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Christmas in June
It's the week of the 2015 USA Track & Field Championships. It might as well be Christmas Week for this kid at heart.
Malinda and I have attended the USA Championships (or Olympic Trials as the meet is called in Olympic years) seven out of the last eight years – 2008 and 2012 in Eugene for Olympic Trials, 2009, 2011, and soon 2015 in Eugene for the USA Championships (qualifying meets for World Championships), 2010 (USA Champs in Iowa) and 2014 (USA Champs in Sacramento). It's a thrill to watch the best in the country compete for spots on Team USA. It's been an even greater thrill to watch someone that I coached in high school (Shannon Rowbury) compete at the national level.
As I write this, the meet is two days away. Shannon is one of the favorites to qualify for the 2015 World Championships in Beijing in the 1500 meters. Jenny Simpson has a bye into the World Championships by virtue of her winning last year's Diamond League series. That means Jenny and three others will represent the US in China in August. Shannon has been in this position before, and knock on wood, has come through like the champion that she is every time to make the team.
- In 2008, she was the newcomer on the scene and she won the Olympic Trials 1500 to qualify for her first Olympic team.
- In 2009, she had very strong competition from Christin Wurth-Thomas and Anna Pierce. Wurth-Thomas surged out fast and had a huge lead but Shannon timed her kick and caught Wurth-Thomas in the final stretch to win the US 1500 title for the second year in a row.
- In 2011, Shannon was not at 100% due to an injury but she gamely fought for a spot on the World Championship team. It took an unbelievable final kick to out-lean Wurth-Thomas at the finish line to grab third place and a ticket to the World Championships in Daegu by one-hundredth of a second.
- In 2012, it seems almost wrong to say it, but it really was just business like usual as Shannon placed a solid 2nd at the Olympics Trials to qualify for her second Olympic team.
- In 2013, the one year Malinda and I didn't go to the meet, Shannon finished a disappointing 4th in the 1500 meters on Saturday. Showing tremendous tenaciousness, she came back the next day and ran the 5000 meters. She hung around the main pack for most of the race but it still took a pretty amazing final 200 meters to move up to 3rd to secure her spot to the World Championships in Moscow.
All in all, it's been a pretty good run of success and I have my fingers crossed for a new fond memory next weekend.
In addition to cheering for Shannon, going to the USA Championships also means hanging out and drinking an adult beverage with some fellow running nerds and coaches. Peanut Harms always hosts a fantastic party where running geeks can unite after the meet to re-hash what we just witnessed. I am looking forward to seeing some friends at the Wild Duck Café in a few days.
Just like last year, Malinda and I have been faithfully logging on to the USATF Rewards page every day to accumulate reward points. Last year we used points to hold the finish line for the women's 5000 and I got to co-host the Cool-Down Show. This year, we will again be holding the finish line for one of the races (not confirmed yet but most likely the men's 10,000 meters on Thursday night). We also used our points to claim the behind the scenes TV truck tour.
Fresh off of her We Go For Good – Circle the Bay for Breast Cancer ElliptiGo trip, Malinda has made plans to meet up with the ElliptiGo strategic marketing manager, Darren Brown while we are in Eugene. Instead of going for a run together, the plan is to go for an ElliptiGo ride together. Another example of the running community being really small, Darren's wife, Sarah, is a national class 1500 meter runner who has her own crazy journey to the 2013 Moscow World Championships. Sarah will be competing against Shannon in the 1500 this week. How cool would it be if Shannon and Sarah make it and we can go ElliptiGo'ing with Darren on the Great Wall of China?!
And, as if cheering for Shannon, raising cold ones at the Wild Duck, holding the finish line, getting a TV truck tour, and riding an EllpitiGo weren't enough, on Friday, I am looking forward to attending a screening of City Slickers – Can't Stay With Me, a documentary film on former UCLA coach, Bob Larsen (most famous for being Meb's coach). Bob was the UCLA coach when I was there and I got to be his manager my senior year. When they were putting this documentary together, I sent them some pictures from my era at UCLA which may or may not have made the final cut.
With all this on the horizon, how can I not feel like a little kid on Christmas week?
PA Champs!
"I didn't think it would ever happen."
"At least, I didn't have it on my radar for this year. That's why when the opportunity presented itself this last week, and it became apparent the Pamakids were going to win our first PA team championship in club history, I was beside myself with excitement."
"Hopefully we will win more. But I will always remember this first one."
I have been quite fortunate in my life to have been part of numerous championship teams – league titles at Lowell in high school, a Pac-10 championship at UCLA as manager, CCS and league titles as the SHC coach. Not to mention other achievements that have been worthy of a celebration – qualifying the cross country team for state, Shannon winning two individual state championships and qualifying for the Olympics and World Championships. As the coach and president of Pamakids, we hadn't won any championships….until last Sunday.
"I didn't think it would ever happen."
We've come a long ways since 2007 when the only Pamakid presence in the Pacific Association (PA) was a women's cross country team. It's been five years since the announcer at the cross country championships saw a Pamakid cross the finish line and exclaimed, "Pamakids? Wow, I didn't know they were still around." We didn't revive the Pamakid racing team for the glory of winning championships. That was probably the farthest thing from our mind. The only thing father back was our pack of runners behind the race leaders. We definitely owned the middle and back of the pack for several years.
However, our philosophy of welcoming everyone to the club and showing appreciation for all runners, no matter their speed, has paid off. We have great team depth. Our team spirit, which is evident at races, motivated new runners to join and inspired current runners to become faster. All of a sudden, we were a team in the top half of the results.
"At least, I didn't have it on my radar for this year. That's why when the opportunity presented itself this last week, and it became apparent the Pamakids were going to win our first PA team championship in club history, I was beside myself with excitement."
I realized on Saturday morning that it was pretty inevitable that we were going to win the PA Women's 40+ Grand Prix title. It was important to me that everyone in the club feel excitement and pride in the achievement, not just the 40+ women. My philosophy is that it's about the whole team, not individual groups within the team. A good example is the SHC track & field team in 2010. When the JV Girls won the league title, the whole team celebrated together – girls and boys; JV and varsity. It was a team achievement and we all felt pride in it. It's the same philosophy with the Pamakids.
I wanted to do something special to commemorate this championship. I already had a big pre-race motivational speech planned. I needed something tangible that people would get to keep as a souvenir from the day. It would be another reminder that this was a Pamakid championship, not just a women's 40+ championship.
Championship hats in 24 hours? Uh, no.
Championship shirts from the mall? What am I, made of money?
Homemade championship pennants? Now we're talking. Usually Malinda gets sucked into my last minute projects. This time, she put her foot down. She would help figure out the process. But if I wanted to make 50 of these pennants, I was on my own. I'm not the most confident person when it comes to being artsy and crafty. My wife usually handles those jobs. But not this time. So off to Lowe's I went on a mission to buy dowels. Then it was time to print out the pennants, cut them into triangles with the papercutter, and glue them to the dowel. Being the runner/coach geek that I am, I timed it. It took me on average three minutes to glue each one. My PR was 2:38. I made 50 of them. Yes, a significant portion of my Saturday was spent on this project. It was all worthwhile.
"Hopefully we will win more. But I will always remember this first one."
Making the accomplishment even sweeter, it would be the first PA team championship in club history. You always remember the first one. Five of my most memorable coaching days of my life are the day Shannon won her first state championship, my first dual meet win at SHC, the first time the boys team qualified for state, the day the SHC JV girls won the league title, and the first time both the boys and girls qualified for state. I think about those days often and it always brings a smile to my face. I now have a sixth "first time" memory.
I will never forget opening the bottle of champagne and pouring it into cups for our celebratory post-race toast. I will never forget walking around from person to person, to clink our plastic cups of champagne. I will never forget the sight of the pennants and the smiles and hearing the laughter and cheers.
As the celebration wound down, I went over to Betty's memorial bench with two pennants and had Thang take a picture of the pennants next to the bench. I later posted the picture on social media and sent Betty, the club's first president a message:
Hi Betty. You would have been so proud of us today. We won our first PA club championship in club history. And appropriately we clinched the title about 100 meters from your bench. Thanks for getting us started back in 1970. Proud to be carrying on your legacy today.
Everyday is a great day to be a Pamakid. But Sunday, December 14, 2014 was a particularly great one.
To read an account of the race from one of the runner's perspectives, checkout Heather Johnson's blog: http://heatherraejohnson.com/2014/12/15/teamwork-can-stop-the-unstoppable/
Reflections on a trip to the Manhattan Cross Country Invitational
I have known about and thought about attending the Manhattan Cross Country Invitational for quite a few years. The annual meet is held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx in New York. It is the second largest high school cross country meet in the country (behind only the Mt. Sac Invitational in Southern California) and it is the largest one-day high school cross country meet.
After taking the SHC team to the Mt. Sac Invitational in 2011 and the Woodbridge Invitational (the third largest meet in the country) in 2012, it was natural to think about making a trip to New York for the Manhattan Invitational. In fact several members of the class of 2015 asked me if we could go in 2014, so that over their four year career they would attend the three largest meets in the country. In between this year and the two trips to Southern California, in 2013, our overnight trip was to perhaps the most unique cross country meet in the country, the Three Course Challenge in Seaside, Oregon. I have taken the team to this meet every third year since 2004 and the last two times, we travelled by train.
