Here are some of the good luck charms your fellow Front Runners have generously shared with us. Thanks for letting us in on your secrets!
In any race I'm really racing competitively, I wear out the brightest running gear I currently own. Wearing, say a bright yellow dri-fit with short, bright red shorts, makes me feel like I stand out and all eyes are on me. This makes me want to run faster so that I look like I've earned wearing such a "loud" outfit in a race in front of all those people and other runners. It ensures that I'm giving 110% the whole way so as not to look like anything but a super-fast, hardcore runner!
- Jeff Fineberg
The Front Runner Women are my lucky charms!
- Megan Jenkins
This is totally true. Every great race I have ever had has started with a breakfast of a cup of coffee and a Van's flax seed waffle with peanut butter. The few times I have deviated from this plan have ended with sucky races. I brought a toaster to Tampa with me for the marathon so that I could have my "lucky charm breakfast!"
- Sharon Abbott
Kind of cheesy (imagine that!) But my good luck charm is my Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Champion Chip. It is a memento of one of the best and most beautiful races I've run, plus the artwork on the chip is prettier than most!
- Mollie Berliss
I never really thought of this as a good luck charm...it's more like a pre-race ritual. Before each race, I visualize myself running the race...I picture myself hitting each mile marker and running whatever pace I want to run...I picture myself running the course, I know where I want to push the pace and where I want to just hold steady and lastly, I always, picture myself crossing the finish line, running my goal time and feeling strong and confident.
Good luck! And I hope it helps you PR!!!
- Lucia Muntean
February 2008
Announcing some of the 2008 goals of your fellow Front Runners.
Thanks for sharing. Good luck this year!
Speaking of good luck, check out next month's question below.
1) To break 21 in a 5k, and 2) to do my first triathlon.
-Marty Tracy
First I thought, what goals could I possibly have, I'm 62 years old, for god's sake.
But racing yesterday I came up with two:
To do a three-peat in my current age group for the 2009 Awards Dinner;
To break 60% in age group results (I did 59.5% yesterday).
-Lenore Beaky
My goal is to do the NYC Marathon again this year and to improve my time- even by 1 minute!
-Mickey Comerford
Just want to let you know that yesterday's race was my first one since I joined FRNY and my goal is keep running this year, trying to maintain my pace around 10 minutes.
-Mariela Lombard
I have 2 goals for this year: 1) Break 5min for the mile (hopefully, at the Front Runner's track meet in March) and 2) Break 25min for the 4mile
-Lucia Muntean
My goal is to actually be able to run more than 4 miles and MAYBE run in a marathon. Nothing too crazy cause I'm not a runner. I'm a softball player.
-Yolanda Dickerson
My running goals for 2008 are:
Run a 5k or longer race at sub 7 min/mile pace
Run my first marathon- May 25th in my hometown, Madison, WI
-Sarah Whitcomb
My running goals for the year. They are ordered from
most important/most likely, to less important/biggest dream.
1) Stay injury free.
2) Stay active in Front Runners: as a race captain, as a team member,
and in the social events.
3) Break AG-70% in any race.
4) Run a half-marathon in under 1:25:00
5) Run my fall marathon in under 3:00:00
-I.J. Frame
My 2008 running goals include the following:
1) Running a PR for at least two of the half-marathons this year.
2) Finish 9 qualifying races for NYC Marathon 2009.
-Les Zeller-James
In answer to the February question of the month, goals for '08. Firstly to get the 9 races under my belt to qualify for the '09 NYC marathon, will be tough with my work schedule but I'm going to try. Secondly, a sub 9min mile half marathon (currently 9.12) and a sub 10min mile marathon (currently 10.07).
-Melissa Kelson
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!....I AM HATCHING A PLAN FOR THIS RACING. I WANT TO REGAIN SOME SPEED AGAIN...AT THE LEAST I'M HOPING THAT BY SUMMER(JUNE/JULY) I WILL BE ABLE TO BRING DOWN MY TIME FOR A 10K....I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO BETWEEN 57;00/1:00:00. RIGHT NOW I'M DOING 1:05:/1:08...
AFTER JULY I'LL SET THE OTHER GOAL FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR'S RACING SEASON. ALSO I'LL BE GOING BACK TO ROAD RACING (BIKE)
MORE AND BIATHLONS.
SUCH LOFTY GOALS BUT I HOPE TO ACHIEVE SOME IF NOT ALL!!!!
SEE YOU ON THE ROAD!!
