All Gold Everything

Penn Relays 5000m - A Race Recap From Frank DeVar

"I want what every man wants, more."

Going into racing season this year, it would be honest to say that Penn Relays was the main race I was looking forward too. The past two years I was injured well before I could even give the race a chance, so it became somewhat of a desperate mission to make it to the starting line. For all intents and purposes, my body is obsolete. Injuries plague me constantly. Every week I tell myself and my coach, “if I make it through today, I’ll make it.”

We left for the race at 4pm on a Thursday. Tripp drove, with Dustin in the backseat. It was our first road trip together. Tripp followed his instincts, and we made it the stadium around 8:00pm.

On the way up, coach Sweeney wanted to talk strategy and said if the pace was slow to take over. He went on to say that I might be passed in the last few laps but I could still kick and win. There was something about this progression that seemed ill advised, foolish, but he rarely leads me astray so I politely listened and said it was an option. For music, Tripp put on 80’s pop and Trinidad James. He knows how to ease the nerves.

"Gold all in my chain

Gold all in my ring

Gold all in my watch

Don’t believe jus’ watch"

-Trinidad James

At the starting line, I stood next to my teammate Chris Kwiatkowski, and Ryan Witters from Georgetown Running Company. The number one seed had flown in from Flagstaff so I figured he must be in good shape.  Some daffy kid led the first few laps and kept asking for help. I wanted to talk to him afterwards and tell him that it is not a team sport, and no one will ever help him.

After five laps or so, Dustin starts yelling at me with true contempt. He says it’s too slow, and I need to do something about it. Never have I had a coach sound like this, nor have I ever followed directions from a coach in a race. This time was different, I scooted around the pack and dropped the pace down a few tics.  This went on for the next 5 or so laps. Leading is not great, the pace soon slowed down again. With around a K to go, Chris K ran along side me and then passes me. The flagstaff runner follows suit. With a lap to go, Dustin yells at me that I would win the race. He was right.

My last lap was in 58 seconds. I’ve never closed that fast. An official brought me over to present the Penn Relays watch and take pictures. My father was in the crowd. I talked to him. It was a wonderful experience. 

A few days later, this achievement has worn off, and I oddly feel little satisfaction.

Results:

http://pennrelaysonline.com/Results/results.aspx?en=212

PL	ID	ATHLETE	SCHOOL/AFFILIATION	MARK
1	5	Frank Devar	Pacers New Balance	14:03.36
2	1	Adam Vess	Run Flagstaff	14:04.85
3	2	Chris Kwiatkowski	Pacers New Balance	14:13.57
4	14	Brent Johnson	Trooper's Track Club	14:34.94
5	17	Scotty Albaugh	Michigan	14:34.94

Jingle All The Way 8k - Race Recap

THE KWIATKOWSKI-BRANNIGAN DUO CLEAN UP, AGAIN

Race recap:

Chris K and Jeff B shared the lead with several others from the gun.  Their first mile was a casual 5:05. Miles two and three were slightly faster thanks to random surges from local Africans.  Classic Yo-Yo racing.  At the 3 mile mark, Chris K had enough of their games and surged to the lead.  Teammate Jeff Brannigan came along for the ride, but Chris would eventually gap Jeff by about 20 seconds. Chris K had a finishing time of 24:01 and Jeff Brannigan finished 2nd in 24:23. The top 5 finishers all broke the 25 minute barrier.

Local elite road-racers are becoming all too familiar with Chris' racing technique, but there's not much they can do about it.  Chris is extremely fit right now.

Edmund Burke had another great race, running 26:36.  Good for 13th place.

Another great Pacers Event.

GALLAGHER ADDS ANOTHER WIN TO 2012

Kerri's race recap:

Lining up behind Santa, I knew it was going to be a good day!