The conversation about going to New York became more serious on the train ride home from Oregon in September 2013. Before I knew it, I was talking to the SHC choir director about how he plans the choir trips to New York and Europe. Before I knew it, I was e-mailing back and forth with a travel agent to put together a potential itinerary and get an approximate idea of the price.
It would be a five day, four night trip and cost in the neighborhood of $1,200-$1,400 per athlete. For this to happen I wanted at least twenty athletes to commit to going. The trip was approved by the administration in the spring of 2014. In May I began polling people to see if there really was interest. The interest was there. Now I had to see if people were going to back up their interest with a financial commitment. The "no turning back" deposit day came and I had checks from twenty-two families. A few weeks later, I was able to add three more travelers but those three had to pay an additional $100 to cover the late fees. In total we had 29 people going, 25 athletes and four coaches.
My assistant coaches that were going, Tomas Palermo, Rachel Giovannetti, and Sherie Lo Giudice, were critical to ensuring a safe and successful trip. They are all experienced coaches in our program. To have them with me was invaluable, as the four of us work seamlessly in terms of always seeing what needs to be done and thinking about everyone's safety and well-being.
Even as I filled out rooming lists, made decisions about the itinerary, and filled out purchase orders to pay the travel agent, the trip seemed far far away. In September we had a team meeting to go over some of the team policies for the trip. That's when it hit me, "we really are going to New York." We were down to a group of 28 because of illness. We were about to fly 2,560 miles, to attend a meet with more than 5,000 runners, and we would be spending 107 straight hours together.
It was amazing how calm and at ease I was. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do and how I planned to handle certain situations like study hall, free time around New York, and getting the team around on the subway. But I also trusted my own experience in that I would have to wait until I got there to make some of these decisions. Thanks to the high usage of smartphones, I didn't even feel the need to print out maps for the kids. I knew they would be able to use their phones to figure things out.
I did go out of my way to explain to the teachers at school why I was taking students out of class for such a lengthy amount of time right at the end of the grading period. I also felt it was important that we attend Sunday Mass and that the kids dress nicely for the plane ride and church. We had a long debate during a meeting, and in the end, the kids voted and decided to dress up in more than their polos and khakis for the plane ride to New York and church, if in exchange, I would let them change into "more comfortable" clothes for the plane ride home and the sightseeing on Sunday after Mass. When I was the team manager at UCLA we always dressed up for plane rides, so it warmed my heart and reminded me of my college days when I arrived at the airport to leave San Francisco and the boys were in dress shirts and ties and the girls were in dresses or blouses.
One moment that will stay with me forever was in the bus that brought us from the Newark airport to our hotel in Manhattan. The kids started playing music on a speaker, and while I usually require them to use headphones, it was a special occasion so I let it go. As we drove through the streets of Manhattan, the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song, "Empire State of Mind" came on and everyone cheered. We were here!
We had some challenges throughout the trip, but each time the kids stepped up to meet my expectations. Everyone was focused and followed directions when we had only 33 minutes in Detroit to get off our first flight and board and be seated on our second flight. When we had to move quickly to and from subways and keep the group together, everyone stayed within earshot and was ready to do what we told them. It was an impressive showing. As we lined up for a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, the security guard, who heard me give instructions to the kids and then saw the kids immediately go do what they were told, said to me, "nice job."
Meet morning, my heart was racing. We gathered in the lobby and then started walking to the subway. It would be our first subway ride of the trip. What a rush to get on the NYC subway to go to a meet. Unfortunately, it was raining and we had no tent and no tarp. When we got to Van Cortlandt Park there were thousands of people everywhere and we didn't really know where to go. Finally I found the check-in tent and then we found a tree that would at least provide us with a little shelter. The kids put their bags into the garbage bags we had bought at Walgreen's the night before.
I gave each of the kids four Sacred Heart Cathedral rubber bracelets and told the kids to give them to people they met during the meet. I also cancelled our usual no phone policy for the meet, because I knew kids would want their phones to take pictures to remember the experience and share with others. We even had our own hashtag for the trip (#SHCXCinNY). Thanks to the bracelets, Carolyn made friends with Kellenberg Memorial High School, which was the team near us. They offered for us to put our bags under their tent.
My next unforgettable moment occurred as I was getting ready to take the starting line photo of our first race, the JV Boys. Blossom took the camera from me and said that she thought that I should be in all the starting line photos today because this was New York. It also warmed my heart to see the kids running the race with their bracelets and then taking it off in the finish chute and giving it to a runner next to them.
The whole trip was filled with moments that brought a smile to my face. We had a nice balance between time all together (bus tour of New York, team dinner at Angelo's Pizza, Sunday Mass), activities we did as a group but where people could break into smaller groups for certain parts (sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial Museum), and free time when the kids were on their own and had to meet me at a specific time and place (a somewhat nerve racking time period for me). The kids had earned my trust by working with me, not against me, throughout the trip. They deserved some time on their own to explore and make their own decisions. That's when they really learn some life lessons. I reminded them to stay in groups and to make good decisions. Then I crossed my fingers. Fortunately, they did not disappoint. Ironically, I kept getting lost around New York such that I was the one a little tardy to the meet up spots.
One thing about these trips that always brings a smile to my face is when I see two people, who I didn't think were particularly close, have a long conversation or joke around about something. During a trip of this length, the coaches really get to learn more about each student on a more personal level, too. And the beauty of a group this size, it was small enough to be manageable for the coaches but large enough that if someone started to get on your nerves you could easily just go hang out with someone else for a few hours.
All in all, I really enjoyed this trip. Before dismissing the kids when we got back to SFO, I told them: "I enjoyed this trip a lot. And without all of you there would be no trip. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming to New York with me."
World Cup Fever
When the World Cup began a month ago, my main interest in the event was how well Brazil could host an international sporting event. Whether Brazil could successfully put on the World Cup safely for the spectators would go a long ways towards Malinda and me deciding to go to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Over the last four weeks, however, my interest in soccer (futbol) has grown tremendously. I've loved following the games and reading up on the nuances and intricacies of this "beautiful" game.
Being just four time zones from Brazil made viewing games very easy – one game at 9:00 A.M. and a second one at 1:00 P.M. Our maintenance staff had all the games on the plasma screen in the school dining hall. I even met friends at a sports bar to watch a game and watched another in a hotel lobby with family. The convenience and social aspect of following the World Cup were winning me over.
Of course I was cheering for the USA team but all the pre-World Cup hype of being in the "group of death" made me think it was going to be a short lived run at this year's World Cup for the Americans. That all changed after watching the Portugal game. It was an exciting game and as a soccer rube, I have to admit, the increased scoring at this year's World Cup (thanks to the new ball, the Brazuca) has helped keep me interested. The agony of Portugal's tying goal in the fourth minute of injury time only increased my passion.
Soon I was downloading the IAAF and Watch ESPN apps. I was studying up on the Group Play tie-breaking rules (goal differential BEFORE head-to-head). I watched more "I Believe That We Will Win" videos than I care to admit. I participated in social media, using the hashtag #USMNT and posting things in anticipation of the Germany game.
Even the loss to Germany did not dampen my excitement. The USA was on to the knockout stage! I started reading futbol websites in between my visits to LetsRun and the USATF Rewards page. The Five Thirty Eight website is chalk full of statistical analysis. Stats and numbers? Like track? I believe that you should sign me up! I was not and still am not an expert on the sport, but I was enjoying pretending to be one.
The USA-Belgium game was such a rollercoaster. The drama reminded me of the Olympic Trials 5000 meter race when Kim Conley came from behind to grab the last qualifying spot to London. And that Tim Howard guy?! Sixteen saves! I didn't need a website to tell me it was a performance for the ages. Then reading more about Tim Howard and how he's battled Tourette's syndrome made me respect him and his performance even more.
Although the USA was eliminated, my interest did not wane. With each passing game bringing us closer to crowning the champion, the tension for the teams grew as did my excitement for the drama that was about to unfold.
The quarterfinal game between the Netherlands and Costa Rica was a great battle between two teams that didn't want to lose. In the final minute of extra time, the Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal replaced his goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul. It seemed like a strange substitution to me. The announcers said that Krul was two inches taller than Cillessen and thus had a larger arm span to block penalty kicks. This fascinated me. What a great idea…if it works. And it did!
I have grown up following baseball, where the "closer" is the relief pitcher specialist used only to protect a lead in the ninth inning. World, meet Tim Krul, the first penalty kick goalie specialist. Maybe in a few years, every team will have a goalie specialist for penalty kicks. I can see how it is a slightly different skill set to defend the goal in the course of the game when you have to track multiple players (including your own team) and the ball; versus defending the goal against a single player taking a penalty kick from a known location. The fact that Krul "talked a little trash" to get in the heads of his opponents only made this more interesting. Yes, my Google searches for Tim Krul approached my Google searches for "I Believe That We Will Win" videos.
The semi-final games were certainly a contrast. One history making blowout and one scoreless draw that came down to penalty kicks. All I can say about the Germany-Brazil game is this graphic sums it up pretty well (and humorously, too).
As for the Argentina-Netherlands game, I don't understand why van Gaal didn't save a substitution so he could put in Krul. I've been looking for the message board on WhoScored so I can post a critical comment about this (anonymously, of course).
But now it's all over (congratulations, Germany!). And I am left wondering, what to do with myself? What will I do with the this extra time now that I'm not watching games in the middle of the day? Not listening to podcasts and reading blogs about the World Cup? Fortunately, cross country season is right around the corner and there's a Diamond League meet in Monaco on Friday.
