Spring track season opens with two snow days
The opening two days of track practice up and down Delaware came with a March winter storm that blanketed the state. After two snow days, Beacon Middle School track got out of the blocks March 5 with a circuit of fitness exercises in the gym, while Cape high school coaches were able to get their runners on the track for a workout. Beacon has 59 girls and 60 boys out for the team with no sign of anyone walking away as of yet.
Off to see the wizard
On Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8, at Cape Henlopen High School, Shields Elementary School will present "The Wizard of Oz" under the direction of fifth-grade teacher Kristin Gray. What does this have to do with running, you say? Well, in one of my master's courses, Leadership/Insideout Coaching, the instructor discussed Coach Dorothy and how she placed the needs of her friends/athletes before hers. She took care of each athlete with brains, courage, and a heart before she worried about herself and her trip home to Kansas. A very interesting analogy how some coaches are transactional coaches like the great Bobby Knight and his style, while others are transformational coaches like the great Phil Jackson and his style. Everyone loves to win, just like Dorothy wanted to get home, but if we coach “athlete first/winning second” and teach and encourage the athletes that they can reach their goals, then just maybe the winning will take care of itself.
Where are you, spring?
Last week I previewed the March events in the area, while this week I will jump to April and give the area runners some goals to look forward to. The spring races always draw some decent crowds because everyone just wants to get out, enjoy the weather, and run. March and April have several events for runners and walkers in the area as well as events that are within an hour's drive.
The inaugural Kim Miller 5K & Boobs & Brew Charity Event sponsored by 16 Mile Brewery will take place starting at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 5. This first event, starting and finishing from the Georgetown Fire Department, is getting a lot of talk and should be a good one, as it is in memory of Kim Miller, diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in May 2010 at the age of 27. She fought the disease for 16 months, and in October 2011, she lost the battle and passed away peacefully. This event will celebrate what would have been Kim’s 31st birthday and raise money for the fight against breast cancer in Delaware. Visit www.seashorestriders.com to register.
At 8 a.m., Sunday, April 6, is the second annual Oy Vey 5K Run and Walk, starting from the Seaside Jewish Community Center on Holland Glade Road in Rehoboth Beach. Proceeds will benefit educational programs at the Seaside Jewish Community. The out-and-back course on the Junction and Breakwater Trail is just beautiful. Last year, the Seaside family put together a great post-race brunch featuring the best kugel you ever tasted. There's also a dog-friendly one-mile walk, kids' races and plenty of early morning fun.
At 8 a.m., Sunday, April 13, is the fifth running of the popular Seashore Classic Half-Marathon, Two-Person Relay & 5K, held at Irish Eyes in Lewes. The event will be the first leg of the new Irish Eyes 6-Pack Series that will feature six local races all associated with Tom and Char of Irish Eyes. Parking for this event will be at the Lewes Public Beach lot or at the Beacon Motel. Arrive early at Irish Eyes race morning. All runners are encouraged to attend the packet pickup from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday evening at Irish Eyes Lewes and not wait until race day. Details at www.seashorestriders.com.
On Saturday, April 19, will be the Bunny Palooza 5K/10K to be held in Bethany Beach kicking off the Easter weekend. Visit races2run.com for more information about registration.
In other race news in the Cape area, just a heads-up on two local events: The popular Dogfish Dash 5K & 10K will open registration on April Fools Day for the always-sold-out Sept. 28 event. Last year the event sold out in just about 30 minutes and registered 2,000 runners who made their way to Milton.
Another popular event, the Quest Fitness Mud Run, also a Milton event, will take a year off as Quest is moving to a new location and needs to focus on the move. “With the changes at the location, we would have had to build a whole new course in Milton,” said Matt Carter. “It just fell at a bad time; the move is a top priority right now. We know it is a great event and we have had great support from sponsors and participants, and we promise you that we’ll be back in 2015.”
Visit www.seashorestriders.com for March race information.
