Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic

Run Mommy Run!

2011-09-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

by Sarah Macedo

My son was born 3 months ago and, although he has been a joy, I feel at times that our lives have been completely upended. I was warned by friends and family that this would happen, but like many new moms, didn't realize what it would mean. I've been able to return to running since his birth and there are days where I am not sure if this was a good thing or not.

There are days when my running seems to be the only thing that saves my sanity and then there are the days where I find myself frustrated by the desire to run and the inability of my new schedule to get out there. A few weeks after birth, I told my husband that if I didn't go for a run someone was going to get hurt.

That first run felt much better than expected; it was nice to be reminded of parts of my old self and see that they were still with me. Since that first run it hasn't always been easy and my running life is very different. Pre-baby I was obessional about my training logs and hyper-vigilant about my weekly mileage, now running takes a back seat to naps, feeding, diaper changes, spit up, and play dates.

I've been forced to change routes to those that are jogging stroller friendly and give up my preferred 5am run time to a more reasonable mid morning start time that fits in with the feeding and nap schedule. Some runs have happened indoors quietly on a treadmill during a nap time. There have been days where to complete 4 miles I am running multiple times a day because I can only squeeze in a mile at a time between meeting the baby's seemingly never ending list of needs.

I've often questioned why I'm doing this to myself and what it comes down to is that it is important to me. Just as maintaining other aspects of my old self is important, I need to maintain a relationship with my running shoes. I'm lucky to have a husband and a strong support system of friends and family who understand what this means to me and offer support in a variety of ways. I'm also lucky in that my child doesn't mind the miles we complete together with him in the jogger. Flexibility and patience have been key for this slow return to running and it's funny how these two traits have also been key in other aspects of learning how to parent. I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing but I remind myself that the baby is still breathing, my husband and I keep laughing and I've found time to keep running.

Sarah is a new mom of "Miles" and member of the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Running Club. Read her blog A Runner's Ramblings

Do It For Our Daughters

2011-09-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

by Anne Hird, Ph.D.

Before I started running in 1974, the only female runner I knew of was Mary (Decker) Slaney, then a teenage phenomenon featured on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. High school teams for girls were just beginning to emerge, following the passage of Title IX, the federal legislation that mandated equal educational opportunities for girls and young women. Many schools satisfied this requirement by telling girls they could try out for the boys’ teams. The few girls who did venture into athletics were considered freaks. Only the girls who couldn’t make a cheerleading squad went out for a sports team. I was one of those girls.

I was once asked by a sports writer how I knew that girls weren’t supposed to run. I responded that there was no athletic clothing for women; we had to wear cutoff dungarees and men’s Fruit of the Loom t-shirts. The denim chafed and the hooks and wires on our everyday bras dug in as we ran along, but we kept at it. The excitement of achieving team goals, the individual sense of accomplishment with each mile run, and the camaraderie kept us going. Each season, these benefits all far outweighed the catcalls and criticism we encountered along the way. The experience also made us all better at what we are today: doctors, lawyers, nurses, government leaders, teachers, engineers, musicians, spouses, parents, and friends.

Young girls today have far more opportunities to participate in sports, yet we are still facing a childhood obesity crisis in the United States. In recent years, school sports, physical education classes, and even recess have been cut out of the school day, in order to direct limited time and dollars toward improving standardized test scores. At the end of the day, you may be the only female runner or walker your daughter, granddaughter, niece, or young neighbor sees. It doesn’t matter whether you are fast or slow, lean or struggling to lose weight, training for a marathon or just trying to run a mile without stopping—we all present possibilities to every young girl we pass on the run.

The next time you feel like cutting your run short, skipping a day or even quitting altogether, think of that young girl just around the corner. You’ll never know when your own running will prompt her to think, “Maybe I could do that, too.” And if you smile, she’ll know that you are enjoying a healthy activity that has become an important part of your life and might someday make it a part of hers, too.

Anne Hird is a former American record holder and member of the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Running Club.

Registration Now Available

2011-09-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

The 2011 edition of the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic is now ready for you!

Sign up today!

Help make the 4th running the biggest and best yet.

Woman wins Myrtle Beach Marathon Outright

2011-02-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Kathleen Castles won the 14th annual Myrtle Beach Marathon this past Sunday beating the first man by over three minutes.

Read Complete Story

Exercise Your Rights

2010-11-21T05:09:00.000-08:00

Interesting article from New York Times on Nov 20th highlighting how sports are not available for women everywhere...

For Saudi Women, Biggest Challenge is Getting to Play

2010 Photos Are Up!

2010-10-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

George Ross of Digital Photoconcept took some great photos of the race this past Sunday. Check out pictures of our kids races, the top New England runners and everyone in between.

2010 Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic Photos

Katie DiCamillo wins 2010 Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic Amgen 5k - Over $25,000 raised for the House

2010-10-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic. You helped us raise over $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House. This will go to help the House fulfill its mission to provide a safe comfortable place for families with children in need.

The Amgen 5k had a fantastic race at the front with PC grad Katie DiCamillo breaking the tape in 16:48. Katie ran with the pack for the first mile, hitting a 5:15 split and then edged away halfway down Blackstone Boulevard. Her second mile split was 10:44.

GBTC Photo by Tom Derderian

The winning club was the Greater Boston Track club, (Gretchen Chick, Sara Donahue, Anna Novick, Allison McCabe, & Jennifer Lee). Top Masters runner Maria-Luisa Servin and top Veteran, Jacqueline Shakar

Thank you to all runners, walkers and volunteers. Full results

Please post your feedback to the race in the comments below. How did you like the race? What could we do to make it even better next year?

