Striders teammates attend Nike running camp
For many athletes, summer is for relaxing and going to the beach, but for other athletes summer is camp time. A group of young Striders just returned from one of the best camps in the country as they attended the Smoky Mountain Running Camp in Asheville, N.C. Alan Drosky does a great job as the camp director, and his staff of over 100 manages over 300 athletes for the week. Not an easy job, but this crew has a well-oiled machine, and that is why the camp is so successful.
The camp celebrated its 43rd year in a row and puts great emphasis on teaching runners the wisdom of the hard/easy training philosophy developed by the late, great U of Oregon coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. To implement the Bowerman philosophy, they use Coach Roy Benson’s Effort Based Training Program to allow the whole camp to run the same appropriate effort while allowing each group to train at their individualized paces based on their current fitness, overall ability and general goals. “The instruction is serious; the training is right for this time of the summer and there will be opportunities to make new friends from all over the Southeast, the USA and maybe even with someone from Europe, South American or Asia,” said Benson.
This year the Striders sent Lindsey and Natalie Guida, Emma Barthelmess, Olivia Montini, Lainey Shockro, and Devin Hundley on the girls’ side. On the boys’ side, it was Blake Hundley and Luke Burton, two of the most talented all-time Striders, to the camp. Coaches Rick Hundley, Derek Shockro, and Liz Guida from the Striders attended, while coach Mindy Hete, who will assist at Sussex Academy this fall with the cross-country program, attended the coaching section as well.
“Running up the steep hills made me realize that I always have to push harder even when I feel like I am about to fall apart,” said Lindsey Guida, who will be an eighth-grader at Beacon this fall.
In other camp news, Sussex Tech runners Jay Hinds, Ben Bamforth, Connor and Ryan Morrow, Chloe Fisher, and Alexis Singh are training at the Johns Hopkins Cross Country Camp in Baltimore.
Race for the Ribbon 5K
Last weekend, the 8th annual Race for the Ribbon 5K Run was held from the Greene Turtle in Rehoboth Beach with organizer Stephanie Shuttleworth hosting 337 runners and walkers for a 3.1-mile course in through the Country Club development followed by a post-race breakfast at the Turtle.
“We raised over $10,000 again this year and a new record of $3,500 at the silent auction,” said Shuttleworth. “The support that the Greene Turtle and our community give me to be able to raise money for our cause is just incredible. A special thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers, and especially our runners who come out to give us support.”
In total, the event has surpassed the $90K mark and will likely go over the $100K mark at the 2016 event next July.
Striders to host PICS 5K in Las Vegas
The first few days of August, I will fly out to Las Vegas to the Aria Hotel Complex to attend several meetings regarding the Sept. 20 3rd Annual PICS ~ AICS 5K Run. This will be the fourth year we are involved, as we have hosted events in Washington, D.C. in 2012, Miami Beach in 2013, and last year in Chicago. The event, which will be sponsored by Siemens, is only open to a group of medical doctors, and they come from all over the country for the PICS Symposium. I will be taking Enos Benbow with me on the preview trip, as he will direct the September race weekend trip because I will be in Bethany for the First Responders Triathlon. As of tonight, I have runners from the United States, Chile, Brazil, Israel, Germany, and Japan. The race will be at 6 a.m. and will be a loop course remaining on the Aria Campus, and part of the course goes through an indoor shopping area. Should be fun!
Remembering J & J
Sunday morning, July 26, we will gather for the 18th annual Run for JJ 5K, which will take off from behind the Henlopen Hotel in Rehoboth Beach at 7:30 a.m. Over 300 runners are expected as we remember Rehoboth lifeguard JJ Stein. This year will be a tough one as we also remember JJ’s dad, the late Jay Stein, who I would always turned the mike over to as the starter of the race. This year, Grotto Pizza will again provide the runners with a post-race breakfast, which is always a favorite of the summer. The Rehoboth Beach Patrol will again provide the safety in Henlopen Acres, while registration will begin at 6 a.m. on the Boardwalk at Stuart Kingston. The USATF-certified course loops Henlopen Acres and is one of the nicest 5K runs in the area.
Upcoming races
Saturday, July 25 - 14th Northbeach College Day 5K, Northbeach, Dewey Beach, 8 a.m., races2run.com
Sunday, July 26 - 18th Run for JJ 5K, Stuart Kingston, Rehoboth Beach, 7:30 a.m., seashorestriders.com.
Saturday, Aug. 1 - 32nd Dam Mill 5K Run, Cupola Park, Millsboro, 7:30 a.m., seashorestriders.com.