It had rained pretty heavily that morning, but lightened up by race start.  Although there was some windy stretches, I thought the weather was pretty solid for December 9th.  The race went out quickly from the gun, but I was able to keep a pretty even 5:30 until the 4th mile.  The course had a lot of turns which wasn't ideal for time but ended up being helpful in other ways.  The crowd was electric and bursting with holiday spirit!  It was a lot of fun to run with elves, reindeer, the Holy Family and (my favorite) the Christmas Story bunny pajama group!  Despite the cheery atmosphere I managed to slow down by about 15 seconds in the fourth mile, but pulled it together for an 8k personal best!

Other members of the Pacers New Balance squad finish 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 12th.

Erin Koch and Barbara Fallon Wallace worked together most of the race running times of  28:30 and 28:35 respectively. Erin was instructed by Coach Centrowitz to treat this race like a workout.

Lauren Centrowitz averaged 5:57's for the 8 kilometers, running 29:34.

And Kristi Markowicz was the first Female Master's runner in a time of 31:05.

A great all around day for the Ladies on Pacers New Balance Racing Team.

Results Here
Photos Courtesy of SWIM BIKE RUN PHOTO

Breaking 30

By Frank DeVar

You’re going to get into a fight with someone. You know what day, and time it will take place, and you’ve known for awhile. It’s always the night before where the reality of your coming plight sinks in. Particularly when you know, deep in your soul, that your opponent is a little stronger and a little quicker. You try to convince yourself that maybe you have a few tricks he has not seen and victory is not such a far-fetched idea. Your reward with this logic is a few stressful hours of sleep before the battle takes place.

This past Sunday, I was able to live this sequence after finding out I would be lining up against Chris Kwiatowski at the Veterans Day 10k. We had never raced, or even worked out together(even though we are technically on the same racing team), but with his recent 49:06 Army ten mile time, I knew it would take something miraculous to win.

Races, particularly those that go exactly to plan, are the hardest to remember. Looking back at Veterans Day, I can remember the first mile going out very quickly, and becoming increasingly concerned that Chris and Jeff Brannigan, did not look like the pace was very taxing. The next four miles were hazy. When I think about those miles now, it was almost like a dream where you try move faster or have a clear thought, but an invisible force is holding you back. Only at the fifth mile, where my coach Dustin Sweeney was standing, did my head clear. All he really said was, “24:13.” Initially a good sign as that was a 5 mile PR, but when I tried to do quick math, it became apparent that hitting under 30 minutes would be an impossible feat.

An unknown runner was between Chris and I. He had a great stride but was coming back to me quickly. He proved to be the better man as he beat me by two seconds, but I was not distraught as I crossed the line at 29:59. We covered the last 1.25 miles at 4:35 mile pace. Chris beat me by 12 seconds in a convincing win.

Veterans Day 10k - Race Recap

PACERS-NB RACING TEAM

(From right to left, men: Matthew Barresi, Jeff Brannigan, Chris Kwiatkowski, Edmund Burke, Tripp Southerland, Frank DeVar, Derik Thomas... Women: Erin Taylor, Barbara Fallon Wallace, Kristi Markowicz, Kelly Devine, Kerri Gallagher)

November 11th, 2012

Weather - Ideal

Competition - There

Excuses - Unavailable

The Men's Race:

Chris Kwiatkowski took the race out hard.  He strung along fellow teammates Jeff Brannigan and Frank DeVar as well as two Africans, two Georgetown Running Company guys, and recent UNC-Greensboro graduate Joey Thompson. Close behind Tripp Southerland led a tight chase pack of 6 or 7 guys through the mile in 4:53. The two packs stay fairly intact for the first 5k out along Hains Point. The real race was run in the final 5 kilometers....

Chris K is the first to make a move just after the turn around. He maintained his lead all the way to the line. Winning in 29:47.

Not ten seconds behind Chris, Joey Thompson and Frank DeVar were battling it out for the second spot. While the two both broke 30 minutes, 29:56 and 29:58, Thompson was rewarded the runner-up spot.

Jeff Brannigan had fallen another 30 seconds back and finished 4th, in 30:26.  A well-deserved personal best.

Matt Barresi and Tripp Southerland, worked together for the majority of the race, taking the 6th and 7th spots in 31:36 and 31:41, respectively.

