Pitt Club

Cross Country

August 2015

Letter From the Board

Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first edition of the Pitt Club Cross Country Newsletter! Were so glad that
you expressed an interest in our club and look forward to showing you more about what we
do as a team!
Although we are a running club, our reach extends far beyond the physical exercise. From
philanthropy and social events to goal setting and record breaking, our team and its members have accomplished quite a lot in the past few years. In the next few pages, we will try
to highlight just some of those accomplishments. We want to show you what our team has
done in the past - from the growth of our club to extra special alumni - and what we are
planning to do in the future - from our race schedule and training plan to a brand new initiative we will roll out this year.
As you will see, our club strives to provide many different opportunities for our members.
As our team has grown, so has the price of these opportunities. If you feel so inclined, any
donations will help us ensure that every team member has the chance to participate as
much as possible. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Due to university regulations we can
not open our own bank account, so please make all checks out to Peter Danielson, our treasurer (scroll to the next page to learn more about him).
Please mail all donations to:
Peter Danielson
325 North Craig Street, Apt. 501
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Thank you for your support of Pitt Club Cross Country. The growth of our team and the success of our members would not be possible without the support of our fans. We hope you
enjoy learning more about the team behind the Pitt uniform.
Sincerely,
Pitt Club Cross Country Executive Board
If you have any questions regarding donations or other club aspects, please contact us at:
pittclubxc@gmail.com.

Meet the Board

ALEC FOX, PRESIDENT

SENIOR, COMPUTER SCIENCE

WHY I RUN: To stay in shape and destress

from the day
BEST RACE: My first meet at Lock Haven
WORST RACE: Freshman year Nationals at
Hershey. I cramped up with a mile to go and struggled to finish.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To foster the continued
growth of the team and continue to instill the
same camaraderie and family like atmosphere that
drew me to the team my freshman year.

PETER DANIELSON, TREASURER

JUNIOR, ACTURIAL MATH

WHY I RUN: I just felt like running

BEST RACE: Almost breaking 58 minutes
at the Broad Street ten miler.
WORST RACE: In 8th grade, after eating an entire
pack of Swedish Fish 45 minutes before the race.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To continue to bring
integrity and dedication to my responsibilities on
E-Board; to be of assistance to the members of
this team, regardless of the scenario; to get both
teams competing for top 10 at Nationals; to beat
Penn State.

SHEA MCMURTRY, FUNDRAISING

JUNIOR, EXERCISE SCIENCE

WHY I RUN: I run because I dont know

how not to.
BEST RACE: Lexington Bluegrass Half Marathon,
even though I couldnt walk for a week after.
WORST RACE: That one time Lauren beat me.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To raise enough money to
keep our dues low while the team grows; to unite
our team with the local running community; to give
back to that community

NICHOLAS SULLIVAN, SOCIAL

JUNIOR, NEUROSCIENCE

WHY I RUN: To relieve stress. I am also

determined to have fun.
BEST RACE: the STAR WARS Disney half
marathon when I run it
WORST RACE:
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To have as much social
interaction between members of the team as possible; more team dinners

REBECCA FINDLE, VICE PRESIDENT

SENIOR, NURSING

WHY I RUN: It gives me confidence.

BEST RACE: Lexington Bluegrass Half
Marathon, the scenery was beautiful and
I was really happy with my time.
WORST RACE: Lockhaven last year, I made the mistake of donating blood the day before.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: Help members focus on
reaching their running goals and maintaining team
traditions, while creating new ones.

BRIAN KEATON, RACE COORDINATOR

SENIOR, PHARMACY

WHY I RUN: Because nothing beats the

feeling of a good, hard run.
BEST RACE: During senior year where I
PRed by 30 seconds.
WORST RACE: My worst race involves me losing
my shoe, with the time chip, during a race, despite
the triple knot.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To raise the desire to work
hard; to get more people involved in the team,
especially in the regional and national meets; to
continue to represent Pitt well.

