Many of us are formulating fitness goals for 2024. Maybe it’s a target race at a milestone distance. Maybe you want to consistently run at least once a week. Whatever you’re reaching for, I hope the club and its members will be a part of the support network that helps you succeed.
Each month, I will use a little space in the newsletter to preview topics for the next club meeting. This can give you some warning if you want to attend the meeting and participate in any discussion. If you can’t attend, you can still contact me if you have an opinion or information that could be helpful.
The next meeting will take place at the Mohnton Fire Company Social Quarters on Thursday, January 11. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Please RSVP via the Facebook event or email (president@pagodapacers.com)
At the January meeting, we will review our list of committees. The start of a new year is probably a good time to confirm existing committee members and invite new participation. Let me know if you can’t attend the meeting, but want to get involved. It’s important that we spread these responsibilities around.
I am still looking for a PPAC Secretary for 2023. This needs to be someone who can attend at least most of the monthly meetings. You take some notes, especially regarding any motions, votes, or decisions. Then send the notes to the newsletter editor. Not very time-intensive, but an important function. Again – contact me if you can help.
The first Shiver of the ’23-’24 series is in the books! Fortunately, temps were in the 40s, so when the sky opened, just as the race was starting, it was rain instead of snow. As always, we thank the volunteers and the runners who came out to support us!!! The volunteers and runners are who make this race a success!!! 125 runners completed the 5K, with 64 completing the 10K. Results are posted on both our website and the Pretzel City Sports website. 1st male and female in the 5k were Aiden Konetsky (17:12) and Lissa Kutz (21:23). In the 10k, our 1st male and female finishers were Jonathan Thrush (33:42) and Jen Esposito (42:38).
Now we are ready to move onto race #2 on Sunday, Jan 14th. We need RUNNERS!!!! We need VOLUNTEERS!!!!!
If you have never run this race or maybe you haven’t run it for a few years, come out and join us and maybe reconnect with runners you haven’t seen in ages! The race is at Jim Dietrich Park, in Muhlenberg Twp. Registration opens at 8:30; both races start at 10:00. This year we are running in the opposite direction, and we received very positive feedback about the change. Come and check it out!
Another change this year is that we have re-opened online registration on Pretzel City Sports, so you can still preregister for the series, and not have to stand in line on race day. This also guarantees you the ’23-’24 swag.
Please remember to only complete the registration form ONCE during the series. As we have done in the past, we will have 3 separate areas for registration. I know you have all heard this before, but trust me, we will still have runners (including Pacers) who will complete a form for each race. We calculate the series results by bib# so each runner will have the same bib# each month. Obviously if a runner completes more than 1 application, he/she will have more than 1 bib#.
Pre-Registration is in the front room, for those runners who have paid for the entire series.
For those runners who are paying for each race, individually, and who ran in December, registration is in the 2nd room, at the table marked “Post Registration Single Race Entry.” We have a number with a label with your name. No need to complete a new registration form. If you do, there is the potential of being recognized as a different runner when it comes time to calculate the series results. If any information needs to be changed, just let them know when you get your number; no need to complete a registration form with the changed information.
For those runners who have not registered for the 2023-2024 Shiver, registration is in the 2nd room at the table marked “Post Registration.” When completing the registration form, if you have paid for the series, please circle YES; otherwise, we will expect you to pay again at the remaining races.
A few other notes:
On the registration form, we ask for your email address, so that you will be included in any future emails we send regarding the remaining races for this series and for future series. We ask for your mailing address so that applications for future races can be mailed to you. It is certainly your choice as to whether you provide us with either or both of these, but it does help with keeping our runners in the loop.
Because of the rental agreement we have for the farmhouse, requiring us to leave the farmhouse by noon, we ask that runners who complete their first loop in over 40 minutes NOT go out for the 2nd loop.
If you choose not to run the race, please consider volunteering. We need volunteers before the race, for parking and registration; during the race – on the road, at the finish line, and in the farmhouse; and after the race – for clean-up. If you can help prior to the race, please plan to arrive between 8:00 – 8:15. If you can help with the race itself, please arrive no later than 9:30. Look for one of the race directors somewhere around the farmhouse. Thank you in advance for your support!
Join us Memorial Day Weekend for the 27th running of the Charlie Horse Trail Half-Marathon or the Dirty Pony 5K to benefit Berks Co. Special Olympics. The majority of this race will be run on the Horse-Shoe Trail in Brecknock Twp, PA. It is well aided with 3 strategically placed aid stations. Packet pickup will begin at 7:30 AM Sunday morning. Day of registration will also start at 7:30 AM Sunday morning. The Half-Marathon start will be at 9:00 AM in front of Sleepy Hollow Athletic Club, and the Dirty Pony will start at 9:15 AM.
The Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club have introduced a trail race series which starts with the Charlie Horse Trail Half Marathon (not the Dirty Pony 5k). The second Pagoda Pacers trail race in the series is the Run for the Ages Trail Chase 10k in June. The final race in the series is the Blues Cruise 50k in October. Any runner completing all three races will receive a sweet bit of runner swag at the finish line at Blues Cruise. No special registration effort is required. Just sign up and complete all three races in the series.
Each year the Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club awards up to four (4) outstanding high school seniors for their continuing education, in the following two categories:
Berks County Cross Country Scholarship: Two (2) scholarships are open to all high school seniors who participated on a Berks County high school cross country team during at least their senior year.
Members-Only Scholarship: Two (2) scholarships are open to all high school seniors whose parent/guardian has been a member in good standing of Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club for at least one year prior to the application deadline.