Quick PacersNB Recap:
Chris K - 1st, 29:47  (Road PR, 5-6 seconds off track PB)
Frank D - 3rd, 29:59 (PB, first time under 30)
Jeff B - 4th, 30:26 (Big PB)
Matt B - 6th, 31:36 (Solid first race of the season, #comeback)
Tripp S - 7th, 31:41 (Big PB)
Edmund Burke - 20th, 33:00 (1st Male Masters Runner)
Derik Thomas - 32nd, 34:25 (Big PB)


The other local elite team, Georgetown Running Club, was in attendance and took second place in the team standings. PacersNB was able to put 5 men in front of GRC's first.

The Women's Race:

Kerri Gallagher - 2nd, 35:16
Barbara Fallon Wallace - 5th, 36:21
Erin Taylor - 13th, 38:14
Kristi Markowicz - 16th, 39:02 (1st Female Masters Runner)
Kelly Devine - 23rd, 41:22

Carmen Hussar from Birmingham, AL, ran a very impressive 33:45 for first overall female. Kerri Gallagher, from PacersNB, led our women's team to a second place finish, running just off her personal best. Carmen extinguished Kerri's "on fire" status, but at the same time lit a fire under Kerri.

Barbara Fallon Wallace ran a very impressive race, averaging 5:51 pace.

Erin Taylor ran a great personal best.

Kristi Markowicz continues a successful comeback taking the first masters position in 39:02.

Kelly Devine knows one gear; 6:40 pace.  Marathon or a 10k two weeks later, she's running 6:40s. 

A very successful day all around for the Pacers-New Balance racing team.

"If you can't run fast on a day like today, you'll never run fast."

- Frank DeVar minutes before learning he had broke 30 minutes in the 10K

Results Here
Team Results Here
Photos by SwimBikeRun

Veterans Day 10k - Race Preview

FLAT, FAST, & BORING

Details:

Date: Sunday, November 11, 2012

Location: West Potomac Park (Aka Hains Point) - Washington, DC
Start Time: 8AM
Distance: 10K Race

Register Here.

More Important Details:

Who's running it from Pacers? 

Men:

• Frank DeVar - Defending Champ, Coached by Dustin Sweeney
• Chris Kwiatkowski - Fresh off a 49:06 Ten Miler, Coached by Matthew Centrowitz Sr.
• Tripp Southerland - PR'ing left n right, Coached by Dustin Sweeney
• Jeff Brannigan - Always in shape, Coached by Matthew Centrowitz Sr.
• Charles Bowles - Ponytail and all, self coached.

Women:

• Kerri Gallagher - Hasn't lost a race since Vietnam, Coached by Matthew Centrowitz Sr.
• Erin Koch - Gets faster with every race, Coached by Matthew Centrowitz Sr.
• Kelly Devine - Only two weeks removed from MCM, Coached by Dustin Sweeney
• Erin Swain Taylor - Sub 60 Ten Miler and 2:52 'thoner is coming back from having a baby, currently self-coached.
• Barbara Fallon Wallace - The 38 year old has at least 3 wins in 2012, currently self-coached.
• Kristi Markowicz - 42 and mother of 4, on the comeback trail from a long injury but has some solid times under her belt over the past 2 years, currently self-coached. 

Others, that are on the fence:

• Derik Thomas
• Lisa Thomas
• Kelly Swain - Sister of Erin Swain.
• Shannon Miller - DNS at INGNYC12, if she can't get into Richmond she'll be out there Sunday. Coached by Dustin Sweeney.

Here's what you'll think is happening on November 11th:
On the men's side, we have four young guns that all race for Pacers New Balance and are looking to sweep the field.  They will all work together hoping to secure the top four spots.

On the women's side, Kerri and Erin are looking to go 1, 2 and set personal bests along the way. Erin Swain and Barbara Fallon Wallace will definitely be up front as well. The two marathoners, Kelly and Shannon, will likely take it out a bit slower and hope to close the gap over the last 5 kilometers.

