Running in the Face of Tragedy

Today, 30 Oct 2009, is a tragic day for the USCG and US Marine Corps.
See here for more details

Some of our runners are busy responding to this casualty and the oil spill in the Bay and they cannot run with us on Saturday. The missing also cannot run on Saturday. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Coast Guard family as well as our Marine Corps colleagues. As we line up to compete, let’s keep in mind that we run for more than our small PAUSATF Club; when we wear the CG uniform, we represent an ideal, an institution, and a family.

All-Pacific Association?

A snapshot from the PAUSATF XC rules – b/c not everyone obsesses over them like I do:

“In addition, “All-Pacific Association” Cross Country teams will be selected at season end, according to the following.
Open and Masters Men and Women: Top 5 at PA/USATF Championship, plus top 3 season-end point earners not in the Championship top 5 (8 total).”

US Coast Guard has 5th place in PAUSATF by just a few points, a good run at Tamalpa and the Championships could let us come out as an All Pacific Association – not too bad for a first season!

Tamalpa Challenge

Tamalpa Challenge (website here)
Saturday 31 October 2009 ~ 4.25 mi course
Women – 9:00 am
Master Men – 10:00 am
Open Men – 11:00

Given the later start you can sleep in (a little) meet at island (bldg 52) 0850, depart 0900 sharp; travel time approx 1 hr – registration on site $20. We’ll be going the northern route due to Bay Bridge issues. Make sure you eat that morning, it’s almost lunch time when we race.

Racing: Ken, Tom, Nate, Charlie, Jason B, Matt (we need everyone, last scoreable race of regular season!)

Beer mugs to all finishers. This race is a memorial to John Lawson, a Tamalpa Runner who, at 44, died suddenly of a heart attack in 2000.

Results from the Shoreline Open

See the full results here.  Get ready for this weekend!!!

Also, check out the awesome profile of the Coast Guard PAUSATF Club at the Examiner.

Shoreline Open – Mountain View, CA 4.65 MI

Pardon our dust

I’m working on changing up the look of the website….brighten things up a bit…so if you notice strange things going on…that’s me backstage!

~ Nate

Workout Tuesday 27 OCT 09

The Lake Temescal Workout from last week was a great success, so we’re going to do it again. The loop is about 1 mile, we do half at race pace, then easy jog for the second half, five times.

Start time 1730 (last week to play off the track!)

The Lake has two parking lots – we’re at the larger Northern parking lot off Broadway by HWY 24. For those of you who will take the highway there, check out the traffic prior to leaving – the Caldecott traffic can back up pretty far, back roads may be advisable.

Shoreline Open – Team gets fast

Down by the Googleplex, the USCG Running Club took to the paths of Shoreline Park for one of, if not the, fastest race of the season.  While the course started and ended meandering over a small hill, most of the 4.6mi course was flat and straight, leading to a deceptively quick start and course overall.  While results will take a bit to be published, the USCG fielded five runners, including one first time runner – ENS Matt Eyler who came out strong.  One of the biggest highlights of the day was the post-race trip to Fudruckers, where the range of burgers went from small with large gobs of nacho cheese, to Elk, chicken with pico and more.

See pictures from the race here

Workout 20 Oct 2009

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a real workout – and going into our last two meets of the regular season, we need to feel the XC, so we’re gonna hit some fun repeats.

NEW LOCATION:  Lake Temescal – Oakland

Lake Temescal Map

6500 Broadway (bing map)

START TIME:  1730 (5:30PM)  Slightly earlier b/c sunset is at: 1824

After this there is only one more week we’ll be able to get into a park, otherwise we’re back on the lighted track due to time change and waning sun in the evening hours.

WORKOUT:  1 mi w/u, 5 x 600-800m repeats, 1mi c/d.  We’ll be running from the broadway terrace area on the paved path and ending on the dirt path at the top of the hill – using the downhill to recover back to the starting line.  It should be fun and fast!

Stand by for the information on our race this weekend – In order to be competitive this season we need to field 5 or more for the last two regular races and the championships.  We’ve been going for two months now and our team has the finish line in site.

13 Oct Workout – On Your Own

Due to inclement weather there will be no organized track or speed work today.  We do regret that the generally miserable conditions outside have kept a few of us from gathering together to share in the misery of multiple laps quickly around some predetermined track/trail.  Still, if you find you the need to punish yourself today, any mileage is better than no mileage (b/c our competition is probably considering not running today).  Keep that in mind.

XC Grand Prix Team Standings – update

USCG – 6th overall with 3 races scored and 27 points.

With three regular season races and the championships left, US Coast Guard is only 4.5 points behind New Balance Excelsior (31.5 and four races). This comes after a 10.5 point boost from the fourth place finish at the Presidio Challenge. The team is continuing on even though they have multiple runners now underway serving their country, others recovering from injuries, and more on difficult duty rotations. In order to finish the season respectably the USCG must muster 5 person teams for 2 more races and the championships.  Then, when all the cards have been played, we will know where this newly commissioned team stands.

For now, the race continues and we continue to call to our AOR for runners.  To the North to TRACEN Petaluma, to the West to Sector San Francisco and to the East to Airsta Sacramento – come out and represent as a member of the USCG Running Club – Gold Coast Chapter.

PAUSATF Standings