Online Registration Closed

2010-09-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Online Registration for the Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic is now closed, but you can still sign up in person Saturday from 10:30 to 1:30 at Rhode Runner Sports at 271 S. Main Street, Providence or starting at 7:30 am at Brown University Stadium on race day this Sunday. Fill out the registration brochure. Race day registration is $20 and can be paid by cash or a check made out to RMH Providence.

All money will go straight to the Ronald McDonald House of Providence. We'll see you Sunday!

Early Packet Pickup Saturday

2010-09-29T06:03:00.001-07:00

Avoid the crowds! Pick up your number and packet on Saturday, October 2nd, from 10:30 - 1:30 visit Rhode Runner Sports @ 271 South Main St., Providence.

Bring Extra Shoes to the Race! Give Your Sole Will Be There

2010-09-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Give Your Sole, a 501(c)3 public charity seeks to provide less fortunate men, women and children with moderately worn athletic shoes collected at race events.

All shoes collected at the 3rd Annual  Ronald McDonald House of Providence  Women's Classic Amgen 5k Race  & Cardi's Furniture 3k Walk will serve to help those in need in the Providence area through the efforts of the Ronald McDonald House.

Give Your Sole will have a collection table at the Health and Wellness Fair where we will be collecting shoes before and after the race. For further information about Give Your Sole, please visit us at www.giveyoursole.com.

Largest Prize Pool

2010-09-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community for the Ronald McDonald House Women’s 5k. We will be offering prizes, not just for the fastest runners, but we have over 70 great prizes available in our raffle. Prizes include $300 Cardi's gift certificates, $200 Providence Place Mall gift card, 15" HDTV/DVD player combo, and much more. See a list of just some of the prizes below.

At the end of the race, be sure to stop by the award ceremony booth and look for your number on the prize raffle board. All participants, runners, walkers and volunteers are eligible for some of the great prizes.

For the competitive runners, we are offering one of the best prize purses in New England. See our raffle page for more info. Open and age-group winners are eligible for both cash and merchandise prizes. Note that due to USATF rules, cash awards will be mailed after ratification by the USATF of the race (estimated to be one week), but winners can collect their merchandise prize the day of the race.

Some of the available prizes:

• Adler's Design Center & Hardware 2 gallons paint & 1 hour design consultation (total value $150)
• AMC Theater – 2 Movie Tickets with Popcorn
• Bath & Body Works $25 gift card
• Borders $25 Gift Certificate
• Burns Tools (Fall River, MA) $50 gift card
• CapuCine $50 Gift Certificate (this is written out to the RMH - is that ok?)
• Coldstone Creamery small round cake
• Garden Grille $20 Gift Card
• Green River Silver Co. $25 gift card
• It’s a Jungle Out There Basket -Books/Beanie Babies
• Julian's (restaurant) $25 gift card
• Kabob & Curry $20 Gift Certificate
• Lady Foot Locker $25 gift card
• Method Fitness 2 Personal Training Sessions
• Method Fitness 30 Day Pass to Fitness Boot Camp
• NE Runner Magazine 1 Year Subscription
• Olga's Cup & Saucer $20 gift card
• Pizza Gourmet $50 Gift Certificate
• Providence Place Mall - $200 gift card
• Puppy Love Basket (Books/Beanie Babies)
• Rasoi - $25 Gift Certificate
• Roger Williams Park Zoo, 2 admission passes
• Salon Wish $25 gift card
• Second Time Around $50 Gift Card
• Snookers $50 gift certificate
• Starbucks $25 gift card
• The Cutting Gallery $25 gift certificate
• Trader Joes Gift Bag (assorted snacks/drinks in a bag)
• White Electric Coffee $20 Gift Card
• Williams Sonoma $75 Gift Certificate
• 4 Espresso Cups/Saucers

We Will Have a Good Team

2010-09-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

This year’s Amgen 5k Race (part of the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women’s Classic) is the official 5k race of the USATF New England circuit called the Grand Prix. This means that the best women runners and teams from New England will be coming to compete. If this is your thing, it should be a pretty exciting race at the front.

This is the first year USATF New England has selected a women only race for one of the Grand Prix events and we are honored to have been selected. A women only race really shines a spotlight on the competitors who would normally get lost in the shuffle of a mixed gender race.

Some of the top New England clubs have already committed to bringing a team. Tom Derderian, coach for the Greater Boston Track Club threw down the gauntlet, “…we did win the Grand Prix last year and our team is leading this year. We will have a team. We have not picked the individuals yet. But we will have a good team.”

Central Mass Striders is bringing some serious contenders in the Masters (40+) division. Team captain Barbara McManus has already collected hardware this year winning 1st Masters at USATF New England Grand Prix events the DH Jones 10 Miler, Groton 10k, and the Stowe 8 Miler. Rounding out her team are other formidable athletes including Pat Clark (who is also the mother of 8 children) and former Brown track and Cross-country star Karen McGahie.

As more clubs commit to the race, we will do our best to update you with the field. Clubs, please send any info about your athletes to nich@rmhprovidenceclassic.org.

Women's Wellness Fair

2010-09-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Stick around after the race and check out the 3rd Annual Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic Wellness Fair. Come visit and learn from businesses and services in the community and join in the celebration of women, family, & wellness!

Full list of participants to date

Providence's own Molly Huddle wins USATF 5k National Championship in CVS/Caremark Downtown 5k

2010-09-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Molly Huddle on her win at the CVS/Caremark Downtown 5k which again this year served as the USATF National Championship race. Molly led from the gun and was able to hold off a late surge by Sara Hall. Her winning time was 15:48.

