It Takes a Village: Executive Board Report (Summer 2022)

Blogmasters' Note: 

Planning and implementing the broad array of Flyers events and services involves a tremendous amount of volunteer initiative, work, time, effort, selflessness, caring, and love. 💖  

Sometimes Flyers may feel disappointed or even tempted to complain when things may not go just right or how we might want. Yet we can feel much gratitude for what goes on behind the scenes, recognize the efforts of Flyers despite not done for the recognition, and for all of us to do what we can to volunteer and contribute (yes, contributing our positive energy and attitudes count! 💕) to help keep the Flyers running smoothly and happily 😊 -- Dave K and Melissa S

EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT

BY JOHN McCREESH & DEBORAH SAAT

Return of Flyers Runs and Events After Covid Shutdown

As we returned to group runs after the COVID-19 shutdown, our goal as the Flyers Executive Board (EB) has been to bring back our pre-pandemic events, while we are continuously thinking about new and exciting future running routes and ideas.

In May 2021,  the prior EB organized our first post-pandemic Run To Little Red Lighthouse, complete with fluid station along the route to support the runners.  Our goal was to schedule one long training run each month, along with some “fun runs,” and some social activities.

In December 2021, with the help of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee the Flyers promoted an Extend Your Run Fam event in the Bronx with other running clubs.  Special thanks to Tim Decker, Bradford Goz (who did much of the legwork to make this event happen) and to Melida Barbosa, (for also helping to plan the run and for kindly handling bag collection and transport for all of the runners!).

We also hosted the Holiday Windows Run (led by Rachel Duncan) with post-run brunch, and the Dyker Lights Run -- organized and led by Kristel McKanna complete with mystery gift. 😃  

Holiday Windows Run

Dyker Lights Run

Melissa L's Sadie Dog Joined in the Fun!

For the Mystery Gift, Kristel made enough hats (see below) for her to gift them to all of the runners who joined the Dyker Holiday Lights Run. For this labor of love 💕 Kristel kindly bought the materials and enlisted her art students (she's a public school art teacher) and used a Cricut machine that enabled her to laser cut out the artistic design onto a vinyl iron on paper.

Mystery Gift -- Homemade with Love by Kristel 😍💕

To start off 2022, on a frigid January day of about 16 degrees, 16 hearty Flyers showed up for a 3-Bridges/3-Parks Run (designed and led by Jeanhie Hahn). And cold and windy conditions did not deter Flyers on February 5th from a Donut Run via the Queensborough Bridge over to Peter Pan Donuts in Brooklyn (also led by Jeanhie Hahn). The route included 3x over the Queensboro Bridge and 1x over the Pulaski in route to a finish line filled with donuts! 😋

In March 2022, we had hoped to have another run to Little Red Lighthouse but we were forced to cancel it due to 30 mph winds, sleet and snow. We rescheduled it for April and the weather was perfect for the 14-mile training run, complete with fluid/aid station thanks to the volunteer support provided by Ed Altman and Kin Ng. In May, we held a 3-Bridges Run (Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg) and on June 19^th, Brad Goz led a Juneteenth Run.  

At the Juneteenth Run, Flyers celebrated freedom and explored the African American history of New York from Columbus Circle to the Battery. No one got lost and two groups managed to arrive where needed at the same time. 😃

Brad noted after the run that:

"I believe the run gave everyone a deeper feel for the triumphs and tribulations of Blacks, free and enslaved over the past 400 years and gave us greater insights into the history of our city and the USA."

 

For the fall of 2021, Jo Rees came up with the great idea of leading a Dog Run. So far, we’ve had a fall and spring 2022 edition of this event with great success!  

And we can’t say enough about the popularity of the Holiday Gang Runs (organized by Guy Simoneau) which started on Thanksgiving 2020 and continued through almost every holiday.  Of course, Breakfast Club post-run socializing is always an important highlight!  We had a record number of Flyers (32 unofficial count) just this Memorial Day and July 4th. 

The Breakfast Club!

