Group On, Bad Advice, Packing The Pounds - Not, Follow the GPS

Group Run
Last year we had a fine time at a New Year's Eve run.  Let's repeat the event and start a new tradition!  After peace Valley Park last year, its Upper Bucks.  We'll  meet at Pfaff Elementary (1600 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Quakertown) at 10:30, run of=r bike a variety of routes and repair to the Spinnerstown Hotel for an early start on ringing in the New Year.

Getting It Backwards
Somebody needs to tell our great friends at active.com that they have become thoroughly confused.  This time, they give us an article warning of the dangers of mixing beer into your training regimen.  http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Does-Beer-Affect-Your-Training.htm

Although some eschew beer while marathon training, most runners build their training about the foamy beverage, active's "expert" spends most of his time warning about the dangers of mixing beers with training and, horrors of horrors, racing.  Obviously the man has no clue about PCS and Pacer trail runs.  He also expresses amazement that Hashers actually "map their runs around local bars, using them as aid stations."   Here's someone who has never said "on, on."

Keeping Off The Pounds
Courtesy of Don Kuntzman, here are nine tips to avoid packing on superfluous pounds during the Holidays.  While some try to build the extra R-Value that an extra fat layer gives for winter running, the "bulk" of us are looking to keep their weight under control.  Many of these tips apply to non-athletes as well.  I look forward to hearing from anyone who tries the ice-bath tip because it will be a cold day in Hell before I do!  Note the link to "paleo" dieting -p the concept of eating like the hunter-gatherers we evolved to be before agriculture.  Anyone given paleo a try?  How does it work?

But My GPS Says. . .
Every race director has had a runner come up after a race to complain/observe that the course was 10 meters long or short because their GPS said so.  The fact of the matter is that they are not as accurate as everyone believes.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/health/nutrition/gps-watches-may-not-track-runs-accurately.html?ref=health So don't try to figure out why you get wildly different results from similar runs on different days or why the USATF Certified 10K course is 9,987 meters to you.  To quote the Goo Goo Dolls - "if you don't expect too much of me, you might not be let down."

On the other hand (especially if you wear 2 GPS watches) here's a rebuttal extolling the performance of the newer generation of watches: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/12/why-new-york-times-gps-running-article.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DcRainmaker+%28DC+Rainmaker%29

Club Races    
A bit of a break until Pretzel City Sports tortures us with the Chilly Cheeks and Ugly Mudder in quick succession.

Dec 3: Jingle Bell 5K, Allentown PA
Jan 15: Chilly Cheeks 7.2M Trail, Reading PA
Feb 26: Ugly Mudder 7M Trail, Reading PA
Mar 3: Rotary Run for Youth 4M/10M, Quakertown PA
Mar 15: Hooligan Hustle 5K, Reading PA
May 2: Cinco de Mayo 5K, Quakertown PA

Website
Visit the club website, www.buxmontrunning.com and check out the "Athlete Profile" page featuring short self-written bios of club members. That I'm on there proves you don't have to be a good athlete to be on the page! Send yours to either me or Tom Daugherty. Tom actually does the work in his function as webmeister.

Race Results
The race calendar cools off with the weather but the performances sizzle like it was summer.

12/18/11
Tyler Challenge 10K (261)
Hilary Goodman - 47:08, 77th
Art burger - 48:25, 98th
Jim Higgins - 59:25, 228th

Kris Kringle 5M(657)
Nolan Pernia - 36:09, 54th
Kent Prizer - 36:15, 96th, AG1
Ted Andrus - 36:58, 112th
Jerry Rossetti - 37:17, 127th, AG2
Neil Policelli - 38:28, 154th, AG3
Marsha Latimer - 38:38, 159th, AG4
Heidi Pernia - 39:16, 176th, AG2
John Guth - 39:18, 178th
Suzette Richardson - 51:10, 492nd
Lindsey Johnson - 66:05, 637th

12/17/11
Ft. washington Jinfgle Jog 5K (256)
Hilary Goodman - 21:52, 33rd, AG1

Race Calendar (Club Races in Bold)
December
17: Jingle Bell Jog 5K/2M Walk, Ft. Washington PA, udjinglebellrun@gmail.com
18: Tyler Challenger 10K, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
18: Kris Kringle 5M, Reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com