More about the race and an interview with Molly on Runnerspace

NiRoPe Chat Up the Classic on the Rhode Show

2010-09-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Nick, Ron & Pete Cardi for talking about the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women's Classic on WNAC's the Rhode Show. Cardi's Furniture has been a fantastic sponsor of the House since the beginning in 1989 having donated the furniture. This year Cardi's Furniture is the Presenting Sponsor for the 3k Walk.

Check out the video here, and thanks Guys!

New Automatic Timing System for Classic – The B-Tag

2010-09-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

By popular demand, this year the Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women’s Classic races – Amgen 5k and the Cardi’s Furniture 3k will be timed using the new B-Tag System. Yankee Timing System will be providing an automatic timing system. Attached to the back of your number bib will be a little chip.

Click for Instructions for wearing B-Tag

When you cross the mat at the start of the race, your race begins. At the finish, instead separate chutes for the Amgen 5k and the Cardi’s Furniture 3k, there will be one finish mat. Cross the mat and you’ve finished. Congratulations!

Later, when you look up your race results, you will see two times, the “Gun Time” which is the official time and the “Net Time”. All awards – Open, Master and age-group will be based on the official “Gun Time” meaning the time from when the gun goes off until you finish the race. As a courtesy, we will also be providing you the Net time, so you can see the actual time it took you from the starting line to the finish.

Simpler at the start, simpler at the finish and a more accurate results for you. It's going to be a great race, we can't wait.

iRunLikeaGirl

2010-09-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Our friends at iRunLikeaGirl are a sponsor of the Classic this year. Come by their booth to see some of the latest fashions in running apparel. A portion of every sale goes straight to the Ronald McDonald House. Celebrate Your Ageless Girl Spirit!

Call for Volunteers

2010-09-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

We are counting down the days! Just 18 days until race day! So far we have over 50 sponsors who have donated $60,000 in cash and in kind services, more than 75 prizes for awards and raffles have been collected, approximately 100 participants have already registered.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email bob@rmhprovidenceclassic.org. We're looking for folks to help at the following times:

Saturday, October 2 – from 3:00 – 5:30 PM at the Brown stadium
Help needed for the preliminary set up

Sunday, October 3 – from 6:00 – 8:00 AM at the Brown stadium
Help needed to complete the set up

Sunday, October 3 – from 8:00 – noon at the Brown stadium (if you want to compete, you can still help before and after the race)
Help needed with registration, t-shirt distribution, kids races, food and prize distribution, wellness fair, results, parking, course marshals, cleanup, etc.

During the next few weeks, we will be highlighting elements of the race. We hope to make this your favorite race. The race committee has been working especially hard this year. Stay tuned to this space!

Interview with new American 5k Record Holder, Providence's Molly Huddle

2010-08-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Another interview with the new American Record Holder:

http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=490635.html#huddle+humbled+american+record+5000m

RunProvidence's own Molly Huddle gets American Record in 5k

2010-08-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Providence's own Molly Huddle who broke the American Record in the 5k in Friday's IAAF Diamond League Meet in Belgium. Molly finished in 14:44.76 bettering Shalane Flanagan's record by .04 seconds.

The Belgian Diamond League Meet will be on NBC today (Sunday Aug 29th) at 3pm ET.

Full story and video interview with Molly available via LetsRun -http://www.letsrun.com/2010/belgium-0827.php

Women's Classic Part of the 2010 USATF New England Grand Prix

2009-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Women's Classic has been selected as part of the Grand Prix circuit of road races by the committee and membership of the New England chapter of the USA Track & Field Association. Thank you to the USATF NE Committee and members for your support. We are excited to be able to bring some of the top women runners in New England to our race and we will do our best to make this an exceptional event for everyone who participates.

From the USATF NE website:

The 2010 USATF-NE Grand Prix Series has been selected by an online vote of the membership. A total of 440 votes were cast during the one-week period from November 11 through 18. The results of the vote have been verified by the LDR Chairs and the winning schedule is Slate "C", as follows:

Jones Group Realtors 10 Mile, 10M, Amherst MA, Sun, Feb. 28

New Bedford Half Marathon, 13.1M, New Bedford MA, Sun., Mar 21

Bedford Rotary Memorial 12K,12K , Bedford NH, Sat., May 22

Rhody 5K (MEN ONLY) ,5K ,Lincoln RI , Sun., June 6

Stowe 8 Miler, 8M, Stowe VT, Sun., July 18

Bridge of Flowers 10K , 10K , Shelburne Falls MA, Sat., August 14

Providence Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic (WOMEN ONLY) 5K, Providence, Sun, Oct. 3

Survey Results Post 1

2009-11-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we submitted a survey to over 500 participants in the 2009 PRMH Women's Classic Race and received 150 responses so far. Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on the race. The race committee will be reviewing all of the responses and looking for ways to make the 2010 race even better than this year's.

Judging by the results, we are happy to see that many of our participants are planning on coming back next year. Out of the 150 who responded, 55 said they would "Definitely" be back and 61 said that it was "Highly Likely" that they would return. That's over 77% of participants are already planning for next year! Thank you!

So you can set your calendar - We're set for October 3, 2010.

Classic Bids on USATF - New England 2010 Grand Prix

2009-11-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

At Brandeis University in Waltham MA Monday night, Sue Donahue, Bob Rothenburg and Nich Haber of the PRMH Women's Classic Race Committee submitted the Women's Classic's bid to become the official Women's 5k of the 2010 USATF New England Grand Prix Monday.

The bid was well received by the committee and by attending USATF members. If the Classic's bid is selected, the race will attract the top runners and running clubs in New England.

More information on the process is at www.usatfne.org. The USATF Committee will select three slates of races for 2010 and release them online at their web site on Nov 9th. USATF members will get a chance to vote on the slates from Nov 9th until the 16th and the final tally will be announced on Nov. 17th.