We didn’t get a chance to schedule a long-training run in June with all the scheduled races, but we have a new route: 3 Bridges X3 Parks X3 Tracks that was spearheaded by Jeanhie Hahn on July 10^th  

This 13 mile route was a supported run that included running over 3 different bridges: Queensboro, Pulaski & Williamsburg and running a loop at 3 different tracks located in 3 different parks: Astoria Track, McCarren Track and ending at the East River Track where cold water and gatorade were provided.  A post-run brunch followed at the Remedy Diner on the Lower East Side.

Flyers Don't Just Run 💥

But of course, the Flyers isn’t just about running. We have plenty of non-running events for our members.  DEBS Book club  -- organized by Deb Saat and Debi Unger -- has been a huge success.  

A recent Zoom discussion was with author, Robyn Schneider, of Silent Running about her sons running with autism, was really interesting.  While we prefer in-person, the zoom events with the authors have been quite a hit. 

On July 12^th, the book club met in person for a discussion of The Long Run written by a New York firefighter, Matt Long. No doubt that Deb and DebI will have more great books lined up for the fall.

In April we had a small social at All-Stars Bar & Grill and we are planning a bigger event with your favorite MC’s, Guy and Rachel, raffle prizes, awards, good food and drink -- the Flyers Midsummer Night's Soiree on August 13.  Click HERE for the details and to register for the Soiree. And for the first time since 2020 we are planning to have the Flyers Awards Gala in late January or early February of 2023. Stay tuned for details!

More to Come!

The NYRR Club Team Champs Race will be back on July 31st, where we'll continue the annual tradition of taking a Flyers Team Photo at the Flyers Team Picnic following the race. We hope to see a lot of you out there racing, cheering, and having refreshments with your teammates. It's not too late to sign up HERE.  And it doesn't matter how "fast" or "slow" you run -- the more Flyers who participate, the better for club team standings, and more important, for club team camaraderie 🤗

At Club Team Champs 2018 -- Sign Up Now for 2022!

Starting in August we will organize the first of two tried and true Flyers runs -- our Three Bridges Training Runs -- the first on August 26 and the second on October 16 -- pace leaders and other volunteers will be needed, so stay tuned for details! Also scheduled is a Sept 10th long-run, location TBD (possibly including Randall's Island) and the Last 10 Miles Run (of the NYC Marathon course) in October.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! 🙏

In closing, we would like to recognize the terrific turnout at all of these events.  We’ve had amazing cheer squads at the races (led by the Flyers Member-At-Large: Wendy Mitchell).  Much appreciation for our awesome race photos provided by in-house photographers Richard Brounstein, Kin Ng and others.

  

It really takes a lot of people to put these events on and we know that we weren’t able to list everyone here, but all your efforts are definitely appreciated.  

There will be many opportunities to volunteer over the next few months so be on the lookout for the “NY Flyers Volunteer Opportunities” email coming to your inbox very soon!

- Flyers President John McCreesh and Vice President Deborah Saat

 

            

             

 

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Run/Walk: A Competitive Edge for Speed and Endurance

Wendy M

Like many native and local New Yorkers, I grew up watching the NYC Marathon and being inspired by the athletes as they crossed the finish line. When I moved to Manhattan, I had an apartment with the best view of all, First Avenue! 

Every November, I went down and watched and cheered for hours, being inspired by all the “regular runners” not usually shown on TV and wondering what it might be like to be a NYC Marathoner one day. The fact that I couldn’t run even one block didn’t stop me from thinking about it!

In 2019, looking to make some changes, I decided to try running with the goal of completing a 5K. I quickly caught the running bug and moved on to a 10K and began to contemplate a half marathon and whether I could actually run a full marathon, but longer distances seemed impossible to even consider.

Impossible, however, only until I saw a group of Flyers using the run/walk method and became curious. I looked into it and spoke with many who used run/walk, tried it out, and discovered how much it could help me. To my surprise, after using the method I started to become a stronger and faster runner who could take on longer distances. Could I take on the NYC Marathon? Only one way to find out. I threw my name into the Flyers lottery for club bibs and won. Oh man! Now I am running the marathon! My first marathon and it would be NYC!

As it turns out, life (and Covid) had other plans for me as it did for many of us, and the marathon was canceled – but I continued to work on my running and my run/walk strategy. I ran my first half marathon, and then in the fall of 2021, I got to run my first marathon on a hot and humid October day in Chicago. Throughout the race I found so many others run/walking right along with me, and thanks to this method I never worried about being able to finish.

