May, 2008
May, 2008
Teammates & Friends:
The 2005 Penn Relays were the first time the track & field community heard about Mass Velocity. The announcer
called the team 'Massachusetts Velocity' and the four guys that fielded our first relay had no idea what they lay
in store for them that day or in the years to come.
Below, you'll read about some of the experiences people had. I think that Charlie couldn't have said it any better
- that the first time was about the novelty, the second was about performance and this time it was about the shared
experience, the community, the team. More about this concept in my Final Thoughts section.
We keep adding new members faster than we're losing them to other teams. Gail and Paula have moved over to Liberty
Athletic and Dick Camp has moved over to Sprint Force. We wish them well and will gladly welcome them back anytime.
Lots of commentary, photos and notable quotes to come so let's get to it, starting with the Penn Relays . . . .
Gentlemen,
Every time around at Penn has been a little different for me. The first time it was about the novelty, the wide-eyed,
wow factor, take it all in, keep up with the pace. The second time was about the performance, the time, the place,
the medal. This time was more about the people, the shared experience, the community, and the team.
Every group of runners, every team has its own personality. In the masters sprinters world this is not a subtle
distinction. Mass Velocity is defined in a large way by its beneficent community orientated membership. You can
usually count on the support, guidance and enthusiastic revelry of your team members. This was very evident this
year at Penn. This is not to be taken for granted; for many teams are founded on less lofty and pettier ideology.
I am proud to be associated with the Mass Velocity team. I witnessed Roger giving his medal to Eric in appreciation
of his grit and determination. I witnessed Dave grinning ear to ear after the shear joy of having the opportunity
to compete.
The initial spreadsheets were heavy with the highest of sprint pedigrees. Days and hours before the event whole
teams evaporated through injury and competing priority. The alternates were absorbed into the fray and the reality
of competition suddenly became tenuous. Tucker’s quality as the multitasking ambassador of the relay community
was evident as he succeeded in fielding a record number of teams. This was of course in addition to his role as
chauffeur, host, navigator, speed walking tour guide, political consultant, infirmary patient, brother, team member,
competitor and friend.
Mass Velocity has demonstrated its status as a preeminent collection of talented sprinters in past competitions.
This time around it was more about participation, about fielding teams on the fly, about being a team and empowering
those with the courage to take that masters leap of faith.
Thank you all for the opportunity to share in the team experience and compete on this grandest of stages.
Charlie Kelley
"A huge thanks to Tucker for putting this all together.
The effort he put in shows a huge amount of devotion. It's been a goal for me to run at Penn for some years
now, and it was all made possible by MassVelocity and the people running. Thanks for making this dream come true
for me!
My reflections - in his e-mail, I saw that Charlie really captured a sense of the evolution of MassVelocity. Often
times, when a person first enters a situation, or a social group, one tends to think that it's static and unchanging,
whereas, in reality, it's dynamic and constantly evolving. If I somehow managed to catch a phase where MassVelocity
could reach out and allow someone like me to run - I feel all the more lucky. More than just realizing a personal
dream, I found something I didn't anticipate - I'm experiencing again the kind of camaraderie that a person feels
when you're part of a team where the members are devoted to each other. I got a huge benefit from just hanging
around Charlie, Tucker and Tom for the relays - and got something from each of them. I bumped into Eric last
Sunday when his son was running the Heartbreak Hill fun run (and won his race!). It's a team in every sense of
the word - not something that's thrown together for an occasional high-level race - but a group of people who live
close enough to each other that they can train together, or bump into one another by accident. There's something
special that you (we?) have here, and to think I sort of stumbled onto it.
