The Wicked Running RegisterApril 2010 Est. Jan 2010 Priceless

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUOTE OF THE MONTH“Running should be a lifelong activity. Approach it patiently and intelligently, and it will reward you for a long,long time.” -Michael Sargent

WICKED KUDOS

Congratulations to first time marathon finishers Chris Anderson and Mike Higgins who completed the HyannisMarathon on Sunday, February 28th, and first time half-marathon finisher Sue Keezer who debuted at the PrincessHalf Marathon in Disney on Sunday, March 7.

WRC had an impressive turn out ofover 70 runners for the Olde SalemGreens Cross Country 5k onSunday, March 21, as evidenced bythis group photo taken after the racewhich was also published in theSalem Gazette.

Please note the loving look MelissaJayne’s dog Otis is giving me (I ambottom row center, red headband), asjust prior to this photo he slipped methe tongue .

From Tim Short: “Great job by Race Director Doug Bollen on a fantastic Olde Salem Greens Race.”

Kudos to Tim Clarke, WRC coordinator of the “Boston Marathon in Two Bites” training extravaganza!From Tim Short: “Members of Wicked headed down to Hopkintonto get a taste of the first half of the Boston Marathon (photo right).Starting at the official starting line of the Marathon, the groupfinished just after Wellesley College. A good time was had by alland enjoyed a well deserved lunch at Blue Ribbon BBQ in Newton.Congrats to Sarah Calland (Front, blue shirt) who ran her firstHalf Marathon during this 1st bite of the Boston Marathon!”From Tim Clark: “We are coordinating the running of the BostonMarathon course over two days this winter / spring season. Ournext run will be Saturday April 3rd. Leaving from Tim's office @Waters & Brown - 281 Derby Street, Salem (parking lot in the rear)@ 9:00 am. We will drive into mile 13 of the marathon and run thelast 13 miles. Typically we drop a car at our finish and all pile intoanother car to drive the beginning and reverse the process at theend (we'll use more cars as required). The great part of starting at the mid way point is you hit the infamous hillswith fresh legs; It's a great confidence booster. We have been known to grab some 'caloric replenishment' post run.Rumor is it will involve 'peanut butter burgers' this trip. We should be back in Salem in the 2:30 - 3:00 range. Letme know if you'd like to join us, your cell # and whether you'd be willing to drive. No one runs alone. Pace is nota problem. Your Wicked Tour Guide, Tim Clarke”

From Tim Short: “I want to welcome my wife, Nicole Short to Wicked! Nicole has supported me at so manyraces over the years, now it’s my chance to return the favor cheer her on! Good luck at the North Shore WellnessFair 5K!”

Page 2.

SPEAKING OF THE BOSTON MARATHON…

WRC Boston Marathons runners include: Annie Rose Willis, Denise Murphy, Melissa Shea, Tim Short, MarkMeche, Mark Tuttle, Lester Friedberg and Andrew Scherding. Best of luck to all- enjoy!

Submitted by Tim Short: "Starting April 12, members of Wicked will be treated to an inside look at how yourfellow Wicked friends prepare for the Boston Marathon through Wicked’s own Boston Marathon Interview. If youare running the Boston Marathon feel free to answer the following questions and email your answers with a pictureof yourself if you like, to tim.short1@gmail.com by April 11. The interview document will be available onwickedrunningclub.com starting on April 12 as well! If you would like to send a good luck message to the thosewho will be running, messages will be posted to the website on Sunday 18th and can be sent to the same emailaddress. During Marathon Weekend our website will have all the information you need to know on how to trackyour favorite Wicked runners on Marathon Monday. There will also be live tweets and photos from the BostonMarathon Expo!”

Boston Marathon Interview:

How long have you been running, when/why did you start?Is there something about the Boston Marathon that makes it special to you? Why run this Marathon?How many Boston marathons have you done? Or will this be your first?Do you have any special diet the week prior to the marathon?Do you follow any specific running program to prepare for a Marathon?What's your favorite training run while training for a Marathon?What is your way to approach running a Marathon? I.e., slow at first, negative splits?Do you bring your own nutrition for the Marathon? Electrolytes, Gels, Bars?Are you shooting for a specific time at Boston or are you running to enjoy the sights and sounds?Do you run with an MP3 player? Have any tunes that get you over the wall or the rough points in the Marathon?Anything else you would like to add?

RUNNING AROUND… Upcoming Races & Official WRC Events

Look for the Wicked Logo for official Wicked Events or Grand Prix Races.

Saturday, April 3, Boston Marathon, 2nd Bite. Leaving from Waters & Brown, 281 Derby Street,Salem (parking lot in the rear) @ 9:00 am. We will drive into mile 13 of the marathon and run the last13 miles. (see Wicked Kudos on page 1 for more info).

Monday, April 12, 6:30 p.m Wicked Board Meeting, Salem Senior Center, Broad Street, Salem. Allmembers welcome and encouraged to attend!

Sunday April 11: Doyle’s Emerald Necklace Road Race, 5 miles, 10 a.m. No online registrations, but JulieArrison can email you the info if you drop her a note at juliearrison@gmail.com.

Sunday, April 11, Salem State College Wellness Fair & 5K, 9 a.m. Flat and fast local course with a raffle for 2AirTran airline tickets post race! http://www.salemstate.edu/3111.php

Salem Health & Wellness Week, April 12-17. WRC member Ann Sousa of Body & Soul Massage in Saleminvites everyone to participate in some great events and open houses being sponsored during Salem Health &Wellness Week, including Wicked Movie night below. By sampling and visiting some of Salem’s finest health andwellness businesses, you will also be eligible to win one of $2,000 worth of prizes. For more information on eventsand participating businesses, see www.SalemMainStreets.org.

Page 3.

Saturday, April 16, Movie Night at Winter Island Function Hall, Salem. 6:30 p.m.From Tim Short: Wicked and Salem Park & Rec will show two fantastic running movies at theWinter Island Function Hall which is located at 50 Winter Island Road in Salem, MA. Doors will

open around 6:30 pm and the movies will start at 7 pm. The first movie is Fire on the Track, a Steve Prefontainedocumentary. The 2nd movie is Spirit of the Marathon, an inspirational documentary following the stories of sixrunners training for the Chicago Marathon. There will be popcorn, soda, and water available. Cost of admission isnothing! A raffle will also take place with some very exciting items!

Saturday, April 17, Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla 5k Race, Ipswich. 9 a.m. This is part of theWRC race series. For info, go to: http://www.northshoreymca.org/pages/10644_road_races.cfm

Thursday, April 22, 6:30 p.m., North Shore Cancer Run Meeting, Salem Senior Center, BroadStreet. Planning for the 1st Annual North Shore Cancer RUN is starting to heat up. Interested ingetting more involved with the Cancer RUN? Attend the next meeting and find out how you can help!