Completed First Marathon! 
Chicago 2021 :)

So What is a Run/Walk strategy?

You may have heard about it, you may have heard it called the Galloway method (more on that later), and you may have seen people practicing it on runs through the park and races throughout the city. It’s an interval pacing strategy used by many runners that consists of alternating running segments followed by short walk breaks, repeated throughout the course of a run.

But why? Some do it to boost endurance over a long run or reduce the risk of an injury, while others find it less taxing on the body so they recover faster. Some run/walk athletes even find it improves their long run pace and it’s now incorporated into training plans by coaches Bobby McGee and Jim Vance for their Olympic athletes.  

So where did this all start?

No one actually knows when and where this method originated, but it became very popular in the 70’s when former Olympian Jeff Galloway was seeking a less intimidating way for non-runners to get into the sport. He started both running and walk/run clinics from his running store in Atlanta and eventually wrote several books. Today there are articles, books, blogs and lots of other information on the topic. Many charities affiliated with large full and half marathons now even offer run/walk pace groups for their runners and you can find run/walk training groups in a lot of cities. 

So I want to get started. What should I do?

For something that seems so obvious (I mean just run then walk, right?), there's a lot of work and strategy behind it:

• First you will need to determine your run and walk segments. There is no set segment for any one person. If you follow a Galloway method, he has a “Magic Mile” formula that can help you determine your ratios based on pace, but most people choose their own paces and ratios based on what feels most comfortable personally. No matter what method you use, it takes patience, practice and evaluation. You may find that you need to change it up regularly based on injury, weather or the length of the race/training run. The most common ratios athletes use are runs of anywhere from 45 seconds to 4 minutes followed by a 30-second to 1-minute walk. Longer and shorter walking segments are also used.

  
  

  
  

• Second is to work on transitioning from the walk to the run and back to the walk again. Moving back and forth between them abruptly is taxing, slows you down and can cause injury. A solution is to learn how to “glide” or “stride” into the run/walk change. Using 3-5 seconds to slow down or increase your pace will help your transition. 

• Third is to consider your racing strategy. While there are no hard-and-fast rules about using a run/walk method in a race, there are a few courtesies to help avoid collisions in a crowd: 

• Try to stay to your right, raise your right hand when you prepare to walk and if necessary call out that you're walking as others may not be paying attention. In a crowded race before everyone has spread out this can be especially important for your safety as well as others’. 

• You’ll want to consider your pace when deciding where in the corral to start. Slower runners or those with shorter intervals may want to consider starting in the back of a corral, but some runners are quite fast with this strategy and are better off in the front. It all comes down to your comfort level and knowing your pace and your ratios. 

What about those hills?

Oh the hills you say? Well, this again comes down to your personal preference. You can either continue a run/walk ratio for the uphill and the downhill or you can walk the uphills and always run the downhills. There are different personal thoughts and preferences for both. 

For the first it can be helpful to always follow your ratios no matter the hills which can help train your brain and your legs to keep moving every time you hear the timer. This is especially helpful at the end of a longer race such as a half-marathon, marathon or longer. 

With the second strategy you may find that you have an easier time conserving energy and gaining more speed by walking up short hills and running down them and ignoring your timer. This is especially helpful if your goal may be running a long trail race or an ultra where it is very common to do just this. 

So how do I know when to run and when to walk?

There are lots of different tools to time your intervals. The most popular one is a Gym Boss. You may see this clipped to the shirts of many runners. It is a simple, small device that beeps audibly and/or vibrates at whatever intervals you set. It costs about $17 - $20 and can be good for group workouts. 

Pros: 

• You can set multiple custom timers on it 

• It’s inexpensive

• It can be set to vibrate so it’s good to use in a loud race 

• It requires one battery that lasts a long time 

Cons: 

• It can be a bit bulky and it’s another extra thing to carry

Your Garmin Watch as well as many other fitness devices can also be set to vibrate at certain intervals, alerting you when it’s time to transition. 

