News from Delco Road Running Club

IN THIS ISSUE

Run to the Lights

Tinicum Trails

The Curse of the Jogger

Good Eats

Operation Beautiful

Race Results

Birthdays

Welcome New Members

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Optimum Physical Therapy

Dr. Lee Cohen

Running Blog

Cécile Daurat-Thompson

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Delco RRC Update

12/16/10

Delco Road Runners Club Mission

A. To promote regular running as a life-long activity that will enhance the physical, mental and emotional well being of people of all ages.
B. To sponsor weekly fun-runs in Delaware County neighborhoods for fun and fellowship.
C. To promote communication and camaraderie among area runners.
D. To facilitate competitive racing and team competition for all interested members.

Hello Delco RRC

Have something interesting to add to the email? Forward it to me at info@delcorrc.com. Thanks to those that always give me support.

"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."

Dave Weinbaum, Businessman, writer and part-time stand-up comic

With this quote in mind: Remember, the only person you are competing against is yourself. Come join us at one of our many Fun Runs and share your triumphs.

Swarthmore Fun Run - Wednesday

23 runners and walkers were out last night at the Swarthmore Fun Run. 20 people came out to Swarthmore Pizza afterwards for good food and laughs. Come on out and join in the fun. All abilities are welcome.

Art Dell, 1944-2010 by Byron Mundy

Long time Delco RRC member Art Dell, age 65, died suddenly during an exploratory operation at Delaware County Memorial Hospital on Thursday December 9.

Art was an active fun-runner with the club during the club's first eight years, from 1972 to 1980. In recent years Art has helped at many of our club events like the Junior Development track meet where he gave out the award medals and ribbons.

Art graduated from Springfield High School in 1963 and from Geneva College (PA) in 1967 where he ran cross-country. He worked at RCM Technology company in CHerry Hill, NJ, for the past 20 years as an administrative assistant to the CEO. He was a avid lover of popular music and even published and distributed his own music newsletter for a few years.

Art was one of two ushers at our wedding in 1978 and he was a close friend to me, Mary Beth, and our whole family ever since.

Art is survived by an older brother, Marty, and a younger sister, Cindy, and several nieces and newphews. During the past 5 years, he had become a father figure to one of his nieces' daughter, Paris, who lives in Glenolden. I am sure she will miss him greatly.

A short memorial service will be held at the OLeary funeral home in Springfield this Saturday Dec. 18 at 11:30 am. Visitation is from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Following the service, family and friends are invited to lunch at the Lamb Tavern in Springfield.

Run to the Lights - Wednesday December 22nd

Save the date. Once again, Bill and Shirley Weber are hosting the Delco RRC's annual Run to the Lights. Start from the Weber's and join us on a short but fun run to view the Christmas lights on display in Drexel Hill. 6:30 pm on December 22nd though we won't start running on time...do we ever? The best part of this may just be the after run activities that take place in the Weber's home. Loads of good food, drink and fun are had every year since they began hosting the event. Please join us for a fun-filled evening. You don't have to run, feel free to join us just for the after-party. The Weber's address is 720 Shadeland Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA 19026. Feel free to bring a desert or treat but certainly not necessary. It is the start of the holidays and we must eat heartily. Click HERE to send Shirley an email. All Delco RRC is welcome. I really, really hope to see you there.

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum - A good place to run / walk / ski

Several weeks ago and again this week I went for a run at the Tinicum Wildlife Preserve. I had been told that there were only a few miles of running trail but there are far more than that.

I started my run at the entrance on Rte 420 near the I-95 entrance ramps. The entrance to the large part of the preserve is on the left side as you are driving down 420 toward I-95 / Essington. You will see a parking lot on your left side. You will have to go down to the light at Industrial Highway and make a U-turn so you can get to the parking lot.

The entire trail system is flat and lightly gravelled or hard packed dirt. These trails are easily wide enough to run with three or four people abreast. Great for walkers or runners that want to have conversations as they go. For the first couple of miles, I-95 was visible on my right and the frozen waters of Tinicum were on my left. I saw a few deer on my run and plenty of geese and ducks were either flying overhead or paddling on the water that still had not frozen over.

