September, 2006
September, 2006
Teammates & Friends:
The Outdoor Season has just about wrapped up with the exception of a few meets, like the Maine Senior Games. Perhaps
because of school, I've always viewed September as the month of beginnings. Even now it still feels that way -
the summer heat has broken making way for our wonderful New England fall.
Instead of looking at our upcoming (second) annual Mass Velocity gathering as an end-of-year party, we should think
of it as a kick-off for the next season. So let's get right to it.
MASS VELOCITY BARBECUE PARTY
Last year, after the presentation of the USATF-NE Athlete of the Month awards at the New England Association Annual Meeting, a few Mass Velocity guys gathered at a local bar for a few drinks. This is how it was reported in last October's Newsletter:
Here we are around the conference table
at the temporary Mass Velocity headquarters.
Seen (left to right) are Larry Libow, Roger Pierce, Bob Segal, Ralph Souppa, John Saxelby
and Warren Graff. Arriving late and not in the photo was Carroll Blake.
A motion was passed ... or at least something was passed. It might have been one
of those fruit-flavored beers come to think of it. Hopefully we'll have more of
you at the next gathering.
Well, the next gathering is proposed for Saturday, Sept. 30th at Carroll
Blake's home in Jamaica Plain for a Mass Velocity Track Club members, family and friends . Carroll writes "Hey Guys I am more then willing to host a cookout at
my house. I can have my brother cater it (awarded the Best of Boston for his BBQ) and we can just split the cost
so that no one have to be burden cooking, which I am sure that some of you have no idea how to cook (smile). We
have a Christmas party every year and we have approx. 75 people and not using the patio or outdoors, so we could
have at least that many and more. We also have Central Air so people can be either outside or inside."
So can I get a show of hands to see how many would be interested
in a post-season / pre-season gathering? I think some off-track socializing would be great and wouldn't it be great
if it were to morph into an annual dinner or awards banquet some years down the road? So please click here
to drop me a note and tell me if you'll come and if you'll be bringing anyone with you. Once we know the number
of guests we'll know what the cost will be per person.
As I just mentioned, last year most Mass Velocity folks
slipped out of the Annual Meeting after watching Roger Pierce receive the June, 2005 Athlete of The Month award.
This year, once again Roger will be receiving an Athlete of The Month award for September, 2005. Also, "MVTC
honorary member" Mary Harada will be receiving her award for March, 2006.
In addition to honoring our Masters track & field athletes, there is another reason for attending this years
USATF-NE Annual Meeting - and this time staying for the business portion of the meeting. John Oleski will be up
for re-election as association Vice President. Carroll Blake has thrown his hat in the ring for the Masters Chair
(which has been in extremely capable hands of outgoing chair, Lee Hess). And I have decided to run for the position
of Athletes Representative. We need to give track and field and Masters track a strong voice on the Board. John, Carroll and I need your votes!
The meeting will be on Tuesday, September 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Newton
Marriott, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue in Newton MA.
It is at the intersection of the Mass Turnpike (I-90) and Rt.128/I-95. Let's celebrate a victorious election, thank
Lee for his years of service and raise a toast to Roger and Mary at the Marriott's Riverbend Bar & Grill
after the meeting. I hope to see lots of you there.
MVTC LOGO PATCH
It's here and it's perfect for anything red including singlets,
jackets, sweatsuits, hats, etc. It is the exact same size as the one that is on all MVTC uniforms. I have orders
from the following folks:
Bob Marchetti - 2
James Morton - 2
Kim Williams - 2
Dave Neumann - 1
Rob Porcaro - 1
Brady Mayer - 3
Gail Johns-Rees - 4
That means I have 9 remaining patches available. I will bring all the patches to the USATF-NE Annual Meeting. The
cost is $5 per patch. Bring cash or a check made out to Mass Velocity
Track Club. The remaining patches are available on an e-mail,
first-come basis. If the demand exceeds supply I will order more and hopefully have them either in time for the
USATF meeting or the MVTC . Want a patch? Click Here.
I will also bring the Mass Velocity T-Shirts to the Annual Meeting and . I have more mediums as well as large and
extra-large. Cost is $15 per shirt.