If you are a USATF member, please check back on the 9th and vote for the Classic Slate!

Walking the Classic by Phyllis Gilbert

2009-10-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had a wonderful time participating in "The Women's Classic," a running/walking event mostly for women for the benefit of the Providence Ronald McDonald House. I don't generally participate in events like this, preferring to walk locally solo or with a friend or two and my running days are long over. This meet was special, though. As a volunteer for the Providence Ronald McDonald House, I usually participate in their annual walk which is a great family festival, but I volunteer there as well so that is very different.

The Women's walk gathered women, their friends and pieces of families in a wonderful variety of ages and fitness standards. Many women were seriously competitive but the sense of fun never got lost. I particularly enjoyed seeing mothers and daughters of all ages registering and yet the young runners' club groups were an inspiration as well. The event was beautifully organized. Never did I see confusion about where to go or what to do. Questions were asked and answered and there were plenty of nice people to help. As a walker in the 5K, my walking friend and I had to hurry down the street to catch the group, as we had dawdled getting started. We passed the back of the crowd eventually and managed to come in a few places from last when all was over and clocked. Unfortunately, there was no booby prize. Obviously we weren't among the competitive participants, but it was a great walk with lots of nice women on a lovely fall day.

It was inspiring, during the awarding of prizes to realize that women of all ages put in serious effort and competed together in what for me was an affirmation of the possibility of remaining active and energetic from childhood into old age.

Westchester Track Club Wins Team Competition

2009-10-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Westchester Track Club for their excellent showing at the PRMH Women's Classic 5k. Their top three runners combined for a time of 53m40 seconds. The Westchester Track Club from Westchester New York is a remarkable organization that supports both elite and recreational runners. Read about their coach Mike Barnow in this article from the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Records from last June.

2nd place was the Brown Running Club and 3rd place went to the Providence Ronald McDonald House Running Club.

Many of the volunteers from the race are members of the PRMH Running Club and our race is very much committed to supporting the running club community. Running clubs provide a great way for you to combine your fitness with your social life. And if you are looking to take your running to the next level, nothing beats running with a group.

If you live in the Providence area, consider joining the PRMH Running Club. See the welcome message from our president, Rick Ripley

If you are outside of Providence, other Rhode Island clubs are listed at The pRIx or just ask one of the people at your next race who they run with!

We thank the Westchester Track Club for traveling to our race and hope to make the PRMH Women's Classic a destination competition for women's running clubs.

Salome Kosgei Wins 2nd Annual PRMH Women's Classic

2009-10-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Westchester Track Club's Salome Kosgei upset local favorite Amy Rudolph winning by three seconds in today's Providence Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic 5k Race.

New York Times article February 6, 2009 about Salome Kosgei

When Salome Kosgei arrived at Kennedy Airport with only a change of clothes and a track scholarship, she stepped into a world she had never imagined.

Read Full Article

Congratulations to All Runners and Walkers!

2009-10-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all runners and walkers and thank you to all the volunteers who helped us make the 2nd Annual Providence Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic a success.

We will be posting results shortly as well as your stories about the day, so check back here frequently as we add more to the site.

We welcome your feedback on the race. What did you like about the race? What could we improve upon? Add a comment below. All comments will be forwarded on to the Race Committee so that we can make the 3rd Annual race even better than this year's.

Thank you!

Shout Out to AbbyCraunby!

2009-10-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

GO ABBYCRAUNBY!

Good luck in the 400 M Kids Race!!

Love, Daddy

Join the PRMH Running Club!

2009-09-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Runners/walkers/joggers (past/present/future),

Yes, The Providence Ronald McDonald House Running Club has to be the most unwieldy name in the Rhode Island running community. I’ll get back to that, but first:

Who we are The club is people - roughly 100 men and women of all shapes, sizes, ages, abilities, professions, and outlooks. We have members who can show you their Olympic Trials mementos (Carter administration, but still...) and others who never ran past a refrigerator before joining the club. We include triathletes and non athletes. A few of our runners are nationally competitive within their age groups; another few participate in practice and group runs but rarely compete in races. Some members are veterans of other clubs, while others have trained independently for years. And PRMHRC boasts the volunteer services of legendary professional coaches. (How many walking groups are led by a Brown University Hall of Fame track and field coach?) We’re diverse.

What we do Mostly, we run. Stretching, fitness, and speed workouts once a week, group runs/walks weekends, and (optional) individual workouts with the coaches. Broken into goal and ability groups so the ~nine-minute milers training for a marathon aren’t running sprints with the <6-minute milers training for an indoor mile. Club members support each other with experience, advice, motivation, camaraderie and, (as needed) empathy for injuries. Oh, and we’ve been known to counteract workouts by imbibing in unhealthy food and beverages together...

Now, back to that mouthful of a name -- we help the House. The people at the Providence Ronald McDonald House do fantastic work that is largely dependent on contributions from outside their corporate namesake. Every member of the PRMH Running Club raises visibility for the House simply by wearing a PRMH shirt at local races. Club volunteers prepare dinner for the residents once a month; others have raised thousands of dollars in pledges for races like the Falmouth Road Race and the Boston Marathon. And, of course, we put together this unique race -- all proceeds from the Women’s Classic go the Providence Ronald McDonald House.

To learn more about the running club, visit www.prmhrunningclub.org or drop by the Brown University Stadium 6 pm on a Wednesday (while the light/weather holds) to talk, run, walk or observe.

And ENJOY YOUR RACE!

