My name is Shannon and I have just turned 12 years of age. I have been running with the Traralgon Harriers for a couple of years now and I am really enjoying it because all the Harriers are really encouraging, not just to me but to all the junior members of our Club. The Harriers are always very interested in how we go at school and little athletics events and our achievements and photographs are always put in our Club's weekly newsletter. When we run in AV events, the Harriers are always on the sidelines cheering us on and we like to do the same for them. I can't wait for the Marathon to come because I am looking forward to helping out on the day and watching the race and maybe one day I can run the Traralgon Marathon and win it out of all the females, but I am also going to try to beat the men! I really enjoy our Thursday night runs, Ken gives us Juniors cheek at the start line, holding onto our t-shirts to stop us racing off at the start in front of him and yelling at us to come back. I am hoping that I can continue to run with the Harriers for many years to come. Shannon McCurley

Picking The Male winner you also can't go pass the locals.

Steve Quirk leads a good list of inform locals that will give this years Marathon another close finish. As with last year's race Roger Maximiw and Darrel Cross will push Quirky all the way. Steve as he has done all year seems to find a bit extra when challenged. As the younger runners in the club get close to him he always finds a bit extra and kicks away. To pick an outsider you can only go on rumours. If Steve Gilbert, Mike Wheatley and Rob Zwerlien start as rumoured it could be a good finish with many runners going under 2:50 .

Youngsters like Dan Kirby, Tim Cochrane and Brett Van Der Velden are opting to do the half and expect some good times by these three. Veteran Ian Cornwaite will still try and keep the youngster honest though. In the Quarter young stars in Nick Schilling and Tyson Popplestone will be burning the bitumen.

Stretching the Truth

Every year I feel I am compelled to write an article that inspires people to take up running and maybe attempt to run a Marathon . This year though I have chosen a tougher assignment, one that may keep people in running. Countless people are lost to running every year to injury and it is this lost that probably hurts running clubs like ours more than anything else. The common bond that brings runners together is strong and it enables individuals from all walks of life to interact in a social and friendly environment. To me the bond and comradeship shared between runners when they tackle a tough event is similar to that felt by a team that has just won a grand final. The beauty about running is you don't have to be picked to share this feeling you just have to turn up and participate. As long as there are other runners around, P/B's to run and a course to be conquered the feeling will be there. It is a physical and mentally healthy environment, one, which is worth participating in and preserving.

Hopefully the following story helps some of you to not go down the path to disaster.

In late 2000 a fellow Traralgon Harrier dual marathon winner John MacKenzie and I decided to try and run for 1000 days in a row. Both being of the determine nature we were never going to give up the challenge. Initially the results for me were good. The extra kilometres were really helping my times and everything was going great for John as well he just got faster and faster. The pinnacle for both of us was probably the Six-Foot Track Marathon 2002. Here John was second to the great Tim Sloane and I managed a top 20 finish that I thought was okay for a 47-year-old. The start of the decline for us both was probably the next day. To keep up with our 1000-day pledge we hobbled down the road the next day for a 5km run. The whole concept of it was just foolish and stupid. A swim, bike ride and a good stretch were more of what was needed. I had become a real macho runner “no need to stretch mate I run night and day seven days a week.” This philosophy had worked well for the last 18 months or so but the next 8 months saw a rapid decline in performance both training and racing. You live in denial “ I am just tired I will back of the km's”, still no recovery sessions, stretching or rest days. John's 1000-day attempt finished not long after his second Traralgon Marathon victory in June 2002. I continued on not believing what my body was telling me or for that fact other people. Every now and then I had a good race and I thought it want be long and everything will be good again. I then ran four events that were absolutely disastrous. The Burnley Half, K.O.M., Melbourne Marathon and the 50km on the track (which I didn't finish). All had a familiar pattern, pain would start in the back of the hamstrings move up into the gluts and lower back becoming unbearable as I hobbled along. It started at about the 5km mark in the Marathon and I remember lying on the ground in absolute pain after thinking I was never going to run again. It wasn't fun but I kept pushing on until on the 765 day of running I pulled a calf muscle.

The next twelve months didn't change much my calf become my Achilles heel and I might have been having rest days but my running wasn't going anywhere. 2003 Melbourne Marathon was almost the same as 2002 but it was my calf that went at the 5km mark and resulted in another painful Marathon . I conceded something had to change so I grabbed a palates book read it and started a stretching program the next day. Things changed almost immediately and month later I finished the 50km on the track pain free. I have finished several big runs since and they have all been a lot better than 2002 and 2003. I have a long way to go because you cannot repair the damage done in those years overnight but I believe I am on the right track. The bottom line is that if you want to stay on track you need recovery sessions whether they are stretching swimming or bike riding. Don't ignore them as important part in keeping your running on track and enjoyable. Besides your are all-important and we want to keep you all on track.