The amount of each scholarship has been increased to $1,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Students for each scholarship are recognized for their participation and achievements in athletics, academics, and community service. For full scholarship program guidelines, application forms, and instructions, please visit the Pagoda Pacers website at https://www.pagodapacers.com/Scholarships/About.aspx. The deadline to apply (either via email or mailed postmark date) is February 28, 2024.
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!)
Remember to wear reflective gear and bring a headlamp or flashlight!
Many club members have already renewed their membership for 2024, but if you have not yet gotten around to it, please take a moment to do so by the end of the year!
Individual membership dues are $20 (annually) for an individual, or $30 for a family (2 individuals in the same household).
Benefits of membership include complementary meals at monthly Pacer meetings, discounted tickets for Pacer social events, plus all the intangible, unquantifiable joy of being part of this great community.
Click the button below to renew your membership (or to join for the first time)!
Immediately following the 2023 Pittsburgh Half Marathon, I transitioned into fat loss (156lbs to 145lbs) in order to compete in a bodybuilding show at the end of June. During this time, I was walking a lot but only running 1-2x a week for 5 miles. Immediately following that event, I did a 5-week prep period for a powerlifting meet in July. Also during July, I participated in the summer version of GRIT which helped me have volume pr for the month of right around 186 miles ran. I think that month helped build a good base for my marathon training block.
My marathon training block consisted of 4 runs a week. 2 easy runs of about 5 miles pushing my daughter in the stroller, one speed workout, and one long run. I did not follow a set plan but scaled up my long runs over time and worked in some higher pace intervals on the long runs. I topped out at 2- 18s and 2 – 20 milers. Weekly mileage was between 25-43 miles. On top of the running, I was lifting (powerlifting style) 4x a week, which included squatting and deadlifting 2x a week.
pre-race
I carb loaded per Featherstone Nutrition guide, 550-600g of carbs for the three days leading up to the race. I had my now routine meal of spicy tuna roll sushi the night before (this has now occurred 3x so its definitely “a thing” now). I’m not superstitious, but I am a “little stitious” (or I like the comfort of routine and I know my body tolerates that meal well). We stayed over with family nearby so we could get to City Island faster and I got there with plenty of time to pick up my bib, warm up, and take my last gel/electrolytes.
The race
For those unfamiliar with the Harrisburg Marathon, it is a double loop course that goes across 3 bridges, up and down Front St that runs along the Susquehanna, around a PennDot Building, and 2 U-Turn turnarounds. The half marathon and 4-person relay were run concurrently.
Miles 1-6
Pretty unremarkable start: it was smooth sailing, hitting water and gels as planned. I set out to run 1:37:30 for the first half, as my strategy was to pick a pace that I thought would be relatively comfy for the first 18-20 miles and give me a shot at 3:15 if the stars aligned. A month prior, I ran the Reading Hospital Half Marathon in 1:33:30 and felt like I left some in the tank, so that also guided my race strategy. I had set out to run sub 3:30 at the beginning of the block, but recent runs had me set a super-stretch goal of 3:15.
Miles 7 -13.1
Still smooth sailing. Came in the halfway mark right where I wanted to be. Still was feeling pretty good and manageable.
Miles 13.1-23
Right around mile 14, I started to feel my legs grow really heavy. I was very thrown off by this, because I figured this wouldn’t happen for another 4-5 miles. My miles started to creep past the 7:30 mark and I entered Pain Cave territory earlier than expected. I kept to my fueling plan and worked to gut it out.
Miles 23-26.2
“This. F——. Sucks”. The Pain Cave was in full-effect, and I was definitely not having fun here. I knew that sub-3:15 was definitely not in the cards and felt that sub-3:20 was as well. I passed my wife at one point and also passed a group of three young women who had one of those signs about marathoners being crazy or stupid or both… I don’t really remember but I definitely told them that “This. F——-. Sucks” as I passed them. They laughed, and I felt better for about 100 feet. It was right after passing them and having that fleeting moment of feeling better that I decided that I was not going to hard charge the end as I wanted to preserve my body to a degree and thought that even with a 1000% effort, that sub 3:20 was not going to happen. I crossed the finish line at 3:21:XX gun time.
Post-race reflection
I waited over 2 weeks from race day to write this report because of mixed emotions. I ran the Philadelphia Marathon (my first) last year in 4:02:04. I PR’ed the marathon by a huge margin of over 41 mins the following year. I am very happy with the margin of improvement, but wasn’t as happy and truthfully, still am not super happy with it like I have been with my other races. This was my first major race that I didn’t get the “race day magic” effect that I’ve enjoyed previously. I have agonized over what went wrong or what I could’ve done better too much. I physically recovered really well and am back to base building for future races but mentally I am still working on it. I am very Type A and control as many variables as possible so at Mile 14 when I felt worse than I thought I should’ve, I think that I became my own worst enemy because it stopped being fun for me around that point, when usually I enjoy (or at least partially enjoy) the races I do from start to finish.
I had selected Harrisburg because it was better for my family (2 babies under 14 months), but I probably won’t run it again. Crowd support was sparse and I really missed that boost from the atmosphere compared to races in bigger cities. If there wasn’t a relay, then there would have been under 100 people spectating outside the start/finish area.
I have already signed up for the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon. Seeing a lot of my friends run the half or full the following week was torturous and the FOMO was killer. I am still deciding on which race in Pittsburgh I want to do but I am very excited to race there again the first weekend of May and I highly recommend it! I am excited to continue to train and improve and will be increasing my volume and focus on running as my main goal for 2024 is to BQ.
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