Rick Ripley
President, The Providence Ronald McDonald House Running Club

Amy Rudolph on Providence, Team Racing and her experience as last year’s winner in the PRMH Women’s Classic by Nich Haber

2009-09-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

“I just think it's wonderful that you are putting on this race and that it's a women's race.” - Amy Rudolph

Providence College grad (’95) and Former Olympian (’96 and 2000) Amy Rudolph sat down this past Spring with Race Committee member Nich Haber to talk about her life as a runner, how she ended up in Providence and about the Providence Ronald McDonald House Women’s Classic – held the first weekend in October.

Rudolph’s glittering resume also includes breaking the American record for the 5,000m in 1996, 2006 US National Champ in the 10,000 meters, as well as being part of two world cross country teams that won medals.

She was able to fit the inaugural run of the PRMH Women’s Classic into her busy schedule last year and ended up winning!

On Team Running….

AR - The sport is very individualized, so World Cross is one of the only places (aside from something like an Ekiden) where it is a team effort. You are running for yourself, but also there are a lot of other people depending on you. Those medals were pretty cool, to be a part of a group of wonderful women.

PRMHC - It's great that you mention that, because we're also trying to increase participation in team running and have started a grand prix team competition between Rhode Island running clubs called the pRIx (www.theprix.com).

AR - I just ran Gate River and it was the first year that they instituted a team event structure. Women were running individually but also part of a team. I wasn't part of a team, but Team USA Minnesota won the women's competition and the men's I think was a tie between Minnesota and the Hansons. It brought a whole new element to the race and I thought it was pretty cool.

PRMHC - Now the RunProvidence group you are a part of, do you consider yourself a team?

AR - I don't think we're necessarily a team because we’re different nationalities. We've got two girls from Ireland, one from New Zealand, a couple of Americans and so we couldn't necessarily run in an event as a team. But I would consider those girls my team and my training partners, because when you are part of a team, they really become like your family. Yet in terms of competing, we really wouldn't be able to compete as a team.

PRMHC - If we wanted to do something in our race and have you guys challenge Team Hansons or Team USA Minnesota...

AR - As long as the race had it's own rules for that, it would be totally fine.

PRMHC - Would you be interested in doing that?

AR - That would be awesome!

PRMHC - Kick it around with your group, because, we would love to do that.

AR - That's exciting.

On the past year…

PRMHC - We'll you've been busy this year. Came in 5th at Aramco Houston Half in 73 minutes. I listened to your interview on Flotrack. Your goal was to hit 73?

AR - Wanted to be between 70 and 72, so we were a little outside of that. As far as the first time over 15k, I think at first we were a little disappointed, but the funny thing about racing is you really have to let the race soak in a little. If it was a good race or a bad race you need to give it time to sit and stew with it. The more we thought about it, I was going up against women who were all marathon experts - that's what they do, they are really good at it, and I learned a lot and left with a good feeling in that I definitely want to try another one. We've been playing around with the training, seeing what I can handle and what I can't.

PRMHC - And you did the Gate River Run 15k recently? (finished 13th in 51:54)

AR - Which was a bad one! but that happens. It's part of what we do and you have to learn to accept it, you have to move on and realize you put the work in and sometimes have to put it behind you. We looked at a couple of things that could have been the reason, but sometimes it just happens

PRMHC - It happens on every level, it's just tougher when it's your job!

AR - Exactly!

PRMHC - You mentioned that you are thinking about a Fall Marathon?

AR - Thinking about a Fall Marathon. But we're going to go back now and do some shorter stuff. I have a 10k road race planned in Dublin, Ireland. It's the Great Ireland run. It's a series that BUPA puts on. I think it's one of the first ones of the year and we'll do that and come back.

I'm actually doing something that wasn't part of the plan, but it seems like a great opportunity, it's called the More Magazine Half Marathon in New York City in mid April. After that I'll jump back into some 3's and 5's and just play around with that and see how that goes, but for the marathon , I really want to do it, but I completely and utterly respect the distance. You can do everything right for four months preparing for it and if you wake up that morning and are just a little bit off, it can go pear shaped for you. I really want to do it, but I know that I will not go on the line unless I am really sure that I can do it well. I'm still mentally and physically trying to figure that out.

PRMHC - Ryan Hall describes training for a marathon to be like training for a boxing match.

AR - Yeah, it really is.

PRMHC - Folks seem to take that path where they start on the track and then go up in distance later in their careers.

AR - I think my career is sort of winding down a bit and I've been chasing after track for so long it can leave you a little bit stale. So I thought if I could try something different, it would stimulate me a little bit more in my running and it has done that. There's also a part of that wants to see if all of this longer training will help my track.

PRMHC - Are you changing the amount of mileage you are doing?

AR - We're coming a little back down a bit now. It's been pretty hard training for the half marathon. So were coming back down and having a bit more intensity to the workouts. A bit more speed based. Trying to find a balance between the two. The most important thing for me now is to have fun. And when you are not having fun doing it, it becomes a job and not your passion. Just want to keep it fun and finish every day looking forward to the next one. That's what we're trying, mentally to keep everything up.

PRMHC - Have you run some of the other women's only races?

AR - Yes - Freihofers - 5k in Albany. Done that a couple of times. It's a great event. Amazing numbers. As the events grow, the expos grow with it and it becomes a community event, not only in running, but for people trying to promote health in general. That's what Tufts is like, that's what Freihofers is like. Those are the only two that I have done that are women only. They are just wonderful events and there's just something about bringing a lot of women together! It's pretty amazing. Being at the starting line for those races is pretty awesome.

PRMHC - In terms of the actually racing itself. Can you describe the difference between being in a mixed race and a women's only race? Certainly the vibe at the event is different, but in terms of the athletic event, do you feel a difference?

