Karyn Austin is a USAT Level II triathlon coach with Vision Quest, a national coaching organization.  She is an accomplished athlete and coach with distinguished personal and professional achievements.  

Karyn is a two time member of Team USA for Short Course Worlds (Hawaii and Switzerland), a nationally ranked Age Group and Master’s Swimmer, a Top10 Age Group finisher at IronMan Madison, and holds multiple All-American rankings with USAT.

As a coach and teacher, Karyn has helped countless athletes to improve their performance.  She has helped multiple athletes to qualify for and compete in Ironman’s World Championship in Kona.  She has trained more than 10 athletes to qualify for and compete in USAT World Championships at varying distances.  Karyn is an expert in helping athletes to find balance between everyday life and training.

Karyn will be speaking to us about how to add years to our running by training wisely.    “Longevity in the Sport: Running for the Long Term,” will be her focus for the evening.    Karyn’s greatest strength is her ability to motivate athletes of all levels and the night is sure to be full of inspiration for FTC.   You won’t want to miss the opportunity to learn from the best of the best!

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Hal Goforth reports that the Florida Track Club’s West Coast contingent is racing very well and having much fun. The group now includes five women in the 30-50 year old classes.  The FTC members racing with the California group are Hal Goforth Jr. (Gator class 1966), Ron Enos, Ron Wells, Jim McNevin, Jim Calloway, Richard Williams, Richard Guentner, Gerard Buckmelter, Artie Ojeda, Jason Passchier, Greg Wilson, Kathy Loper, Arcelia Cammal, Carrie Adamson, Suzanne Kocherga, Natatlie Fraschetti (Gator class 2003).

Ron Wells won the 65-69 year division at the National USATF XC Championships December 2011 in Seattle, Ron Enos was 6th in that same race. Richard Guentner won the 70-75 year old division in the 2010 USATF National XC Championships in Charlotte, NC.  Richard Williams and Richard Guentner were two of the scoring members of the 1st place 70-75 yr old team at this USATF XC Championship. Jim Callaway turns 70 in a few months and is faster than the two Richards. The 70-75 yr old team should do well in this race December 2012. All of the USATF racers will soon or have already changed their USATF affiliation to membership in the Florida Association

Here are the results from February 4. In the Super Run 5k/10k races 8 FTC West men had, five 1st, two 2nd and one 3rd place finishes in their age divisions.  Four of the FTC West men finished in the top 12 overall in 10k race. Two of the FTC members finished in the top 20 of the 5k race.  There were approximately 1000 runners participating in this race.

The specific site and type event will be announced shortly.

 O’Leno State Park Race the Tortoise 5K

Slow and steady wins the race. That’s the lesson many learn at an early age from the children’s story of the tortoise and the hare.

On March 3, 2012, would-be tortoises and hares can put the lesson into practice at the fourth annual Race the Tortoise 5k run/walk at 8 a.m. at O’Leno State Park, about six miles north of High Springs, FL on U.S. Hwy. 441.

Proceeds from the race will help the Park provide for the creatures in its Nature Center and buy an audio/visual system for training and education.

The certified race course is run along the park’s scenic paved main road, and all entrants receive a much-admired “turtle-enhanced” T-shirt.

The entry fee for those age 14 and younger is $10; for all others $20 through February 15, 2012, and $25 after this date through race day on March 3, 2012. Entry to the park is free for registered runners and walkers and those riding with them. The race is limited to the first 300 registrants, so sign-up now.

Prize money for Overall and Masters Winners setting course records is provided by Friends of O’Leno, Inc., the Park’s Citizen Support Organization and race host. First, second, and third place finishers in each age group receive special “Tortoise Trophies.”

To register or get more information, go to www.friendsofoleno.org and click on 5K Run. Or contact James Salvo (email jvsalvo26@gmail.com; phone 386-454-4115) with questions about the race.

Donations also are appreciated and tax deductible. Please make checks payable to Friends of O’Leno, Inc., and mail to P.O. Box 2879, High Springs, FL 32655.

The Tortoise encourages you to “Care for your heart, take part.”

Contact:

James Salvo,  386-454-4115 (H) / 843-709-1405 (C)

Race Director, Friends of O’Leno, Inc.

Email: jvsalvo26@gmail.com

Ride to the Gate

Our FTC “West” group is growing. You should see more members joining FTC now that the UASTF team XC Championships were last Saturday.  Some were obligated to race for the SDTC one more time. You should already have Me, Jim McNevin, Gerard Buckmelter and Richard Williams as members for 2012. Soon Ron Wells, Ron Enos will join and the others (Jim Calloway, et al) may have to wait until the spring.