-Paulette Meggoe
My goals for this year are to:
1) Run my first ever Full Marathon in Montreal, Canada in Sept 2008
2) Have enough NYRR running events to qualify for the 2009 NYC Marathon
3) Run as many half-marathons as I can to prepare for the full in Sept
-Alexander Panasuk
My goal for this year is to compete in the 200m and 400m races for the first time (maybe run 26/56 seconds.) Oh, and to get a body like Gisele Bundchen.
-David Moran
August 2007:
Not so much a question - at Reach the Beach this year
four of us kept each other up the night before telling
stupid jokes. Here are a collection of such jokes
from the club.
A 3-legged dog walks into a saloon and says, "I'm a
lookin' for the man who shot my paw."
- Damian Hartner
Q. How do you make holy water?
A. Boil the hell out of it!
Two peanuts walked down a street. One was assaulted.
The offender was......arroasted.
- David Swinarski
Person 1: Do you know (pronounced D'yeh know) where we
are?
Person 2: I don't know. Juneau? (looks at third person
with a confused look)
Person 3: (thought person 2 said "D'you know?") I
don't know either. I'll ask ah (pronounced like
Alaska).
- Joe Lim
Two Britons meet in Paris. Wishing to impress each
other, they make conversation using their pocket
dictionaries: "Je suis Hongrie."--"Moi, je suis
Jeudi."
- Gerrit Jackson
A double-helix of DNA, appearing badly beaten and
nearly broken in two, walks into a bar.
The bartender asks in shock, "Who did this to you?"
The DNA says, "a mean o' acid."
- Peter Mcgrane
September 2007:
While running through the park you find an old lamp.
When you rub the lamp a genie appears and grants you
three wishes. What do you wish for?
I would wish for good health for my friends and
family, for the end of hunger and intolerance around
the world.
- Adam Pollack
1. An end to all suffering and violence.
2. Universal equality on all counts.
3. A great behind by the end of 2007.
- Mike Hall
1. A 2:25 marathon
2. Another 25 years with my lover. (Mark & Bill celebrated their 25th anniversary in August 2007)
3. Another lamp.
- Mark Mascolini
1. 100 additional years of potential life
2. 4 more hours in each day
3. A huge delay in the aging process so I can do all
the things I do until I'm roughly 175
- Eric McIntyre
1. World Peace
2. A successful worldwide effort to combat climate
change and end the energy crisis
3. Cars out of Central Park!
- Claudia Cummings
World Peace in the strictest sense.
- Peter McGrane
1. World Peace and a cure for all types of cancer (and
HIV)
2. Wish that I had 3 more wishes (HA!)
3. One day of eating ANYTHING I want and not gain a
single pound...or get a tummy ache afterwards
- Linda Thrasybule
August 2007:
".....Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
We all know Central Park, Riverside Park, Prospect
Park and even Van Courtlandt Park (no it's not in
Canada). What is your favorite run that's off the
beat'n path?
After Central Park, I would say the road less
traveled, any road less traveled, would be my
preference. I find a great exhilaration in the
experience of immersing myself into the physicality of
a run with the sound of my feet on the road, the
rhythm of my breathing and pulsing of my blood. A
great natural spot is the park road that comes off
River Road just south of the GW Bridge in New Jersey.
It runs north along the Hudson River in Palisades Park
and even includes waterfalls if you go the day after a
heavy rain.
- Steve Vizena
Off Van Cortlandt Park you can run on the bed of the
old rail Putnam train line. You run on firm unpaved
surface up to Yonkers. At that point to go
back to the park you can retrace your steps or switch
to the Old Croton Aqueduct, another unpaved
ogging/biking trail. It makes for a great cool shady
long run, which can always be topped off with the
hills of Van Cortlandt!
- Rosario Gennaro
My favorite run is the East River to West Side highway
loop from Houston Street to Houston Street at about
11pm when the late night fisherman at battery park
city always have some wisecrack for my entertainment
- Hilary Lorenz
July 2007:
What is your favorite Pride memory?
My favorite Pride memory is taking the group photo
after the Pride Run. It's a wonderful feeling to be
surrounded by so many fellow Front Runners.
- Katrina Amaro
Favorite Pride memory is last year at the 25th
anniversary run. After mile 3, I had slowed down a bit
and just when I wanted to walk, a hand touched my
sweaty back and I then heard Aussie Troy's encouraging
words not to stop and to keep running --- no matter
how tired I was! Miraculously enough, those words (and
that smile) lifted me up to the finish line with a
smile of relief, accomplishment, and of course, pride!
