In This Edition
Pace Setter : October 2020
Meet Our Runners
Benita Zahn
Why do you run?
Because it feels so good! It clears my mind and frankly, like people more after a run
What runner inspires you?
Every runner at the back of the pack because they have a goal and no matter what, are going to cross the line.
What was your worst run?
NYC MARATHON 2003 – I was sick and struggled but finished
What was your best run?
Probably the 3rd leg of the ADK Ragnar … 3:00 am, 5.1 miles up route 9 and thinking, one wrong turn and I’ll be in Canada.
What race are you currently training for?
I’m doing a couple of virtual distance races
What race is #1 on your bucket list?
Two Oceans, South Africa
What shoes do you train in and race in?
Asics – Gel 2000
What is your fastest mile?
7:36
Any race day charms or rituals?
I always do a short warm up
Is there a snack you crave after runs?
Slice of orange
What person living or dead would you most like to run with?
Katherine Switzer
Anthony Giuliano
Why do you run?
I run to compete with myself and with other runners.
What runner inspires you?
Usain Bolt is one of my favorite runners. I like runners who have charisma and a personality.
What was your worst run?
It was in 2014 when I did a 16-mile long run with a stress fracture in my sacrum.
What was your best run?
My best was when I won the 2017 Troy Turkey Trot.
What race are you currently training for?
I am currently training for any race that’s happening live and in-person. I am not a fan of virtual racing.
What race is #1 on your bucket list?
It probably would be the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half.
What shoes do you train in and race in?
I currently train in Nike Pegasus Turbos and race in either Vaporfly4% or Next%.
What is your fastest mile?
My fastest is 4:30.
Any race day charms or rituals?
I have a lucky handkerchief.
Is there a snack you crave after runs?
Usually cookies.
What was the strangest thing you saw on the side of the road while running?
The strangest thing was an ostrich that snuck up on me while I was running in my cousin’s neighborhood in California. It scared the sh*t out of me.
What person dead or alive would you most like to take a run with?
I’d like to go on a run with Howard Stern.
David Roy
Why do you run?
I’ve always run, just haven’t stopped. I grew up on a farm in the ‘60s and was all over the place, without ATVs. Soccer (aka running) was my school sport as a kid but organized group activities are hard to fit in as an adult. I enjoy nature and running is an outdoor activity I can do anytime anywhere. I traveled a lot for work and would stop and go for a run wherever I was. State forests and hiking trails all over the northeast quickly became my favorite place to run and explore.
What runner inspires you?
Jim Miner, Longevity! I think we all want to be running and enjoying it as long as we can. I don’t have delusions of being able run the distances with the frequency (or coming back after injuries) like he does but knowing that there are people like him out there is inspiration for me.
What was your worst run?
2012 Boston, the heat killed me!
What was your best run?
It’s a toss up. My PR was the 2010 Wineglass Marathon which I ran with both of my kids and got first in my age group. But it hurt!!! Compared with 2014 Shires of Vermont Marathon which I ran after Boston just to see what 2 close marathons would feel like. I had no aspirations, the course was often on small shaded roads, through the woods & hills, crossed a covered bridge, just really nice. I ran it easy and had a nutrition plan. In the end I was only 6 minutes off my PR, 1st in my AG. But it ties for my best run because it wasn’t like I had just run a marathon, I Felt Great!!
What race are you currently training for?
I was chided a while back after I put a post on Facebook that I was on a 1-month Marathon training plan. I had entered and started training for the March Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon, which got cancelled. Since then I’ve entered a long-distance race almost every month which subsequently was cancelled. The last race I was training for was the Oct 25th Cougar Mountain 50K near Seattle which was also recently cancelled. Since I had the plane ticket, I switched to the Boise Marathon which is the same weekend. So, I’m still on track with my 1-month training plan.
What race is #1 on your bucket list?
Hellgate 100K (How can you not put a race with a name like that on your bucket list!)
What shoes do you train in and race in?
Saucony Kinvara
What is your fastest mile?
No idea. Whenever it was, it was years ago and probably downhill. Treadmills, track and speed work have never been my thing.
Any race day charms or rituals?
Double knotting my shoelaces is the closest I get to a ritual.
Is there a snack you crave after runs?
Chocolate milk is always good.
What was the strangest thing you saw on the side of the road while running?
This summer I was running at night with just a headlamp. I was on an uphill stretch, zoning out, with my head down and the light shining not more than 6 or 8 feet in front of me when I ran head on, straight into a family of skunks. They were walking right down the middle of the road, and yes, I can run in the middle of the road for miles sometimes where I live. When I saw the first one I sort of leaped to the side and then saw all the rest of them. There were 2 adults and 5 kits and I was sure I was about to be sprayed. I tried to avoid them as I went by and felt relieved as I made it past the last one. I looked back a few feet after I passed the group and saw that all of the kits had turned around and were following me! (No, I didn’t stick around to play!)