Or email Tim Short at tim.short1@gmail.com for any questions that you might have about the race prior to themeeting.

Saturday, April 24, 19th Annual Rotary of Hampton NH 5K, 9 a.m. Flat and fast! Pre $18, Post $20. First 200get long sleeve shirt. Register on active.com if interested. Submitted by: Paul H. Bourbeau, Race Director, AnnualRotary Club of Hampton, NH 5K Road Race, (603) 944-0802, paul@planaheadonline.com.

Sunday, April 25, Marblehead Ring around the Neck 5 miles, 2 p.m. Presented by Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA.Online Registration Closes Friday, April 23, 2010 at 12:00 NOON ET. $20 pre-registration.http://www.runreg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=2276

Sunday, May 2, Bentley School 5k run and 2 mile walk, 9 a.m. Wicked Running is a partner of thislocal event, providing runners, volunteers and race support. $15 pre, $20 post. Online registration

closes 4/17, and is available on active.com. If you are not running and would like to volunteer, please contactKathey Moskal at katheyatc@aol.com or Paul McCabe at pmccabe1234@yahoo.com. We need about 10volunteers willing to show this local race some Wicked love!

Sunday, May 9, GAC Mother's Day 6 Hr Run @Bradley Palmer, 9 a.m. Submitted by Allison Phelan: “Some,if not most of you, have done this in the past. I did it for the first time last year and loved it. It is well staffed andsupported with volunteers and loads of snacks by the GAC. Information:16th Annual Mother's Day Six-Hour Walk/Run, Sunday May 9, 2010, 9 a.m.Bradley Palmer State Park, Topsfield, Mass- This is a fundraiser for Breast Cancer. $20 entry fee. Entrants are alsoencouraged to collect sponsor pledges. T-shirts for all entrants. Event is run on a three-mile loop of trails. Food anddrinks will be provided at the start/finish area. Contact Jim Gilford at (978) 887-5921 for more info.”

Sunday, May 23, Run to Home Base, 9k -finishing in Fenway Park. This inaugural race raises funding forveterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and gives true blue red sox fans the chance to run across home base!Registration is $25, but you are committed to raising $1,000 through your fundraising page. Race entry is limited.For info: www.runtohomebase.org.

Sunday, May 30: Boston’s Run to Remember 5 Miler and Half Marathon. Very popular race with Wickedrunners, and a great historic course in and around Boston regardless of which distance you choose.http://www.bostonsruntoremember.com.

Run the New England Relay on June 12-13, 2010: (Submitted by David Long) The New England Relay is thefirst relay to include all six New England states - Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, NewHampshire and Maine, with a course that showcases everything great about New England. For info go to:http://www.newenglandrelay.com/index.php?ID=1

Page 4.

Sunday, June 27: New Charles River Run, 7.5 Miler & 5k, 9 a.m. Registration is open now, but usually sellsout so sign up soon if interested. http://www.newcharlesriverrun.com/register.html

Sunday, June 27: Inaugural 13.1 Boston Half Marathon & 5K, limited field. So new I don’t have much moreinformation, but check out the website at www.131Boston.com

Sunday, July 4th, Harvard Pilgrim Independence Day 10k at Patriot’s Place, Foxborough. Your chance torun on the same field the Patriot’s play on! Check it out at: www.patriotplacerace.com.

Sunday, August 15, 2010, 37th Cigna Falmouth Road Race. 7-mile point-to-point course, Woods Hole toFalmouth Heights. Entry procedure will be posted by April 1, 2010 at http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/entry-information. It’s a lottery system to get in, but if you don’t get picked you are generally guaranteed the followingyear so it’s worth a shot. Beautiful oceanfront course, world class runners plus lots of regular folks, great crowdsupport, hotter than hell usually, but try to run this race at least once if you can just to say you did!

Ongoing Wicked Group Runs:Monday nights, 6:15 p.m. from Dane Street Beach, BeverlyTuesday and Thursday mornings, 5:30 a.m. from Front Street, SalemThursday nights, Salem Common near Hawthorne Hotel, 6:45 p.m. with a post pizza party at the Engine HouseSaturday mornings, 8 a.m. from Forest River Park, Salem

Other local weekly runs, free or optional donation:*Wednesday nights, 7 p.m., rain or shine: D5k, Danvers. Details: http://danvers5k.com/about.5K Timed Fun Run, Every Wednesday Night, race starts at 7'ish (rain or shine). BYOB Post Party.Starts at Sweet Williams Garden Center, 141 Pine Street, Danvers* Also Wednesday nights, 6:45 p.m. Weekly 5K “Run The Q” (aka Wakefield Lake) Hosted by the MysticRunners. Starts at Lord Wakefield Hotel, 595 North Avenue, Wakefield.* Yet another Wednesday night run starting soon … it’s almost Lynn Woods time!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES by Tim Short

* Wicked will be supporting the Bentley School 5K with volunteers as we did last year. The race is Sunday, May 2at 9 a.m. The number of volunteers needed, will be between 5-10 if you are interested can you please let PaulMcCabe know pmccabe1234@yahoo.com He will have more information as race day gets closer for now thefollowing information is as provided

* Boston’s Run to Remember May 23, 2010- Not running this year’s Boston’s Run to Remember, but would liketo still be part of the action? Wicked has an opportunity to staff a water table on the course! We need a minimumof 35 volunteers. Family and friends of Wicked are more than welcome to volunteer as well and we can wear ourWicked gear at the table. We will also have our banner on the table to really show off our Wicked Pride! We willneed to be at our table around 7 am the morning of the race. You can find out more information about the race atwww.bostonsruntoremember.com. Do not fill out the volunteer form on the website. If you would like to volunteerfor the race please email Tim Short at tim.short1@gmail.com by Friday April 23rd, 2010.

RELATED (and also unrelated) EVENTS AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS

11th Annual Spring Dance to benefit the Stephen M. O’Grady Foundation. K of C, Salem Common, Saturday,April 10, 8-midnight. Doors open at 7:30. DJ, raffles, Sox tickets and more! $20 donation at the door. For info, goto www.stephenogrady.com, or email bethogrady@yahoo.com. There is also a 50/50 raffle which you do not needto attend the dance to win- $10/ticket, minimum prize $1,000 or split the pot!

Page 5.

Salem Restaurant Week is Sunday, April 11 through Thursday, April 15. Salem has some wonderfulrestaurants, many of which donate to local charities. Why not give them a try while the price is right! For info go tothe Salem Chamber of Commerce site: http://www.salem-chamber.org/restaurantweek41.html.

