Pace Setter : January 2021

Top 2020 Articles from The Pace Setter

Top 2020 Articles from the Pace Setter

You will note that the pandemic does not seep into The Pace Setter until April.

January – Oh, if we only knew what was coming!! Uncharted territory was an understatement!

Wishing All Our Readers a Happy 2020

The Pace Setter Staff truly wishes you a great decade of running starting in 2020 and has included words of wisdom and fun to guide you on your sojourn into the uncharted territory of racing in the next decade, starting with the Hangover Half Marathon! For full article, click here

February – Don’t we wish this would return!!

Grand Prix Awards for 2019

The HMRRC offers cash awards for runners who place in its Grand Prix series. The awards go seven deep in six age-group categories (29 and under; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70 and up) for both men and women. Only active club members at the time of an event score points for that event. For full article, click here

March – This article introduces Benita Zahn to our readership in her capacity as a seasoned runner and athlete

The Healthy Runner: Sweet Sleep

by Benita Zahn
Other than being a well-known co-anchor on NewsChannel 13 and host of Health Beat on wnyt.com, Benita is engaged in a slew of other activities, from writing a health column in the Times Union, community service of all sorts, running marathons, competing in triathlons, acting, singing, and cooking vegetarian delicacies. So when we asked an already overtaxed person if she would write a column for The Pace Setter, she instantly e-mailed back her acceptance, much to our total delight … and The Healthy Runner was born. For full article, click here

April – Finally Covid-19 has raised its ugly head impacting racing along with a host of other things.

Running in the Shadow of COVID-19

by HMRRC Members
Runners share their thoughts on how COVID-19 changed their world and how they are coping with it. For full article, click here

May – Virtual races become de rigueur

Join the Virtual Festivities and Earn Real Prizes!

by Kristen Hislop
"Now we are offering a virtual run, but the storied Freihofer's can't just toss a medal (although it is pretty cool) and a shirt (you can choose between a tank or a T-shirt AND raspberry pink or cardinal red) to our participants. No – we need to do more …” For full article, click here

June – Dallas brings the art of heat mapping to new highs!

Every Single Street in the Capital  District

by Dallas DeVries
Awesome does not begin to describe what Dallas DeVries has heat mapped with Strava. He has finished 100% of Troy, Town of Colonie, Colonie, Green Island, Watervliet, Menands, with many more near completion. His article is richly illustrated with sights that will surprise and delight you. For full article, click here

July – First race but following strict Covid-19 regulations-masks, social distancing, no water stops, and no gathering before or after race!

Runners’ Thoughts on Dodge the Deer 2020: The First Actual Race in Months!

Runners Bob Irwin, Beth Irwin, Michael DiNicola, David Roy, Frank Woods and Shannon O’Meara, Stephen Hallgren, Anthony Pasqualino, Gideon OyiboSmith, Michelle Davis, and Nathan Laing share their thoughts about the race with us. The end of the article has a link to the race results and a list of the age group winners. For full article, click here

August – Anouk Booneman, our plant-based diet specialist, offers many insights into how to purchase fresh vegetables in our area.

Midsummer Fruit & Vegetable Paradise

by Anouk Booneman
In Upstate New York, Midsummer brings us a cornucopia of fresh vegetables, herbs and summer fruits, which we should enjoy while we can. Anouk supplies great recipes for us to delectate. For full article, click here

September – Heat mapping Albany this time accompanied by great pictures and witty captions

Drawing the Line. Finding the Gems.

by Stephanie Mumford Brown
Banks redline districts that they think should be avoided when lending money. However, runners redline districts when they run through them "heatmapping" areas with GPS trackers indicating they have been charted. Stephanie ran in unmarked areas during ARE's Capital District Challenge and shares with us the treasures she found. For full article, click here

October – Todd Shatynski’s insight into the effects of Covid-19 is as valid today as when it was published

A Doctor's View of Living With COVID-19

by Todd Shatynski
"All of us are struggling in some new way over the past several months. Whether you were personally affected by Covid19, lost a loved one or a job, or maybe you are just struggling with the fact that there are less activities in your life, you are being challenged to focus on anything other than the problems of 2020." For full article, click here

November – Our members describe their efforts to deal with a pandemic that has changed the way they run

Motivation: Easy or a Challenge

by Our Runners
The following survey question was sent to HMRRC members: How have you managed to remain motivated to run during the pandemic? With over 45 replies, the methods runners used to remain afloat and motivated run the gamut from utter success to not so good. Their responses may help you to cope with the problems the pandemic has spurred. For full article, click here

December – Josh Merlis, founder of ARE, describes the awful impact of Covid-19 on his organization but has remained positive and proactive

The Running Mind of the Upstate Classic Race Director

by Josh Merlis
Other than giving us background on the glorious Upstate Classic Event that electrified the Albany area running community, Josh details how the pandemic ravaged his enterprise, bringing it near bankruptcy, but with his usual sangfroid attitude, he has managed to rise above it. For full article, click here

2020 – A Reading Odyssey

If you would like to decide what you thought was the best of 2020, you can click here and examine each month yourself. The Pace Setter index goes back to 2008, so you can really go on a running safari.