Women2Women - Fall 2017 - 47

Laura Mooney, Age 48, Fleetwood
Boston?
2017

Toughest race?
Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 (MMT 100) in Virginia. I have
tried it twice but have not finished it yet. I made it to mile 78 the
first time and then to mile 70. I think it is because of a combination
of the distance, the terrain and the weather conditions that I've been
in while running it. I will go back and try it again this year. After
overcoming difficulties in another very hard race I was very excited
when I did finish Mohican 100* in Ohio this past June. That gave
me confidence to know I can do the distance.
*The Mohican Trail 100 Mile Run, often referred to as the MO100,
has become one of the nation's premier ultra-marathons. Home of the
first ever USATF Ultra Running Championship in 2005, Mohican is
reportedly the fifth oldest ultra-running race in the USA. Traverse 95%
Trail along a challenging course winding its way through the lush 5000
acre Mohican Memorial State Forest.

How has running with the Pacers helped you in work and life?
The club is very family orientated. I met an incredible new group of
friends who are supportive, caring, and always there to help when it
is needed. The world of trail and ultra running was opened up to me
through the Pacer organization. I am so thankful to know that there is
always someone to run with. I have had many other opportunities that
I wouldn't have had...volunteering at races, being a race director, getting
involved in community projects and trail clean ups. Because of the
many social events the club hosts there is always something fun to do.

Laura Mooney  

became too dark to run at Gring's, the three of us ran from Exeter
HS. We invited others to join us and the group just grew. For years
we ran at Exeter every Wednesday night.

Favorite places to run?
Best trails and routes - These days I don't consider myself training.
But in the past, Nolde was a great training area, with some steep
uphills and beautiful, easy trails. I used to do a 20-mile route through
Shillington, up Church Rd. next to Nolde, through Wyomissing and
Sinking Spring and back to Shillington. It was very pretty with hills
and flat areas. I prefer roads to trails. You will only find me on the
trails because my friends are running the trails.

Sue Jackson, Age 62, Reading

Anna Piskorska, Blandon

Boston?

Boston?

I ran Boston 4 times, '89, '90, '91, and '92. I was qualified to run
in '93 but was 8 months pregnant on race day, so that didn't happen
and unfortunately I never got back there.

I ran the Boston Marathon only once in 2007. I struggled with rain
and wind during the race. Additionally, I had to drive back home
shortly after I finished. I had bought my townhouse a few days before
the race and had movers coming in the day after. Because of such
bad weather conditions and extenuating circumstances, I did not
have a chance to fully enjoy that day.

Toughest race?
Boston '90 was my toughest overall. My father had passed away earlier
that year after battling cancer for about 18 months, so my training
and focus were really off. Consequently, I struggled most of the race
and thought how I wouldn't wish running this race on anyone, I
just wanted to be done and wasn't sure if I would ever do another
marathon. However, as I approached the finish line, I realized that
if I sprinted, I would break 3:45 and be qualified to run the next
year and that is exactly what I did.

How has running with the Pacers helped you?
So many ways. The camaraderie and lifelong friendships is foremost.
Through running, I've met so many people who continue to be good,
honest, true friends, not only on the roads and trails but also in day
to day life. I am grateful for the advice about training and recovery
from injuries. The Pacers are great people who truly care about each
other, so a run with a bunch or just a few Pacers is always good for
the soul. I was one of the originators of the Wednesday night run.
Ed Recker, Mark Schoffer and I used to run on Wed. nights. During
the summer we were at Gring's Mill with some others and once it

Toughest race?
20-in-24-hour race in Philadelphia (discontinued 2 years
ago), which was held in July. The weather was always hot
and humid, which made it harder to achieve my goals.
As far as trail races, I have to say the toughest one would have to be
Virgil Crest 100* miles held in Central New York. It was not so much
the distance, but the conditions we were running in. It started to rain
as I was finishing first loop of 50 miles, and poured for another 30
more at least, which made this extremely hilly course a pure mud fest.
*The Virgil Crest 100 Mile course uses a 50 mile out-back format.
Approximately 92 miles will be run over hilly trail, with 4 miles of
dirt/gravel forest road and 4 miles of asphalt. It is run over the hills and
gorges surrounding Virgil, N.Y. The event uses Finger Lakes Trail sections
spanning the Tuller Hill and Kennedy State Forests, and is paired with
the signature terrain of Greek Peak Nordic and Alpine Resorts. www.
ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=31311.
berkswomen2women.com 47
http://www.ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=31311 http://www.berkswomen2women.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Women2Women - Fall 2017
