North Jersey Training Group
Jacob's Coaching Blog: April 2022: Monday April 4th will start coaching Racefaster again. December 2021 to March 2022: Living in Vermont teaching Skiing at Mount Snow and snow shoeing in the woods with Abby the dog. December 2021: Fall Racefaster was interesting. 10 to 18 runners usually. Masked and social distance but we did get in some good workouts. We had a good showing at one of the Mahwah races. We also had several runners attend two cross country meets at The Graystone Cross Country Course at Central Park, Morristown. A very nice dedicated cross counry running Course. Hopefully we can get a team together for next year. July 2021: As you can see it took me a while to come out of Covid-19 isolation. Liz, Abby (dog) and I lived in Vermont for almost 4 months seeing almost no one. Then I lived a careful, masked, and distanced life till my 2nd Moderna shot in February of 2021. An interesting year of isolation! I started back coaching Racefaster in May of 2021 and am now looking forward to the fall cross country season. On Friday March 12, 2020 Liz, Abby and I went to Vermont for a normal ski weekend. The big shut down started on Saturday so we just stayed in Vermont for the next 3 and one half months. We had a couple of drives to New Jersey for stuff. (they were interesting: get in the car, don't stop, spend 3 to 4 hours in the house, get gas, then drive back to Vermont without getting out of the car.) But other than that: 3 and 1/2 months in Covid Isolation. Abby loved it as she had at least an hour of off leash running everyday. And Liz I had a very nice time together. But what will be next. I do miss coaching but I don't see much happening in the short term. The winter meets that I am involved with proceeded well. I certainly enjoy officiating and directing meets and as it turns out Our crown jewel "The Eastern States" was the last one I will work for a time. Covid-19 was on the hoizon and I was worried about getting the Easterns Meet on the 18th of February completed. The country didn't start shutting down until mid March but in retrospect if we had shut down mid February our country would have had a very different outcome moving forward. And I will say as a former Infectious disease teacher the information for a shutdown was there in mid-February! December 2019 - I have been inducted into the Armory Coaches Hall of Fame. I consider this a great Honor! Fall 2019 - Summer 2019 – Ridgewood’s pole vault and javelin runways were repaired this summer by Copeland Coating Company. They were the original installers of the track in 2010. They do a great job and I really enjoy watching them work. I know a lot about installing all weather tracks by now having gone thru three instillation/renovations at the High School and then the building of the track at BF. I spoke at 2 running camps this summer: PJ McCarten’s middle school camp at Glen Rock High School and Make Running Fun Camp at Camp Scatico in Elizaville, NY. PJ’s camp was filled with enthusiastic youngsters that showed great energy to running. They will someday help continue the Traditions of Glen Rock Track! Mike Ryan and Nick DiVeto have done a great job of continuing the camp traditions started by Brian Rodak and Tom Zaccone. At Camp Scatio I saw 110 campers having a great experience around running. I even joined the tradition of singing “Under the Board Walk” to the campers at lights out time. This camp is one of the reasons that North Jersey running is so strong. Finally, I was elected to my High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Came as a surprise because there were many much better athletes from Hopewell Memorial High School, but the committee was really interested in my coaching career. I always found it ironic that most of my top athletes were so much better than I ever was and here I am telling them what to do! Hopewell Hall of Fame The Induction will be on September 13th before a football game. Then the game: The original Friday Night Lights!! Spring 2019: Looking forward to RaceFaster Program and directing some Track Meets and Officiating at some others! Winter 2019: My new knee is working well! Winter Racefaster continues thru the weather with Coach Jason Timochko handling most practices as my officiating and skiing teaching schedule keeps me away alot. Fall 2018: Coaching Racefaster Club Monday and Wednesday 6pm at Vets Field in Ridgewood. Watched the Copeland Coating Company repair the runways on our track. They did very nice work (They had installed the original track). I have watched enough track installations and repairs over the years that I could consult on installing