AR - In the CVS race, the men and women start together and I think the women's race sort of gets lost amidst the men. So when you are in a women's only race it really is about the women and the top women in the race and the racing is focused on them. It's pretty cool. That would be the only real difference. Sometimes in the mixed races, the women kind of get lost. When you have women only race they really get to do your thing.

In the Tufts race, the course does a 180 at about half way and you are coming back on the field. The women in the middle and latter parts of the field just go crazy for the elite runners that are leading the way. It's pretty cool it gives you an extra boost. You dig down a little bit more because you have all of these women cheering for you thinking you are great.

PRMHC - In Gate River, they have a battle of the sexes?

AR - Yes. They call it "The Equalizer" The women start 5 minutes ahead of the men and it’s a race to see who can get to the finish faster. I think Deena (Kastor) is the only woman who has gotten it. This year the men caught the women in the first couple of miles because I think the women were watching each other and not going as fast. It's a pretty neat experience, except when you're in the back and all these guys fly by you. That can be a little humbling.

PRMHC - Running is the number one participation sport in America. You can count track and field fans in the hundreds, but there are millions of baseball fans. What can we do to connect participants more and make them fans of the sport?

AR - As far as track and field goes, the big meets are on TV, but there's never any follow up on the athletes that are competing. There are web sites now, like Flotrack, where you can see more of the behind the scenes, but it's got to be on TV more, that's where most people watch sporting events. I think the athletes that do well are not promoted as well as athletes from other sports like basketball.

Kim Smith (RunProvidence member from New Zealand) and I were talking about this last week and she said that if she had done what Shalane Flanagan had done in the Olympics this year, winning a Bronze medal (in the 10,000 meters) she would have been brought over to New Zealand and done a three week tour of the country, just going from venue to venue. News stations to news stations, speaking at schools and she would have been so promoted that everyone in New Zealand would have known who Kim Smith is. If you ask "who's Shalane Flanagan", unless you are part of the running community, you wouldn't know. It's almost shameful.

They are not only great athletes, they are great people. Most athletes are giving back to the community, giving for the schools. They are giving back to the sport, but it's never really documented or in the public eye, unless you are at that place where that person is speaking.

It's a hard question. I think it involves promoting the athletes more. The USATF has used the athletes in their commercials, but the commercials are only on during track meets. The bottom line is promoting the athletes in the sport and shine the light on the great things that they do both inside and outside of their sport. I don't know if it will ever change, it's not a big money sport.

I think if you could get the people who run the road races, who run marathons to get interested in the track as well and connect the two - road and track, it becomes much bigger than these two separate entities.

PRMHC - Well we are hoping that everyone who comes to our web site will get to know you! We're all doing the same thing - running. And elite athletes are just so much better at it then we are. But you just don't know what you are personally capable of doing until you see someone taking that next big step up.

On how she ended up in Providence…

PRMHC - Can we talk a little bit more about Providence? You came here for college, primarily for the running coach?

AR - When I was looking at colleges, I had an advisor in the running community in Boston and he had said to me and my parents, you really need to sit down and make a list of what you want and what you don't want. As you are looking at a school you should have a checklist ready. I didn't want to be more than 10 hours from home, because my parents were going to have to drive me. I grew up in Pennsylvania, a very small town. At the time, we couldn't afford to fly me back home every time I wanted to go back, I knew we would be driving. I came from a very small school system, a little more than 30 people in a class. Some of the schools I was looking at, you would look at this massive hall and you would watch the professor on a videotape. He had videotaped his lecture earlier. I saw that and thought, that's not going to work for me as far as education went. I wanted small classes - intimate. I wanted to go to a team where I wasn't going to be the best runner instantly. I was going to have to watch and learn and work my up. That's exactly what happened when I came to PC.

It came down to Villanova and PC - both very similar schools. The coaching philosophies were a little bit different. The coaches themselves were a little bit different. I think I just meshed really well with Ray (Treacy) at Providence. In my heart I always thought I was going to go to Villanova. When you are young you are impressionable. Villanova is promoted very well at the time, but when I came here, I knew in my gut that this was the place for me. Freshman year was hard. I'm the oldest and so it was a big eye opener. There was nobody telling me, "you have to study now, you need to go to bed now". It was an adjustment. I went home at the end of Freshman year, I was injured, I was about 20 pounds overweight and I just said, you know what? I am getting this really wonderful opportunity, I am getting a full scholarship to a wonderful school and this is what I want. Once I got back and started running, I just became very single minded, and sophomore, junior, senior year, every year I got a little stronger and a little more confident and by senior year I was number one on the team. It was a great experience. I learned so much. There were ups and downs, but everything worked out the way I had hoped it would have worked out (and my parents hoped it would have worked out as well!)

My mom was the first one to graduate college in our family, two years before I did. I was the second one to graduate, so it was a big deal. I ended up staying here. I had seen runners come out of college and have a rough time adjusting to life outside of college. I thought if I can minimize the changes in my life, maybe the transition won't be so difficult. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I had ever made. I stayed in Providence and live around the corner from college, I'm running the same loops I did in college. In '96 I had an amazing year - made the Olympic team, broke the American record in the 5k. It was a great year and that shot my professional career and here I am today! Still in Providence and still doing it!

The winters are tough here. We've primarily spent our winters in Florida training. This year was one of the first years we stayed and it was hard. It really tested your will.

PRMHC - At one point I had to take a hammer to my driveway because there was three inches of ice on it.

AR - Other than the winter, we don't have a lot of soft-surface runs, but there are the bike paths and Lincoln Woods and a lot of great places for running. It's been enough to keep us here over the years.

