HELP!!!

We're always in need of volunteers, but we have an acute need for a couple of folks to step into some pretty important jobs.

1. Enquirer Editor--It was great while it lasted, but Vicky Boyd can no longer continue in this capacity. If you're interested in taking charge of this important Chips publication, let me know. I'm sure Vicky can help you transition into the job.

2. Buffalo Stampede Co-Race Director--This signature race is currently in need of a co-director. Veteran Race Director Jennifer Rousseve has graciously volunteered but only on the condition we find her a partner in this effort! Please let me know if you can help. It's not rocket science, but it will be a fair amount of work. You will have my undying gratitude.

3. Track Meet Volunteers--This Saturday (3/29), Sac State is hosting a championship meet and can use help for any amount of time you have to offer. In the words of coach Scott Abbott: "The meet will run from about 12-5PM...we can use people for any amount of time they can work. It should be a fun meet (Oregon, Cal, Washington State, Kansas State, Wichita State, Long Beach State)." Again, let me know if you can volunteer and I'll hook you up.

Drop me a line at buffaloblue@sbcglobal.net . Thanks!
John

Post Boston Marathon Chips Party

Location: Legal Seafood Restaurant, Copley Place 2nd Floor
6:00 PM Monday April 21st

Reservations have been made. If you need to confirm email: monty_schacht@sbcglobal.net or Phone (707) 372-7781. Restaurant number is (617) 266-7775

Chips Apparel

Hey Chips!
The new warm-ups and running apparel has arrived, and they look GREAT!  If
you placed an order or you want to make a purchase, please come to Tuesday
Night workout on March 25th!
If you can't make the pick-up/purchase date on March 25.  There will be
other opportunities.
In order to support the BCRC team, we encourage all members to wear the
uniform during a race (and black shorts).
Warm-up Jacket (unisex XS-XL) ­ $34.00
Warm-up Pants (unisex XS-L. They run big) - $20.00
Women¹s Shimmel (S-L. Run small)) - $23.00
Men¹s Sleeveless Crews (S-XL) - $15.00
Men¹s Singlet (S-XL) - $15.00
Women¹s Singlet (S-L) - $15.00
White Short Sleeve Tech Tee ­ (unisex XS-XL) - $11.00
Black Long Sleeve Tech Tee- (unisex SX-XL) - $12.00
Questions?  Ask Jen, runnerjen@sbcglobal.net
Go Chips!

Chip Teams at the Boston Marathon

Boston Bound Chips!

We are allowed to enter teams at the Boston Marathon for no extra charge. Categories are for Open Men and Open Women (39 & younger) and for Master Men and Master Women (40 & older). Ages are as of race date, April 21, 2008.

We need to enter our teams as of April 4.

Please email me: Cynci and let me know your name and age as of April 21, 2008.

Thanks!

Cynci

_____________________

Below are the "rules."

Information

• Online team registration will be available solely on the B.A.A. website beginning March 1 and continuing through April 4.
• Changes to team registration and other information cannot be made after April 5.
• Teams must have current membership to USA Track & Field, or the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), or to an equivalent foreign national athletics organization.
• Members must live in the same geographic region in which the club is registered.
• A club cannot enter multiple teams for a particular division, e.g. Atlanta Track Club 'A' and Atlanta Track Club 'B.'
• Only one team manager for each club.
• Team manager will be contacted prior to the registration deadline if the team fails to meet any of the guidelines.
• The Boston Marathon has open and masters division team competitions.
• All members of a masters team must be 40-years of age or older.
• Individuals who recently joined a team in order to specifically aid that team's performance in this competition will jeopardize that teams eligibility.
• Each team member must have submitted an official individual Boston Marathon application and must have been accepted for participation.
• An individual may only be placed on one team.
• A team must consist of either all male or all female athletes, for mens' and women's teams respectively.
• Teams must have a minimum of three athletes and a maximum of 15.
• The top three times (net) determine a team's performance, regardless of start time/wave.
• The lowest aggregate time determines the team champion.
• ChampionChip time will be used for scoring purposes.
• Ties between two or more teams are resolved by determining which team's third scoring member finished nearest to first place.
• Teams finishing with fewer than three registered members will not be scored.
• Official results will be announced upon verification.
• Champion teams and scoring team members will receive awards.

Chips Fly at Way Too Cool 50K

It was a beautiful Saturday in Cool and the Chips came out in droves to run in the Way Too Cool 50K. Trail conditions and weather were superb for fast times and a world class field did not disappoint. At the end of the day, there were 28 runners finishing under 4-hours! A typical year might see ten.

Continuing with his "top Chip" streak was Ed Randalph, running a blazing 3:52 in his trail 50K debut. Erik Skaden was next in a solid 4:00. Mark Murray and John Blue each turned in course personal bests at 4:05 and 4:17 respectively. A quick scan of the results shows: Andrew Schooley (4:30), John Nichols (5:06), Ernest Takahashi (5:24), Jamie Frink (5:36), Miles Burnett (5:54), Jose Rodarte (6:12), Dennis Zilaff (6:32), Diane Vlach (6:57), Herb Tanimoto (6:58), Becky Johnson-Sabin (7:13) and Gloria Takagishi (8:13).