The two Rons did well in the USATF XC 10k Team Championships (Ron won the 65-69 yr div and Ron placed 6th in the same Div. and their SDTC over 60 team placed 5th). I ran as an individual in the “Big Orange” but can’t officially enter under the Florida USATF until the 17th of December due to the required 90 day waiting period rule. I caught a chest cold the week before and dropped out at 6k to preserve my health. It was my first ”dnf” in a race and hopefully my last. We did not see a FTC Masters team? Not women nor men? I plan to work on a way for us to race as a Masters FTC team next year….what all will we need to do?

Photo number “100_3562″ was taken 12/03/11 in my backyard. We had just run our weekly tempo workout (2 mi warm up, 4-6 mi tempo and 1-1.5 mi cool down) and were about to sit down to breakfast at my home.
Left to Right- Chuck Bailey 48, Ron Wells 65, Hal Goforth 67, Ron Enos 66, Jim Mc Nevin 54, Gerard Buckmelter 53, Artie Ojeda 50, Not in photo
Jim Calloway 69, Richard Willams 76 and Ryan Goforth 33.

Photo “SSFTCTeamPhoto” was taken after the Silver Strand 5k and 1/2 marathon.
Let to Right: Jim McNevin 1st Pl. 50-55 div 1:26:44, Artie Ojeda 2nd Pl.50-55 div. 1:31:19, Chuck Bailey, 3rd Pl 45-49 div 1:28:14, Hal Goforth, ran as a workout with his ill son-in-law’s bib (did not cross time strip) time was 3rd Pl 65-69 div 1:53:20, Jim Calloway raced the 5K 1st Pl 65-60 Div 21:36.
(not in photo Richard Williams 1st Pl. 75 and over div. 2:15:20)

A little History of this group.
    We have been training and racing together for over 6 yrs. I have run 34 consecutive Bostons and these guys gradually joined me in my marathon training hoping to break 3 hrs. Most of them have do better than break 3 hrs (range from 2:45 to 2:59). Ron Enos broke 3hr when he won the 60-65 age div (I was second that year in this div.). Ron Wells joined us most recently. He places in the top 5 in his age Div at every USATF championship he enters. Three of us (Jim McNevin, Chuck Bailey and Hal Goforth) are High School XC coaches. Artie Ojeda is a NBC afilliate anchor-person and doesn’t get home til 0130 many nights before our workouts at 0700 so he is training with less sleep than ideal (to say the least).
Our regular workouts together (those who can make it) are Wed at Balboa Park and we run on the grass, Saturdays at Lake Murray or Lake Miramar (w/asphalt roads marked in 0.25 mi units around the perimeter). On Sundays we do long-easy runs with who every lives nearby (one group runs in the North county and the other group runs on mostly flat dirt trails in the East county). We have a pancake, waffle and fresh fruit breakfast about once or twice a month after the Sat. Tempo workout at Lake Murray.
We all have the typical injuries (tendonitis of Achilles and patellar, hamstring flare up, plantar fascitis, and knee issues) and have learned to address these asap with ice/rest and do core exercises or get physical therapy. Our next goal is to race with our singlets in the Southern California Half Marathon, Irvine CA on 7 Jan 2012. Then we will train for Boston by running local races (10-15k) as tempo workouts. We all have a copy of Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, Pete Pfitsingers’s Advance Marathoning and most have read Once a Runner by Parker. I have an original 1978, 3rd printing paperback issue.

Here’s a funny story you may share with John Parker.
About a year ago, Chuck Bailey bought and read the 2009 hardcover edition to Once a Runner. He was so impressed and energized, that he went out and bought me a copy, as a gift. When he handed it to me he said “You just gotta read this”…I looked up and said thanks Chuck…”Would you like to see my original 1978 paperback edition?”
He thought he had found a “new book ” that would inspire us all. As you well know, it was read by any serious runner in the late 70s-early 80s and was partly responsible for our passion for competitive training and running during the “golden years” of distance running. Along with Frank Shorter, Liquori, Galloway, et al!

In response to Chuck’s surprised look, I could have said ….”Chuck, any real runner during 1974-1983 read this book and … could run a 4:30 mile in high school”

Without question, our club was established and became world-renowned via the legs of the speedy. It is a history we are deservedly proud of, and a heritage we firmly embrace. It is also a tradition that we work hard to preserve, as several of our members log countless miles to ensure that FTC singlets are seen at the front-of-the-pack in several of our nation’s most elite races.

But unlike the Boston Marathon, there is no qualifying standard for coming out and participating in a Florida Track Club meeting, social, fun run or race. We welcome runners of all abilities.  As stated in our mission statement, our events are open to the public with participation encouraged for men and women, young and old, slow and fast. Simply put, we want you to enjoy the FTC and consider becoming a member.

So make plans on attending one of our many upcoming events. There are several opportunities in the near future as our December Holiday Social is open to all.  Moreover, our January speaker will be one of our own, as world-famous writer and runner, John Parker, will be our guest. As always, we look forward to seeing you.

Run Happy,

Rob Barnes