On her plans for the Fall…

PRMHC - We'll see where you'll end up in your fall marathon. Have you thought about where you would want to run?

AR - I think my heart has always wanted to do New York. I've been doing New York Road Runner's events my whole career and they just treat you so well. They make you feel like you're one of the guys on the Red Sox or one of the guys on the Patriots. Like you are one of the best ever. Mark (Carroll, Amy's husband and elite runner) ran his debut in New York and ran amazingly there. I got to sit on the sidelines and watch that. The city is buzzing at a normal time, but during race weekend, it's a whole other level. My heart is there, but I know the course is probably not the best course for me. I'm more of a rhythm runner, so something like Chicago would probably be more suited to me. We'll look at all of those factors. You can always train for the terrain in New York. I've spent a lot of time in Lincoln woods and have gotten used to the hills. So we'll see. It will probably be one of the two.

On the PRMH Women’s Classic…

PRMHC – Tell me a little bit about your experience at our race - the Providence Ronald McDonald House Women's Classic 5k.

AR - Well I had hoped that you would have gotten a better day weather wise, unfortunately it wasn't the best day, but the turnout was great for the first year. It reminded me a lot of how the Tufts 10k for Women started out. I saw that day, just watching the women in the field and at the starting line how I can see this race becoming like that one. Seeing women support each other and get behind each other and what better way to do it than at a running event. I can see this race becoming something really special. That's the feeling I got from the race that day. This could be something really amazing.

AR - I just think it's wonderful that you are putting on this race and that it's a women's race. I hope that this race becomes what I think it can become and I think it's on the right path. The fact that the people who are putting on the race actually run themselves, makes it even better. You know exactly what you would want.

It's the people that work jobs and train on the side - those are the people that I admire. It's a hard sport at any time, but when you are doing it along side everything else, it's definitely a test of your will and I totally admire people out there doing it.

There's something about road racing that is really great, there's a lot less pressure and you get out there and there are people from all over the world in all shapes and sizes doing it for all different reasons, but when the gun goes off we're all going in the same direction. It's a pretty cool concept. I think road races are really a lot of fun. If we didn't have road races, I don't think you could have as long a career. Road races really make you want to keep running.

Follow Up

We caught up again with Amy last week to follow up on this interview from last Spring. Several major news items here:

PRMH - Will RunProvidence be competing as a team this year in the Women's Classic? I know that some teams from New York and maybe Boston are coming together to give you some competition!

AR - I am still working on putting a team together for the PRMHClassic. It's a tricky time of the year as some of the girls are on their break and others are finishing out their season with planned road races. But I am doing my best to get a Run Providence team together and hopefully we'll have three on the line come race time.

PRMH - Any more thoughts on a Fall Marathon?

AR - I have had to put the idea of a marathon on hold and it could be a permanent one. It has been one of those year's where a lot of little things have popped up. There has been a lot of inconsistency to my training and my body just is not responding the way I would like it to. I am enjoying being able to get out for a run every day and I have been jumping in and helping the girls with workouts. It has been fun not having so much pressure with a huge planned race right in front of me.

PRMH - Providence is a small town. Heard some rumors about a move for you and Mark. Can you set the record straight?

AR - The rumors are true, Mark and I will be leaving Providence. Mark has taken the Head Cross Country and Assistant Track coach position at Auburn University. His team is in full cross country swing at the moment. We will miss Providence as it is all we have known since we were young adults, but it is an amazing opportunity for us and we are so excited. I am looking forward to getting down there after we sell our house here. It will be a great place for us to start the next chapter in our lives and we both look okay in "orange and navy!"

PRMH - Did you watch the World Championships in Berlin? Any races stick out in your mind?

AR - The World Championships this year were very exciting as usual. Obviously Bolt's performances were just amazing. The womens 800 was full of controversy as well as the medals for the 1500. The distances races were surprisingly slower than normal, but that comes with the "Championship" name. I still get nervous watching these races, you know how much time and commitment these athletes have put in and you want to see them reach their goals. Overall, I think American distance athletes have put themselves right at the top and shown that they can compete with the best, so it is a very exciting time in the sport.

New Course in 2009 and Shakycam Video

2009-09-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

We've updated the course from last year. Main changes are that the 5k runners will remain on Blackstone down to Upton Avenue and then take a left on to Westford Road. This was done to remove some congestion between the 5k runners and the 3k walkers towards the finish. The course has been remeasured to be an accurate 5k.

Lena and I videoed the new course. Check it out!

Music by The Who.

A Fast History of Women's Running by Nich Haber

2009-09-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

In the heat of the Beijing Marathon, right at the halfway mark, Constantina Dita-Tomescu took off with her characteristic mid race surge. Many of us had seen this trick before. The chase pack was still pretty formidable. Pre-race favorite Catherine “The Great” Ndereba pushed on, as usual saving her best for the second half of the race. By her side were two local favorites Chunxiu Zhou who had beat Dita by 3 minutes in London last year and her compatriot Xiolin Zhu. Also in the pack were the ever dangerous Kenyan Martha Komu and the world record holder Paula Radcliffe of the UK. Ladies, we had a race worth watching.

How did we get here, then? For the longest time, it was thought that distance running was unhealthy for women. They weren’t built for it. Their uteruses would fall out. They would simply break.

The grandest stage for track and field, the Olympics, did not have a distance event for women until the 1972 Games in Munich when Ludmila Bragina of the Soviet Union ran a then world record 4:01.38 in the metric mile. Road racing was unthinkable.