Spring Running Clinic, Presented by Toomey Sports & Salem Park, Recreation, and Community Services.Thursdays, May 6 – June 10 @6:30 p.m. Cost: $65 ($55 for WRC Members and Salem City Employees).Bertram Field (Salem High Track). This clinic is ideal for all levels, beginner to expert, and will focus on 5k-10ktraining. Workouts will last approximately 60-75 minutes, and include track workouts, hill repeats, plyos, corestrength training specific to running, and form drills. We typically get 40-50 runners for this clinic with agesranging from 14-60. For info, contact Mike Toomey at mike@toomeysports.net, or Doug Bollen atdbollen@salem.com.

RUNNING PERSONALS

From Tim Short: “Good Luck to everyone from Wicked running the Boston Marathon!”

Several WRC members also belong to other local clubs. Check out the profile on Angel Green on the MysticRunners site: http://www.mysticrunners.com/moxie/aboutus/meet-mystic-runner-angel-.shtml.

WRC member Shari Hewson shared this quiz, “Who’s Your Role Model”. From Shari:Find out who is your role model. Do not look at the answer yet; just do the simple math below then go to thebottom of the message to find out who your hero is. It's CRAZY how accurate this is!1) Pick your favorite number between 1-92) Multiply by 33) Add 34) Multiply by 3, again5) You should now have a 2 or 3 digit number....6) Add the digits together… now check the answers at the bottom of the newsletter!

From Amber Woolfenden: “Looking for a used running stroller with pivoting front wheel. Phone Amber at(978) 430-1210, or email awoolfenden@gmail.com.”

A great suggestion by Allison Rourke:“As someone who is in the process of recovering from an injury that had me out of commission for awhile, itwould be great to do an article on people who have recovered- or are recovering- from injuries. It could be called‘The Comeback Kids’. Being injured puts both a physical and emotional strain on a person, and there are somany wonderful people in Wicked who have been so supportive to me, I would love to be able to recognize thempublicly. It seems like people who are injured often disappear from the scene for awhile, and I think these peoplemight like to share their stories and receive some support as they work towards a comeback for the spring andsummer.” This is a great idea- see Allison’s contribution in this month’s newsletter. Even if you are well now, itmay be helpful to share your story of patience and recovery to inspire those going through similar injuries. Thanks,Allison!

Submitted by Mary Tuttle: Bentley School 5K Road Race, Family Fun Walk and Scavenger HuntRegistration is under way for the Bentley Elementary School 5K Road Race and Fun Walk with Scavenger Hunt.The event takes place on Sunday May 2nd at 9:00 a.m. at the Bentley School, 25 Memorial Drive in Salem. Youcan register at Active.com for a fee of $15 for adults, $10 for Children and $5 per family for the fun walk. You cansign up on the day of the race at 8:30 for an additional charge of $5. Prizes will be awarded top finishers and shirtswill be given to the first 150 to register for the race and the first 50 kids for the fun walk. The form can also beprinted from the Bentley PTO page on the Salem Public Schools website. The school is looking forward to awonderful event that will promote health and wellness in our community. Proceeds will go to support enrichmentprograms at the school. Many thanks to sponsors: Eastern Bank, Dominion Salem Harbor Station, DG CapitalManagement, Goldberg Properties, LLC, Sheriff Frank G. Cousins Jr., Desjardins Insurance Agency, Tache RealEstate and supporters: Wicked Running Club. For more information e-mail bentleypto@gmail.com.

Page 6.

A note on Facebook from Mike Toomey: “Mike Toomey is wishing one of my very best friends, Danny Chick,good luck with knee surgery! Hope to see you out on the roads again soon my friend!” Wishing you fast healingDanny- we miss you, too!

Amber Woolfenden (awoolfenden@gmail.com): “Does anyone know the distance around Salem Common?”Also from Amber: “Nice to see Susan Keezer one Sunday morning running out in Salem training for her first halfmarathon.”

Doug Bollen would like to know if there is anyone who has run all 8 of his Olde Salem Green’s races and/or allsix Wild Turkey Races on Thanksgiving Day. If you have, drop him a note at dougbollen12@yahoo.com.

Jen Toomey is relocating to the West Coast in April – best of luck Jen, we’ll miss you!

Doug and I will be West Coast bound to participate in the Eugene Oregon Full & Half Marathon: Running inthe Footsteps of Legends on Sunday, May 2. Last call for this destination race!

We have several WRC members participating in events to raise money for some great causes:

Stephanie Hagyard will be participating in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-day event, which is a premiere fundraiserfor breast cancer research. If you would like to help, email: shagyard@yahoo.com.

Several WRC members are raising funds to participate in the Run to Home Base 9K, which finishes by runningacross home plate in Fenway Park. Each runner agrees to raise $1,000 dollars or more for troops returning fromAfghanistan or Iraq with PTSD or Traumatic brain injuries. WRC runners include Tim Short, Melanie McKinnonand Erin Muldowney. Go to: http://www.runtohomebase.org for more information on donating.

Denise Murphy is part of Steve’s Team 2010, and will be completing the Boston Marathon for her first time onMonday, April 19th to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem. If you are interested in donating to theClub in support of Denise, see www.stephenogrady.com and click on the Steve’s Team logo on the right. This isDenise’s first time running Boston!

Mark Meche is running the Boston Marathon to benefit Mass General Children’s Hospital. As Mark states onhis marathon blog: “My youngest son Alexander was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in June of2006. I am extremely happy to report that he is on the road to recovery. Mass General Hospital has helped myfamily over the past four years and in gratitude I am running my third Boston Marathon in support of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, raising money to help fund childhood cancer research and clinical services.”You can find more information at: http://MecheMarathonBlog.com.

SEEN & HEARD “ON THE RUN”

Hopefully the New England black ice is gone, none too soon for Stephanie Cooper who slipped and broke herarm, but is going cast-less due to the precarious position of the break. Hopefully she will be well on the mend bythe time this newsletter is read! She was well enough, however, to offer this sagely piece of advice: Never drinkanything with the word “Blast” in it the night before a race!

Heard on the run, AJ King Artisan Bakers in Salem has the best hot cross buns around, but they are only for alimited time. Don’t dismay- they have fabulous cookies, muffins, scones and bread too. I’m very dedicated- I liketo verify these things before they go to print

Read in a health magazine: A flu virus can live on a dollar bill for 17 days- EUWW! Just another reason to useyour debit card if you want to stay healthy.

Did you know that humble Ken Hewson who has said he “played a little hockey” back in the day was actually sogood that his number is retired at Fitchburg State?

Page 7.

Heard about a million times from Shari Hewson: “ . . . so, did I tell you I have an Achilles injury?”. Shari appearsto be on the mend after a visit to Dr. Boyle, a favorite in running circles.

Apparently, not everyone loves Wicked as evidenced by some “hate mail” received at the Wicked Website from ahouse on the early morning Tuesday/Thursday route. Send that resident a Wicked Application so they can join us!Seriously though, our concerned runners have adjusted their routine so as not to give the WRC a bad rap.