tracks! May 9th, 2018: Knee replacement surgery - Everything stopped for awhile. Spring 2018: Back coaching Racefaster Club and Officiating and Directing Track Meets. Winter 2018: January to April - Continued as a HS Official and HS Meet Director. Ocassionally helped Aiden & Jason with Racefaster Club Team. December 7th: Returned to Atlantic City for the MF US All-Star Clinic. I feel it is one of the best in the country and only a 2 hour drive down the Parkway. I heard Boo Schexnayder of LSU fame on speed development. Then Vicki Mitchell, Brittney Lanehart, and Joe Franklin all talking about my first love: Distance Running. Franklin is from the University of New Mexico. I wonder how much of their success is from the 5100 foot altitude? September to December: Coaching Racefaster Club for the Cross Country season. A great group of motivated young runners. I get great support and help from Coach Jason Timochko and Club Director Aidan Walsh. The girls 13-14 group won the regional championship out in Youngwood, PA. July 10 to 14: Jacob Brown's running camp. Camp was fun and I realized I missed coaching at camp. I will make sure I do it again next year! June 16 & 17: Attended USATF Cross Country Specialist Clinic at Villanova University. Joe Vigil & Scott Christensen are great coaches who have an inspirational way of imparting their wisdom. Marcus O'Sullivan & Gina Procaccio added some great experience to the presentation. May 29: Ridgewood Memorial Day Run - Finish Line Water Station! Even in the rain great fun. See many faces from my time in Ridgewood! Spring 2017: Really enjoyed coaching Racefaster - Hope I helped the kids as much as they entertained me. March 20th and first day of Spring I start my next coaching adventure with RaceFaster! I have resurfaced! February 5, 2017. Returned to the site of my last High School race in 1963!! Spoke at a clinic at Mt Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh. The clinic was organized by Mt Lebanon's long time coach (and friend of mine) Mike Agostinella. Hopefully I imparted some distance training wisdom. I also heard interesting talks on running form and FAT timing. Researching high School distance performances over time using High School Track Annuals that are found in the Armory's Archives. Jack Peifer has been a great help. Is everyone racing faster now? January 2017: Continuing to officiate and direct indoor Track and Field Meets On Wednesday October 26 I will be speaking at Rick Braver's Office on "Gait Anakysis in Runners." 4-14 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn. Be there or Be square! 6:00pm We will watch the Rio Olympic men's 1500m final. I am reading up to date scientific articles for the talk. Cool Stuff! Plus there is free food. 2016-October 22. I was inducted into the the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame. There were athletes there from my first team, my best team, and my last team! It was an unbelievable evening that I am having trouble putting into the proper emotional category. Joy, pride, humble, excitement all mixed into one. I need some time to process this one! Paul Schwartz wrote such a complementary article for the program! My acceptance speech is heartfelt. 2016-June. North Jersey training group does not exist yet! BUT hopefully in the future. Meanwhile: I have worked individually with a few runners on form issues I have taken my "bucket drums" to Race Faster youth summer camp. I have spoken at the Make Running Fun camp at Camp Scatico (and that was fun). I Attended The Running Summit East Clinic where I photo bombed coaching legends Joe Vigil and Jack Daniels. Right Now: I am Helping upgrade the shot put landing areas at our track in Ridgewood. and Looking forward to Cross Counry Season. Video needs Quick Time Player: Live High, Train Low! North Jersey Training & Racing Group. I have retired from High School Teaching and Coaching. What is next? I am looking to put together a Training and Racing group for post collegiate Runners who want to continue their competitive career. Our goals would revolve around improving our performance in track, cross country and road racing. We would meet several times a week and work towards individual goals but we would do a lot of work together. Our group would offer coaching support, training partner support, and team comradery around the sport of competitive running. We would occasionally compete in USATF championship meets both as individuals and as a team. This is an evolving idea but if you are currently training at a high level in the North Jersey area and want to become part of a training group send me an e-mail. jacob@jacobbrown.com Jacob Brown