LAUREN ROSENBLATT, FUNDRAISING

JUNIOR, ENGLISH & PSYCHOLOGY

WHY I RUN: To keep myself motivated

BEST RACE: That one time I beat Shea.
WORST RACE: Trying to run a 3000 race the day
after Valentines Day, all that chocolate didnt sit
well with me.
GOALS FOR THE TEAM: To raise money in a way
that incorporates team bonding and makes connections with the rest of the running community;
to motivate and encourage all members of the
team

How Weve Grown

2012:

Total members: 33

- 18 boys

- 15 girls
Best times

-Trent-Bindford Walsh:
25:37.60 at CMU

- Patricica Morel 24:29.70
at Lockhaven
4 meets

2013:

Total members: 68

- 39 boys

- 29 girls
Best times

-Nick Farina: 26:40.90 at
Lockhaven

- Shelly Magyar 24:26.20
at Lockhaven
5 meets

2014:

Total members: 77

- 41 boys

- 36 girls
Best times:

- AJ Nasello: 26:56.0 at
Lockhaven

- Susan Gogniat: 23:27 at
Nationals
5 meets

Meet the Philathrophy Chair

KIM GOEHRING

WHY I RUN: It
looked like the
runners in my older
brothers XC meets
were having so
much fun (completely oblivious to
the fact that they
were all actually in
immense pain haha).
BEST RACE: is when I broke 12
minutes in the 2 mile
WORST RACE: When I broke my
foot with a mile left in the race

Our cross country team has been graced with such gifted individuals in terms of ambitious and caring personalities that it only
makes sense to turn our compassion outward to the surrounding community. Our efforts through Relay for Life as a team have
been amazing so far as we have raised an appreciable amount
of money for the American Cancer Society in past years while
having an absolute blast at the event! Looking towards the
future, the growth of the team over the years has provided us
with potential for significant expansion of our Relay influence.
However, there is no reason to stop there with the impact the
club can make on the world around it. We are currently working
on the establishment of a few additional service opportunities
throughout the year that will allow runners to grow closer as a
team while giving back to the community!

Training Plan

Fall Schedule

Acclimation Phase:
The first two weeks of practice will be spent building on our summer training. We will start with easy
distance runs, starting at 30 minutes and working up
to 50. The team will be split up into smaller groups
based on ability. These distance runs will help new
members acclimate to the area and meet their fellow
teammates.

August 29th: Fall semester

begins

Building Phase:
The next two weeks will mark the beginning of
workouts. Two days a week we will do mile repeats,
fartleks, or tempo runs. These workouts will help
the team build running efficiency and therefore improve our long distance speed. At this time we will
conclude every practice with an ab workout.

October 17th: Penn State Invitational

September 19th: Otterbein

Invite
September 26th: Lock Haven
Invitational

October 24th: NIRCA Regionals @ Princton, NJ

November 14th: NIRCA Nationals @ Lexington, KY

Competition Phase:
November 23-27th: ThanksgivEach race is a chance for us to show off our hard
work and improvement. Throughout weeks 5-10 we ing Break
will be competing in 3 or 4 races. At practice we will
continue our distance runs but also focus on shorter December 18th: Winter Break
speed workouts, such as, 400 repeats, and our favorite, the Michigan workout. This will help improve our
turnover and race finishes.
Tapering Phase:
This phase involves slowing down our training to rest
our legs. We will cut back the mileage and do shorter
workouts to maintain speed. The ultimate goal is for
everyone to be healthy so they can achieve their best
times of the season at NIRCA Nationals!

