Vol. 24 No. 3 March 2004

Ø The VSRC March Meeting is canceled due to our attendance at the JC Relay Race.

Ø We will be at Scenic Eisenhower Park, Sunday, March 14 for the John Corrigan 4x2 Mile Relay Race which starts at 9:00 AM. Come early (8:00) so that we can field a few great teams.

Aphorisms from various running thinkers:

Ø ‘If you lend someone $20 and then never see that person again, it may well be worth it’ – unknown

Ø ‘Money can’t buy friends, but you can get a better class of enemy’- Spike Melligan

Ø ‘No matter how soft or warm your bed is, you still have to get out of it’ – Grace Slick

March - A Trip to Chicago

I stood on Navy Pier at dawn, looking back at the city of Chicago. Lights were twinkling from the tall buildings. The waters of Lake Michigan were sparkling in the reflected glow of street light on the Pier. The sky was a dark purple. You have to agree with me that this is a nice experience. I was not thinking about the view when I forced myself out of bed at five AM to do my run dressed as ‘Dough Boy’. The bed was warm and Chicago is a cold-snow-dark-windy city. Without getting up and going it, I would have felt lost and out of sync. Running in the early morning gives me a sense of quiet, a time to reflect on life and give thanks to the small things in life.

In addition to the Navy Pier, I enjoy running along Lake Michigan. I usually get to the lake path from Wacher Dr. I run south, around Shedd Aquarium, past the Field Museum of Natural History, past Mc Commick Place to a beach then return north. The total loop is about 6 miles. Warning: Do not do this run during the winter – The wind tends to build character.

The two greatest obstacles to winter running are getting out the door and being motivated. The doing and being is a wonderful metaphor for living life on life’s terms.

Joe Tito – Newsletter Editor -- Valley Stream Running Club.

Tip of the Month

Stretching may not directly reduce injury. But it makes exercise more tolerable and less painful by increasing your range of motion. Besides, stretching feels good. Use a slow, sustained stretch for each muscle group you’re working. Hold for a count of 30. Try to stretch before the exercise and definitely after.

What’s happening by Stan

Corrigan Relays: It seems that time has flown by since John passed so suddenly during this 4 by 2 mile relays two years ago. We have lost his wonderful friendship and his presence at our meetings, training, and races is sorely missed. It was amazing after his passing to see how many people had been his friends. He was an inspiration to us all on how to lead a beautiful life. He was always warm and encouraging to people and he also showed how to compete intensely while being a complete gentleman. I could see him again with his head down running his ass off in some race but being pleasant and friendly to all before and after the competition. We all still sorely miss him. This relays is the club’s way of celebrating the gift we had by having known our friend John. Please come to the relays even if like me you can’t run it this year.

We will meet at the Field House at Eisenhower to form teams for the relays. The race begins promptly at 9 a.m., so please get there no later than 8:15 so that we can form our teams and you can warm up. We will meet for breakfast after the race. There is a diner on Hempstead Tpk. with a large room in the back which can accommodate us. Drive East on the Tpk. and the diner is on the right just before you reach the Wantagh Parkway entrances.

Future Meetings: The first two Sundays in April are Palm and Easter Sundays and the May meeting is at Murph’s on Friday April 30. It doesn’t seem reasonable to squeeze in the April meeting on the 18^th or 25^th, so we will skip the April meeting this year. We will still send out a Newsletter.

The June meeting will be at Hendrickson Park where we will lead off the day with a race in the park, and we will have continued with park meetings during the summer months. The races will be varied month to month and will include relays. For fun, if this is not considered heresy, we will throw in a race walk for all, to see how our runners handle an event that they usually ignore.

Final Comments: The long winter is about over and the Easter and Passover holidays are coming up soon. The officers of the club wish you all the best in this holiday season and a speedy recovery for all that are ill or injured.

Stan

Lara Menig’s Marathon Results are in!

Lara our fastest female runner has completed her fall marathon in Maryland’s ‘Marathon in the Park’ on November 19, 2003 with a time of 4:19. She planned on running her fall marathon with Mike G. and Denis B. but had to reschedule her race due to an injury. This is her second successful Marathon in Maryland minus the dog bite.

Club Race Results

4k at Caumsett State Park 1/25

Tom Z. 20:49, Fred P. 22:01, Dorothy R. 22:01, Eddie P. 23:30

Lois T. 27:47, Ellen M. 31:14, Donna H. 31:13

5k at Sunken Meadow 2/1.

Tom Z. 26 Fred P. 34 Lois T. 34 Eddie P 37

Donna H 37 (All times are approx.)