Breaking Barriers
Breaking through barriers, both literally and figuratively, is an important part of life. My friend Mark Hermano teaches a lesson in his physics class where students literally break through a wood board with their hand. The lesson includes the physics of actually breaking a board with your hand and also the life lesson of how sometimes you can do more than you think and the importance of breaking through figurative barriers. The keys to this are focusing, planning, putting energy into it, following through, and believing. Click on this hyperlink for a video of Mark's full explanation of the exercise.
For runners, breaking barriers usually involve beating a certain time. Usually, but not always, it's a time with a zero in it. For example, 5:00 in the mile or 1:30:00 in the half marathon.
For Shannon Rowbury, breaking through the four minute barrier in the 1500 has been a goal of hers since she ran 4:00.33 at the Paris meet in 2008. From 2010 until this past weekend, Shannon had PR's in the 800, 1500, and 5000 that are remarkably close to time barriers – 2:00.47, 4:00.33, and 15:00.51. That's a total of 1.34 seconds away from three major barriers — sub-2 in the 800, sub-4 in the 1500, and sub-15 in the 5000.
In the spring of 2012, Mark did the wood breaking exercise with me, Malinda, Shannon, and Pablo (Shannon's fiancé). It was an opportunity to get together for dinner and have an activity that also related to the mental side of running. Part of Mark's exercise is that you write a barrier that you want to break through on the piece of wood. Shannon wrote ":00" on her piece of wood, indicating her desire to break through the 2:00, 4:00, and 15:00 barriers. It took some time, some good coaching, and some perseverance but by the end of the evening, Shannon broke through her piece of wood.
Two years after breaking through that board, Shannon took care of breaking the 4:00 barrier in the 1500 at the 2014 Paris meet. Malinda and I watched the race on our computer and Shannon seemed to be perfectly positioned and paced it very well for a shot at breaking four minutes. There were a couple bumps with other runners but Shannon stayed on her feet and the chase was still on. As Shannon raced down the final straightaway, I counted the time off in my head – 3:56, 3:57, 3:58, 3:59, 4:00. The clock stopped for the winner at 3:57 so we would have to wait for the results to flash up on the screen. I knew it was either 3:59 or a real low 4:00. But which was it? It seemed to take forever as the broadcast shifted to the high jump to cover a Blanka Vlasic attempt. Then finally the results popped on the screen. 3:59.49! The barrier was broken. Shannon later told me that, "good things come to those who wait" and they sure did on this day.
Shannon breaking 4:00 for the 1500 got me thinking about her first sub-5 in the 1600 when she was in high school. I must admit I had to dig around to find it. It was March 16, 2001 at the Piedmont Distance Carnival. Shannon ran a negative split race: 78, 77 (2:35), 74 (3:49), 67 (4:56). Really pretty amazing that she went 2:35 for her first 800 and 2:21 for her final 800 including a blistering 67 for her last lap. All this as a high school junior. She needed every second that last lap as she narrowly beat her future Duke teammate Clara Horowitz, 4:56.7 to 4:58.7.
Looking at the results from the above hyperlink, the fifth place finisher in the Boys 1600 was a senior from De La Salle who dabbled in both track & field and soccer. I believe he had a high school PR of 4:15 but chose to focus on soccer after high school. It's worked out for him pretty well. You may know the name. He plays for the San Jose Earthquakes and played in the World Cup this summer. He's the one who had the ball on his foot just yards from the goal late in regulation time in the Belgium game and just couldn't quite convert. He is Chris Wondolowski.
Advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals. Now that would have been a barrier breaker for the US Men's team! Be patient, USA, good things come to those who wait.
Showing Our Wings
As a passionate track & field fan, I was excited when United States of America Track & Field (USATF), the governing body of the sport in the US, started a fan rewards program in January 2014. The idea was for fans to log-in to their rewards account daily to receive "wings" and to use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to promote USATF and also earn wings. With these wings, fans could buy different reward items such as USATF gloves, signed merchandise, and USATF experiences.
When I reached 25,000 wings, I quickly bought a pair of USATF gloves. My wife, Malinda (a.k.a. the Track Widow), also accumulated points but she strategically held on to hers waiting for something "bigger and better" than gloves. As the USA Outdoor Championships, which were taking place in Sacramento, approached a new reward became available for 25,000 wings – the chance to present an award at USA's. I didn't have enough wings but Malinda did! By the time we got Malinda logged in and ready to pull the trigger, the reward was sold out. However, the next day, something even better was available – the chance to hold the finish line for one of the races. We logged in and Malinda got it! Woo-hoo! Malinda was the perfect person for this job because three years ago she wrote a blog about the challenges of holding the finish line for a race. (It's not as easy as you might think.)
We spent the next day strategizing about her options. Should she choose Shannon Rowbury's race and risk missing getting to watch the race? I suggested a sprint race which increased her likelihood of a close finish and thus some TV time. Malinda put it to her Facebook friends as well as discussing it with her work colleagues. She decided that it was a non-qualifying year (i.e. no Olympics or World Championship qualifying berths were on the line) and thus there was less pressure and it would be okay to hold the finish line for Shannon's race.
A couple days later a new reward came up on the USATF rewards page – for 25,000 wings you could co-host The Cool Down show on USATFtv. Now that is something I would love to do… but I didn't have enough wings. A few days went by and I noticed that the reward was still available. I decided to go for it. I started tweeting with the USATF hashtag to get extra wings. Finally one night at 1:00 A.M. I had 25,000 wings and I bought the reward. I was in heaven! The chance to go on internet and talk about my favorite subject – track & field!
The week leading up to USAs was full of excitement. We communicated with Caleb Bailey, the strategic programs manager with USATF. He set things up for us and confirmed that Malinda would hold the finish line for the women's 5000 and I would do The Cool-Down show Friday night after the women's 5000. I was beyond excited. I was going to get to talk to Dan O'Brien and tell him how he gave up his seat on the train one night on the way home from the London Olympic Stadium, which allowed Malinda and me to sit together. I rehearsed in my mind what questions I would ask the 5000 meter race winner, preparing for both Shannon and the other favorite, Molly Huddle. Every night, I would say to Malinda, "Pretend you're Dan O'Brien; ask me a question!"
When we got to Sacramento, Caleb had a couple more surprises for us. I was going to get to join Malinda and hold the finish line and we would both get to be down on the track to watch the race.
About thirty minutes before the women's 5000 we were taken down to the finish line area. We got to see behind the scenes for the men's and women's 100 meters. Then we were taken onto the track where we watched the women's 5000 meter race unfold. We were given instructions to stay out of the camera sight lines and to not block any of the sponsor's signs. We cheered quietly for Shannon, not wanting to create a scene. At one point, some of my friends sitting on the backstretch in the 'Aggies section' saw me and started heckling and yelling at me. To their delight, I took their picture as they all waved and cheered. On the track, as expected, Molly was leading and Shannon was right behind her. Being on the track, instead of in my usual seat in the stands, I had a hard time getting a sense of what kind of time they were on pace to run. As the race reached the final laps the small pack of runners who had initially stayed with Molly and Shannon fell back. It became a two woman race.
By this point we were near the finish line and receivinga tutorial about what to do. "Make sure you don't block the finish line timing camera," we were reminded. Malinda would be on the infield holding one end of the finish line. She was to let go as soon as the runner hit it. I would be in lane three holding the rolled up end of the finish line and I was not supposed to let go. I remember hearing someone tell me, "After Treniere comes by go on to the track." It was something I would say at Kezar Stadium at the Tuesday night track workout, "after the guy in the black shorts comes by, let's get on," only we were at the USA Championships, not Kezar!
After I got situated on the track I looked up and Shannon had taken the lead with about 200 to go. I felt myself jumping up and down despite knowing I should stay calm. A runner was close to getting lapped so we had to wait until she passed before we handed the end of the finish line to Malinda. Once that was done I looked up and Molly was moving up on Shannon. They were both drifting out. For a split second, Molly was running right towards me. I instinctively backed up into lane four but had the foresight to know that I needed to unspool the finish line tape from the roll or else I would rip it out of Malinda's hands. Just in time I backed out of the way and Molly crossed the finish line and broke the tape, just 0.15 seconds ahead of Shannon.
It was a great race and a dramatic finish between two of the US's top runners (they were 6th and 7th place at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow). It would have been a dream situation for me and Malinda had Shannon won, but that's the drama of sports… you don't know how it's going to turn out.
We waited awhile for Shannon and then got to give her a hug before she went for interviews and drug testing. Then we were whisked off to the set of The Cool Down show. We got to talk to Dan O'Brien and told him our London train story. I quickly changed into the red USATF polo shirt they wanted me to wear for the show and the next thing I knew I was sitting on the set with a microphone in my hand. The producers were all very nice as they made some small talk to put me at ease. Running friends and fellow coaches saw me and started gathering around the set hooting and hollering and taking my picture. Molly Huddle sat down next to me and put on a headset. We had to wait thirteen minutes for a segment on Kirani James to finish and then the red light went on… we were on the air. After some introductions and opening questions by Paul Swangard, I got to ask Molly a question, and then to close the segment I got asked a question. And then it was all over. Molly and I came off the stage and in our place came Dan O'Brien and Bernard Lagat.
All in all it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had at a track meet… and I've been to a lot of meets. At one point last week, Malinda had remarked, "I hope this lives up to our expectations." Not only did it live up to expectations, it exceeded them. Thanks #USATFrewards!
