Straight Street Climb Recap

The Straight Street Climb is the last race in the Cincinnati Hill Climb Series. The Cincinnati Hill Climb Series is a group of races where you sprint up some of Cincinnati's steepest inclines ranging from a quarter to half a mile. About 20 of us decided to partake in this particular form of torture on a cold clear Sunday morning of November 23.
Climbing a hill as part of a 3 mile or a 5 mile run is quite easy if you are from Cincinnati since on most routes you run into nothing but hills. In a long run, you just keep a steady pace up the hill without doing a full out sprint. Also, I had done some hill work on Straight Street from the Clifton Group Run but generally only the top half to get ready for a strong finish. Trying it from a cold stop to a sprint was something for which I was unaccustomed and I had not really trained to do. Since this was my first time, a couple of experienced Hill Climbers said if you feel good after the first 20 yards watch out for the crash in the next 100 yards. They also mentioned that the cold weather could also make this interesting. They were right. I started out feeling quite good the first 20 yards which meant that I went out a little too fast and then the next 100 I was not feeling quite good as my heart was trying to detach itself from my body by going up my esophagus and out my mouth(at least that what it felt like in the next 100 yards). Needless to say rather than risking my heart leaving my body and even though Deaconness Hospital was at the top of Straight Street, I walked some of the distance until I got to the top half for which I trained and resumed running. It did not seem as steep as the lower half and ran in for a relatively strong finish of about four and half minutes. There was not much food post race but I did not feel like eating but they had copious amounts of liquid from Tradewwinds Tea to Hudy Delite Beer.
Overall winners of the race were Greg McCormick, race director for the upcoming Egg Nog Jog in Mount Adams and other races in Cincinnati for the men, and Leisbet Michaels for the women.(Go to the Hill Climb website for complete results.) I may have to ask how he trains for this particular form of torture so I am ready for next years.

Reindeer Romp - December 13, 2008
This year the Reindeer Romp is adding a 10k in addition to the 5k. Entry fee includes long sleeve t-shirt and free pancake breakfast. Race kicks off the Christmas in Crosby celebration. All proceeds benefit the Crosby Kringle Chest which provides toys and other gifts for children at need at Christmas

Race Details
DATE: Saturday,December 13, 2008
TIME: 9:00 AM
PLACE: Crosby Twp Senior Center, 8910 Willey Road Harrison OH
COST: $25 preregistered and $30 on Race Day. Mail in Entries must be postmarked by December 3. Online Registration open until December 9.
INFORMATION: Go to the www.crosbytwp.org for more information or I dare you to click here.

Holiday in Lights Run - December 9, 2008
Join the Club for one of our longest running and favorite events... The Holiday in Lights Run:

• When: Tuesday, December 9th
• Time: 6:30 pm
• Where: Williams YMCA
• What: Run a few miles down to the Square and back
• For: Enjoying the lights of the season.
• Distance: Approximately 7 miles round trip
• Showers: Available at Williams YMCA
• Party: Follows the run at O'Bryons across from the Running Spot
  

Do not worry if you can not make the distance, there will be motorized sleds(aka cars) that can take you from Fountain Square back to the Williams YMCA. Need more information. Check out our calendar.

Great Bearcat Run Recap
Over 70 runners ran the UC campus this past Sunday November 9 at the Great Bearcat Run. Runners and Walkers ran over the various terrains(brick, concrete, asphalt and synthetic grass) of the UC Campus culminating with a finish near the 20 yard line of Nippert Stadium. Congratulations to our overall men's winner Matt Gancedo with a time of 16:57, and overall woman's winner Jennifer Hannen with a time of 20:23. A Big Thank You goes to the UC Running Club and the volunteers who made the race a success. Thank you to our sponsors Bob Ronckers' Running Spot, Panera Bread, RoadId, vitaminWater, and Waltz Business Solutions.
Great Bearcat Run Results

Run/Walk for Fred this Saturday November 15
At the New York City Marathon on November 2, a local Cincinnati runner, Fred Costa collapsed at Mile 22 and was rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. He remains hospitalized in critical condition and has not regained consciousness. Fred is 41 years old and has been a dedicated runner for years. He trains with Team in Training, gives countless hours of his time to help others train, to raise funds for local charities and to volunteer at local events. His family remains by his side during this difficult time.
Fred has given so much to the running community that Miles That Matter and Fleet Feet Sports are collecting donations (any amount will help) at these events (and at any time throughout the rest of the year) to help offset medical and other expenses for Fred Costa.

RACE DETAILS:

• RUN/WALK FOR FRED
• SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008, 7:30 A.M.
• FLEET FEET SPORTS, Blue Ash, Ohio
  

Check the flier for more information.

Group Run Update
Beginning Thursday November 13, the Clifton Group Run will meet at 5:15 PM at the Clifton Recreation Center and the run will be about 30 minutes. Times for the other group runs will remain the same. All are welcome to attend. If one is near where you live, or work, come out and run the city with us.

Weekly Group Run Details:

• Tuesday - 6:30 PM Run - Hyde Park Square - meet by the fountain
• Thursday - 5:15 PM Run(Note change in time) - Clifton Recreation Center - meet in front of Clifton Cultural Arts Center(formerly the Clifton School) next to the Recreation Center.
  
• Saturday - 9:00 AM Run - Delhi Park - meet by the basketball courts.
  

For more information, check our calendar.

Hill Climb Series Returns!
The Cincinnati Hill Climb Series™, the most grueling sub-mile runs on the planet, returns to Cincinnati’s racing calendar in November. Begun over 30 years ago by a subgroup of the Clifton Track Club known as MAHFU(Masochists and Hill Freaks United), the oxygen-depleting sprints up the city’s steepest inclines are back for 2008.

"It’s two minutes of self-inflicted torture, and there's nothing the Geneva Convention can do about it!" said race director Doug Newberry, president of EventFund, LLC, referring to the average winning time for many of the shorter runs.

Proceeds from this race series benefit the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby.

Entry forms for the entire hill series are available at local running stores or at www.thehillclimb.com or www.straightstreethillclimb.com

Registration fee for any of the individual races is $10, or $20 with a custom-designed race series T-shirt that you’ll want to wear to brag about your accomplishment.

Runners are advised that the sponsor will provide plenty of liquids to facilitate recovery upon completion (or not) of the race, but participants should bring their own oxygen.
The next race in the series is Hill St (Mt. Adams) on November 16 and followed by Straight St. on November 23 which you do not want to miss.