Boston, the most prestigious and longest annually run marathon in the world, simply did not allow women to compete. In 1967 Katherine Switzer decided to break that taboo. Registered as “K. Switzer”, she had an official number and toed the line in Hopkington. When the race official, Jock Semple, saw a female coming down the course, he literally tried to rip her number off of her jersey and throw her out of the race. Katherine surged ahead and didn’t stop until the finish line.

Katherine Switzer slowed by Jock Semple 1967 Boston Marathon
AP/Wideworld Photo

Back then, running professionally as a woman wasn’t an option. If you won a serious road race, you’d be lucky to get anything more than a firm handshake. If there was cash, it was almost always less than what the guys got.

The signature event of the Olympics, the marathon, did not become a women’s event until Los Angeles in 1984. Joan Benoit, the pocket marvel from Maine surged at the halfway mark and never looked back.

This year, Contantina Dita-Tomescu, held on to win the marathon in Beijing. Her tactics came from Joan Benoit, her opportunity came from Katherine Switzer and her inspiration came from all of the other women runners before her. So when you toe the line at the Second Annual Classic this year, feel the inspiration that comes from these women, as well as from the women around you, then put in that surge around the halfway mark and don’t look back.

The Story of My Run with Bill Rogers by Talia Ringer

2009-09-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

I was reading the sports section of the Providence Journal, and as soon as I thought "there's not going to be anything about running" I saw "running." Haile Gebrselassie had attempted another one hour world record, and National Running Day was tomorrow and Bill Rodgers was pacing six minute miles at MIT.

Wait, what?

The next day I found myself on a train to Boston with a bag full of running clothes. I had never been to a track meet before. I didn't know what to expect. I met with my friend Danielle who had also never raced on a track, and we walked to MIT from BU. We were 45 minutes early. We expected a huge crowd of runners eager to meet Bill Rodgers. Nobody was there except a meet official and two men from the B.A.A.

Once the other runners finally showed up, we filled out entry forms and got numbers. The B.A.A was waving everyone's entry fee for the day. It was small, intimate. A lot of the runners knew each other from the other mini-meets. Bill Rodgers gave a short speech, and then we all ran a warm-up mile with him.

The mile was the second event. Almost everyone who showed up entered it, 34 if you don't count Billy. He made it clear he didn't want to run 6:00 miles, said he hadn't actually done that in a really long time. I got up to run in the second heat, and just before the start the B.A.A guys asked Bill to stand in front of the pack and take a picture. He put his arm around my shoulder which kind of made the reality of the situation sink in. And then the gun went off.

I was kind of excited because of the whole Bill Rodgers thing and went out at an 80, much faster than I intended. So for the rest of the race I just focused on finishing sub-6. At the beginning of the second lap I thought about how cool it must've been to be in the first heat and have Bill on the side cheering for me. Then I finished the second lap, and Bill was on the side cheering for me. He'd dropped out of the race. We could forgive him, but only because he was 61 and had won Boston four times.

I finished in a 5:59.28... Barely did it. Danielle and I warmed down a little and then went to talk to Bill. He was completely shocked that neither of us had run a track race before, and talked about the advantage you have in road races if you do track work. Then we took a picture with him, and he turned to us and asked "did I make a funny face? Because I always do." Sure enough, this is what we saw:

We all laughed for a good ten minutes, Danielle and the B.A.A guys and Billy and I. One B.A.A guy handed Danielle his card and said to send the picture. It was really, really cool to experience firsthand that a running legend wasn't a superhuman. Shortly after I was talking to Danielle about race photos, and how I always look like I'm dying, and Bill Rodgers joined in and said "But you ARE! And that's what's so beautiful." And that's when I knew the guy who had just made a really goofy face in a picture with us was in fact a 2:09 marathoner.

Shout Out to Kristin Kemp

2009-08-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Best to you on your recovery! Look forward to having you running with us soon.

- PRMH Running Club

Pace Car by Christina Hilton

2009-08-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t my goal to ride in the pace car in the First Annual PRMH Women’s Classic 5k. My goal was 23:23. When my achilles decided not to cooperate with me and strive for the same goal, I knew I needed to hang up the sneakers and stick to the role of volunteer. I was afforded the opportunity to ride as passenger in the pace car. A perfect example of a door closing, and a window opening .It was an interesting prospect, since I had never seen a race from that vantage point. It was a rainy day, but that certainly didn’t put a damper on the excitement of the event.

In this new role, my main concern was to be sure we didn’t miss a turn for the sake of the runners. As we took a practice drive through the course we saw volunteers getting organized along the race route to guide runners and to man water stations for the over six hundred participants.

When the gun went off to signify the start of the race, we were on our way. I can honestly say I lost track of the scenic streets of the East Side of Providence as I watched the race leader, Amy Rudolph’s stride, and marveled at the ease with which she maneuvered, sometimes frighteningly close to the pace car. I’m sure I had a look of awe, as a person who has never participated in Olympic event, or held any race records.

When we arrived at the Brown Stadium Track for the last leg of the race, I thought the excitement was over, the winner was striding to the finish line and it may be a good time to go back and help the remaining volunteers. The race was hardly complete. I was fortunate enough to see over six hundred women of all ages, one after another, determined, tired, happy, proud. It was apparent that they all had different experiences, but here they ran as one group with a common goal, the Finish Line.

It is easy to believe that a race is about who came in first, and kudos are rightfully awarded to those who do. But I believe that everyone won that day, each in her own right. Whether she set a personal record or finished her first 5K. But I guess that’s what life is all about. It’s about running your own race.
The next day these women were back to their regular routines, of carpooling and band practice, groceries, work, but perhaps with the confidence that comes from training for and finishing a new event.

Congratulations to everyone who ran the First Annual PRMH Women’s Classic 5K, and good luck to those of you training for the Second. We’re sure it will be a wonderful event.