January
1: Cham-Pain 5K, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
1: Hamilton Hangover 5M/1M, Hamilton NJ, paljac80@msn.com
1: Resolution Run 5K, Hillsborough NJ, www.resolutionrun.org
1: SRA New year's day Run, 5K/0.5M/0.25M. Swarthmore PA, www.swarthmorerecreation.org
8: Predict Your Time 5.3M, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
8: Shiver By The River 10K/5K. Reading PA, www.pagodapacers.com
14: Fire & Ice Cyclecross, Danville PA, www.meatybeaty.com
15: Chilly Cheeks 7.2M Trail, Reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
15: Polar Bear 8M, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
21: Polar Bear Trail Run/Hike 5K, Lancaster PA, www.lancastersierraclub.com
22: Honest Abe 4.6M, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
29: Terrible Tyler 15K, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info

February
5: Pick Your Way 5K, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
5: Super Bowl 10K, Allentown PA, www.lvrr.org
11: PA Snowshoe Championships 5K/10K, Drums PA, www.snowshoeracing.com
12: Squirrelly Tail Trail Run Half Marathon, Lewisberry PA, www.squirrellytailtwailwun.webs.com
12: Eenie-Meanie-Minie-Moe Half Marathon, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
12: Shiver By The River 10K/5K. Reading PA, www.pagodapacers.com
19: Staggered Start 4.6M, Tyler State Park, www.bcrr.info
26: Ugly Mudder 7M Trail, Reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com

March
3: Rotary Run for Youth 10M/4M, Quakertown PA, www.quakertownrotary.org
11: Shiver By The River 10K/5K. Reading PA, www.pagodapacers.com
15: Hooligan Hustle 5K, Reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
18: St. Patty's Scramble 6K/15K Trail, Leesport PA, www.trimaxenfurancesports.com
24: NJ Ultrafest 100M/100K/50M/50K/Marathon, Long Valley NJ, http://njtrailseries.com/ 
25: Caesar Rodney Half Marathon, Wilmington DE, www.lin-mark.com
25: CB YMCA Family 5K, Doyelstown PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
31: Tyler Arboretum 10K Trail,  Media PA, http://tylertrailrun.com
31: Garden Spot Marathon/Half Marathon, New Holland PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
31: Kutztown Fool's Run 5K/10M, Kutztown PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com

April
7: Mt. Penn Mudfest 15K Trail, Reading PA, www.pagodapacers.com
7: Movie madness Half-Marathon, Mt. Wolf PA, www.usroadrunning.com
14: Trot For Trykes 10K/5K, Coplay PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
15: Bucks County Half Marathon, Newtown PA, http://www.buckscountymarathon.com
15: Hatfield 5 & Dime, 5M/10M, Hatfield PA, www.actsportsmanagement.com
15: RACC Run 5K/0.5M, reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
21: Pheasant 5K, Slatington PA, lg13667@gmail.com
22: Stateliner Classic 5K, Phillipsburg NJ. springclassic@hotmail.com
22: Rutgers Unite Half Marathon, Piscataway NJ http://cgiracing.com
22: Purple Pinkie 5K, Center Valley PA, www.rotarydistrict7430.org
22: New Hope-Solebury 5K, New Hope PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
28: Seneca 7 (7P, 77.77M relay) Geneva NY, http://www.Seneca7.com
29: Beat Beethoven 10K/5K, Reading PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
29: Bridge Valley 5K, Furlong PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
29: Gettysburg North-South Marathon, Gettysburg PA, www.gettysburgnorthsouthmarathon.com
29: Lehigh Valley Half Marathon/5K, Allentown PA, http://stlukeshalfmarathon.com

May
2: Cinco de Mayo 5K, Quakertown PA, www.ubymca.org
6: Sertoma 5K, Doylestown PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
6: Broad Street Run 10M, Philadelphia PA, www.broadstreetrun.com
12: Rerun Broad Street 5M, Lansdale PA, www.pretzelcitysports.com
12: Goruck Challenge 22M Team Adventure, Philadelphia PA, www.goruckchallenge.com
12: SCU Quad County Metric Bike, 50K-100M, Green Lane PA, www.suburbancyclists.org
20: Bob Potts Marathon, York PA, www.bobpottsrun.com
26: Doylestown 5K, Doylestown PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
26: ODDyssey Half Marathon, Philadelphia PA, www.oddysseyhalfmarathon.com

June
3: Run the Gates 5M/1M, Levittown PA, www.runthegates.org
3: Black Bear Sprint/Olympic Tri, Lehighton PA, www.cgiracing.com
3: Panther Pounce 5K/1M, Pocono Pines PA, www.pantherpounce.webs.com
9: Hanover Township Women'sO nly 5K, Northampton PA, www.hanovercommunitycenter.com
9: Original Mud Run 10K, newtown Square PA, www.mudrunmsphilly.com
9: Chalfont Challenge 5K, Chalfont PA, www.bucks5kseries.com
16: Roll & Stroll 40M/62M Bike, Souderton PA, www.indcreek.org

Keep me posted on favorite races and your race results.
Bill