hurting by then!)
By now the sun had come up long ago. I had bypassed the first aid station which was mostly a water stop. At AS 2, I caught two of my friends–Kyle and Chris–and we ran together for awhile. I was familiar with this part of the race as it is also a part of Call of the Wilds 50k. A nice steep climb up, a little stretch along the ridge, and back down. AS 3, “Lower Pines,” was the first with crew access. It was a weird out-and-back. I lost time there trying to maneuver through it and get to my crew. I made sure I refueled well, as it would be 8 miles until the next AS. It was getting warmer and humid.
There was a pretty good climb from AS 4 to AS 5. The combination of heat, humidity, and hills really impacted my breathing, and I was struggling coming into AS 5, “Happy Dutchman.” It was probably one of my lowest moments. But I was also told the first 50k was the hardest. And my crew surprised me being there to cheer me on.
I left the aid station up a gravel road used for 4-wheelers, but soon turned left onto a nice runnable, gradual downhill trail for several miles. It was exactly what I needed at that point. I felt reenergized.
I caught up to Kyle again, and we ran together until Hyner. Along the way, I met someone from VA who had run Western States 100. He said ES was much harder, but he lIked it better.
I arrived at AS 7, “Hyner,” at 4pm–ahead of schedule. Though my crew was there, they weren’t quite prepared. I had planned to completely change my gear (with the exception of shoes, unless needed). I had some irritation at my ankles that we put mole skin on and later compound. I noticed chafing around my ribs from my pack. I switched from BodyGlide to Desitin which seemed to prevent further chafing. Otherwise everything else was good. Hyner was also where I could pick up my first pacer!!
I left Hyner, with Mark, feeling pretty refreshed and excited. We knew there was a chance of thunderstorms, which were supposed to last around 30 minutes. Instead, there was a 5+ hour ordeal of heavy downpours, thunder, and lightning. Apparently the front kept reforming over us. The trails had already been muddy and slick from rain earlier in the week. So I had already been slipping and sliding and thus was cautious going into the “V” which is also a part of Hyner 50k. Someone above yelled “Sorry!” as rocks came tumbling down at me only to find out it was David Dunkelburger. We would end up leap frogging each other for the next 40 miles.
The sun was setting as we popped out of the woods at AS 9, “Big Trail.” Behind the AS, a beautiful rainbow cascaded out of the clouds into the valley below. We all took a moment to appreciate it. Leaving the AS, we were told to head down the road. We were so caught up talking and admiring the purplish pink skies that we missed the sharp right turn onto Black Forest Trail. It was a good quarter mile by the time we realized we hadn’t seen any ribbons and quickly back tracked. But hey–what’s an extra 1/2 mile when you’re already running 103?!?
Back on course, it’s now night and still pouring. We come across a runner and his pacer in the dark. The pacer’s headlight had died and the runner’s wouldn’t stay on. They asked if we could be their beacon to follow. For about 3 miles, we lit the way as they followed us watching our heels. It was hard enough for us to see the single track, technical trail in the heavy rain with our headlamps reflecting off the rain drops and fog! But the 4 of us managed to make it safely to the water crossing “skiing” down a muddy slope to the water’s edge.
The water crossing was supposedly 80 yards wide with a cable across it. Tethers hung from the cable that you could hold onto, but we were told to grab the cable as soon as we could and pull down hard. I could barely reach the tether as I entered the water, let alone the cable. Moss-covered, slippery rocks of various sizes covered the creek’s bed. At its highest, the water was up to my chest, but mostly it was at my waist or below. I made it safely across, though others took a little swim. Here, I would do a complete wardrobe change. I also picked up Andy who would pace me the next 30 miles.
The rain had stopped as Andy and I headed out. We were passed by 2 runners and their pacers as we ascended a steep and long hill. I would have to stop every so often as we climbed to keep my breathing under control. We came to an opening at the top and the 4 runners were standing there. They told us to take a moment and just look around. The skies had cleared and stars illuminated the night as far and as deep as you could see. This is my WHY.
This was the section I had paced the previous year, but somehow, I must have blacked out parts of it, as I did not recall this next section. As we descended, the trail was replaced by large rocks, slick and muddy from the rain. I took the section pretty slow, and it seemed to last forever. And I left part of my soul there.
After that lovely descent, we were awarded with another beauty of a climb and another descent. The trail and course markings were difficult to locate along the next section of the course. Though we never got too far off, we did stop and look around often for trail and/or ribbon.
We arrived in “Blackwell” before dawn where my crew was waiting. I had planned this AS as my reset: to do all the things I normally would before going out on a Sunday run. Eat breakfast, drink OJ, take vitamins, and brush my teeth. I also changed my shirt and socks.
Leaving the AS, we were told to just head up the road. And again, we missed the turn to the right as the ribbon with the reflector on it had twisted. So, we didn’t see it, but only added about a 1/4 mile this time. I blew the fog horn to sound the alarm we were coming into Sky Top. Andy got a pick-me-up from caffeine and food and we joined up with Kyle and his pacer Greg. The four us power-hiked the ups and ran the downs for the next 8 miles on service roads and through fern forests.
There were many small wooden bridges along the course that were slick from the rain, and many had loose boards. So I was careful as I approached one. But it only took one step to wipe my feet out from underneath me, landing me flat on my back, as I also hit my head. I was helped up and was a little dazed. I took a moment to collect my bearings, but then told myself to just keep moving. I lost Kyle and Greg on a long climb as my breathing wouldn’t let me keep up, but I passed a few runners I knew heading into AS 14, “Barrens.” Here I picked up Mark again to the finish.
For the remaining 10 miles, I power-hiked and “ran” what I could. My processing skills had slowed, and I was having difficulty following the trail, resulting in another nasty fall. I was a little disappointed I didn’t have any hallucinations, as I had been looking forward to that. But we did get to see 3 rattlers in their den (had seen one previously around mile 30 curled up off-trail, rattling away).
My adrenaline kicked in high gear as I made it down that last hill, across the road, and through the cone-lined grass to the finish. I crossed the finish line at 12:33 pm in 31 hours and 33 minutes. I was so excited to finish that I forgot to get my buckle!
My oldest had driven up from Gettysburg that morning to see me finish. She had hoped to catch me at Barrens, but I arrived there too early. It was great having her there experiencing the race and trail running community, though she still thinks we’re all crazy.
That finish just felt amazing! Many of you helped me get there whether you knew it or not. I see you and you motivate and inspire me. I channel that during my runs. My crew of Mark, Andy, and Kim were pivotal!! I’m so grateful for their support! Especially Mark, as he’s helped me through all my ups and downs and some really scary moments throughout training.
My two words for this race are “perseverance” and “gratitude.” Throughout the race, especially when it was really tough and I was struggling, I would remind myself to persevere through the challenges, but also to be grateful of where I am at, how far I have come, and that I have the privilege to be out here doing this. This race went better than I expected, and for that I’m very grateful!
