Shawmont Running Club

For 9/19/26

By

 • Prof. Sandy • WHOZ • CONGRATS • RUNNIN’ • ELSEWHERE •
• THEMZ • RUN REPORT •

 

RUMINATIONS – by Prof. Sandy

What’s good for the environment is good for you.

In the days before small plastic bottles…when people drank water from the tap…water was probably safer. The public is under the illusion that water from a plastic water bottle is cleaner. Not so. Tap water in most US cities is strictly regulated by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In contrast, bottled water is regulated less frequently by the FDA. Both are tested for contaminants, but not for microplastics, which are shed in the plastic bottles.

Fragments as small as a bacteria cell are far more numerous than previously known. Using a new laser technique, researchers at Columbia and Rutgers found roughly a quarter-million of these tiny particles in a typical one-liter bottle. This finding is significant because these nanoplastics are so small that they can easily enter our gastrointestinal system and our lungs. They can lodge in our heart or brain as well. Scientists don’t yet know the implications, but data suggest that these micro plastics may damage our DNA, our brains, our immune systems, and more.

Some researchers theorize that microplastics may play a role in the increase of colorectal cancers, colitis, and Crohn’s disease, but studies are inconclusive. Scientists do believe that the smaller the size, the more dangerous because the nanoplastics can enter our cells more easily than the microplastics. Also dangerous are the chemicals within the plastic like bisphenol A or BPA which have been linked to increased blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The PFAS chemicals may affect fertility and the phthalates may interfere with hormones. These chemicals are being studied, but there are 10,000 unique compounds used in plastic manufacturing, which have not been evaluated. One study did find that patients with lung cancer have more microplastics in their lungs than those without the disease.

So how can we minimize the plastic in our bodies?

  • Drink filtered tap water whenever possible.
  • Avoid plastic water bottles, using paper, glass, or steel.
  • Avoid plastic food containers, especially with hot food.
  • Store food in glass or metal containers in place of plastic.
  • Use cloth bags when shopping and avoid the single-use plastic bags.
  • Shop bulk items to avoid plastic wrappings.
  • Attempt to wear cotton, wool, hemp or silk because polyester clothing sheds microplastic fibers when washed.

FINE PRINT ¶Text by Sandra Folzer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

 

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WHOZ DOIN WHAT IN 2026

  • 9/26: BRIDGE TO BRIDGE RELAY (Washington Crossing PA)
    • HalfCaff
    • KayCee
    • Jamie
    • Diane L.
    • Lakshmi
    • Quietman Tom
    • Stroller
  • 10/04: DELCO 10 MILER (Upper Providence PA)
    • Caiter
    • Half Calf
  • 10/11: NEWPORT MARATHON (RI)
    • Lady Jen
    • Sue D.
  • 10/19: DELAWARE DISTANCE CLASSIC 15K (Wilmington DE)
    • Half Caff
  • 10/25: MARINE CORPS MARATHON (Arlington VA)
    • Rob R.
  • 11/01: COOPER NORCROSS RUN THE BRIDGE 10K (Camden NJ)
    • Half Caff
    • Prof. Sandy
  • 11/21: “PHILLY” ½ MARATHON
    • Half Caff
    • John Henry Campbell
    • JulCee
    • KayCee
    • Jamie
  • 11/21: Rothman 8K
    • Prof. Sandy
    • Kenny Baby
  • 11/22: “PHILLY” FULL MARATHON
    • Bolt Cutter
    • CtCloser
    • Geoffrey
    • Ironette
  • 11/26: GREATER PHILADELPHIA YMCA GOBBLE WOBBLE 5K (Abington PA)
  • 12/5: REHOBOTH BEACH SEASHORE ½ MARATHON (DE)
    • Caiter

 

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CONGRATS-A-MUNDO TO ALL!

Philly Distance Run – Philadelphia, 9/20/26

  • Diane L. – 2:11:47
  • Caiter – 1:42:15
  • Becky V. – 2:10:02
  • Half Caff – 2:32:17
  • Lady Jen – 1:49:48
  • Sue D. – 1:42:20
  • KayCee – 1:57:09
  • Geoffrey – 2:10:52
  • Too Hot Tom – 2:10:24 AG Winner!
  • Sheila R. – 1:56:48

SEND YOUR RACE RESULTS TO: kristycorino@gmail.com

 

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RUNNIN’ OFF AT THE MOUTH

  1. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
  2. “Running is not about being better than someone else… it’s about being better than you used to be.” – Unknown

(Best Running Quotes for Global Running Day)

 

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ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

A Half Marathon Course Flooded With Waist-Deep Water—and Runners Kept Going. Should the Race Have Stopped?

“The race organizer is facing a one-year probation period after the soaked race sparked safety concerns.”

“At Sunday’s RaceFaster Half Marathon in Paramus, New Jersey, runners faced a challenging obstacle after roughly four to five inches of rain fell in the area.”

Water waste deep and higher with 250 runners managing to finish: What would you have done?

Take away: train like it’s a tri.

(https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a73762330/paramus-half-marathon-flooding/)

 

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THEMZ WHO WUZ THERE

Stats – We track attendance and Shawmont. Loggin’ the miles is just for fun.

Records: Attendance – 39 on 6/23/18. Shawmonts – 26 on 2/10/18.

This Week, 9/19/26: Attendance – 11. Shawmont – 7

  • Trail Tag – Distance (ROUTE)
  • Betsy – 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Bolt Cutter – 16 (SHAWMONT + Manor)
  • CtCloser – 16 (SHAWMONT + Manor)
  • Dr. Ned – 5
  • Gregle – 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Jimmy Dee – 14 (SHAWMONT)
  • Kenny Baby – 6
  • Prof. Sandy – 7
  • Quietman Tom – 16 (SHAWMONT + Manor)
  • Rob R. – 17 (SHAWMONT + 3)
  • Teddio – 9
  • Thanks for reading. Have a great week.

 

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RUN REPORT – 9/19/26

Mystic Martha popped out of the woodwork to do a little walking: “So mystic, I’m invisible.”

Half-Wit Lynn was an also-seen, walking as the Shawmont Manor runners finished. She submitted her Whoz entry for the Gobble Wobble 5K. She hopes to be joining the run soon for a 5mi Valley Green Inn out-and-back.

Speaking of Valley Green Inn, the usual loiter featured a report from Kenny Baby on his 9/9 Amazon 10.5k. Takeaways –

  • Organizer: Marathon Tours
  • Registration: very limited
  • “Amazon”: Used loosely. Think “Amazon Basin.”
  • Loop Variations: 1x for 10.5K, 2x for 21K, 4x for a marathon

The Shawmont Manor runners broke the “no politics” rule by talking politics. Civilly. Ridiculous efforts demand ridiculous exceptions.

Read Themz for numerical deets.

Footnote: Back when Zen Yanni wrote, the narrative around the previous week’s efforts was a regular feature. “Run Report” was the name of the entire publication, then (iCandybyWangC.com).
 

Congrats, Runnin’, & Themz Features Editor: KayCee
Website Newsletter & Facebook Editor: CtCloser (iCandybyWangC.com)