After a few miles the trail ran away from I-95 and went through sections that were lined by huge tracts of trees on both the left and right. The water is visible throughout the entire run. At about mile 4 there is a car park with porta-potties, info about the preserve and trash cans if needed. As you continue along the trail, there is a wooden walkway that is at least 100 yards long where you can cross over the water.

At mile 5 and 3/4 I decided to turn around and head back the way I had come. I think that if I had kept going it would have brought me back to where I started. The trail is very well marked with almost no turns that you could take to get off course. (Believe me, if there is a way to get lost, I would have done it.)

I still don't know many miles of trails are back there but on my next long run in the preserve I'll try to find out.

www.heinz.fws.gov

More info on the Refuge. I went out again a few days ago and ran the entire trail. It is shaped like a lollipop or the number 9. You run out and the course does a loop back onto itself and you head back in the way you came out. Total distance according to my GPS, 8.2 miles. Come on out and enjoy the sights.

The Curse of the Jogger

By Mark Remy - RW Daily

What is it with the media and joggers?

This question occurred to me just in the past week or so, as it dawned on me that nearly every time you see the word jogger in a headline, it's bad news.

If you doubt this, do what I did. Sign up for two Google News Alerts: one for the word runner and one for the word jogger. It's amazing how quickly this trend reveals itself.

The 1989 Central Park jogger case, of course, is the granddaddy of such stories. In fact, that one may have kick-started this trend. Did the New York City media get together and decide that "Central Park runner" just didn't sound right somehow? Was jogging a more common term than running back then?

It can't have been a headline/character-count thing, since the words jogger and runner take up the same amount of space.

Or maybe it's a subconscious, linguistic thing. i.e., Maybe jogger - which isn't far from jagged and dagger - just feels more appropriate in a violent context than the nicer-sounding runner.

Whatever the reason, and whatever its genesis, this jogger thing is undeniable. The mainstream media may report that thousands of runners participated in the local marathon, or that a certain runner just won a state title, or that an area runner beat cancer and now runs to raise awareness for the disease. But if any of those same folks are harassed or attacked or threatened by a crocodile (seriously!) while running, suddenly they're joggers.

Here are some examples just from the past few days:

Rail trail jogger hit by buckshot
Female jogger fights off attacker in Seattle's Colman Park Tuesday ...
Jogger dies on Kellyville road
Man Says Only One Dog Bit Him (A Van Buren man bitten by a dog while jogging says he was bitten by one pit bull and surrounded by several other dogs. ...)
Man says he was attacked while jogging
West Seattle wildlife: Beware the owls of Bonair? (... Just thought it of interest that my neighbor was attacked by an aggressive owl about 7:45 AM this morning as she was jogging up Bonair in North Admiral. ...)
Red Bluff/Tehama County Police and Fire reports 12-07-10 (Red Bluff Police are seeking help in locating a driver who tried to run a 31-year-old Red Bluff man over while he was jogging about 2 pm Thursday. ...)
Jogger shot in Long County
Jogger finds body in car park
Crawford County Jogger Recovers from Dog Attack - KFSM
Man shot while jogging in Holden, Mass.
Kim Kardashian: Beverly Hills Jogger

See what I mean? All unpleasant stuff.

The "runner" vs. "jogger" thing has long been a source of contention among some runners. (And joggers.) I've always sort of watched the debate from the sidelines, not really caring either way what other folks call me.

Now, though, I think I'll insist on being called a runner. Out of concern for my own well-being.

Good Eats

Szechwan Shrimp and Broccoli Recipe

1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Tomato Ketchup
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Corn Starch
2 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Red Pepper, Crushed
1/2 tsp Ginger, Ground
1 cup Broccoli
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Onions, Green
4 cloves Fresh Garlic
12 oz shrimp

Partially cook broccoli in the microwave to cut cooking time.

In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper (or chili sauce), and ground ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in broccoli, green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened.