Tim Clarke & Jay Curry will be representing WRC on the West Coast when they take on the Escape fromAlcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco on May 2nd. “We hoping for a reasonable water temperature”, said Tim.That what the escaped prisoners that were never heard from again said too!

An email sent to the WRC: “I finally got to run a race here in the US while wearing my WRC racing kit. First racesince returning from Gitmo Bay, Cuba and first race since last July! Did the Greater Springfield Harrierssnowstorm 5k Fun Run on 27 Feb in 20:18. Boy am I out of shape but it was neat when people were asking meafter the race about my most cool singlet! Warmest Regards from Western Mass, Rodney B. Furr”.I responded to the email saying, “That’s fantastic… but who are you?” and received this response:“I joined the club last year while deployed to Gitmo Bay and I’m probably one of the few Western Mass WRC’ers.I think I joined the club sometime around April or May of ’09 – I do recall wearing the club’s racing kit at a 4th ofJuly race while I was deployed.” Wow- Wicked’s running reach is spanning the Globe!

Heard on the run when the temps were in the 20’s in late March: “DAMN, I thought winter was over".

WRC member Frank Kilroy says he has a hard time remembering the names of all the Wicked members… so Isaid, “I know what you mean Fred, why do you think everyone just yells GO WICKED all the time!”

While chatting with WRC member (and impressive runner) Jason Barnes, he suggested we consider setting anannual time to renew memberships so we don’t lose track if we are up to date or not, sort of like remembering tochange your fire alarm batteries when the time springs forward. Maybe we could set up an official membershiprenewal table at the Frosty Four race for example? We also mentioned the idea of lifetime memberships that wouldallow members- like Steve Nickerson who mentioned his schedule was too busy to attend many official events, orour injured (or pregnant!) members- to know they can just jump back in at any time when they want to be activeagain. Stuff to think about…

The Olde Salem Greens 5k Cross Country Run was recorded by SATV and will be shown on the Salem accesschannel (sorry, you have to be a Salem-ite without satellite TV to view). Featured in this show is an interview withWRC member Rich Tabbut, who had some kind words to say about why he enjoys being part of Wicked-including our community service, scholarship program and our friendly members. Thanks, Rich- it was nice to hearsuch heartfelt commentary about the Club!

GOALS ACHIEVED/GOOD NEWS

Amber Woolfenden reports she is finally able to run around Marblehead Neck “without passing out!” I’m barelyable to do that myself, so kudos to you

Read on Stephanie Hagyard facebook: “My goal for the remainder of 2010 is to do atleast once race a month.And considering I did one in January and one today, February is the only month lacking. Already signed up forApril- know of August, September, October, November races I am doing. Just need to figure out the rest of themonths. Stephanie's Challenge :-)”

Word is Nicole Bevington-Short is targeting the SSC Wellness 5k on April 11 as her 1st 5k of the year!

Page 8.

COMEBACK CORNER

THE COMEBACK KID, by Allison Rourke

Having battled seasonal depression most of my adult life, the arrival of Thanksgiving andcooler temperatures have always triggered a sense of dread. “See you in the spring” hasbeen my typical response when fellow runners asked me if I had plans to run any winterraces. Not surprisingly, wintertime is also when I’ve developed most of my runninginjuries, most likely my mind wanting to hibernate along with the rest of my body.

However, heading into the winter season this year was different: for the first time I couldremember, I was at my peak both physically and emotionally and was actually looking

forward to the winter running season. In late December when a group of friends from Wicked suggested that weregister for the Hampton Half Marathon, I jumped at the chance. Not long after that, we added the BurlingtonMarathon to our training goal. For me, this was a defining moment because it symbolized my finally coming toterms with the winter blues that I’d dealt with for so many years. It was shaping up to be an enjoyable winter.

Then, during one week in late January, I received two devastating bits of news. First, a chronic knee injury flaredup again, forcing me to take a six-week break from running and to make the difficult decision to pull out of theHampton Half Marathon. Second, my dad, who had been battling health problems for some time, was diagnosedwith Parkinson’s disease. Running had always been my outlet for dealing with stress, but without it, I was forcedto turn to other sources of comfort: my friends, family, and long hours at the gym with a personal trainer. I beganto re-think running’s place in my life, and wondered if I would ever be able to run pain-free again.

During this time, I relied heavily on my “Wicked” friends for support: The “Monday Night Girls,” TeamTouchette, Team Phelan, Team Hewson…too many people to name. As difficult as it was for me to be a bystanderwhile everyone else was training, I was grateful to be surrounded by runners, people who “get it.” Finally, one day,I got the dose of reality that I needed to put things into perspective.

While visiting my parents on a Sunday afternoon, I was helping my dad get from the kitchen to the living room. Igrabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet, then adjusted his walker so he could stand in front of it. I stoodbehind him as he shuffled along, at a painfully slow pace.

“How has your knee been feeling?” he asked.

“Its getting better, but I am frustrated because I can’t run without having to walk a lot,” I said. “I can only go amile or so before I need to take a break.”

I heard him sigh. Then he turned to me and said, “I would love to be able to walk a mile again.” It was at thatmoment that I decided to change my perspective. Suddenly, it was ok if I had runs where every step was achallenge.

On Sunday, March 21, I completed the Olde Salem Greens 5K. I thought of my dad and how for him, walking is avictory. Miraculously, I ran the entire race, pain-free. When I spotted the finish line, I sprinted to the end and Iheard people yelling my name. As I entered the chute, someone asked me how I was feeling. “I did it!” I said.“I’m back.” And what a comeback it’s been.

Yep, that’s me. The ‘Comeback Kid.’

Page 9.

Am I A Runner? by Shannon Downey (Photo: Shannon and hubby & WRC member, Billy Hutchinson)

A few weeks ago I was trying out a new gym and I ran into my boss, whowas speaking to another member. He introduced her to me and explainedshe was training for a relay marathon. Then he said to her, "Shannon is arunner as well." My immediate response was "Oh, no, I am not a runner!"- which was ironic since I was, well, running as I said it. It got me tothinking: am I a runner?

I've never considered myself a runner per se. Runners are in great shape,thin, go out in all weather and train for marathons by running 50 miles aweek. I am 70 pounds overweight, stay snuggled in bed with the cats onrainy days and the most I've ever run in one week was 15 miles. I run forexercise, to try to lose weight and to stay healthy. I run because cardio

exercise bores the crap out of me and this was the only one that stuck (thank you, "runner's high"). I had severaltrainers who encouraged me to run for cardio since it was the one I liked. So I stuck with it.

Then I started law school.