Upcoming membership renewals include:
Dave Neumann - 9/29/2006
Roger Pierce - 10/11/2006
Gail Johns-Rees - 10/20/2006
Laura Barre - 10/24/2006
Carroll Blake - 10/30/2006
Anyone who paid via PayPal should receive notification from PayPal before they charge your credit card the $15
annual dues. If your credit card changed or expired you will need to update your PayPal information in order for
the dues to be paid. Checks can be mailed but that adds another administrative task I'd prefer to avoid.
I am sorry to report that we have lost a member. Jay Appleman writes "Larry,
Thanks for all of the updates you have been sending me the past year. As everyone knows, with age comes body changes.
Since last year's senior competition at Springfield College, I have been straining too many hamstring muscles when
sprinting. Since taking up long distance running 12-15 years ago, I haven't been able to sprint effectively. I
run longer distances for the workout. My competitive spirit is still there, but I have more important things to
do. Thanks and good luck."
Dick
Camp Terrence Haynes Mary Roman
Abe Bernstien
"Beautiful day. Beautiful venue and
perfect weather, although maybe a little windy. MVTC was ably represented. Here are some pictures from the meet
- hope you can use a few. Sorry I don't know everyone … but probably you recognize some faces. I won't guess at
how everyone did – I know Gail took first in the 50-54 100, 200 and 400 (with me second) and I managed to take
first in the 50M (before Gail arrived)."
- Kim Williams
[Note - Photos provided by Kim Williams]
.JPG)
John Polevy in Lane 7
.JPG)
An unfamiliar face. Wait! Red speedsuit, blue shoes and in front?
Okay, that must be Roger Pierce.
.JPG)
John Novak in red right behind Neil Steinberg (still wearing that damn blue speedsuit).
John Polevy with some competition in lane 2. If I'm not mistaken,
that's Dr. Bill Wright partially obscured by John in Lane 4
In an M55 heat we have Tom Gillen on the left and John Novak in the center
Kim Williams in the foreground with Gail Johns-Rees in the background
"Kim and I had a great day together!
And it was great to see Roger and the rest of the Mass Velocity guys that were there. Weather was awesome; just
a little windy for some of the races.
My results were as follows: gold in 100M; 200M; 400M…and I set New Hampshire State records in those events. I also
set a state record for the 50M in 2005. Apparently they missed updating that one."
- Gail Johns-Rees
"I won the 800 meters and 2nd in 400
meters at the NY Empire State Games in Rochester NY; 65-69."
- Abe Bernstein
"I competed in the 1st World OUT Games
in Montreal on July 30th (www.montreal2006.org) and won the silver medal in W45-49 discus. The woman
who won was a former East German professional discus thrower. She was about 6'5" tall... and her best throw,
in her hay day was just shy of 210'. What an amazing athlete. Her knee cap came up to my middle thigh! What a wing
span on that girl!"
- Karan Parkin
Although we have already devoted an entire Photo Essay to the Nationals, our lone Mass Velocity member from Minnesota, Jim Schoffman, sent us some more photos.
Here's Roger in what may be a 400m heat
Already making up the stagger
Jim might have included this shot because
he thought one of our members was in this heat in Lane 1
Not so, but what he captured however was Bill Collins using blocks in Lane 4. I was under
the impression that Bill always uses a standing start.
This time the red uniform does belong
to MVTC and Tucker Taft
I believe that's Dick Camp in Lane 2
Not sure if this is a 200m or 400m,
heat or final, but I'm pretty sure that's Roger Pierce in Lane 4
Carroll Blake in Lane 5
Relay team of (L-R) Tucker Taft, Tom Gillen, Jim Schoffman and Carroll Blake
North America, Central America and Caribbean
Championships
Guatemala
August 24 - 27, 2006
16 Americanos Compete in Guatemala WMA Meet
"Canadian masters leader Brian Keaveney, president of North, Central America and the Caribbean WMA, has returned home from Guatemala City, where close to 500 athletes competed last weekend in the biennial WMA regional meet. From los Estados Unidos were W40 Linda Carty, M40 Khalid Mulazim, M45 Harold Pierce, M45 Rodney Wilson, M75 Bob Fine, M60 Eduardo Sorrenti, W60 Stella Cashman, M55 Ivan Black, M35 Don Drummond, M45 Dexter McCloud, M45 Bruce McBarnette, M55 John Oleski, W55 Ardienette Tucker, W80 Dorothy Wilson, M60 Bob Cahners and M60 Rex Harvey."