Last of the Winter Series (5k) 2/8

Ellen Moore 40:20, Eddie Pettinato 31:35, Fred Pupke 25:12

Dorothy Russo 27:04, Lois Timpanaro 35:38, Tom Zullo 25:41

Donna Hahl 40:39

Joe Tito – Snowflake 4M – 36:39

Joe Cataldo - 1/31 Run for Light, 10K 59:29, 2/14 Tiger Dash, 10K 59:30 (3^rd),

3/7 Eye of the Dragon and Tail of Lizard 10K 1:03.46 (all in Melbourne, FL)

Donna Hahl NYRRC Snowflake 4M 2/28 ---- 53 (approx)

LIRRC – 10k 2/29

Tom Zullo 52:45 (1^st), Joe Tito 58:20

65-year-old man training for 20^th half marathon by Kathy Hagood for Florida Today

Joe Cataldo looks younger than his 65 years. The half-marathon runner attributes his appearance to his lifelong interest in sports and fitness. During the past 25 years he's run more than 100 half marathons and five full New York City marathons. He is training to run his 20th Long Island half marathon. I’ve always been interested in staying fit and have greatly enjoyed running marathons and half marathons," he said. Cataldo, of Melbourne, has tended to favor half marathons over marathons because training time is much more manageable.

"I keep doing the half marathons because I enjoy them," he said. "I get to see people I've met at other events over the years." After retiring several years ago, Cataldo went back to school to get a certificate in fitness training. He worked at a fitness center in New York City before moving to this area in May. Since August, Cataldo has assisted Healthy Strides Director Christine Schnitzer with the senior wellness program at The Fountains in Melbourne, a senior living community. "I would never have guessed the road would lead to teaching fitness at The Fountains, but I'm glad it did," he said. "I can't imagine having a more rewarding job." Bill Fisher, 83, has stronger muscles now than he's had in years, he said, thanks to the help of Cataldo and the Healthy Strides program. Fisher, who's been a resident of the senior living community for about two years, continues to build his range of motion and ability to walk unassisted following a hip injury. "Joe keeps increasing the work load on me in manageable amounts and I'm getting stronger all the time," Fisher said. "Joe keeps increasing the work load on me in manageable amounts and I'm getting stronger all the time," Fisher said. Cataldo teaches "sit and fit" exercise programs in the fitness center for seniors such as Fisher who aren't as strong and steady on their feet as they'd like to be. He also coaches residents on the use of weight and aerobic exercise machines. Healthy Strides uses a combination of education, exercise, therapy, meditation and other techniques to promote health and well being among residents. Improving residents ' physical fitness is a major component of the innovative seniors program. "Joe has been a wonderful addition to the Healthy Strides program. He does a great job with our residents," said Schmtzer a tri athlete who lives in Indialantic. "Because he's so fit at his age of 65 he's a role model for all of us". Cataldo thoroughly enjoys his work with the residents. "I never I knew how satisfying it would be to work with seniors many of whom are 80 years old or older," Cataldo said; "Its great to see them progress. Often times their progress is dramatic because many of the seniors Cataldo trains were relatively inactive before moving to The Fountains. Some residents who were dependent on a wheelchair or walker have built their strength to the point they no longer need them on a regular basis. "When you lose muscle strength as you age because of being inactive, you may eventually come to depend on a walker. That can cause you to lose additional strength," Cataldo said. "The right exercise program can build back your strength." The biggest danger for inactive seniors who lose strength, flexibility, balance and agility is falling; Cataldo's "sit and fit" classes help residents become less prone to falling and more able to catch themselves if they begin to fall; The company that owns The Fountains, Kisco Senior living, owns a number of senior living facilities.

Petra tips on staying young

We do not always listen to our bodies and when they fail us we wonder why. Not only don't we listen in our running, but in our eating, sleeping and a host of other feelings as well. I for one pleads guilty as charged.

The folks in my water aerobic classes are mostly 'young' folks ages 70 - 80. We have loads of fun experiencing that body/mind connection.

Sometime ago I was showing while explaining the benefits of the anterior pelvic tilt, where you pull the navel into the lower back etc. They didn't seem to understand, so "Edith" yelled out "It's like having sex". Everyone nodded their heads with a big smile; I thought to myself wow they got It.! "Agnes" standing next to me quietly commented "How can she remember such a thing?' I said "Agnes" there is some things you never forget & I'm not discussing it any further. I couldn't anyhow, was to busy controlling the laughter.

Since I've been working with the seniors, their postures have improved tremendously, so much so that a boyfriend looked up at one of them and told her that she had very nice chest.

I must tell you that those elderly folks are absolutely "wicked". One of them told a male fitness instructor that the tag on the back of his pants was out & offered to fix it, before he could respond her hand was down his behind feeling his canteloupes. Well he was a cute one, so I guess she couldn't help herself.