Several of you have asked about still getting tickets to the banquet.  I will have them on Monday when we run from the store.  I will get there around 5:30pm run 4.65 miles and be back at the store after that.  I'm surprised by the low turnout.  This is normally a 100 person event and to date we have only sold 45 tickets I am not trying to talk anybody into attending, at the same time I don't want anybody to miss who wants to attend.  If you want you can mail me a check for $18.00. Send it to:

Joseph Werner
8600 w. Raintree Road
Tinley Park, IL 60487

Sending an e-mail with it would be helpful.  That way when I received it I can reply and let you know I have it.

This is the week we live for.  The excitement begins to build, sleep is harder to come by.  Have everything thought out.  I will drive by where I plan to park for the race after I go to the expo. I want no surprises on race morning.  I have to be in the pacer's tent at 6:30 and may stop by the Cara tent on my way.  It is better to be early then late.  Get to the tent and  share your excitement with the runners you have journeyed with for the last 18 weeks.  Trust me there is strength in numbers. Any problems Spero will speak for me.  Plan on what time you are going to the starting line. Even if you don't plan on running together walk to the starting line with friends.  There is not much more I can write at this time.  The work has been done, the preparations are over and soon the battle will begin.  I will send Jen a voice message sometime before the weekend, if you choose you can listen to it on Friday or Saturday.   PLEASE phone me with any questions.   708-429-9598 I should be home most evenings by 7:30pm.  Feel free to call up to 10:00pm.  I look forward to seeing each of you in the Cara tent after the race.

Don't forget to watch MARATHON MAYHEM at 8:00pm next Sunday October 12 on Comcast sportnet.  I heard a few Yankee Runners were interviewed after the run Saturday. 

I want to congratulate anybody who had the courage to line up with us Sunday as we faced an enemy who alone had no chance against us.  I knew this, you knew this and so did the enemy.  Once again he got help from record heat.  Once again the Chicago marathon was like life.  I will explain how at the banquet.  If you want to share one of lifes great accomplishments with us there is still time but not much.  Contact me ASAP about attending the banquet.

If you appreciate all the work Jen has put into our web site like I do then help out, she needs picturesof the marathon of you, your friends and families that supported you.  Her e-mail address is jenondrejka@gmail.com.

I need your help also.  If this was the first marathon you finished all 26.2 miles send me your time.  On the subject line put first marathon and don't forget to give me your name.

If you ran a PR send me that info subject line PR.

If you qualified for Boston anytime in the last year but  have yet to run Boston send me that info also.  Subject line BQ.

This will help me.  I won't have to look up all your times up on-line. 

Don't forget the many freinds we have going to Grand Rapids for a marathon this week and to Washington DC to run in the Marine Corps marathon next week.  We look forward to hearing the many stories they bring home.

I saw many of you on Runners Ultimate Network last night. You can look up when the rerun will be on at their website, which you can link to from ours.

Check our web site for more announcements.

I just finished watching Jen’s masterpiece for the second time.  Late Saturday evening I watched it for the first time with my wife.  I must admit I moved.  This morning (Sunday) after coming in from my run I watched it alone and it was worse.  I was clearly in my Alan Alda phase.  I was moved with such pride I can’t explain it.  Not pride in myself but pride in YOU.  Whether it was your first marathon, a Boston qualifying race, a PR or just getting to the finish line I hope you are proud of yourself. Even if you did not make the finish line or worse yet did not make the starting line you should be proud you had the courage to dream.

I never commit to another journey until I have finished the one I’m on. Our journey together has ended.  After watching Jen’s work I can’t think of not joining you again on another journey.  It is my hope, unless my job status should change which unfortunately is possible, to be back with you next spring.  I hope to see all of you often between now and then as we come together and maintain what we have worked so hard to achieve.

I want to thank all of you for making this year the year it was.  I have been blessed from the Monday run from the store eight days after last years marathon when you reached down and picked me up to last years banquet where despite a brutal race I saw the spirit soaring. I was blessed when you encouraged me to join you in Phoenix in January.  I was blessed as we started to prepare for Boston when some new friends joined us as they prepared for Mel’s ½.  It is a blessing anytime you can travel with the group you sent to Boston.  Then came more blessings as many more new friends joined us as we started our journey to October 12.  To cap it all off with the banquet on Friday and the generous gift you gave me leaves me with nothing to say except THANK YOU.

I believe the banquet was a success with our numbers soaring into the 80’s.  I am sorry Cara is late in getting the awards to us.  I assure you we will get them and I will personally make sure you get them.   Below is a list of all are award winners.  First I want to mention that I was thrilled to see Chris Bartolini was able to make the banquet.  Without going into too many details Chris was in the hospital as we started our race.  He is doing better and looked good on Friday but he is not out of the woods yet.  In my perfect world the medicine will work and he will only need a minor surgery sometime after the holidays.  If the medicine does not work in two weeks as he put it “they will gut me like a fish”.  That surgery will be much more extensive and require a lot of recovery time.  On the brighter side after they kicked us out of the dinning area we went into the bar where once again Spero took the microphone and proved he can sing.  The evening came to a close for me after watching Sig (Special K’s husband) sing “Sweet Caroline” with Jimmy P. providing back up and dance moves.  As you might guess there is much more to that story.  I’ll save that for another day.


AWARDS

Fastest first marathon Male: Mike Collins 3:37:05
Runner up Craig McGill : 3:50:40
Fastest first marathon Female: Tracy Lundy 4:16:45

Fastest female overall: Sarah 3:09:12
Fastest Male overall: Ricster 2:57:49

Most improved runner of the year: Darlene Kijewski

Group leader of the year: Jen

Runner of the year: Sue Wiora

ACHEIVEMENTS


Boston Qualified:
Steve Rice
Albert Tuskenis
Mike Brunette
Jerry Rauman
Joe Talty
Mel Diab
Trish Schmidt

PR’s:
Shannon Javaras
Mark Reilly
Mike Casey
Mike Lynch
Kathy Ceja (Louie’s Kathy) ha ha
Darlene Kijewski

There may be more but were not brought to my attention.

Race Teams:
Runners Ultimate Network Males placed #5 score 21.77
Running For Kicks Males placed #6 score 22.99
Running For Kicks Females placed #6 score 37.27
Yankee Runners coed placed #19 score 52.10

We’ll get them next year.

I am not sure if this is going to work out, but for argument sake let’s say we have a training program for Mel’s ½ marathon.   I will be looking for group leaders for 10-11 and-sweep.  Let me know if you may be interested.

Soon I will start to ask marathon group leaders if they plan on returning next year.  I never know who is and who is not.  Last year we had several leaders who wanted to step up their racing and chose just to sign up with us and not be locked into a certain pace.  If you are willing to help some fellow runners next year by being a group leader let me know.  I will keep you posted if there are any openings.

Sometime in the next couple weeks Spero and myself will get together for breakfast.  Besides just liking to eat we will discus next year.  If you have any ideas that can make our site or the training program better we would love for you to join us. .  Maybe you just want to join us for breakfast.  Let me know so I can get the time, date and place to you.

If you look at the web site and the races some of us do each fall and winter you will see the first one is the Tinley Turkey Trot 5k on Sunday November 9.  Ed Thelan has invited us to his home following the awards ceremony for a bonfire, some burgers and fellowship.  He lives a short distance from the race.  Let me know if this is something your schedule allows you to participate in.