Here's the skinny on November 11th:
What we have here is four teammates running under two different coaches with very different coaching styles. While the Pacers boys are all friendly to each other and fine, they actually like each other, they're also extremely competitive. Chris K wants the "W" just as bad as Frank D wants to defend last year's victory.  Jeff B wants to close the gap on the two talented front runners just as bad as Tripp S wants revenge from his second place finish at Clarendon Day 5k (JB dropped TS over the last mile).


"Oh, it's a grudge match.  There's no doubt about it."
- Coach Dustin Sweeney

"No comment."
- Coach Matthew Centrowitz


As far as the ladies go, Kerri will be tough to beat.  She's currently ON FIRE with three back to back to back wins.  But you can't write off Erin. With a few fall races under her belt, Erin keeps improving and she's tough as nails. No doubt she'll make things interesting.  Look for the women to hug and kiss each other at the starting line and then come swinging when the gun goes off.

The NYC cancellation is probably the best thing that could have happened to Shannon Miller as she's still on the comeback trail from a recent injury.  If she doesn't get into the Richmond half marathon, she'll be out there.  She's in good marathon shape. So how will that translate to a flat 10k for her?

Speaking of marathons and 10k's, also coached by D Sweeney, Kelly Devine is going to be out there. Her nickname is "slow twitch" so we expected a fast recovery from MCM.  She claims she's not racing Sunday, but we all know how that goes...




As with any Washington DC race, you never know who might show up on race day. Local red-shirt collegiate runners, money-hungry Africans, or the always competitive George Town Running Company. We welcome them, because we all know: Better competition = faster times. And isn't that what we are all trying to do here?  RUN FAST.

The Course

As the title of this blog indicates, this course is flat, fast, and boring. While flat and boring are certain, fast is often dependent on weather. (reader thinking:  How does this differ from any other race?  I'm always worried about the weather)

Well reader, have you ever run Hains Point before?  Kelly Devine has, in the 2012 Marine Corp Marathon, during Hurricane Sandy. (Read her blog here)   Hains Point runs along the Potomac River.  If it's even the slightest bit windy on November 11th, you'll be exposed, just like you were in that dream where you showed up to school in your underwear.

However, man-made Hains Point is as flat as a pancake. So, if the wind keeps calm both you and your grandmother will run a personal best. It's an out and back course from the polo fields near Lincoln Memorial.  At the turn around you'll see who is in front of you and who is behind you and you'll know what to expect over the last 5k... More of the same.  Stay focused and (personal) victory is yours.

Weather

0% Chance of rain. Low Wind. No Excuses.

Dinero


Overall M/F
First Place: $100
Second Place: $90
Third Place: $80
Fourth Place: $70
Fifth Place: $60


Pride and money are on the line. Come watch this nail bitter.  
We promise to make the race less boring than the course.

Runner Profile - Chris Kwiatkowski

Meet Chris Kwiatkowski

Born: Laguna Beach, California, December 15 1988
High School: Bellingham High School, Bellingham WA
College: University of Oregon
PBs: 1500 - 3:47, 3000 - 8:09, 5000 - 13:51, 10000 - 29:42
Favorite Local Trails: Rock Creek

Chris' Story:
I grew up playing soccer competitively for a regional club team in Washington. The summer before entering high school, I decided to go out for my high school's cross country summer practices. At first, I did it to stay in shape for fall soccer, but quickly came to love the grueling work of cross country running. I found success and more importantly, passion in the sport of track and field. I was a Washington State champion in the 3200 my senior year of high school and was recruited to compete at the University of Oregon. At Oregon, I competed on NCAA championship cross country teams, and my senior year, qualified for the NCAA outdoor national championships in the 5000 meters.

After graduating with my Bachelors degree in Human Physiology this spring, I moved to DC to take an assistant coaching position at American University. I am continuing to compete for the Pacers racing team and am training under American University head coach of track and field Matt Centrowitz. I also work at Pacers out of the Arlington store.

My goals for this season are to continue to represent Pacers running stores well and to qual