Member of the Month: Bob Clasen!

Bohemia Track Club standout Bob Clasen is not just an excellent runner, but a man who wears many different hats. A hard-working lawyer by day, he balances an array of hobbies and passions after-hours. A model of persistence and dedication, his ethics have made him one of the best Masters runners in the area, even in such a remarkably competitive category. At races he is a familiar and popular face, and his ability to skillfully refine his craft has earned him Bohemia's recent Most Improved Runner award.

Born in Patchogue, not far from his current Bellport home, Bob has always been a Long Island boy. His childhood as one in a small nation of ten Clasen children was a physically active one. The boys and girls were typically energetic kids, and tirelessly played popular suburban games, particularly softball. Bob attended Connetquot High School and was an exceptional football defensive back and a spunky wrestler. Bob was so tenacious that in tribute his coach and teammates created a new honor and presented him with their inaugural "Tiger Award".

Bob went on to college at Stony Brook as a Political Science major. He continued his outstanding athletic performance as a defensive back, winning awards in two of the three seasons he participated. Lured into running track for an already star-studded Stony Brook squad, Bob joined the team without knowing his specialty. In his first meet the coach placed Bob in the mile, and in one of his many spectacular "learning experiences", Bob went out in a blazing 58 second ¼ mile before fading hard to near last. He later found success with the half mile, with a super-human personal best of two minutes flat.

Graduating with an impressive 3.56 cumulative average, Bob continued his education by pursuing a difficult three-year law degree from St. John's. Attending classes, studying for tests and working to pay tuition left Bob little time for extracurricular activities, but he persevered, attaining his degree and passing the Bar Exam on his first attempt.

Over the years, Bob has seen many sides of the legal profession. Out of college he spent several years as an intern to a solo practitioner in East Northport. There, he did research, wrote papers, and learned many legal strategies related to the plaintiff's side. He then worked at a Smithtown firm as an outside counsel focusing on civil law for defendants. For the next for five years he was an independent lawyer (an ambitious pursuit considering a saturated market and high overhead costs) doing civil work for both sides, and often for other attorneys. He is now a defense lawyer for State Farm Insurance, an accomplished attorney logging many trial hours. He considers it both a great professional challenge and an enriching personal experience.

In 1985, a year out of law school, Bob began to run again, and promptly decided to sign up for the Long Island Half Marathon. Aiming to impress, he mentioned these intentions to an attractive woman at a bar one night. Unbeknownst to him, the woman knew something about running, and asked about his training regimen. Bob had none, so she convinced him to at least run the upcoming Dix Hills 10K first. He and current BTC Club President Estella had made their first date. Actually believing he could win the race, Bob blazed off to a fast start before another spectacular collapse. Estella passed him on the way to the finish. Their breakfast afterwards was a bit more pleasant.

Estella passed him again in the Half Marathon, but Bob persistently showed up at races and consistently improved. He dated Estella for five years before the two were married aboard the Bay Mist cruise ship in front of family and many Bohemia Track Club friends. Obviously along the way Bob joined our running club, and has been an active and important member for many years. It is now the 15th anniversary of Bob and Estella's meeting and racing for the first time.

Bob's most memorable running debacle came in the 1988 New York City Marathon, where he passed the half marathon mark at 1:34 but faded miserably at 16 miles, shuffling and walking the last ten to the finish. Labeling it the "worst athletic experience" he has ever had, it was another ten years before he attempted the marathon distance again.

One of Bob's finest characteristics, however, is his ability to learn and improve from his experiences, and coupled with his innate tenacity, he has come to excel in his running career. Just in recent years, Bob has had exceptional personal best times at a variety of distances: a 16:52 5K, 35:48 10K (Cow Harbor, 1998), two 1:20 half marathons, and a 2:59 marathon (Hartford, 1997). What is nearly as amazing is that he is having these times as a Master (over 40) runner, and after a decade and a half of road racing. He is also excelling in one of the toughest age groups in the region, having earned honors in last year's Summer Series Grand Prix by winning his age group outright in many races.

His ability to listen to his body has ensured his longevity, a difficult feat in the running arena. His running and racing passion kicks in around March and lasts through October. During this "season", and throughout many of the past fifteen years, Bob has typically participated in 20 to 25 races, led BTC speed workouts and run in the Summer Running Series, often training on Thursdays in St. James and Sundays at River Road in Smithtown. He and Estella have also participated in many races on vacation in such places as Bermuda, Georgia, Montreal and Florida. Although busy with other pursuits, Bob has the unique off-season ability to "hibernate", running often just once a week during the winter while he lets his body recuperate.

Bob gives great credit to long-time president Ed Schulte for being a person of positive influence and leadership- one who was well-liked and went out of his way to make others feel welcome. Bob, in his own way, has been a quiet leader, captaining Ocean-to-Sound squads as well as organizing teams for local MAC and Grand Prix races. He is also an influential force on the track and on the roads.

Far from one-dimensional, Bob is involved in many other activities aside from running. As a matter of fact, he and Estella are very accomplished dancers. Constantly improving through years of lessons and training, the two have done their homework and have become outstanding performers. They have been showcasing their abilities recently, entertaining audiences (the track club included) with latin sambas, hustles and cha-chas. Bob is also a student of Aikido, a defensive martial art, and is well on his way to receiving his brown belt. He appreciates the strength and flexibility of the discipline, and welcomes the break from running, which conversely tightens muscles. If that's not enough, Bob somehow finds time to ski, scuba, fish, bike, and spend time with his siblings and 22 nieces and nephews.

Through the years and after many races, Bob has learned to pay attention to his body, and in turn has adapted his training routine to maximize his results without incurring excessive fatigue or injury. Perhaps the most difficult challenge that serious runners face, Bob is already well ahead of the game. Consistency, dedication, perseverance and a strong ethic to excel, coupled with intelligence and experience are all traits that have contributed to make Bob a standout in most everything he has done. Friendly and sociable, Bob is also a popular guy, and not one to shy away from a good time. All these qualities and more add up to make Bob Clasen exactly what he is, our latest Member of the Month.