I think it was during first year of law school that I started to shift my perception of what made a runner. It becamemore than just exercise: it was stress relief. My mother would say I was crazy when I got up at 4:45 am to go runat the gym, then rush to work, then go to class and arrive home at 10:00 pm. When an old ankle injury flared upduring my first year finals and I couldn't run I started to realize what a stress relief it had been for me.

As law school continued, I started to see my approach towards running change. It wasn't just a way to get exerciseanymore - it became a release. I recognized what running did for me mentally and emotionally. When my brothergot sick with esophageal cancer and I visited him in California, I ran, trying to wish the cancer out of him. Whenhe passed away and my father and I drove cross-country to attend the funeral, I ran, because my dad and I couldn'tsleep anyway. On the day of the funeral, I ran, crying for the entire two miles. On the first morning of the barexam, I ran, thinking that there was no way I was going to pass (I did). When old friends were coming for a visit, Iran, knowing that I was going to need my strength for the partying. When the first warm day arrived, I ran, happyto shed my Under Armor. Now I see the pattern: when things are good, bad or ugly, one thing has stayed -running.

Now there is no denying it. Running is a part of my life. I'm excited to run in winter now that I've found a fleecehat that covers my ears but has a ponytail hole. I've convinced my husband to run with me and he just joinedWicked this year. We gave up going out on Thanksgiving Eve to run the Wild Turkey Race. We both signed upfor our first 10K this summer. But the day that I decided to forgo a red Chanel lipstick in favor of new runningshoes, I knew I had a problem!

My name is Shannon Downey.

I am 39 years old and 70 pounds overweight.

And I am a runner.

Page 10.

REVIEW YOUR RUN

The Hyannis Half, 2/28/10, by Melissa Jaynes:The Hyannis Half is one of my favorite races in New England. For those of you unfamiliar, Hyannis is about 2hours away on the Cape and where the Kennedy's live and the JFK memorial is found. The course goes past thememorial as well as JFK beach (see photo) which was really nice. There were lots of big beautiful houses alongour path and the smell of salty air, which is always nice in the spring. This is a very pretty race. The great thingabout the Hyannis half is that the course lends itself to a strong half marathon, and marathon for those willing tocomplete two loops (which many Wicked runners have done as well). The course has some rolling hills, but thedown hills and flat parts of the course lead many to PR and welcome negative splits. The unknown about Hyannisis the weather. So long as wind and rain steer clear, this spring race lends itself to often ideal temperatures of low40s adding to the PRs. Hyannis, as far as race amenities, also sports a pretty decent expo and an assortment of postrace food. This year the race director encouraged participants to bring their own water, but I found there wasplenty for racers. The race food was a wide assortment of bananas, bagels, Dunkin donuts, and granola chips. Ihave heard in previous years that this race runs out of food, but this year that problem seemed to be more thancured as tons of food seemed to remain. The t-shirts are a downfall as they are cotton long sleeve t-shirts and notalways in the best of colors (no Wicked red) like purple and brown. I give this race 4.5 cats.Congrats to all the Wicked Runners who ran this race this year and I hope to see more of you in Hyannis next year.

The AOH St. Patrick’s Day Race, 3/14/10, by Scott CarrierThere is an art to balancing family, work and training. It took me three attempts to sitdown and right this brief race summary and each time work or other distractions keptme from finishing. Being a parent has taught me many things, a few of which are; toknow when to take an easy day so that I have energy for family events and to find thepositive in nearly every experience even when things don’t go quite as planned. I alsofind myself to be more grateful to be out there competing and doing something I enjoysurrounded by like-minded positive people and also, to not take myself so seriously. Asmany of you already know, my wife Sarah also runs so we have to plan our days andweeks to allow for equal training opportunities and to be supportive in our racing goalsand social events linked to this sport. The reason I am writing this introduction is tohelp understand why I would be out running a local 5K race during a windy, cold andrainy morning. Well, Sarah ran her long run on Saturday, leaving me with the “greenlight” to run Sunday morning while she entertained the kids.The race was close to home, approximately a 10 minute drive from our house or ~20minutes because I forget the directions. In hindsight, I realize my daughter was usingthem to take food orders in her pretend restaurant. Once I found the race start neardowntown Peabody, I arrived to see only a few runners entering the building, which due

to the weather conditions, I completely understood. I don’t run in the rain to be tough or prove anything but ratherto take the opportunity to do something for myself regardless of the weather conditions. I read this in a bookwritten by Benjamin Zander quoting his father and I think of it often; “There is no bad weather, only inappropriateclothing.”

Page 11.

There were about 50 runners to toe the line and even someone to take a picture of this small field with shoulders upclose to our ears, trying to stay warm. I did notice an experienced-looking runner warming up and doing strides.Honestly, I thought he would be the one to follow. Though he started in second and I in third, he took the lead bythe first mile. The course took us through downtown Peabody and a few turns for the first relatively flat 1.5 milesand then close to the Jr. High School where we encountered the first small hill which then flattens out for ~0.5miles before another small gradual incline. Right before the finish there is a very steep downhill that is tricky todescend and I found myself trying to avoid braking more than opening up my stride and letting gravity take medown the hill. The finish is ~200 meters on a slight descending stretch of road. If the weather cooperates on thatday, the course could be a potential PR 5K event. The awards were generous and there was some food and drinks;hotdogs, macaroni salad, chips soda and beer.After finishing, I ran a cool-down with the winner Jim Quadros. I’m still amazed at how much you can learn aboutsomeone on a 20 minute run. Among many interesting things, Jim has been running since his late 20’s and he haswon on this course many times. He has been a local champion and probably will continue to be so in the mastersdivision if he keeps running and racing. I was happy to get out for a hard run, meet some interesting people and notbe gone all day long. So for a low-key local event, I would give this race 3 ½ cats, and say put this on yourcalendar for next year!”

Disney Princess Half Marathon, by Shari Hewson

(Top photo L to R, WRC Princesses Stephanie Cooper, ShariHewson, Sue Keezer, Beth O’Grady & Michele Campbell.Bottom Photo… treated like royalty at the Princess Expo)

This “race” was truly one for the books. Beth O’Grady,Stephanie Cooper, Susan Keezer, Michele Campbell andI traveled to Disney with fellow runners Lori Wetzel(GAC) and Lana Popova (MVS). We went down withthe intention of having a fun race and celebrate SusanKeezer’s first half marathon, but right from the start sillyinnuendoes were exchanged in e-mails, we donned ourtiaras, started thinking pink and humor was high! Micheletraveled with Gif and they stayed at a different resort – hmmm,think she was sending us a message?We were decked out in full Princess gear from tiaras to tutus(hand made by Stephanie’s mom) and shirts that readPRINCESS. We wore our outfits to the Expo, and were besiegedby fans that wanted to buy our outfits. Okay, besieged may besomewhat of a stretch but really, we were almost like rock stars!Sadly we had to inform the “Princess Wannabes” that our outfitscould not be purchased at any vendor and that we truly werespecial! We laughed, shopped, ate and drank –pretty mucheverything you should not do the day before a half marathon.We even made a new “race rule” – never eat or drink anythingthat ends in “blast” before a race (stay tuned for the WickedRunners Race Rule Book). I highly recommend Wolfgang Puckfor a pre-race meal. Oh, hmmm, think I am supposed to be talking about the actual race here, huh? Ooops, sorry,okay, enough with the good times and on to the race!