What person living or dead would you most like to run with?
That’s a tough question for me. I just enjoy running with friends when I can.
Deanne Webster
Why do I run?
I run because I love it. Running puts me in a positive, cheerful, happy upbeat mood and is an excellent stress reliever. It is also a great way to meet people.
What runner inspires me?
I’d say locally, although I don’t know her well, Lauren Carnahan. She is always posting positive and upbeat Running related posts on Facebook daily that motivate me and I am sure many others. She runs 9.5 miles and sometimes longer almost every day and isn’t afraid to try new things like trail running and biking (face planting). She is a fast and very talented up and coming local runner.
What was my worst run?
Anytime running while injured is not fun at all. I got injured while running Boston Marathon 2017. The last few miles of that marathon were the most painful and uncomfortable miles of my life. So painful that I had walk/limp and drag my leg the last .40 miles of that marathon right down Boylston street to the finish line. After that marathon, I ended up walking a mile on crutches alone back to my hotel room as I could not put any pressure on my right leg.
What was my best run? My best run was probably the 2016 local Mohawk Hudson River Marathon where I managed to run a 3:16:19 on my home turf.
What race is #1 on my bucket list?
Definitely a full Ironman 140.6. I was registered for 2020 Ironman Maryland but had to defer to 2021 because of the pandemic. Finishing an Ironman is my #1 goal.
What shoes do I train in?
I like to switch my sneakers often and anyone who truly knows me knows that I keep 6 or more pairs in my rotation per season. I am currently running in Brooks Ravenna 11, Nike Pegasus, Hoka One Clifton, Brooks Levitate, and some other Nike sneaker.
What is my fastest mile?
My fastest mile is officially 6:29 but that is from 2012 or 2013 when I was fairly new to the sport. I would love to beat that time now.
Race day charms or rituals?
Try to remain calm and trust in my training on race day is key for me.
Snack craved after runs?
Lately I crave an ice-cold beverage like a Gatorade zero or water immediately after my longer runs. Sometimes, I crave pizza and hit up a local Blaze pizza after my runs. I’m usually not terribly hungry immediately after a run. Once in a blue moon.
Mat running with his son
Mat Nark
Why do you run?
I started running in my freshman year of high school with my sister. I was one of the smallest kids at school and was trying to find a sport that suited me. Right away I fell in love with running and knew that it would be a long-lasting outlet for me.
Over the years running has evolved from being a competitive sport to a more of effective form of fitness, meditation, and relaxation. There is nothing better than a good run to take your mind away from everything else and give you that little reset.
What runner inspires you?
When I was in high school ironically it was Carl Lewis and his sprinting that really inspired me and drove me to be as good as I could be in my sport. Later it would be Bob Kennedy and Kenenisa Bekele that would provide inspiration.
These days I thrive more on helping others to become better runners. I get great enjoyment in meeting new runners who have ambitious goals and those that have no idea of their true potential.
What is your fastest mile?
4:39
What was your worst run?
I love them all.
What was your best run?
One of my most fun running memories was in the early days of the Saratoga Palio when I went in and ran my half marathon PR totally unexpected.
What race is #1 on your bucket list?
No bucket list runs.
What shoes do you train in and race in?
Many different shoes especially Nike Pegasus.
Any race day charms or rituals?
No major rituals
What was the strangest thing you saw on the side of the road while running?
One time I was running, and I found a car off the side of the road in a deep ravine like it had just crashed. No one was around and, on my way back, I saw that the police had arrived.
What person living or dead would you most like to run with?
Jerry Schumacher, Coach of Nike Bowerman Project
Meet Our Runners Archive
Bashaw, Jessica
Bean, Bill
Carnahan, Lauren
Chauhan, Liz
Cherniak, Daniele
Davis, Michelle
DeVries, Dallas
Ethier, Greg
Favreau, Jona
Gazzale, Jim
Hall-Risko, Alyssa
Hallgren, Stephen
Hislop, Kristen
Hoffman, Bill
Koleci, Vasil
Lennon, Daniel
Longhi, Gary
Louden, Meg
MacGregor Law, Kim
Maslowsky, Danielle
McNamara, Jeremy
Merlis, Josh
Northan, Jessica
O’Grady, Tom
O’Meara, Shannon
Pasqualino, Anthony
Perry, Alex
Reed, Andy
Rickes, Greg
Sayre, Shelby
Sestito, John
Smith, Connie
Suba, Scott
Terry, Chuck
Troischt, David
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