Adding an American Record to her resume
When Shannon Rowbury graduated from high school at Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2002, she already had an impressive resume. She had won two state championships (800 and 1600), one national title (800), four consecutive Central Coast Section (CCS) championships in the 800 and seven total CCS individual championships (800-4, 1600-1, cross country-2).
From 2002-2007, she achieved more success as a collegiate runner at Duke. She won an NCAA championship in the Indoor Mile and she was a 6-time All-American.
Since 2007, Shannon has been a professional athlete, sponsored by Nike. 2014 is her seventh year of competing at the highest levels of national and international track and field competition. She is a two-time Olympian, three-time Outdoor World Championships qualifier, and two-time Indoor World Championship qualifier. She has placed 7th and 6th at the Olympics in the 1500 and earned a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships in the 1500. She is a 4-time USA Champion (1500-2, indoor 3000-1, road mile-1).
Quite a resume! But on May 31, 2014, almost twelve years to the day after winning the state championship in her final high school race, , Shannon added something new to her resume. She is now an American Record holder!
At the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, she ran the two mile race in 9:20.25 to better Amy Rudolph's previous American record of 9:21.35 set in 1998. Rudolph placed second when she set the record in Cork, Ireland on June 27, 1998, trailing Sonia O'Sullivan of Ireland who ran a then world record of 9:18.56.
The morning before the Prefontaine race Shannon and I exchanged some text messages where I teased her that in high school, when I put her in the two mile (or 3200 meters) it was almost considered punishment. And now she was going to race that distance and go for a record!
I watched Shannon's race on the NBC Sports live stream on my iPhone at Sports Basement. It took me awhile to get the app going and to get logged in with the proper password. By the time I got it going, the race had begun. The coverage was on the men's shot put but it quickly went back to the women's two mile. The race was about four minutes in. There was a lead pack of three (Mercy Cherono, Viola Kibiwott, Mimi Belete), with Sally Kipyego back a ways in fourth. It took a moment before Shannon was on the screen. She was in a pack that included Jordan Hasay, in about eighth place.
I knew an American record was a possibility and strained my neck to see Shannon and try to get an idea of what pace she was on. With around three laps to go, Shannon came through at 5:55. She would need to run the last three laps in 3:26 to get the record. Shannon started to pull away from the pack she had been running with and was moving up. I started seeing Shannon behind the leaders and with two laps to go. I estimated her split at 7:05. She needed a 2:16 last 800 to get the record. Even as the camera stayed on the front three, I could see that Shannon was moving up. It reminded me of some 3200 meter races she ran in high school when she closed amazingly fast. She went by Kipyego and now it was a race against the clock. My best guess was she split 8:14 or 8:15 with a lap to go. She needed a 66-67 last lap. As the top three finished, I started counting in my head 9:14, 9:15, 9:16, …I could see Shannon approaching the finish line…9:17, 9:18, 9:19, 9:20…as she crossed the line, ….or was it 9:21? The announcers said it was going to be close. I could hear a big cheer from the crowd. I was pretty sure she had it but I wanted to wait for confirmation before getting too excited. I looked around Sports Basement. Despite me banging my hand on the table and talking into my phone, no one seemed to be paying me any attention. I looked back at my phone and suddenly they were interviewing Shannon and congratulating her on the record. I started taking screen shots.
The next few minutes were a blur. I was posting to my social media and responding to some messages that had already come in to me (one from Galen Rupp's high school head coach). I called Malinda to give her the great news!
Shannon's running resume just got another addition. Her first American record. I am proud of Shannon for lots of things (both running and non-running related things). But I must say, American record holder does have a real nice ring to it. Congratulations!
You can watch the NBC coverage of her race (with a few minutes of men's shot put re-cap in the middle) on usatf TV here:
Pre-race interview with LetsRun:
Post-race interview with LetsRun:
A Championship Day
Since getting into running and coaching, I have been less fanatical about the typical professional sports (and teams) that dominated my attention growing up. More LetsRun. Less Sports Illustrated. But the Seattle Seahawks recent run to the Super Bowl re-kindled the sports fan buried deep inside me.
I became a Seahawk fan back in 1978. I must have liked the logo on their helmet. There was also something special about the lefthanded quarterback, Jim Zorn, and his favorite receiver, Steve Largent. During that 1978 season the Seahawks beat the local Oakland Raiders two times to finish with a record of 9-7. It was not spectacular, nor was it enough to make the playoffs. But for an expansion team in just their third year of existence, it was a solid season. They finished with more wins than losses for the first time and were the first team to beat the Raiders twice in a season in 13 years. The Seahawks of this era were known for their trick plays such as fake field goals and fake punts, onside kicks and scrambles by their quarterback. I was hooked – a fan for life! Little did I know that cheering for the Seahawks would lead to many sad days. When it wasn't football season and the Seahawks weren't disappointing me, I had the Houston Astros to step in and break my heart instead. Let's just say, there haven't been a lot of championship days for me and my sports teams.
In 2013 on Super Bowl Sunday, I was home sick in bed with pneumonia. For the first time in many many years, I missed the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon. It was heartbreaking to stay home on what most of us in Pamakids consider the biggest day of the year. In the afternoon, I watched Super Bowl XLVII from my bed.
This year was a totally different experience. I have been inspired by my Pamakid teammates and I've been training consistently to build back the base that I lost during my two bouts with pneumonia last year. I've been giddy with excitement for the Seahawks and Super Bowl XLVIII, reading every article and story that I can get my hands on and watching video after video in preparation for the big game. "I've been waiting for this game since 1978," I told my wife Malinda, every night when she implored that I turn off the device and go to sleep.
I see a little bit of Pete Carroll in my coaching style. I like my teams to have fun but I also hold them to a high level of expectations. If you are on my team, you are expected to commit and work hard. Watching Carroll run up and down the sidelines, cheering on his team and constantly handing out pats on the backside and high fives reminds me of what I do at meets. His post-game speeches have given me new material for my post-meet huddles. And his mantras!? "Tell the Truth Monday." "Competition Wednesday." "Turnover Thursday." "Each game is a championship opportunity." I love that cheesy stuff!
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson's leadership and dedication has been truly inspiring. He went to last year's Super Bowl just to get a feel for what the experience would be like because he planned to make it to the Super Bowl this year. I read story after story about Wilson's upbringing, how his grandfather instilled a work ethic in his father and how his father passed it down to him. "Why not us?" Wilson told his Seahawk teammates back in training camp, as he planted the seed that the Seahawks' goal should be to win the Super Bowl.
On the morning of February 2, 2014, I awoke to the sound of raindrops. As we are in the midst of a drought, it was welcome news for us Californians. But not exactly great news for the runners at the 31st annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon and 5K. Before the race I tried to keep everyone positive and upbeat. In our team huddle before the race I reminded the team that while every day was a great day to be a Pamakid, that today was an especially great day to be a Pamakid. Then I looked people in the eyes and told them stick to their race plan despite the rain. "Be patient early. The race still starts at the Great Highway and I'll be there to remind you of that," I yelled, "Go Green on three!" I felt like I was leading the Seahawks huddle before they took the field for Super Bowl XLVIII.
The race unfolded beautifully. At the seven mile mark on the Great Highway, I saw most every Pamakid. I then ran over to the mile to go mark and waited for the return of the runners. In particular, I remember seeing Zack Hedling approach. I checked my watch. It read 1 hour, 14 minutes. If he wanted to achieve his goal of running a sub-1:20, he had six minutes to get in. Yelling like Pete Carroll, or like I do when coaching the Sacred Heart Cathedral team, I got in Zack's face, "You can break 1:20 but you need to go now! Six minutes to glory!"
It was a glorious day for the Pamakids. In 2009, Zack was out top finisher in 99th place with a time of 1:24. In 2008, Adam Lucas was our top finisher in 59th place with a time of 1:22. This year, we had 5 runners in the top 59, all with times of 1:20 or faster. We've come a long way. Steve Lloyd was our first top 10 finisher in a long time, running an unbelievable 1:12:13.
Reading on Facebook (isn't that the now official way of finding out if someone is pleased with their race or not) I read several excited status updates. Yes, it was a good day for the Pamakids:
– As mentioned already, Steve in 7th place (1:12) and Zack, sub-1:20.
– Matt H with a one minute PR of 1:18.
– Denis with yet another small PR as he inches closer and closer to 1:20 flat.
– Fiona pleased with her 1:40.
– Danielle H very pleased to run 8 minutes faster than last year with a 1:40.
– Marlyss and Catrine both pleased to be close to their PR's despite the wind and rain.
– Akemi, shooting for a 1:53 and running 1:49.
– Jodi, not only breaking 2 hours, but also kicking in to break 1:59.
– Jim, running 6 minutes faster than in 2011.
– Karen, with a six minute course PR and knocking on the door of the 2 hour mark.
– Keith, Jeannie, and Theo all placing first in their respective age divisions.
– Marcia with a big last mile in the 5K.
As I settled in to watch Super Bowl XLVIII I was already excited from all the great race performances I had just witnessed. It turns out, there was one more grand performance left on this memorable day.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer writer David Nemhauser posted a blog the morning before the game. In the final paragraph, he eloquently expressed what Seahawk fans were feeling and showed his confidence that the Seahawks would win the championship:
The climb to get to this point has been long and treacherous. Fans deserve to savor every moment. Our shared history is marked by a collection of near-misses and nearly hopeless mediocrity. In a world permeated by equivocation and murkiness, we gather today to celebrate the opportunity for crystal clarity. One team will win. One franchise will walk away with an accomplishment that can never be undone. Seahawks fans know which team that will be. The rest of the world finds out tonight.