The major downfall to these races that take place in Disney is the start time – 6:00 a.m., which means the last busleaves the resort at 4:00 a.m. as the roads are closed at 4:30, which means – yup, keep going backwards – we getup at approximately 2:50 a.m. I have decided this is the reason why I need to “visit” almost every porta potty onthe race route – it is because I am up too early. Probably a little TMI, huh? So, there we were in all our Princessattire, armed with cameras and ready to go. Steph looked exceptionally marvelous in her clear trash bag!

Page 12.

Susan was doing an awesome job at keeping her nerves at bay. The same cannot be said for me, as I could notseem to “remember” if I had told anyone I had an Achilles injury. This meant I felt the need to “remind” my fellowPrincesses of my plight fairly often! Much to our delight we found Michele at the bag check in area – Michele wasdrugged up on Dayquil and other legal remedies for her nasty cold so she and I made quite the pair!

Fireworks mark the start of each wave, and you cannot help but get caught up in the excitement and adrenaline.The route for the Princess Half is the same as the Half in January, which means long stretches of highway andaccess roads. Although there is not as much entertainment at the Princess as there was in January, this was only the2nd year for the Princess so we will give it time. However, there were many characters along the route which madefor great photo opportunities and boy, did we do the “photo op” thing. Stephanie and I went down with theintention of taking pictures with everyone and everything and Beth then decided she would run the race as one bigphoto op too. I think my hearing was having issues as I thought Beth asked us to “spoon the Princes” instead of“swoon the Princes” when we ran up to have our picture taken with them – hmmm.After we had our picture taken with Princess Belle, Stephanie commented that Princess Belle was really pretty. Yathink Steph?! We then explained to Steph that in Disney if you are not pretty you cannot be a Princess – no, if youare “unattractive” they give you a costume, complete with a head, such as Chip and Dale! Speaking of, yes, we hadour picture taken with Chip and Dale, Prince Charming, and even stood in line for Mickey and Minnie. During therace Stephanie kept reminding us that if we saw Goofy or Donald we absolutely had to have our picture taken withthem. Alas, as the miles ticked away there were no sightings of Goofy or Donald. My fear was that PrincessStephanie was going to be disappointed.Oh, this was a race?! Ooops, between pictures and porta potty visits (haven’t met a porta potty yet that I reallylike!) we were out there for awhile. Beth was planning on taking a picture of me coming out of a porta potty butapparently I took so long the camera shut itself off – hey, you know, between the tutu, the tiara – tough keeping thePrincess look together! Yes, we even jumped off the race course – well maybe not really jump b/c did I mention Ihad an Achilles injury – but ran off the race course to have our picture taken by Michele’s husband Gif.

Oh I seemed to have strayed – sorry, right, this is a review of the race. In terms of water stops, medical tents andpersonnel and hydration stations the race was very well supported. The volunteers were wonderful, cheerful andencouraging. The medals at the end are fabulous – fit for a Princess! As the finish line neared I felt that Stephaniewas going to be disappointed that she did not see Goofy or Donald and just as I was about to break this sad news toher there was a sighting. Could it be? Was it really? YES, it was Donald and Goofy! However, they were right atthe finish and we (well, Beth and I) really felt we just needed to cross the finish line. We did in fact cross and thenturned around and went back to have our picture taken with Donald and Goofy!

The food at the end of the race (tee, hee, did I actually call this a race?!) was not of the same caliber as our veryown Wicked Frosty Four. Rather, it was the typical bagels, fruit and light snacks. However, we finished in plentyof time to get back to our resort and have a hearty breakfast. I have done the January Disney Half Marathon threetimes and this was my first Princess Half. Would I do it again? Absolutely! I attribute a large part of the fun to thecompany of my fellow Princesses! Overall I would rate this “race” 4 cats.

Olde Salem Greens Cross-Country 5k, by Adam Fitch:I must admit I was more than a little nervous about running what is commonly known as"Doug's Hellish Hills Run" for the first time. Even in times when I was running well, I avoidedthis race... horror stories abounding about the miles of endless inclines, some so steep it feltmore like rock climbing than running, but I had made the commitment to run the Wicked RaceSeries this year and had to do it. To make matters worse, my last race, The Hampton Half, didnot go well and I woke up the morning of the race with a cold. All of this is why I was sopleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this race. The morning was cool without being coldand the sun was shining. The course was challenging, and although some of the hills were verysteep the majority of them were gentle rolling hills and not the mountains I was imagining, andI only saw a couple of people slow down to walk the hills. I also liked the option of running oneither the paved trail or the grass. Running on the grass was great but the recent rain made thosedown grades slippery so it was nice to have the option of taking the paved trail for traction.

Page 13.

Unlike trail runs, there was plenty of room to spread out so crowding was not an issue for most of the course. Oneof my favorite parts of this race was the view. I'm not a golfer so I'd never had the chance to see this course but itwas beautiful, especially with the sun shining after all that rain. In short, don't believe the rumors... yes this is achallenging race, even for a 5K but still a lot of fun and worthy of bragging rights. I'll say 4 cats for this particularrace, it was pretty soggy and muddy in the low areas of the course, but other than that it was great.

WICKED REVIEWS

Beth O’Grady highly recommends 9 Elm Street, in Danvers Square. It’s an intimate restaurant limited to beerand wine, but I have yet to have a meal there I didn’t dream about later. From appetizers to dessert, their foodrocks! I give it 4 cats, only because it doesn’t have a full bar

Amber Woolfenden reports: “Cafe Gulu Gulu in Salem is a great place to meet up with friends for lunch onweekends and is very kid friendly. Awesome food for a reasonable price. I would give Gulu 4 1/2 cats. The placeis great but they don't serve my favorite beer (Harpoon IPA).”

Got a restaurant, book, movie, race or anything else to review? Send your review, a photo and your Wicked Catrating (1-5 cats with 5 cats being the meowest) to bethogrady@yahoo.com.

I’M ALSO A POST CLOSING SPECIALIST." I posed a few questions to WRC member Stephanie Hagyard. Born and raised inConnecticut, she lived in Montana and Washington State before moving toMassachusetts in 2002. She has lived in Salem since 2005, and has been married toher husband Craig for almost four years. As Stephanie states: “We are a happilychildless couple and love living in Salem”.