Pros: 

• Having it vibrate is easy in a loud situation like a big race such as a marathon

• There’s nothing extra to carry

Cons: 

• Depending on your watch, in a long run or marathon you could drain your battery quickly

There are also many apps available for your smartphone, including the Intervasl Pro, Running Distance Timer, Running Distance Tracker Pro, Interval Timer Plus, Simple Interval Timer, Run Interval Timer and Map My Run.

Pros: 

• You can set multiple custom timers

• You can get voice prompts through your earphones and bluetooth

• Many will give you 5-second heads up so you can “transition” between run/walk easier 

Cons: 

• They range from free to $8

• They may drain your phone battery quickly so on a long run or race you may need a back up 

• You need to carry your phone

Sounds great! How can I practice and learn more?

Come on out to Thursday night Flyers group runs and join us! I lead a small but dedicated run/walk group that completes a 3-4 mile distance. 

 Run-Walkers On A Walk Break During Thursday Night Fun -- TNF!

                                           

I love showing other runners who are scared about trying running or anxious about longer distances what they can do with this method. If you are curious, come out and give it a try with us! 

Debi U Hamming it Up with the Flyers
Thursday Evening Run/Walk Group

                                    

We meet at the Maine Monument at Columbus Circle at 6:30 PM each Thursday. I hope to see you there!

                                            

As for that NYC Marathon….I’ll see you on the start line this fall. 

- Wendy M.

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Rick's Father's Day Gift: A Run with Helen

Rick P. (and Helen)

One day last week when I came home from a run, our 16-year-old daughter Helen was at the door and said "I'm going out for a run too." She follows an intense exercise program at the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) and she has been running on-and off with local girls in the neighborhood.  I sort of shocked myself and asked if I could join her. 😮 To my surprise she said OK, so we did a lap around Tompkins Square Park - our first ever run together! 😍

Part of what made going for that run with Helen so special is the efforts that my wife Lee and I made over the years to offer our kids the opportunity to enjoy running. Lee and I met as CRCA USCF bike racers back in the mid 90's.  Lots of stories but she pioneered running in our house, I didn't start running until I retired from competition in 2003.  Lee isn't running now but I keep hoping she'll return to it.  Helen getting out there might be the key. 

Our three kids, Helen (now 16), Axel (13) and Elsa (11) went to school at PS 110 on the Lower East Side where we became aware of Five Points Runners Track Club. This fantastic kids program is coached by local runners John Wiltshire and Lydia Vanderloo.

Here are some photos from our running journey throughout the years with our children.

Lee running a NYRR race with Helen (in-utero)

NYRR Mothers Day Kids Race in CP

 

Axel looking doubtful about my Marathon prospect

Helen (with Elsa) at her 1st 5 Points 6th Street Track Workout

Axel's 1st in-uniform XC Race at Van Cortland Park

Helen supporting Axel at a race.

Elsa supporting Axel at Ocean Breeze

These were nice memories but looking back, running didn't "stick" at the time.  Helen dropped running after only a couple of Five Points workouts.  "I didn't win."  That's Helen!  Axel did a few events but dropped it right after getting a 3rd place finish in his heat at the Ocean Breeze meet.  "It's too hard!"  Oh well....  Elsa never got into running but is killing it in girls softball.  

Elsa and the PSLL 10U Softball team that just won the citywide Memorial Day Tournament.  Undefeated.

I only wanted to make the opportunity to run available for my kids, not push when they said no. 

Helen gaining interest on her own terms and saying yes to going running with me was a very big deal.  I can only hope it continues.

-Rick P.

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Dynamic Duo: Fun with the Feldmans

Marc F and Stefanie F

Separate and Together

Neither of us were runners until 10 years ago.  Our running origins overlap, but are not the same.  Today, we generally run similar days/times, but rarely together given our different paces and weekly mileage goals.  But when you’re married for 21 years, running separately is a good thing!  Our evolution, from 30-minute-treadmill jogs to training for distance and then marathons, has taught us much about life, ourselves and each other while helping us grow as a couple.

Feldman's at Grete's Gallop 2012 -- Marc's First Race

Stefanie’s Thoughts

I am a self-proclaimed klutz who always preferred books to sports.  About ten years ago, a friend challenged me to run a 10K with her.  We lived in separate cities so we trained together “virtually” – before virtual races were a thing – and then ran the race together in person.  The next challenge was a half marathon.  I loved being outside and having measurable results, getting faster and going further with each run.  I was hooked!