The Seahawks journey, much like the half marathoners', was long and treacherous. I am trying to savor every moment from the race and the Super Bowl. February 2, 2014 was a Championship Day like no other!
The 6th Runner
In cross country, a team's score is based on the finishing places of its first five runners. Runners number six and seven are called displacers – they have the opportunity to displace other teams' runners by placing ahead of other teams' scorers (i.e. their top five runners). The sixth runner also has important value in the event of a tie between teams, as in most competitions, the tie is broken by which team has the higher placing sixth runner.
If all of this seems pretty hypothetical and "not likely" to happen, guess again. More times than you might imagine, the sixth runner can make a big difference in the final results.
Last year at the Pacific Association Cross Country Race at the Presidio, the Pamakids and West Valley Joggers and Striders (WVJ&S) were in a tight battle in the masters race.
The results went like this:
1. Jose Pina, WVJ&S
2. Anthony McGrath, Pamakids
3. Jorn Jensen, WVJ&S
4. Other team
5. Andrew Chan, Pamakids
6. Adam Lucas, Pamakids
7. Adam Prince, WVJ&S
8. Robert Palos, WVJ&S
9 & 10. Other team
11. Jerry Flanagan, Pamakids
12. Other team
13. Richard Martinez, Pamakids
14. Other team
15. Denis Glenn, Pamakids
16-17. Other team
18. Andy Williams, WVJ&S
19-21. Other team
22. Tomas Palermo, Pamakids
23. Other team
24. Tom Fahey, WVJ&S
25. Jimmy Forbis, WVJ&S
Pamakids 2 5 6 11 13 (15) (22) = 37
The Pamakids took 1st place in this race because Denis, as the Pamakid sixth runner, displaced the WVJ&S fifth runner, Williams, a crucial one point. Without Denis, Williams places one spot higher (17th) and WVJ&S would beat Pamakids 36-37. Instead, Denis displaces Williams one place, thus creating a 37-37 tie that is broken by the higher placing sixth runner. Denis won the tie-breaker placing 15th as compared to the WVJ&S sixth runner, who placed 24th.
If you think that was an isolated incident, you would be mistaken. The sixth runner was the hero again for the Pamakids last weekend at the Empire Open race in Santa Rosa. This time it was a tight battle for third place (and third place in the Open Men's division does get prize money) between Pamakids and the Wolfpack.
The results went like this:
1-10. Other team
11. Simon Novich, Pamakids
12. Alex Esparza, Wolfpack
13-14. Other team
15. Casey Strange, Wolfpack
16. Other team
17. Joe Tomkins, Wolfpack
18. Matt Herzog, Pamakids
19-21. Other team
22. Zachary Hedling, Pamakids
23. Ryan Pletzke, Pamakids
24. Other team
25. Benjamin Willis, Pamakids
26. Eric Huynh, Wolfpack
27. Other team
28. Merick Dang, Pamakids
29. Bjorn Samson, Wolfpack
Pamakids 11 18 22 23 25 (28) = 99
Wolfpack 12 15 17 26 29 = 99
Merick, like Denis the year before, really was the hero for the Pamakids. By placing 28th, he displaced Samson to 29th place. Without Merick, Samson is 28th and the Wolfpack beat the Pamakids, 98-99. But thanks to Merick beating Samson, the Wolfpack score was pushed up to 99, creating a tie, and Merick broke the tie and gave Pamakids third place by being the faster sixth runner (Wolfpack didn't have a sixth runner).
I don't have the exact statistics, but I am quite certain I have been on the winning side of more sixth runner tie breaker situations than the losing side. At one memorable Sacred Heart Cathedral league finals meet in 2005, both our JV Girls and Sophomore Boys beat Mitty on the sixth runner tie-breaker (and the Freshmen Boys beat Mitty by one point).
I like to think that one reason the teams that I am associated with come out ahead in these close scenarios, is that I preach the importance of always running like every place will matter, whether you are in the front, the middle, or the back of the pack. Racing with that mentality is often worth one or two points for the team and more often than you might think, those points make a difference in the final team standings.
Keep these stories in mind when you need motivation to keep pushing in the last half mile of a race. You never know when you might score a valuable point or two for your team and be the hero!
The Last Night
Tonight is our last night in Moscow at the 2013 IAAF World Championships. Just like in Beijing, Berlin, Daegu, and London, I have mixed emotions. I am both sad that this current adventure is about to end but also ready to be back home.
There is a little bit of a letdown when a global championship comes to its conclusion. Usually during the last month before an Olympics or World Championships, I spend a lot of time thinking about Shannon Rowbury's race. I scout the competition, research splits from previous meets, and consider a variety of race strategies and tactics. On Shannon's race days I feel nervous. And when she's done competing, I feel pride. But also a little bit of emptiness as this goal race that has been on my mind for at least a month (often longer) is over. "What do I do with myself now?" is what I often end up thinking to myself.
Spending ten days at a global championship for me is like having Christmas ten days in a row. I have almost no concerns each day except what time do we need to get to the track and what event is happening tonight.
I love watching athletes competing in track & field at the highest level. There's so much excitement, emotion, and drama. Just tonight in the span of one hour, I felt exhilaration for Matthew Centrowitz when he found an opening and sprinted to a silver medal in the 1500, I felt empathy for a courageous Alysia Montano, who just couldn't hold on in the 800, and I felt frustration when the US women had a bad exchange in the 4X100 meter relay. Taking the kid on Christmas Day analogy one step further, I was a kid on Christmas Day opening presents when Centro saw me waving my US flag as he took his victory lap and he pointed at me. Yes, I am going to miss being at this meet every night.
Today, as often happens at the end of the meet, we got to spend some time with Shannon. We had lunch at Cafe Pushkin and grabbed some pies at Stolle. It's nice to just spend time with her (and Pablo) and talk a little track, but mostly exchange stories about this current adventure. Like I said on Facebook, it really is a privilege to be at a World Championship meet and feel nervous before a race.
All that being said, I am also ready to get out of town.
Beijing Daegu, and Moscow were particularly challenging trips because of the language barrier (so many Germans speak English that Berlin was nowhere near the same challenge). Every outing, every meal, and every trip to the bathroom required mental thought and that can be draining. We also keep pretty long hours when on the road. The meet tends to be a night meet so we often do not get back to our room until midnight. E-mails and internet surfing tend to occupy another hour or more. Come seven the next morning, I am usually up and ready to do some sightseeting. After all, it's a limited amount of time we'll be in this foreign land. No point sleeping the time away. All of this hyperactivity, however, can leave one pretty tired by the end of ten days.
On top of all that, in Moscow, we had to do a lot of walking to get around. The subway was 0.75 miles from the hotel and the subway stop nearest the stadium was a 0.5 mile walk. Just getting from the hotel to the stadium and back required 2.5 miles of walking. Malinda and I estimate that we walked about 55 miles while here in Moscow, so over five miles a day. No wonder I am so tired.
Probably the main reason that I look forward to being back in San Francisco is to see the SHC team and start cross country season and to see my Pamakid teammates and tell them stories about Moscow. The official start of the cross country season is August 19. My assistant coaches will be running practice because I'll spend most of the day in an airplane traveling home. But I'll be there on August 20. There may or may not be another Shannon Rowbury on this year's team, but I still plan to put all my heart into coaching this group and making them the best runners that they can be – just like I did with Shannon and everyone else that's been on the team over the past fifteen years.
Good night and good bye, Moscow. Thanks for a memorable trip!


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Dice 3 of the onions. Heat a large frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the diced onions. Saute until quite brown and set aside. In a 4-quart covered pot place the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, covered, and then turn down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the cooked onion to the lentils, along with the rice and salt. Cover and simmer 20 minutes until rice and lentils are soft. If a bit of water remains unabsorbed, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes and it will soak in. Slice the remaining onion into rings. Heat the frying pan again and saute the rings in the remaining olive oil. To serve, top the lentils with the sauteed onion rings. Accompany with plain yogurt and a lemony green salad, with tomato wedges on the side. Serves 8.
1 cup dried ful, small-size bean, rinsed and drained
8 cups water
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion
½ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the beans (ful) in a medium pot and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and let stand 1 hour, covered. Drain. Return the ful to the pot and add 4 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, covered, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain. Mix the beans with the tomato, garlic, parsley, and onion. Prepare the dressing and toss with the vegetables. Chill before serving. Serves 4 as a salad.


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Hilarious 'Producers' gets raves
Cast members dazzle audience with shenanigans
IF YOU GO What: "The Producers" Where: Main stage of Backdoor Theatre, 501 Indiana When: At 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March 24 Admission: $15 and $13 Information: 322-5000 or backdoortheatre.org
Dancing Nazis, an accountant with an unnatural attachment to his baby blanket, a choreographed routine featuring little old ladies with their walkers?
Ah, the joy of Mel Brooks' "The Producers."
Backdoor Theatre's version of the outrageous musical comedy — we're talking Mel Brooks, after all, father of "Spaceballs," "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" — is gay, giddy and fun. It's spunky, energetic and full of life.
Much of that spunk owes itself to its overdone, hyper-comedic characters, my favorite being the flamboyant Carmen Ghia (an unrecognizable Jonathan Barnes), the "common-law assistant" of the worst director on Broadway, the very gay Roger DeBris (John Cartwright, who has returned to the Backdoor stage after a hiatus of several years).