You said you are a post-closing specialist. That's fantastic…but what the heck isthat?“Basically a nice way of saying I am an auditor of sorts. I work for Salem Five in theMortgage division, so once people sign all those endless docs at closing for apurchase/refinance of a condo/house/2nd home, etc. I review the docs to make sure allthe I's are dotted and T's are crossed. And no I can't help "you" get a good rate :-)”Great, there goes my 2nd question.

You mentioned that you worked at a movie theater in Connecticut after high school, where you met famouspeople including Michael Bolton, David Letterman, Bob Costas, David Canary, Phil Donahue and MarloThomas. I've never seen stars like that at Hollywood Hit in Danvers. How did your theatre attract so many bignames? “The movie theater, which is now a TJ Maxx, was located in a town in Fairfield County. Due to theproximity to NYC, a lot of famous people lived in the area and would support the local cinema. We were a one-screen theatre that had a balcony and showed a lot of the Disney and family movies. “

You also lived in Montana for a while. I met someone at a race once from Montana, and they said the wholestate has about 10 people living there- does that sound right, and what brought you out there? “It does havefewer people living in the state compared to any of the cities or towns in MA. I lived in Missoula, which while Ilived there was the 3rd biggest city- with a population of 40,000 people. That fluctuated because of having one ofthe state universities. I went out there for school and a change of scenery from the east coast.”

You organize a monthly book club (wink…wink…/wine club), and a monthly brunch club. Are these open tonew folks if anyone is interested, and if so how can they find out more? “These are open to anyone. The bookclub does tend to attract more women the men but we are open to whomever joining us. If they are interested, bothgroups do have a facebook group page that the monthly events are posted on. The Book club is ‘Salem Book Club’and the Brunch group is called ‘Breakfast Club’.”

Page 14.

At our annual WRC party, your fun fact was that you were voted as one of the “30 Most ExtraordinaryBostonians” award. That’s very cool- tell us more. “I was nominated by a friend of mine, also named Stephanie,for all the volunteer work that I was doing at the time. When I first moved to Boston, I used my love for exploringand love for volunteering as a way to meet people, find out more about the city and give back to the communitiesthat make up the Boston area. I was averaging about 15-20 hours a week of volunteering on top of working fulltime. It lead me to be asked to be treasurer for one organization for a year (Prison Book Program) and organizevolunteer projects for Single Volunteers Boston and to become a project leader with Boston Cares.”

Sounds like you really are a volunteer extraordinaire… tell us some of the groups you’ve volunteered for, anddo you have a soft spot for any organization or cause in particular?“Some of the organizations I have done work with is Boston Cares (www.bostoncares.org) that works with variousnon profits in the Greater Boston Area to send volunteers to help. Through that I worked with Boston LivingCenter, Prison Book Program, Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, Greater Boston Food Bank, Harvest Food Pantry,Cradles to Crayons, Lynn Boys & Girls Club, various charitable walks at the Hatch Shell and even the PlaygroundBuild at Forest River Park last year, to name a few. The ones listed were some of my faves. I personally like tohelp out with HIV/AIDs issues as I lost a friend to the disease and hunger because you never know when youwould be in need.”

You mentioned that you finally took some “down time” from volunteering to go back to college and get yourbachelor’s degree from Emmanuel College in Boston in May 2007. Do you think being on the “16 year plan” asyou call it helped you decide better what degree you were most interested in? “It did help me decide on what tomajor in and take life experience from working in various industries up until then to apply to knowledge learnedfrom the textbooks. I am a big proponent of this. I think that often at 18, it is tough to make a decision of what youwant to do for the rest of your life so if you work for a year or two before going to college great! But some peopleare lucky to know early on what they want to do.”

So you are clearly a busy, busy person. If someone forced you to take a day and not work, volunteer orcoordinate anything, what would you do with yourself?“Sit at the beach, read a book and spend a couple hours at the gym.”

You said you love living in Salem. Why did you decide to move here, and what are some of the things you loveabout the area? “When my husband was looking to buy a condo, we were still dating, and he was looking on thesouth shore and I had done the 3 day 60 mile cancer walk that summer and we happened to do part of the walkthrough the Salem/Beverly, Danvers area. I fell in love with the downtown and willows area when we walkedthrough it and hinted to him to maybe buy up here instead. He used to play in a band up here in the 90’s and waslike “Duh why didn’t I think of that” and the rest is history. We moved in together when he bought the condo andended up getting married. I love that Salem has a sense of community and that there is always something going onto do and that people in the city are trying to make it a destination other then just Halloween.”

What is your favorite race and why?” Derby St Mile because it was my first.”

What other interesting facts would the club be surprised to learn about you?“I am a certified travel agent.”

Who will be profiled next month? Check back and see!

Question of the Month –What is your “dream run”?

Amber Woolfenden: “Dream and goal: to run the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in Humbolt CountyCalifornia.”

Jacquie Washburn: “Big Sur - running and not thinking about my time - but just the view.”

Beth O’Grady: “I’m hoping my marathon in May will be my dream run!”

Page 15.

Question of the Month, Part 2: “What’s in your ipod”?

Kathey Moskal: “I have everything from Sinatra to Maroon 5 to Kenny Chesney to Godsmack in my iPod! :-)”

Melissa Jaynes: “Sr-73, Dave Matthews Band, Aerosmith (like all Aerosmith), Black Eyed Peas, and Prince (cuzsometimes you need a little K . . I. . . S. . .S.. . .)”

Jacquie Washburn: “My iPod is has an assortment of music from The Who, to Jay-Z, the BeeGees, Rickie LeeJones, Creed, and Rick James. However, everytime I've pr'd in a long race I've been listening to the Grateful Dead- maybe I should just take everything else off.”

Nicole Short: “My iPod is loaded with Motley Crue. Good old 80's Hair Bands are what gets me through myruns! Nike Plus calls it a ‘power song’ and its probably pretty cliche, but whenever I hear ‘Eye of the Tiger’ bySurvivor, I seem to pick up the pace quite a bit!”

Adam Fitch: “You don't want to know what's on my ipod.”

Darla Johnson: “My favorite audio book "He's Just Not That Into You" -- it is great for long runs, keeps mesmiling. Of course, my tunes are mostly mixed rock ...AC/DC, Aerosmith, Billy Squier, Nickelback, Daughtry,Black Eyed Peas, Offspring, Pink, Bon Jovi, Bruce, Bryan Adams, Creed, Kings of Leon, U2, ZZ Top.... but otherfavorites are Keith Urban, Jimmy Buffet, Chicago, John Denver, Norah Jones, Rascal Flatts, Rod Stewart.”

Stephanie Hagyard: “Black Eyed Peas, Moby, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spearsand Beastie Boys are a few that I run to.”