Expert Advice
Ian Shreckengast
The transition from spending summer days relaxing to school days stressing can be a big adjustment. Just when classes start to pick up, so does the XC season. We reached out to Ian Shreckengast, a former collegiate runner and Assistant Manager at True Runner, a running store in Pittsburgh, to find out the best ways to start the season off right.
Whats the biggest thing a runner should focus on at the beginning of the season?
The biggest thing a runner should focus on is adapting to your college schedule while still maintaining training at a high level. This part of your season should start to get more intense with workouts and speed while keeping your mileage pretty high. Adding a full schedule of classes, different
food, different sleeping environment, etc. can really affect your training. I think its best to get in a
routine with school and running as your season and school year is beginning.
How does summer training effect the beginning of a season?
Summer training and a large base can really benefit your results at the end of your season. Building
a strong aerobic base in the summer allows you the opportunity to pile on speed work and intensity now. If a runner has a strong base coming into the season, I would have them maintain or add
to their mileage level in the first 4 weeks of the season. When October comes around and its time
to race and be sharp, you should come down slightly in mileage while increasing in intensity.

What are the best ways a runner can stay healthy with the increase in intensity that usually accompanies the start of a season?
I think the biggest challenge to collegiate runners starting a season is getting enough sleep and eating
right. When youre running, youre breaking your body down over time. Your job when youre not running is to help your body build right back up and get stronger. Really focusing on getting enough sleep
and nutrition, ESPECIALLY after long runs and workouts, is vital to staying healthy. Its definitely a big
challenge at the beginning of the school year when youve got classes and friends you want to hang out
with. The most disciplined runners with their sleep and nutrition will probably stay the healthiest.
What is your best piece of advice for the first race of the season?
Dont stress about time and treat it as a practice for when it counts. If youre coming in with a high
base, youre probably not going to feel very fast due to fatigue and lack of speed training. If youre,
coming in not as high, youve still got fitness to gain and probably wont run your best. Keep a positive attitude regardless of the result. I would also focus on your race routine. Find a balance in what
you like to eat, how early you like to wake up, when you want to warm up, etc. The first race helps you
define your own race routine.
How do you personally motivate yourself to run?
I like the feeling of being in shape. When youre in good shape, sometimes you feel bullet proof out on the
roads and trails. Getting that feeling back is always what motivates me. And of course its fun to win or do
well at races.

Amazing Alumni Q&A

Shannon Mccullough graduated from Pitt in 2013 with a degree in natural sciences with
a concentration in biology and chemistry. The club started her senior year so she only
spent one year as a member, but that year was filled with enough memories to fill her
college career. She told us some of the best experiences, how theyve shaped her and
what shes up to now.
What are your favorite memories from Pitt Club XC

Oh this is difficult, there are so many. From driving the mini van to track nationals, to
the mile challenge, my senior year is filled with memories from Pitt Club XC. If I have to pick one memory, it has to be Pitt Club XCs enthusiastic participation in Relay for Life. I was so proud of the clubs
willingness to raise money and walk all night to support the American Cancer Society.
My favorite race was XC nationals. I loved the challenging hills, but even more so I enjoyed the team
bonding that occurred such as the majority of the team huddling in a hotel room watching Princess Diaries and belting out Taylor Swift with Doug Wells on the car ride home. My favorite social gathering was
our spring formal at Peters Pub. We picked dates out of a hat, which was hilarious. I really hope that is
still how you pick dates. (We do!)

What would you say to someone considering joining the team?

Definitely join! This club is the perfect mix of competitive runners and new runners looking to stay in
shape. Whatever you are looking for- this is a group of people willing to support your goal.

What are you doing now?

After graduation I joined the Teach For America corps in Philadelphia. I taught high school science for
two years at a renaissance charter school. It undoubtedly has been the most difficult two years of my
life, and I probably would not have made it through my first year without the support of my family and
friends, especially Nick Farina, another alumni. With that being said, it has also been an extremely rewarding experience. Currently, I live in Philadelphia and I will be teaching at my school for a third year. I
plan to get my Masters in urban education and then see where my career takes me, but I know I will be
involved in education in some way.

Are you still running?

Running has become a part of my life, as I am sure it has for many of you, and I plan to run until my legs
wont carry me anymore. Most of my running revolves around my students now as I have introduced
my school to the Students Run Philly Style program, which is an awesome mentoring program for
middle and high school students through long distance running. We recently ran the Broad Street Race
in May and we will be training for the Philadelphia Half and Full Marathon in November. I will also likely
be coaching cross country and track next school year.