Our own John
Oleski returned home with a silver medal in the
M55 Long Jump and a silver in the Triple Jump.
Congratulations John!
Photos from Steve Burger Photography
"Larry,
I particularly really like and was moved by MVTC's involvement with the high school track team. Let's make that
an integral ongoing aspect of MVTC. I was a youth sports coach (soccer) for 12 years with ages from 5 - 18 and
still find youth sports touch a cord in me. Let me know if I can help."
- Rob Porcaro [Note:
I will be collecting used/new flats and spikes for the inner-city, high school kids that James Morton & I will
continue to work with this coming winter]
"Great,
great job for all you do for MVTC! The club is on the rise because of you! I'm NOT attending the meet in Charlotte.
Now it's time to prepare for winter track 2007!! Thanks for making 2006 my master's highlight year!"
- Terrence Haynes
"Hi
Larry - great job with Mass Velocity. I am now proudly wearing my t-shirt and hat. My street cred is soaring. Nice
to see such a good turnout at Baystate. Progress is all relative. Personally, although I finished dead last amongst
the MV cheetahs in the 400, my time improved 2 seconds from last year - just trying to improve in skill faster
than I am deteriorating in age. Can hardly wait until I turn 55 at the end of the year and get more seconds in
the next age bracket. BTW, I ran my first 400 ever last year, literally. I am a high jumper at heart - my high
school event. At 6'5" you definitely want to pick your sports. Clearing six feet back in the day was pretty
good. If I can ever find a high jump pit I can enter another event under the MV colors!" - John Osbon
"Hi
Larry - I've been meaning to be in touch with you. I'm once again in training for the Boston Marathon and so have
"moved away" from sprinting for now. As an old man at 58, I seem to want to get marathons out of my system
and then transfer to sprinting. I would very much like to remain a member of Mass Velocity because after the 2007
Marathon, I plan to return to sprinting (as a novice)!" - Ed
Babinsky
"Larry,
Not sure if it's possible to put a link on the MVTC website but www.mainecorporatetrack.org
is the MECTA website. There is a draft that allows "individuals not affiliated with a company (or those whose
employer does not have a team associated with MECTA) to participate in events". If anyone lives within a comfortable
drive of Portland it's a way to race a few more meets. Too late for this year but FYI. There's a $50 fee to join
and then you are assigned to a team. It's all age groups, heaviest in the 40-50 range probably. Hoping the 7/22
results are available soon? LOVED the photojournal. Terrific job." -
Kim Williams
|
|
|
|
While sitting in my orthopedist's waiting room I picked
up a copy of ESPN Magazine. I happened upon a short story called "Old Man On Campus." It's about college
Football Fantasy Camps at places like Notre Dame and Penn State where "several
dozen grown men with real 9-to-5's pony up $5000 to live like college football players for five days."
The story continues how these men, ages 29 to 67 "struggle
through calisthenics and non-contact position drills, eat at training tables with assistant coaches and former
players. The week ends with the big flag football game where the campers run out of the stadium tunnel and sing
the national anthem."
If you aren't shaking your head yet, get this. Bob Johnson, 43 a banker from Lititz, PA says "This is one of the top three things I've done in my life, beyond marriage
and family. It has so much more meaning than any work I could do."
This is so sad. These pathetic men pay big bucks to pretend to be athletes for a few days.
I am so proud to be in the company of men and women with real jobs, who train year-round, who compete in real competition,
who are real athletes. Each and every one of you inspire me and I can't thank you enough.
The Mass Velocity Newsletter is an open-access publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Users may freely copy, distribute, and display its contents, but must give credit to the original publication source and author.