Stefanie's First Race -- With Friend at Dallas Hot Chocolate 10K in 2011

MORE Women's Half 2012

I never realized how goal oriented I was until I started setting race targets and then training for the race. Once I had a training plan on paper, I committed to every single workout.  I think Marc was pretty surprised when I set my first half marathon goal, but he was supportive in every way possible!  When I traveled for my first goal race, he snuck one of my favorite treats and a note of support into my luggage.

When Marc decided to train for his first half marathon, I was a little surprised; going long and slow didn’t seem his style. But once he was committed, nothing about his training approach surprised me.  I just hoped he enjoyed it as much as I did!

Marc’s commitment to running upped the ante for me and his motivation is contagious.  It’s really hard to sit on the couch and watch TV while he is foam rolling and lacing up his sneakers.  The pint of ice cream may be calling my name, but him asking, “Are you running anytime soon?” is even louder.  I love to sleep in on weekends, but when Marc opens the curtains and comments, “it’s gonna be hot today; get out and beat the heat,” sleeping in loses its appeal.  “Nap later” has become one of my mantras. 

Marc’s Thoughts

After Stefanie’s first half marathon in Dallas, she signed up for the MORE Shape Women’s Half in 2012.  I was so impressed by her commitment and effort as I watched from the sidelines.  Occasionally chasing her to get pictures, while trying to catch my breath, I wondered, “how the hell is she doing this?”  I was also really inspired; “if she can do it, I can do it!”  Soon we were signing up for half marathons together, but very much running our own races, thrilled to find each other at the finish.  Then in 2018, I was offered a spot on Team TCS for the NYC Marathon with my work colleagues - I couldn’t refuse!

Marc's First Marathon -- NYC Marathon 2018

Going into my first marathon, Stefanie helped me plan to increase my running days and miles, even fitting in my first 18 mile run while vacationing in Iceland.  She had breakfast waiting for me when I got back from those long runs and knew how to feed my belly and my spirit.  Her support was incredible and taught me how to be more supportive in our relationship and of her running goals.

Stefanie and I can talk about our running splits, fueling, registering for races and injuries endlessly. I imagine a non-running partner could only feign interest half as long and eventually their eyes would glaze over listening to me.  During the pandemic, when we did so much together at home, it was often the one topic that wasn’t exhausted by the end of the day.

Feldman's NYC Marathon 2021 Finish Line Photo

Incorporating running into vacations is something I never would have predicted.  It started on the Iceland trip, but since then, we’ve run in Morocco and on local trips. We even pick destinations with consideration of suitable running routes.  If only one of us were running, the Bridge over the Hudson might not be an appealing get away.  With miles of rail trail on either side, some nice restaurants and great views, it’s a destination we agree on.

There are two other things that have surprised me about running with Stefanie. The first is all the stuff.  And specifically the “girl stuff” – the engineering behind sports bras has taught me a whole new meaning of what it means to be “supportive.”  I didn’t even know the laundry machine had a “delicate” setting.  The second thing is how running impacts our social lives.  Together, we often decide to sacrifice fun times with non-running friends because of our running.  They don’t quite get our sense of commitment to running.  “Wanna go for drinks Saturday night?” We often answer “No, we have early runs Sunday morning.”   Or, ”Sorry, but we have a race.”  Prioritizing running would be much harder if only one of us ran.

Closing Thoughts

Joining the New York Flyers has fostered new friendships. Funny and interesting conversations have resulted from some unlikely pairings of paces and personalities during group runs.  We love meeting new people during organized long runs and sharing laughs and bonding over the joys and pains at social gatherings. We still enjoy solitary runs - mostly not together - just not quite as much.

Feldmans with Flyers :)

We often say we’ll keep running as long as our bodies allow us to physically do so.  But, we’ve learned the mental and emotional aspects are just as important.  Nurturing each other with support and encouragement including kudos (outside of Strava) goes a long way.  We recognize and respect each others’ efforts, celebrate race results and express empathy when things don’t go right .… All this and more are key tenets we hope will keep us running Separate and Together for a long time to come.

- Marc F and Stefanie F

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