-Joseph Lim
Oh my, years and years ago, probably about 1984, the
Catholic Archdiocese of New York was being its usual
jerky self about gay rights and the parade
spontaneously made a left turn off 5th Avenue and
encircled St. Patrick's, effectively blocking entrance
to the church. I thought it was a great example of
peaceful civil disobedience.
-Richard Ervais
The great shout-out FRNY gets when we make it to the
announcer and the simultaneous roar of the crowd as we
do a run-by.
-Peter McGrane
Last year, with the halp of a visiting Sydney Front
Runner, figuring out that no matter how much you lick
the faux tattoos can't be licked on.
-Ryan Singer
June 2007:
Running makes you hungry. What is your favorite after run recipe?
Fruit shake - one frozen banana, half a bag of frozen strawberries, two table spoons wheat germ and as much soy milk as I think I need. Put it in a blender until it's smooth.
- Ryan Singer
Luna bar -- Lemon Zest flavor.
- Joe Lim
It depends on the run. If it's a tempo or hill workout run, there's nothing like an apple. An omelet on rice hits the spot after a long run. And then, if I've just finished a big race (i.e., half-Iron man or marathon), KFC's macaroni-and-cheese always fits the bill. The longer I'm out there, the bigger the pay-off, I guess! - Dennis Manalo
Intravenous glucose. - Mark Mascolini
My new favorite post run treat is a protein shake consisting of soy protein, an orange, pomegranate juice, honey, yogurt, and mixed frozen berries. If I'm nowhere near a blender I'll have an Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cliff Bar. - Katrina Amaro
For a fruit shake too but it's fresh orange juice, chunks of pine apple, vanilla yogurt, some ice and make the smoothie, YUMBA!!! For a meal it's always pasta putanesca. Pasta of choice, boiled up (I use a little salt and olive oil in the water). The sauce: Often I start with a jar of sauce that's already a little seasoned (roasted garlic is best). If you don't want to start with jar sauce then go to crush tomatoes. Then add capers, chopped up black olives (Kalamata), onions, garlic, anchovy paste, oregano, parsley and bay leaf(that's my addition and not normally used in putanesca sauce), salt and black pepper. Okay, I'm sure some people go yuck at the anchovy paste but it's just for flavor and makes the sauce salty not fishy. Supposedly, "Puttanesca sauce" got it's name because ladies that would be "entertaining" and make this sauce with pasta because it was quick and easy. Okay, so whores made it for their male callers : ) Putta being the Italian word for whore.
- Chris Stoia
May 2007:
Spring is in the air and it is time to think about your running/exercise
goals for the year. Inquiring minds want to know what is your running
goal for the
2007 running season?
My prime running goal is to finish this year's New York City Marathon
faster than I ran my first marathon--a 3:28 posted on Long Island in
1981.
- Mark Mascolini
To join Zander on as many of his "Marathon-A-Month"
marathons as possible. Next up -- Rio Marathon, then Berlin Marathon.
- Richard Ervais
I would like to get rid of my shin splints and start running again. Not
running is driving me nuts!
- Bernd Erpenbeck
Breaking 6:30 min/mile pace for 10K and shorter -and running 5:30 or quicker
for the 5th Ave mile in September.
- Lucia N. Muntean
My 2007 running goal is the Vermont 50-miler at the end of September. I
know, a different sort of training than even marathon training. And
it'll be interesting to see how racing Ironman Lake Placid will gear me
up for the VT-50.
- Dennis Manalo
I wanna break 3:00 for NYC this fall. Get a personal record (PR) in
either: a 1/2 marathon (1:21:16 or better, that will probably be the
hardest), 4 miler do sub 6 pace(not a PR but good enough and the most
doable) and/or 6:00/mile for 10K (not a PR either). Yes, I want it all
and I don't see why I can't have it!
- Chris Stoia
Answering the question of the month is not too difficult for me this
time. Goal??? A goal for 2007?!? Well as many already know I am trying
for "A bakers dozen marathons". Or, also known as, "One-a-month" (running one marathon each month). So far so good, although after the horrible conditions of the Boston Marathon,"so far so good"
doesn't apply anymore.
But at least Boston marked half-way for me, and I still enjoy the long
distance running and the ongoing training associated with such a goal. I
am learning so much about determination and dedication to reach my goal,
that I am sure I will be able to put it to use in my other goals in
life.
And as the inscription on my running hat states :
"26.2 miles and still smiling" --- as long as that stands for me --- I will
keep on and on to fulfill this goal for
2007!
- Zander Ross
