(From left to right) Diane Rothschild, Peter Prochilo, Mary Jane Dittmar, Eric Baudais, Scott Nelson, Mike McEvoy, Eddie Buchanan, Ginger Mendolia. (Photo by Tony Greco.)
By Derek Rosenfeld
Another year, another Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), and another Courage & Valor 5K Fun Run.
On every Thursday during FDIC, hundreds of runners from around the country gather just outside the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art to compete and test themselves in this important event which has been one of the highlights of the conference since 2008.
As usual, Fire Engineering Editor in Chief Bobby Halton and Courage & Valor creator and organizer Sue Shepherd (below) of the Indianapolis Fire Department led the pre-race festivities, which included a moment of silence for the fallen.
Photo by Tony Greco.
This year, the race (which took place on a sunny, 55°F day) featured two new participants among the more than 450 who ran: Fire Engineering Senior Associate Editor and Fire Life Health Columnist Mary Jane Dittmar and FDIC Conference Coordinator Ginger Mendolia. I was lucky enough to sit down with both for an interview on why they decided this particular year would be their first entry into the race as well as their advice to future runners who are thinking of competing:
MJ and Ginger…triumphant. (Photo by Rob Maloney.)
As for me, it was my slowest 5K time ever (30:56). However, I had a pretty good excuse: I shot the video below while running to offer our readers a glimpse of the course, which ran down the beautiful canal system of residential and shopping areas just outside the museum grounds.
So, it may not be AS good as being there, running down the canal with the wind in your hair, but it’s the next best thing, so enjoy!
See the results of the race HERE.
Hope to see you all again for next year’s race, which will take place on April 21, 2016.
Derek Rosenfeld is an associate editor for Fire Engineering. He has coached baseball at the collegiate level for nine seasons, including stints at New Jersey’s Bloomfield College, Bergen Community College, and Ramapo College. He has also been an infielder in several highly competetive semipro baseball leagues throughout the New York tri-state area.
During the mid-90s, Rosenfeld was a three-year starter at second base for the Ramapo College baseball team in Mahwah, New Jersey, where he earned all-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors and was a two-time New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) all-star selection. He was named MVP of the 1997 NJCBA All-Star Game. He has a bachelor of art’s degree in communications from Ramapo College.