I thought I was the only one who was constantly fighting off the odd injury, but when I heard about Dave and Eric
running through their pain, I realized I wasn't alone, and I found it very encouraging. I'm grateful for all your
efforts - Go MassVelocity!" -
John Huth
Tom Gillen falling after handing off to John
Huth
"No problem on the hand-off, it was probably so difficult seeing everyone coming in. There were just too many people on the track - a lot of people fell. But, I'm used to it - at least the baton didn't hit the track. (I'm losing more hair than I thought)." - Tom Gillen
"Gentlemen - someone sent me a link to the video of your recent victory...........enjoy! And don't forget to turn the sound on - there's nothing like the crowd noise at Penn!" - Warren Graff
Video
of: M 4x100 H01 Evt 111 Masters 60 - 4x100
To a man, it seems everyone overwhelmingly had a bonding experience down there---something we should always keep in mind whenever we hear the rare discouraging word from elsewhere. - Bob Segal
Penn Photo Gallery
"Yes, that's me hugging the track. Navigate
either way if you want to
see the prelude and my pained expression afterward on rising from the track." - Tucker
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
where it all began
Penn 2005 Mass Velocity TC relay team of (L-R)
Roy Currie,
Tucker Taft, Lee Hess and Charlie Kelley
Bill McDonough - M50 Hanson, MA "Finally
made the leap (no pun intended) and joined MassVelocity to prove to myself that I am still a sprinter. Having turned
50 and bored with slow road races, I am returning to my first love - the track. Hope to hold together long enough
to compete at 100, 200 and 400 meters."
Kevin Foley - M55 (on 5/31) Wilton, CT "I am the coach of a youth club in CT – the Wilton
Running Club and we have had our fair share of success in the last 3 years too. Several state championships and
champions and a few Regional’s as well. Three All-Amercians on top of that too. I was a 100-200-400 sprinter in
College at the D1 level and just started back last year with more serious training. I tried the road racing thing
with 5K but realized if after some decent success that I am always going to be a sprinter at heart. I plan on competing
this year in a few events and should do reasonably well, I hope. I am not declared on any club so I will run as
a member of Mass Velocity, if that is ok with you. Also, I am in CT. How do I get a list of members and their locations.
If there are other MV teammates in the area it may be worth it to hook up for some workouts from time to time.
I am glad there is a club dedicated to us “old guys” who still think going fast is possible."
Lawrence Pistrang - M50 Princeton, MA "I
look forward to being part of a team again. I have been involved in track and field for many years, as an athlete
and a coach, although my competitive days took a long sabbatical (ages 22 - 46). Training on my own for the past
several years has not been an issue, but I have missed the 'being part of a team' atmosphere at meets. Several
of the Mass Velocity athletes (James Morton in particular) were very friendly and supportive at Indoor Nationals
... I immediately checked out your website and eventually took the plunge today and joined. Everything I read sounded
wonderful. See you on the track!"
Velociteers - Be on the lookout for many new members
during this upcoming outdoor season. Introduce yourselves and make them feel welcome.
Hi
Larry: It took me a couple of days to get my story together and before I knew it, you had emailed the finished
April Newsletter. So, anyway, here is what I would have submitted:
I first started running at age 66. Someone suggested that I run at a State Olympic track and field competition
and I decided to try. In my first two races, the first step in each was backwards. I definitely needed help. In
the next 9 years I found out there was a lot more to sprinting than running from one line to the other.
I have met and made many friends in my 9 years of running. Of those friends, one has gone out of his way to help
me in both physical and mental attitudes. In one of the State-run 200 meter races, he came up to the track and
told me to start swinging my arms. In another 200 meter race at Brown University, he came running to the edge of
the track to tell me a runner was catching up.
This person told me I could compete in a national track meet when I first started running. It was a nice thing
to say but, personally, I doubted it very much. Nonetheless, my times did improve over the next 3 years and I then
started to compete in some of the national competitions.
Well, here I am, 9 years later, during which I have won 6 silver and 2 bronze medals and am looking for gold in
national competitions. While I was waiting at the staging area at Reggie Lewis track to run in the 200-meter USA
Masters race, this nice person comes up to me and asks how I am doing. I told him I was scared stiff. He told me
that was natural and if I weren't, I wouldn't be there. He told me to channel my nervous energy into my 200 meter
sprint.