Good luck to you all Twitey.

Harriers the Family Club.

Masterman-Smith Family a priceless member.

It is dangerous to single out members but I don't think anyone can deny the valuable acquisition the Masterman-Smiths have been to the club. Adrian , Jade and Jay came to the club as young runners and still run most Thursdays. Young Candice runs sometimes or helps Mother Rose baby sit. Rose will be busy today in the kitchen as always a great worker for the club. Father Justin spends countless Thursday evenings timekeeping. Along with Bruce and Margaret Salisbury Thursday night runs wouldn't happen without Justin's help. Justin in in charge of the drink wagon so give him a way.

Derek Evans a special Harrier.

Derek Evans came to the Harriers some years ago as a child with a mental disability. This has not stop Derek from being embraced by the Harriers and becoming an important member of the club. Derek has achieve plenty since joining the Harriers some 8 years ago. He has won many Special Olympic Victorian Championships and represented Victoria at the National Championships winning National titles. Derek also represents the club at Athletic Victoria events travelling down with fellow team members and joining in normal team activities including fast food stops on the way home. (One of Dereks favourites parts of A.V. runs). In all it has been a great achievement by Derek and a good advertisement for the Harriers that proves everyone can become an important member of our running club.

The Eagle Family

When you arrive at the 10km Drink station look out for the Eagle family Steve, Kerry, Tanya and Rowan. Steve came to the club many years ago running several Marathons. The star of the family though is young Tanya. Tanya started running several years ago with her father and now she has developed into quite an accomplished athlete. Tanya has won many Track and Field titles including the sprints and throwing events. She has also won the past two junior championship titles running 5km runs with the club.

Steve still runs occasionally as does Rowan with Kerry walking. Most importantly they are always keen to man the 10km/ 30km drink station in Glengarry.

After the big race: Dealing with the post-event blues

By Jack Lesyk, Ph.D.

AmericanRunning.org

6/2/2004

  You did it. You ran the race you always dreamed about, setting an incredible personal record.

You'd set this goal almost a year before. During the previous winter you designed a training program for the long months to come. You logged each and every run, maintained respectable mileage even during the cruelest weeks of January and February.

Finally, spring arrived and you gradually built up to high mileage with a long run each week. Then you began speedwork and ran occasional races to quicken your pace and accustom yourself once again to the rigours and challenges of competition.

You monitored yourself carefully and rested when it was needed. You did everything right and ran your best ever. So you should be feeling terrific, on top of the world.

Maybe you felt some brief elation, but then in a few days there is a feeling of emptiness, apathy, perhaps even mild depression.

What went wrong?

Many runners and other athletes have been puzzled by this common experience that often follows a major event, independent of whether they have performed well or poorly.

Athletes are not unique in this post-event letdown. The feelings are reported by politicians after a major election, win or lose; by students after earning a hard-won degree; by mountain climbers after climbing the highest peak.

Although the experience seems to contradict common sense, it is common among achievement-oriented people.

We have been taught that the attainment of the goal is the reward. Now the goal is attained and you are puzzled by your unanticipated unhappiness. The goal has turned out to be an illusion. The joy was in the dream and the process of moving toward your goal, in mobilising your physical and mental potential's to their fullest.

Once the goal was accomplished, the dream died. The joy ended. And now it's time to regroup and start over again.

Some of the disappointment of the post-event letdown can be alleviated by knowing that it's normal and to expect it. For months, your life has been organised around this singular goal. Now, suddenly it's over and the disciplined, intensive efforts are no longer required.

This is the time to pause, reflect, and enjoy other aspects of life that may have been neglected during intensive training. Sleep late; spend more time with family and friends. Do things you wanted to do but sacrificed for your training.

Plan ahead so that when the big event is over, you don't face a vacuum of too much time. After this pause and re-balancing, carefully select a new, realistic challenge, a new long-term goal.

This may be in running, another sport, or something altogether different. You need a new dream to fill with passion and energy and get your juices flowing again

Big Thank You to Race Director Rick Mann

and his hard working volunteers. Especially the Ladies in the Kitchen. Next year's event 19 th June 2005 Conformation pending.