Posted by The Flash on March 09, 2007 at 09:51:16:
The Staten Island Athletic Club Men's Open Team is in FIRST place for the NYRR B Division! The Al Gordon Snowflake 4 miler, the first club race of the year started at 8.a.m in Central Park with a windchill of 7 and a gusts from the north at 25 mph. The runners from Staten Island had to rise at 6 a.m drive and or take the ferry all the way up to the Upper Eastside, stand in the freezing cold at the start and yet still managed to turn in fast times. These hardy athletes are a testament to the sport and to Staten Island in general. It is an honor to be the Open Team Captain for this club.
I'am 27, work forty hours a week in Midtown don't have a car to transport me easily to various races throughout the area but yet still manage to represent my club and S.I in over forty races last year including the NYRR Half Marathon Grand Prix, the Philly, Long Island, and New York City MArathons, and one 50k trail ultra in the mountains of Pennsylvania. This in addition to running nearly all of the local island races. Contrary to the assertion that young runners are unfocused and prefer to bar hop I loudly disagree. I train hard and want to perform to my highest ability.
Also, if people are so unimpressed with the times run, and lament the fact that there are no "fast times", why don't they turn some in themselves? I ran a respectable 4:53 at the Forest Ave mile, a seventh place finish in a headwind and was happy with my time. Kudos to Vincent for flying down the course so darn fast despite the conditions. Maybe next year I'll be faster and get a time that truly is worthy of an Advance mention as some people claim my present time isn't. I don't see their names listed though in recent races.Odd. I also don't recall them gritting out Cat Hill in the last mile of Al Gordon with me two weeks ago with an icy wind in their face and lungs battling it out with a New York Flyer or Central Park track Club runner. Curious.
Where are these naysayers and generalizers?