That I did and now I have two gold medals having won the 60 meter sprint (8.95 A.G. 98%) and the 200 meter sprint
(30.5 A.G. 91%). The person who has helped me over this period of time is Roger Pierce." -
Dennis Melanson
"Roger: Congratulations! I read through the article on the NU
site about your election to the NU Hall of Fame. I already knew about your success as a Masters athlete, but I
did not realize that you did so well in college too! I appreciate the help you have given me as a novice sprinter
and am very happy for you receiving this honor. It certainly is well deserved!" - Eric
Bucher
"Congratulations, Roger! You totally deserve it." - Susan Wiemer
"I'm
honored and excited...who would have thunk that after 40 years they would still remember me!!!" - Roger
"Hey
Larry, I heard that Darin Brown, my nemesis in all 40-49 age division races and fellow White Mountain Miler, is
racing for MVTC. That's great! I know how much he loves track back from his college days. It's good to see him
out doing well on the track. He lives just down the road from me."
- Paul Kirsch
"I
am the President of the Florida Athletic Club (FAC). Congratulations on your team's performance at the Indoor Championships.
I thought that you might win it since it was held on your home turf. I was disappointed that you didn't. I am contacting
you with the desire to establish a close relationship, like the one FAC and GW has. We can switch club newsletters
and possibly enjoy a social affair at the (outdoor) championships. We might even have a postal duel meet between
the three clubs." - Bob Fine
"Dear
club members: National Masters News
is a monthly magazine specifically for runners and track & field athletes, 40 years of age and older. We would
like to offer your club members a free sample magazine and a discount for a one year subscription. To take advantage
of this offer, send us a list of your interested club members with their mailing address and we will mail them
a free copy and discount coupon right away." Sincerely, Randell
Sturgeon, Publisher and Owner, National Masters News [Editors
Note: Interested? Drop me a line with your mailing address and I'll pass it along so you receive the free copy
and discount coupon]
Every so often I ask for the help of MVTC club members and any friend
of the club to help me help the kids on the High School of Commerce track Team. Commerce is one of six high schools
in the city of Springfield. For the past five years I have volunteered
my time as an assistant coach and have tried to raise money for all the basic track opportunities that kids at
most other schools receive and take for granted.
Many of you have met the boys who have volunteered their time to assist at the USATF-NE Masters Championships.
They are great kids, many are honors students. Most are running in flats and spikes contributed by MVTC members.
They practice and compete on a track used by 7 other city teams that should be condemned as dangerous. The school
system has no money so practically everything is broken or in bad repair. Coaches must either spend their own
money to buy equipment or they do without. The school system won't pay to send the kids to important meets like
the State Freshman/Sophomore meet, the Weston Twilight Invitational or the the State Coaches Invitational, so I
personally shell out the entire cost of transportation, gas, tolls, entry fees, food, you name it.
So if you have any flats, spikes or warm-ups you no longer use, please bring them with you to either of the meets in Springfield. I also need some cash donations. Any amount will do. You can mail a check to the Commerce Track Booster Club, 56 Riverview Street, Springfield, MA 01108 or you can donate online at: http://www.hscommercetrack.com/donations.htm. Thank you so much for any consideration. - Larry
Unfortunately, for many, it's always about winning.
Many of my experiences with my kids' youth sports, it was always an "in your face, winning is everything"
attitude with coaches and parents. By and large I have found that track and field, youth and masters of which
I'm both involved with, is not that way. Of course there are exceptions but I was most encouraged that all of
the comments I heard after Penn had nothing to do with winning but the good feelings about being a member of The Team.
With the Olympic Games just over the horizon, it's worth reminding everyone about the Olympic Creed. Most of us
know the Olympic Motto of "Citius, Altius, Fortius" which is universally accepted to mean "Faster,
Higher, Stronger," but how many know that the Olympic creed is "The
most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life
is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
We should all be proud that the men and women who
represent the Mass Velocity Track Club are the sort of people who live by the Olympic Creed every time they compete.
Peace, speed and good health,
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