Friday night's opening show didn't get kicked up a notch until the arrival of these two colorful characters. For Ghia, think lip gloss, lip gloss, lip gloss, and for DeBris, think scarves and a boldly swishy attitude.
Barnes' Ghia is expressive on top of expressive, down to his look-at-me!-look-at-me! strut of a walk. His exits and entrances are hilarious. And Cartwright owns the stage with confidence — yes, even in a dress.
Not that this production is limited to just those characters.
"The Producers," directed by Larry Sharp and co-directed by David Cerreta, offers a parade of characters to embrace, including the main duo, the somewhat slimy Max Bialystock (Sharp) and mousy accountant Leo Bloom (Justin Partridge). And then there's Ulla (Abigail Clements), the Swedish bombshell — a sexy blonde firecracker that can't be contained.
For those who haven't seen the play or its two movie versions, "The Producers" follows Broadway producer Max Bialystock, whose latest show closes on opening night. He's desperate for a hit but might not need one after his accountant, the spineless Bloom, says he would make more money producing a flop instead of a hit. He just has to raise more investment money than he needs.
So begins our producer and aspiring-producer's scheme.
To assure a flop, they pick the worst musical ever, "Springtime for Hitler," written by a Hitler-loving Franz Liebkind (a hilarious Ryan Peterson) and the worst director ever, DeBris. Then Max romances every rich old lady in town to get backing for the show. Leo makes sure to cook the books, while aspiring actress Ulla keeps the office running as Bialystock and Bloom's office assistant.
"The Producers" has been so enduring in part because of its absurdity, its characters and some ridiculously whimsical musical numbers, such as my favorites, "I Want to Be a Producer," complete with a chorus of accountants, and "Along Came Bialy," featuring a chorus of old ladies.
Besides Barnes and Cartwright, Clements is perfect as Ulla. She has all the vavoom necessary and knows how to play the ditsy blonde, having done it before in other Backdoor plays.
Sharp brings on the catcalls and slime factor to bring Bialystock to life, though he leaves room to turn up the smarminess even more, just to keep up with the outrageousness of the other characters. And Patridge is just funny as Bloom, particularly when he cuddles with his blanket, though he tends to go a little over the top when he's screaming across the stage. I also loved Peterson with his come-hither Hitler looks.
He's playful, which fit the character perfectly. He was hard to hear sometimes, though.
One caution — "The Producers" is not for those theatergoers who are offended by gay dancing Nazis and frisky old ladies.
But with all the wonderful musical numbers (thanks to musical direction from Rachel Kapelski), spunk and an energetic cast that hits its marks, "The Producers" is a have-to-see production.
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Steve Altes
Steve Altes is an American writer and former aerospace engineer. He is known for getting hired into unusual occupations and writing humorous essays about his misfortunes.[1] Some experiences he has written about include working as a hand model,[2] a stand-in for Brad Pitt on the movie The Devil's Own,[3] a "bank robber" at the FBI training academy,[4] answering phones in the Arkansas Governor's Mansion for President-elect Bill Clinton,[5] and getting hired and fired by the CIA in the span of a single day.[6]
Early life[edit]
Altes was born November 13, 1962 in Syracuse, NY. He is a graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, NY. In 2000 when Altes was inducted into the Fayetteville-Manlius Hall of Distinction as one of the high school's "notable alumni" he acknowledged the dichotomy in his career segue from engineering to entertainment, saying, "I owe a tremendous debt to those dedicated F-M teachers for the serious half of my career. For the silly half, I'd like to thank all the class clowns."[7]
Altes holds three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- S.B., Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1984; S.M., Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; and S.M., Technology and Policy, 1986.[8] His master's thesis was titled, "The Aerospace Plane: Technological Feasibility and Policy Implications."[9] Altes's thesis became the only college thesis ever reviewed by The New York Review of Books when James Fallows reviewed it in the December 18, 1986 edition.[10]
After college, Altes worked as a space policy analyst for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment.[1] He left Capitol Hill for a position as Program Control Manager for the Pegasus air-launched space booster at Orbital Sciences Corporation. In 1991 Altes was part of the Orbital Sciences team that was awarded the National Medal of Technology (the nation's highest award for engineering achievement) by President George H. W. Bush for developing Pegasus.[11] He is also a co-recipient of the 1990 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current Achievement in Aerospace.[12]
Due to his varied accomplishments in the fields of engineering and entertainment, Altes is often listed as one of MIT's more "notable alumni."[13] [14] [15] [16]
In the mid-1990s Altes left engineering for a career in entertainment and writing. Among other things, he has been:
- an author of humor books[17]
- a writer of humor essays for magazines and newspapers, such as Salon,[18] The Washington Post,[3] the Los Angeles Times,[6] The Christian Science Monitor,[19] Capital Style,[5] Urban Male Magazine,[20] Funny Times,[21] and Penthouse.[22]
- a graphic novelist
- an actor in TV commercials, TV shows, and films[23]
- a stunt driver in the film Spy Game[24]
- a commercial print model[25]
- a screenwriter[26]
- a commentator for NPR's All Things Considered[27]
- a member of Us Weekly's Fashion Police[28]
- a corporate comedian[29]
- a game show contestant
In the late 1990s Altes was paid $18,000 to be the face on the box of Just for Men Sandy Blond haircolor.[2] In 2002, he won $32,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with Regis Phibin.[30] In 2004, Altes competed on the first season of the TV series Extreme Dodgeball, playing for the undefeated league champions, the Certified Public Assassins.[31]
In 2014 he ran a Kickstarter[32] campaign which raised $43,098 to finance the illustration of a graphic novel he wrote about high-tech pranks at MIT titled Geeks and Greeks.[33] Altes says the story is inspired by actual events he experienced as an MIT student.[34] The graphic novel is being illustrated by Andy Fish and is expected to be published in the summer of 2015.[35]
- 1997 - The Little Book of Bad Business Advice, St. Martin's Press
- 2001 - If You Jam the Copier, Bolt, Andrews McMeel Publishing
- 2005 - May Contain Nuts: A Very Loose Canon of American Humor, (contributor) Harper Paperbacks
- 2006 - Joke Express: Instant Delivery of 1,424 Funny Bits from the Best Comedians, (contributor) Andrews McMeel Publishing
- 2015 (expected) - Geeks and Greeks, (written by Steve Altes, illustrated by Andy Fish) Relentless Goat Productions
Film and TV appearances[edit]
- 1997 - Shadow Conspiracy[36]
- 1999 - Girl, Interrupted
- 2000 - Hollow Man
- 1996 - The Mark Walberg Show
- 1996 - The New Detectives
- 1996 - Real Stories of the Highway Patrol
- 1999 - The FBI Files
- 2000 - The West Wing
- 2000 - Daring Capers
- 2002 - The Jamie Kennedy Experiment
- 2002 - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- 2003 - The People's Champions
- 2003 - Oblivious
- 2003 - Test the Nation
- 2003 - Berman & Berman
- 2003 - Foul Play
- 2004 - Girls Behaving Badly
- 2004 - Extreme Dodgeball
- 2004 - Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Revealed
- 2004 - Live Like a Star
Altes lives in the Los Angeles area and is married to acting coach Diana Jellinek.[37]
- ^ a b "Model/Actor/Scientist Adds Writer to Resume". Lawrence Journal-World (Lawrence, KS). 1998-09-10.
- ^ a b "You Want a Piece of Me?". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ a b "Standing In for Brad". Washington Post (Washington, DC). 1997-03-26.
- ^ "Dye Hard". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ a b "Capital Style Overcomes Substance". Washington Business Journal (Washington, DC). 1998-11-09.
- ^ a b "My Short, Sorry Career as a Spy". Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). 2003-02-24.
- ^ "Hall of Distinction Inductees". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "MIT Graduate Inspires Crowd with Life Experience". The Tech (MIT) (Washington, DC). 1998-12-01.
- ^ "The Aerospace Plane: Technological Feasibility and Policy Implications" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-09-08.
- ^ "The Americans in Space". The New York Review of Books (New York City, NY). 1986-12-18.
- ^ "Technology and the Future Warrior: Protecting Soldiers in the 21st Century". Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA). 2004-09-23.
- ^ "National Air and Space Museum Trophy Recipients". Retrieved 2014-09-10.
- ^ "Notable Alumni: After Departing from MIT, Alumni Make their Mark on the World". The Tech (Cambridge, MA). 1999-05-04.
- ^ "Notable Alumni". MIT Admissions (Cambridge, MA). 2014-09-04.
- ^ "12 MIT Grads that Changed the World". BostInno.com (Boston, MA). 2011-02-16.
- ^ "Top 10 famous alumni of MIT". Retrieved 2014-09-08.
- ^ "Steve Altes - Books". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Brad and Me". Salon.com (Washington, DC). 1998-04-27.
- ^ "How I Became a CIA Spy for a Day". Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA). 3 March 2003.
- ^ "Reverend Me" (PDF). Urban Male Magazine (Canada). Spring 2004.
- ^ "Funny Times, November 2007". Retrieved 2014-09-09.
- ^ "Magazine stories by author". Retrieved 2014-09-09.
- ^ "IMDb - Steve Altes". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Spy Game - Cast and Crew". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Print model - Steve Altes". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "InkTip.com - Deals closed 2006". Retrieved 2014-09-05.