Operation Beautiful - Inspiring Acts

The catalyst: Caitlin Boyle was writing environmental compliance documents for a land developer. But writing legal docs and analyzing the development's environmental impact from the confines of her home office was too technical for her taste -- and too solitary. "I typically had little interaction with team members or other staff on a daily basis. I preferred to work directly with people, but I was missing that aspect at my job. Boyle says. The 25-year-old yearned to do something more creative and self-directed, and wanted to connect with people on a more personal level.

Boyle was taking night classes, hoping for a career change, and on one "really bad day" felt completely overwhelmed by work and school. Boyle realized that her own self-image was holding her back: "I thought I wasn't smart enough to go to work and take night classes at the same time. I'm going to fail my chemistry final. I'm bad at math and can't do this. I was suffering from negative self-talk," she admits.

The act: So what's a woman to do? Brighten up someone else's day. She scribbled "You Are Beautiful" on a piece of paper, posted the note in the ladies' room at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, took a photo, and blogged about the moment. She wrote, "If this little blog only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic negative self-talk is -- it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically."

In three days, 75 notes with photos of people posting their own messages flooded her inbox. On the fourth day, Boyle launched her site, Operation Beautiful. The mission: "To post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that we are all beautiful. You are enough ... just the way you are."

The ripple: The viral message has inspired tens of thousands of anonymous, positive notes, posted in public spots: bathroom mirrors, libraries, hospitals, and gyms. Boyle blogs six days a week, sharing stories with heartfelt messages of hope. Her favorite is from a gym: "Scales measure weight, not worth." Others include "This is not a trick mirror, you look this awesome" and "Take a diet from your negative thoughts, fill yourself w/positive ones."

Boyle's mission has touched girls on every continent except Antarctica, sparking impassioned online discussions on the notions of beauty. A soldier in Iraq posted an encouraging note in the barracks, a place where beauty isn't usually a topic of discussion. The custodial staff left the message untouched during the course of her rotation.

One 17-year-old Canadian girl, diagnosed with bulimia at age 14, credited a note for stopping her downward spiral. She wrote: "I began my first diet when I was eight. I have spent my entire life working to be 'perfect' and thin. It has ruined my life." She lost her hair, nearly all her tooth enamel, and her ability to stand up straight. She spent two summers in the hospital. One day, after therapists forced her to eat a meal, she retreated to the bathroom to throw up. Then she saw a note: "You're beautiful, you're good enough."

"No one has ever said that to me," wrote the girl. "I didn't throw up that day. It was the first time I ate something solid and did not throw it up in years." Caitlin has been in touch with the girl and says it was a "true turning point in her treatment; she's out of treatment and eating again."

Her project also thwarted a suicide attempt. A girl headed to the roof of a parking garage spotted a note: "If there's no you, someone else will be as alone as you feel now. Turn around. Operationbeautiful.com" She turned around and called a friend to pick her up. The friend wrote this email to Boyle: "Thank you so much for starting this project. She will never admit it, but she owes her life to this project."

The self-esteem booster has even inspired clubs. Six Texas teens from Colleyville Heritage High School began to go makeup-free every Tuesday. They founded a student club, Redefining Beautiful, now 180 members strong, to resist stereotypes based on appearance. Boys at the school think the idea is beautiful, too: They created their own club to support the girls' message.

Boyle's positive message continues to multiply: "The Today Show," "The Early Show," the Oprah Winfrey Network, and many other mediums are spreading the compassion. As for her career, Boyle is literally writing the next chapter of her professional life. She continues to blog for a living and has been commissioned to write a book, appropriately titled "Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time."

"It created this great circle of random acts of kindness. It proves you're never alone, you can change a life, and you can do something nice for strangers," says Boyle. "When I post a note, I'm saying, "I choose to be positive!"

Post your own note on Operation Beautiful. www.operationbeautiful.com

--Toan Lam

Race Results - send in your race results to info@delcorrc.com

When you send in your race results, please include the following: Name of race, date of race, your age, time, any age group award. Thanks