David Long: “I don't run with iPod, but I imagine there are some very small wires and chips and spinny things inthere. But that's probably not exactly what you were asking, right? :)” (every club has one smartie pants).

Shannon Downey: “I'm going old school right now - Guns and Roses, Appetite for Destruction - the entire album.Not a bad running song on the entire thing.”

Question of the month for May: “What is your running/racing pet peeve?”

THIS SPRING, GET YOUR CAT ON! by Michele Campbell

Hello Wicked runners. Clothing Director Michele Campbell here. I know we are all dying for spring to come so wecan shed our fleece-lined-super-thick winter pants and show some skin. What better way to ring in spring than bysporting Wicked Running Club gear? We have singlets, and Tech Ts, and caps, oh my! To get a sense of howfabulous you might look in wicked gear check out these photos:

(L) Dave Long can’t hide behind his glasses, thanks to his WRC singlet! (R) Fast James DeLuca sports a Tech T!

Page 16.

(L) Gail Gordon rocks the ladies Tech T! (R) The Fabulous Susan Keezer in the ladies Singlet.

To order merchandise, including wicked pullovers and hats not shown on our models, download the order form onthe WRC website. We are out of a few things, but if you are interested in out-of-stock items let me know becausewe can reorder when there are enough requests. We are sold out of men’s L & S Pullovers, men’s L & XL Tech Ts,women’s XL singlets and women’s XL pullovers.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS WICKED?

Miles Farlek at the starting line of the Boston Marathon,shortly before one of his long runs. He is trying to figure outhow to break four hours when his legs are only 4 incheslong…

Have you worn your Wicked pride someplace exotic orexciting? Send a photo along to bethogrady@yahoo.com.

ANSWERS TO WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL: 1. Albert Einstein, 2. Oprah Winfrey, 3. President Lincoln, 4.Thomas Edison, 5. Bill Gates, 6. Ghandi, 7. Brad Pitt, 8. Babe Ruth, 9. Shari Hewson, 10. Billy Graham.From Shari: “I know, I know.....I just have that effect on people. One day, maybe you too can be like me. Why are youlaughing? I AM YOUR ROLE MODEL... JUST DEAL WITH IT!”

Page 17.

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE by Tim Short

Can you believe it’s already April? I know I can’t! It’s been a very exciting first fewmonths of my second term as President of the Wicked Running Club and I’m sure thateveryone out there in Wicked Nation is praying for a drier month as the North Shore areaand the rest of the state of Massachusetts got soaked with storm after storm in March.

Now that its spring and the race calendar race calendar is becoming full, that means morepictures and more posts on Facebook about our adventures. So I wanted to take anopportunity to let everyone know about the great ways that you can stay up to date on allthe latest happenings with the Wicked Running Club.

For members that joined after May of 2008, you have had the pleasure of knowing onlyof the current Wicked website and all of its great possibilities! Those who were aroundprior to that know that the clubs first website was good, but didn’t really show off thepride of the Wicked Running Club in ways that it should. As with most things in life thecurrent website that you can view at www.wickedrunningclub.com is the product ofAaron Toleos, our webmaster and also a member of the Wicked Running Club. I firstmet Aaron at Danvers 5K back in Early 2008. And as they say; the rest is history. Aaron

worked with John Mahoney and me to bring a big upgrade to our club website.

Powered by wordpress.com, wickedrunning.com is a one stop shop for all things Wicked Running Club. Want tofind out when the next group run is? There is a calendar for that. Looking for information about the Wicked GrandPrix Race Series? There is a page for that. How about the legendary Wicked Frosty Four? Oh, there are tons ofgreat information about that! Maybe you want to check out a past issue of the Wicked Running Register, and yesyou can find that as well. But what makes Wicked’s website really interactive and fun is the home page.

The home page of wickedrunningclub.com is in a blog format, meaning that text, pictures, videos and links can beadded whenever a new event comes up. This is great not only for current members to see, but also for potentialmembers as well, as they can see how much fun being a member of Wicked really is.

One of the newer sections of the website that is really coming along is the Race Results page. Dan Barrett has beendoing a great job recent of posting results of Wicked Runners on this page and as well as posting the Grand PrixResults for all to view. This takes a considerable amount of time to compile all the data and get it on the website,so the next time you see Dan, let him know how much you appreciate his hard work!

With the advent of social media, The Wicked Running Club is right there with everyone else taking advantage ofFacebook and Twitter. On Facebook you can find the club by searching for Wicked Running Club. Become a fan,and post something to the wall. There are tons of members already on Facebook so it’s great to be able tocommunicate with all of our Wicked Friends. Wicked is also on Twitter! We actually have Twitter updates right onthe home page of www.wickedrunningclub.com.

There is also our club email mailing list powered by Google Groups. Want to see who is running in a future race?Or maybe you need advice on a new pair of shoes. With Google Groups email mailing list you have access to all250 members in the Wicked Running Club.

So you see, it’s all about communication and the Wicked Running Club does a great job at making sure thatmembers can stay in touch and know what’s happening with the Club. If you have any ideas that you think wouldmake communication better for Wicked, email your thoughts and comments towebmaster@wickedrunningclub.com.

Keep on Running Wicked Nation!Tim Short, President

Page 18.

WICKED CONTACT INFORMATION:There are about a gazillion ways to stay in touch with Wicked, just a few options are below:

Got a question? You can e-mail the Board at:BOARD MEMBERS:President: Tim Short, tim.short1@gmail.comVice President: Rich Tomlins, rrtomlins@gmail.comSecretary: Alison Phelan, alphelan2@aol.comTreasurer: Melissa Jaynes, melissa.jaynes@gmail.comMembership Coordinator: Annie Rose Willis, Annika729@aol.comClothing Coordinator: Michele Campbell, michelejcampbell@yahoo.comAt Large: TR Ramsdell, mopartr@comcast.net, Shari Hewson, shewson@cellsignal.com,Peter Raymond, pote259@yahoo.com.

WRC VOLUNTEERS:Volunteer Coordinators: Kathey Moskal, katheyatc@aol.com and Paul McCabe, pmccabe1234@yahoo.comWicked Grand Prix: TR Ramsdell, mopartr@comcast.net or Dan Barrett, Daniel.J.Barrett@Comcast.netBoston Marathon Volunteer Coordinator: John Mahoney, reconfig@gmail.comSocial Director: Shannon O’Donnell, shannonmaryod@gmail.comNewsletter Contributions: Beth O’Grady, bethogrady@yahoo.comWicked Website: wickedrunningclub.com.Website Questions or Problems: webmaster@wickedrunningclub.com

Wicked is also on Twitter and Facebook!

If you sent me something to include that seems to be missing, it is because I erroneously, negligently and recklesslydeleted it or forgot about it, so send it along again! B.