- ^ "Bad Move". National Public Radio (Los Angeles, CA). 2003-05-26.
- ^ "US Weekly Fashion Police". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Speaking.com - Steve Altes". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Winners of $32,000 - Primetime Millionaire". Retrieved 2014-09-05.
- ^ "Extreme Dodgeball - Cast and Crew". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "Geeks and Greeks – an epic graphic novel about MIT pranks". Kickstarter (Los Angeles, CA). 2014-06-12.
- ^ "How Do I Love Geeks? Let Me Enumerate the Ways". ForeverGeek (Los Angeles, CA). 2014-05-29.
- ^ "You Can Help Turn MIT's History of Hacks Into a Graphic Novel". BostInno.com (Boston, MA). 2014-05-05.
- ^ "Geeks and Greeks graphic novel official website". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ "YouTube - Shooting Charlie Sheen". Retrieved 2015-05-29.
- ^ "DianaJellinek.com". Retrieved 2014-09-04.
External links[edit]


text:
Jet lands safely in LR after flap-failure signal
Posted: June 6, 2014 at 4:37 a.m.
For the second time in two days, a passenger jet landed safely in Little Rock after reporting indications that its flaps were inoperable.
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text:
I think Steel threw everyone off with his selection of Kershaw.
I think Steel threw everyone off with his selection of Kershaw.
I miss Adam Dunn.
If Reds44 gets on soon and makes his pick, then this thing has a chance to really move fast. Almost everyone with the next 10 picks are on.
I miss Adam Dunn.
DO we pick according to our assigned teams needs or whom we think is a great pick for them ?
Have fun. Do it either way you like. I personally think that drafting for "need" in baseball is misguided (or we'd have Derek Jeter on the Reds - maybe). But I'm having fun playing the "part" of Brian Sabean, so....Originally Posted by Topcat
". . . acquiring J. Blanton from Oakland for, apparently, Bailey/Cueto, Votto and a lesser prospect. I do it in a second . . . The Reds' equation this year is simple: Make Matt Belisle your #3 starter . . . trade for Blanton, win 85 or more, be in the mix all summer." - Paul Daugherty, Feb. 8, 2008
I pick who I would draft if I were in their position. It's your choice though. Do it whatever way you want.Originally Posted by Topcat
I miss Adam Dunn.
I'd say use your own judgment.Originally Posted by Topcat
Raisel Ghul, the Demon's Head
Make that a thing.
Its thundering here. I gave obm some of the players I am considering at 32. when my pick pm me and give me some time thanks.
I was planning to draft Pedro Beato probably at 32.
Poor MattyMo. He's been lurking for the longest time now waiting to make his pick. Hopefully Reds44 shows up soon - he is almost always here during Reds game so he should be showing up anytime now.
I miss Adam Dunn.
I plan on taking the guys I would take if I were selecting when my time comes around and not so much what I think the Pirates would take.
I hope he shows up really soon. lolOriginally Posted by OnBaseMachine
Poor Matty's been getting false alarms all afternoon. Sorry.
You can PM me your picks if you want. I wish Reds44 would have did the same. He was on until 5:00 and then signed off about five picks before his. He usually is here by gametime but I don't see him tonight.Originally Posted by MattyMo4Life
I miss Adam Dunn.
How much longer are we going to wait for Reds44? We have a bunch of folks that pick after him currently logged on. This thing could move fast if he would show up.
Maybe 10:00 and then move on?
I miss Adam Dunn.
Did Reds44 normally sign on for games?
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Dust, glow and go!
Formerly known as our "Luminous Shimmer Powders," our natural mineral Highlighters are a great pick-me-up for the cheeks, forehead, eyes and shoulders. Lightly dust under the eyes, above the brows and on the browbone to add life and brightness to your peepers, or add a dab above your cupid's bow for a fuller pout.
Incandescent and brightening, our Highlighters can also perk up your complexion, accentuate the features you love and add an overall youthful, healthy glow. They are free of irritants, dyes, fillers, gluten and toxins and certified natural by BDIH. Go ahead—highlight and radiate your inner beauty. It's illuminating.
What is your favorite birthday memory? One of mine is of turning eight. The thing I really desired, more than anything, was a stuffed, plush snake. As odd as that may sound, they were all the rage with my friends at the time—long, fluff-filled pieces of fake fur with a wide head, felt tongue, big eyes and long eyelashes. It was the very definition of "cool" to have one curled up on your bed…at least to an 8-year-old. It was really the only thing I wanted that year. Sure, Barbie dolls and books were welcomed, but I reeeaaalllly wanted that stuffed snake. So when my younger sister sidled up to me on the afternoon of my birthday, and asked, "after you open your snake, can I play with it?" I was shocked by how disappointed I felt. Why was I sad to find out that I was getting my heart's desire? Was it that I didn't want a snake as much as I thought I did, or was it that she had ruined the delicious anticipation I had been enjoying--building up to the birthday dinner, then cake and presents? With as much introspection as one can handle on their eighth birthday, I decided it was the latter, and glared at my sister throughout dinner. But just a few hours later, all was forgiven when I opened up the package containing my beautiful, ice-blue, plush snake. Joy hit me full-force--it truly was great to be eight.
The randomly selected grand prize winner of the $100 Alima Pure voucher is: Rebecca F.
The ten (10) randomly selected runner-up winners, set to receive one of our Limited Edition Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadows, are: Agne M., Nikki M., Rebecca R., Rose, Padmini P., Kyla H., Sommer P., Uliya F., Jessica H. and Kate C.
Each of these shopping spree winners have been contacted via email, so if you think you may be one of the lucky recipients please check your inbox!
Dea is one of our amazing Customer Service experts. She answers emails and phones, solving shipping and credit card issues with calmness and kindness. In fact, we can't think of a time when we have ever seen Dea lose her temper!
Dea's current favorite product is Keiko Satin Finishing Powder. Keiko is the perfect complement to her Neutral 3 Satin Matte Foundation, and she loves the way it smooths over everything, giving her skin a more refined look, and keeps her matte all day long. But we should let Dea tell you!
"Keiko sets my makeup for the entire day, it's the last thing I apply after putting on my other makeup. All I need is a light application with the #23 Kitten Brush to give me a 'finished' look."
If you want to try a Satin Finishing Powder, but your skin isn't similar to Dea's in color, we can help.
- Try Yuki if you wear Cool 0, Cool 1, Neutral 0, Neutral 1, Beige 0, Beige 1, Warm 0, Warm 1 or Golden 0.
- Try Keiko if you wear Cool 2, Cool 3, Neutral 1, Neutral 2, Neutral 3, Beige 1, Beige 2, Beige 3, Warm 1, Warm 2, Golden 0, Golden 1, Olive 0 or Olive 1.
- Try Hanae if you wear Cool 3, Cool 4, Neutral 3, Neutral 3.5, Neutral 4, Beige 3, Beige 4, Warm 3, Warm 4, Golden 2, Golden 3, Olive 1.5 or Olive 2.
- Try Ami if you wear Cool 4, Cool 5, Neutral 4, Neutral 5, Beige 4, Beige 5, Warm 4, Warm 5, Golden 3, Golden 4, Golden 5, Olive 2 or Olive 3.
- Try Sayomi if you wear Cool 5, Cool 6, Neutral 5, Neutral 6, Neutral 7, Beige 6, Beige 7, Warm 5, Warm 6, Golden 5, Golden 6, Olive 4 or Olive 5.
- Try Takara if you wear Cool 7, Cool 8, Neutral 7, Neutral 8, Neutral 9, Beige 8, Beige 9, Warm 7, Warm 8, Warm 9, Golden 7, Golden 8, Golden 9, Olive 6 or Olive 7.
You may find your foundation shade listed under more than one Satin Finishing Powder shade. If that is the case, you could wear either one, and it will be a matter of preference which you like best. Try a sample size of each to see which seems to work best for you.
Have you noticed that it is now just a little easier to shop and select makeup colors on the Alima Pure website? We have been adding little features and hints to make it simpler to find what you're looking for, even if you aren't always exactly sure what you're looking for!
In our website make-over, we added a handy feature that allows you to sort all of our eye products and blush shades by color. Of course, we recognize that our idea of "pink" might not be exactly the same as your idea of "pink," but keep in mind that we have listed them by the shade we are most likely to call a particular color. While Eden Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow could be called "green" or "gold," it definitely could not be called "yellow," so it will show up in a search for "green" colors.
A couple of months ago, we added our 3 for $30 Eyehadow collections, to make it easier to buy coordinating eyeshadows based on what you want to achieve. For our first two rounds, we have focused on shades for different eye colors, but in the future we will also have some focusing on "looks," like a smoky eye or a polished, professional trio. In addition to these sets, we do have posts on our blog that recommend shadow shades for different eye colors; brown, blue or green.
And if your needs are more basic, we have added two new kit options. First, of course, is the Foundation Selector tool that we launched this week to help you find your perfect match. By answering the Foundation Selector questions, you are eligible to purchase a kit of samples to lead you to your match. The next step is our new kit, The Basic Face, which includes our cult-favorite #25 Foundation Brush and introductory sizes of your foundation shade, a Satin Matte Blush, Luminous Shimmer Blush and Satin Finishing Powder, all selected to complement your foundation. This kit takes the guess-work out of what blushes and finishing powder will work with your foundation, and includes shades that are the most popular for their category.
But even with all of these aids, sometimes nothing is better than personalized service. Our makeup artists are still available to answer your color questions.