I know there were some other Chips out there I missed here. I apologize if that was you.

Be sure your membership is up to date! It keeps the club afloat and helps us find you in the race results. It also qualifies you for the Run Sac Racing Series. (I send a roster before each race in the series.)

Run Drugs Out of Town 5K (Yuba City) April 26th

The Substance Abuse Steering Coalition in Yuba City is sponsoring their 3rd annual Run Drugs Out of Town 5K on April 26th at 9 a.m. More info is on the Runners Schedule.

They would love for some of the Chips to come up and join them !

Time for some race reports!

As far as I can tell, there were about 10 races this past weekend and the Chips had excellent results at all of them. Here are a couple of highlights:

Napa Marathon
I spotted a few Chips in the Napa Marathon results. On this windy day, the top Chip appears to be Mary Coordt who ran 2:46:30, which gives her another shot at the Olympic trials! (Rumor has it she's going to be rooming in Boston with Joan Benoit.) Next in was Mark Lantz running 2:47:55 (PR!). Other Chips finishers (quick scan) included Ray Sanchez (3:15), Rena Schumann (3:28), Grant Carboni (3:34) and Jeff Barbier (3:36). Great job all!

NorCal 10 Miler
A hearty few of us made the trek to Redding for this beautiful and hilly race. Top Chip credit goes to Ed Randolph running 59:50. Chips High Dunger (John Blue) was next in 1:02, followed by Dan Weintraub at a personal best 1:03. Jenny Hitchings took top masters honors in a personal best 1:03. Carol Parise ran 1:10 and Christine Iwahashi turned in a solid 1:15.

Bidwell Classic Half-Marathon
The top and only Chip appears to be Bob Fredenburg who drove all the way to Chico to win first senior in 1:41. Sacramento phenom and friend of the Chips Rich Hanna ran the rest of the field to the ground for 1st overall in a respectable 1:12.


Natomas Founder's Day 10K
This week's "Cherry Picker" award goes to Eric Johnson for his 2nd place finish at the Natomas Founder's Day 10K. (Also known as the "Run Across the Strip Malls 10K.") I'll let him tell the story:

The day dawned clear and cool, and there was the scent of victory in the air. I drove out to Natomas at about 8am, after having decided that a Chips jersey and shorts would be clothing enough for the light morning breeze. I exited the E-mobile in the parking lot of Qdoba in the Promenada at Natomas, and was promptly subjected to gale-force winds whipping across the vast expanses of asphalt and stubbly trees that were planted fewer than five years ago.

I ran into Clan Paddeck and chatted for a bit, and then headed out for my warm-up. I did the last two miles of the course, and was not at all surprised to find that the last 200 yards have you heading directly into the wind pounding out of the north. There were a grand total of four Porta-Potties, so I frantically stripped off my sweats as I ran over to the starting line after hearing the final strains of the National Anthem while surrounded by beige plastic.

The field quickly disintegrated into two guys about ten yards ahead, and a pack of three of us. Nathan P. tucked in behind me for the first mile (a ripping 6:01), and the third guy was juuuust a bit slower (and shorter) so I couldn't find my stride behind him. Nathan and the guy in white peeled off for the 5k, and the three remaining folks turned north.

Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh. I cannot recall a less-pleasant mile of any race. After expending most of my energy simply trying to stay upright, I had lost at least 75 yards on green jersey and run the second mile 26 seconds *slower* than my already-modest first. A PR was obviously not in the cards. Miles three through the end were just boring. Not only was it the windiest race I can recall, it was the least visually pleasant. After the start in the parking lot, we wound through some business parks, and then along a frontage road to I-80. We took a random detour down a side street, and U-turned in the middle just to get in the extra distance. The last half mile took us over a non-ramped curb, through a bike path entrance with all the bollards still vertical, and then across parking lots of Target, Big Lots!, Center Court and other monstrosities. I also got to dodge through hordes of walking 5k-ers. I contemplated using one of the jogging strollers as a windbreak, but what remained of my pride put the kibosh on that.
All this time I'd been losing ground to green jersey, and I came in second at just over 38 minutes. The winner, Brian Janes of Yreka (ringer!), had finished in 36:44, forty seconds slower than I'd run my previous 10k. Disheartening, but not so surprising. The vendor concourse was pretty hilarious also. In addition to the standard bagels and oranges, Qdoba was giving out chips and salsa. BJ's Brewery was giving out beer, unfortunately of the root variety. And some Whoever's Roadhouse passed out pork ribs for those who had gone into protein debt.

I did not stick around for the awards ceremony, although it would have been a cavalcade of Chips domination. In addition to my second place in the 10k, Nathan Paddeck won the 5k outright in 18:44, and Merie Paddeck was second woman in the 5k. I did get a cool little silver medal for my trouble though, in addition to an incredibly unattractive t-shirt and a Frisbee from Gold's Gym. It felt like it could have been a fast (albeit ugly) course. The Exurb Wind was just too much to deal with. Eric's grade: C-.