Since summer is slowly inching its way to Portland, we can't help but dream of taking a vacation to the most "glam" summer vacation spot on the eastern shore. What better way to get in the mood for cocktail parties and sand than by planning a packing list perfect for the Hamptons?
01. Kate Spade Folding Cards 02. Alima Pure Organic Nourishing Lipbalm 03. Stella McCartney Aviators 04. Hive & Honey Fringe Hoop Earrings 05. Dorothy Perkins Beach Dress 06. Mathias Chaize Bracelets 07. BCBG "Brynn" Sandal 08. Kate Spade "Quick and Curious" iPhone Case 09. Alima Pure "The Hamptons" Eyeshadow Collection
India was one of the very early Alima employees, from back when Alima was still in founder Kate O'Brien's house. She left us long ago to pursue her education, so we were thrilled when she agreed to come in and be one of our Naturally Gorgeous models! It was a great chance to catch up with this young woman who approaches life with great passion and enthusiasm.
India loves to spend time outdoors. She enjoys biking, hiking, dancing and rock climbing...in fact she seldom sits still, as you may be able to tell from her photos. The rare times when you do find her sitting still, she is probably reading a book, snuggling with an animal, or drawing (she's a very talented artist).
India's infectious smile and her talent for living fully in the moment are just two of the qualities that make her a perfect Naturally Gorgeous model.
We applied India's Beige 4 Satin Matte Foundation with the #25 Foundation Brush, and then brushed Satin Matte Blush in Soft Plum on the apples of her cheeks and blended it outwards with the #17 brush. A little Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in Lana, on a #37 brush went on from her crease to her brows, with a heavier application of Black Orchid on a #36 brush from crease to lashes. Her eyes were lined with a Satin Matte Eyeliner in Pewter, applied with a damp #33 brush. A touch of Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Raven filled in her brows, and the look was completed with Organic Nourishing Lipbalm in Rhubarb.


text:
Contact Us
Retail News
EFTPOS News
White Label Networks recently worked with Telstra Countrywide to demonstrate EFTPOS over Next G. The demonstration was performed on the Spirit of Tasmania sailing between Melbourne and Hobart.
Main Menu
Video Axon G2210
Company Profile
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DSL Products
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Contact Us
GPRS Router
GPRS Router
As well as being an EFTPOS dial to GPRS converter, the Axon G2210 is also a feature-rich GPRS router suitable for machine-to-machine and machine-to-PC applications over public GPRS wireless networks. It supports Ethernet or PPPoE connection to terminal equipment including LANs and PCs, and can route traffic over GPRS to anywhere in the world connected to the Internet or your private IP network.
This router is great for terminal access to network equipment or for low speed web browsing and database access.
Product features include:
Port forwarding
IP tables rules
IP Firewall
DC power option - 10 to 30 VDC at 5 Watts
DHCP Server
Statistics and fault diagnostics
Network address translation
SNMP mangeable
Web browser config tool from Ethernet port or via GPRS
SSL or IPSEC encryption
Config changes and router reboot via SMS from trusted handset
Call or e-mail for pricing. For the brochure,
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Australian Article and Links Directory


text:
- 3-hour ATV shore excursion in St Lucia
- Explore scenic Caribbean landscapes aboard a Yamaha all-terrain vehicle
- Ride to a historical banana plantation and the Marquis Estate
- Enjoy refreshments from a vista point over beautiful Grande Anse Beach
- Small-group tour limited to 11 ensures a more personalized experience
- Small-group tour limited to 8 ensures a more personalized experience
- Covered by Viator's worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship
What You Can Expect
Customer Reviews
March 2015
This tour was the highlight of our trip! A little confusion regarding where they were picking us up. So call ahead to confirm this detail but otherwise excellent tour!!
January 2015
This was so good, you didn't have to wait for everyone to get off the cruise. We just meet our guide and he drove us to where the Bikes are. They are easy to drive. Guides have good English and lovely guys. There is NO why you will miss getting back on time to the ship. best thing we did on our trip


text:
Narrow your search
The highlight of Panasonic's camcorder announcements are a couple of feature-packed 4K/UHD models.
With excellent photo and video quality and a deep feature set, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is the perfect mix if you want dSLR-like controls and better than point-and-shoot performance with the convenience of a single fixed lens.
Panasonic hopes 4K video and a multitude of ways to capture action will lure you away from an entry-level dSLR.
Panasonic Cameramanager's indoor-outdoor Wi-Fi- and mobile-ready Nubo might be the most versatile security camera we've ever seen.
With really good photo and video quality, a great set of features and generally class-leading performance, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 is probably one of our favorite compact cameras ever. It's not for the inexperienced, though.
While the Panasonic Lumix CM1 is undeniably pricey and bulky, its wealth of photography kit helps it achieve image quality that's unrivalled in the smartphone world. If you love the idea of always having a great camera to hand but don't want to be weighed down with two devices, the Lumix CM1 is the phone for you.
There's just enough new here to make this interchangeable-lens model worth a look.
Announced at CES 2015, Panasonic has dropped the resolution of its popular compact travel zoom from 18 megapixels to 12 increasing pixel size for better results regardless of lighting conditions.
The small but notable change of swapping a built-in flash for an EVF is welcome, but the price...
A new prosumer run-and-gun-style camcorder has tons of entry-level pro features -- it's just missing the three sensors.


text:
Vegetarian Picadillo
14 Nov 2009
|Olive oil
|4 Teaspoon
|Yellow onion
|1 Large, diced
|3 Clove (15 gm), minced
|6 Ounce, cut into 1/2 inch cubes but not peeled (1 Small Eggplant)
|Sweet red pepper
|6 Ounce, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch squares
|Yellow squash
|1 Small
|Ground coriander
|1 1⁄4 Cup (20 tbs) (1 Cup 3/4 Teaspoon)
|Chili powder
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Ground cumin
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|1⁄4 Teaspoon (To Taste)
|Canned low sodium tomatoes
|14 1⁄2 Ounce (1 Can)
|Cider vinegar
|2 Tablespoon
|Cooked pinto beans/Cooked kidney beans
|2 Cup (32 tbs)
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs)
|Chopped almonds
|2 Tablespoon
1 ln a 5 quart Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over moderate heat.
Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until the onion is golden.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, the eggplant, red pepper, and squash; cook, stirring, for2 minutes.
Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 1 0 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
2 Stir in the coriander, chili powder, cumin, salt, tomatoes, and vinegar if using, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in the beans, raisins, and almonds if desired, and cook 5 minutes longer.
Rate It
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Vegetarian Picadillo Recipe


text: Hector Ernest Walker Unknown date of birth PDF Print Share Key details Contribute › Service number6/3192 AWMM Also known as ForceArmy AWMM Last rank WarWorld War I, 1914-1918 AWMM Lay a poppy Nominal Roll Vol 1, Page: 750 - No known copyright restricti … Read more View gallery Hide sources Show empty fields Identity About Contribute › Title ForenamesHector Ernest AWMM SurnameWalker AWMM Ingoa Also known as Service number6/3192 AWMM Gender Iwi Hapū Waka Rohe Religion Images and documents Images Contribute › Documents Contribute › Civilian life About birth Contribute › Date of birth Place of birth Birth notes Occupations Contribute › Occupation before enlistmentWW1 AWMM Post war occupation Next of kin Contribute › Address before enlistmentUnknown AWMMOtira, West Coast, New Zealand AWMMUnknown AWMMOtira, New Zealand AWMM Next of kin on embarkationMrs M.F. Le Marchand (mother), Palliser Road, Roseneath, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM Relationship statusPre 9 October 1915 AWMMSingle AWMM Service Wars and conflicts Contribute › WarWorld War I, 1914-1918 AWMM Campaigns ForceArmy AWMM Service number6/3192 AWMM Military units Military service Miilitary decorations Contribute › Medals and Awards Training and Enlistment Contribute › Military training EnlistmentWW1 AWMMUnknown AWMMCanterbury, New Zealand AWMM Age on enlistmentWW1 AWMM Embarkations Contribute › Embarkation detailsWW1 AWMM9 October 1915 AWMMWellington, New Zealand AWMM9 October 1915 AWMMHMNZT 32 , HMNZT 33 , HMNZT 34 AWMMWellington, New Zealand, Suez, Egypt AWMMDeparted - 9 October 1915, Arrived - 20-30 November 1915 AWMM Embarkation bodyWW1 AWMM9 October 1915 AWMM7th Reinforcements AWMMCanterbury Infantry Battalion AWMMAparima or Navua or Warrimoo AWMMPrivate AWMM Prisoner of war Contribute › Capture details Days interned Liberation date POW liberation details POW serial number Medical history Contribute › Medical notes Last known rank Contribute › Last rank Biographical information Biographical information Contribute › Death About death Contribute › Age at death Date of death Cause of death Place of death Death notes Cemetery Contribute › Cemetery name Grave reference Memorial Contribute › Memorial name Memorial reference Obituary Roll of Honour Remember Hector Ernest Walker by laying a poppy. Harry Potaua Walker Harry Sinclair Walker Hector Ernest Walker Henry Walker Henry Walker Lay a poppy for 2015 Leave a note Leave a tribute or memory of Hector Ernest Walker Leave a note Contribute › Processing Sources Sources Contribute › External linksMilitary personnel filehttp://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=22014988Further Reference DocumentsNew Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMMPage No: 750 AWMM Seen an error on this page? Tell us about it.